1 00:00:02,335 --> 00:00:04,571 [tense music plays] 2 00:00:06,706 --> 00:00:07,807 [Domeneka] On my way here, I felt nervous. 3 00:00:09,275 --> 00:00:12,012 One of the things that makes me not want to speak out 4 00:00:12,112 --> 00:00:13,613 is judgment. 5 00:00:13,713 --> 00:00:18,985 And that comes from me being young and dumb. 6 00:00:20,186 --> 00:00:22,188 I have a daughter that's the age that I was 7 00:00:22,288 --> 00:00:23,990 when I met Michael. 8 00:00:24,090 --> 00:00:26,259 And I think about her and other young girls 9 00:00:26,359 --> 00:00:29,963 that just want to be loved and don't notice the signs. 10 00:00:31,464 --> 00:00:33,566 You think it's love, and it's not. 11 00:00:33,666 --> 00:00:35,201 And sometimes it's hard to recognize that. 12 00:00:41,941 --> 00:00:43,643 The hardest part about reliving my story 13 00:00:45,278 --> 00:00:48,648 is just thinking about her, thinking about Stephanie. 14 00:00:48,748 --> 00:00:50,650 I feel like... 15 00:00:50,750 --> 00:00:51,918 you'll never know a person, no matter how long 16 00:00:52,018 --> 00:00:53,086 you're with them. 17 00:00:53,186 --> 00:00:55,522 And to know that I was just laying and sleeping 18 00:00:55,622 --> 00:00:58,792 next to just an evil man, and I look back 19 00:00:58,892 --> 00:01:01,227 and it just blows my mind. 20 00:01:03,763 --> 00:01:07,100 Who was the man that I was sleeping next to at night? 21 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:08,601 Like, I did not know him at all. 22 00:01:08,701 --> 00:01:10,470 I wouldn't even thought that he would be capable 23 00:01:10,570 --> 00:01:11,604 of any of these things. 24 00:01:13,073 --> 00:01:15,842 I feel like Michael was just pure evil. 25 00:01:15,942 --> 00:01:18,211 He hid it for a long time. 26 00:01:22,515 --> 00:01:24,884 [The Paper Chase's "What's So Amazing About Grace?" plays] 27 00:01:24,984 --> 00:01:28,188 [strings continue playing sinister tune] 28 00:01:28,288 --> 00:01:30,223 [static crackling] 29 00:01:30,323 --> 00:01:33,460 [strings continue playing sinister tune] 30 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:37,263 -[knock at door] -[creaking] 31 00:01:40,066 --> 00:01:42,602 -[banging on door] -[creaking] 32 00:01:45,371 --> 00:01:46,773 [water dripping] 33 00:01:48,274 --> 00:01:50,643 -[banging on door] -[creaking] 34 00:01:50,743 --> 00:01:51,811 [sinister chord strikes] 35 00:01:57,584 --> 00:01:59,985 [dramatic music plays] 36 00:02:09,128 --> 00:02:10,430 When I look at him... 37 00:02:13,333 --> 00:02:15,568 I just feel, 38 00:02:15,668 --> 00:02:16,636 I feel angry. 39 00:02:19,172 --> 00:02:22,675 I feel like he's evil. 40 00:02:23,910 --> 00:02:25,011 I feel like he's a coward. 41 00:02:26,846 --> 00:02:28,982 I don't want to look at him. 42 00:02:32,152 --> 00:02:33,253 I have a lot of, 43 00:02:34,888 --> 00:02:38,625 I don't like the word hate, but there's a lot of hatred 44 00:02:40,260 --> 00:02:41,427 for him. 45 00:02:42,795 --> 00:02:48,567 And it just makes me upset looking at this person that 46 00:02:48,668 --> 00:02:52,204 that is just so evil and that manipulated me so bad 47 00:02:52,305 --> 00:02:53,740 and took advantage 48 00:02:55,275 --> 00:02:56,242 of me, 49 00:02:57,610 --> 00:02:59,679 who I was, my heart. 50 00:03:02,916 --> 00:03:05,118 I do not like this man. 51 00:03:26,272 --> 00:03:28,541 [intriguing music plays] 52 00:03:28,641 --> 00:03:30,343 I have four sisters. I'm the oldest out of five. 53 00:03:31,477 --> 00:03:32,946 I felt like my mother didn't love me. 54 00:03:34,314 --> 00:03:36,382 My father was never there. 55 00:03:37,750 --> 00:03:42,055 It was a lot of chaos growing up in my mother's home. 56 00:03:43,555 --> 00:03:45,058 So, um, 57 00:03:45,158 --> 00:03:47,660 I mean, that played a big part in my life. 58 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:49,762 And still today, it does. 59 00:03:51,631 --> 00:03:54,434 At the time I met Michael, I was 17 60 00:03:54,534 --> 00:03:56,469 and he was six years older than me. 61 00:03:56,569 --> 00:04:00,073 The day that I met Michael, I was walking to the bus stop 62 00:04:00,173 --> 00:04:02,642 'cause I was on my way to work. 63 00:04:02,742 --> 00:04:05,245 And me and him got to talking and chatting. 64 00:04:05,345 --> 00:04:09,082 He was charming, nice, funny. 65 00:04:10,416 --> 00:04:12,552 And we just connected. 66 00:04:12,652 --> 00:04:14,721 He told me a lot about his childhood. 67 00:04:14,821 --> 00:04:16,656 I told him a lot about my childhood. 68 00:04:18,024 --> 00:04:20,026 I just felt like, you know, we just kind of, 69 00:04:20,125 --> 00:04:23,329 in a way trauma bonded where we were just connected 70 00:04:23,429 --> 00:04:24,697 with just our past. 71 00:04:27,166 --> 00:04:29,202 That love that I was yearning for. 72 00:04:31,704 --> 00:04:33,573 I got it from him. 73 00:04:33,673 --> 00:04:34,874 I was happy with Michael. 74 00:04:34,974 --> 00:04:38,144 We did plan on having a family and just being together, 75 00:04:38,244 --> 00:04:40,013 you know, get married, have kids, 76 00:04:40,113 --> 00:04:41,648 just be with that one person. 77 00:04:41,748 --> 00:04:43,483 And it was kind of just like us against the world. 78 00:04:49,188 --> 00:04:50,790 [tense music plays] 79 00:04:50,890 --> 00:04:54,527 Looking back on it now, he knew how to manipulate me. 80 00:04:54,627 --> 00:04:59,699 And he knew how to just play on my mental and my heart, 81 00:04:59,799 --> 00:05:01,701 and that's what he took advantage of. 82 00:05:01,801 --> 00:05:04,937 But back then, I just felt like, "Oh, my God, 83 00:05:05,038 --> 00:05:06,039 this man loves me to death." 84 00:05:07,473 --> 00:05:10,810 And then that's what made me so blind to everything. 85 00:05:16,949 --> 00:05:18,618 [ominous music plays] 86 00:05:18,718 --> 00:05:21,054 When I found out I was pregnant, we were both excited. 87 00:05:22,488 --> 00:05:24,891 I felt in that moment, 88 00:05:24,991 --> 00:05:27,226 "Man, I'm about to have somebody that's gonna love me 89 00:05:27,327 --> 00:05:28,528 unconditionally. No matter what." 90 00:05:29,696 --> 00:05:31,064 So it was a good, happy time for us. 91 00:05:32,632 --> 00:05:35,068 The day my daughter was born was a little hectic 92 00:05:35,168 --> 00:05:37,270 because my mom was there, 93 00:05:37,370 --> 00:05:40,340 and Michael always had an issue with my mother 94 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:42,909 because of the things that I was tell him 95 00:05:43,009 --> 00:05:45,011 about my childhood. 