Woman recounts violent 1996 attack by ex-boyfriend who later killed a mother

C.C. Opanowski is recounting the harrowing experience of a violent attack by her ex-boyfriend, Shawn Doyle, in 1996. The incident occurred when Doyle, whom Opanowski had dated in high school, came to her home in Hudson Falls, New York. Once inside, Doyle allegedly became violent, restraining her and pushing her against French doors before cutting off her ponytail.

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He pushed me onto the couch, started holding me down, restraining me, yelling at me. And he picked me up and pushed me against the French doors.

"Demeaning," Opanowski described the act of having her hair cut off, believing it was an attempt by Doyle to assert control. She told "48 Hours" correspondent Anne-Marie Green that Doyle also held scissors to her throat at one point, making her fear for her life. The ordeal continued until her college roommate, Shannon McCauliffe, called. Opanowski managed to convey her distress through her tone of voice, prompting McCauliffe to immediately call the police.

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Demeaning.

Upon the police's arrival, Opanowski felt her concerns were not taken seriously. She stated that officers did not handcuff Doyle and even placed them in the same police car. Furthermore, she claims they were interviewed together at the station, leading her to feel the police treated the situation as a minor dispute. The Hudson Falls Police Department acknowledged that law enforcement's response to domestic violence has evolved significantly over the decades. Doyle was arrested and charged with menacing, harassment, and trespassing, eventually pleading guilty to menacing in the second degree and receiving a three-year probation sentence.

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You think that is why he did it?

Opanowski's story is featured in "Facing a Monster," an encore broadcast of "48 Hours" airing Saturday, August 8. The report details her long journey toward healing and the courage it took to confront her attacker in court.

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Probably. Just to make sure he could knock me down somewhere.