Cold Case Files – “I SURVIVED: I Know If I Rest That's Going To Be It”

Date: November 15, 2025
Host: Paula Barros (A&E / PodcastOne)

Episode Overview

This episode features three extraordinarily harrowing first-person survival stories:

• Terri, a pregnant mother, is brutally attacked by her ex-husband and left for dead in a freezing garbage can.
• Angela, caught with her family in a freak escalator accident at a baseball game, survives vicious trauma.
• Ed, a New York bar owner, survives a violent gang initiation stabbing.

Through gripping narration and victim testimony, the episode delves deeply into the mindset and determination needed to survive unimaginable circumstances. Each segment highlights perseverance, presence of mind, and the crucial moments when hope and instinct make the difference between life and death.

Terri’s Story: Domestic Violence Survival in Wisconsin

(Segments 01:12 – 15:24)

Key Discussion Points

• Prelude to Violence
  • January 2004, Wind Lake, Wisconsin. Terri is picking up her daughters (ages 4 and 6) from her ex-husband David’s house.
  • Terri describes past domestic abuse and her instinctive reluctance to enter the house.

    “I thought to myself, I don't want to go in his house, but I'm very much a mom.” — Terri (02:27)

• The Attack
  • David lures Terri inside, then assaults her with a baseball bat, striking her head at least 20 times.

    “I just remember ‘clunk’ on the head. I woke up and I was on the floor, and he was on top of me, and I saw a baseball bat... He was just so full of hatred and anger and evil.” — Terri (02:45)

  • Attempts at strangulation and suffocation follow; Terri, recalling a movie, tries to resist suffocation tactics.

    “He was getting frustrated that I wasn't going down as easy as he wanted me to.” — Terri (03:52)

• Confinement and Escape Attempts
  • David binds Terri, stuffs her into a garbage can, fills it with snow, and loads her into his truck; she thinks quickly and forces herself feet-first to avoid fatal head injuries.

    “I thought to myself, If I go in head first, that's gonna be it.” — Terri (04:11)

  • She secretly manages to call 911—twice—while bound and gagged, successfully conveying David's address.

    “I repeated his address like five times.” — Terri (06:01)

• Endurance, Maternal Determination, and Near-Death
  • Terri fights hypothermia overnight, knowing she is pregnant and at risk; she focuses on her daughters' safety to stay alert.

    “I know I can't [rest]. Because I know if I rest, that's going to be it.” — Terri (11:22; episode title)

• Rescue and Aftermath
  • After 27 unthinkable hours, police track her to a storage garage; Terri is found barely alive.

    “I just felt such a sense of relief that I'm still alive and somebody's actually here.” — Terri (12:48)

  • Suffers multiple injuries, frostbite requiring toe amputation, and tragically loses her unborn baby.
  • David is arrested, convicted of kidnapping and attempted murder, and sentenced to life.
  • Terri reflects on her survival:

    “What’s most important is that I'm here and my kids are safe... I survived because I believe God saved me... My love for my children was a huge part of what kept me going and kept me fighting.” — Terri (14:09, 14:38)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “He tried strangling me. He tried putting rags and towels and everything in my mouth...I remembered something that I saw in a movie…turn your head to the side. And I kept doing that.” (03:29)
• “I needed to be there for them and I made it.” (14:38)

Key Timestamps

• [03:23] — First severe head blow, realization of the attack
• [04:11] — Terri stuffed in trash can, feet-first
• [05:36] — First desperate 911 call
• [11:22] — Determination not to rest/let go (“I know if I rest, that's going to be it.”)
• [12:48] — Paramedics arrive; rescue
• [14:38] — Reflection on survival and message to others

Angela’s Story: Escalator Catastrophe at a Baseball Game

(Segments 16:45 – 28:47)

Key Discussion Points

• Setting the Scene
  • July 2003, Denver, Colorado. Angela and her family leave a Rockies baseball game via a massive three-story escalator packed with about 100 people.
  • Escalator suddenly malfunctions:

    “There was like a click noise... and then... the escalator started to speed up.” — Angela (17:41)

• The Accident Unfolds
  • Escalator accelerates to over 20mph; panic and chaos follow.

    “I remember my hair was blowing. That’s how quickly we were going.” — Angela (18:12)

  • Bodies pile at the bottom; victims trapped, clothing and limbs caught in the machinery.
  • Angela is wedged between bodies, the ‘teeth’ of the escalator repeatedly cut into her leg.

    “It would take a piece and then go flat and recycle itself and then take another piece. It was almost like the escalator was biting you. It was like it was alive.” — Angela (21:05)

• Family Trauma and Rescue
  • Angela witnesses severe injuries to herself and family, fears she and her loved ones will die together.

    “I believe that I was looking down to see where I was going to die... at least if we all die, then we all die together.” — Angela (19:05)

  • A stranger helps free Angela from the machinery after her leg gives way; she is in severe shock.
  • Paramedics arrive; Angela and her father are taken to hospital; her leg is nearly lost, but doctors manage to save it.

    “He said, ‘Oh, wait, there it is’... you’re really lucky.” — Angela (26:46)

• Long-Term Impact
  • Her family sustains lasting scars and trauma.