96 00:05:45,111 --> 00:05:47,146 So it was happy that everybody was there, 97 00:05:47,246 --> 00:05:48,781 but he also had an attitude. 98 00:05:48,881 --> 00:05:51,150 [actor as Michael Horton] I want you to leave right now! 99 00:05:52,652 --> 00:05:54,854 [Domeneka] And an argument started between them. 100 00:05:54,954 --> 00:05:57,757 Michael was screaming at her. 101 00:05:57,857 --> 00:05:59,992 [actor as Michael Horton] Leave! 102 00:06:01,694 --> 00:06:04,397 [Domeneka] Just for it to get that far was just shocking to me. 103 00:06:05,998 --> 00:06:08,167 So I was really upset about that. 104 00:06:08,267 --> 00:06:10,069 [actor as Michael Horton grunts] 105 00:06:12,972 --> 00:06:14,507 [Domeneka] Michael probably didn't want me to have those 106 00:06:14,607 --> 00:06:17,143 outside relationships, to have that outside influence. 107 00:06:20,346 --> 00:06:22,548 And I felt, in a moment, that was his way of trying 108 00:06:22,648 --> 00:06:24,117 to protect me from the things 109 00:06:24,217 --> 00:06:26,519 that I've told him that went on in my childhood. 110 00:06:30,456 --> 00:06:33,926 But looking back, I notice every time we're around 111 00:06:34,026 --> 00:06:37,797 my family members, it just triggered him, 112 00:06:37,897 --> 00:06:39,866 where any little thing would just make him explode. 113 00:06:59,385 --> 00:07:02,255 This is a picture of me and my daughter. 114 00:07:05,792 --> 00:07:07,326 When I look at this picture, 115 00:07:08,461 --> 00:07:12,098 I just see the innocent me, 116 00:07:12,198 --> 00:07:14,167 the "I wanna be happy" me, 117 00:07:16,803 --> 00:07:20,706 the naive version of me. 118 00:07:24,243 --> 00:07:26,112 I look so happy in this picture. 119 00:07:27,814 --> 00:07:29,515 Having my daughter was kind of the best thing 120 00:07:29,615 --> 00:07:30,850 to ever happen to me. 121 00:07:32,118 --> 00:07:35,254 I was just happy to have somebody that I can just 122 00:07:35,354 --> 00:07:37,156 love unconditionally. 123 00:07:37,256 --> 00:07:39,358 And I just always knew from the start that I was gonna 124 00:07:39,459 --> 00:07:41,894 be just the best mother to her. 125 00:07:43,362 --> 00:07:46,299 I should have realized that it's not gonna be 126 00:07:46,399 --> 00:07:48,501 that happy family that I wanted. 127 00:07:48,601 --> 00:07:51,170 Just, I mean, when I look at that picture, I just feel like 128 00:07:51,270 --> 00:07:54,006 this is just a little girl that just... 129 00:07:55,741 --> 00:07:57,543 just didn't know no better. 130 00:08:09,689 --> 00:08:12,325 So when we moved in, we did a lot of decorating together, 131 00:08:12,425 --> 00:08:15,495 shopping for furniture. We were happy. 132 00:08:15,595 --> 00:08:18,531 We spent a lot of time with each other. 133 00:08:18,631 --> 00:08:21,267 And I was happy doing that. 134 00:08:22,368 --> 00:08:25,371 I guess the problem came in at when... 135 00:08:25,471 --> 00:08:27,573 when I wanted to do something different. 136 00:08:29,842 --> 00:08:30,843 I remember one day, 137 00:08:31,944 --> 00:08:33,613 I wanted to go to my aunt's house. 138 00:08:33,712 --> 00:08:35,615 Michael didn't want me to go. 139 00:08:35,715 --> 00:08:37,717 [tense music plays] 140 00:08:37,817 --> 00:08:40,318 It was this big back-and-forth argument between me and him. 141 00:08:41,386 --> 00:08:44,222 He got so upset. We were both yelling. 142 00:08:44,323 --> 00:08:45,290 And all of a sudden, 143 00:08:45,391 --> 00:08:46,759 he just got to punching the walls. 144 00:08:49,061 --> 00:08:52,365 And as he's punching the walls, all I could see is blood 145 00:08:52,465 --> 00:08:53,665 running down from his hands. 146 00:08:54,667 --> 00:08:56,335 And it scared me, 147 00:08:57,270 --> 00:09:00,473 because I've never seen no one do something like that. 148 00:09:00,573 --> 00:09:02,775 [tense music plays] 149 00:09:02,875 --> 00:09:04,911 He was just in a rage. 150 00:09:05,011 --> 00:09:07,580 That was the first incident of me seeing 151 00:09:07,680 --> 00:09:09,916 him get enraged like that. 152 00:09:11,150 --> 00:09:13,152 But I didn't have the fear 153 00:09:13,252 --> 00:09:14,820 of he was about to turn around and hit me. 154 00:09:14,921 --> 00:09:18,758 I felt like he loved me too much to actually hurt me. 155 00:09:20,826 --> 00:09:22,762 [actress as Domeneka] Come here. 156 00:09:22,862 --> 00:09:24,330 [Domeneka] I was concerned about him. 157 00:09:24,430 --> 00:09:26,065 Was he OK? 158 00:09:26,165 --> 00:09:29,869 In that moment, I thought that I would just stay with him 159 00:09:29,969 --> 00:09:30,903 to make things better. 160 00:09:31,003 --> 00:09:32,939 If that was triggering him, 161 00:09:33,039 --> 00:09:34,307 let's just eliminate that problem. 162 00:09:34,407 --> 00:09:35,942 [ominous music plays] 163 00:09:37,610 --> 00:09:39,946 I was trying to... calm him down 164 00:09:40,046 --> 00:09:42,315 and kind of de-escalate the situation. 165 00:09:42,415 --> 00:09:43,849 And then he eventually calmed down. 166 00:09:45,818 --> 00:09:49,722 Looking back, Michael was definitely manipulating me 167 00:09:49,822 --> 00:09:51,090 and controlling me. 168 00:09:51,190 --> 00:09:54,360 He took advantage of my kind heart, for sure, 169 00:09:54,460 --> 00:09:58,230 because after the argument, it's like, now I know that 170 00:09:58,331 --> 00:09:59,265 that pissed him off, 171 00:09:59,365 --> 00:10:02,802 so, "OK, we're not gonna do that again." 172 00:10:02,902 --> 00:10:07,306 I never kind of thought to have it my way. 173 00:10:08,975 --> 00:10:11,210 I felt like he was doing it to scare me. 174 00:10:12,745 --> 00:10:16,115 But looking back on it now, it's like, 175 00:10:16,215 --> 00:10:18,484 "If you love me, why do you want me to be scared of you?" 176 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:28,260 [Domeneka] At one point, Michael told me that 177 00:10:28,361 --> 00:10:31,897 he needed to go away on weekends to work with his family. 178 00:10:31,998 --> 00:10:34,300 He said that he worked with his cousin. 179 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:36,869 -[phone rings] -I didn't question 180 00:10:36,969 --> 00:10:38,537 what he was doing. 