I SURVIVED: If I Die, Nobody Will Know Who Did This

Summary

Summary of "Cold Case Files: I SURVIVED: If I Die, Nobody Will Know Who Did This"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Cold Case Files
• Host/Author: A&E / PodcastOne, Hosted by Paula Barros
• Episode: I SURVIVED: If I Die, Nobody Will Know Who Did This
• Release Date: March 22, 2025

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "I SURVIVED: If I Die, Nobody Will Know Who Did This," Cold Case Files delves into harrowing true stories of survival against violent assaults and predatory attacks. Hosted by Paula Barros, the episode presents three distinct cases where individuals faced life-threatening circumstances, confrontations with assailants, and the ensuing quest for justice and closure. This summary captures the essence of each story, highlighting key moments, emotional insights, and notable quotes with timestamps to provide a comprehensive overview for listeners and newcomers alike.

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Story 1: The Caffey Family Tragedy

Setting:

2008, Emory, Texas

Key Figures:

• Terry Caffey: Father
• Ann Caffey: Mother
• Erin Caffey: 16-year-old daughter
• Aaron Caffey: Son
• Charlie Wilkinson: Erin's boyfriend and perpetrator
• Charles Wade: Accomplice

Narrative:

The Caffey family's peaceful life took a dark turn when their 16-year-old daughter, Erin, began dating Charlie Wilkinson. Initially seen as a typical boyfriend, Charlie's disturbing online activities and conversations raised alarms for the Caffey parents. After discovering Charlie's inappropriate online behavior, Ann confronts Erin, leading to a heartbreaking breakup.

Key Events:

• [03:35] Ann discovers Charlie's concerning online presence: "There was comments on there about drinking...we need to put a stop to this."
• [04:25] The family feels relief after Erin ends the relationship, believing normalcy has returned.
• [05:02]-[07:33] On a Friday night, Charlie, accompanied by Charles Wade, invades the Caffey home. Terry is shot 11 times, and Ann and Erin are brutally murdered. The house is set ablaze to destroy evidence.

Notable Quotes:

• Ann Caffey: "At that point I knew if I die right here, nobody's gonna know who did this." ([02:18])
• Terry Caffey confronting Charlie in prison: "Why did you do this?" Charlie responds, "I don't have no good reason." ([14:07])
• Ann Caffey reflecting on forgiveness: "They were the easiest one to forgive...I love her and always will." ([15:10])

Aftermath: Erin survived the attack and was arrested for capital murder, with authorities suspecting her as the mastermind. However, Terry and Ann's unwavering belief in Erin's innocence led them to question the true orchestrators behind the tragedy. The investigation unveiled Charlie's motives rooted in personal vendetta and Charles Wade's financial incentives. Both Charlie and Charles received life sentences, while Erin's conviction remains a poignant point of contention for the family.

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Story 2: Survival Against a Mountain Lion

Setting:

January 2004, Mission Viejo, California

Key Figures:

• Ann: Mountain biker and survivor
• Debbie: Ann's friend and fellow biker

Narrative:

Ann and Debbie, avid mountain bikers, embarked on a trail known as Cactus Hill. Their adventurous spirit led them into a perilous encounter with a mountain lion, turning a routine ride into a fight for survival.

Key Events:

• [20:10] The friends begin their ride, choosing rugged, off-the-beaten-path trails.
• [21:40]-[28:24] Debbie is attacked by a mountain lion. Despite severe injuries, including deep puncture wounds, the two friends manage to survive the ordeal with the help of paramedics who arrive after hearing their distress calls.

Notable Quotes:

• Debbie describing the attack: "I was face down, and I could feel that this animal had a hold of me." ([21:40])
• Ann on her will to survive: "I survived because I had more life. I wanted to live with my children." ([41:41])
• Debbie on her survival: "I survived because I chose to battle, and I survived because I knew that life was worth living." ([30:59])

Aftermath: Both Ann and Debbie sustained life-threatening injuries but survived the attack. Their stories highlight the unpredictability of nature and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of untamed threats.

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Story 3: Earlene's Hotel Horror

Setting:

January 2009, Columbus, Mississippi

Key Figures:

• Earlene: Hotel receptionist and survivor
• Attacker: Unknown male

Narrative:

Earlene began her night shift at a hotel in Columbus, Mississippi, unaware that her first night would become a nightmare. A suspicious man lingered in the lobby, behaving unusually and making unsettling remarks that hinted at malicious intent.

