Cece Opanowski

In January of 1996, I just finished my first semester of college in upstate New York. My ex-boyfriend, Sean Doyle, and I had been broken up for approximately four months. My name is Cece Opanowski. My mother was going away for the weekend, so I had this whole big house to myself. And my friend Shannon and I, we were very close. I said, well, let's stay at my house because there's no one around.

In January of 1996, I just finished my first semester of college in upstate New York. My ex-boyfriend, Sean Doyle, and I had been broken up for approximately four months. My name is Cece Opanowski. My mother was going away for the weekend, so I had this whole big house to myself. And my friend Shannon and I, we were very close. I said, well, let's stay at my house because there's no one around.

It was just a girls' night. We just wanted to chill out. You know, it's winter, it's cold, we built a fire. My parents had a great stereo system, so, you know, we put on some music and danced around and, you know, just did girl stuff.

It was just a girls' night. We just wanted to chill out. You know, it's winter, it's cold, we built a fire. My parents had a great stereo system, so, you know, we put on some music and danced around and, you know, just did girl stuff.

I couldn't believe it. You don't want it to be true, and it's terrible.

I couldn't believe it. You don't want it to be true, and it's terrible.

I felt for her whole entire family and her two young children.

I felt for her whole entire family and her two young children.

I would have pressed my charges much further.

I would have pressed my charges much further.

I need to make sure that he is put away for murdering Lori. At this point, now I'm angry. I'm not fearful.

I need to make sure that he is put away for murdering Lori. At this point, now I'm angry. I'm not fearful.

So Shannon leaves, and I get up and go around the house doing whatever, watching TV, you know, being a lazy teenager. And I get a knock at the door, and I open it, and it's him. And he said, I just want to talk to you. And once he was inside, things got much different. He pushed me onto the couch, started, you know, holding me down and restraining me, you know, yelling at me.

So Shannon leaves, and I get up and go around the house doing whatever, watching TV, you know, being a lazy teenager. And I get a knock at the door, and I open it, and it's him. And he said, I just want to talk to you. And once he was inside, things got much different. He pushed me onto the couch, started, you know, holding me down and restraining me, you know, yelling at me.

And he picked me up and pushed me against the French doors and kept banging me against the French doors.

And he picked me up and pushed me against the French doors and kept banging me against the French doors.

I was relieved and happy that he was going to be punished for what he did.

I was relieved and happy that he was going to be punished for what he did.

To me, it almost felt like there wasn't a man left inside of him, but more like a monster. For your crimes to become worse as you go, to almost perfect them, to think about them in that serial fashion.

To me, it almost felt like there wasn't a man left inside of him, but more like a monster. For your crimes to become worse as you go, to almost perfect them, to think about them in that serial fashion.

My hair was in a ponytail, and he picked me up, held me up, and cut my hair off. It was gone, just all of it. He had already been choking me, and I thought he was going to stab me.

My hair was in a ponytail, and he picked me up, held me up, and cut my hair off. It was gone, just all of it. He had already been choking me, and I thought he was going to stab me.

Be vigilant. Look at what's happening in front of you and make sure someone knows. Don't keep it quiet. Pay attention. And when you have that feeling, that one that doesn't go away, you know, the one that you try to push down, that's the one you should listen to the most.

Be vigilant. Look at what's happening in front of you and make sure someone knows. Don't keep it quiet. Pay attention. And when you have that feeling, that one that doesn't go away, you know, the one that you try to push down, that's the one you should listen to the most.

I've waited so long and I've had to live with it for all of these years.

I've waited so long and I've had to live with it for all of these years.

I'm in complete shock. I can't believe it's happening, and I have to figure out how to get out of it. But during this time, the phone continues to ring. I waited a couple of minutes, and I called her back. I explained to him, if I don't answer this phone, my mother will call the police. So I do pick up the phone, and it's Shannon. I said, hey, are you OK?

I'm in complete shock. I can't believe it's happening, and I have to figure out how to get out of it. But during this time, the phone continues to ring. I waited a couple of minutes, and I called her back. I explained to him, if I don't answer this phone, my mother will call the police. So I do pick up the phone, and it's Shannon. I said, hey, are you OK?

And I don't know why I did this, but I started unloading the dishwasher. And I'm saying to her, no, no, yeah, everything's fine. No, no. And no kept coming out of my mouth. And he didn't pick up on it, but she sure did. And that's when she said, is he there? And I said, yes.

And I don't know why I did this, but I started unloading the dishwasher. And I'm saying to her, no, no, yeah, everything's fine. No, no. And no kept coming out of my mouth. And he didn't pick up on it, but she sure did. And that's when she said, is he there? And I said, yes.

Believe me, I do realize how lucky I am.

Believe me, I do realize how lucky I am.

I'm fortunate that it could have been much, much worse.

I'm fortunate that it could have been much, much worse.

I can tell you that I knew nothing was ever going to be the same. And it was going to change the way I looked at everything.

I can tell you that I knew nothing was ever going to be the same. And it was going to change the way I looked at everything.

Probably.

Probably.

They do not put him in handcuffs, and they put us in the back of the same police car. Mind you, all of this time, I've clearly looked like I've been assaulted. My hair is completely cut off. And when they arrived at the police station,

They do not put him in handcuffs, and they put us in the back of the same police car. Mind you, all of this time, I've clearly looked like I've been assaulted. My hair is completely cut off. And when they arrived at the police station,

And they made it seem like it was some fight between two young kids that turned, you know, slightly dark.

And they made it seem like it was some fight between two young kids that turned, you know, slightly dark.

Looking at it and you're saying, did this really happen to me? You know, how could this happen to me?

Looking at it and you're saying, did this really happen to me? You know, how could this happen to me?

