Jennifer Schuett - Dennis Earl Bradford - Dickinson (Galveston County), August 1990

[bessie]

Raped at 8 and left for dead, a victim raises her voice

updated 11:15 a.m. EDT, Mon September 28, 2009
CNN

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It was August 10, 1990. Schuett was 8 years old and lived alone with her mother in the first floor of an apartment complex in Dickinson, Texas. The bedroom windows faced the parking lot

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"It's not about me anymore," she explained. "It's about all the little girls that go to sleep at night. I know there are so many girls out there who have been raped and hurt. You have to fight back."

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"When I opened my eyes, his face was the first thing I saw and he covered my face and mouth," she said. "He ran with me to his car. He told me he was an undercover cop and that he knew my family. He seemed calm -- not nervous, not aggressive."

"Watch the moon. The moon will change colors and that is when your mom will come to get you," she recalled him saying. "Oh, it looks like she is not coming."

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"He had a knife to my throat and touched my face and offered me Reese's pieces," she said. "I was scared but I knew I couldn't be fast enough to get away. Cars would drive by but I couldn't get away to get help."

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She believes she passed out. "I woke up to him dragging me by my ankles," she said. "I felt thorns ripping the skin off my back. I would see him turn to look at me and I would play dead."

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She passed out again, and awoke at daybreak. "I remember feeling dew around me and I couldn't figure out why when I screamed I couldn't hear myself," said Schuett.

She lay naked on top of an ant hill with her throat slashed from ear to ear, and her voice box torn.

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She passed out again, and awoke at daybreak. "I remember feeling dew around me and I couldn't figure out why when I screamed I couldn't hear myself," said Schuett.

Much later, she said, "I heard children playing hide and seek. That is when one of the kids tripped over my foot," said Schuett.
She was found at 6 p.m. on a hot August day. She had been lying in the field for nearly 12 hours. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

 

[bessie]

Jennifer Schuett, 8-years-old

Because Schuett survived and was able to talk, despite her would be killer's intentions when he slit her throat, we've heard a first hand account of the vicious, cruel and inhuman acts waged by Dennis Bradford. Her voicebox was damaged by the blade he used, and doctors said she'd never speak again. Yet she went on to become a strong voice for the thousands of victims who didn't live to tell their tales. Such courage. May God bless her.

 

[bessie]

Here's Dennis Earl Bradford in 2009

From an October 13, 2009, FBI press release:

DNA AND DETERMINATION LEAD TO ARREST IN 19 YEAR OLD ATTEMPTED MURDER INVESTIGATION

Eighteen months ago, the Dickinson Police Department requested FBI assistance in developing new leads on this unsolved crime. Because of advances in DNA testing, key pieces of evidence were sent to the FBI laboratory for advanced testing. A male DNA profile was successfully extracted , and that profile matched an existing DNA profile in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database, that of Dennis Earl Bradford of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Research conducted immediately after receiving news of the genetic match indicated that Bradford was arrested in 1987 in Dickinson for traffic offenses. His address of record at the time of the arrest was 500 Tanglewood in Dickinson, less than one quarter of a mile from Jennifer Schuett’s residential address of 3206 Lobit Drive.

Bradford is currently being held in Pulaski County, Arkansas, awaiting extradition to Galveston County. Galveston County District Attorney Sistrunk advises that if Bradford chooses to fight extradition, a Governor’s Warrant will be issued and hearings will be held in Arkansas to resolve the issue. In the coming weeks, a date will be scheduled to present the charge and the evidence to a Galveston County grand jury for indictment.

Dennis Earl Bradford, Charged With 1990 Kidnapping And Rape Of Jennifer Schuett, Hangs Self In Texas County Jail

Huffington Post
First Posted: 05/20/10 06:01 AM ET Updated: 05/25/11 05:30 PM ET

(AP)-Dennis Earl Bradford, 40, who was arrested in October, in connection with a 1990 case in which an 8-year-old Dickinson girl's throat was slashed after she was abducted and raped has been found hanged in his jail cell.

