I SURVIVED: I Have To Get Him Off Of Me

Summary

Cold Case Files: "I Survived: I Have To Get Him Off Of Me"

Aired: January 24, 2026 | Host: Paula Barros

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Overview

This chilling episode of Cold Case Files focuses on the harrowing stories of survival from three individuals—Jennifer in Texas, Sampson in South Carolina, and Noreena in Pennsylvania—who faced unimaginable violence and narrowly escaped with their lives. Each narrative is told in the survivor's own words, taking listeners through the visceral moment-to-moment realities of their ordeals, and highlighting the inner strength and resilience that led them to survive. The episode also provides insight into the mindset and instincts that can arise in moments of extreme danger.

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1. Jennifer’s Story: The Apartment Attack

[00:48–15:59]

The Attack

• New Start in Houston: Jennifer, newly relocated to Houston, moves into what she believes is a secure apartment complex with a perimeter fence and on-duty security.
  "[I] really wanted a place that was going to be as safe and secure as possible." — Jennifer [01:35]

• Night Out and the Assault: After a night out with friends, Jennifer goes home and locks her door, only to wake up to a man on top of her, attacking her with a knife.
  "I really wanted a place that was going to be as safe and secure as possible." — Jennifer [01:35]
  "The feeling of his leg hair against my legs, that coarseness..." — Jennifer [02:27]
  "Oh, I'm being raped." [02:41]

• Desperate Fight: She realizes the man is trying to rape and kill her. When she resists, he slashes her face and throat.
  "The fight was on and it wasn’t going to stop until one of us had won and one of us had lost." — Jennifer [01:14 & 04:30]
  "My throat was cut. That was the first time that I thought, I'm gonna die." — Jennifer [06:09]

• Screaming for Help: Despite her screams waking up about 20 people in surrounding units, no one calls the police.
  "Not a single one of those people called the police." — Jennifer [04:45]

Aftermath & Escape

• Survival Instincts: After being cut, Jennifer manages to physically barricade herself in the bathroom, stemming bleeding with toilet paper. She then crawls out, fearing her attacker may still be in the apartment, but finds no one.
  "I have to get him off of me. I have to stop this. I cannot be raped and I cannot be killed." — Jennifer [04:41]

• Phone Lines Cut: Both the power and landline were cut, but Jennifer manages to reach 911 on her cell phone.
  "Please help me...cut my throat." — Jennifer (to dispatcher) [09:54]

• Trusting the Dispatcher: During a tense wait for emergency assistance, a man claiming to be a security guard tries to get Jennifer to open her door. The 911 dispatcher, Richard, wisely advises her not to open it.
  "If you don't know who this is on the other side, do not open the door." — Richard, 911 Dispatcher [12:14]

Discovery & Healing

• The Attacker Unmasked: Police and fire finally arrive. Evidence links the on-duty security guard to the attack (bloody socks, no underwear, security hat left behind, knife found).
  "The on duty security guard for my apartment complex had committed this attack." — Jennifer [14:29]

• Aftermath: Jennifer is credited by law enforcement for her fierce resistance, which both saved her life and prevented the rape. Brian Wayne Gibson, the security guard, is convicted and sentenced to 20 years.

• Bond with her Rescuer: Jennifer remains close with dispatcher Richard, who attended her wedding.
  "He saved my life and for that he will always be one of the most important people that's ever impacted my life." — Jennifer [15:59]

Notable Moment

• "Having instinct, intuition and a big heart. He saved my life..." — Jennifer [15:59]

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2. Sampson’s Story: The Farming Accident

[18:49–31:37]

The Incident

• Background: Sampson describes his farming life in South Carolina and the routine of operating tractors and corn pickers.

• Trapped in a Machine: While trying to clear a jammed corn stalk from a running machine, Sampson’s hand is pulled into the rollers. "What a big dummy. Sticking my hand into this machine, rolling and operating." — Sampson [19:56]

• Failed Rescue Attempts: He tries to jam the machine, throw boots and dirt into the rollers, and even attempts to cut off his own glove, only to realize he’s cutting his own fingers. Sparks fly, and a fire breaks out.

Self-Rescue Under Fire

• Extreme Measures: With his trapped hand being burned, Sampson uses a pocket knife to amputate his own trapped fingers and eventually cuts through his forearm, enduring unbearable pain. "Each time I cut through the nerve, it was almost like I was going to pass out." — Sampson [27:02]

• Explosion and Escape: An exploding tire helps propel him out of the burning machine. Severely injured and on fire, Sampson manages to drive to the road, flagging down help.

