I SURVIVED: I Wanted Him to be as Afraid of Me as I Was of Him

Summary

Cold Case Files: I SURVIVED – I Wanted Him to be as Afraid of Me as I Was of Him

Host: Paula Barros
Release Date: April 19, 2025
Description: Cold Case Files, hosted by Paula Barros, delves into some of the most challenging unsolved murders in American history. This episode, titled "I Wanted Him to be as Afraid of Me as I Was of Him," features harrowing survival stories that highlight the resilience and courage of individuals who faced life-threatening situations.

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Introduction

In this gripping episode, Paula Barros presents three intense survival narratives that exemplify the human spirit's capacity to endure and overcome unimaginable horrors. Each story is meticulously detailed, offering listeners a profound insight into the traumatic experiences of the survivors and the subsequent investigations that sought justice.

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Susan Kunhausen: A Terrifying Home Invasion Turned Matrimonial Nightmare

Timestamp: 02:07 – 14:08

Susan Kunhausen, an emergency room nurse from Portland, Oregon, shares her harrowing experience of surviving a violent home invasion orchestrated by someone she never suspected. Susan’s story begins with her recognizing the escalating dangers in her 17-year marriage, characterized by her husband's increasing anxiety, abandonment issues, and anger.

Key Points:

• Separation and Rising Tensions: Susan describes how her relationship deteriorated, leading her to separate from her husband due to concerns for her safety. Despite the separation, her husband maintained access to her home, setting the stage for the ensuing tragedy.

• The Home Invasion: On a seemingly normal evening, Susan returned home to find an intruder—later revealed to be her estranged husband—armed with a hammer. She recounts, “I was absolutely terrified. I knew in my core that he was here to kill me” (02:07).

• Fight for Survival: Demonstrating immense bravery, Susan fought back fiercely. “I grabbed him by the throat...you’re not going to kill me in my home” (02:38). Her resourcefulness and sheer will allowed her to incapacitate the attacker temporarily, resulting in his unconsciousness.

• Aftermath and Realization: Police later connected the dots when Susan recognized her husband’s voice in threatening messages found on her phone. Michael Kunhausen was arrested and sentenced for solicitation to commit aggravated murder. Susan reflects, “It’s a very humbling thing to know that somebody wants you dead” (13:28).

• Survival and Resilience: Susan emphasizes the factors that aided her survival, including her training and adrenaline, stating, “I survived because I had training in how to avoid injury in violent situations” (13:28).

Notable Quotes:

• “I survived because I had training in how to avoid injury in violent situations.” – Susan Kunhausen (13:28)
• “The worst of this is not that someone tried to kill me, but that I had to kill someone else to survive.” – Susan Kunhausen (12:48)

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John and Jean Kunhausen: Battling the Elements for Survival at Sea

Timestamp: 16:36 – 29:32

John and Jean Kunhausen embarked on a two-year sailing journey with their four children aboard the catamaran Emerald Jane. Their dream of living at sea took a catastrophic turn when their vessel struck a reef in the Society Islands, leaving the family stranded and fighting for survival.

Key Points:

• Life at Sea: The Kunhausens' voyage was marked by a desire to impart a love for nature and togetherness to their children. “I wanted my kids to experience nature firsthand,” says John (16:36).

• The Disaster Strikes: A malfunction with the boom led to the catamaran being smashed against a reef. Amidst chaos, John suffered severe leg injuries when the mast violently struck him. “I see the white of these two bones...there’s this spreading pool of blood” (20:23).

• Family's Determination: Despite John's critical condition, the family remained determined to survive. Their children displayed remarkable courage, particularly 16-year-old Ben, who crafted a tourniquet to save John's life. Jean notes, “I survived because of the determination, the will, and the love of my family” (28:46).

• Rescue Efforts: After enduring seven hours on the reef with limited resources, the family's emergency signals were finally detected by a French Navy pilot, leading to their rescue. John acknowledges Ben’s pivotal role: “Ben is a real life example of a boy becoming a man in seconds” (28:04).

