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It's another hot and humid night in the small East Texas town.

Single mom Elaine is trying to get some sleep.

But her 8 -year -old daughter has other plans.

Hey,

if I stop scratching those mosquito bites, it's only going to make it worse.

I can't help it, Mama.

Do you think that tonight you could be a brave girl and go sleep in your own

bed?

She was afraid of the dark, and so she often slept with her mother.

Why? Because Mommy has a really big day at work tomorrow.

Okay, only because I love you, Mama.

Good night.

She

went

into her own bedroom, which she had never slept in before.

She was counting coins in a piggy bank.

and she eventually drifted off to sleep.

Her bedroom window faces the parking lot.

It's on the first story, and the window's fairly low to the ground.

Sometime during the night, an unknown male opened up the window and

snatched her out of her bedroom.

It's one of those nightmare scenarios.

The next morning, Elaine goes to wake her daughter. Time to wake up.

Where are you?

Are you hiding?

This isn't funny.

Certainly her mother would never have expected her daughter to be plucked

from her bed.

I need you to send out an officer immediately. My daughter is missing, and

don't know where she is. And her window, her window is open, and I think she's

in trouble.

Ma 'am, slow down.

Ma 'am, what's your address?

Police swarm the area, but there's no sign of the little girl. Three.

Until. Two.

Later that day, some neighborhood children are enjoying a game of hide

-seek.

Her throat's lit.

She wants to scream, but she can't because her voice box is cut.

She's lying on an ant mound.

She had ant bites all over her body, in addition to the trauma and damage that

she had suffered because of the assault.

She was just helpless, and she laid there for 12 hours.

I got her.

Stay with me, sweetheart.

Miraculously, the girl is still alive.

You're going to be okay.

Get Life Flight now.

Everybody knew that this was a case of a sexual assault and attempted homicide.

And the fact that that was an 8 -year -old girl is especially atrocious.

Stay with me.

It's inconceivable almost to think that someone could do that to an 8 -year -old

girl.

400 miles away, 18 -year -old Lisa Kay is spending a night out on the town with

her aunt Kim. Let's go grab a beer.

All right.

But this time you have to hand over those keys before we go inside.

We were walking down Bathhouse Row. It's, you know, very historic and lots

closed -down buildings, so it was very dark and spooky as it was.

Got him his designated driver.

Holly.

Watch it, buddy.

And all of a sudden, we see this guy fly by on his 10th speed. I'm so sorry.

I didn't mean to scare you ladies. Oh, that's quite all right. I'm sorry. I

scare you ladies off.

I'm Janet.

Lisa.

And I'm her Aunt Kim.

Oh, nice to meet you ladies.

Where are you all headed?

To the bar.

Why don't you come with us?

Yeah, come on. Buy a gala drink.

Well, I would love to, man.

Really, I'm sorry I startled you ladies. You know, it wasn't my intention.

Oh, no problem. You were such a gentleman about it. Well, thank you very

Hey, what can I get you guys?

I'll have a beer, thanks. I'll have a cola, please.

You don't want a real drink? It's on me.

Oh, no, I'm 18, and I don't drink.

Yeah? Well, me neither.

Two colas, please. I did think he was cute, so it was nice that he wasn't a

drinker either.

So did you just graduate high school?

Yeah, yeah. How about you?

Oh, I'm 21 years old, darling. That was years ago.

School wasn't really my thing.

And besides, I always knew I wanted to be a rodeo clown, so I just dropped out.

I am serious.

You were looking at a fifth -generation cowboy, sweetheart.

We had a couple of Cokes, you know, and we just sat there and talked the rest of

the night.

Oh, this one time, right? The bull spunked off my rider, coming straight

him. I had to mosey on over and get over. He popped right through my

barrel. He was very funny. He was outgoing.

He seemed to be a real gentleman, so automatically I did feel very

with him.

Why don't I get at the table? Sure.

So, you a real cowboy?

Yes, ma 'am.

Let me see your scars.

Excuse me?

I know a whole bunch of rodeo guys. They all have scars.

That bull really busted through your barrel?

Bet you have proof of it somewhere on you.

