Cold Case Files – "I Survived: I Just Felt Blood Gushing Everywhere"

Podcast: Cold Case Files
Host: Paula Barros
Date: January 3, 2026
Episode Overview:
This episode of "Cold Case Files" features harrowing real-life survival stories as told by the victims themselves. The episode highlights three distinct cases: a brutal kidnapping and attempted murder of two teens in Pennsylvania; two brothers’ near-fatal ordeal on thin ice in Wisconsin; and a relentless series of acid attacks on a woman in Chicago, illuminating the tenacity of survivors and the lingering impacts of violent crime.

1. Dan & Danielle: Kidnapping and Survival in Goldsboro, Pennsylvania

[00:37–15:07]

Summary & Key Points

• Initial Setup ([01:24])
  • January 2000. Dan (18) and Danielle go for a riverside walk on their second date.
• Encounters the Perpetrator ([01:46–02:23])
  • A man with a Rottweiler chats them up, leaves, then returns, this time at gunpoint.
• Kidnapping ([02:23–03:47])
  • Forced into his truck—Danielle in the cab, Dan in the back with the dog. Danielle tries to call 911, but no cell signal.
• Driven Past Home ([03:31])
  • The abductor claims he's kidnapping them for ransom because of Dan's father—a story Dan recognizes as false. The truck passes Dan’s house, where his brother sees him.
• At the Riverbank: Escalation ([04:37–05:56])
  • The man takes them to a remote spot, talks about being "helpless" and having to kill them, punctuates threats by firing into the river.
• Desperation & Assault ([05:58])
  • Dan and Danielle plead for their lives; the abductor forces Dan to comply with sexual demands.
  • Quote (Dan, 06:57): “Like, I wasn’t even there. It was just my body. It’s... almost like third person watching it, you know, in my memory.”
• The Shooting ([08:26–09:52])
  • The man leads them to the riverbank again, says he'll let them go—then shoots Dan in the neck, and Danielle in the face.
  • Quote (Danielle, 09:07): “I just thought that I was going to die... I started to spit up blood, and I could see it on the ground. And I suddenly just felt very tired.”
• Playing Dead, Staying Alive ([10:11–12:39])
  • Both are pushed into the freezing river. Miraculously, both survive their initial injuries and play dead so the attacker thinks they are dead.
  • They eventually swim ashore and encounter a bystander who gets help.
• Rescue & Aftermath ([13:33–14:58])
  • Rescuers arrive; both survive severe injuries. The attacker, William Babner, is arrested two days later and sentenced to 117–235 years.
  • Quote (Dan, 14:00): “In some ways, he took away my faith in humanity... I had to learn all that again.”
  • The trauma forged a strong, enduring bond between Dan and Danielle.
  • Quote (Danielle, 14:40): “I think I survived so that Danny would be all right. And I think in some ways she survived so that I’d be all right.”

2. David & James: Falling Through the Ice in Wisconsin

[15:40–28:03]

Summary & Key Points

• Setting Out on the River ([15:40–16:32])
  • February 2005, Chippewa Falls, WI. Brothers David and James go snowmobiling after a fresh snowfall.
• Disaster Strikes ([16:38–18:19])
  • Snow concealed dangerously thin ice. David’s snowmobile sinks—he falls in. James attempts a rescue but also falls through.
• Fight for Survival ([19:10–20:21])
  • David, helmet restricting vision and breath, uses a backstroke to break ice and tries to reach the only visible trees.
• Moments of Hopelessness & Determination ([20:29–22:03])
  • James, hypothermic and exhausted, considers leaving clues behind (throws helmet, removes boots/rings).
  • Quote (James, 20:29): “I finally got up far enough on the ice where I could shimmy my way up...and I just started to cry...What am I going to do?”
• Near Death Experience and Brotherly Rescue ([22:24–27:07])
  • David nearly drowns and blacks out at the bottom, but a surge of adrenaline brings him to the surface.
  • James crawls on his belly over creaking ice, seized by guilt and determination to save his brother.
  • When David is about to give up, he hears James’ voice:
    Quote (James, 26:24): “Hang on, Dave. I’m coming.”
  • James pulls David from below the ice just as sirens approach.
  • Both survive; David has nerve/tendon damage in his hands but recovers.
  • Quote (James, 28:03): “It’s just a love for your family...It’s the instinct you have for family to do what you have to do to make sure that they survive.”

