I SURVIVED: If I Went in There I Was Never Going to Walk Out

Summary

Cold Case Files: "I SURVIVED: If I Went in There I Was Never Going to Walk Out"

Hosted by Paula Barros

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Carrie's Harrowing Home Invasion

Timestamp Highlights:

• 01:30 – Carrie Pinson begins her terrifying ordeal in Chico, California.
• 08:12 – The intruder's knife goes missing, escalating the danger.
• 16:03 – Richard Massey, the assailant, is apprehended.
• 16:26 – Carrie's reflection on her survival.

Summary: In October 2004, Carrie Pinson and her husband resided in Chico, California, with their four children. One ordinary morning turned into a nightmare when an unidentified intruder broke into their home. Carrie recounts the moment she realized something was terribly wrong:

“When I saw the reflection in the mirror ... I knew that what I saw in the mirror was not my husband because it was not the outfit that he wore that day.” [02:01]

Despite the fear, Carrie fought fiercely to protect herself and her young son. Clad in a swimsuit and jeans to hinder the intruder’s efforts, she endured a brutal struggle in the master bedroom closet. The attacker, wielding a steak knife, assaulted her physically and violently. Carrie’s resolve never wavered as she thought of her son's safety:

“I was gonna fight until I was out of there, he was gone, or I was dead.” [02:09]

In a moment of desperation, Carrie made the difficult decision to escape through a window, sustaining severe injuries, including a fractured spine. Her prayers were answered when a compassionate neighbor responded to her cries for help, leading to the arrest of Richard Massey. Identified by a unique bite mark, Massey received two consecutive life sentences.

Reflecting on her survival, Carrie attributes her resilience to her unwavering determination and faith:

“I survived because I wouldn't quit fighting. I survived because I wasn't ready to leave my kids. And I survived because God spared my life.” [16:03]

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Catherine and Joe's Mall Shooting Survival

Timestamp Highlights:

• 19:12 – Catherine and Joe describe the initial chaos at the Tacoma mall.
• 23:01 – The gunman’s motivations are revealed.
• 30:56 – Dominic Maldonado is sentenced.
• 31:45 – Ongoing friendship between survivors.

Summary: In November 2005, Catherine and Joe found themselves at the center of a horrifying shooting incident at a suburban mall in Tacoma, Washington. Catherine, managing a music store, and Joe, an Iraq war veteran, were organizing Christmas decorations when gunfire erupted:

“I was up on a ladder and took a couple seconds to process that it was two different guns. Through my experience in Iraq, I recognized automatic gunfire.” [20:14]

The shooter, Dominic Maldonado, entered the store dressed incongruously in church attire, brandishing two rifles. Utilizing tactics reminiscent of his military background, Maldonado took hostages, forcing Catherine and Joe to barricade the store. The traumatic experience forced both survivors to confront their deepest fears and past traumas. Joe recalls:

“I was thinking, I can't believe I just got back from Iraq and now I'm experiencing this all over again.” [22:30]

Maldonado’s actions were driven by a desire to make others feel his pain and anger, stemming from a tumultuous childhood and negative experiences with authority figures. As the standoff continued, negotiations led to the release of a frightened young boy, demonstrating Maldonado's complex psychological state.

After a prolonged standoff and the intervention of negotiators, Maldonado’s emotional vulnerability surfaced, culminating in his surrender. The aftermath saw Maldonado sentenced to 163 years in prison, while Catherine and Joe forged a lasting friendship grounded in their shared trauma and resilience.

Catherine credits her calm demeanor and sense of responsibility for their survival:

“I survived because I am strong. I handled the situation calmly. I didn't run away.” [31:45]

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Kevin's Life-Threatening Ordeal in Clarksville

Timestamp Highlights:

• 33:37 – Kevin and his wife Sharon’s life near an old cemetery.
• 38:27 – Kevin’s near-fatal encounter with the rope.
• 42:18 – Emergency response and surgery.
• 44:12 – Kevin’s return to normalcy.

Summary: In January 2004, Kevin and his wife Sharon lived near a neglected Civil War cemetery in Clarksville, Georgia. Driven by a passion for history, Kevin undertook the task of cleaning and maintaining the graveyard. During one such project, he faced a life-threatening accident:

“The second rope was still tied around a neighboring oak tree... The hook lodged dangerously close to my jugular vein.” [36:46]

As Kevin meticulously rigged ropes to safely fell a large oak tree, a critical oversight led to a catastrophic failure. The secondary rope remained entangled, creating immense tension that ultimately propelled the rope into Kevin’s neck. Struggling to breathe and realizing the severity of his injuries, Kevin called out for help, fearing he would bleed to death within minutes.

