Cold Case Files: I SURVIVED – “I Felt Like There My Life Goes, That Was My Shot”

Podcast: Cold Case Files
Host: Paula Barros (A&E/PodcastOne)
Episode Date: August 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This emotionally charged episode of Cold Case Files features three harrowing stories of survival, told in the words of the survivors themselves: Amy, Tyler, and Jeff. Each faced unimaginable violence and trauma—and lived to speak of it. The episode explores not just the brutality of their ordeals, but the resilience, resourcefulness, and sometimes luck that enabled their survival.
(Listener warning: The stories discussed include violence and sexual assault, including against children.)

Major Stories and Key Discussion Points

1. Amy’s Story – Survivor of Sexual Assault and Attempted Murder

(Desoto, Missouri, 2003)

Meeting "Texas"

• [02:00] 23-year-old Amy, mother of two, recently separated, attends a party to lift her spirits.
• She meets a charismatic man calling himself “Texas.”
  • “He seemed really nice and he was an absolute gentleman.” (Amy, 02:16)
  • They bond over being parents.

The Assault

• [03:23] After the party, Amy goes for a drive with Texas. He claims to need his debit card from his house, impressing her with talk of homeownership.
• At a dead-end street, after consensual kissing, Texas tries to undress her. She resists.
  • “In an instant, the guy that I had come to know that evening was gone. He looked at me ... evil eyes, he said, but I wanted you.” (Amy, 03:42)
• He violently sexually assaults and nearly suffocates her.
  • “Not only was I being raped and couldn’t scream, I couldn’t breathe.” (Amy, 04:01)

Fight for Survival

• Amy tries reasoning and pleading with him, invoking her own and his child.
  • “Please don’t do this. I’m a mother, and I have babies...I have to be here.” (Amy, 07:49)
• When she invokes his daughter: “You will never see her again if you kill me.” (Amy, 08:26)
• Struggles fiercely, hitting the car horn—a move that enrages him but allows her to briefly breathe.

Escape

• [09:37] She is beaten, strangled, and eventually loses consciousness.
• Wakes up alone in the car, escapes into the woods and onto the highway—barely clothed, face bloody.
  • “I was so sure the whole time that he’s right behind me that I can actually feel his fingertips touching the back of my shoulder.” (Amy, 10:42)
• A car passes but speeds off in fear.
  • “I just. I felt like, there my life goes there. That was my shot.” (Amy, 11:51)
• She finally flags down a driver willing to help, who wraps her in a blanket and calls 911.

Aftermath and Justice

• Amy provides detailed information to police (car, house location), leading to the quick identification of the assailant (real name Leonard Rosenboom).
  • All of his claims—about his house, car—were lies.
• Rosenboom is arrested and later convicted on multiple charges, serving consecutive life sentences.
• Amy returns to her family, remarries, and finds new happiness.
  • “I survived because I’m supposed to be here for my babies. They need their mother and I need them, and I was not ready to go out on them.” (Amy, 14:17)

Memorable Quotes:

• “If he was gonna kill me, he had to look me in the face while he did it.” (Amy, 08:44)
• “Everything around their faces was black. But I could see my two sons’ faces. And then they started fading as well. And then everything went black.” (Amy, 08:56)

2. Tyler’s Story – Surviving Home Invasion, Sexual Assault, and Attempted Murder

(Altona, Manitoba, Canada, 1990)

Teenage Trust and Betrayal

• [16:37] 14-year-old Tyler befriends Curtis at a new school. They plan a sleepover while Tyler’s mother is away.
• At a town dance, they encounter Earl, a troubled 17-year-old.
• Earl later unexpectedly arrives at Tyler’s house, carrying a duffel bag.

The Horror Unfolds

• Earl confesses to recent crimes, brandishes a stolen handgun.
• After a tense, awkward evening, Earl ties up and blindfolds both boys, then separates them.
• He sexually assaults Tyler and photographs the assault.
  • “At that point, he stood me up and pulled my pants down and then sexually assaulted me.” (Tyler, 19:54)

Murder Attempt and Arson

• Earl returns, claims to have killed Curtis, then cuts Tyler’s throat.
  • “I can see blood squirting everywhere and now hear myself breathing through my neck because there’s a big hole in my neck.” (Tyler, 20:43)
• Covers Tyler with a blanket, sets it on fire.
• Tyler, on fire and severely wounded, miraculously finds the will to escape:
  • “...wasn’t like I heard the big voice from the sky come down or say anything. It was just, you know what, get up and go. And that’s all I heard. And I rolled over.” (Tyler, 23:15)

Escape and Rescue

• Makes his way—burned, with throat slashed, wrists bound—to a neighbor’s house at 4:30 am.
  • Writes out details and names, unable to speak after his throat injury.
• Sees his own house engulfed in flames as emergency services arrive.