Key Events:

• [32:37]-[34:09] Earlene notices a man who seems out of place. His knowledge of specific hotel locations raises red flags, but she initially dismisses her unease.
• [34:09]-[42:14] The man becomes increasingly threatening, culminating in a violent assault where he attempts to strangle Earlene and uses glass to inflict further harm. Displaying remarkable composure, Earlene defends herself, leading to the attacker's capture.

Notable Quotes:

• Earlene on her survival instincts: "I survived because I was able to calm down and gain composure and take control of that situation." ([41:41])

Aftermath: The attacker was caught the next day and pleaded guilty, awaiting sentencing. Earlene credits her survival to her determination to live and the desire to see her grandchildren, underscoring the profound human will to survive against overwhelming odds.

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Conclusion

"I SURVIVED: If I Die, Nobody Will Know Who Did This" presents three compelling narratives of endurance and resilience. From the tragic loss of the Caffey family and the subsequent fight for justice, to confrontations with nature's fiercest predators, and personal assaults claiming lives, each story underscores the fragility of life and the strength of the human spirit. Hosted by Paula Barros, Cold Case Files not only seeks to unravel the mysteries behind these violent acts but also honors the survivors' courage and their unwavering will to live, reminding listeners of the profound impact of survival against all odds.

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Note: This summary has been crafted to exclude advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections as per the provided instructions, focusing solely on the substantive narratives presented in the episode.

Transcript

[Terry Caffey]

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[Debbie]

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[Terry Caffey]

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[Ann]

I've got blood coming out of my ears, my eyes, my nose, I can't feel my jaw, I can't feel the right side of my body.

[Terry Caffey]

Real people.

[Debbie]

I was aware of the fact that as he closed down his grip, he just ripped my face off.

[Terry Caffey]

Who faced death.

[Earlene]

He takes that piece of glass and he's trying to cut my throat and.

[Terry Caffey]

Live to tell how.

[Ann]

At that point I knew if I die right here, nobody's gonna know who did this.

[Terry Caffey]

This is I survived. It's 2008 in Emory, Texas. Terry's 16 year old daughter has just met her first boyfriend.

[Ann]

Well, Erin was a pretty typical child. You know, she was very weird, well mannered, very respectful to her elders, very quiet spoken, but she was also very energetic. She always had a smile on her face. We never had any trouble out of her until she started dating Charlie. The very first time I met Charlie, I wasn't too enthused. My wife and Aaron had invited him over for supper one evening. So as I come in the door, there's Charlie sitting in my recliner. And soon as I walk in the door, I, I walk in and said, hello, are you Charlie? And he looked at me and said, yeah, and you are? And I said, I happen to be Aaron's dad. Could you stand up and greet me? So he stood up and began to greet me and he stuck out his hand and he shook my hand. I asked him, I said, do you always sit in a chair like that? He goes, yeah. And I said, well, it's yes, sir, but not in my chair. You need to stand up and greet someone when they walk in the door. There was just something not quite right about him.

[Terry Caffey]

While visiting her aunt, Erin accessed Charlie's Internet page. Her aunt saw the contents and alerted her parents.

[Ann]

It was very shocking to see. There was comments on there about drinking, a picture of him holding a Jack Daniels ball. I do believe there was language in there about one of his friends that text him and said, why don't you bring the. That girlfriend of yours talking about Erin over this weekend? We'll get wasted and have sex and just have a great time. And that was, that was pretty much it. When we decided we need to put a stop to this, we sat her down on the couch. Erin began to cry. And she told me, she said, daddy, I've been thinking about breaking up with him. Been wanting to, but just didn't know how to.

[Terry Caffey]

Aaron broke up with Charlie that evening.

[Ann]

The next few days just seemed great. We felt like we had our house back. Erin seemed to be getting back to her old self. Things just seemed to be getting back to what they were prior to Erin and Charlie dating.

[Terry Caffey]

On Friday night, Terry had a pillow fight with his two boys, aged 8 and 13.

[Ann]

Aaron was in the living room with the boys as well, and they had just popped some popcorn. And she had gotten in on a pillow fight as well. You know, she just joined right in and we wrestled off to the ground and just played and just laughed and just had a great time.