181 00:10:38,638 --> 00:10:40,506 I just know he was bringing in a lot of money, 182 00:10:40,606 --> 00:10:41,607 and he was taking care of us. 183 00:10:42,608 --> 00:10:44,377 One day, he called me upset. 184 00:10:45,411 --> 00:10:50,249 And he was saying that some lady stole something from him. 185 00:10:50,349 --> 00:10:52,118 And I asked him what was going on. 186 00:10:52,218 --> 00:10:53,619 What did she steal? 187 00:10:53,719 --> 00:10:55,421 And he got quiet for a second, 188 00:10:55,521 --> 00:10:57,757 and then he told me it was drugs. 189 00:10:57,857 --> 00:10:59,625 What? 190 00:11:00,993 --> 00:11:02,194 [Domeneka] And I'm like, "That's what you was -- 191 00:11:02,294 --> 00:11:03,229 "that's what you're doing? 192 00:11:03,329 --> 00:11:05,097 That's what you go on the weekends for?" 193 00:11:05,197 --> 00:11:07,566 You know, I told him, like, "That's a dangerous life." 194 00:11:09,168 --> 00:11:12,071 And then the woman walked in 195 00:11:12,171 --> 00:11:13,506 to wherever he was at. 196 00:11:14,774 --> 00:11:17,843 And all I can hear is her screaming. 197 00:11:17,943 --> 00:11:20,046 [actress as woman screams] 198 00:11:20,146 --> 00:11:22,048 You can hear, like, he's hitting her. 199 00:11:22,148 --> 00:11:24,183 Like, you can hear her scuffling and everything. 200 00:11:24,283 --> 00:11:26,085 And she was screaming. 201 00:11:26,185 --> 00:11:28,654 She was saying, "Help." She was crying. 202 00:11:28,754 --> 00:11:29,989 [actress as woman] Get off! 203 00:11:30,089 --> 00:11:32,925 And I'm just on the other end, just in shock. 204 00:11:33,025 --> 00:11:35,861 I'm like, "What is going on?" 205 00:11:35,961 --> 00:11:37,229 Hearing her scream for help 206 00:11:38,297 --> 00:11:41,801 and her crying, it's just... 207 00:11:44,470 --> 00:11:47,006 I don't know. It was just shocking to me. 208 00:11:47,106 --> 00:11:48,941 [actor as Michael Horton] I'll kill you. 209 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:51,277 [off-hook tone] 210 00:11:51,377 --> 00:11:53,479 [Domeneka] I do wonder, those weekend trips, 211 00:11:55,581 --> 00:11:58,417 was he robbing and raping? 212 00:11:58,517 --> 00:12:00,119 Was he killing people 213 00:12:00,219 --> 00:12:02,021 that we don't even know if he got caught? 214 00:12:02,121 --> 00:12:03,989 Like, all that went through my head, 215 00:12:04,090 --> 00:12:07,860 because I really didn't know this man at all 216 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,129 when I thought that I did. I thought I knew him so well. 217 00:12:24,677 --> 00:12:26,278 [ominous music plays] 218 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:29,682 I was hysterical. I was upset. 219 00:12:29,782 --> 00:12:30,783 I had a black eye. 220 00:12:32,685 --> 00:12:35,421 When he looked at me, he seen my face, 221 00:12:35,521 --> 00:12:40,226 he was instantly upset. He was mad. 222 00:12:40,326 --> 00:12:44,063 [tense music plays] 223 00:12:44,163 --> 00:12:46,298 He told me to stay in the car. 224 00:12:46,398 --> 00:12:47,733 He got out the car, 225 00:12:47,833 --> 00:12:50,269 and then all you heard was gunshots. 226 00:12:50,369 --> 00:12:51,971 [multiple gunshots blasting] 227 00:12:52,071 --> 00:12:53,539 Everything happened so quick, so fast. 228 00:12:55,107 --> 00:12:56,242 I was so scared. 229 00:12:56,342 --> 00:12:58,110 I've never been around a gun before, 230 00:12:58,210 --> 00:12:59,912 especially shots. 231 00:13:00,012 --> 00:13:02,014 And I didn't even see the gun, so he must have had the gun 232 00:13:02,114 --> 00:13:04,650 on him, 'cause I've never seen a gun in our home, 233 00:13:04,750 --> 00:13:06,085 on him, around him. 234 00:13:06,185 --> 00:13:08,654 I'm not even sure where that came from. 235 00:13:08,754 --> 00:13:12,224 [ominous music plays] 236 00:13:12,324 --> 00:13:13,325 He shot up their house. 237 00:13:15,661 --> 00:13:16,629 He got back in the car. 238 00:13:18,597 --> 00:13:20,032 I didn't know what to say. 239 00:13:21,634 --> 00:13:23,102 He was really calm and quiet. 240 00:13:24,403 --> 00:13:27,039 I really didn't even ask no questions. 241 00:13:27,139 --> 00:13:29,475 I was still in my mind about everything that happened. 242 00:13:31,477 --> 00:13:32,578 I'm shocked. 243 00:13:32,678 --> 00:13:35,181 I'm nervous, I'm scared, because I'm like, 244 00:13:35,281 --> 00:13:36,782 "What if somebody got hurt?" 245 00:13:44,390 --> 00:13:46,225 Polices came from everywhere. 246 00:13:46,325 --> 00:13:47,526 [actor as police] Get down! 247 00:13:47,626 --> 00:13:48,994 [Domeneka] All over the place. 248 00:13:49,094 --> 00:13:51,564 They were screaming for him to get down. 249 00:13:51,664 --> 00:13:53,232 And I was terrified. 250 00:13:53,332 --> 00:13:54,533 I went into a straight panic attack. 251 00:13:54,633 --> 00:13:56,235 I couldn't even breathe. 252 00:13:56,335 --> 00:13:59,438 And it was just the scariest thing to have, 253 00:13:59,538 --> 00:14:01,373 like, all these police out, all these guns out. 254 00:14:02,775 --> 00:14:04,009 [clicks] 255 00:14:05,377 --> 00:14:06,812 They took Michael away. 256 00:14:06,912 --> 00:14:08,380 They put him in handcuffs, put him in the car. 257 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,183 And the whole time, I'm worrying about him. 258 00:14:12,985 --> 00:14:15,754 And that was my problem the whole time, 259 00:14:15,855 --> 00:14:17,556 worrying about him and not myself. 260 00:14:18,791 --> 00:14:19,792 But I still... 261 00:14:21,126 --> 00:14:23,028 stood by him. 262 00:14:23,128 --> 00:14:25,431 I was just determined to just making it work. 263 00:14:26,532 --> 00:14:28,801 At the time, I didn't recognize 264 00:14:28,901 --> 00:14:31,203 that he was putting me and our child in danger. 265 00:14:43,782 --> 00:14:45,918 One day, we went to go visit my mom. 266 00:14:47,119 --> 00:14:48,854 Like I said before, Michael just 267 00:14:48,954 --> 00:14:51,056 always had an issue with my mother. 268 00:14:51,156 --> 00:14:54,660 When we were over there visiting, 269 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:56,328 he just seemed like he hated her. 270 00:14:58,063 --> 00:15:01,166 And that's what led to them having an argument. 271 00:15:01,267 --> 00:15:03,002 And they were going back and forth. 272 00:15:03,102 --> 00:15:05,638 At that time, I'm like, "It's time for us to go." 273 00:15:05,738 --> 00:15:08,841 As we were walking out the door, Michael said 274 00:15:08,941 --> 00:15:11,610 that he couldn't wait to see her in her casket. 