• Help Arrives: A passing paramedic named Doug stops and provides lifesaving first aid until Sampson is airlifted.

Recovery & Reflection

• Injuries: Sampson endures multiple surgeries for amputations and severe burns. His wife's unwavering support is crucial to his recovery. "My wife...was truly the person who helped me through it." — Sampson [30:20]

• Survival Mindset:
  "I survived because I didn't want to die. I had too much to live for." — Sampson [31:37]

Notable Moment

• "My arm was in a furnace. The skin on my forearm was melting. It was just dripping like plastic." — Sampson [25:22]

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3. Noreena’s Story: The School Machete Attack

[34:05–43:38]

The Attack

• School Principal’s Instincts: Noreena, an elementary school principal, is compelled by intuition to call her son shortly before seeing a suspicious man enter her school.

• Confrontation: Thinking he might be a student's grandfather, she attempts to greet him. He suddenly draws a machete and repeatedly attacks her. "That's our first encounter. And he started striking me immediately..." — Noreena [34:56]

• Protecting Others: Despite multiple blows and severe injuries to her hands, Noreena's priority is to protect her students. "I screamed three things...no...call 911...lockdown." — Noreena [36:28]

• Chaos in the Classroom: The attacker enters a kindergarten classroom and attacks children with the back of the machete. Teachers protect children and get them to safety.

Lockdown Heroics

• Repeat Attack: In the nurse's office, the attacker finds Noreena again and assaults her until, in a moment of desperation, she jumps on his back. "He was in a rage at that point... He wanted to kill me." — Noreena [39:23]

• Disarming and Detainment: Another staff member hides the weapon, and the attacker's energy visibly drains; police soon arrest him.

• Aftermath: Noreena loses significant blood, has a nearly amputated finger, and requires extensive hand reconstruction. The attacker, William Stankiewicz, is convicted and sentenced to 264 years in prison.

Resilience and Motivation

• Returning to School: Despite immense trauma, Noreena feels driven to return to her students and staff. "Once I got in there, there's no place I'd rather be. I want to stay there as long as I can. I need to be there for the children, for the adults there. I love my job." — Noreena [43:38]

• Maternal Instinct:
  "I survived also because of the maternal instinct that a mother has for children..." — Noreena [43:38]

Notable Moment

• "Those are things that don't easily disappear...to this day, that happens at school and kids are screaming, it just kind of sends chills." — Noreena [38:12]

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Key Quotes & Timestamps

• Jennifer:

  • "I have to get him off of me. I have to stop this. I cannot be raped and I cannot be killed." [00:48]
  • "Having instinct, intuition and a big heart. He saved my life..." — (on dispatcher Richard) [15:59]

• Sampson:

  • "Each time I cut through the nerve it was almost like I was going to pass out." [27:02]
  • "I survived because I didn't want to die. I had too much to live for." [31:37]

• Noreena:

  • "He was in a rage at that point. He wanted to kill me." [39:23]
  • "Once I got in there, there's no place I'd rather be... I love my job." [43:38]

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Memorable Moments

• Jennifer’s realization, after surviving the attack, that none of her neighbors had called the police despite her screams (04:45).
• Sampson’s self-amputation and his vivid description of the burning, the pain, and survival instincts kicking in (25:08–27:02).
• Noreena’s cool-headed decision-making under attack, orchestrating a lockdown and later physically subduing her assailant with nothing but her own resolve (36:28–41:32).

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Episode Structure & Flow

• [00:48–15:59]: Jennifer’s story—apartment attack, fight for survival, and the discovery of the attacker’s identity.
• [18:49–31:37]: Sampson’s farming accident—his grueling self-rescue amid a harrowing barnyard inferno.
• [34:05–43:38]: Noreena’s account—school machete attack, instinctive courage, and the subsequent recovery.

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Conclusion

This episode of Cold Case Files starkly illustrates the strength and determination of ordinary individuals when confronted with the worst humanity has to offer. The survivors' voices are raw, honest, and inspiring—offering hope, warning, and guidance for anyone who might find themselves in crisis. The tone throughout the episode is intimate and detailed, letting listeners experience these events through the eyes and emotions of the survivors themselves.

Transcript

[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

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[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

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[Narrator]

This episode contains subject matter that may be disturbing to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

I have to get him off of me. I have to stop this. I cannot be raped and I cannot be killed.

[Narrator]

Real people.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

I've never felt pain like that before. Each time I cut through the nerve it was almost like I was going to pass out.

[Narrator]

Who faced death?