You're good.

I'm not going to get anything by her, am I? He was a great storyteller. He

always liked to see how far he could push the story to make you believe

he was telling you.

But it's the last time that I lie, I swear.

So what's your deal then, cowboy?

Well, I'm starting to be a donation.

I'm good with my hands.

That part's true.

But enough about me.

What's your story?

Say that for another time.

Might as well be here all night.

Well, how about this weekend?

As the weekends add up, the pair becomes inseparable.

How's that for our take, Kim?

I do good?

It's okay.

Kim! I'm just kidding. It's amazing.

He's a keeper, Lisa.

Did you hear that?

She said I was a keeper.

I heard her.

I had started to feel like he could be the one. But at the same time, I had

graduated from high school.

I was unsure of what I was going to do with my life.

So what do you think, Kim?

Should I ask her to marry me?

You should ask her so she can say yes.

I think that sounds like a not a fine idea.

Lisa, will you marry me?

Oh, my Lord, you were serious.

But it's only been five months.

Even when he asked me to marry him, I was still like, you know, we don't have

get married and do this right away. But at the same time, it felt like it was

the right direction to go.

I don't have much to offer, but I'm yours if you'll have me. Of course I'll

you.

Just... Six months after meeting Dennis, Lisa officially becomes Mrs. Bradford.

The newlywed soon moved to Lisa's hometown of Bonnerdale, Arkansas.

Hey, Mr. Bradford.

Come get yourself a drink.

Coming, Mrs.

Bradford. He had finished getting his degree to be a stonemason, but he hadn't

found any jobs or anything to start.

So we decided that that's where we were going to move to and work on my

grandmother's farm.

Thanks for having us, Meemaw.

Oh, honey child, your family.

Besides, I didn't realize I needed so much help.

Well, don't stop talking about me now.

Oh, hush up.

Get back to work.

Six months later, the Bradfords received some wonderful news.

Slow down, Tiger. I just got off the phone with Dr. Radley. And?

I'm two months pregnant.

Are you serious?

Yeah, I'm doing April.

I'm going to be a daddy? You're going to be a daddy? I'm going to be a daddy.

Dennis was very excited to be a father and have his first child be a boy.

You all right, cowboy?

As the months go by, Lisa prepares for motherhood.

She's never been happier.

Dennis doesn't seem to share her excitement.

Okay. What you doing out here?

Oh, same old, same old, rest of my feet, thinking.

I did kind of think that life was starting to slow down for him, being on

farm all the time, when he was used to, you know, being in the big city.

It's time for bed.

You coming?

In a minute.

In April 1993, Lisa and Dennis welcome a baby boy named Felix.

Hey, Daddy.

Hey. Dennis embraces being a father and immediately bonds with his son.

He was always very proud of our son and, you know, wanted to show him off. Gonna

be just like your old man.

And your mama.

Six months later.

Hey, honey.

Hey. Lisa is pregnant again, this time with a baby girl.

And like clockwork, Dennis' odd moods return.

I have one beer, Lisa.

I'm not drunk.

I didn't say you were.

But you wouldn't hide it from me, though.

I think a lot of it was him just keeping it from me because he knew that that's

not who I was. You know, I don't care if you drink, but I just don't drink.

I just want you to be honest with me.

Okay, babe?

Okay. I'm sorry.

I will.

Okay.

We were, you know, playing around. He was laughing and smiling at me.

I just wish I were dead.

And I was like, what?

Dennis!

I don't know where that came from.

I have one beer, Lisa.

I'm not drunk.

I didn't say you were.

Two years into their marriage.

She wouldn't hide it from me is all. Lisa Bradford begins noticing some

behavior. I'm sorry. From her husband, Dennis.

Stop.

What are you doing?

I just wish I were dead.

know where that came from i was just being a jerk i'm sorry it infuriated me

was like why would you say something like that just to be hurtful to me you

should be sorry that's not funny you're so cute when you're angry whatever

dennis don't let it happen again when he came back and apologized i just chose

to let it go instead of dwelling on it

I like that. Feed the horse, feed the pig, feed the family. In that order?

order. For Lisa, life on the farm seems idyllic.