Despite his dire situation, a moment of clarity and a mysterious vision compelled Kevin to act. Instructed by a calm, soothing voice, he reached for his knife and managed to free himself by cutting the rope. However, the damage was extensive, resulting in over 200 internal stitches and 20 staples during emergency surgery.

Sharon, unaware of the full extent of the accident, responded to Kevin’s distress signals by calling 911. Paramedics arrived swiftly, stabilizing him before airlifting him to Atlanta for critical care. The reunion between Kevin and Sharon was both heartwarming and emotional, highlighting the strength of their bond:

“I survived because I know that day I was not there alone. Whatever it was that I saw that told me to reach for my knife is probably what saved my life.” [44:12]

Kevin’s remarkable recovery and return to work a few weeks later stand as a testament to his resilience and the unwavering support of his loved ones.

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Concluding Insights

This episode of Cold Case Files underscores the incredible resilience of individuals facing unimaginable horrors. Each survivor—Carrie, Catherine, Joe, and Kevin—demonstrates extraordinary courage and determination to overcome life-threatening situations. Their stories highlight the pivotal moments of decision-making, the impact of past experiences, and the profound influence of faith and love in survival.

Notable Takeaways:

• Resilience in the Face of Adversity: Survivors often draw strength from their loved ones and inner fortitude.
• The Role of Quick Thinking: Decisions made in critical moments can significantly influence outcomes.
• Psychological Complexity of Perpetrators: Understanding the motivations behind violent acts can aid in resolution and prevention.

These narratives not only shed light on the dark realities of crime and accidents but also celebrate the human spirit's capacity to endure and triumph against all odds.

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This detailed summary captures the essence of the "I SURVIVED: If I Went in There I Was Never Going to Walk Out" episode, providing an in-depth look into each survivor’s harrowing experience and eventual triumph.

Transcript

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[Marissa Pinson]

I really love my life Hi I Survived listeners. I'm Marissa Pinson and if you're enjoying this show, I just want to remind you that episodes of I Survived as well as the A and E classic Podcast, Cold Case Files, City Confidential, and American justice are all available ad free on the new A and E Crime and Investigation channel on Apple Podcasts and Apple plus for just $4.99 a month or 39.99 a year. And now onto the show. This episode contains subject matter that may be disturbing to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

[Carrie]

When he got me to the closet, the thought crossed my mind that if I went in there, I was never gonna walk back out of there.

[Marissa Pinson]

Real people.

[Kevin]

When he saw how severe I was, his jaw dropped, his eyes bugged out. I knew I was in bad shape, who faced death.

[Joe]

He was talking to the dispatch, telling them that he was going to start shooting up the mall, that he was taking hostages. And the dispatch said, where? Where are you? He said, follow the screams and live.

[Carrie]

To tell how I felt like I had to fight the entire time. I was going to fight until I was out of there, he was gone, or I was dead.

[Marissa Pinson]

This is I survived. It's October 2004. Carrie and her husband live in Chico, California.

[Carrie]

My husband and I lived in the house with our four children. I would just get up and get the kids ready and fed and everybody out the door and then I would be home alone with my youngest son, who was three years old at the time. We finished eating our breakfast and we cleared the dishes from the sink and I turned on the TV for him so he could watch cartoons and I told him that I was gonna go in and take a shower and that the door was gonna be open for him if he needed to come get me.

[Marissa Pinson]

Carrie did not lock the front door while she showered.

[Carrie]

When I was done, I opened the shower door and I heard a noise. And that kind of got my attention. And it sounded like change rattling. And when I glanced up then as I was grabbing my towel, at the same time, I saw a reflection in the mirror across from the shower. I also had the distinct smell of cigarette smoke. And nobody in our house smokes. And I knew that what I saw in the mirror was not my husband because it was not the outfit that he wore that day. The thought went through my mind, this can't be real. And I just started praying that I could get out of there alive. I started thinking about my son. I didn't know if he was okay. And I thought to just keep drawing myself off and act like he wasn't there and maybe he was just trying to steal something and he would just go away. So I actually walked over to the bathroom door and. And I tried to push it closed, and he wouldn't let me push it closed. He just kept it propped open maybe about an inch or so. And he just kept watching through the crack in the door. And I just kept my body propped against it. And I did tell him, I said, take whatever you want and leave. Just go away. Just go.

[Marissa Pinson]

Carrie had a swimsuit and jeans hanging on the doorknob. She quickly got dressed.