    “Every time you see an escalator, you think about it. It still takes me a while to get on an escalator.” — Angela (27:25)

  • The accident is traced to escalator component failure; the family and other victims settle with the manufacturer.
  • Angela expresses gratitude for strangers’ help and the resilience of her family and fellow survivors.

    “I believe that our family and I only survived this accident because of people helping one another.” — Angela (28:17)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “It looked like a giant meat grinder... People were holding other people. People were trying to find their family members.” (25:38)
• “I know that everybody in our family still has nightmares.” (27:25)

Key Timestamps

• [17:41] — Escalator malfunctions, panic begins
• [19:05] — Angela’s realization of imminent death
• [21:05] — Escalator “biting” described; leg trauma
• [22:11] — Leg torn open, pulled free with help
• [26:46] — Surgeons decide her leg can be saved
• [28:17] — Reflection on human kindness in crisis

Ed’s Story: Stabbed in NYC Gang Initiation

(Segments 29:12 – 39:43)

Key Discussion Points

• Setting and Sudden Violence
  • November 1995, Greenwich Village. Ed leaves his bar after closing, bringing coffee for his girlfriend.
  • He’s confronted by three young men; feels uneasy but defensively positions himself.

    “I felt like they were a little thuggish...I put my back to the wall...to let them pass by.” — Ed (29:56)

• Attack and Survival Instinct
  • The men ambush him, stabbing him with a 10-inch knife—abdomen, neck, and back. Defensive boxing stance saves vital organs.

    “He sunk that knife in, but he went in under my elbow...which turned out to have been a very good thing.” — Ed (30:42)

  • Despite horrific wounds (collapsed lungs, severed intestines, bleeding internally), Ed fights back, knocking one attacker down and screaming, which causes them to run.

    “My boxing training came and I pulled back with one straight right punch...and I hit him right in the face and he went down.” — Ed (32:14)

• Moments Between Life and Death
  • Nearly suffocates in own blood; is further assaulted as one attacker attempts to rob him.
  • First responders arrive and perform emergency chest decompression on the street.

    “He stuck a big needle in my neck...shoved a tube in, started to drain the blood.” — Ed (34:06)

  • Ed is conscious throughout, resigned to death but undergoes emergency surgery.

    “I just had this feeling like, thanks guys...but I just don’t have a sense that it’s really gonna work out for me.” — Ed (34:36)

• Long Recovery and Facing Attackers
  • Survives multiple surgeries, extensive transfusions, and a grim prognosis; police reveal the attack was a gang initiation for the Latin Kings.
  • Ed confronts his would-be killers in court, urging them to change their lives.

    “You tried to kill me, and I didn’t die. I want you to remember today, and I want you to do something to be better.” — Ed (38:18)

  • All attackers are sentenced as minors to lesser sentences than if Ed had died.
• Reflection

  “I really think I survived because I was very, very lucky...and I did not want to die.” — Ed (39:19)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “I was screaming in a way that made the little old ladies...call 911.” (33:34)
• “The risk of infection and those sort of injuries is just, you know...They were so sure I was gonna die that they actually gave the case to the homicide unit.” (36:09)
• “You owe me this...do something to be better.” (38:18)

Key Timestamps

• [30:42] — First stabbing, defensive boxing
• [32:14] — Punches attacker, attackers flee
• [34:06] — On-site emergency medical care
• [38:18] — Addresses attackers in court
• [39:19] — Reflection on luck and survival

Additional Insights & Tone

The episode's tone is urgent and compassionate, giving voice directly to the survivors, allowing for profoundly personal storytelling marked by humanity, resilience, and hope despite extreme suffering. Each person focuses ultimately not on victimhood, but on agency, faith, and the possibility of growth or healing. Key memorable moments are grounded in detail—the chilling cold of snow and duct tape, the grinding violence of an escalator’s teeth, the pulse of blood choked lungs—as well as moments of dark humor and indomitable will.

Summary Table of Main Segments

| Survivor | Major Threat | Turning Point / Breakthrough | Outcome / Lesson | Key Quote / Moment | |----------|-------------------------|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| | Terri | Brutal attack by ex | Ingeniously called 911; stayed awake | Saved self/kids, awareness of domestic violence | “If I rest, that's going to be it.” | | Angela | Escalator malfunction | Rescued by stranger/medical staff | Family survives, trauma lingers, the value of help | “It was almost like the escalator was biting you.” | | Ed | Gang stabbing | Defensive action, screams for help | Physically recovers, confronts attackers in court | “You tried to kill me, and I didn’t die.” |

Closing Reflection

This episode of Cold Case Files highlights three separate survivals that transcend mere luck, attesting to the power of presence of mind, courage, and the deep bonds that drive individuals to endure. The stories raise awareness about domestic violence, public safety, and the importance of human connection both in crisis and in its aftermath.

For support with domestic violence: Call 1-800-799-7233 (National Domestic Violence Hotline)
For escalator and public safety advocacy: Consumer Product Safety Commission
For crime survivor resources: VictimConnect Resource Center