275 00:15:11,710 --> 00:15:13,946 [ominous music plays] 276 00:15:14,046 --> 00:15:15,915 And at that time, I'm like, "What?" 277 00:15:16,015 --> 00:15:17,850 He told her that he didn't like her, 278 00:15:17,950 --> 00:15:19,051 and he can't wait to see her 279 00:15:19,151 --> 00:15:20,586 in her black dress and her casket. 280 00:15:22,688 --> 00:15:26,091 And I was really shocked, because it was, to me, 281 00:15:26,191 --> 00:15:27,259 I'm like, "Where did that come from?" 282 00:15:28,727 --> 00:15:31,630 Like, because the argument wasn't that deep, 283 00:15:31,730 --> 00:15:33,632 where you would wish death on someone, 284 00:15:33,732 --> 00:15:35,567 because ultimately, that's what he was doing. 285 00:15:37,670 --> 00:15:39,171 He was wishing death upon her. 286 00:15:40,372 --> 00:15:42,708 My mom never liked him from day one. 287 00:15:42,808 --> 00:15:44,977 Always said it was just something about him 288 00:15:45,077 --> 00:15:47,012 that she didn't like. 289 00:15:47,112 --> 00:15:50,115 So, it's almost like everyone's seen what I didn't see. 290 00:15:50,215 --> 00:15:52,151 [tense music plays] 291 00:15:59,692 --> 00:16:02,227 [intriguing music plays] 292 00:16:02,328 --> 00:16:04,897 One day, Michael and I was having an argument. 293 00:16:04,997 --> 00:16:07,232 And as usual, 294 00:16:07,333 --> 00:16:10,336 any little thing is starting to ram him up. 295 00:16:10,436 --> 00:16:13,339 And it's a back-and-forth thing between him and I. 296 00:16:15,107 --> 00:16:18,744 And out of nowhere, he brings up that he got abused 297 00:16:18,844 --> 00:16:20,412 by a family member. 298 00:16:21,513 --> 00:16:23,482 And it just caught me off guard, 299 00:16:23,582 --> 00:16:25,851 because we wasn't talking about that at all. 300 00:16:27,386 --> 00:16:31,056 And I knew exactly what he was doing when he brung that up 301 00:16:31,156 --> 00:16:32,124 out of nowhere. 302 00:16:32,224 --> 00:16:34,693 He was trying to get me to feel sorry for him, 303 00:16:35,928 --> 00:16:37,429 trying to make the argument be done with 304 00:16:37,529 --> 00:16:39,732 by me sympathizing with him. 305 00:16:39,832 --> 00:16:42,835 And I think in that moment, I was getting to the point 306 00:16:42,935 --> 00:16:45,070 where I'm just getting tired of it. 307 00:16:45,170 --> 00:16:46,638 So, I kind of, 308 00:16:47,973 --> 00:16:51,243 gave him a, you know, "I don't care." 309 00:16:51,343 --> 00:16:53,912 And then he looked at me, and he was like, 310 00:16:54,013 --> 00:16:55,314 "You don't care? 311 00:16:55,414 --> 00:16:56,815 You want to know how I feel to get raped?" 312 00:16:59,918 --> 00:17:01,086 He grabbed me. 313 00:17:01,186 --> 00:17:02,888 [tense music plays] 314 00:17:02,988 --> 00:17:06,959 And then he pushed me down, and he started to grab 315 00:17:07,059 --> 00:17:10,429 at my pants to pull them down. 316 00:17:10,529 --> 00:17:11,896 And I was kicked in, and I'm like, 317 00:17:11,997 --> 00:17:14,098 "Are you serious?" Because in my head, I'm like, 318 00:17:14,199 --> 00:17:16,801 "What is going on?" I was scared. 319 00:17:16,902 --> 00:17:19,405 Like, that was the first time I felt, like... 320 00:17:19,505 --> 00:17:20,839 like scared of him. 321 00:17:20,939 --> 00:17:22,174 [actor as Michael Horton] Shut up, shut your mouth! 322 00:17:22,273 --> 00:17:25,243 -Shut up! -[Domeneka] And I was crying. 323 00:17:25,344 --> 00:17:27,546 I didn't know what was going to happen. 324 00:17:27,646 --> 00:17:29,915 And then all of a sudden, he just let me go. 325 00:17:30,015 --> 00:17:33,118 [tense music plays] 326 00:17:35,587 --> 00:17:37,356 And when he let me go, I went into the room, 327 00:17:37,456 --> 00:17:39,458 and I got to crying. 328 00:17:42,061 --> 00:17:45,531 So that was the first time that, um... 329 00:17:45,631 --> 00:17:47,266 I felt scared to go to sleep. 330 00:17:48,467 --> 00:17:52,304 It was just that fear of not knowing who was the man 331 00:17:52,404 --> 00:17:54,073 that I was sleeping next to at night. 332 00:17:56,542 --> 00:17:57,509 I feel like 333 00:18:00,079 --> 00:18:01,680 you would never know a person, no matter how long 334 00:18:01,780 --> 00:18:03,949 you're with them. You never know a person. 335 00:18:04,049 --> 00:18:06,985 And to know that I was just laying and sleeping next 336 00:18:07,086 --> 00:18:08,821 to just an evil man. 337 00:18:08,921 --> 00:18:12,791 And I look back, and it just blows my mind. 338 00:18:12,891 --> 00:18:13,992 [floor creaks] 339 00:18:15,260 --> 00:18:17,262 He's capable of doing any and everything, so... 340 00:18:17,362 --> 00:18:19,398 [tense music plays] 341 00:18:23,669 --> 00:18:24,670 [producer] It's hard, right? 342 00:18:24,770 --> 00:18:25,804 Yeah, I gotta take a break, though. 343 00:18:35,481 --> 00:18:36,448 OK. 344 00:18:38,650 --> 00:18:40,953 Because I don't want to cry about this, you know? 345 00:18:41,053 --> 00:18:42,121 But just... 346 00:18:42,221 --> 00:18:44,189 thinking about it, just... 347 00:18:44,289 --> 00:18:45,324 [sobs] 348 00:18:45,424 --> 00:18:47,292 [dramatic music plays] 349 00:18:50,796 --> 00:18:52,498 I Just think about... 350 00:18:54,933 --> 00:18:55,901 just the young me... 351 00:18:58,704 --> 00:19:00,405 and just seeing her... 352 00:19:02,541 --> 00:19:03,575 and wishing she knew better. 353 00:19:03,675 --> 00:19:04,776 [sobs] 354 00:19:06,645 --> 00:19:10,849 [dramatic music plays] 355 00:19:10,949 --> 00:19:12,351 So, yeah. 356 00:19:16,488 --> 00:19:18,157 It's heartbreaking. 357 00:19:21,026 --> 00:19:22,027 You know? 358 00:19:25,130 --> 00:19:26,198 I really got to take a break. 359 00:19:28,567 --> 00:19:29,768 [sobs] 360 00:19:29,868 --> 00:19:31,670 [dramatic music continues] 361 00:19:44,483 --> 00:19:45,784 [door creaks] 362 00:19:48,253 --> 00:19:49,688 [door creaks] 363 00:19:49,788 --> 00:19:50,889 Good. 364 00:19:55,561 --> 00:19:57,196 [intriguing music plays] 365 00:19:59,698 --> 00:20:01,200 It's hard for me. 366 00:20:04,036 --> 00:20:05,404 [sighs] 367 00:20:07,239 --> 00:20:10,542 Like I said before, I haven't allowed myself to really feel 368 00:20:10,642 --> 00:20:13,812 any feelings about this situation. 369 00:20:13,912 --> 00:20:15,614 So I have a lot of built-up... 370 00:20:16,815 --> 00:20:18,217 emotions. 371 00:20:18,317 --> 00:20:20,285 I haven't really grieved this situation. 