[Carrie]

I wanted something on because I thought if he was there and he was gonna rape me, I wanted to make it as difficult for him as I possibly could. And once I got the swimsuit on, I actually decided to go ahead and try the jeans. So I did manage to get the jeans on too. While I was standing against the door.

[Marissa Pinson]

The intruder started pushing against the door.

[Carrie]

Just saying, God, get me out of here, you know, don't let him hurt me. Don't let him kill me. Don't let him hurt my son. Just make him go away. And finally, I didn't know what to do, so I decided I'd just scream for help and hope and pray that the neighbors were out in their backyard and would hear something. And so I just yelled at the top of my lungs. And at that point, he pushed the door open and he came at me with a knife and 6 to 8 inch steak knife in his left hand. I put my hand up to block the knife, and I actually grabbed hold of the blade just to try and prevent it from going into my neck. And I told him, I said, you will not kill me. And he managed to get a hold of Both of my wrists at the same time. And with both wrists, he pulled me into the master bedroom closet. And I just kept fighting. I kept trying to get away, trying to think through the whole scenario. I really wanted to get out of there, but I didn't want to go without my son. But when he got me to the closet, the thought crossed my mind that if I went in there, I was never gonna walk back out of there alive. And I managed to get one hand out of his grasp, and I braced it against the closet door. And he kept pulling me and pulling me, trying to get me in, but I was standing so that his shoulder. His right shoulder was to me. And so I just sunk my teeth into his shoulder right there. He still had the knife in his hand. And he pinned me down at knife point. And he stuck one knee on my chest and held me with one hand. And I had some shelves in the closet, and he set his knife on a shelf so that he'd have both hands free. And at that point, he started to take my pants off. And I just kept kicking and screaming and begging him not to kill me. Finally, I just thought, okay, maybe if I cooperate, he'll just do it, get it over with and leave. And so I said, fine, do whatever you want to do. Just don't kill me. And so I kind of relaxed at that point. And he managed. He had already managed to get my pants and bathing suit bottoms off. And I heard him unzip his pants. And then at that point, I thought, there's no way I want to go through this.

[Marissa Pinson]

Kerry was sexually assaulted by the intruder.

[Carrie]

He then choked me, and he grabbed hold of my throat, and he was trying to strangle me. And I was just like, God, please just get me out of here. Please let me be here for my kids. If I die, my son's gonna be the one that finds me here. I felt like I had to fight the entire time. I was gonna fight until I was out of there. He was gone, or I was dead. I had no idea what was going on with my son. I had no idea if this man had even hurt him before he came in to see me. And that was my worst fear.

[Marissa Pinson]

Kerry's attacker could not find his knife.

[Carrie]

He was standing up, and I thought that was a good chance to try and get out. So I got to my hands and knees and actually tried to crawl around his legs and get out the closet door, and he stopped me. He shoved my head into the floor. So I was kind of curled up in a ball and. And actually Stood with his foot on my back. And he just had me pinned there in that position while he was still looking for his knife. And at that point, I could hear my son trying to open my bedroom door. And he was crying, mommy, Mommy, Mommy. And I just. I called out to him and I said, you know, mommy's here, Mommy's okay. He. He had been beating me. He punched me in the face a few times. He did try and grab me. He pulled my head back and he tried to, like, twist my neck, like he was trying to break my neck. And there were picture frames on the floor in the closet and they had broken while I was fighting him. And he couldn't find his knife. So he broke off a 6 inch shard of glass from a picture frame. And then he again pulled my head back by my hair and proceeded to use the glass and just started stabbing at my neck and slicing at my neck. And he tried slicing at my wrists. And I had heard a story one time about a girl who had been raped. And she started telling the guy that was raping her that Jesus loved him and would forgive him. And he quit and he left her. And I thought, okay, I'll try it. And so I started telling the man, I said, jesus loves you and he'll forgive you. Even if you kill me, he'll forgive you. And he got more angry, and I just got stronger. At that point I thought, okay, God, I can do this. I saw his eyes at one point when he pulled my head back. I could just look into his eyes. And it was like there was so much anger and hatred that someone could even talk about love like that, that he just wanted to destroy it.

[Marissa Pinson]

Kerry was dragged back into the bathroom.