[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

He was in a rage at that point. His face was very intent. He wanted to kill me and live to tell how.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

Once I enraged him, the fight was on and it wasn't going to stop until one of us had won and one of us had lost.

[Narrator]

This is I survived. It's April 2000 in Houston, Texas. Jennifer is searching for an apartment.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

Before moving I had moved to Houston and right before I had moved there I'd gone, driven over to Houston and spent a weekend checking out apartment complexes throughout the area. I really wanted a place that was going to be as safe and secure as possible. This apartment complex was close to downtown, had a full perimeter fence around it, about an eight foot tall fence. Then they also had on duty security guards at all times.

[Narrator]

Jennifer moved into an apartment on the second floor.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

About 10 o' clock that evening one of my girlfriends called and said that they were going to go to this place called the Ale House, would I like to come. So I met up with her and rode over with her to the Ale House and we had a good time. We ran into some friends and had a nice evening. I had run into a fellow there and he offered to give me a ride home, which he did and dropped me off back at my apartment complex. Probably about one o' clock in the morning. I went upstairs to the second level where my apartment complex, my apartment was and entered my apartment, closed it, put the deadbolt on, washed my face, brushed my teeth and went to bed. I believe I was in a very, very sound sleep. And when I felt suddenly, as I'm coming awake, someone on top of me, someone with their body weight pressing down and holding my body down and, and grabbing at my underwear and trying to yank them off. And I was very befuddled. I didn't know what was happening. Who's here? What's going on? I can still remember from that point in time though, the feeling of his leg hair against my legs, that coarseness. And I've reached my hands up and, and I feel this knife that's being held against my throat. And it was the clearest thought that went through my brain and woke me up. Oh, I'm being raped. All I can recall doing is screaming, no, please don't hurt me. And trying to push away this knife and yet kicking and moving and screaming to please stop, please don't hurt me. As soon as I put my hand up to his hand, I enraged him. And once I enraged him, the fight was on and it wasn't going to stop until one of us had won and one of us had lost. I took a very hard blow to my right eye. There was just this explosion of blood that, like a hot waterfall just pouring out. And I had my second rational or clear headed thought and that was, he's cut my eye out.

[Narrator]

Jennifer's face had been slashed open.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

I could feel the blade of this knife and I just felt like, I have to get him off of me. I have to stop this. I cannot be raped and I cannot be killed. All I could see of him was the outline of his hair that it seemed to be fairly short, straight hair. The knife was flailing everywhere. I was screaming so loudly that I later found out approximately 20 people in 15 different units in my apartment complex all woke up to my screams. Everyone heard my screams. Not a single one of those people called the police. He was telling me to shut up. He was saying my name. Jennifer, shut the hell up. I was trying to think, who is this? He knows me. It's someone I know. And I was trying to rattle through who it could be.

[Narrator]

Jennifer did not recognize her attacker's voice.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

I candidly felt very confident that I was going to get him to stop. I thought my power of persuasion, my power of my strength, my power of my struggle, whatever it was, I was going to use it and I was going to get this man to stop.

[Narrator]

The attacker was on top of Jennifer with his knife to her throat.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

I didn't think of what the next Step could be. Not until my throat was slit. My throat was cut. Then I knew. That was the first time that I thought, I'm gonna die. And I didn't want to die. And I just wanted to get out of there. And I would have done anything to live at that moment. And when he told me, don't look at me, bitch. Even as much as I might wanted to, my brain, my law school education might have been telling me that I needed to gather evidence to be able to identify him. There was no way that I was going to do anything to aggravate, irritate, upset him. I assured him, I promise I won't look at you. I won't, I won't, I won't. And I didn't. Because he made it very clear that if I did anything other than what he wanted me to do at that moment, that he would kill me. He drags me across the room and tells me to get in the bathroom.

[Narrator]

The attacker returned to the bedroom to get his knife. Jennifer slammed the bathroom door shut.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