[Terry Caffey]

Terry joined his wife in bed.

[Ann]

I get awoken around midnight. I hear Max, our black lab. We have out barking. He barks for about five minutes and then he hushes his barking. So I roll over and I never hear another sound till I wake up to gunshots. I throw my arm up the shield to try to shield some of the bullets and I take several rounds up the arm, shoulder. Then finally a blast in the face. And that's what threw me out of bed. I'm just gurgling with blood. I've got blood coming out of my ears, my eyes, my nose. I can't feel my jaw. I can't feel the right side of my body.

[Terry Caffey]

Terry has been shot 11 times.

[Ann]

I had been going in and out of consciousness, and I had been thinking, the children upstairs. Gotta check on the children.

[Terry Caffey]

Terry's daughter and two young sons sleep upstairs.

[Ann]

Before I went out completely, somebody had walked over on my side of the bed and kicked me in the foot. I was face down. All I heard was heavy breathing. And I heard the reloading of the gun. And I was just waiting for them to go ahead and shoot me in the back of the head. I knew at this time it was over. I just squinched my eyes real tight and I said, God, just make it go quick. For a few minutes, he sat there and just breathed heavily, and then he just walked off. We had a little light illuminating from the kitchen in through the bathroom to our bedroom. And between that and the gunshots, I seen his face. But at that time, I did not realize who it was. When I was shot before, before I went out, I was thinking, who is this? Is this a home invasion? A robbery? That's what I'm thinking about that time. I hear footsteps going up the stairs, and I said, oh, no, the children. And I hear, Bubba. Matthew. We called him Bubba. Matthew's crying out. He says, charlie, no. Charlie, why are you doing this, Charlie? Then I knew immediately that's who I'd just seen.

[Terry Caffey]

Terry's attacker was his teenage daughter's former boyfriend, Charlie. Charlie had an accomplice with him.

[Ann]

Then it just finally clicked with me. I'd been in shock. I didn't realize who that was, but I just had remembered that's just who I just saw standing over our bed, shooting at us. And it's just as Bubba was crying out, no, Charlie, no. The gunfire went out, started going off again, and at this time, my eyes just rolled back in the back of my head, and I just collapsed and fell face down.

[Terry Caffey]

While Terry was unconscious, the men set fire to the house.

[Ann]

I woke up, and I look back and I see the far walls on fire. And there's one door leading out our bedroom, and that's where most of the fire is, and that's the door you'd go to, go upstairs. So I panicked. I managed to finally get up. I couldn't go out that door because the flames Were pushing me back. And when I crawled over the other side of the bed is when I found Penny. She was already gone. There was no hope for her. It was just a horrific scene. So much blood. There was even no need to even check or pulse. It was just a horrific, horrific scene. They had just butchered her just so awfully.

[Terry Caffey]

Charlie had cut Penny's throat with a sword.

[Ann]

I knew then I had to get check on the children. So I went through our bathroom which another door let out into the kitchen.

[Terry Caffey]

But.

[Ann]

But the flames were just so heavy right there. I could hear part of the ceiling caving in there. In the kitchen or living room area, I could hear windows exploding out. I knew at this time I wasn't going to be able to get to them that way. I've got to get out. Smoke was already coming into the bathroom. I began to get choked. I couldn't even in my own bathroom. I got lost. I knew there was one window, but I couldn't find it. I began to feel my way. I couldn't see from the smoke and I remember it being so hot and I'm panicking and I'm bleeding and I can't see. I find the window. I'm trying to unlatch it. It won't open. So I'm beating on the window, hoping to just break the glass, but it won't break. I'm beating on it, but it won't break. Finally the window shoots up. I managed to push the screen off from the window and I stuck my head out. And I remember that first gasp of air felt so good in my lungs because I'd been choking on blood and smoke. The house was literally just caving in on me. So I crawl out the window and it's about a four or five foot drop and just the drop just takes my breath away. The jolt just takes my breath.

[Terry Caffey]

Terry's children are still upstairs.