[Carrie]

So he threw me on the floor. He punched me in the face, he kicked me. He actually stomped on my forehead with the bottom of his boot like he was trying to crush my skull. And I just laid there for a second and he left. And I looked at the window over our bathtub and I thought, I could go out now, but my little boy is still in the house. So I got up and I ran to the bedroom door. I had no idea where the guy was. I didn't know if he'd left her where he went. And when I got to the bedroom door, I was trying to unlock it, and he jumped out of the closet again. He punched me in the face again. And at that point I looked at him and I said, yeah, and God will forgive you for that one, too. And he finally just punched me so hard it knocked me Down. And he left again. And I went, I can't. I can't fight him and get my son and myself out of here alive. And I also thought, I've seen his face and I could identify him, and there's no way he's gonna let me get out of here alive. I figured at that point that he was going to look for the knife again and that he was just gonna finish the job. And I knew I was just so tired from fighting physically that if I stayed, I wasn't going to be able to help my son at all. And I thought, if I get out, then there's a possibility that I could get help for both of us. And it was a very, very difficult decision to make, one I wish I never would have had to have made. And at that point, I just went, okay, God, you gotta take care of my son, because I can't do it. I physically cannot take care of him. I went over and I climbed into the tub. I had opened the window, and I pushed the screen door out with everything I had. And I was just exhausted. I was physically exhausted. I had lost quite a bit of blood. I was covered in blood. I felt like a rag doll when I just flopped out of the window. I felt like I had very little control at that point. And I landed on my head about four feet down, and I heard a popping sound in my back and felt some pain. That's when everything just started to hurt. And I just wanted to go to sleep, but my back, I felt like I was laying on a giant rock right between my shoulder blades.

[Marissa Pinson]

Carrie had fractured her spine in the fall and was in danger of bleeding to death.

[Carrie]

And I got to my feet and just got out to the street as fast as I could. And I just remembered taking first aid CPR classes where they say, don't yell for help, yell fire, because it gets more attention. So I just started running towards the street yelling, fire, fire, fire. And I looked to my left, and there was a car with its headlights on just parked on the side of the road. And I just kept looking at the person. And then I realized that it was a woman. I ended up crossing the street, and I stood right in front of her car, and I said, please help. And she didn't roll down the windows, she didn't open the door. She didn't do anything. But she did call 911. And when she honked the horn, the four people that were in the house that she was parked in front of came out. And I do remember one of the men just Looking at me and saying, oh, my God. And I said, please help me. This guy broke into my house. He tried to kill me. He raped me, and my baby boy is still in there. The guy had left the house, had run right in front of my son watching tv. And when he left, the door was standing wide open. And my son walked through the house looking for me and found the blood in the closet and all over the bathroom. And he went to the front door then and he put his tennis shoes on. And the two men actually went over and they found my son stomping in mud puddles in the driveway. One of the ladies walked over. You know, one was taking care of me. And pretty soon one is standing over me and she has my son. And she goes, is this your little boy? And I was like, yeah. And I said, hey, Dakota, Mommy's okay. We're gonna be okay. My hair was red from the blood. I mean, I'm sure he didn't recognize me, but the voice was the same. I had multiple lacerations to my hands, feet, legs just from the broken glass. In the struggle, there were 11 stab wounds to the neck and chest. I had a giant footprint or, well, a large bruise on my back from him stomping on my back. And then when he stomped on my forehead, I had a bruise of the imprint of his boot tread.

[Marissa Pinson]

After a massive police manhunt, Richard Massey was found hiding in a drainpipe. He was identified by the bite mark on his right shoulder and received two consecutive life sentences.

[Carrie]

He was actually living two lots over from where we were. And I didn't realize it, but the police believed that he had been stalking me. I survived because of I wouldn't quit fighting. I survived because I wasn't ready to leave my kids. And I survived because God spared my life.

[Marissa Pinson]

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[Carrie]

Treat.

[Marissa Pinson]

It's November 2005. In Tacoma, Washington, Catherine manages a music store in a suburban mall.

[Catherine]

That was a Sunday. Sundays are usually fairly busy. A lot of families, a lot of kids. Santa was in the mall, so they were doing photographs with Santa. About 11:30 or noon, there were probably 25 to 30 people shopping in my store. I was up on a ladder in our front window hanging Christmas balls from the ceiling. Joe was at the register doing transactions.

[Marissa Pinson]

Joe is an Iraq war veteran ringing.

[Joe]

Up customers at the cash register. On that Sunday, I heard what sounded like to be fireworks. That was down in the hallway of the mall in the corridor. And they got louder, they got clearer.

[Catherine]

And I looked in that Direction, I couldn't see anything because it just kind of was an unreal situation. Customers started to run, and at that point, I just kind of froze up.

[Joe]

On the ladder and took me a couple seconds to process that it was two different guns. Through my experience in Iraq, I recognized automatic gunfire.

[Catherine]

I stood there just looking until I think I finally heard Joe say, cat, get down. And I got down off the ladder and behind the counter with him.