The bathroom didn't have a lock on the door. So the first thing I do when I got in there was press up my body against the door of the bathroom. And I realized that my body standing there is not going to hold it shut. So I slide down, put my back up to the bathroom door and my feet up against the bathtub, and I just push and hold as hard as I can at that moment or moments. Suddenly it's quiet and I could hear him. And I can still hear today the sound of him moving in my apartment, grabbing things, moving things. And then I hear the sound of his pants zipping up, just a zipper going up. And I keep waiting in there, and I'm bleeding so profusely. And I know it's my throat now. I reach around and I grab the toilet, roll off the toilet paper holder and yank that off, and I stick that up against my throat and I wait. I just knew I had to get out of there. The option was I stay in there cowering, scared of what's on the other side of the door. If I do that, I'm going to bleed to death. I decided to open the door to come out, which was a big decision to do because I thought maybe he's waiting quietly to surprise me. My hands are covered in blood and they're really slick, and I can't get a good grip on the door handle. And I had pressed that door so incredibly hard with my feet that I had jammed it shut. And I'm standing there jerking and jerking and jerking, trying to get this door open, and I can't. And I had another one of those thoughts, and it was, I've survived the attack, but I'm going to bleed to death in here because I can't open the bathroom door. But fortunately, I do open the bathroom door. I jerk it open and I crawl out. At this point, I go back on my hands and knees, and I say hello when I crawl out, thinking why I'm sending a greeting, but I want to know if he's there. And there's no reply. And so I start trying to turn on the lights.

[Narrator]

The power had been cut.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

The first thought that came to my mind was, did I not pay the electric bill? And they turn off electricity tonight of all nights. But then I go and try to find and get my phone, and I go to my phone, and it's dead.

[Narrator]

The phone line had also been cut.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

I'm sitting on the sofa, and I. I'm terrified that maybe he's behind the sofa, maybe he's in the kitchen. I can't tell. And I find my cell phone and I dial 911. Please help me cut my throat.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

Ma'. Am. There's blood everywhere. I'm covered in blood. Knew my name. I don't know who it was. I knew I locked the door. I don't know how I got in. Okay, man, all right, calm down. I know that we have some crazy people in this world, but I'm going to stay on the. My name is British. There you go. Just fine. Right now, you're doing fine.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

He kept hanging on with me, and it became a friend, someone I could trust on that phone. He was the only safety that I had. Probably about 15 minutes into this 911 call, there comes a pounding on my front door. And I tell the dispatcher, they're here. And he goes, I've got the. The Houston fire and police on my screen, and they're not there yet.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

Don't answer the door right now. Hello, Security.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

Security. What's your name?

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

I thought, I can't see anything.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

The voice on the other side of the door was promising me help, but it was very insistent that I open this door. I tell. Relate this to my dispatcher. And he says, jennifer, if you don't know who this is on the other side, do not open. Open the door. This person on the other side of the door continues to knock and to pound, says. Keeps saying his name. He said, I'll show you my badge. Just open the door and let me in.

[Narrator]

Richard. The 911 dispatcher urged her not to open the door.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

And I'm pretty hysterical. I'm saying, please, I gotta get out of here. I gotta get help. And he said, I just want you to wait. You're gonna be okay. You just wait. Time moved very slowly for me during that period, and I couldn't stop the bleeding. I had had my face slashed from this above my eyebrow, across the bridge of my nose, and it crossed over the corner here of my eye, and then a very deep slice starting here in my cheek and going down to just nicking the jugular vein. I'd also been stabbed through the throat, as well as two deep stab wounds through my arm. And I knew that I had to get word to my mother. I needed my mother because I felt, did I do something to have deserved, brought this on? But I also knew that this was going to break her heart, especially if I died. There's suddenly lots of voices outside the door, you know, saying, identifying themselves as Houston fire and police. And my dispatcher confirms with me that it is. In fact, they're there and I can go and I open the door and I collapse pretty much out on the floor in the hallway. And the first thing that I hear with all this going on is that they have a security guard injured as well. And I started crying. Someone else has been hurt from this.

[Narrator]

The security guard claimed to have been injured in a struggle with Jennifer's attacker.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

When the police came into my apartment after they'd already taken me away, they had found some belongings they had found in the apartment. A pair of underwear, a Pinkerton security guard hat, a belt and a glove. And they also found a knife.

[Narrator]

Police took the security guard in for questioning.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

The first thing they do, apparently, is ask, do they want to take his boots? He had, like cowboy boots on. And they pulls off his boots and he had white socks on that were splattered with blood. And then they take his shirt and he has blood on his torso. They take off his pants and he has no underwear on. The on duty security guard for my apartment complex had committed this attack. I do believe that that had I opened that door, he would have killed me. The police and the detectives, they all came into the hospital, into the emergency room and post surgery and were like, girl, you put up one hell of a fight. I mean, there was like blood on the ceiling, there was on the walls. I mean, it was flying. Bed clothes were everywhere. And I did. I fought with everything in me because despite the fact having been slashed and stabbed and cut, he did not succeed in raping me.