 

[bessie]

Raped and left for dead, woman shares her story of survival

Michelle Hunter, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
on March 25, 2013 at 8:40 PM, updated March 25, 2013 at 8:45 PM

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"I remember everything about my kidnapping, all the details," Schuett said.

The smell of beer as he pulled off her underwear and raped her. The thorns that dug into her back as he dragged her by the ankles through the field in which he would later leave her to die. The stinging bites of the fire ants that swarmed from the pile her head lay on, the venom in their bites helping to clot the blood flowing from her slashed throat. The inability to scream out for help. The overwhelming fear.

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Despite her injuries and her young age, Schuett scrawled a heart-wrenchingly detailed account of the attack. She wanted the man who hurt her to be caught so he couldn't hurt any other children. "I was a very determined little girl," she said. "I knew what had happened was wrong."

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Despite the doctors' prognosis, Schuett regained her voice during her two-week stay in the hospital. She made her first sounds, she said, while trying to fuss at her mother for refusing to give her a chocolate bar.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5wKnOvtsL0"]Jennifer Schuett - Raped as a child, left to die gets justice 20 years later - YouTube[/ame]

 

[bessie]

Before Jennifer had the opportunity to read her victim impact statement in the courtroom during the sentencing phase of the trial, Bradford committed suicide on May 10, 2010. Not to be silenced, on August 10, 2010, the twentieth anniversary of the attack, sitting beside Bradford's grave Jennifer read it aloud.

Read Jennifer's victim impact statement at Justice for Jennifer.

Miracle pregnancy for woman raped, stabbed and left to die in a field aged 8 as she believed brutal attack left her infertile

The Daily Mail
By Rachel Quigley
11:09 EST, 8 October 2012 | UPDATED: 13:35 EST, 8 October 2012
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Speaking to the Today show after he was convicted, she said it was the most 'amazing moment of her life' but lamented that 'as a result of him raping me as an eight-year-old child, I cannot have children normally.

'I’m an only child. I’ve always wanted a big family.'

Enter Dr Craig Witz, a Houston fertility specialist who offered his clinic’s services to Schuett and her fiancé for free.

Moved to tears when even speaking about Jennifer's dilemma, he said it was the least he could do after he heard of her tragic story.

'It was without any thought ... for God’s sake, what can we do to help this person and try to make things right? Hers really is a story of survival.'

Jennifer's Voice

Your Southeast Texas Audio Interview, April 18, 2013

 

[bessie]

Arrest Made in 19 Year Old Rape Case

JUAN A. LOZANO Associated Press
October 13, 2009

Bradford was arrested in North Little Rock, Ark., where he has lived the past seven years. At the time of the assault, Bradford, originally from Dickinson, lived about two miles from the apartment where the victim was kidnapped, according to the arrest affidavit in the case.

Houston FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard Powers said because of new DNA technology not available when the crime occurred, Dickinson police investigators resubmitted evidence in July 2008 for testing at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Va.

The lab found DNA on male underwear recovered at the scene and ran it through the FBI's national Combined DNA Index System. The DNA matched Bradford, who was in the system after a 1997 kidnapping conviction in Arkansas. Police said he kidnapped a 35-year-old woman, sexually assaulted her and cut her throat. He served four years of a 12-year sentence in that case.

Wheel of Justice Special: Jennifer's Story
46 minute video report

Published On: Jan 29 2010 04:15:16 PM CST Updated On: Mar 24 2010 03:01:55 PM CDT
Jan. 30: A Wheel of Justice special looks at a story of survival from 1990. Then 8 years old, a young girl is stolen from her room, raped and left for dead in a field. Today that girl has become a young woman who talks about that long ago night.

 

[watcher9]

Bringing this thread forward for anyone else who also watched the updated story of this case on 48 hours on ID last night.
Here is a CBS link to this updated video and written transcript of the case.
WARNING - Very graphic and disturbing.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jennif...seeks-justice-in-childhood-kidnapping-attack/

 

[watcher9]

Here's a link about the story linked above with the heartwarming ending.