• Aftermath: John lost his leg below the knee but remained focused on the survival and well-being of his family. “I survived because of the strength of belief and the inspiration...by my wife and by my kids” (28:58).

Notable Quotes:

• “I chose life because I could not leave my 16-year-old daughter without a mother.” – Jean Kunhausen (40:38)
• “Ben is a real life example of a boy becoming a man in seconds and never looking back.” – John Kunhausen (28:04)

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Penny: A Harrowing Ordeal of Robbery and Resilience

Timestamp: 31:55 – 41:04

Penny, a restaurant manager from Evansville, Indiana, recounts her terrifying experience of surviving a brutal robbery that left her with severe injuries and long-term psychological trauma. Her story underscores the profound impact of such violent encounters on survivors.

Key Points:

• A Day in the Life: Penny was tasked with managing a struggling franchised restaurant. Her professional success coincided with personal happiness, illustrated by her engagement.

• The Robbery: While performing her routine duties of securing the restaurant, Penny was ambushed by an unidentified assailant who demanded access to the safe. “He put the gun on my shoulder and said, see this? This is real” (33:07).

• Brutal Assault: The attacker inflicted severe physical trauma, including beating her and forcing her into a plastic bag, leading to near-suffocation. Penny describes, “He broke open my lip...I was sucking the bag into my mouth” (37:30).

• Escape and Aftermath: Demonstrating incredible resilience, Penny managed to chew through the bag and free herself, eventually dialing 911. Despite her efforts, the response was delayed, and the police officer on the scene mishandled her pleas, exacerbating her trauma.

• Long-Term Impact: Penny suffered extensive injuries, including brain damage and the removal of her uterus. The assailant was never apprehended, leaving her with lasting physical and emotional scars. She reflects, “I survived that night because I had to live for my daughter” (40:38).

• Recovery and Advocacy: Overcoming immense fear, Penny rebuilt her life, marrying her fiancé and founding a ministry to support victims of sexual assault, channeling her trauma into helping others.

Notable Quotes:

• "He put the gun on my shoulder and said, see this? This is real." – Penny (33:07)
• “I survived that night because I had to live for my daughter.” – Penny (40:38)

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Conclusion

This episode of Cold Case Files powerfully illustrates the indomitable human spirit through the true stories of Susan Kunhausen, John and Jean Kunhausen, and Penny. Each survivor's account provides a unique perspective on fear, resilience, and the will to survive against all odds. Paula Barros masterfully navigates these narratives, offering listeners both heart-wrenching and inspiring insights into the complexities of surviving life-threatening situations.

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Notable Quotes Overview:

• “I survived because I had training in how to avoid injury in violent situations.” – Susan Kunhausen (13:28)
• “Ben is a real life example of a boy becoming a man in seconds and never looking back.” – John Kunhausen (28:04)
• “I survived that night because I had to live for my daughter.” – Penny (40:38)

These poignant reflections not only underscore the personal strength of the survivors but also serve as a testament to the transformative power of survival and the unyielding drive to preserve one’s life and loved ones.

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This summary aims to encapsulate the essence of the episode, providing a comprehensive and engaging overview for both new listeners and longtime fans of Cold Case Files.

Transcript

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[Susan Kunhausen]

I was absolutely terrified. I knew in my core that he was here to kill me.

[Narrator]

Real people.

[John Kunhausen]

I see the white of these two bones. My leg bones and the ends are just shattered and beneath them there's this spreading pool of blood who faced death.

[Penny]

I begin vomiting in the bag and he begins beating me as I'm begging.

[Narrator]

Him not to kill me and live to tell how.

[Susan Kunhausen]

I grabbed him by the throat and said to him as we were literally nose to nose, you're not going to kill me in my home.

[Narrator]

This is. I survived. It's September 2006 in Portland, Oregon. Susan, an emergency room nurse, has been married to her husband for 17 years.