[Ann]

I'm thinking I've got to get to them. I go around by the side and the flames are just shooting out all windows again. The house is just coming down. I've got to get to my neighbors, Tommy and Helen's. Their house is about 400 yards away. It's pitch dark. Can't see the hand in front of your face. I'd crawl a few steps and I'd stand up, walk two or three steps and fall down and clap. I'd crawl my belly crawl on my hands and knees, just pushing it, pushing it. I'm getting cut by thorns and tree roots and things. Finally I make it about the Halfway point, and I just lean up against a tree there. I look back at the house and it's just totally on fire. At this point, I realized that they're gone. There was no chance of hope. There was no chance of rescue. I told God, I said, just take me. I'm ready to go. I don't want to live. As I sat there and watched the house go up in flames, I began to get angry. And just so many emotions began to well up in me. At that point, I knew if I die right here, nobody's going to know who did this. Each step I'd make, and I'd fall down, I'd just get right back up. I'd crawl a few steps, get a little breath in me, stand up. Sometimes I wouldn't even be able to make a step. Just the sheer trauma of the gunshot wounds and all the blood loss. I came up to another obstacle. There was another barbed wire fence. And this was a heavily wired fence. It wasn't easily able to get through it. I'm ripping what little bit of clothes I have left on me and my flesh. That 20 to 30ft walk up their concrete drive seemed to be harder than that 400 yard I had crawled. I finally make it up to their. To the porch. By this time, I've collapsed. I just fall down. I'm laying on my side. I still can't feel my right side, so I use my left arm and hand and I begin to beep on their storm window, the storm door there, and I'm hitting on it, but nobody's coming. I'm thinking, why isn't someone coming? Finally, the porch light comes on. And then Tommy opens the door and he looks down and he sees me and he says, oh, my gosh, what's happened? So I said, charlie's came in and he's murdered the family. I had lost everything, even the clothes off my back. Family house burnt down. And that's when the despair hit me that I had lost it all.

[Terry Caffey]

Terry believed his teenage daughter Erin had perished in the flames.

[Ann]

I'd been at the trauma center for about two hours when my sister came to me and said they had found Erin and she was alive. And then she came over to my side, closer, and she said, well, the doctors and nurses and everyone said they didn't want you to know this. And they told me not to tell you, but you're asking. You're my brother. I'm not going to lie to you anymore. You have a right to know. They arrested Aaron for involvement.

[Terry Caffey]

Aaron had slipped out of the house and waited in a nearby car during the entire attack. Police charged her with capital murder, believing she was the mastermind.

[Ann]

Went to go see her two weeks later, Went with her grandparents, and they bring her in. She's got that orange jumpsuit on, and that's just not a. You're just not used to seeing one of your kids like that.

[Terry Caffey]

Erin's lawyer instructed her not to discuss the incident when her father visited.

[Ann]

I was trying to talk to her as much as I could, but on the inside, I had so many questions I wanted to ask her, but I couldn't, and that was eating me up. As soon as we got outside, I just lost it right then and there out in the parking lot. And I remember Penny's mama, Erin's grandmother, just grabbed me and holding me, and we just cried together.

[Terry Caffey]

Terry's daughter Erin was charged with capital murder.

[Ann]

The authorities were saying, and of course to this day will say, that she was the main mastermind in all of it. And I refused to believe that. You get to know your kids after a while. You know definitely that they're not perfect, they're not innocent. But I knew my daughter wasn't a murderer either. She was always a good kid. It wasn't until Charlie came into the picture that we began to have problems.

[Terry Caffey]

Charlie Wilkinson was given a life sentence without parole. Terry confronted him in prison.

[Ann]

And I asked him, why did you do this? And he said, I don't have no good reason. And I asked him, I said, did you think you were going to be able to murder us and just live with my daughter forever? He said, I can't answer that. I don't know.

[Terry Caffey]

Charlie's accomplice, Charles Wade, was also given a life sentence.

[Ann]

Charles Wade was a friend of his. He addressed him and asked him, would you be willing to help me do this? Charles Wade, been hard up for money like he was, agreed to do it, to go along and help for $2,000. I said, what did you need the $2,000 for? He said, I was trying to get custody of my child. I said, so you are willing to kill children to get custody of your children? And I told him, I said, you will have to live with this for the rest of your life.

[Terry Caffey]

Erin Caffey was convicted of murdering her family. She was given two life sentences plus 25 years.

[Ann]

I was feeling guilty. I felt, well, maybe I did something wrong. I felt guilty because I wasn't able to prevent it. Stop it.

