I am a survivor of an attempted murder.

Glad you're still with us.

Did you ever see the girlfriend again? If so, how did the conversation go?

What ultimately happened to your attackers? Did you have to testify at their trials?

I did see her but did not talk to her.

The four of them went to prison after two took pleas and two took it to trial. One got 18 and the other three got 10 and a half.

Thank you for the gold.

WTF is wrong with the system. These should be 20 year sentences at a minimum.

I have said before "why do they get a lesser sentence for a failed attempt?" The intent was still to kill me but remarkably I lived through it.

These men clearly represent a threat to society. Their vicious nature mixed with lack of common sense should be taken I to consideration. If a man walks in on his gf fucking a man and he stabs him, he really only poses a threat to men he catches in the act of fucking his GF. If a man tracks down with his friends and tries to kill a man who talked with his gf, well that leaves a shit load of society which should fear him and his friends.

Clearly, and I will say that if I had died one of the factors for a life sentence or death sentence is the violent nature of the crime.

Do you think that they would have been caught had you not lived?

I think they would have actually but it would have likely only been one or two of them that were tried instead of the four.

Do u think about the day they get out?

When people ask about it I look it up but besides that usually not. My family worries more than I do.

Are you satisfied with those sentences? Or would you like them to be in longer?

That is an interesting question for me. While I stated above that I am surprised that people get a lighter sentence just because they failed in the attempt. I think there are serious problems with the prison system as well.

What do you intend to do when they're paroled? I can't imagine that three sociopaths robbed of their adulthood are going to live and let live.

I am already planning on moving in the near future. The earliest any of them get out is 2016 from what the web sites say.

Can't you attend parole hearings or submit a statement?

I have that chance indeed.

Do you think DUI should count as attempted manslaughter and should be prosecuted the same as manslaughter?

If there is a victim you can throw in the mitigating circumstances but without one I don't see a big problem. My opinion anyway...

Did you testify at the trials? What was that like?

Did any of them try to apologize?

I did indeed. It was strange, two of the four took it to trial and one of the lawyers tried really hard to turn me into a bad guy.(his job I guess) It was a little over a year after the actual events. Relived the entire experience and had my life under a microscope by the defence.

Not to the court but tried to mouth it to me.

how the hell did they try to make YOU look bad?

I lie and insights the incident to name a couple of things. I had recently donated my hair and was asked if it was to make a better impression.(it was still rather shagy) I was called snarky and told that my memory could not trusted.

"this guy was a predator stalking my client's girlfriend obsessively"

based on the evidence that he offered to walk her home?

Walk with her till she met up with her boyfriend. Not even home.

[deleted]

Even more than that, how can someone say to 3 friends, "This dude was talking to my girl, so I want to kill him. You in?"

And ALL THREE say, "Sure, man, ain't doin' nothin' else tonight..."

A really strange thing to go with it is this group got together regularly to play yu gi oh or however you spell that and the name of their little gang was the premeditated killers or pmk and used bowl burns from their gang mark.

Well that explains everything. Anyone who plays yu gi oh would have a tough time getting a girlfriend, they'd naturally be pretty defensive.

Yeah, everyone knows that all the real cool kids play Magic the Gathering!

I played magic at the time and they tried to say I hung out with them before because everyone involved played card games.

bowl burns

Bowl burns?

A pipe heated to the point to burn and then applied to the skin.

How old are these losers?

They were all around my age at the time. All around 22-26 if I remember right.

fuck you'd hope people that old would have more brains.

Or be able to control their emotions.

I know when my exes had told me they were flirted with I always took it as a compliment.

So are you saying you flirted with her? Just curious.

I did not. I had a girl that I was courting but not exclusive. She was the only one I was interested in.

Did nearly getting murdered help your game at all?

I mean who wouldn't date a guy who can get shot and stabbed all in one night and live to tell the tale!

I can not tell you for sure. I have not tried to use it as such. "With great power"... blah, blah, blah.

Can you please provide proof you are the man named in the article? Thanks!

Feel free to send it privately to the mods.

Update, OP has provided proof and verified he is the man in the article.

I sent them a message.