[Joe]

There was a lot of yelling and running. Everybody was running out the back of our store. As they ran out the back of our store to. To the outside, the gunman came into our store and was shooting up the walls, the ceilings, shooting up the cash registers.

[Catherine]

The gunman, he was, I'd say, early 20s. He was dressed very well. It actually looked like he'd just come from Sunday church. He had black slacks on, a dress shirt, a tie. And here he is holding two rifles, ammo.

[Joe]

I was thinking, I can't believe I just got back from Iraq and now I'm experiencing this all over again. It was a little difficult not having my own weapon to fight back with. So I felt very helpless. The shooter says, get up, Move to the back of the store. At that point, I'm thinking, I think we're going to be held hostage. And so he moves us to the back of the store, where he then gives us orders and tells us, I want you to barricade everything up to the front of the store. I want to make sure nobody can get back here. I don't want anybody to see us back here. I was scared. More scared than I was in the year in Iraq, mainly because he was following us around, and it seemed like if we didn't do exactly what he wanted and to his pleasing, that he'd shoot more people. I knew he heard or shot people out in the hallway. I could see him laying out in the hallway. I was just staring at John, at the customer that was laying down next to me. And he was looking right at me. And he had these wide eyes, these scared, wide eyes.

[Marissa Pinson]

Catherine was ordered to lock all doors and the entrance gate.

[Catherine]

He told me that if I wasn't back in 30 seconds, that he would shoot Joe and John in the back of the head.

[Joe]

And he actually put his foot on my back and put the gun up to the back of my head and said, I will kill you. I'm not afraid. I've already shot people. I'm not scared. And counted down from three. The only thing that's going through my head right now with his foot on my Back and a gun to the back of my head is my family thinking I wasn't gonna get a chance to say goodbye. The next day was my wife's birthday. Christmas was coming up. All this after Iraq and the military, and this is where it ends.

[Catherine]

When the gunman had told me to go up and lock the gates, and I had 30 seconds to be back, he did have the gun pointed at Joe. And that was something that worried me because I was like, this is taking too long. This is taking way too long. How much time do I really have? And how serious is he?

[Joe]

He said, 3, 2, 1. You're lucky she's doing the right thing. I'll let you live. He then sat us down, sat us up, put us in a little circle in front of him so he could see all of us.

[Catherine]

The gunman told us that he was there that day because he wanted everybody to feel his pain, know his anger. He wanted to be heard.

[Joe]

He wanted to tell a story of when he was a child and he went to a summer camp that was sponsored by the police where he felt like he was neglected. They were calling him names, they were cursing at him, they made him cry and. And wouldn't let him call his family. He wanted to confront the police that were sponsoring that summer camp so we could tell them how they changed his life. And eventually he told us that today I'm going to die by a cop shooting me. He always kept the guns pointed at us. He just had them in his lap, one arm for each gun pointed at us at all times. That was probably the scary thing, is that he almost didn't show any emotion of what he had done. I couldn't read of what he was going to do because he was just.

[Catherine]

He tells them, I've come into the mall, I've had my weapons, I've shot it up. I may have killed somebody, and I have hostages. I've snapped, I've lost it.

[Joe]

And the dispatch said, where? Where are you? I said, follow the screams.

[Catherine]

He's getting more angry by the way it's being handled, and more agitated. He had gotten a hold of a negotiator finally and had asked that they bring those two officers down so he could talk to them.

[Marissa Pinson]

Negotiators attempted to contact the police officers.

[Joe]

In question after he called the 911 dispatch. He was talking to an old girlfriend. Seemed like he cared for her, and he was yelling at her, saying, I tried to commit suicide three times this year. What did you think? There's something wrong with me? He said, I shot Some people, I took some hostages. I'm gonna die today. I just wanted to call and say I love you and goodbye. I couldn't help but think that he was saying goodbye for us. All of a sudden, the electricity turns off and all the lights shut off, and my heart just jumps. I half expected SWAT or the police to come jump in at that time.

[Catherine]

It was very frightening because immediately, immediately he escalated kind of back into when he first came into the store. And in a way, you could sense fear in him. But at the same time, he still had his hands on those guns.

[Joe]

The gunman told John to sit up on a stool and keep watch on the front of the store, to look for policemen, to look for any kind of movement. John pointed to a bunch of boxes and said, I see some movement behind those boxes there. It's about 15ft away.

[Marissa Pinson]

There was another customer hiding in the store.

[Joe]

While we were moving the CD racks and barricading the front of the store, there was a little boy, seemed maybe about 12 years old, that was grasping the very bottom of the rack. The kid was very frightened, very scared. He was crying, and he was asking me for help, saying, help me. Don't let him hurt me. And so I had to whisper to him, and I said, don't move. Be quiet. Don't talk. And I buried him with some boxes in the corner.