[Terry Caffey]

After Erin's sentencing, Terry was able to question her about the incident.

[Ann]

Probably one of My first questions that I asked her, that was eating me up is, did we go wrong as parents? She said, no, that you and Mama were great parents. You did a good job raising us. So we're gradually getting there, trying to get to the bottom of things and of what went wrong. Basically, her answer is that she was just. She got hooked up in the wrong crowd and doing things that she knew she shouldn't be doing. And she said, I just got rebellious.

[Terry Caffey]

After the trial, Terry became suicidal.

[Ann]

I went and bought a used rv, and I set it on the very spot where our house once stood, where I raised a family, where I lost my family. And for four months, I stayed pretty much shut up in that rv, in a deep, depressed state, drugged up on antidepressants, painkillers, whatever I could take to numb myself. I would crawl up in a ball in the bed and lay there, sometimes for hours or 12, 14 hours at a time, just sleeping. After four months of that, I realized that this is no way to live, that I've got to return back to the living. I realized that to go through something this horrific, there's got to be more for me to do in this life, that I made it this far, I survived this far. There's got to be something. I've been asked the question so many times, how could you forgive your daughter? She was the easiest one to forgive. There's just something about the love that a parent has for a child. It's basically what I call unconditional love. And no matter what, and I've told her this to this day, that I love her, forgive her, anything she's done, I love her and always will. It's a very tremendous sacrifice to lose a wife and two children. But on the other hand, I've seen so many people help through this. I've been able to reach out. I go out and speak weekly. I speak to young people at churches and schools, warn them of the dangers of running with the wrong crowd and staying off drugs and alcohol. I believe that there's been a reason for me to survive, and that's to be able to help others.

[Terry Caffey]

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[Debbie]

Debbie and I rode together pretty often, usually a couple of times a week. Part of it is that we have similar personalities and we also tend to be focused on riding when we're out there.

[E]

The areas we would pick were a little bit more rugged, kind of off the beaten path.

[Terry Caffey]

They decided to ride a trail called Cactus Hill.

[Debbie]

So we started off. I was ahead of Debbie as we made that left hand turn onto Cactus.

[E]

We came up on a guy that had his cell phone in his hand, slowed down and saw a bike next.

[Debbie]

To As I slowed down and was passing him, I asked him if everything was okay. He said, I found this abandoned bike.

[E]

It was kind of an unusual spot for somebody to leave their bike and he had his phone in his hand. So we thought everything was fine. And Ann was in front of me, so she continued on, and I said, okay, cool. And he didn't think much of it.

[Debbie]

It was about a minute and a half later when I kind of came around another corner, and there's a little bit of a plateau. And I just caught a flash of movement over my right shoulder. In my peripheral vision, all I could see was that it was fur, and I could tell that it was kind of a reddish brown color right away. There was just an unbelievable impact. It's something I can't even describe. I've never been hit by a car, but that's how I would imagine it to feel. The force was so powerful that I came completely off my bike at that point. I was face down, and I could feel that this animal had a hold of me. And I realized there really is only one thing out here that is going to grab ahold of me like that. And I knew at that point it was a mountain lion.

[Terry Caffey]

Ann's friend Debbie was close behind.

[E]

You know, as I came around the corner and hearing Ann screaming, realizing that was coming, coming from her, I just couldn't even believe that this mountain lion was on top of her and that he was just ready to take her away. And I didn't know how much time I had, so I just threw my bike immediately, thinking that was gonna, you know, something large was gonna freak him out. And he didn't even. I don't recall him even, you know, being bothered by it. He just gripped in, you know, to her helmet. Then he moved over to the side of her face. And so I just lunged forward, grabbing her leg and dropping to the ground, and just started immediately pulling back and thinking, you know, I'm looking right at this mountain lion's face. He's two feet, maybe a foot and a half from me. And the smell, you know, of just his wild game smell. And thinking, my God, this animal is so incredibly huge.

[Debbie]

The thing that is most clear to me is just the overwhelming power like nothing I've ever felt before in my life.

[E]

He seemed the length of her body. The length, you know, so the relatively. The size of, you know, Ann and I. And his tail. I just remember his tail batting the ground.