Dont understand why you're being down voted, its standard AMA procedure to post proof/send it to the mods. No offense OP, but posting a link to an article isn't enough for my over-cynical head!

No worries, I up voted the man above and messaged the mods to try to verify.

What did the Doctor have to say when he found out you weren't a junky? Did you punch him in the nuts? What a pleasant and possibly horrible last thought. "he's probably just a junky" is the last thing you here then you die. Horrible. You do have a Badass story to tell though.

He did not say anything after he found out. I was told I could have taken him to court but never did.

I worked in a Hospital and that shit is beyond fucked up. You never say something like that out loud ever. Obviously the guy saved your life so there is no point in holding a grudge but damn, it's just not ok.

You can think it all you like but don't say it out loud you fuck! Am I right?

What, you can sue a guy for saving your life because he thought you were a junky

For the statement. Slander, and that sort but since I was also awake to hear it.(can you say this guy was giving his best to "some junky") It scared me...

So your roommates friend was in on it too?

He was the only one of the four that knew where I lived.

what was your roommate's reaction?

Here you go:

I never asked him about it. He lived there for a while after but before it had been cleaned up at all so it must have been strange for him too. Walking around an apartment stained with blood on the walls, floors and basically everywhere.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1qs8we/i_am_a_survivor_of_an_attempted_murder/cdg51ws

He is still a friend, he had nothing to do with it. He moved some time ago now.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1qs8we/i_am_a_survivor_of_an_attempted_murder/cdg228h

well yeah I saw that part, but that doesn't really answer the question. I mean, presumably he spoke to his roommate after this happened. I mean, what was that conversation like. 'presumably it was strange to live in a blood soaked house' well no shit. I'm guessing OP didn't return to apartment after or something? we need details!

I honestly just never brought it up. The next time I saw him was with his brother and sister, they were glad to see me up and about and we all left it at that. Some years before his brother had taken a shot gun blast to the jaw. We lived through so much so why dwell.

Did you know your roommates friend before the day it happened? Did he seem like an alright guy?

(obviously he wasn't, I just find it interesting how these animals manage to function in society and seem normal)

I had met him a few times and he seemed alright from those times.

Wait I don't understand fully, or just a slow night. So the girl you were talking to on the bus; as soon as she got off went running to her BF to tell her some guy was talking to her?

That is what it looked like. She ran off and started complaining to her boyfriend. When I tried to tell them they had the wrong idea he said "why would my girl lie to me?"

In retrospect did she seem uncomfortable at all? Were you two even flirting?

I don't think she seemed uncomfortable at all but I should have taken some sign from "you know who my boyfriend is right?"

I thought it was just a casual conversion with an acquaintance.

Did the girlfriend get any punishment? She seemed to be the one who set it all up.

No punishment at all for the instigator in this event.

This honestly makes me think... Were your attackers under the impression that something else had happened due to her word? If so, it is horrible that she got away with no punishment.

edit accidentally a word

It is still very confusing to me the reasoning but I really think it started with "this guy was hitting on me!" But you know "SHE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT."

It's amazing how some people can be so full of themselves: "oh, this guy is talking/looking at me, therefore he must be hitting on me". Maybe they're trying to be friendly or start a conversation? Nope, must be some sort of pervert...

There was a story from another mall in the area that a guy stabbed someone for looking at him...

If she's dumb enough to date someone like that, she's no better than he is. That should have been a sign in itself. But I'm not hating on you at all, what happened happened and I'm sorry it happened to you. I'm glad to see you made it out okay.

I truly did not know they were all that violently inclined.

Wow... Congrats I guess.. but man, that was a tough read. I just can't stop thinking of what you said there, when you got the first hit: "fuck I'm going to die". Did it make you panic? Or did you feel calm? How the fuck does that feel...The realization: I'm gonna die.

I did panic, I don't think anyone could not at that point. I don't know how I was collected enough to think of getting to the patio door through my room. It had no feeling of regular thought, just act. I can not truly describe the moment more than that.

[deleted]

I have a kind of similar experience for that as well. I don't remember it but was told after the fact. I was hanging out someplace with some friends but did not know the guy that lived there. The volume on the tv went up rather loud and I have no memory of what happened around me but the people living there were robbed at gun point while I sat in front of the tv.

