In 1984, Phyllis Cottle was tortured, then left to die in a burning car, yet she survived. For one reason: “To fry the son-of-a-bitch.” Detectives called Phyllis a “living homicide victim” because she could not identify her rapist, but Phyllis was no victim. Throughout her hours-long ordeal she never panicked, opting instead to channel a sort of controlled rage to, as she put it, “catch the bastard.” As a reporter and former CNN anchor, I (Carol Costello) covered every kind of vicious crime imaginable. Most stories I was able to leave at work. But not this one. Phyllis gets under your skin. She was one badass woman. You must know her name. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veteran journalist Carol Costello introduces the story of Phyllis Cottle, examining the case itself and its unimaginable cruelty, as well as the story of the victim who became a determined, heroic detective in the pursuit of justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

March 20, 1984 started out as a promising spring day for a single mom from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. It wouldn’t end that way. Phyllis Cottle is assaulted in broad daylight as she leaves work, forced into her car at knifepoint, and left wondering why no one came to her aid. *We recommend you listen to the Prologue prior to this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phyllis’ nightmare has only just begun. Crumpled onto the floorboard of her Buick, she begins to mentally catalog every detail she can about her knife-wielding attacker as he drives toward an unknown destination where she endures horrible consequences. But a request from the assailant and an eye-catching object provide her with the ammo she needs to not only survive, but to “fry the bastard.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ninety minutes after her abduction, Phyllis, bound and lying down on the back seat of her car, is brutalized and left for dead. Good samaritans rush to her rescue. And host Carol Costello recounts how, as a 22-year-old reporter at WAKR/TV23, word of something strange in East Akron began to spread through the newsroom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an emergency room at Akron City Hospital, medical staff tend to Phyllis while detectives attempt to interview her. The biggest question of all isn't whether she'll lose her vision, but whether her memory superpowers will be enough to catch the bastard who did this to her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recovering in her hospital room, Phyllis mines her memory for any details that might help apprehend her attacker. Detective Chris Contos develops theories about what kind of perpetrator the Akron Police Department is dealing with. Carol talks to criminologist Dr. Casey Jordan about the mindset of such a criminal, and discusses the question that’s on everyone’s mind: who would do this? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we present a pair of extended interviews with two of the voices in our series: former prosecutor Emily Pelphry, and criminologist Dr. Casey Jordan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Calls flood the hotlines as Akron PD conducts a citywide manhunt to find Phyllis’ attacker. Phyllis’ description of the house fuels the search, though police cannot ask her — blinded and still recovering — to point out the location. And a particular tip leads Detective Chris Contos to a group of witnesses and his first compelling suspect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Detectives zero in on their suspect, Samuel Herring, whose rap sheet stretches back to childhood. But how will they confirm he’s their guy when Phyllis cannot see? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Police continue their search throughout Akron for a blue house with a black eagle, which they hope will lead them to the scene of the crimes. But will Phyllis’ descriptions prove accurate? And detectives dig deep to learn more about their suspect’s past — but how will they link him to the crime scene? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phyllis receives a grave medical update, and begins to question her very existence. As she searches for a way out of the darkness, the media looks for her. And at the urging of her boss, Phyllis decides to take the narrative into her own hands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phyllis steels herself for the long-awaited trial. Law enforcement reaches out to a potential star witness. And prosecutors hope Phyllis’ testimony sways the jury enough to overlook their lack of physical evidence, before she faces a rapid-fire cross examination. Episode Image ©Marcy Nighswander  – USA TODAY NETWORK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now the defense makes its case. As witness Chili Mo enters the courtroom, prosecutor Bob Bulford notices something remarkable unfold before his eyes. Phyllis braces for the moment Samuel Herring takes the stand, a questionable move on the part of his attorney. Criminologist Casey Jordan breaks down the defense’s lines of questioning. Will Herring’s testimony be enough to convince the jury of his innocence? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trial is over, but the hard work continues. Phyllis feels a newfound purpose in life, and manifests unexpected forgiveness. Her family continues her fight for justice, vowing to keep her convicted attacker behind bars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phyllis Cottle said if she “had just been raped,” she may not have gone to police. “I didn’t want the hassle,” she said. But it was more than that: shame, blame, disbelief — reasons that still resonate with survivors today.  In this bonus episode, host Carol Costello sits down with Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh, who has created a campaign that aims to change the way society talks about sexual assault.  EPISODE CREDITS Host - Carol Costello Producer - Chris Aiola Audio Engineer - Sean Rule-Hoffman Contributor - Nijah Golliday Production Director - Brigid Coyne Executive Producer - Gerardo Orlando Original Music - Timothy Law Snyder Guest: Sherri Bevan Walsh, Summit County Prosecutor (https://prosecutor.summitoh.net/pages/About-Prosecutor-Sherri-Bevan-Walsh.html) Start By Believing Campaign (https://startbybelieving.org/home/) For additional information about Phyllis Cottle’s case, please visit our newly-launched website (www.carolcostellopresents.com), Carol’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/CarolLMU) and Instagram page (www.instagram.com/carolcostello). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices