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Ashley Reeves endured a great deal after going missing in 2006. She later became known as the survivor of three attempted strangulations. Her teacher, who was also having a physical relationship with Reeves, attempted to murder her.

When Ashley went missing, her mother contacted the phone company because she was only 17 years old and the phone was registered in her mother’s name. She was able to obtain all of her phone records, both incoming and outgoing.

Michelle combed through the records and discovered multiple phone calls from the same number. Michelle made the decision to speak with Samson Shelton, 26.

Michelle inquired as to whether Samson had heard or seen Ashley. He quickly hung up the phone before she could ask why he was talking to her adolescent daughter. Ashley, thankfully, kept her friends informed about her personal life, and what they told the cops sent chills down Michelle’s spine.

Ashley was romantically involved with Samson, an older man who also happened to be her teacher, according to her friends. Samson admitted to having sexual relations with her and being with her on the day she died after many hours of interrogation.

Ashey Reeves Is A Survivor Of Three Strange Attempts: Wikipedia Bio

The survivor’s story, Ashley Reeves, was also featured in the film Left for Dead. Her parents reported her missing to the police after she went missing.

Her boyfriend at the time, Jeremy, was the first suspect because she had used his car that day, but he was quickly cleared because he knew nothing about her disappearance.

Sam Shelton was arrested as a minor suspect after her family discovered that he was the most recent person she spoke with. He stated that he hadn’t seen her in days and had no idea where she was.

As the interrogator pressed him further, he changed his story. After a 12-hour interrogation, he finally admitted to his relationship with Reeves and what he did to her. He confessed to strangling her three times before abandoning her in the cold.

Ashley Reeves had to relearn a lot of things after becoming paralyzed: Injury Photos

Following the assault, Reeves lost some of her memory. All she could think about was their fight that day. Her recovery was challenging because she had to relearn how to eat, speak, and move her limbs.

Her parents had been informed by the doctors that she would be unable to return to her previous self for some time. They also stated that there was a possibility she would not survive.

Ashley had survived multiple attempts to strangle her almost to death and had been left there for 32 hours. EMTs responded quickly and transported her to a nearby hospital, where she was placed in an induced coma.

Detectives recognized the importance of the first 48 hours and wasted no time in looking for the missing teen. Ashley would not have been discovered in time if they hadn’t persuaded Samson to bring them to her.

Is Sam Shelton, the teacher, still in prison?

Sam Shelton is currently incarcerated and will remain so until 2024. Surprisingly, he was released on bail and placed under house arrest in 2006. Many people were outraged at the treatment of the person who attempted to murder a teenager at the time.

Just before Sam faced attempted murder charges in court, his mother, Susan, called the cops to report that he had attempted suicide by ingesting a combination of prescription pills and alcohol.

The judge presiding over Ashley’s case questioned Samson’s mental health, but prosecutors claimed his suicide attempt was merely a ploy to gain sympathy from potential jurors.

A month later, a psychiatrist determined Samson was mentally competent to stand trial. Nonetheless, Ashley’s family decided that they did not want her to go through the ordeal she had endured on April 27 and agreed to a plea bargain. Samson accepted the plea bargain and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Lifetime’s Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story delves into a true story of trauma and survival. Ashley Reeves, 17, went missing on April 27, 2006, and was discovered clinging to life in a park more than a day later, according to the Illinois Daily Journal. She’d been choked, her neck had been broken, and she was barely breathing when authorities found her. Police charged Samson Shelton, a 26-year-old high school teacher who knew Reeves, with the crime following an investigation. He’d met her in middle school and the two had developed a romantic relationship.

According to Crime Watch Daily, Reeves claimed she was injured during a fight with Shelton while attempting to break up with him. Shelton claimed responsibility for the breakup, but otherwise confirmed much of Reeves’ story. According to CBS, Shelton told authorities that he tried to push her out of a moving car, and when her neck cracked, he carried her to the park “to make it appear as if she was strangled there.” After pleading guilty to attempted first-degree murder, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2007.

Below is an overview of the crime that forever changed Reeves’ life, as well as an update on where she is now.

Her assailant was convicted after getting caught in a lie

St. Clair County Patrol Division Lieutenant Michael Hundelt told Elizabeth Smart for Crime Watch Daily that Shelton was only a minor lead in early investigations. During his initial interrogation, he gave false testimony, claiming he hadn’t seen Reeves in days. Investigators became concerned after Shelton was caught changing his story multiple times, first claiming his relationship with Reeves was platonic before admitting the truth. “He had changed the story so drastically that a person with nothing to hide… why would you change it that drastically?” Swansea Police Chief Steven Johnson told Crime Watch Daily.

Shelton’s web of lies began to unravel when it was revealed that he was with Reeves on the day she went missing. Shelton eventually confessed to assaulting Reeves and leaving her for dead after a 12-hour interrogation.

As a result of the attack, Reeves suffered traumatic brain injuries

While Reeves confirmed that she and Shelton had a fight after their breakup, she also stated that it was the only memory she has of the attack. She told Smart that she has no recollection of the days preceding or following the attack.

Reeves faced an uphill recovery battle after being discovered more than 30 hours after the attempted murder. According to CBS, Reeves, who was once a talented athlete, had to relearn how to talk, swallow, and move her limbs.

She returned to the site of her rescue with Smart in 2017 as part of a Crime Watch Daily episode. “It’s hard to believe that this is where I was for so long and in such bad shape,” Reeves said. “It makes me feel like I’m as tough as everyone says I am.” I’m a fighter, and I just want to push myself further and further.”

Anwen O’Driscoll, who plays Reeves in the Lifetime film, told the Sioux City Journal that while preparing for the role, she reached out to Reeves but didn’t want to question her about the experience. The story revolves heavily around Reeves’ recovery and Shelton’s trial. “I wouldn’t want to come at her with such a heavy subject,” O’Driscoll explained. “It’s her story, and I think she’s done talking about it and having people attack her about it.”

Reeves now keeps a low profile

Reeves has tried to put the whole thing behind her, with the exception of that 2017 interview with Smart. “I’m glad it’s over,” she said after Shelton’s conviction in 2007. “I just want to get on with my life without worrying about it.” That’s exactly what she’s done. Reeves is now 32 years old and has two children. The Lifetime movie’s end credits reveal that she is raising her family in Illinois while working as a caregiver.

Shelton is still serving his sentence at the Hill Correctional Center in Galesburg, Illinois, according to inmate records. He is eligible for parole on April 22, 2024. He’ll be 44 by then.

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