Do you have any permanent physical problems as a result of the multiple stabbings and gunshot wounds? Can you explain how the one in your head didn't do any serious harm?

Did you or do you now suffer from any PTSD?

That is one crazy story and several crazy dudes. Are they all locked up now?

How do you feel toward your attackers? How is your life different now? Do you have a closer bond with family and friends as a result? Do you have a different attitude about life in general? Are you careful about talking to women who have boyfriends?

Nothing that bothers me daily. The scar tissue in my neck sticks out in an uncomfortable way some time when I yawn and a pinch in my chest. The bullet in my head hit the skull and traveled along to the back instead of penetrating.

A little...

They are all locked up.

Indifferent is the best way I guess.

"Traveled along to the back instead of penetrating."
If it traveled along to the back, doesn't it mean it penetrated as well?

Not into the skull though. It hit the skull and traveled along it rather than entering.

So, all you remembered was the first stab? You don't remember hearing the gun shots? Did you feel the shot wounds and the stab wounds or was there too much adrenaline?

All I remember feeling was the first stab. What is posted is my memory of the night's events though. I don't recall feeling anything.

Did your experience trigger any sort of life changing epiphany? Do your experience alter your perception of yourself in any way?

I honestly don't feel as though I did. I crashed for a while and still have a dream about it now and then. It took me a bit to really get back to close to where I was then.

Was there a moment when you wanted to give up but something just jolted you forward to live?

I don't think I ever really excepted it but right after the car peeled out of there I thought "this is not how it happens." and got up.

Holy shit, that's insane. How did/have you dealt with this? Do you consider yourself lucky that you survived? Not many people live after being shot in the head; it's amazing that you survived everything they did to you.

Also, did you take legal action against them? Was the girlfriend the one who sicked them on you, or was it unintentional on her part? (Sorry, I have a lot of questions.)

I really hope everything turned out okay for you, and you're doing well.

I tried to do it by just getting back to work asap. I guess I would say lucky, a year and half later I was hit by a car going about 30mph. The state took action but not myself. I think she knew they would confront me and try to hurt me but not in that way.

Okay, that story needs some explaining...

Ask away Sir.

You got hit by a car doing 30 mph 18 months later? Do tell...

I was walking home and had been drinking. I was crossing a street with no traffic and the next thing I know I am in the hospital with a chunk of scalp ripped from my head and a sore leg. I shattered the windshield hence the chunk of scalp, my hair got locked in it when I hit and I knocked off the side mirror. I walked out of the hospital that night and the car remained parked for at least the weekend.

I bet your scalp is a pretty sight to see, I hope you have a lot of hair. I'm just kidding of course, you unlucky lucky SOB. I hope you don't have to face any more near death experienced until you're old and ready.

Full head of hair and alive and well sir.

what is your plan for vengeance?

I have been told I don't have to worry about that by many of my friends.

I can only imagine your horror.....my best friend was also a attempted murder survivor. Christmas night 2012 very established gated community. Guy came in and she woke up to him stabbing her in the chest. Her son came in which diverted his attention which gave her an opportunity to fight back and flee. Stabbed 4 times and ran about 2 blocks with collapsed lung. Apparently the guy (from the neighborhood) came back to the scene dressed in drag with blood on his hands claiming to have a scuffle with a possum. He owned two homes in community, had an MBA and family very prominent in community. She never met him before.....very strange. My question is she is suffering from severe ptsd....is that something you have experienced as well? And if so what kind of treatment have you done for it?

I have not gone for any treatment. I have experienced very little "side effects" as it were...

Is there anything specific that when you see or hear sends you back to that moment?

No, certain loud noises still make me jump and a bad dream now and then about it.

How do you feel about Wynkoop trying to appeal his conviction? I'm sure you'd have a different sentiment if the dude actually won the appeal.

http://azcourts.gov/Portals/0/OpinionFiles/Div1/2009/1%20CA-CR%2008-0203.PDF

"Wynkoop argues the record contains insufficient evidence to support his conviction of attempted first degree murder. In particular, he argues he was “merely present during a surprise attempt at homicide” and did not have the requisite intent to be liable for attempted murder as an accomplice."