[Susan Kunhausen]

I'd never wanted to be a failure at marriage and worked very hard over the course of 17 years to build a relationship. But he had issues with anxiety, abandonment and anger that, as he got older, became more intense and more disruptive to our life together. I had witnessed domestic violence in my family and in my professional life to the point where I felt that we were at risk because I was not happy. He had never been happy and I felt that we needed to separate for our safety.

[Narrator]

Susan was separated from her husband for a year. During that time, she continued to maintain a friendship with him.

[Susan Kunhausen]

I had friends over and he was outside with us on the deck and off to the side. And he just had this very strange look in his eyes that my friends who've known me for many years and who also knew Mike felt was very scary. And on that day I felt that he was getting angrier. That was the day I decided that I'm going to file.

[Narrator]

Susan began divorce proceedings, but her husband still had access to her home.

[Susan Kunhausen]

I went to work that morning. Everything was normal. I had a nine hour day and a busy er, nothing unusual at all. When I got home, I went into the house. I saw the bedroom. It looked dark and I presume that I must have forgotten to open the blinds, but did not think anything was amiss. My house having been alarmed, I moved forward and from behind the partially closed bedroom door, out stepped a man who had yellow dishwashing gloves on and a hammer in his hand. I could see that he had long grayish hair, that he had a dark baseball hat on. At first I thought maybe he had a mask because it cast shadows across his face. He had a beard. I said, who are you? What are you doing here? Get out of here. He swung the hammer, hitting me in the side of my head and swung again, hitting me in my temple. I was so full of fear and rage and adrenaline myself that my only thing that I could feel was terror and the knowledge that I needed to do everything I could do to live through this. I began to struggle with him for the hammer and he had a very tight grip. And as I struggled with him, I began to sense that he was not there for a burglary. He never asked me where's your safe? Do you have any guns? Are there any money in the house? Do you have drugs here? None of the things that I would think that a burglar or a home invasion robber would say. And as I struggled for the hammer, he said, you're strong. And I saw in his eyes something that made me believe that he had done this before. He sounded surprised, but he also sounded excited. I was absolutely terrified. I knew in my core that he was here to kill me. For what reason, I don't know. But I could feel that fear and I could feel that rage. I grabbed him by the throat and said to him as we were literally nose to nose, you're not going to kill me in my home. He began to turn blue, and I felt that he was going to pass out. At that point, I grabbed the hammer and I began hitting him. My father was a carpenter, and in the 60s, you didn't have home alarms. And he told us that we could. Could feel free to use a hammer and that we should use the claw end because it would work the best. When I had control of the hammer, I used the claw end because it did work the best. I hit him and I hit him. I thought probably I hit him three or four times. And then I lost the hammer and I ran. I got just a few feet outside the bedroom door, and he grabbed me from behind, spun me, and began punching me in the face. He broke open my lip. I had another bleeding area of my lip as well. I felt dizzy. We were both bleeding.

[Narrator]

Susan fell to the floor.

[Susan Kunhausen]