Even when she has to deal with her husband's stories and mood swings.

Three more months and you've got to find yourself another helper.

Mama's going to be out of commission.

You know that is the second time you've said that to me this week?

I know.

Tomorrow it's going to be a third.

Come on.

Stop fooling around. We have work to do. Hey, believe me.

I haven't even begun to start fooling around yet. But one day, he finally goes

too far.

You're bad.

Don't I know it. I'm a bad, bad man.

Remember that girl?

That one that was all over the news?

The one that got kidnapped?

Dennis, do not go there.

I don't know what you're trying to say, but...

I don't want to hear it. He was always trying to push my buttons or get a rise

out of me. I'm telling you, I did that crime.

Damn it.

There's a line, and then you're stepping over the line. You don't joke about

things like that.

I don't even know how you could think it was funny.

It was very inappropriate.

And then after a moment of, oh my gosh, I can't believe I said that, he would be

remorseful. I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry.

You should be.

I just brushed it off because he would forget or lose his filter and say things

that he didn't necessarily mean.

But Lisa can't brush off his sudden increase in binge drinking.

I think he was just kind of depressed.

As time went on, I realized that alcohol was a problem for him.

So for him to have kept that disappearance for a long time, that he

drinker, and then to suddenly now being out all night, you know, drinking, it

was very disappointing.

Dennis eventually comes home and vows to cut back on his boozing.

That July, Lisa gives birth to baby daughter Jessica.

You haven't seen him since last night? No.

I thought he was just going down to the cafeteria for some food or flowers, but

he hasn't been back.

Oh, sweetheart.

That boy's got something going on that has nothing to do with you.

I know, but he should be here.

I mean, what husband leaves hours after your wife gives birth?

It's going to be fun.

Happy birthday.

Where have you been?

I was out celebrating.

We finally had our little baby girl. Don't even try it, Dennis.

Oh, I'm sorry.

He showed up the next morning with a cake that said, happy birthday, Jessica.

And I was livid.

Isn't she beautiful?

Just leave.

What? Oh, no, honey.

Dennis, just go.

Fed up with Dennis's behavior, Lisa decides to end the relationship.

Dennis, I can't do this anymore.

Listen, I...

We both know it's time.

I realized that I was putting in all the effort for us to be married, so I felt

like we just needed to go ahead and be separated.

I'll find a place big enough for us that you can have your own separate space.

That way they can have us in the same house until we figure all this out.

Okay?

I didn't feel bad for him.

He was now in this position of having to start a new life without me because of

his actions and his choices to continue that behavior instead of work on the

marriage with me.

After separating, Lisa and Dennis moved back to Hot Springs, Arkansas, where

they live under the same roof to raise the children.

Let me see if it's inside.

No, I don't see anybody in here.

Hi. How you guys doing?

Just fine. And yourself?

Can't complain.

Just moved to the neighborhood, actually.

Is this your car right here?

Uh, yeah.

Nothing fancy, but good on gas.

Yeah, I've heard that.

Well, nice to meet you guys.

Would your husband happen to be Dennis Earl Bradford?

We're separated.

Who's asking?

I hope you didn't.

Oh, gosh! Get off of me!

What's going on?

Ma 'am, do you have any idea where Dennis was last night?

Excuse me?

Just answer the question.

He was out.

I'm like, you know, how do you know my husband? What's going on? And they're

like, we're undercover detectives.

We have reason to believe that Dennis assaulted a woman last night.

What? No.

No, Dennis would never hurt anybody.

That's a horrible thing to say.

I was just beside myself with what was happening.

I'm telling you, you're making a terrible mistake. I felt like I had the

sucked out of my lungs.

The victim was able to write down her attacker's license plate. It came back a

match to your husband's car.

You need to take us to him.

He's not my husband.

We're separated.

I'll take you to him.

Dennis?

Get out here.

Now. I couldn't even imagine that somebody was accusing Dennis of this,

the same time, it's like...

I didn't know where he had been the night before.

Are you Dennis Earl Bradford?