[Marissa Pinson]

The gunman was unaware that the boy had been in the store the entire time.

[Joe]

So the gunman stood up, walked over to the boxes, moved a couple of them and said, hey, why don't you come on out? I didn't know how he was going to react to it. I didn't know if he was going to be angry, if he was going to be upset, if he was going to explode, if he was going to shoot the kid. I had no reason to think that he wouldn't shoot us. And he said, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. Settle down. Why don't you come over here, sit down and join them. Just go over there and sit down. So the kid walked over with his head down and he was crying. He was very upset. And I tried to make eye contact with him, to look at him, and to try to make him feel like it was gonna be okay, to try to try to settle him down.

[Marissa Pinson]

The gunman had shot and injured seven people. Six had been evacuated. The remaining victim was still in the mall in critical condition.

[Catherine]

Gutman, at this point, is on the phone with a negotiator who is requesting that they be allowed to bring in medics. To get the victim that was shot. And at first he said, absolutely not. He didn't want anybody coming in. Probably after about five minutes or so, he decides that it would be okay if two medics came in, removed him as fast as they could. If that went well, then he would release the boy.

[Marissa Pinson]

The hostages were allowed to call family members on their cell phones.

[Joe]

I kept calling my wife two, three, four times. I had to leave a message for her. And I said, amber, this is me. There's been a shooting in the mall. I'm being held hostage. I love you.

[Catherine]

When I was talking to my parents, it was just trying to explain the situation the best I could without saying anything that might anger him. When I was listening to Joe and John both call their families and tell them they were goodbye calls. And that was hard.

[Joe]

I didn't know what was going to happen in the next minute, in the next hour. I just wanted to say that, you know, I loved her. I was very frustrated. Deep inside, my heart hurt that I couldn't get a hold of her. Right now he's sitting down. He's still got the guns trained on us. And he starts to realize that he shot seven people outside. He knew the amount of people that he shot, Plus a negotiator told him so taking all that in, plus he's taken hostages. And he starts to cry. He's shaking, being very emotional.

[Marissa Pinson]

Paramedics successfully evacuated the remaining victim. The gunman decided to release the boy.

[Joe]

When he decided to let the boy go, he got real close to him, looked him in the eye, and he said, I was traumatized when I was 12. I want you to walk away from this and live a normal life. I don't want you to be traumatized by what happened today. Walk out of here, feel good, and just know that everything's okay.

[Catherine]

He told him that he would be releasing him, that I would walk him up to the front and let him out.

[Joe]

He told her to let the boy go, unlock the gate, and then come right back. Otherwise, you know, he was still gonna shoot us. I was worried that she would just take the opportunity and keep herself safe and run out of the gate. That did cross my mind, and it kept. It scared me to think that if it was me, would I just run and just worry about myself and take my chances, or would I come back and. And face the gunman again?

[Catherine]

I did not think of running. I couldn't do it. It was my store. It was my employee and one of my customers. I felt like they were my responsibility.

[Joe]

For Katherine to Go up to the front gate and have a way out. But to come back to us and continue being held hostage, I think that was very courageous of her.

[Marissa Pinson]

The gunman demanded to confront the police who traumatized him as a child.

[Joe]

The negotiator had contacted the gunman and told them that the police officers that he was looking for don't work there anymore, doesn't have a way to find them. After he found out that he wasn't gonna get what he wanted out of his demands, his demeanor changed drastically. And the gunman asked him, how many people did I shoot? Did I kill anybody? And the gunman seemed very somber from the answer that he received.

[Marissa Pinson]

The gunman had wounded seven people outside, one critically.

[Joe]

He started to cry at that point and he said, do you think I'll get the death penalty? And I said, you shot seven people, you might have killed somebody. That's what they gave out the death penalty for. I told him to give his guns to me. So we took them off his shoulder. I unloaded them and took them apart so they couldn't be used again. And I moved him to the other side of the store so that we were safe, that this was it, that he doesn't have any more power.

[Marissa Pinson]

The gunman surrendered. He was intercepted by a SWAT team and arrested.

[Catherine]

I see 50 plus SWAT out there with their rifles pointed all at me. And for a second I am just absolutely terrified because I'm running out saying, save me, help me, you know, get me out of this.

[Joe]

It almost brought tears to my eyes to know that I was gonna see my family, my wife would be outside, that I'm gonna survive this. My wife ran up to me, gave me a big hug, and it was. I broke down crying. It was just an overwhelming experience to be in the arms of the one I love again. After surviving all of that, 20 year.