I looked to the left and could see the phone jack, but there was no way for me to reach the phone. And as I turned my head back, I saw him with the hammer bending over me, about to hit me again. And I knew that if he did, I would be dead. I was filled with rage and adrenaline and fear that I would soon be dead. I grabbed him by the leg and I pulled him down. And I continued to try to get the hammer out of his gloved hand, but I couldn't, and I was tired. I was screaming for my neighbor Joe in the hopes that he would hear me. But my voice was getting less and less, and my strength was going. I started to bite him. First on his forearm. I bit him twice, and then on his upper arm. I bit him on the edge of his back and along on his right flank. I bit him on his thigh, and he did not let go of the hammer. I even, because we were now side by side facing each other, bit him in his genitalia. With the hopes that he would let go of the hammer, or in the hopes that if I died, that I would leave marks on him that would help them determine that he was the one who had done this. I felt for stuff in pockets. An id, a key, a comb, Anything that I could throw into the next bedroom so that when they found me dead in my hallway, they would know that. I fought and I struggled. I wanted him to be afraid of me as I was of him. When I realized I was not going to ever regain the hammer, it came to me that I needed to become the weapon. And I put my left leg over his right leg, which pushed him face down into the hardwood floors. I was on his backside, and I leaned forward until I could put my left arm under his neck, and I began to squeeze. I told him, tell me who sent you here, and I will call you an ambulance. I let him go so that he could have air and be able to speak. But he didn't. Instead, he began to do his best to flip me up off of his back. And I knew that if he were able to do so, I would be dead. I had seen a police officer choke someone. It's called a sleeper hold, and the intent is to apply enough pressure to both carotids so that they go unconscious. When he began to turn pink again and regain his ability to flip me over, I knew that I needed to lean forward until he was still.

[Narrator]

The man fell unconscious.

[Susan Kunhausen]

My heart rate was so incredibly high that I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. I grabbed the hammer, and then I struggled up and I ran. I ran through the hall, through the living room and out, and then to my neighbors, where I hammered on the door and said to Dennis when he came to the door, let me in. I've been attacked. I think I may have killed a man. We heard police sirens and medic sirens coming into the neighborhood as we sat on the porch. And I was holding a towel to my face and trying to clean the blood off of me. And shortly after, an officer came over. I asked him, is he dead? And he said, yes. I immediately began to think about his family. Everybody has somebody who loves them. Children, a wife, a mother, a dad. The worst of this is not that someone tried to kill me, but that I had to kill someone else to survive. But I have no shame because I did not choose his death for him. I chose my life.

[Penny]

I chose life.

[Susan Kunhausen]

When I returned to my home the next day, I was anxious to hear messages. There was a message from my husband on both lines. But the man who would sound totally agitated over very minor things did not sound like a husband who was hearing that his wife had nearly been murdered the night before. And I knew when I heard his voice on those two messages that he did this. He was behind this.

[Narrator]

Susan's husband, Michael Kunhausen, was arrested a week later. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for solicitation to commit aggravated murder.

[Susan Kunhausen]

It's a very humbling thing to know that somebody wants you dead. Especially after 17 years. It's humbling to know that you've had to kill a man. I survived because I had training in how to avoid injury in violent situations. And when you combine that with the fear of knowing that someone is trying to kill you and the power of adrenaline that is your gift in those instances, I had all the tools that I needed to survive.

[Narrator]

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[John Kunhausen]

I've been sailing all my life and for the second half of that life I had this dream, you know, taking my family out on the open ocean and I wanted to do it because I wanted my kids to experience nature firsthand.

[Jean Kunhausen]

I started thinking, you know, this is not such a bad idea to put the family in a small contained space. At least we'll have some time together as a family and I'll get to know my kids.

[Narrator]

John and Jean had four children aged between 5 and 16. Jean homeschooled them aboard their 55 foot catamaran, Emerald Jane.

[John Kunhausen]

We were about 350 miles west southwest.

[Jean Kunhausen]

Of Tahiti and we were on our last leg of our journey to Australia. We were about two days out at sea when our boom came loose from the mast.

[John Kunhausen]

We're adrift and the boom is starting to slam into the mast and on a big mainsail. It's not just a nuisance, it's dangerous. And Ben and I and Amelia and Jean were wrestling with this problem. And it's going to be pitch black by 5:00 at night because there's no moon this night. And I call it quits. I say, look, we're going to fix this thing in the morning. We've still got our Genoa, which is the big sail that goes to the top of the mast and attaches at the bow that's pulling us forward.

[Narrator]

The family went downstairs to the saloon for dinner. 16 year old Ben, the eldest child, was in the cockpit.

[Jean Kunhausen]

I just hear this horrible scraping sound and at first we just looked at each other and said, well, it must be something like a palm. We've hit a palm tree or something that's floating around.