Not only does the guy not have the grapes to go after you himself when he was the recipient of your perceived insult, but then he appeals his conviction even going so far as to claim a fifth, fictional attacker was the driving force.

I don't know about you, but I hope the boys in whichever pen he's in are having a good time with him in the showers.

Congratulations on stayin on the right side of the grass. That was no easy feat.

I knew there would be appeals. Almost everyone that has been convicted files for one.

From the trial a fifth person was never brought up but the guy that got 18 tried to take all of the blame. I tried to get papper work to be kept up to date but they don't tell me anything.

Did you have health insurance when this happened? And disability insurance? Basically, did you take a financial hit from this on top of all the other BS you were put through?

The state paid for all of the care and was lucky to have family around to help when I needed it.

Woudn't that be paid by the attackers? I'm not familiar with US law, I'm German, but it sounds reasonable.

Since the state paid for care the restitution was lost wages and anything stolen in the situation. They get to pay the state and myself. I am not getting hardly anything.

Jesus fucking christ that is a mad story. Im genuinely glad you're ok man. Fuck. What sort of sentence did the guys get and how the fuck did they justify escalating the situation so god damn much?

One of them got 18 years the other three got 10 and a half years. I think it escalated as it did because I was not actually afraid until after the first stab. If I had begged and pleaded and all of that I think it would have been different. Just my thoughts on it.

Here is a plan for revenge. Now that this guy is in jail, sleep with his girlfriend.

Seriously, glad your are ok. Did you ever meet any of those guys before?

You never spoke to the girl after this? Man, I would have some serious questions for that chick.

I knew all over them as acquaintances.

Are you afriad for when they get out of prison?

I am not, they all had family with young children and hopefully they will try to reconcile with them rather then come after me. I am fairly certain I will never see those people again.

What happened between you and your roomate? Seeing as one of his/her friends was involved.

He is still a friend, he had nothing to do with it. He moved some time ago now.

What happened to the GF?

Her boyfriend got locked up. That is all.

I wish I knew what she said to her bf for him to do this.

I kind of wish I knew as well. I don't think it was much...

Wait, wait, wait, that wasn't reviewed in the trial? Establishing motive is a big deal in selling a conviction. Knowing what she'd told the man leading up to the attempt could possibly make her accomplice, especially if it was libelous, perjurous or manipulative on her behalf. You never know, some people get off on by-proxy power like that. Some like to script themselves like it's a soap opera.

I was not gone over at all even though she could have very well been the inciting force and yes some people love the drama.

Im scared of getting stabbed whenever i go to Arizona Mills Mall.

That is the mall I worked at. I never experienced anything bad while I was there though. I was still safer hitchhiking then staying in town it seemed some times.

Good to hear you lived... What is the story? It says [removed] in the text box.

It might be because I am trying to verify with mods. I don't think he likes that I am strictly a mobile user here on reddit...

Here it is again.

I am sure it has been done before but here is my story.

Back in May 2006 I got off of work at the mall. I got on the bus as usual and another mall employee I had talked to on a regular basis sat down across from me. We chatted it up for a while and he commented about always running into people that knew me, there was another person I knew as an acquaintance on the bus so we moved back to talk to her as well. The first guy gets off and her I keep talking. She says she has to walk to meet her boyfriend before we get off and I offer to walk with until she meets him but she declines and we go our separate ways.

I go to the store before headed home and grab some beer. Halfway through my first beer there is a knock at the door. A friend of my roommate, we talked for a bit and he left. Almost done with my beer and another knock, it is him again just asked if he could use the restroom thinking nothing of it I say sure and in flood three more people as soon as the door is opened the rest of the way. One of them the boyfriend of the girl on the bus.

The first thing said is "why where you messing with my girl, dawg?" As two of them opened butterfly knives and I tried to talk them down, I sat there calmly on the couch. They were quite unwilling to listen and I think sitting there calm and just trying to talk passed off at least one of them. The boyfriend is in my face waving his knife but he did not make the first strike, his friend jumps out from behind me and stabs me in the neck(It felt like it went in one side and out the other). I stood up grabbed my throat and said "fuck I am going to die." I ran to my bedroom to get away through the patio door in there. I close one door behind me and I am going for the sliding glass door when there is a crash and a slam against the back of my head. They had kicked the door off it's hinges and it hit me.