372 00:20:20,385 --> 00:20:22,854 So when I'm talking about it now, this is something 373 00:20:22,955 --> 00:20:24,923 I don't talk about. 374 00:20:25,023 --> 00:20:30,062 And me just processing everything, it's putting me 375 00:20:30,162 --> 00:20:32,197 back in those moments. 376 00:20:34,366 --> 00:20:36,235 And it's hard for me, 377 00:20:36,335 --> 00:20:38,704 because I have dis-attached from it for so long. 378 00:20:39,705 --> 00:20:43,308 Due to the Michael situation and my upbringing has caused me 379 00:20:43,408 --> 00:20:46,745 to be really guarded and hold my emotions in a lot. 380 00:20:48,113 --> 00:20:52,150 So it's uncomfortable, because now I'm being 381 00:20:52,251 --> 00:20:53,485 very vulnerable in this moment. 382 00:20:54,653 --> 00:20:56,388 And that's different for me. 383 00:21:05,464 --> 00:21:08,767 I was starting to feel like it just wasn't gonna work, 384 00:21:08,867 --> 00:21:10,869 no matter how much I've been trying to make it work. 385 00:21:12,004 --> 00:21:14,706 Just one thing got to the other. 386 00:21:14,806 --> 00:21:16,541 I felt like I wasn't happy anymore. 387 00:21:17,709 --> 00:21:21,213 I know I wanted better for myself, for my daughter. 388 00:21:22,614 --> 00:21:24,283 That night that he could have raped me, 389 00:21:24,383 --> 00:21:26,551 I felt scared of him. 390 00:21:26,652 --> 00:21:28,854 And I've never felt scared of him. 391 00:21:28,954 --> 00:21:32,357 And the fighting was just getting worse and worse. 392 00:21:32,457 --> 00:21:35,827 And it's just like, I never wanted to live my life that way. 393 00:21:35,927 --> 00:21:36,928 Michael? 394 00:21:38,497 --> 00:21:42,768 [Domeneka] So one day, I just finally got fed up and didn't want 395 00:21:42,868 --> 00:21:44,636 this life with him anymore. 396 00:21:44,736 --> 00:21:46,538 And I told him that I was gonna leave. 397 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,876 And he just went crazy. 398 00:21:50,976 --> 00:21:54,279 He just got to breaking up things in the house, 399 00:21:54,379 --> 00:21:56,848 throwing things around. He tore up the whole apartment. 400 00:21:56,948 --> 00:21:58,083 [grunts] 401 00:21:58,183 --> 00:21:59,751 [Domeneka] It was chaos. 402 00:21:59,851 --> 00:22:02,020 When he was doing that, I was in that corner 403 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:03,322 just looking at him. 404 00:22:03,422 --> 00:22:06,124 I really... didn't have anything to say. 405 00:22:06,224 --> 00:22:08,860 I felt like if I said anything, it was gonna escalate it more. 406 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:10,495 [breaths heavily] 407 00:22:10,595 --> 00:22:13,065 There was just stuff everywhere, glass everywhere. 408 00:22:13,165 --> 00:22:17,602 And I just sat there 'cause I just couldn't say anything. 409 00:22:18,603 --> 00:22:20,339 I ended up calling the police. 410 00:22:21,707 --> 00:22:23,208 They came. They escorted him out. 411 00:22:25,110 --> 00:22:27,679 I think he thought he'll be back. 412 00:22:29,848 --> 00:22:32,951 He's completely different from the man that I met. 413 00:22:33,051 --> 00:22:39,224 The man that I met was nice, kind-hearted, gentle, loving. 414 00:22:39,324 --> 00:22:40,325 Him today, 415 00:22:41,727 --> 00:22:45,464 I feel like he's a coward. He's a monster. 416 00:23:00,178 --> 00:23:03,248 [intriguing music plays] 417 00:23:03,348 --> 00:23:06,051 He was just being really nice and sweet, kind of like 418 00:23:06,151 --> 00:23:07,586 how he used to be. 419 00:23:09,888 --> 00:23:11,723 He began to tell me, like, "We should 420 00:23:11,823 --> 00:23:14,860 get back together," give him another chance. 421 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:16,962 And I told him, like, "I'm done," 422 00:23:17,062 --> 00:23:18,463 and he kept on asking. 423 00:23:18,563 --> 00:23:22,501 So I kind of said it in a real stern tone, 424 00:23:22,601 --> 00:23:23,802 like, "I'm done." 425 00:23:23,902 --> 00:23:25,270 I don't want to be with you anymore. 426 00:23:29,274 --> 00:23:32,144 [Domeneka] And he looked up at me. 427 00:23:32,244 --> 00:23:34,846 I mean, the coldest look I've ever seen. 428 00:23:34,946 --> 00:23:36,848 And he said, "I'm gonna make sure we're done." 429 00:23:40,685 --> 00:23:42,187 And then... 430 00:23:43,822 --> 00:23:44,790 hold on. 431 00:23:51,196 --> 00:23:52,197 OK. 432 00:23:54,099 --> 00:23:56,601 So he said, "I'm gonna make sure we're done." 433 00:23:57,836 --> 00:23:58,804 And he grabbed me. 434 00:23:58,904 --> 00:24:00,172 [ominous music plays] 435 00:24:00,272 --> 00:24:01,573 He began to choke me. 436 00:24:01,673 --> 00:24:04,176 And I could just remember my feet kicking. 437 00:24:04,276 --> 00:24:06,845 I'm not really thinking about anything. 438 00:24:06,945 --> 00:24:09,948 I just remember my feet kicking and kicking and kicking. 439 00:24:10,048 --> 00:24:13,485 And then he threw me on the floor. 440 00:24:13,585 --> 00:24:17,956 He grabbed me by my neck, and he was, like, trying to, 441 00:24:18,056 --> 00:24:20,392 like, twist it hard, like, to break my neck. 442 00:24:20,492 --> 00:24:22,594 And when I looked up at him, it was like 443 00:24:23,695 --> 00:24:24,896 nobody was there. 444 00:24:24,996 --> 00:24:26,832 [ominous music plays] 445 00:24:26,932 --> 00:24:29,468 It felt like time was moving so slow. 446 00:24:29,568 --> 00:24:30,569 Like, I felt like... 447 00:24:32,537 --> 00:24:34,873 Sorry, I can't even... 448 00:24:34,973 --> 00:24:36,208 put into words those feelings. 449 00:24:37,309 --> 00:24:40,445 [ominous music plays] 450 00:24:40,545 --> 00:24:41,546 I felt like... 451 00:24:43,048 --> 00:24:44,950 that this was it for me, and I was gonna just be 452 00:24:45,050 --> 00:24:46,251 in this house dead and nobody would know. 453 00:24:47,385 --> 00:24:48,653 And all I can hear is 454 00:24:48,753 --> 00:24:51,156 my daughter screaming and crying in the background. 455 00:24:51,256 --> 00:24:52,991 I just hear her crying and screaming and screaming. 456 00:24:54,259 --> 00:24:58,396 I believe her crying snapped him out of whatever evil 457 00:24:58,497 --> 00:25:00,298 that was happening in that moment. 458 00:25:00,398 --> 00:25:02,267 [child cries] 459 00:25:02,367 --> 00:25:05,837 And all of a sudden, he let me go. 460 00:25:07,506 --> 00:25:09,107 If my daughter wasn't there, 461 00:25:09,207 --> 00:25:13,478 I do feel like he would've killed me. 462 00:25:13,578 --> 00:25:15,981 To this day, I felt like she saved my life. 463 00:25:16,081 --> 00:25:18,550 [tense music plays] 464 00:25:24,556 --> 00:25:26,591 [phone rings] 465 00:25:26,691 --> 00:25:29,060 I received a phone call from a private number. 