[Narrator]

Brian Wayne Gibson was convicted of aggravated burglary with intent to commit sexual assault. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Jennifer and 911 dispatcher Richard remained friends to this day.

[Jennifer / Sampson]

Day Having instinct, intuition and a big heart. He saved my life and for that he will always be one of the most important people that's ever impacted my life. And I was lucky enough that when I got married, he came to my wedding.

[Narrator]

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[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

The farm is 50 acres. It's our hobby right now. We grow corn here and we hunt and fish. Beautiful morning. It was warm, sunshiny day. I knew it was only going to take a couple hours to pick the load of corn. The corn picker hooks to the back of the farm tractor and on the back of the corn picker you pull a trailer and the corn picker you. We pull it down each row of corn and it actually takes the ear of corn off the stalk. As the ear of corn goes through the machine, it takes the shuck off the corn and then the corn is dropped into an elevator. The elevator shoots it back into the wagon. I had already picked a load of corn. Trailer was loaded. I was headed up to the barn to store it into the barn. I walked around to the corn picker, cleaning it off, cleaning the shucks off. Just a lot of trash and stuff had built up on the picker. I noticed underneath of it was a corn stalk stuck up under the bottom of the corn picker. I could not pull it out. I mean, I tried pulling it out, couldn't get it out.

[Narrator]

Samson started the corn picker and tried to remove the jammed corn stalk.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

Everything is moving now. I walk back to the corn picker, stick my arm inside, grab the stalk, and as I was pulling on the stalk, the rollers that take the shucks off the corn grabbed my glove and it pulled my hand up into the rollers. That time I was trapped. I thought, man, what a big dummy. Sticking my hand into this machine, rolling and operating. And I started pulling my hand out. I couldn't get my hand out. By now they steal cleats on the roller and taken the back of the glove off the back of my hand and started cutting into my skin. The more I pulled, the further it pulled my hand up into the rollers. My hand was up and then my fingers was down over like this. It's almost like it was wedged. I was really mad at myself for doing that. I knew better and I couldn't believe it happened to me. Then I was thinking, my wife's going to kill me. The cell phone that I had had no service here on the farm. So I had no cell phone. The steel rollers just continue Cutting into the back of my hand. My hand's bleeding. It's probably swollen up three times as big as it should be. I was beginning to realize I'm in trouble, that I've got to get this machine stopped somehow. To turn the machine off, you would get back onto the farm tractor, and there's a lever there. You push it straight down to turn it off.

[Narrator]

The lever was just beyond his reach.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

I knew I had to jam the machine. The only way that I could get those rollers stopped Was jamming the machine. One time, I had one of my boots in my hand, and I thought about throwing it at the tractor, Hoping to hit that lever. But I knew that would be a heck of a shot to hit the lever. So I took the boot and tried to jam it down into the rollers. The rollers were so tight and the boots were so thick, I would push the boot down and it would do nothing. I started throwing dirt, Just grabbing handfuls of dirt and rocks with my left hand down into the machine. At one point, I physically tried to pull my hand off to pull out of the rollers and couldn't do it. The more I pulled, the further up into the rollers it would take my hand. I'm thinking, man, I am big time trouble. So I started hollering. I sat there and just hollered as loud as I could. The road's about a quarter of a mile through the woods, and I knew. I was hoping somebody may be walking up the road that would hear me and would come in. But no one heard me. I was bound and determined to get loose. I knew my wife was going to be really mad at me Because I messed my hand up. The whole time I was having to hold my hand in a certain position. Just continued bleeding. The whole time it was still bleeding. The back of the hand was down to the bone. I mean, just all the meat on the back of him was gone. I always thought once I jammed that machine that I could just pull my hand right out. I wouldn't have to worry about the rollers continuing to pull in my hand. Then I started taking parts off of the back of the corn picker.

[Narrator]

Sampson reached for a solid metal rod on the back of the corn picker.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

The Rod is about 8 to 10 inches long. It's 3/4 inch in diameter, and it holds the back plate Onto the corn picker that the corn wagon attaches to. So it's a real strong, solid piece of metal. It probably took 10 or 15 minutes of working to get that rod off. But I knew that was the only thing left. I couldn't. I didn't have anything else left to reach. In order to jam the machine, Sampson.