[Marissa Pinson]

Old Dominic Maldonado was sentenced to 163 years in prison. Joe and Catherine are friends to this day.

[Catherine]

I survived because I am strong. I handled the situation calmly. I didn't run away.

[Marissa Pinson]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Hey, I survived. Listeners, whether you love true crime or comedies, celebrity interviews, news, or even motivational speakers, you call the shots on what's in your podcast queue, right? And guess what? Now you can call the shots on your auto insurance too. Enter the name your price tool from Progressive. The name your price tool puts you in charge of your auto insurance. By working just the way it sounds, you tell Progressive how much you want to pay for car insurance. Then they'll show you a variety of coverages that fit within your budget, giving you options. Now that's something you'll want to press. Play on. It's easy to start a quote and you'll be able to choose the best option for you fast. It's just one of the many ways you can save with Progressive Insurance quote [e-mail] to try the name your price tool for yourself and Join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law from.

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[Carrie]

Treat.

[Marissa Pinson]

It's January 2004 in Clarksville, Georgia. Kevin and his wife Sharon lived near a derelict cemetery.

[Kevin]

The cemetery is an old slave yard, Civil War cemetery, and it has not been taken care of the last several years. And I found it very interesting and I decided to start cleaning it up myself.

[Sharon]

The cemetery is about 300 yards away from the house, but you can't see it from the house. It's in the woods where it's covered over.

[Kevin]

I noticed some large oak trees that were starting to lean in a direction to where it could do some damage to the headstones. So I knew they had to come down. I was already in my vehicle and I realized I didn't have my knife in my pocket. And being in the woods just about my whole life, you just never go in the woods without a knife. And I came back into the home to get my knife. The tree was about 18 inches around. It was a good sized oak tree, probably about 70ft high.

[Marissa Pinson]

Kevin attached two ropes to the tree to direct its fall when he cut it down. The ropes had 4 inch solid steel tow hooks attached to them.

[Kevin]

The tree that I was removing, the main guideline, was tied to that tree about 30ft in the air. I ran the rope through the Y of a tree, anchored it to my truck. I then got in my truck and pulled as much tension as I could on that rope. To redirect the fall of that tree, I used a secondary rope. I attached it to the Main guideline. Ran that through the Y of a tree, wrapped it about four times and hooked it on itself. The secondary rope was mainly just to hold the tension on the main guideline. The hardest part was the rigging of these ropes. After that was set, everything was right. I cut the tree down. It fell perfectly, no problem. The job was over and done with. That's when I walked over to disconnect my ropes.

[Marissa Pinson]

The second rope was still tied around a neighboring oak tree. Unknown to Kevin, it was caught up on a large branch, causing tension.

[Kevin]

The secondary rope that had been wrapped around one side of the wire of the tree. As I had disconnected it and turned to walk away, not realizing there was still a lot of tension on the main guideline, it started to whip around the tree, but I was already turning, never saw it. And the last loop, it came way out from the tree, shattered, hit me in the wrist, shattering my watch, leaving a large bruise on my chest, and then implanting itself in my neck. At that time, it yanked me right up against the tree. This is when I realized I was in serious trouble. I started pulling on the rope. I couldn't move it.

[Marissa Pinson]

The hook lodged dangerously close to Kevin's jugular vein.

[Kevin]

I heard gurgling. I was starting to run short on air, and I was becoming desperate. The first thing that crossed my mind was who was going to take care of Sharon, my wife that had been very ill for the last several years. I didn't know what was happening. None of this made sense. It was a beautiful day. Everything was going so well, and now I am here, fighting for my life. After the rope, the hook went into my neck and pulled me up against a tree. I was pinned. I was starting to run short on air. I was getting frustrated, mad, and scared at the same time. After tugging on the rope itself and not being able to move, I called three times for anybody. Hopefully somebody would hear me.

[Sharon]

It had been about 45 minutes or so after he had gone into the woods. I'm sitting on the couch, and my dog Dusty, was outside. And she let out a weird type of howl. Now she howls at ambulances. That sound sounds like a wolf. But this was something I had never heard before, and she had done it twice. I went outside and I asked her, I said, what's going on, girl? And I listened, and I didn't hear anything. So I just went back in the house. And that's unbeknownst to me, that's when he had been calling out.

[Kevin]

And the only thing I could possibly do was grab that Rope with both hands and rip it the rest of the way out of my neck.

[Marissa Pinson]

If Kevin's jugular vein ruptured, he would bleed to death within a minute.