466 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:31,963 [phone rings] 467 00:25:32,063 --> 00:25:34,199 And I picked up the phone. 468 00:25:34,299 --> 00:25:36,635 I recognize the voice and it was Michael. 469 00:25:37,836 --> 00:25:40,171 And he just was like, "I'm gonna kill you, bitch." 470 00:25:40,272 --> 00:25:42,941 When he said those words, "I'll kill you, bitch," 471 00:25:43,041 --> 00:25:45,877 I believed him. He just tried to. 472 00:25:45,977 --> 00:25:49,047 There was no doubt or question that if he had 473 00:25:49,147 --> 00:25:50,549 another opportunity, he would have. 474 00:25:52,150 --> 00:25:53,451 And I hung up. 475 00:25:53,552 --> 00:25:55,253 After that, I called the police again 476 00:25:55,353 --> 00:25:58,156 to report that he called me and threatened me. 477 00:25:58,256 --> 00:26:01,593 But later on, the phone rang, and it popped up on the call ID 478 00:26:01,693 --> 00:26:03,461 Columbus Dispatch. 479 00:26:03,562 --> 00:26:05,163 I thought that they were calling to tell me that 480 00:26:05,263 --> 00:26:07,766 they captured Michael to just inform me. 481 00:26:07,866 --> 00:26:09,134 Yes? 482 00:26:09,234 --> 00:26:12,504 [Domeneka] When I picked up the phone, the guy on the other end 483 00:26:12,604 --> 00:26:15,941 asked me what was my thoughts about Michael 484 00:26:16,041 --> 00:26:17,676 being wanted for first degree murder. 485 00:26:19,678 --> 00:26:21,046 He was so nonchalant 486 00:26:21,146 --> 00:26:24,649 that he probably thought I knew about it already. 487 00:26:24,749 --> 00:26:26,651 It's like my heart dropped in my stomach. 488 00:26:26,751 --> 00:26:28,954 I'm like, "What?" 489 00:26:29,054 --> 00:26:33,158 And he said, "Yeah, he strangled and killed a 19-year-old girl." 490 00:26:33,258 --> 00:26:34,826 It's a nationwide man hunt for him.. 491 00:26:34,926 --> 00:26:36,628 I have to go. 492 00:26:36,728 --> 00:26:40,031 [Domeneka] All I could think about is that he's crazy 493 00:26:40,131 --> 00:26:41,600 and he's about to kill me next. 494 00:26:42,634 --> 00:26:46,571 And then that was when the real fear really set in, 495 00:26:46,671 --> 00:26:48,707 because I knew that he really wanted to kill me. 496 00:26:50,942 --> 00:26:52,711 So, yes, I felt like he was coming for me. 497 00:26:54,412 --> 00:26:55,947 That night, 498 00:26:56,948 --> 00:26:59,351 I prayed the hardest I ever prayed in my whole life. 499 00:26:59,451 --> 00:27:01,653 [ominous music plays] 500 00:27:01,753 --> 00:27:03,088 [breaths heavily] 501 00:27:12,297 --> 00:27:15,300 [intriguing music plays] 502 00:27:16,768 --> 00:27:19,704 This is a picture of Stephanie. 503 00:27:22,907 --> 00:27:26,244 When this picture was flashing on the news, 504 00:27:28,113 --> 00:27:29,614 I felt like she resembled me a little bit. 505 00:27:30,582 --> 00:27:32,350 I kind of seen 506 00:27:32,450 --> 00:27:34,753 that innocent me in her. 507 00:27:39,157 --> 00:27:41,760 It's just, it's -- it's sad. 508 00:27:41,860 --> 00:27:42,961 It's so sad. 509 00:27:44,729 --> 00:27:49,367 And it just seemed unreal, like, I couldn't believe that 510 00:27:50,702 --> 00:27:53,805 this was my life and I was involved in something like this. 511 00:27:55,774 --> 00:27:57,776 And I hated that she had to... 512 00:27:59,477 --> 00:28:03,682 meet this monster that took her away from her family. 513 00:28:05,517 --> 00:28:06,451 It's horrible. 514 00:28:06,551 --> 00:28:07,952 [ominous music plays] 515 00:28:26,104 --> 00:28:29,774 I definitely felt alone and by myself 516 00:28:29,874 --> 00:28:31,509 throughout that whole situation. 517 00:28:33,411 --> 00:28:36,815 'Cause it was kind of like this man is just, 518 00:28:36,915 --> 00:28:39,284 he can do what he want to do. 519 00:28:39,384 --> 00:28:40,919 There's no stopping him. 520 00:28:42,887 --> 00:28:45,390 When my uncle was, you know, walking around 521 00:28:45,490 --> 00:28:48,493 with knives to try to, you know, feel safe 522 00:28:48,593 --> 00:28:51,262 in their own home, 523 00:28:51,362 --> 00:28:53,331 I just hated to see that. 524 00:28:53,431 --> 00:28:55,467 I kind of felt like a burden a little bit, 525 00:28:55,567 --> 00:28:57,435 like I'm bringing all of this into their lives, 526 00:28:58,603 --> 00:29:00,472 disturbing their lives in a way. 527 00:29:00,572 --> 00:29:03,942 But I also was scared about what he's capable of doing. 528 00:29:04,042 --> 00:29:05,009 And would he come back? 529 00:29:07,212 --> 00:29:10,081 I remember me crying and feeling like, 530 00:29:10,181 --> 00:29:12,350 "I'm so young." Like, "This is my life." 531 00:29:12,450 --> 00:29:14,853 Like, "This is my life." 532 00:29:14,953 --> 00:29:17,689 You know, I'm supposed to hide the rest of my life. 533 00:29:19,124 --> 00:29:21,626 It just got to the point where it's just like, 534 00:29:22,994 --> 00:29:24,963 "This is the time for me to choose me." 535 00:29:26,898 --> 00:29:29,734 And for me to choose me and feel safe 536 00:29:29,834 --> 00:29:31,836 and be able to live my life, 537 00:29:33,171 --> 00:29:34,606 he needs to be off these streets. 538 00:29:38,143 --> 00:29:40,645 And that's when I called the U.S. Marshal, 539 00:29:40,745 --> 00:29:44,682 and I told him that I can help them find him. 540 00:29:44,783 --> 00:29:49,921 So throughout our relationship, he was a mama's boy, 541 00:29:50,021 --> 00:29:53,792 and he would communicate and tell her everything. 542 00:29:54,793 --> 00:29:56,127 And I knew she knew where he was. 543 00:30:06,104 --> 00:30:09,440 I told her to tell Michael that I missed him and wanted 544 00:30:09,541 --> 00:30:11,242 to talk to him, and he called five minutes later. 545 00:30:13,745 --> 00:30:14,746 When he called, 546 00:30:16,381 --> 00:30:20,051 I asked him, I said, "Michael, is this true?" 547 00:30:20,151 --> 00:30:21,419 He didn't really say anything. 