The next thing I remember I swear I am in my living room again but it my have been me stumbling into the hallway again and I see two flashes. They reflected off of the man's glasses, there was an ambient light coming from outside but for a moment there were just those three flashes.

I am suddenly on the floor looking up at the front door, one figure standing there I tell him "just leave, I'm already dead" the voice raspy and gurgling. He then asks where my phone is and I say I think it's is my bag. After he grabbed it and was out the door I hear a car squeal out of the parking lot leaving me for dead.

I picked myself up off of my floor and stumbled out the door and started knocking at my neighbor's window and door for help. They looked out and right after the man is out with a towel telling his family to call 911. I have no idea how long it took but they start showing up asking me questions. The usual sort I guess, who and why and I was scared to talk because I thought every time I did even more blood poured out then if I were silent. The paramedics arrive to take me away and I tried to persuade them not to cut off my clothes because I was not wearing underwear(my thought now is delirium) I was trying to maintain some modesty I guess. They are asking me questions as they get me ready, on the stretcher and through the ride to the nearest trauma ward a city over. We get there and as they wheel me in to er I get another scare as one doctor says "he's probably a junky that got messed up in a drug deal gone wrong" and just before I go out I can feel an intense pressure around my neck.

That is the story of that evening, two blackouts, stabbed seven times as I was told four of them in the neck and shot four. I have a bullet in my head, one in my chest, one that shattered in my hand and one was removed as it was caught in my esophagus. I was out of the hospital in eleven days. I will attach a link to the Arizona Tribune story.

http://m.eastvalleytribune.com/local/article_ae4b4104-a403-5aa5-af12-de1697ed4325.html?mode=jqm

What was your roommate's response to all of this, considering that the only way they could have tracked you down was through his friend?

I never asked him about it. He lived there for a while after but before it had been cleaned up at all so it must have been strange for him too. Walking around an apartment stained with blood on the walls, floors and basically everywhere.

gnarly man. greetings from mesa

Mesa is where I currently live. Hello to you.

did you enjoy the weather today?

It was rather nice. I like this time of year because it is finally a little cold enough to wear a light jacket and accentuate my style.

Oh my, this is intense. It's awesome you pulled through. I couldn't imagine the pain from the bullets and stabbing. Do you remember the physical pain? Or was there too much adrenaline to notice?

I don't remember feeling anything but presure on the first strike. Nothing after that.

What was your life like prior to this? Any other violence or crazy people? Your answers all seem so calm. How well had you known the girlfriend?

Calm life, I have always known crazy people. I often say it is the people that can not admit it you have to worry about.

Just as an acquaintance. I had known and spoken to all of these people on many occasions.

I found the results of an appeal from one of your attackers for their conviction.

http://azcourts.gov/Portals/0/OpinionFiles/Div1/2009/1%20CA-CR%2008-0203.PDF

It states in there that your neighbor called the cops before you had been attacked. Do you ever see this neighbor? Did you know he/she had done this? I want to buy you both a beer.

As far as I know no one called before hand. My neighbor called after I pulled myself off the floor and knocked on his door and window. He was indeed the man that called 911 though. I will never turn down a beer sir.

Holy shit, I remember reading about this and all I could think at the time was "those dudes have some major anger issues." Glad you made it OP.

Don't forget insecurity problems.

If you met the four attackers while they were in custody, is there anything you'd say to them?

Also I say in an above question, one of the attackers lawyers tried to make you out as the bad guy. How did he do that?

No

I not only lied but instigated the incident and my memory is faulty to name a few things.

You stated that 2 of them had a plea deal. So did two of these 4 criminals not get any time? Was just curious since you said 1 person got 10 yrs and the other 18.

Glad you didn't have any real long term effects from this event. That bitch sounds like the ultimate scum bag Stacey.

Three got 10 and a half and one got 18.

If you ever met the doctor who thought you were a junkie, what would you say or do?