[Narrator]

Attempted to jam the rollers with. With the metal rod.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

I said, I've got to do something different. Jamming these rollers is not working because I had pushed and pushed and pushed with that big piece of metal, and it wasn't doing anything. So that's when I grabbed the rod. I didn't even try to put it in from the top. I said, I've got to go into the side. I knew there was some gears and a chain over there, and I knew if I could jam it up against the tire that was on the side of the machine, that, that, that might jam the machine. So I reached, took the rod and reached around to the left side. But I dropped the rod and almost got my finger. I felt the gears go over top of my tips of my fingers. Now I had to struggle to reach and feel around on the ground to find the rod. I found the rod and tried it again. And this time it worked. I jammed. I put it. Perfect spot, jammed it up against the tire, and now the rollers quit rolling. The whole machine was sitting there just jerking from the gears being jammed up in it. I had my knees up against the machine, took my left hand and grabbed hold of my right forearm and pulled. I mean, I pulled. I'm a pretty good sized guy. So I was putting a lot of pressure on it and pulling and it wouldn't come off. So I thought then I needed to maybe my gloves were hung up there and I was thinking I needed to cut my glove off. I knew I had my pocket knife. I reached in my pocket and it's about two and a half, three inch long knife. And I was able to get it open with my left hand and reach back in there and started cutting away on the gloves. I thought there was gloves, but it was actually cutting my fingers.

[Narrator]

Sampson had cut three of his fingers off.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

Each time I would get one loose, I would pull my hand to try to pull my hand out of there. It still wasn't working. Still couldn't get my hand loose.

[Narrator]

Sparks begin jumping from the jammed engine.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

I was in a hurry. I knew I had to get loose. And it seemed like it was just seconds. Once I cut through, I was able to pull the nubs of my fingers up and straighten them up to where all I had to do was pull my hand down. And that's when the fire broke out. The corn shucks really dry, so the sparks had sparked the fire. And at first, it was just a small fire. I took my left hand and started pushing them away and patting them down, trying to put the fire out. And it was almost like all of a sudden, just like gasoline exploded. Here goes. The fire just spread everywhere. It was on my right side. It was all around me. It was up inside of the machine. My arm was in a furnace. The skin on my forearm was melting. It was just dripping like plastic. The flames was shooting around the machine. It was burning my hair, singeing my hair. The wind was blowing toward me. All those flames was coming toward me. And all I thought about was just, I wasn't going to die there. There's no way I was going to die. Started thinking of my son and my wife. Didn't want them coming down, finding me burned to death right there on my machine. At one point, I saw. I was kind of looking down and saw my mom and my wife fighting over where I was going to be buried. My mom wanted me buried in Kentucky, and my wife wanted me buried here in South Carolina. And it was almost like, man, I am not going to die here. There's no way I'm going to let this happen. And at that point, I truly tried to pull my hand off again. With the forearm melting, I still pushed up against it and screaming as loud as I could and tried to pull my arm off again. I mean, it was. That's probably the hardest that I pulled. And I just couldn't believe my hand still would not come free. By now, my arm was really on fire. I grabbed my pocket knife, and that's when I jammed a knife into my forearm and started cutting the meat away. But once I jammed that knife into my arm, the nerves, it was almost like, breathtaking. Each time I cut through the nerve, it was almost like I was going to pass out. I was screaming. Each time I would cut through one, I would scream as loud as I could. I mean, that was pain. I mean, let me tell you, that was the worst pain I've ever felt. To break the bone, I had to raise up as high as I could. And then I dropped to the ground with all my weight. And I knew I only had seconds because the fire was continually getting bigger. I was going so quick, I was in hopper mode.

[Narrator]

The corn picker's tire was burning.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

Once it burned close enough to the air pressure, the tire just exploded. It exploded, and it was such a big explosion at the same time, I broke the bone in my right arm. It was able to push me out of the Fire out of the flames about five feet. So I jumped up and thinking, I'm free, I'm free. Finally, I'm free. And now I gotta get help. So I run around to in front of the tractor and putting the fire out on my pants. My right leg was on fire. Every time my heart would beat, there would be a big long stream of blood shooting down my arm. While I was running to my truck, I had to take my left hand and putting the flames out on my pants, I jumped into my truck, continued on up to the main road, which is about a quarter of a mile from the tractor. Got up to the road, and I stopped and let the cars go by. And as the cars went by, I was waving at them, blowing the horn, waving my arm at them, and there was blood shooting all over the windshield and all over the dashboard. So people were going by and not stopping. I pulled my truck out into the middle of the road and thought to myself, I mean, if I die, I'm gonna die right here. Or somebody's gonna. Somebody's either gonna hit me or help me. Several cars went by and nobody would stop. So at this point, I knew I couldn't go any further. I had to get help. Somebody had to help me. There. I was losing a lot of blood. One of the people who had drove around me the first time had went up about a quarter of a mile to top the hill and turned around and he came back. When he arrived, I was sitting in the middle of the road. He said, hey, man, you okay? And I said, no. I raised my arm up. He was squirting blood, and I said, no, I think I need a little help. And Doug jumps back and says, oh. And then all of a sudden, his face just like blood red, and then he started sweating, says, man, don't move.