Dickinson mom's amazing survival story featured on '48 Hours'

 

[JulianaMoon]

Hi Everyone. New to this thread. I hope someone can point me in the right direction.
On Jan. 8th, 1983 or 1984, I was abducted at gunpoint, driven from Irving, TX to Hutchings, TX and sexually assaulted. It happened down a rural dirt road called Lemon Ave. The kind you would see in a horror movie with old mattresses and boxsprings dumped, couches, bags of garbage. He drove me around for hours, before taking me to Hutchings, and I studied the landmarks in case I was able to escape. This man planned to kill me and leave me in that field. I tricked him into taking me to a motel we had passed before we got to this dirt road. He took me there, and it was a motel for prostitutes where you pay by the half hour. I jumped out of the car and, long story short, escaped. It was NOT an easy escape.
I was 20-21 years old at the time. A lot of other stuff happened that I don't want to release publicly.
The man was black, early 40's, well dressed, with a short afro and full beard and moustache. I have searched on and off for him since I got my 1st computer in 1998.
Has anyone heard of a serial killer or rapist, or of any bodies that were found off of Lemon Ave in Hutchings, TX in the early 80's? He seemed to know the area well. He thought I was a prostitute but I wasn't. I was a cocktail waitress at Alberts Lounge in the Ramada Inn Texas Stadium in Arlington, TX. I lived in Irving. When he found out I wasn't a prostitute, he refused to believe me. When I finally convinced him, he was angry like he had messed up. That struck me as odd and I never forgot how mad he was at himself. I now know why. Prostitutes are usually not in contact with people who would report them missing. This crime destroyed my life. In so many ways. I don't want to start a thread, but because Hutchings, TX is off I-45, I thought I would start here. Thankyou.

 

[watcher9]

Hi Everyone. New to this thread. I hope someone can point me in the right direction.
On Jan. 8th, 1983 or 1984, I was abducted at gunpoint, driven from Irving, TX to Hutchings, TX and sexually assaulted. It happened down a rural dirt road called Lemon Ave. The kind you would see in a horror movie with old mattresses and boxsprings dumped, couches, bags of garbage. He drove me around for hours, before taking me to Hutchings, and I studied the landmarks in case I was able to escape. This man planned to kill me and leave me in that field. I tricked him into taking me to a motel we had passed before we got to this dirt road. He took me there, and it was a motel for prostitutes where you pay by the half hour. I jumped out of the car and, long story short, escaped. It was NOT an easy escape.
I was 20-21 years old at the time. A lot of other stuff happened that I don't want to release publicly.
The man was black, early 40's, well dressed, with a short afro and full beard and moustache. I have searched on and off for him since I got my 1st computer in 1998.
Has anyone heard of a serial killer or rapist, or of any bodies that were found off of Lemon Ave in Hutchings, TX in the early 80's? He seemed to know the area well. He thought I was a prostitute but I wasn't. I was a cocktail waitress at Alberts Lounge in the Ramada Inn Texas Stadium in Arlington, TX. I lived in Irving. When he found out I wasn't a prostitute, he refused to believe me. When I finally convinced him, he was angry like he had messed up. That struck me as odd and I never forgot how mad he was at himself. I now know why. Prostitutes are usually not in contact with people who would report them missing. This crime destroyed my life. In so many ways. I don't want to start a thread, but because Hutchings, TX is off I-45, I thought I would start here. Thankyou.

Welcome to this thread.
I'm so sad to hear that you had such trauma and fear so many years ago and are continuing to fight for your life this many years later.

Have you checked up on Sam Little? His name popped up when I did a google search. He is a serial killer who has victims all over the US, including Texas. His age would be about right. Here are some links for him where you might find some pictures of him when he was younger. Also I have included a couple of the WS thread links on him.