Aftermath and Reflection

• Tyler receives 200 stitches, survives thanks to sheer luck (major arteries spared).
• Struggles with survivor’s guilt: “It was a horrible feeling...something that I dealt with for a number of years.” (Tyler, 25:37)
• Earl is caught and sentenced to two life sentences for attempted murder and murder.

Memorable Quotes:

• “Had those two things not happened, I wouldn’t even get out of the house. A series of fortunate things that allowed me to survive.” (Tyler, 26:00)
• “I survived because I was fortunate in that Earl stopped short of cutting my jugular and my carotid artery by a dime’s width.” (Tyler, 26:00)

3. Jeff’s Story – Surviving a Deadly Avalanche

(Fernie, British Columbia, 2008)

A Day of Adventure Turns Deadly

• [28:21] Jeff and six friends go snowmobiling after a heavy snowfall, enjoying camaraderie and deep powder.
  • “It was almost a perfect day ... it was fun.” (Jeff, 28:46)
• During lunch, they hear an avalanche in the distance, decide to pack up.

Avalanche Strikes – Survival and Rescue

• [29:30] An avalanche engulfs Jeff’s friend Mike—then Jeff himself.
  • “When you’re buried like that, you have no air. ... I tried to move, and I just couldn’t.” (Jeff, 29:46)
• Jeff is found and dug out by a friend.
  • “Just hold on. We’re gonna get you out. Don’t worry.” (Jeff, 30:49)
• The party uses a beacon to find Mike, and are joined coincidentally by four other snowmobilers.

Second and Third Avalanches

• While digging for Mike, a second, more massive avalanche buries Jeff and most of the group again.
  • “You don’t know where you are. Like, you’re up, you’re down, you’re sideways...But after I tumbled, I knew I was on my back.” (Jeff, 32:00)
• Jeff manages, despite mouth and nostrils packed with snow, to dig himself out.

The Aftermath

• He finds and rescues two friends, Jeremy and James, narrowly avoiding further disaster from a third avalanche.
  • “Him screaming, don’t leave me here to die. Don’t leave me here to die. And we have no choice. Like, we’re running for our lives.” (Jeff, 36:23)
• Eight of Jeff’s friends remain buried and cannot be rescued at that time.

Coping, Healing, Moving Forward

• Survivor’s guilt and trauma follow; Jeff takes to drinking before finally seeking help and getting sober.
  • “It definitely took a toll. It ate away at me slowly, which I was in denial of.” (Jeff, 37:00)
• Still snowmobiles today, now aware of the risks.
  • “I believe I survived just from luck. I’m a firm believer now that when your time’s up, your time is up.” (Jeff, 37:34)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Amy’s moment of despair and resolve:
  “If he was gonna kill me, he had to look me in the face while he did it.” (08:44)
• Tyler’s will to survive:
  “It was just, you know what, get up and go. And that’s all I heard. And I rolled over.” (23:15)
• Jeff on survivor’s guilt:
  “It ate away at me slowly, which I was in denial of...There was nothing no one could do until I wanted to do something for myself.” (37:00)
• Amy after survival:
  “I survived because I’m supposed to be here for my babies.” (14:17)

Key Timestamps

• Amy’s Attack and Escape: 02:00–14:27
• Tyler’s Ordeal and Survival: 16:37–26:00
• Jeff’s Avalanche Experience: 28:21–37:34

Summary & Takeaway

In this intense episode of Cold Case Files, the stories of Amy, Tyler, and Jeff underscore the horrific violence and dangers that befall ordinary people—and the extraordinary mental and physical strength required to survive them. Whether it was the strategic thinking of a mother, the indomitable will of a teenager, or the resilience (and luck) of an outdoorsman, each account reinforces not only the darkness that exists, but also the unyielding spirit of survival.

For listeners seeking true-crime survival stories or insights into trauma, resilience, and justice, this episode is a powerful and moving listen.