[Narrator]

Doug was a paramedic.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

He runs to his truck, gets his paramedic bag, and starts packing these bandages on my arm, stopping the bleeding. He was talking to the 911 lady to get into ambulance, and he said, hey, we need a chopper in here too. This guy's in serious condition. He's starting to turn gray. We may lose him here.

[Narrator]

Sampson was airlifted to the hospital for emergency surgery.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

I had, of course, arm cut off two inches above the elbow. Third degree burns underneath my arm here, all the way back to my shoulder. I had third degree burns on my left hand and fingers, and I had 4th degree burns on my right leg right above my knee here. That was all the way down to the bone. We had six surgeries all total. Everything was skin grafted back and healing good. When I first saw my wife after the tube was taken out of my throat, it was actually after a surgery and I woke up, I was on a lot of, a lot of painkillers. I was a lot of pain, but she was holding my hand and kept telling me everything was going to be okay. She stayed there for three and a half weeks by my side. Leanne, my wife, she never got mad at me. She was truly the person who helped me through it. I mean, she was truly very positive and she told me just everything was going to be okay. The whole time. She was very, very positive.

[Narrator]

Sampson still farms corn in Kershaw County.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

I survived because I didn't want to die. I had too much to live for. I have a great family, very positive family. I have a great farm here and a great job and I didn't want to die. I truly didn't want to die.

[Narrator]

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[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

Well, I was in my office and I looked at the clock. It was exactly 11:23, I remember on the clock. And I had a very, very strong, compelling need to make a phone call. And basically I had no idea why I needed to do that because that was very atypical of me, an elementary school principal. I don't have time to just frivolously make phone calls. And so I called, asked to speak with my son. I told him I loved him and told him to have a good day in kindergarten. And as I was talking to him, I was looking at the entrance of my building, and I did notice that a man was. Was tugging on the right hand door, which is permanently locked. You can't get in that door. He looked like a grandfather to me. So in my mind I'm thinking, well, he's a grandfather. Never been at our school. I need to go help him.

[Narrator]

A parent with a security pass had entered the school, and the man followed through the open doors.

[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

I left my office and my intent was to go find him. I went to the right after I got out of the office area, in our lobby area. I thought that's where he would be. When I got there, he wasn't there. But something else told me to turn around and look down the hallway to the left. And so I did. And when I looked down, there he was standing in the hallway outside of our kindergarten classroom, just kind of peeking in the door from the hallway. And I decided to approach him. And when I did, I obviously startled him. I don't think he anticipated anybody was coming up behind him. I said, excuse me, sir, I said, is there someone I can help you find? He immediately turned to me and started kind of digging around the left side of his stomach area and almost instantaneously pulled out from his left pant leg. What I now know is a machete. That was our first encounter. And he started striking me immediately as we maneuvered backward. I kept walking backward as he was hitting me. He didn't say a word at this time. He just was striking me over and over and over again. I Don't know that I ever really felt the blows of being hit. I did not register any fear whatsoever. I was not afraid that I can recall. I don't remember any pain. He just seemed intent on wanting to hurt me.

[Narrator]

Norina received deep cuts to her hands while protecting her head.

[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

I screamed three things. The first thing was I screamed no. My mind was basically saying to him, you know, you don't do this in an elementary school. What are you doing? Stop. So I screamed no. And then call 91 1-LOCKDOWN. I really felt that in my environment, it was just he and I. I did not feel like there was anyone else around that could help me at this moment in time. When we got just to about the door of the office area, he stopped and he took the machete across my stomach area. I jumped back and I had a key card hanging on my neck. And that actually took the blow of that swipe across my midsection. From there, he ran from me. I went in the office area because I knew how to lock down my school. My thinking process is, I just have to stop this man.

[Narrator]

Noreena sounded an alarm bell, which put the school into lockdown mode.

[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

And several of my teachers had cell phones. And I had directed them, if we ever needed to do something like this, to get on the cell phone and call for help, because there would be a good reason. And so several teachers were out there on their cell phones calling 911, having no idea what. Why they were even calling.

[Narrator]

The attacker entered a kindergarten classroom.