When you're a 16, 17-year-old girl and, you know, you're looking at, oh, jealousy, you know, he must love me so much, and that's why he's doing this, or he followed me home, he's so worried about me. But is that really what the case is? When you look back as an adult and someone with experience, you know, you think that's probably not okay.

When you're a 16, 17-year-old girl and, you know, you're looking at, oh, jealousy, you know, he must love me so much, and that's why he's doing this, or he followed me home, he's so worried about me. But is that really what the case is? When you look back as an adult and someone with experience, you know, you think that's probably not okay.

He at one point did get a tattoo. It was a heart on his arm and it had my name in the middle. What did you say? Why would you do that? And his response?

He at one point did get a tattoo. It was a heart on his arm and it had my name in the middle. What did you say? Why would you do that? And his response?

And this is where things start to get darker. You know, he doesn't have any prospects. He knows that I'm getting ready to go away to school. And to him, his whole life is about to completely change.

And this is where things start to get darker. You know, he doesn't have any prospects. He knows that I'm getting ready to go away to school. And to him, his whole life is about to completely change.

He stood outside, basically threatening that he was going to kill me. And now he's threatening not just you, but anyone around you. Basically anyone around me.

He stood outside, basically threatening that he was going to kill me. And now he's threatening not just you, but anyone around you. Basically anyone around me.

You know, I was always looking over my shoulder. I bought myself a Swiss Army knife. I'm having night terrors. You know, waking up crying, waking up screaming, not being able to sleep.

You know, I was always looking over my shoulder. I bought myself a Swiss Army knife. I'm having night terrors. You know, waking up crying, waking up screaming, not being able to sleep.

I didn't want to have to face him in court. I didn't want to be going over this over and over and over again. I really wanted it to go away.

I didn't want to have to face him in court. I didn't want to be going over this over and over and over again. I really wanted it to go away.

Mmm.

Mmm.

Mmm.

Mmm.

Mmm.

Mmm.

In January of 1996, I just finished my first semester of college in upstate New York. My ex-boyfriend, Sean Doyle, and I had been broken up for approximately four months. My name is Cece Opanowski. My mother was going away for the weekend, so I had this whole big house to myself. And my friend Shannon and I, we were very close. I said, well, let's stay at my house because there's no one around.

It was just a girls' night. We just wanted to chill out. You know, it's winter, it's cold, we built a fire. My parents had a great stereo system, so, you know, we put on some music and danced around and, you know, just did girl stuff.

I couldn't believe it. You don't want it to be true, and it's terrible.

I felt for her whole entire family and her two young children.

I would have pressed my charges much further.

I need to make sure that he is put away for murdering Lori. At this point, now I'm angry. I'm not fearful.

So Shannon leaves, and I get up and go around the house doing whatever, watching TV, you know, being a lazy teenager. And I get a knock at the door, and I open it, and it's him. And he said, I just want to talk to you. And once he was inside, things got much different. He pushed me onto the couch, started, you know, holding me down and restraining me, you know, yelling at me.

And he picked me up and pushed me against the French doors and kept banging me against the French doors.

I was relieved and happy that he was going to be punished for what he did.

To me, it almost felt like there wasn't a man left inside of him, but more like a monster. For your crimes to become worse as you go, to almost perfect them, to think about them in that serial fashion.

My hair was in a ponytail, and he picked me up, held me up, and cut my hair off. It was gone, just all of it. He had already been choking me, and I thought he was going to stab me.

Be vigilant. Look at what's happening in front of you and make sure someone knows. Don't keep it quiet. Pay attention. And when you have that feeling, that one that doesn't go away, you know, the one that you try to push down, that's the one you should listen to the most.

I've waited so long and I've had to live with it for all of these years.

I'm in complete shock. I can't believe it's happening, and I have to figure out how to get out of it. But during this time, the phone continues to ring. I waited a couple of minutes, and I called her back. I explained to him, if I don't answer this phone, my mother will call the police. So I do pick up the phone, and it's Shannon. I said, hey, are you OK?

And I don't know why I did this, but I started unloading the dishwasher. And I'm saying to her, no, no, yeah, everything's fine. No, no. And no kept coming out of my mouth. And he didn't pick up on it, but she sure did. And that's when she said, is he there? And I said, yes.

Believe me, I do realize how lucky I am.

I'm fortunate that it could have been much, much worse.

I can tell you that I knew nothing was ever going to be the same. And it was going to change the way I looked at everything.

Probably.

They do not put him in handcuffs, and they put us in the back of the same police car. Mind you, all of this time, I've clearly looked like I've been assaulted. My hair is completely cut off. And when they arrived at the police station,

And they made it seem like it was some fight between two young kids that turned, you know, slightly dark.

Looking at it and you're saying, did this really happen to me? You know, how could this happen to me?

When you're a 16, 17-year-old girl and, you know, you're looking at, oh, jealousy, you know, he must love me so much, and that's why he's doing this, or he followed me home, he's so worried about me. But is that really what the case is? When you look back as an adult and someone with experience, you know, you think that's probably not okay.

He at one point did get a tattoo. It was a heart on his arm and it had my name in the middle. What did you say? Why would you do that? And his response?

And this is where things start to get darker. You know, he doesn't have any prospects. He knows that I'm getting ready to go away to school. And to him, his whole life is about to completely change.

He stood outside, basically threatening that he was going to kill me. And now he's threatening not just you, but anyone around you. Basically anyone around me.

You know, I was always looking over my shoulder. I bought myself a Swiss Army knife. I'm having night terrors. You know, waking up crying, waking up screaming, not being able to sleep.

I didn't want to have to face him in court. I didn't want to be going over this over and over and over again. I really wanted it to go away.

Mmm.

Mmm.

Mmm.