"We're All Insane" with Devorah Roloff

Episode: Abducted, Drugged, and Left For Dead

Date: February 15, 2026
Guest: Teresa (aka Cooper)

Episode Overview

In this deeply powerful and unfiltered episode, Teresa shares her harrowing experience of being abducted, drugged, brutally assaulted, and left for dead in 1999. She recounts not just the crime itself, but the 25-year journey through PTSD, navigating the justice system, and the lifelong aftermath for survivors of sexual violence. Teresa’s story is one of survival, loss, re-traumatization, and ultimately, activism for systemic change. This episode is a testament to the enduring impact of trauma, the failures and limitations of the justice system, and the importance of using one’s voice for change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background and Setting the Scene

• Teresa grew up in a small Texas town, then moved to Austin for work.
• At 21, she was a young single mother, working her first big job and attending a work-sponsored event.
• Her family was supportive and progressive (“the most woke boomers”), shaped by having a sister with Down syndrome and a military dad (00:33).

2. The Night of the Assault

• Teresa attended a work event and was given a “special” shot by a male coworker, who made sure it was just for her (07:45).
• She quickly felt the effects, describing feeling drugged, panic and confusion:

  “Within, you know, five, 10 minutes, I could tell something was wrong… the room was spinning… I was immediately anxious.” (Teresa, 08:00)

• She was escorted from the bar by her supervisor and the man, who claimed she was just drunk.
• No one at the crowded tavern intervened as she was carried out (09:38).
• She was brought to the supervisor’s apartment, subjected to hours of sexual assault and physical violence while heavily drugged, experiencing both memory gaps and vivid flashes (12:00-18:00).
• Teresa describes how the worn-out belt she wore that night ultimately broke during her attempted strangulation—a factor she credits with saving her life (18:15).

3. The Aftermath and Survival

• Playing dead and dissociating was her only chance at survival during the attack. When her attacker left, thinking she was dead, a roommate unexpectedly returned and found her (21:59).
• The roommate (Mars) helped get her dressed, took her to her father, and Teresa entered the world of hospitals, evidence kits, and police questioning (29:36).
• In the emergency room, Teresa was subjected to repeated recounting of her trauma, invasive evidence collection, and insensitivity from some professionals:

  “There was another violation... you have to just stand on a white sheet... having to get naked yet again in front of total strangers.” (40:00)
  “The nurse saying ‘Wow, he really messed you up’ while looking at me.” (43:42)

• The criminal investigation process was filled with gaslighting, self-doubt, and re-traumatization; detectives suggested perhaps the Black roommate who found her was the assailant, despite Teresa’s clarity:

  “How do you know it wasn’t him?” (Detective, 46:09)
  “All I needed to hear was ‘I believe you’ — that was enough to keep pushing.” (Teresa, 48:05)

• Only after months and DNA confirmation was the perpetrator arrested—in front of coworkers at the company cafeteria (86:00).

4. Justice System Failures and Re-Traumatization

• The actual attacker received 15 years’ probation (no prison) and was placed on the sex offender registry.

  “He drugged me, abducted me, raped me for hours... This man got probation. 15 years probation.” (Teresa, 107:26)

• The rationale? Authorities said, "We’re giving him enough rope to hang himself. He’s not going to be law-abiding for 15 years." (DA, 108:22)
• The supervisor who enabled the abduction and initially helped carry her out received zero consequences (74:22).
• Teresa’s workplace punished her further by demoting her to a less desirable shift and ignoring threats she received (74:40).
• The assailant later violated his probation by stalking Teresa and getting a DWI, resulting in imprisonment (114:54).
• She emphasizes the ongoing burden: switching cities, living with permanent medical consequences (colostomy bag), and family trauma.

5. Long-Term PTSD and Recovery Journey

• Teresa recounts the physical and psychological aftermath:
  • Years of therapy, self-blame, disrupted relationships and career plans
  • “There is a life before and a life after… and I was never the same person.”
• The importance and rarity of ongoing support and believed survivors; many friends and acquaintances simply “moved on,” leaving her to process alone (129:53).
• Physical triggers lingered: coughing tics, inability to swim, panic at certain sounds.
• Intensive therapy, years later, became transformative—learning meditation and finally feeling empowered to use her voice (144:04).