[Debbie]

The only thing I could think to do was to try to punch the lion. At this point, he still did have me by the back of the neck. And I thought maybe if I could hit him in the face, maybe he would let go. So that was what I did. I took my right fist and tried to swing over My left shoulder. It had absolutely no effect. I realized that I was basically in a fight for my life right now. He was actually readjusting and pulling me down into the ravine, readjusting again and pulling. So he went from the back of my neck and clamped down over my ear. As he clamped down, my ear was basically separated from my skull. One of the fangs went through my upper lip. The other fang went through the bridge of my nose and broke my nose, and the lower fangs entered at my cheek. I was aware of the fact that as he closed down his grip, he just ripped my face off. Honestly, for that split second, I thought I would rather die, because I knew even if I did survive this and came out of it alive, I didn't know if I could handle the damage to my face and what that meant for me. That moment changed completely when I thought of my husband James. You know, he's my best friend. I met him mountain biking, and I just thought he would want to fight as hard as I could. So I kind of switched gears and thought, you know, what can we do to get out of this situation?

[Terry Caffey]

Ann's friend Debbie was trying to pull her out of the animal's grip.

[Debbie]

Debbie was dealing with not only trying to keep a hold of my leg with this extremely strong animal actually pulling in the other direction, but very loose terrain, Very, very steep hillside, lots of scrub oak cactus, things that she is being dragged through as she's trying to keep a hold of my leg.

[E]

I'm screaming, I'm not going to let go of you, Ann. She's screaming, get him off of me. I remember my hands sweating, thinking, am I going to be able to hold onto her? My hands are slipping, you know, just holding so tight to her that every muscle in my body was just, you know, tense.

[Debbie]

As we were being dragged down into the ravine, I felt like a rag doll. I felt as though there was nothing we could do to stop this animal in the middle of it. I knew Debbie is all I've got. I mean, I knew that once I had done what I could, it's in Debbie's hands, really what's going to happen from here on out.

[E]

The mountain lion's intent was to get to her neck as soon as possible to break it and to get his prey. He would pull us a couple of inches, and I would pull back. And then he was kind of butted up against his back was against a tree, and I'm pulling back. He seemed frustrated in a way. He never snarled at me. I don't remember any sounds Really, I just remember the smells and the blood.

[Debbie]

My mind was just going 100 miles an hour and thinking all sorts of different things, just random things, like hearing Debbie use the F word and thinking, I've never heard her say that before. I just felt like my mind was just kind of going crazy at that point. I kind of had a realization, thinking that he probably was going to try to go for the front of my throat. In martial arts class, what they teach you is to close your chin to your shoulder, to kind of close that gap. So that was what I tried to do, to make an effort to turn towards the ground to my right and to kind of turn my head as much as I could.

[E]

All of the instincts that she had, you know, to protect her neck were really instinctive, and mine were just to hold onto her. And how dare he would take this friend of mine?

[Debbie]

But he did release from my face and grabbed onto my neck. And as he clamped down, it felt like a vice. I mean, instantly things started to go black. I started realizing that he's cut off my air supply, and really, this is it for me. And I felt like I needed to say goodbye to Debbie. And I said to her, I'm gonna die. You know, kind of coming to that realization. And she just told me, I'm never gonna let you go. And that was. That was the last I remembered. At that point, everything went black.

[Terry Caffey]

Other cyclists arrive and phone for help.

[E]

And I'm going, you know, you gotta get down here and help me. I can't hold onto her much longer. And eventually just said, you gotta start throwing rocks. Then I remember them saying, we're gonna hit you. I go, I don't freaking care. You know, just throw the rocks. He's not gonna let go. And eventually, one did hit him on the back of his neck, and he released and took off.

[Debbie]

I came to a minute or two later, and the first thing I thought was I was just shocked that I was still alive. And then I started realizing I was getting no air whatsoever. I felt almost as though if you kind of gulp water in a swimming pool, accidentally inhale water. That's how I felt. I felt as though I was drowning. And I realized I'm basically drowning in my own blood. My only focus was get control of my breathing, focus on trying to get a little bit more breath each time and just trying not to panic, you know, trying to keep control of my heart rate, thinking, if I can't do that, I'm not gonna make it.

[E]

I'm looking at the left side of her face and she's got, you know, this cut that goes clear to the bone around her eye. And the side of her flesh from about here all the way down to her cheekbone is completely, you know, open and debris in it and rocks and it can, you know, it could flap clear to her mid face.