[John Kunhausen]

But in that same moment, there's thunder. There's like this detonation underneath the boat. Like a low frequency below a boom, right? And Ben yells, reef. At that same moment. And I bound up into the cockpit. And I look over the side of the boat. And by the ship's lights, I can see the red of the coral beneath us. And I know that we're in a world of trouble. I throw my starboard engine into reverse, full reverse. And I jump across the cockpit and I throw the port engine into reverse and I start running for the bow. And Ben reads my mind. He knows instinctively what I want. I got my hand out. He slaps the knife into my hand. And as I run towards the bow, I slash the sheet. That's a line that's holding the genoa and that's pulling us onto the reef more. And I turn and I'm running back towards the stern. And there's just this huge. I see this huge black wave and it just humps up and breaks.

[Jean Kunhausen]

And the water just came gushing through the right hole like I thought I was in a scene from Titanic. I mean, there were plates and dishes and clothes and stuffed animals and everything just flying around on the water. And I looked over straight ahead to the sofa where my kids are sitting. And Amelia's got her arms around the two little ones and they're just shaking and they're screaming, I don't want to die. I don't want to die.

[John Kunhausen]

I jump down into the radio room and I begin broadcasting. Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. And I'm getting absolutely no answer.

[Narrator]

John activated the Emerald Jane's emergency signaling device.

[John Kunhausen]

I jump back in the salon and I yell over to Ben and I tell him, we've got to get up there and inflate the life raft. And he's right behind me. And we're up there. We're up on the bows of the boat.

[Jean Kunhausen]

I'm telling Amelia to go get food for the life raft. And as she's doing this, this massive wave hits the boat. The mast actually comes loose from the whole deck. And this huge three story, like 2, 500 pound mast comes down and it just lands on the deck. And I can hear John scream.

[John Kunhausen]

The pain just explodes in my brain and it just boomerangs back down to my leg and it comes back up. Emerald Jane's mast is laying right across my legs. And I just remember thinking, this is impossible. It's impossible. And I latch my hands onto the mast and I used that to help me do a Sit up and I pulled myself forward. And as my field of vision clears the top of the mast, I see the white of these two bones. My leg bones and the ends are just shattered. And beneath them there's this spreading pool of blood.

[Jean Kunhausen]

The spreader on the mast had actually cut right through John's leg and his leg was just hanging by a little tendon of skin.

[Narrator]

The boat was being smashed by huge breaking waves. 16 year old Ben made a rope tourniquet for John's leg.

[John Kunhausen]

My mouth and my nose are only 8 inches off the deck. So every time a wave comes up, I'm underwater, you know, and I can't breathe. And every time one of these huge seas comes in, that mass will lift, it'll become buoyant a little bit and it'll lift a little bit and then it drops and it's dropping right back down on my knee. So I'm in a world of hurt, you know, I'm in a dimension of pain I've never experienced before. A sensation overcomes me that I've never felt and I didn't recognize it. And I kept probing in my brain, what is this? What is this? What is this? And I realized that I was dying.

[Narrator]

Jean and her son Ben struggled to free John from under the mast. The children, aged 5, 9 and 14, kept a watch for breaking waves.

[John Kunhausen]

These shouts, these defiant warnings that my kids are firing off to each other, they're yelling, big one, big one coming. They're screaming at the top of their lungs and they're not giving up. See, they're defiant, they're fighting, they're not quitting. And it sinks into me. Finally I get it and I decide that I'm gonna fight too. I'm not gonna give up. It's this level of pain that you never, you don't think that you can, you can withstand. But nothing changes, you know, time just keeps going and I know that there's just. I can't get out. Nobody can lift a ton and a half of mast off of me. And this huge wave hits. And in that moment, I've got nothing else to do, you know, I'm laying there, I'm kind of a captive audience. I see the mast and it lifts up higher than I ever saw before. And I push as hard as I can underneath and I get out and the mast slams back down. But I'm free, you know, I'm out from under.