[Kevin]

As I grabbed that rope, I will never forget, I had a light appear before my face. And it started off just like a star and slowly covered my whole face. Very calm, soothing voice said, kevin, reach for your knife. At that time, everything was under control. My breathing, I was calm. I reached for my knife. About four cuts on this one inch rope released. It shot forward 50ft. I sat down alongside the tree, starting to check how bad the damage was. And no matter where I stuck my hand, it went into my neck.

[Sharon]

Right after I walked back in the house and went to sit on the couch, the phone rang. It was Kevin. He goes call an ambulance.

[Kevin]

I decided to call 911 myself to make sure she got through. The operator answered the phone. I started to explain to her what took place. She didn't understand what was happening. When I said there was a hook lodged in my neck, that I'm back in a cemetery cutting a tree down. For some reason she was thinking a fish hook. And then she asked me to explain again what took place. I said, a large 4 inch tow hook. That's when she called her supervisor over. She wanted me to continue speaking to her so she can evaluate my condition. The frame of mind I was in at that time. And I knew the condition was severe. I needed to hear her voice because I didn't believe I was going to hear my wife Sharon or anybody else that day. I thought I was finished. I wasn't moving at that time. I was afraid to even look down. I had my neck clamped, or at least I thought I had it clamped. I was in a state of confusion because I didn't think I was going to make it out of there that day. And I was tempted to hang up with her and call my wife.

[Sharon]

I wanted to go to him, but I knew not everybody could find the cemetery. So I'm torn. I'm not real sure what to do. So I just stood there waiting for the ambulance to arrive. And it was a good thing I did because the first vehicle passed me and I'm waving my arms, screaming no. And pointing. And the second one spotted. And that's when they went across the fields towards him.

[Kevin]

I could hear the sirens. I could hear them getting closer. I could hear them coming into the field. And then I could hear voices. And I yelled, I'm back here. I told the operator, they're close. I could hear her telling Them the same thing. And finally when one of them appeared in my sight, I said, they're here. Thank you. And she says, thank you and goodbye. Other people started to arrive, evaluate my condition, checking all my vitals. Same time, I was still waiting for my wife to show up. Where is she at? I know she was concerned. Finally, she showed up.

[Sharon]

I had to compose myself because his head was tilted back and it looked very bad.

[Kevin]

I just looked at her. I said, honey, how bad is it? She goes, you did one heck of a good job.

[Sharon]

He was white. You could see the color was out of his face. There was very little blood. But with his head tilted back, I could see all the way into his neck, and it did not look good.

[Marissa Pinson]

A paramedic assessed Kevin's condition.

[Kevin]

He pulled my hand off my neck, and I was watching his eyes. When he saw what kind of condition I was in and how severe I was, his jaw dropped. His eyes bugged out. I knew I was in bad shape. They immobilized the hook. They taped it to my chest because they knew it was too close to any serious blood vessels that could have already been damaged. And if one of them ruptured, there wasn't anything they could do. When I asked to see my wife before they loaded me up, she said, I will see you in a little while, and gave me a hug and a kiss.

[Marissa Pinson]

It took 20 minutes to delicately load Kevin into an ambulance. He was airlifted to Atlanta for emergency surgery.

[Kevin]

When they were working on me, I said, does anybody have a mirror so I can see what I did? I could see everybody starting to look at each other. It's like, do we or don't we? Then they brought a large mirror over. I'm glad they did. But when I really saw how bad this was, it shook me up. And she said to me, she goes, I can do one better than that. I just got a brand new digital camera for Christmas. I said, oh, would you please? And she sent them to my email. I think it was a little bit of time, probably within a half hour, 40 minutes, before Sharon came up to my side.

[Sharon]

And that's when he broke down crying because it was over.

[Marissa Pinson]

During surgery, Kevin received 200 internal stitches and 20 staples. He returned to work a few weeks later.

[Kevin]

I survived because I know that day I was not there alone. Whatever it was that I saw that told me to reach for my knife is probably what saved my life.

[Marissa Pinson]

Pluto TV is a place for movie.

[Joe]

Fans like me and TV fans like me.

[Marissa Pinson]

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[Joe]

I love free.

[Marissa Pinson]

And I love Jersey Shore. For me, it's the Godfather.

[Joe]

SpongeBob SquarePants. I am Patrick. Patrick is me.

[Marissa Pinson]

Oh, Forrest Gump. Come on, Criminal minds solving crime after bedtime. Whatever you love to watch. Pluto TV makes it easy with thousands of free movies and shows. Pluto TV Stream now pay never.

[Advertiser]

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[Joe]

The San Francisco treat.