Hugs and prayers to you on this journey and please stay in touch. We are a good group of people who care about you and other victims. Take care.

https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/samuel-little
Has a lot of his pictures throughout the years about halfway down the article.

SAMUEL LITTLE, 79-- U.S. MOST PROLIFIC SERIAL KILLER 90+

CA - CA/OH/LA/MS/TX - SAMUEL LITTLE, aka Samuel McDowell, 1970's thru 2012, Serial Killer

 

[JulianaMoon]

Hi. Yes. I actually thought it was Sam Little and contacted the powers that be twice. Never heard back. My assailant had dark brown eyes, and Little's look blue/grey. But...socio's and psychos eye colors can change when they are in the midst of a crime or angry. His were consistently dark brown. Plus, he may have been in jail at the time of my kidnapping. Thankyou very much. I studied my kidnappers face closely and Lewis has many similarities except the eyes. I will keep looking. The Arlington, TX PD would not take a report or do a rape kit that night. They said I would have to drive back to Hutchins, TX that night to file a report. I got a ride to Arlington from Hutchins after my escape by one of the regular "johns" at the motel I escaped at. I had no way to get back there, didn't know if my kidnapper was still in Hutchings, and just wanted the Arlington PD to handle it. They said it wasn't their jurisdiction. It's a shame they couldn't. I was very angry they expected me to drive an hour to file a report and get rape tested. I never wanted to ever go back there again. I feel they dropped the ball. I am sure a Hutchings police officer could have come to Arlington to take the report. Especially now that I see they had so many unsolved murders along I-45 at the time. I didn't shower for 3 days trying to find a ride out there. Finally, I gave up and showered. I ended up getting pregnant from my kidnapper. I couldn't keep it. I couldn't carry it. I just couldn't. The procedure scarred my uterus and I was never able to have children. He took so much from me. I still think about the child and beg God for forgiveness. Thankyou.

 

[watcher9]

Hi. Yes. I actually thought it was Sam Little and contacted the powers that be twice. Never heard back. My assailant had dark brown eyes, and Little's look blue/grey. But...socio's and psychos eye colors can change when they are in the midst of a crime or angry. His were consistently dark brown. Plus, he may have been in jail at the time of my kidnapping. Thankyou very much. I studied my kidnappers face closely and Lewis has many similarities except the eyes. I will keep looking. The Arlington, TX PD would not take a report or do a rape kit that night. They said I would have to drive back to Hutchins, TX that night to file a report. I got a ride to Arlington from Hutchins after my escape by one of the regular "johns" at the motel I escaped at. I had no way to get back there, didn't know if my kidnapper was still in Hutchings, and just wanted the Arlington PD to handle it. They said it wasn't their jurisdiction. It's a shame they couldn't. I was very angry they expected me to drive an hour to file a report and get rape tested. I never wanted to ever go back there again. I feel they dropped the ball. I am sure a Hutchings police officer could have come to Arlington to take the report. Especially now that I see they had so many unsolved murders along I-45 at the time. I didn't shower for 3 days trying to find a ride out there. Finally, I gave up and showered. I ended up getting pregnant from my kidnapper. I couldn't keep it. I couldn't carry it. I just couldn't. The procedure scarred my uterus and I was never able to have children. He took so much from me. I still think about the child and beg God for forgiveness. Thankyou.

How horrible that must have been, a nightmare that has never ended.
Remember, none of it was ever your fault.The only forgiveness needed is for you to forgive yourself.
God has always loved you and will continue to have you in his heart forever.
Continuing to offer hugs and prayers to you.

Times have changed so much from 30+ years ago. Rape and assaults cases are mostly treated by LE with dignity and respect now. Unless you were able to save some of your clothing that may have had DNA on them, there's probably not much LE can do for your case now but they may listen to you. Maybe a survivor group for rape victims could be of help to you.

In addition, another idea would be to turn this terrible experience you had into a crime solving mission. You were a witness as well as a victim to a kidnapper and rapist. He very well may have had other victims, maybe one in the same area you were in. It's possible that LE is looking for a witness to put a criminal on the scene during that certain time and day. You may be able to help LE solve a crime for another victim.