[Terry Caffey]

Paramedics arrived by helicopter 20 minutes later.

[E]

And I remember pulling off blood clots off of her eye, off of her nose area and trying to reassure her. She's starting to wake up. Ann, help's coming. We're gonna make it. You know, we're gonna get out of here.

[Terry Caffey]

Ann was rushed to the hospital, leaving Debbie with the paramedics.

[E]

I remember saying to one of them, you know, there was a bike up the trail. You may want to check, you know, check out if there's anything to do with, you know, this situation. And as we were leaving at that moment, they said that they had just found a male that looked like he had been attacked by a mountain lion.

[Terry Caffey]

The man had been partially eaten and buried. Ann herself had more than 40 deep puncture wounds to the neck alone.

[Debbie]

To have been bitten that many times that deeply and have no real life threatening injuries to me is a miracle. I just don't know, honestly, how else you could explain it.

[Terry Caffey]

Ann and Debbie still go mountain biking together.

[E]

I think Ann survived because she has an incredible faith, she has an incredible love for her husband, and those two things can pull you through.

[Debbie]

I survived because I have a friend like Debbie. I survived because I chose to battle, and I survived because I knew that life was worth living.

[Terry Caffey]

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[Earlene]

When I walked into the lobby, I noticed that there was this guy sitting at a computer. I just got this weird feeling when I saw him, but I didn't pay any attention to it.

[Terry Caffey]

Earlene's manager went home, leaving her alone with the man.

[Earlene]

I don't question him because. Mainly because I didn't want to offend him and I didn't want to get in trouble. You know, about. Well, you know, you questioned a guest and you shouldn't have done that. I didn't want to get in trouble.

[Terry Caffey]

Two hours later, the man was still there.

[Earlene]

A guest comes in and asks for direction to a steel mill in this particular. Well, I don't know. I'm not sure where that mill is located.

[Terry Caffey]

The stranger was standing right behind Earlene.

[Earlene]

And then he says, I know where it is. He tells the guests where the steel mill is. And then I think to myself, how does he know where steel mill is here in Columbus if he's from out of town? And I said, what room did you say you were in? He says, I'm in room 105. Just like that. When I checked the room, I noticed that there's only one person in that room. And I'm thinking to myself, why is he in this? Why has he been in this lobby? By now I'm starting to feel weird, and he's starting to seem more menacing to me.

[Terry Caffey]

The man disappeared from sight.

[Earlene]