548 00:30:21,519 --> 00:30:24,155 I said, "Michael, why would you do this?" 549 00:30:26,257 --> 00:30:28,226 And then he said... 550 00:30:30,295 --> 00:30:32,997 that "I couldn't kill nobody that I love, 551 00:30:33,097 --> 00:30:35,166 so an innocent person died because of you." 552 00:30:39,938 --> 00:30:41,706 Something that today, 553 00:30:43,308 --> 00:30:44,876 it still bothers me. 554 00:30:46,611 --> 00:30:49,914 The only thing that really... [whispering] really bothers me. 555 00:30:51,716 --> 00:30:54,285 [normally] And I only -- I get really emotional at this part 556 00:30:54,385 --> 00:30:57,722 because when I hear myself saying this... 557 00:31:01,025 --> 00:31:04,429 I automatically think about her, right? 558 00:31:04,529 --> 00:31:05,797 Because I feel like... 559 00:31:05,897 --> 00:31:07,065 [sniffs] 560 00:31:07,165 --> 00:31:08,867 he didn't know her. 561 00:31:08,967 --> 00:31:10,802 My logic mind knows it's not my fault. 562 00:31:10,902 --> 00:31:12,170 I know that. 563 00:31:12,270 --> 00:31:14,138 But also, the other part of me felt like... 564 00:31:15,506 --> 00:31:16,507 he didn't know her. 565 00:31:18,743 --> 00:31:21,212 And I can't really even ever just say that part 566 00:31:21,312 --> 00:31:25,383 without having some emotion to it, 567 00:31:25,483 --> 00:31:27,051 a really detach from a lot of it, 568 00:31:27,151 --> 00:31:28,286 but that part always, 569 00:31:28,386 --> 00:31:31,823 always get me because I just think about her and just 570 00:31:31,923 --> 00:31:36,361 how innocent she was. 571 00:31:36,461 --> 00:31:38,229 She didn't even know that she was just 572 00:31:40,865 --> 00:31:45,603 probably in that danger that, like, he's taking it out on her. 573 00:31:46,871 --> 00:31:51,676 And I know now that he said that... 574 00:31:51,776 --> 00:31:53,611 to really ruin my life, honestly. 575 00:31:53,711 --> 00:31:56,214 [ominous music plays] 576 00:31:58,283 --> 00:32:00,451 I feel like he knew his life was over, and he wanted to... 577 00:32:02,287 --> 00:32:03,855 ruin my life with it. 578 00:32:03,955 --> 00:32:07,692 And for a long time, it used to just really eat me up 579 00:32:07,792 --> 00:32:09,160 so, so bad, 580 00:32:10,361 --> 00:32:11,996 where I felt like 581 00:32:14,599 --> 00:32:15,600 she died because of me. 582 00:32:24,776 --> 00:32:26,377 [intriguing music plays] 583 00:32:28,413 --> 00:32:31,416 [newscaster] This is Stephanie Ducheine. 584 00:32:31,516 --> 00:32:34,018 She was found strangled in a vacant apartment 585 00:32:34,118 --> 00:32:35,286 on Morrill Avenue. 586 00:32:35,386 --> 00:32:37,622 Police have charged 26-year-old Michael Horton 587 00:32:37,722 --> 00:32:38,923 with Stephanie's murder. 588 00:32:39,023 --> 00:32:41,426 And there's a warrant out for him in Minnesota 589 00:32:41,526 --> 00:32:44,862 where he's charged with choking an ex-girlfriend. 590 00:32:44,963 --> 00:32:47,165 For the longest, I felt that guilt 591 00:32:48,333 --> 00:32:49,834 that it wasn't about her at all. 592 00:32:51,903 --> 00:32:54,605 It was because of me. Everything is about me. 593 00:32:55,740 --> 00:32:58,176 He basically strangled and choked me. 594 00:32:58,276 --> 00:33:00,211 And then a week later, he strangled and killed her. 595 00:33:02,914 --> 00:33:04,816 I felt like she resembled me a lot. 596 00:33:04,916 --> 00:33:08,052 And I felt a lot of guilt because I did feel like it was 597 00:33:08,152 --> 00:33:11,089 my fault that that happened to her. 598 00:33:11,189 --> 00:33:14,058 But it could have been anybody. 599 00:33:14,158 --> 00:33:16,260 So after that phone call, 600 00:33:16,361 --> 00:33:18,229 I think it was like 5 AM 601 00:33:18,329 --> 00:33:21,165 the next day that the U.S. Marshal called me 602 00:33:21,265 --> 00:33:24,702 and told me that they captured him in Pennsylvania, 603 00:33:25,703 --> 00:33:27,438 hiding in the closet. 604 00:33:27,538 --> 00:33:30,041 Once Michael was captured, 605 00:33:30,141 --> 00:33:32,143 it was such a relief. 606 00:33:32,243 --> 00:33:34,412 I can get back to my life again. 607 00:33:34,512 --> 00:33:37,415 I thought it would be over once he went to jail. 608 00:33:38,649 --> 00:33:42,387 But when he went to jail, they submitted his DNA, 609 00:33:42,487 --> 00:33:47,759 and that's when I found out that he had raped a woman, 610 00:33:47,859 --> 00:33:50,728 and then he had charges for robbery. 611 00:33:50,828 --> 00:33:52,530 And I was sitting there thinking, like, 612 00:33:52,630 --> 00:33:54,165 "I did not know him at all." 613 00:33:56,100 --> 00:33:59,771 What we had before and that person I seen that wasn't him. 614 00:33:59,871 --> 00:34:01,406 Michael is a monster to me. 615 00:34:02,540 --> 00:34:03,941 I don't see him being nothing else. 616 00:34:05,410 --> 00:34:06,677 That's exactly who he is to me. 617 00:34:06,778 --> 00:34:08,780 [dramatic music plays] 618 00:34:22,293 --> 00:34:25,630 [producer] These are papers from the court transcript, 619 00:34:25,730 --> 00:34:28,032 from his sentencing. 620 00:34:28,132 --> 00:34:29,434 OK. I never read it. 621 00:34:29,534 --> 00:34:30,534 -I want to read it. -[producer] OK. 622 00:34:36,139 --> 00:34:38,076 [intriguing music plays] 623 00:34:41,846 --> 00:34:43,313 This is what he stood up in court and said? 624 00:34:44,482 --> 00:34:46,583 "Stephanie didn't do anything to me. 625 00:34:46,684 --> 00:34:50,388 I was stressed out by my baby's mother." 626 00:34:50,487 --> 00:34:52,056 And he said several times that day 627 00:34:52,156 --> 00:34:53,324 that he was with Stephanie. 628 00:34:55,460 --> 00:34:56,561 He called her my name. 629 00:35:00,131 --> 00:35:01,999 Like, he wanted her to be me so bad. 630 00:35:02,100 --> 00:35:05,703 He wanted -- he wanted to kill me so bad. 631 00:35:05,803 --> 00:35:09,173 He's trying to justify and... 632 00:35:17,748 --> 00:35:19,117 I can't with this. 633 00:35:21,786 --> 00:35:23,688 It's ridiculous to me. And he said, like, 634 00:35:24,956 --> 00:35:26,157 "I wouldn't kill nobody I love, 635 00:35:26,257 --> 00:35:28,726 so an innocent person died because of you." 636 00:35:28,826 --> 00:35:31,729 It's just, like, reading stuff about him makes me feel like 637 00:35:31,829 --> 00:35:34,065 he really wanted it to be me. 638 00:35:34,165 --> 00:35:37,301 Reading through his statements 639 00:35:37,401 --> 00:35:39,070 just really point out 640 00:35:40,505 --> 00:35:44,108 the manipulator that he is and the liar that he is, 641 00:35:44,208 --> 00:35:47,411 and he would say anything to get out of any situation. 642 00:35:48,479 --> 00:35:50,615 There's no remorse at all from him. 643 00:35:53,351 --> 00:35:54,285 At all. 644 00:35:54,385 --> 00:35:57,655 [ominous music plays] 645 00:36:03,961 --> 00:36:06,998 [intriguing music plays] 646 00:36:12,270 --> 00:36:14,305 So, this is a photo of me and my daughter 647 00:36:14,405 --> 00:36:16,641 after Michael had murdered Stephanie. 