|
October 13, 2005, 6:53 pm PDT
10/13 Cheerleader Scandal
After watching your show today I couldn't stop thinking about Brandi's situation. As she told her side of her story of the events that unfolded the night of the accident I kept finding her circumstances similar to those I found myself in 15 years ago. Before meeting my husband I dated a boy who was 18 & and I was just a few months older than him. He was very kind in the beginning, but he began to verbally insult me, which made me feel insecure, & soon after that he began to physically abuse me. At that time in my life I was very vulnerable & believed he had this power over me, & if I made him mad or did something he didn't like I was asking for the consequences that followed. I tried to break it off several times, but he always threatened me. He would pull out a very large hunting knife & hold it to my throat & tell me if I really meant what I said he would kill me. I was fearful of him, I was scared to be w/him & even more scared to leave him. The last night I ever saw him face to face I went to his friends house, & since there were people there I felt this was as good a time as any to break it off for good. After doing so I ran to my car, he followed me, there was a struggle, I got in my car. I had parked facing the wrong way on a dead end, so I had to turn around before I could pass the friends house & then get out of there. As I was driving away he banged on my windshield & windows w/his fists. I was very frightened he would break my glass and somehow get in my car. So when I got turned around, I sped up so when I passed by him he wouldn't be able to stop me. He stepped out in front of my car, I swerved to avoid hitting him. He threw some kind of object at my car and broke my back windshield, but I kept driving. Had he stepped out in front of my car further than he did as I swerved away, my circumstances could have easily been that of Brandi's. The fact that they claim their son would have never stepped in front of a moving car is pure speculation on their part. When someone who is so controlling sees that they are about to lose that control, they will take drastic measures to retain that control. Such as stepping in front of a moving car to stop that person. I don't want to sound as if I think what happened should be justified. Only that I was in a situation similar to hers, I was young, he was abusive, he made threats on my life, & the night I finally got away from him he tried to intimidate me into stopping by standing in the road to block me as I passed. That crazy person I was dating, stepped right in front of my car as I sped up in my attempt to get away from him. When you live in fear of someone, your survival mode kicks in & believe Brandi was just trying to get away.
|
(Original Air Date: 10/13/05) In a heartbeat, your entire life can change. No one knows this better than the families of Brandi and Daniel. Seventeen-year-old Brandi was a cheerleader, an excellent student and an all-American girl. She was in love with athletic 18-year old Daniel. Now he’s dead and she finds herself behind bars serving a 12-year sentence, all because of what happened in just a split second. Was it murder or simply a horrific accident? Hear members of both families describe how the tragedy unfolded, and the struggle to put together the pieces of their shattered lives. Plus, Dr. Phil visits Brandi in prison to ask some very hard questions. She has an emotional message for Daniel's mother -- and for Daniel. Talk about the show here.