May I help you, ladies?

A young woman was attacked last night and gave us details that led us here.

What?

No, it's no kind of mistake. I never hurt a woman.

You need to come with us now.

Daddy!

I'm not going anywhere with you. I got my boy here. Exactly. You don't want to

have this conversation in front of your family, so please come.

Hey, buddy.

Daddy's going to go with the nice ladies, okay?

You stay here with Mom.

You'll be good.

Okay. I didn't know what was going on. I just thought this was the last time I'm

ever going to get to see my dad.

I didn't do nothing.

No, no, you can't take my daddy. You can't take my daddy.

Andrew's holding a little fake toy gun. I followed him out the front and started

screaming, you can't take my dad. You can't take my dad.

Don't take my dad. Don't take my dad.

I can still see him in my head. I can still hear him.

Lisa, you gotta believe me.

This is some kind of big misunderstanding.

Then why were you arrested?

I have no idea.

Well, where were you that night?

And no more lies.

I was at the bar.

And when I was... Walking on my car, I saw this woman in the parking lot, and

looked like someone had given her a beating.

You all right?

I'm fine.

You don't look fine.

You look kind of beat up.

You here with someone?

No.

Well, why don't I give you a ride?

You know, home or hospital, your choice.

Home?

Please?

Yeah, here.

I got you.

It's okay.

Come this way.

Hey, you're gonna be okay.

Don't touch me! Get off of me!

You swear that's all that happened?

I swear.

Lisa, I could never lie about something like that.

Then we'll get through this together.

I'd just never seen any kind of violent side to him at all, but I felt like that

maybe he had been at the wrong place at the wrong time, or maybe his accuser

just got it wrong.

As his trial date approaches, the rape charges dropped.

But the second -degree kidnapping charge remains.

Dennis is found guilty and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Lisa files for divorce.

I didn't allow myself to sit and mourn the relationship that had died.

I had to take care of my children. I had to continue with my life.

Just three years into his sentence...

Dennis is released for good behavior.

He went to work every day as a welder and got remarried and lived in North

Little Rock, Arkansas.

Determined for the kids to have a relationship with their father.

All right, Dennis, you'll pick up Felix tomorrow then?

Lisa allows Dennis to see Felix and Jessica one weekend a month.

I'll be there 10 a .m. sharp.

Can you make sure they're wearing sunscreen?

I'm going to take them to the amusement park.

They'll be so excited, Dennis.

I don't tell them.

It's a surprise.

At first it was like he was trying to buy our love because he was always

bringing toys and stuff. And then we started getting to spend weekends with

them. I started trying to go and stay the summers with them.

I felt like we needed to put our past behind us and just move forward for the

benefit of our kids.

And I was happy for him. I wanted him to have a good life.

For nine years, the ex -couple continues to co -parent.

Until Lisa receives a horrifying phone call.

Mr. Bradford, how you doing?

It was my father -in -law. I mean, we are still close, but it was an odd time

year for him to call.

I could immediately hear in his voice, you know, that something bad had

happened. Earl. Slow down.

Protect the children from who?

He said protect the children.

What do you mean Dennis was arrested?

We're here today to announce a significant development in a 19 -year

investigation.

Throughout this journey, I've had two main goals, and they were to

find the man who kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and attempted to murder me 19

years ago so that he could not hurt anyone else.

Now 27 years old, Jennifer Schuett has been waiting 19 long years for justice

to be served.

I wasn't going to forget about what happened to me, and I wasn't going to

anyone else to forget about what had happened to me either.

I wanted to seek justice not only for myself, but for others.

I laid in the field knowing that I was going to die.

I would try to lift my head to go and get help. I would try to scream and no

sound would come out.

And I just wanted to get help so badly, but I had no way to get anyone's

attention.

I got her.

You're going to be okay.

Get Life Flight now.

Jennifer is airlifted to the hospital, where they treat her lacerated throat

trachea. In my 20 -plus years of law enforcement, this is probably the worst

physical injury that I've seen.

While Jennifer fights for her life, officers scour the field for evidence.

I think

I got something here.