3. Carly: Acid Attacks and Relentless Survival in Chicago

[28:28–41:06]

Summary & Key Points

• First Attack: Kidnapping Attempt in the Parking Garage ([28:28–34:15])
  • March 2006. Carly, alone in her building’s parking garage, is attacked by a group of men intent on abduction.
  • She is punched, bleeding, and shoved into her car trunk—manages to pop the trunk release and escape, but is hit with acid and loses her phone.
  • Quote (Carly, 29:20): “I just felt blood gushing everywhere...They started picking me up, each one had a limb, carrying me toward my car...I was doing everything my mom had taught me.”
  • Burned but able to flush her eyes, she escapes, calls for help; police find no leads due to broken cameras and lack of evidence.
• Stalker Identified, Justice Frustrated ([34:15–36:16])
  • Later realizes one attacker lives in her building. Identifies him (Gabriel Morton), but only arrested on a drug charge—never prosecuted for assault.
• Second Acid Attack ([36:25–39:29])
  • Two months later, while visiting her cousin in Evanston, two women approach Carly as she’s getting into her car. They demand directions, then attack—one produces a gun, and again, Carly is doused with acid. She escapes, severely burned, and seeks help.
  • Quote (Carly, 37:49): “Same smell, same burn. It had happened all over again, only this time it was way more powerful...My clothes were just melting off my body.”
  • She is certain the second attack is connected to the first, orchestrated by the previously identified attacker.
• Long-Term Consequences and Strength ([40:05–41:06])
  • Carly spends six weeks in the hospital, endures 12 surgeries for third degree burns.
  • The emotional toll is immense; she moves for safety, becomes deeply cautious.
  • Quote (Carly, 40:14): “I don’t just have physical scars. I obviously have a lot of emotional scars, too ... I survived because I listened to that little voice inside me that told me I had to get away and fight back.”
  • One accomplice, Nicole Baker, is convicted and jailed for 15 years. The main attacker only serves time for drugs.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Danielle on fear and resolve ([00:37]):
  "I just thought that I was going to die. I started to spit up blood and I could see it on the ground. And I suddenly just felt very tired."

• Brotherly Instinct ([28:03]):
  James: “It’s the instinct you have for family to do what you have to do to make sure that they survive.”

• Carly’s mother’s advice, echoing in crisis ([29:38]):
  Carly: “My mom had taught me... if someone ever tries to kidnap you and they try and take you to another location, you need to do whatever you can to get away. Because nine times out of ten, you’re not coming back alive.”

• On survival and resilience ([14:40]):
  Danielle: “I think I survived so that Danny would be all right. And I think that in some ways she survived so that I’d be all right.”

• On trauma and moving forward ([40:14]):
  Carly: “I don't just have physical scars. I obviously have a lot of emotional scars, too...I survived because I listened to that little voice inside of me that told me I had to get away and I had to fight back.”

Timestamps & Significant Segments:

• [00:37–15:07] – Dan & Danielle’s kidnapping and river survival
• [15:40–28:03] – Brothers James & David: ice break and mutual rescue
• [28:28–41:06] – Carly: two acid attacks, trauma, and resolve

Tone and Language

The episode maintains a respectful, direct, and emotionally vivid tone. Survivors’ voices carry weight and authenticity, and the narration effectively contextualizes events without sensationalizing. Trauma, fear, and resilience are candidly conveyed in the words of the people who experienced these horrors and lived to tell their stories.

Summary Takeaway

This episode showcases not only the horrors of violent crime and the mysteries investigators face, but more centrally, it is a testament to the inner strength, resourcefulness, and endurance of survivors. Even when justice is incomplete or trauma lifelong, these individuals demonstrate the power of the human spirit when facing unimaginable danger.