Lydia Tillman and Convicted Killer Travis Forbes |
DENVER, Colo. (KTLA) -- A woman who survived a brutal attack by a man who had already killed another young woman is speaking out about the terrifying ordeal that left her in a coma for 5 weeks.
In an interview with ABC's 20/20, Lydia Tillman, reveals details of the attack and talks about her struggle to overcome the injuries she suffered in the vicious assault.
Her nightmare began innocently enough at a 4th of July fireworks show in Fort Collins.
That's where Tillman met a stranger, later identified as 31-year old Travis Forbes.
After the show Forbes returned with Tillman to her apartment, where she was sexually assaulted, strangled, beaten and left for dead.
Police say Forbes then poured bleach on her body and set the apartment on fire.
Somehow Tillman managed to escape her burning apartment by jumping from a second-story window.
But she suffered a stroke as a result of the beating she sustained, and spent 5 weeks in a coma.
Police were able to use DNA to link Forbes to the attack on Tillman and the disappearance and murder of Kenia Monge.
He was arrested in and plead guilty to both crimes.
Forbes was sentenced to 48 years in prison for the attempted murder of Tillman, on top of the life sentence handed down in the Monge murder.
The 19-year-old coed disappeared from a Denver nightclub in April.
Police uncovered surveillance video showing Forbes putting Monge's body in a freezer where he rented storage space before ultimately burying her remains in a field.
Tillman's interview can be seen on Caught in the Act a 20/20 special on ABC, Friday at 9 pm ET.
In an interview with ABC's 20/20, Lydia Tillman, reveals details of the attack and talks about her struggle to overcome the injuries she suffered in the vicious assault.
Her nightmare began innocently enough at a 4th of July fireworks show in Fort Collins.
That's where Tillman met a stranger, later identified as 31-year old Travis Forbes.
After the show Forbes returned with Tillman to her apartment, where she was sexually assaulted, strangled, beaten and left for dead.
Police say Forbes then poured bleach on her body and set the apartment on fire.
Somehow Tillman managed to escape her burning apartment by jumping from a second-story window.
But she suffered a stroke as a result of the beating she sustained, and spent 5 weeks in a coma.
Police were able to use DNA to link Forbes to the attack on Tillman and the disappearance and murder of Kenia Monge.
He was arrested in and plead guilty to both crimes.
Forbes was sentenced to 48 years in prison for the attempted murder of Tillman, on top of the life sentence handed down in the Monge murder.
The 19-year-old coed disappeared from a Denver nightclub in April.
Police uncovered surveillance video showing Forbes putting Monge's body in a freezer where he rented storage space before ultimately burying her remains in a field.
Tillman's interview can be seen on Caught in the Act a 20/20 special on ABC, Friday at 9 pm ET.