Less than a quarter mile away, the investigators found the panties that

was wearing and a pair of men's underwear that were cut off.

They submitted the evidence to the DNA section.

No one expected Jennifer to live through the night.

Somehow, she survives, but there's more bad news to come.

They told her, you will never speak again.

You've lost your voice.

determined to tell her story, Jennifer scribbles down her memories of the

horrific night.

She had a lot of notes. Some of them were just gut -wrenching to read.

She wrote that he smoked cigarettes and drank a beer.

You're doing real good, honey.

I'll be right back.

Hear her now.

I've got to be honest with you, ma 'am.

I wasn't expecting this level of detail from an eight -year -old.

She's not your average eight -year -old.

When she wants something, she puts her mind to it, and she wants that monster

behind bars.

You think she'd be up to helping us do a sketch?

Jennifer was relentless in her desire to help and wanting to provide

information, even as an 8 -year -old girl who can't speak.

Okay, now this is a whole book of facial features.

We've got eyes, noses, mouths, everything.

Just four days after the attack, a forensic artist comes to the hospital to

with Jennifer.

So if I point to a nose and it looks similar to his, give me a thumbs up.

Okay? And I'll start to sketch it.

And if not, put your thumb down, and we'll just keep going until we find the

right one.

Okay?

You understand, sweetheart?

I made it a point from the very beginning to remember every detail that

because I knew one day he would be arrested.

Sure.

Okay, let's get started.

One of the amazing things about it is this was done while Jennifer still had

voice. So they were having to communicate with blinking eyes and hand

come up with this sketch.

The sketch of Jennifer's assailant is released to the media.

Detectives work around the clock to chase every lead.

But as weeks turn into months...

The tip stalled.

They sought out every registered sex offender in the area, and none of that

panned out.

And unfortunately, there's not enough evidence on the clothes to run a DNA

In law enforcement, there are not a lot of whodunits. It's usually, do you have

enough evidence to prove it? In this case, this was truly a whodunit.

After two weeks in the hospital, Jennifer Schuett makes a miraculous

Remember what the doctor said? Don't touch it, okay?

I know, but it hurts. Even her voice returns.

But it will take another 18 years before the case picks up momentum.

Detective Tim Cromey partners with FBI agent Richard Renneson to take over the

case.

Ms. Schuett, thanks for coming in. Yeah, sure.

Please, have a seat.

Look, I just want to say that... Okay, look, I'm just going to be completely

honest with you.

I've already gone through four other detectives, and the last one I had, he

my case for ten years.

So what happened to everything? It's just gone now? I'm confused.

My case had been handed off from investigator to investigator, and that

to become very frustrating to me.

I felt like every time that happened that I was going back to square one.

I don't want to do this anymore.

I don't want to put myself through it. I don't want to start it over.

Listen, I'm not going to pretend that I know what it's like to walk in your

shoes, because I don't.

But I promise you, I'm going to work until the end of my career

to get you what you deserve, okay?

He just handed me tissues and said what no other investigator had ever said to

me before, and that's all I needed to hear.

Detective Cromey and Agent Renneson take a trip to the Sheriff's Department.

All right, this is everything we have.

Where key evidence is still being kept.

We were very impressed that the evidence was stored and housed in textbook

fashion for all of these years. It was pristine.

I talked to the FBI lab in Quantico.

They said there wasn't enough evidence on the clothing back then to extract a

DNA profile.

But with 18 years of technology advancement... They need a lot less

evidence. So we've got a shot.

Let's hope so.

The evidence is sent back to the lab in Quantico, Virginia for DNA testing.

And we knew this was not a priority case. It wasn't going to move up to the

front of the line. It took a while.

They wait patiently for over a year until the results finally come in.

It's 2 .30 a .m., Renison. What do you want?

What?

We got a hit?

Oh, my God.

Well, who is it?

19 years after Jennifer Shewitt was raped and left for dead in a Texas

It's 2 .30 a .m., Renison. What do you want?

Detective Cromey and Agent Renison get the news of their careers.

Well, who is it? He said it's a Dennis Earl Bradford.

And my comment to him was, who the hell is Dennis Earl Bradford?