[Narrator]

The catamaran was starting to break up.

[Jean Kunhausen]

On the reef when the right hand hull, the bow, broke off. It scissored around and the life raft fell in between the two holes and it's just getting smashed together like a donut inside these hulls. And I mean, I couldn't believe it didn't even pop.

[John Kunhausen]

And we're without a raft and we enter a period, you know, where there's just nothing to do but to tough it out. You just gotta hang on and believe.

[Narrator]

It was after midnight and the family has now been on the reef for seven hours. Three of the children, aged five, nine and 14, were at the rear of the boat.

[Jean Kunhausen]

They were just unusually, unusually quiet. I mean, my second son Jack is a chatterbox and he did not say a single word. Camille talked to me once the whole time and she said, mommy, if I go to heaven, will you come with me? And I just said, well, of course I'll come with you. And she said, she goes, I just want daddy to stop hurting.

[John Kunhausen]

I can hear Jack and I can hear Camille crying. And it is not lost on me that I have put them there. This idea of going across, across the Pacific, you know, Gene cooperated with it, but I was the instigator, I was the source. So for me to die knowing that one by one they're going to lose their lives on this godforsaken reef and it's my fault that I'd done that is unbearable, Unbearable. It far surpasses my physical pain.

[Narrator]

John was rapidly losing blood. 16 year old Ben had tied a tourniquet around his father's leg.

[John Kunhausen]

Ben never stops thinking and he's the only person on the boat that understands that our time is very limited on that boat. There's less than half of it's left, it's being pounded into pieces. And if he can't get the family off of the boat, they're gonna die right where they stand.

[Jean Kunhausen]

So he and Amelia take the two kids on their back and they go through this, like this waist deep water. Ben comes back to the boat where I'm sitting and he says, okay, the kids are okay, they're on the reef. I really think you need to get off the boat too. And I said, well, I can't leave your dad here, you know, he's not in good shape. So I said, well, we have to get this life raft out of there. And he said, well, we can try.

[Narrator]

It took Jean and Ben an hour to free the life raft from under the boat. They loaded John into the raft and swam it into a tide pool on the reef.

[John Kunhausen]

Amelia's holding onto the dinghy, she's chest high in water and she's holding the whole raft, the whole life raft away from the coral edges, these sharp edges, razor sharp edges of the tide pool.

[Jean Kunhausen]

And we get in the life raft with John to try to keep him warm because he's just shaking now. We didn't even think about laying there with his blood and urine and stuff because it just didn't matter, you know, it was like we had to keep them warm and we had to keep them, keep him alive.

[John Kunhausen]

Amelia's out in that water for hours and it's liberally laced with my blood and she knows it. Not a good thing. Ben spends the entire night combing the reef for cans of water, cans of food, whatever.

[Narrator]

At 6.30am, John sees something in the distance.

[John Kunhausen]

He thinks he sees the reflection of the sun off of the windshield of a plane. That's all he can make out. And he fires the last flare that we got, big flare, 600 meters. And a minute goes by, another minute.

[Jean Kunhausen]

Goes by, then I see this jet circling around and the jet comes right over us and we are just. I can't believe it. I say, John, you know, just, please, just hang on.

[Narrator]

The French Navy pilot was responding to John's emergency device signal. The pilot alerted some nearby islanders to pick the family up off the reef.

[John Kunhausen]

They've got no medicine, you know, they've got no medical skills, they've got no radio. It's an hour and a half ride back to their little settlement. I'm more conscious than I've ever been in my life of. It's an intuitive sense. I just understand that I've got to breathe and that I've got to regulate my breathing. And I'm very conscious of the beat of my heart and that that beat has to be willed and you have to just stay with that.

[Narrator]

The family were taken to a tiny island. They had to wait another two hours before a Navy helicopter arrived.