None of them will admit to it but I want to slap that man...

Holy shit! I just can't believe what people would try to kill someone for. Even if you'd slept with the girlfriend, that's so over the top. And to get three of his friends to join him, that's just crazy.

No question, really, because I have so many I wouldn't know where to start. Just glad you got help in time. Also, 18 years and 10 years is bullshit. What's that, really? Out in 9 years, and the other 3 in 5 years?

Arizona you have to serve a minimum of 80% of the sentence from what I understand. One of them that took the plea I was told would probably never get out. When being transported to court he broke a detention officers nose one day and has a swastika tattooed on the back of his head.

Why did the one get 18 years as opposed to 10? Were you a gun owner at the time/are you a gun owner now? I would probably buy a gun after that, and want to after just reading that.

He tried to take all of the blame and they let him take most of it.

I was not and am not a gun owner but I might get one one day. It can be handy.

I had a lot of knives but never reached for one of them.

Never bring a knife to a gun fight.

Buy a gun. You don't have to be a 'gun person' to own a gun. Take it to the range, get to know your new friend and apply for a concealed carry permit. It's your right as a US citizen to own and carry a firearm. Exercise that right, because it might come down to having to use it one day and you definitely don't want to be caught without it.

I would but I don't have the money and I am picky about that sort of thing.(I am a knife kind of guy. I like to know what I am buying.) In Arizona you don't need a permit to conceal any more. I would like a few for any "just in case" situation.

Do you think that this was deliberately instigated by the girlfriend at all?

Do you have any specific anxieties related to the incident, like answering doors?

Thanks for the ama, really interesting and happy days that you survived!

I think she was looking for a reaction but got more than she suspected.

I am very cautious about who I open my door for and a worry about people following me.

One guy I tried to lose still found my apartment and I joke I was nearly a victim of a zombie attack. I think the guy was high on bath salts. He had taken off his shirt before he knocked and asked if I knew an edd and al. I had long hair to my belt at the time and after a while I thought, what if this high mother fucker thought I was the full metal alchemists?...

Wow man! I am impressed, nice survival skills you've got going on there! :)

My question is... Did you pray to God?

I did not.

Many people have said you must be here for a reason and I would say I just need to figure out what it is. One day though someone said well you are still here so you must be doing it right.

Did you manage to get any sort of compensation for your injuries?

15 to 30ish dollars a month from one of them until they pay me back around 5000 dollars. I don't know why I am not getting checks from the rest of them.

You have beautiful hair.

Had, I donated again and I am still trying to decide if I should grow another crop.

You should go fuck his girlfriend and send him pictures

I have been told that many, many times.

Mesa again... Always Mesa...

It happened just a little way from down town Tempe.

Has anyone ever confronted the girlfriend about this? Has she ever tried to contact you at all?

During the court procedures did you ever see the guys that attacked you? If so, how was their reactions? How did you feel?

Was there ever any contact from the attackers, an apology, remorse etc? Did you ever hear of their thoughts on it etc from a mutual source.

Thanks again for the ama!

I don't know if she was confronted.

I saw them all during the trial for the two that took it to trial but it was only a few mouthed words in my direction. I feel mostly indifferent about it all.

I have not headed anything of their feelings after the fact.

what were the words?

The only one I could make out was sorry. Their actions told me differently.

I take it you did not/do not own firearms? Do you think having one reasonably accessible (even if in your bedroom) would have changed the outcome in your favor? To your detriment?

Glad to hear you survived, it is just a shame they are living the thug life in prison and not becoming compost.

If I were known to carry and had one at my side I do think it would have been different.

Do you carry now? If not, why?

No

Why

Broke

How has coming so close to death changed your perspective on life?

I am sure it has but not in a way that is visible to me...

Is this sufficient proof? You just linked to a news story.

Mods verified

was the girl good looking at all? would you have hit that?

also just curious about the races of all the players that were involved here. just to see, for the sake of argument, if stereotypes hold up..

She was okay. A bean pole kinda girl. Probably not... nope, I would not.

Two were white and two were half white half black.

One of the most common questions I got right after it happened was "were they Mexican?" and always in a whispered tone.