648 00:36:20,945 --> 00:36:23,781 And when I look at this picture, 649 00:36:23,881 --> 00:36:28,753 it's, you know, a still... 650 00:36:28,853 --> 00:36:31,189 happy, smiley person, you know? 651 00:36:34,926 --> 00:36:36,761 I'm going to stop because... 652 00:36:36,861 --> 00:36:39,730 I'm such a crybaby. 653 00:36:39,830 --> 00:36:43,167 [dramatic music plays] 654 00:36:44,302 --> 00:36:45,303 OK. 655 00:36:47,605 --> 00:36:50,808 The fact that I'm not an emotional person and... 656 00:36:51,876 --> 00:36:54,111 to get all these emotions 657 00:36:54,212 --> 00:36:57,381 going is a lot for me, because... 658 00:36:59,817 --> 00:37:01,519 I've been through a lot in my life 659 00:37:01,619 --> 00:37:05,823 and I have not let things tear me down. 660 00:37:05,923 --> 00:37:07,892 So I don't deal with no emotions, really. 661 00:37:07,992 --> 00:37:09,760 I just hide them all. 662 00:37:09,860 --> 00:37:14,799 And when I looked at this, it was kind of just like... 663 00:37:14,899 --> 00:37:17,235 The mask you always put on. 664 00:37:20,838 --> 00:37:22,440 It's emotional... 665 00:37:24,075 --> 00:37:25,910 now, and I... 666 00:37:26,010 --> 00:37:28,512 I get so embarrassed about the emotions a little bit, 667 00:37:28,613 --> 00:37:30,147 'cause I feel so weak when I do it. 668 00:37:30,248 --> 00:37:32,750 You know what I mean? And I'm a strong person. 669 00:37:32,850 --> 00:37:37,054 But what triggered me is just, like, me thinking, like, 670 00:37:37,154 --> 00:37:38,856 "Girl, you are not happy." 671 00:37:38,956 --> 00:37:41,459 Ain't nothing happy going on in your life right now. 672 00:37:43,294 --> 00:37:45,329 I'm smiling in this picture, but... 673 00:37:46,864 --> 00:37:48,799 it was just a mask. 674 00:37:48,899 --> 00:37:52,203 I wasn't happy. 675 00:37:52,303 --> 00:37:54,805 And I just think back to just all the times where... 676 00:37:56,207 --> 00:37:58,042 I just masked my feelings. 677 00:37:59,644 --> 00:38:01,379 My daughter... 678 00:38:03,381 --> 00:38:06,484 to this day, I will always say, she saved my life. 679 00:38:06,584 --> 00:38:08,219 I'm just really thankful. 680 00:38:10,888 --> 00:38:14,325 I do feel like people should follow their instincts. 681 00:38:14,425 --> 00:38:17,828 And when you're so in love, 682 00:38:19,397 --> 00:38:22,099 you're just not seeing clearly. 683 00:38:22,199 --> 00:38:25,136 And they're seeing them doing hurtful and harmful things 684 00:38:25,236 --> 00:38:27,271 to other people, and they feel like, 685 00:38:27,371 --> 00:38:29,073 "He's not gonna do it to me." 686 00:38:31,275 --> 00:38:33,878 Just pay attention to that, because that person is actually 687 00:38:33,978 --> 00:38:35,546 showing you who they are. 688 00:38:40,017 --> 00:38:42,953 Today, our daughter knows everything about him. 689 00:38:43,054 --> 00:38:46,023 He feels like it's wrong, 690 00:38:46,123 --> 00:38:50,695 but my daughter talks to him today, 691 00:38:50,795 --> 00:38:54,932 and...she feels like 692 00:38:55,032 --> 00:38:57,902 it's wrong and horrible because it was her words. 693 00:38:58,002 --> 00:39:00,204 But I think also a part of her, 694 00:39:00,304 --> 00:39:02,373 like any kid, just see their parents 695 00:39:02,473 --> 00:39:05,009 as just being Mommy and Daddy. 696 00:39:05,109 --> 00:39:07,044 She has shared some conversations 697 00:39:07,144 --> 00:39:10,715 that they have had where he wanted her to come see him. 698 00:39:12,049 --> 00:39:13,751 It scares me 699 00:39:13,851 --> 00:39:17,855 because I know the manipulator he is. 700 00:39:17,955 --> 00:39:21,392 So just them conversating scares me, 'cause I don't know 701 00:39:21,492 --> 00:39:24,362 what he's filling her mind with, making her believe. 702 00:39:25,863 --> 00:39:27,331 I just don't know, and that's the scary part, 703 00:39:27,431 --> 00:39:28,399 because I want to protect her. 704 00:39:34,638 --> 00:39:38,609 [producer] What would you say to Michael if you had the chance? 705 00:39:38,709 --> 00:39:40,745 I'd... I would tell Michael... 706 00:39:44,348 --> 00:39:47,418 How bad he took away so many just years of my life. 707 00:39:47,518 --> 00:39:52,223 Even after the situation, all the pain 708 00:39:52,323 --> 00:39:54,358 and all the suffering I went through, 709 00:39:55,526 --> 00:39:57,762 I would tell him 710 00:39:57,862 --> 00:40:00,765 that he's a coward and I would never look at him as a man. 711 00:40:02,900 --> 00:40:04,969 I would tell him he got what he deserved. 712 00:40:07,138 --> 00:40:09,907 And I know how bad he wanted to break me down 713 00:40:10,007 --> 00:40:11,809 with this situation. 714 00:40:11,909 --> 00:40:14,178 And, you know, I just, I'm just a fighter. 715 00:40:14,278 --> 00:40:16,213 I've been fighting all my life. 716 00:40:16,313 --> 00:40:17,314 And... 717 00:40:18,716 --> 00:40:21,051 I just won't allow this to tear me down. 718 00:40:21,152 --> 00:40:24,155 He wanted me to suffer like him. 719 00:40:26,757 --> 00:40:28,459 But, at the end, he didn't win, though. 720 00:40:28,559 --> 00:40:31,495 [ominous music plays] 721 00:40:37,635 --> 00:40:40,137 My life is good. I have three kids. 722 00:40:40,237 --> 00:40:42,740 I'm married. I'm happy. 723 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:46,076 I felt like, after me going through this storm, 724 00:40:47,545 --> 00:40:49,647 God sent me the perfect man. 725 00:40:51,148 --> 00:40:55,686 He helped raise my daughter, and he has been there 726 00:40:55,786 --> 00:40:56,954 as her father. 727 00:40:57,054 --> 00:40:59,924 My daughter's 18. She's in college. 728 00:41:00,024 --> 00:41:02,493 And things are going really well for me. 729 00:41:02,593 --> 00:41:04,195 I don't look like what I've been through. 730 00:41:04,295 --> 00:41:07,331 And I feel strong, and I feel like I got a lot 731 00:41:07,431 --> 00:41:08,566 of power today. 732 00:41:10,067 --> 00:41:12,069 So life has been good. 733 00:41:19,577 --> 00:41:21,745 Every abuse that an adult 734 00:41:21,846 --> 00:41:23,514 can put on a child 735 00:41:23,614 --> 00:41:26,350 I dealt with, from him. Him alone. 736 00:41:29,987 --> 00:41:31,755 He's 100 percent a monster and a predator, 737 00:41:31,856 --> 00:41:33,123 and a killer.