[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

He went directly for the children, and he started taking his weapon and banging it on the tables to make loud noises. And he started striking the children directly.

[Narrator]

The attacker struck the children with the back of the machete.

[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

The teacher, once she saw what was going on here, she did intervene and she told him to stop hitting the children. She put her hand up to stop the machete from hitting her in the head and got cut across the palm of her hand. She told the children to run at that time. And of course, in an elementary school, we're always telling children not to run. So this was quite. They weren't sure what to do. Some ran. Some clung to their teacher because she was their security. Some hid under tables in the the classroom. Some ran out into the hallway and ran down the hallway. Some ran out of the front of the school. Many of them had bruises all over their bodies, some on their heads, their backs, their legs, their arms. The only thing I recall is their screams over and over again. Those are things that don't easily disappear from your Head. And to this day, that happens at school and kids are screaming. It just kind of sends chills up and down. All of these children in my school, they're kids. This man was coming to hurt us. I didn't want that to happen. So I think my motherly instinct was probably taking over more than anything else. I just needed to keep everybody safe.

[Narrator]

Noreena hurried the children into the nurse's.

[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

Office about that time. Then the kindergarten teacher came into the office area, and she propped herself up against the door and let the children. There were several kindergarten children running in. They were screaming, and they were running away to get away from him. He was directly behind them with his machete raised at them. His arm went through where the opening of the door was before we could get it closed. And in his rage, he pushed that open. When he did, he came in on me for the second time. He was in a rage at that point. You could see it in his face. His face was very intent. He wanted to kill me. I needed to defend my head. All I had was my bare hands. So I put my hands in a crisscross position in his strikes. What he was doing instead of getting my head is he was hitting my arm, my left arm and my left hand.

[Narrator]

Noreena was bleeding heavily. Another teacher locked the children safely in the office bathroom.

[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

I'm not sure why, but he. He turned away from me at this moment in time. I yelled, help me get him down. And I jumped on his back. I did see his face. Was. Was right here at my face, and it was definitely enraged. I heard a clink, and that sound said to me, he dropped his weapon. My need was to find what he had dropped. My thinking was that I needed to find it. I needed to get it, and I needed to get it away from him. I have a vision of my attacker. He had moved from where we were at the nurse's desk about three steps back. There was a chair sitting right outside the health room bathroom. He did not try to run. He did not move from that chair. Really. The life in him disappeared the moment I jumped on his back. I did feel the energy in him drain totally to the floor. It was a most amazing feeling. I had never felt that before and never felt that since I talked to him. At this point, I said, relax. Calm down. It's over.

[Narrator]

The attacker was in a state of mental confusion. Another staff member had hidden his machete during narrative.

[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

When I looked down, we were basically laying in a large puddle of blood. I saw my injuries. I saw my finger, my small Finger on my left hand was laying pretty much detached from my hand. It was only held by a small flap of skin between my small finger and my ring finger. So I knew that that was amputated. I knew that the machete had lodged itself into about halfway into my left hand. I had a very deep cut to my forearm here. I think I was in a state somewhat of, in and out of shock at this point in time. I had slid down the wall and was sitting on the floor. Then in front of me were approximately five kindergarten children. And they were sitting there holding hands, just sitting on the floor, looking at me as I'm laying in front of them. All I kept saying is, he's still out there. He's still out there.

[Narrator]

Police arrived and arrested the attacker.

[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

We had 23 children who were chased around their kindergarten classroom. Five and six year old children who were chased by a man with a very big knife. I could not at first fathom how they were going to get through this. When I was on the stretcher and they were just ready to wheel me out of the school, I remember a very strong sense of peace. I remember thinking, we are going to be okay. We are going to get through this and we're going to do it together somehow. To get back to my school was one of the hardest things I've ever done in life. I lost 50% of my blood at my school that day.

[Narrator]

Noreena had extensive reconstruction, hand surgery. William Stankiewicz was convicted of attempted murder, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon on school grounds. His motives were unknown. He was sentenced to 264 years in prison.

[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

Once I got in there, there's no place I'd rather be. I want to stay there as long as I can. I need to be there for the children, for the adults there. I love my job. I survived also because of the maternal instinct that a mother has for children, whether they would have been my children or other people's children. You know, mothers has that instinct to be able to protect them.

[Narrator]

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[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

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[Jennifer / Sampson]

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[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

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[Narrator]

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[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

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[Narrator]

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[Jennifer / Sampson]

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[Narrator]

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[Angie Hicks / Noreena]

Never.

[911 Dispatcher / Sampson]

You're welcome.