So I hear a noise towards the back. But the kitchen is. And I'm gonna lock this door because I don't know what he has in mind. I don't even know now if he's a guest. So I go to lock the door, and to my horror, there's no lock on the door. So I throw my hands up in the air and I say, God, I'm. I'm in your hands. Because I know now there's no. I can't lock this door. I can't keep him from coming back here. I hear a door slam. And I look up and he's coming toward me. He has a look on his face as if I am the worst person that he's ever seen. He looks so mean. He looks evil. He has on gloves now. He has on a white jacket. And I feel like I know he's coming to do some harm to me. I know he's gonna hurt me. And I know in my heart that he's here to kill me. I knew that. And then I get mad at my. I mean, so many emotions are going through me. I'm mad at myself. You fool. You should have known. You shouldn't have followed your first feelings. So he chokes me, he strangles me. And he strangled me until I black out. And when I blacked out, I'm thinking to myself, just let it happen. Just let it. Just go ahead and let it happen. That way, if he's gonna do anything else to you, it'll already be over. But then something wells up in me. No, I will not die tonight. I'll come back with a joke, as if something says, wake up. It's not your time to die. And I started to fight him back. I started to fight him back. And I feel around and I feel the telephone, the handle of the telephone. And I get that telephone and I draw back and I hit as hard as I can. And I could feel it hit. I could feel it when it landed. I hit him in his forehead. I could feel it. And I hear him grunt. And I'm thinking to myself, God, please let me have knocked him out. But this only makes it matter. He knocks me to the floor, and he's beating me as if I. As if he hates me. And I'm thinking to myself, my God. My God, this man is intending to kill me. He doesn't even know me. What have I done to him? I don't even know you. And I'm asking, what do you want? What do you want? And I'm just hollering, somebody, please. Somebody please help me. Help me. Somebody please help me. And then we fall against the other desk on the other side. And it knocks one of the pictures off the desk. And the glass splatters everywhere on the floor. He takes that piece of glass and he's trying to cut my throat. And I hold my head down because I want to live to see my grandchildren. I want to live to see my children. Cause I'm thinking to myself, my children know I'm at work. How can they? How would they take that? Somebody says, your mom got killed at work. I gotta go. I gotta make it back home. My children need me. He's chopping. He's chopping with that piece of glass. I know that he's trying to kill me. So he's still there, stabbing away. Stabbing away around my neck, trying to cut. Trying to cut my neck. And I'm hollering. I'm still yelling and screaming for help. And then he gets another piece of glass and he draws it up. He says, shut up. Shut up. All of a sudden, this calm comes over me and in my ear. Calm down. Stop screaming. You're going to be okay. Stop screaming. Talk to him. I said, okay. Okay. What do you want? Just tell me what you want. He gets up off of me. He says, I'm sorry that I got to do this to you, but I have a son and I need money. I say, okay. The cash register is out front and the safe is up under the cabinets. And I say, I got $40 in my wallet. I don't care what he gets out of there. I just want him to get what he wants and go. And I think to myself, while he's over there, I could get away. I could get out of here. I could run for it. But then, no. I know it was God. He said, don't. Because if I try to run for it, I know he's gonna catch me. By this time, he's just throwing stuff everywhere. He's pulling telephones out off the front desk. He's pulling the wires out. I stand up and I hold my hands out, talking to him. And as I hold my hand out, I felt something dripping in my hand. I look down. It's my blood. I'm bleeding very badly. My shirt is. My uniform is blue. It's red. The whole front of it is red where I'm just bleeding, but I'm still composed. Okay, he says. He takes me to the back. And he has a telephone. One of the telephone cords wrapped around his hand. And I tell him. I said, please don't kill me. Please don't kill me. I have 15 grandchildren. I want to see my grandchildren again. He pushes me in the closet. He closes the door. And I hear a snap. He's locked me in the closet. And I'm. I'm beginning to feel weak. My adrenaline is gone. Out and beyond. I'm just drained. I'm tired. I'm scared.

[Terry Caffey]

Two hours passed.

[Earlene]

I had the blanket under my neck, and I stayed in that position. I didn't make a sound. I don't know for how long, but after a while, I hear voices. I still don't make a sound because I don't know if this man is still out there. I don't know if he's standing outside the door. And I'm thinking all kinds of horrible thoughts. I'm thinking, suppose he burned the place down? So I just stay there. And I don't know how long. But after maybe about 40 minutes, I hear the crackling of a radio.

[Terry Caffey]

Guests had seen the damage in the reception area and called the police.

[Earlene]

And I hear this deep voice. Hello? Hello, is anybody in here? And my God, I scream. I scream, I'm in here. I'm in here. Get me out of here.

[Terry Caffey]

Earlene had to wait another 40 minutes for the fire department to cut the lock.

[Earlene]

They opened the door, and I see some of the most handsome men I've ever seen in my life. They pick me up out of there. And in my mind I'm thinking, he's still. I'm so terrified, paranoid. I'm thinking, suppose he comes back and get me while I'm on this treasure. But then all these people around. Nobody. He can't hurt you no more.

[Terry Caffey]

Her attacker is caught the next day working on a roofing job. He pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

[Earlene]

I survived because I was able to calm down and gain composure and take control of that situation. I survived because I had more life. I wanted to live with my children. I survived because I wanted to spend more time with my grandchildren. I survived because God has other plans for me. He has something for me to do.

[Ann]

Are you looking for your next case?

[Terry Caffey]

Pluto TV has all your favorite crime dramas streaming for free.

[Ann]

You're gonna need some backup. Which means suspense is free. Very cool.

[Terry Caffey]

Watch CSI New York.

[Ann]

Criminal Minds, Blue Bloods Tracker, FBI and swat, all for free. We can outrun on this. Someone is going to pay for all this crime.

[Terry Caffey]

But it's not going to be you.

[Ann]

Take care of business, fellas. Watch all the cases. All for free from all your favorite devices.

[Debbie]

We got you.

[Ann]

Feel the free Pluto TV stream. Now pay.

[E]

Never.