[Jean Kunhausen]

I just remember as it was coming down to land, just holding Ben and shaking. And that's when I finally cried. It was like, that's when I could finally like, wow, somebody's actually coming to get us.

[Narrator]

John and his family were flown to a hospital in Tahiti after being rescued from their wrecked yacht. The tourniquet that Ben tied around John's leg saved his life.

[John Kunhausen]

You know, my son Ben is a real, a real life example of a boy becoming a man in seconds and never looking back. His behavior is an example of true courage. Over a very long period of time, Ben was under fire and he never quit. He never quit.

[Narrator]

John's leg could not be saved and was amputated below the knee.

[John Kunhausen]

I knew that my leg was gone, right? But I was just so happy that my wife and kids had survived. It just didn't. It didn't mean that much to me.

[Jean Kunhausen]

I survived because of the determination, the will, and the love of my family, and also because of my faith in God. And the combination of those two are why I'm here today.

[John Kunhausen]

I survived because of the strength of belief and the inspiration that was played out right in front of me by my wife and by my kids in the middle of just this insane madness, this black night that seemed to have no end. That they watched over each other and they watched over me. And that's a gift that I'll take with me to my dying day.

[Narrator]

There's a predator hunting you. Silent patient. It doesn't need a weapon. It uses interest rates, late fees, and collection calls. At first you barely notice, until it tightens its grip. One day your paycheck vanishes. Your bank account frozen. The life you built gone. And the worst part? You never saw it coming. But here's the good news. You can still escape if you act now. Contact PDS Debt PDS Debt goes beyond the numbers to understand your unique financial situation and craft a personalized plan designed just for you. There's no minimum credit score required, so they're here to help you save more, pay off your debt faster, and start putting money back where it belongs in your pocket. With with an A rating from the Better Business Bureau and hundreds of five star reviews on Google and trustpilot, PDS Debt has helped tens of thousands of people break free from debt's grip. Their team is thorough, compassionate, and committed to helping you regain control of your finances. I've seen firsthand how debt can negatively affect people's lives and how it can feel like you'll never get out from under it. But you're only 30 seconds away from being debt free. Get your free assessment and find the best option for you right [e-mail] survived. That's pdsdebt.com survived pdsdebt.com survived podcasting isn't just about talking.

[Jean Kunhausen]

It's about growing, engaging, and monetizing. And that's where Podcast one Pro comes in. Whether you're an independent creator or a major brand, Podcast one Pro gives you the tools you need to take your podcast to the next level. We're talking about premium host hosting, advanced analytics, dynamic ad integration, and expert distribution. All designed to maximize your reach and revenue. Plus, with access to Podcast one's industry leading network. You'll be connected to top tier advertisers and a massive audience. It's time to go pro and turn your passion into profit. Visit podcastonepro.com to get started today. Podcast 1 the Power behind the Podcast.

[Narrator]

It's February 2005 in Evansville, Indiana. Penny is managing a franchised restaurant.

[Penny]

I worked there three months. They had moved me down there to take over a restaurant that was failing and and they thought I was the one that could do it. And I was doing a great job turning it around. My boyfriend had given me an engagement ring and I was probably walking on air. Just the happiest woman I could be.

[Narrator]

Penny worked the late shift and closed at 11pm I did what I do.

[Penny]

Every night when I closed. I walked each employee out the front door and made sure that it was locked when they left. As I was entering, leaving the dining area, going into the kitchen area, someone came up from behind me. I felt something in my back and at the same time they said, don't move. And it was unbelievably scary. Never have I been that scared in my life. And I froze.

[Narrator]

Penny could not see the intruder and.

[Penny]

He put the gun on my shoulder and he said, see this? This is real. He said, take me to where the money is and don't turn around. As we walked towards the office, I slipped my engagement ring off in my pocket. I thought, you're not getting this. I don't care what you get, but you're not getting this. He said, open the safe, but don't you turn around. So I got down on my hands and knees. I opened the safe and he said, now give me all the money, but don't turn around. Just put it behind your back.