On the off chance the kidnapper could have been Samuel Little, maybe you could contact the FBI and/or the Texas Rangers who are diligently searching for missing victims that Little has drawn. Maybe he drew you by mistake or maybe your presence during that time will help them with the location and identity of other victims.

If you have any information linked to Little’s confessions, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit at tip online at tips.fbi.gov. The FBI number is in this article.

Samuel Little: Confessions of a Killer — FBI

 

[JulianaMoon]

Thankyou for your kind words and ideas. I contacted the FBI and the DA working on finding more of Little's victims. Had to leave a message, so I l left message for DA and sent email to the FBI with details of what happened to me. Never heard back, so I'm assuming that he had an alibi for the date I was kidnapped like jail, or proof he was in another state.
I remember exactly what my kidnapper looked like, and in trying to gain his trust, I asked his age and he said 42. He stalked me for a long time after I escaped. The GM at the Ramada Inn where I worked, Ernie Nadeau, demanded we stay at the hotel for as long as we needed too. He hired a security guard for outside our suite. It was unbelievable. They never caught him, although Hutchings police did get involved by taking a phone report, and a rookie officer kept in contact with me for awhile. I ended up leaving the area as my life had spiraled out of control and I attempted suicide. I just couldn't take the situation anymore.

 

[watcher9]

I wish I could have helped more.

If you have not already done so, it may be beneficial to you to contact RAINN (Rape Abuse & Incest National Network) for assistance. Their organization is dedicated to helping persons in your situation. Looking at their website, I see they have all types of services and they also have the insider tracks to get you in touch with professionals who can assist you in the search for the kidnapper.

Find help and the resources you need.
Call 800.656.hope (4673)
They also have a chat line on their website. Everything is supposed to be secure and confidential.
RAINN | The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization

Hugs and prayers continuing for you.

 

[Kell1]

Was there ever a composite done of your attacker ?

Also did they get DNA?

 

[katsrfun]

Hi. Yes. I actually thought it was Sam Little and contacted the powers that be twice. Never heard back. My assailant had dark brown eyes, and Little's look blue/grey. But...socio's and psychos eye colors can change when they are in the midst of a crime or angry. His were consistently dark brown. Plus, he may have been in jail at the time of my kidnapping. Thankyou very much. I studied my kidnappers face closely and Lewis has many similarities except the eyes. I will keep looking. The Arlington, TX PD would not take a report or do a rape kit that night. They said I would have to drive back to Hutchins, TX that night to file a report. I got a ride to Arlington from Hutchins after my escape by one of the regular "johns" at the motel I escaped at. I had no way to get back there, didn't know if my kidnapper was still in Hutchings, and just wanted the Arlington PD to handle it. They said it wasn't their jurisdiction. It's a shame they couldn't. I was very angry they expected me to drive an hour to file a report and get rape tested. I never wanted to ever go back there again. I feel they dropped the ball. I am sure a Hutchings police officer could have come to Arlington to take the report. Especially now that I see they had so many unsolved murders along I-45 at the time. I didn't shower for 3 days trying to find a ride out there. Finally, I gave up and showered. I ended up getting pregnant from my kidnapper. I couldn't keep it. I couldn't carry it. I just couldn't. The procedure scarred my uterus and I was never able to have children. He took so much from me. I still think about the child and beg God for forgiveness. Thankyou.

I'm so sorry for you. What a horrible story and congratulations to you for being able to tell it. It is uncanny that you got pregnant by this beast, and then were unable to have children. I know God's love and forgiveness, and I know that he forgives you for this terrible situation. God is good and he knows all things, and he knows what happened to you; he would not want you to be punished more by having to have this beasts child. The police acted beyond terrible. I feel for you and continue to look to God for comfort and to help you and your thoughts through this terrible situation you had happen to you. May God bless and comfort you each and every minute of every day. Katt