6. Systemic Reform and Advocacy

• Teresa fought for and secured policy changes at her company: mandatory annual sexual harassment training and recurring background checks (154:17).
• She has become an activist for legislative changes:
  • Mandatory minimum sentences for sex offenders (no more plea bargains for violent sexual assaults).
  • Automatic lifetime protective orders for victims of high-risk offenders.
  • Real compliance and notification for sex offender registries; many agencies never verify addresses, leaving communities and victims at risk (163:30).
  • Advocating at both the state (Texas) and federal levels.
• She advises all survivors and families to demand (not just request) lifetime protective orders and legislative accountability.

7. Cultural Silence and the Power of Speaking Up

• Teresa and Devorah discuss how rape and sexual violence are censored and euphemized on social platforms—even educational or advocacy posts get flagged or not shown (172:12).

• “As a rape victim, when I hear someone call it ‘grape’ on social media... My trauma is now a fruit. Beautiful.” (Teresa, 173:09)

• The conversation closes with the critical importance of using your voice—for yourself and for others.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the ongoing burden of trauma:

  “The silence is deafening and it only adds to your pain.” (Teresa, 54:58)

• On survivor guilt and justice system failures:

  “I also harbored the guilt of not being... good enough for this man to go to prison, feeling the terror of ‘my story wasn’t good enough.’” (Teresa, 109:09)

• On victim-blaming and self-doubt:

  “Why was I smiling in that picture? How dare I? Was I smiling when I had just been through literal hell?”
  (67:22)

• On the failure of law enforcement:

  “So wait a second. We're believing a rapist?”
  (Devorah, 144:02)

• Empowerment and the need for advocacy:

  “I did have to learn that my voice can be powerful… We have a responsibility to not only ourselves, but to other people to create a better world.” (Teresa, 164:59)

• On the silence around sexual violence:

  “Our voices… even on social media… are taken away. You can’t use the word rape. You can’t use the word… They will push it down.” (Teresa, 172:12)

• On the true impact of words/triggers:

  “A word does not trigger us. It’s the heaviness of a story, it’s our own brains, it’s the sounds… that take us back.” (Teresa, 173:59)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |----------------|---------| | 00:33 - 07:45 | Teresa’s early life, background, and lead-up to event | | 09:17 - 18:15 | The night of the attack, being drugged and abducted | | 18:15 - 26:12 | Assault details, survival, and immediate aftermath | | 29:36 - 44:28 | ER and police process: repeated violations, insensitive comments | | 46:09 - 54:00 | Justice system gaslighting and homecoming | | 62:39 - 67:00 | Toxic relationship aftermath, challenges with medical diagnosis | | 72:22 - 80:40 | Company and system’s failure, background on the perpetrator | | 86:00 - 109:09 | DNA, arrest, plea deal, and the emotional burden of “not enough justice” | | 114:54 - 132:47 | Sister’s death, parole violation, PTSD, and the lifelong impact | | 144:02 - 154:15 | Systemic failure of Sex Offender Registry and advocacy journey | | 154:17 - 164:59 | Lawsuit against company, policy changes, advocacy for reform | | 169:32 - 175:44 | Final thoughts on empowerment, advocacy, and breaking the silence |

Takeaways and Resources

• You are not alone: Even the most supportive survivors felt isolated at times; speaking and finding community is healing.
• Demand protection: Survivors can and should demand lifetime protective orders and insist on their legal rights.
• Systemic reform is possible: Individual activism can lead to real changes in workplace and legal policy.
• Power in voice: Even silenced voices can become sources of massive change.

Links and Resources

(Teresa encourages listeners to reach out for resources, support, or legal advice, and to check episode notes for advocacy links and contact information.)

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, resources are available. Your voice matters—and, as Teresa’s story shows, your advocacy can make a difference for countless others.