[Narrator]

Penny handed him $600.

[Penny]

At this point he began to get angry and he said, that can't be all there is. Give me the rest of the money. And I said, I can't get to the rest of the money. I can't open that part of the safe. He exploded and the amount of rage that he had was. It sent chills through my bones. It is unexplainable, the chills and the fear. He put a plastic bag over my head and tied it with a piece of rope that he had brought with him and told me to stand up. I stood up and I still was facing away from him. He told me to turn around, which I did not want to do. I did not know what was going to happen. I was afraid that I would suffocate inside that bag. And I started praying, God, don't let me die. I can't die. Too many people need me. So as I'm standing there begging him not to kill me, he said to me, take off your shirt in a very more demanding way with a lot of swearing involved. And I said, no, I can't. I can't. So he ripped it open. And I can remember hearing the buttons pop on the floor. He told me to take off my pants. And again, I said, I can't. I just can't. Please don't do this to me. He told me to lay down on the floor.

[Narrator]

Penny's attacker removed her clothes and tied her right leg to a filing cabinet. He then tied her left leg to the office door.

[Penny]

And I'm praying under my voice for angels to come protect me, get me through this. Help me through this. And he tied my hands around the wrist to the bottom drawer of another filing cabinet. And there was nothing I could do. And I knew if I fought him, I would die. I began vomiting in the bag, and he begins beating me. As I'm begging him not to kill me, he begins hitting me in the head, in the face, knocking out teeth. I heard him unzip his pants, and I thought, okay, here it comes. As he finished, I laid there and tried to be his, lifeless as I could. I made myself not breathe. As he walked out of the door, he gave me another big kick in my knee, and the door closed. I can feel the vomit that's in the bag, and it's up to my ears. And when I breathe in the bag, I'm sucking the bag into my mouth. So I know I have to do something or I'm going to die of suffocation.

[Narrator]

Penny was left tied up and unable to move.

[Penny]

And I began screaming for help, screaming for help, knowing no one was out there. But rationale didn't matter. And when it finally dawned on me, I'm using up all my oxygen I took, I thought, okay, think rational. Think rational. How are you going to get out of here? When I sucked in air and the bag was in my mouth, I would grind my teeth and try to chew through the bag. And I finally did. And when I chewed through the bag, I could barely reach my pig. And I got that pinky in that hole and I ripped it open. I laid there and I took in deep breaths, and I began working using my teeth and what fingers could reach. And I got my hands untied, and I tried to get my left foot untied, but I couldn't. That knot Wouldn't go.

[Narrator]

Penny was able to reach the phone and dial 911. It took over 15 minutes for the police and ambulance crew to arrive.

[Penny]

The ambulance personnel wanted to get me out of there and take me to the emergency room right away. But there was a female police officer that held them back. And she said, let me talk to her first. She knelt at my feet and I begged her for my coat, to cover me up and to please untie my leg. And she wouldn't do it. And I kept saying, please cover me up and untie my leg. These are men out here going to see my nakedness. And I went covered up. She had one question to ask me and it was Penny. Did he finish? I said, I don't know. And she became so adamant about it that I lost it. And I just began to scream and cry to get me out of. And so at that point, the ambulance drivers just weren't going to wait anymore.

[Narrator]

Penny was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries including brain damage. She had to have her uterus removed and a pacemaker put on her bladder to control its function. Penny never saw the man who assaulted her and he has never been caught.

[Penny]

For three years I was a different. I wouldn't go shopping by myself. I wouldn't drive by myself because of fear.

[Narrator]

The police officer who attended the crime scene lost her job. Penny married her fiance and has started a ministry for victims of sexual assault.

[Penny]

I survived that night because I had to live for my daughter. I could not die, die and leave my 16 year old daughter without a mother. I survived that night because I was not ready to die.

[Narrator]

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[John Kunhausen]

Oh my God, I love it.

[Narrator]

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