Due to his 1996 arrest for second -degree kidnapping, Bradford was put in

DNA index system CODIS.

We began looking through databases to try to find out as much as we could

Dennis Earl Bradford.

And we found Dennis Bradford lived almost halfway between where she was

and where she was left in the field. So that put Bradford's residence right

along the path that the abductor drove.

To add a face to the name, investigators get a copy of an old driver's license.

When they compare it to the forensic drawing, the results are chilling.

I was more than stunned. It was unbelievably accurate.

On October 13, 2009, Dennis Earl Bradford is arrested in Arkansas.

He was brought to the detective division over there, and that's when Richard and

I got to meet him for the first time face -to -face.

You ever heard the name Jennifer Shewitt?

Yes. We sat down in an interview room with him for almost four hours.

Because of my mistake.

If you were to see her, I think you would be extremely proud of her.

I really do.

Oh, thank you.

She's alive.

Yes, she's alive. She's alive.

She's alive.

You want me to tell you she's alive now?

An emotional Bradford breaks down and confesses.

As he drove through the parking lot, he saw a light on in the window.

There was something in the window that made him think there's a young girl in

that bedroom window.

Bradford grabbed Jennifer out of her bed and put her in his car and started

driving into Dickinson.

You just don't worry, all right?

I'm an undercover police officer.

I had a gut feeling that something was very wrong here.

Do you want some candy?

I don't take candy from strangers.

Well,

watch the moon.

I'm going to change his colors.

Mom's going to come get you.

If you're an undercover cop, where's your gun and your badge?

You're supposed to have one.

It's in the back.

put her in the field and raped her and slit her throat and left her there for

dead.

Luckily for me, I don't remember the rape because I was unconscious.

I don't remember the cutting, the strangling. You know, I'm grateful for

Lisa hears the horrifying news about her ex -husband. Her whole relationship

flashes before her eye.

I'm a bad, bad man.

I'm telling you, I did that crime.

Dennis, what's the matter with you?

In a gut -wrenching moment, Lisa realizes the story Dennis told her 15

wasn't a joke.

It was a confession.

I feel like looking back on it that he was trying to get it off his chest, so

speak, or to confess.

When I saw the sketch, I knew instantly that it was Dennis.

I mean, it was spot on.

To me, it's the most heinous crime I've ever heard of. It's unimaginable.

There was no outward signs that he was this monster that abducted and almost

killed an 8 -year -old child after a horrible sexual assault.

There is no other side to the story.

She was innocent.

The demons he had inside of him were far from the exterior that he showed.

Dennis Bradford was living a double life.

A sociopath could commit those kind of crimes and then present such a normal

face to his wife and the people in his everyday life.

With a full confession, investigators extradite Dennis Bradford back to Texas,

where he is charged with attempted capital murder.

I told you we'd get him.

I'm so grateful.

Thank you.

Jennifer Schuett finally comes face to face with the man she's been chasing for

19 years.

I never cried.

I just stared at him.

And that was like the best moment of my life.

Like knowing that he would never be able to hurt anyone else again.

Before the trial can begin, the case takes a devastating blow.

When Dennis Bradford hangs himself in jail.

I just remember screaming, no, no, no.

I felt like he owed me 10 minutes to read my victim impact statement. It was

me and my healing. And he didn't give me that. He ripped it away from me in just

a matter of minutes.

So Jennifer takes justice into her own hands.

So I drove to his grave site.

On August 10th of 2010, which was the 20 -year anniversary of my kidnapping, and

I sat at his gravesite, and I read my victim impact statement there, and a

ant bit me on the leg, and I thought, okay, this is a sign. He heard me.

Today, Jennifer Schuett is married and the mother of two young children. She

made it her mission to share her story.

to help other survivors.

Lisa Kostelik is happily remarried. She still struggles with the idea that she

once married a person she never really knew.

It's still hard to imagine that he did it, but I know he did it.

Jennifer is the most amazing person. She's a survivor.

And that she is not the victim and that she is victorious, it just amazes me.

Thank you for watching Investigation Discovery On Demand.

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