Alisa Mathewson's Night Terrors | Full Episode | Forensic Files

foreign [Music] we wanted to be able to have this happy family like everybody else does
my name is Arden Summers and I am the daughter of Elisa and Trevor Summers I was really hoping that my family would
be back together and healthy and fixed Elisa Summer she is a loving mother of five children
it's a tragic family story and they're breaking up and getting divorced Trevor Summers wanted control
he controlled Elisa and he controlled his children we later learned through our investigation that Trevor summer is
using his children to play against his wife he was trying to persuade her not to get
divorced and he was going to talk her into it no matter how long it took she went through hell and back all
because of what my dad did when Trevor Summers enters the home and Elisa Summers ultimately wakes up that's
when the violence occurs I am here with Elisa at her house or I'm not supposed to be and I woke
Elise up and I have been holding her against her will be used her cell phone to record a video
making a statement about what occurred I did Tire up uh I keep her from contacting authorities and giving
me enough time to get out of town eventually he takes her out of the house correct Alisa agrees to go with him
because she knew that was the only way she was going to be able to stay alive at that point
in the Walgreens he's in the car and there is an employee at the Walgreens taking a smoke break
we received a 911 call from a witness at the Walgreens where Miss Summers attempted to flee from the vehicle some
[ __ ] just ran out of the dude's car looked like her hands were tired and she ran out of the car script and help me
I just uh grabbed her and put her back in my car so this is a potential kidnapping but could be headed towards
something far more serious a potential homicide that's certainly a possibility and something that's in the back of our
heads the 911 call occurs approximately 9 pm on Saturday then the following morning myself and
another detective are able to interview four of the five children it was just a knock on the door
and just two tall men and asked do you know where your parents are and I said no
they were talking about how they're doing this investigation to try to find my parents and all I'm thinking is oh my
God what happened the interview with the children it was a very delicate situation
you know he was hurting mom did he tie our arms up or her feet or something else
because [Music] when the children are giving these details it's just surreal it was
shocking [Music] thank you foreign [Music] [Music] thank you this is the bedroom window that Trevor
Summers was allowed into the home through Sergeant Christopher Steele with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
and who opened that window for him his eldest daughter would have been in the home unlocking and making it ready for
him to enter my dad had sat me down and discussed reconciling with my mom and fixing the marriage and bringing our
family back together Arden Summers was eager to help her father make her family whole again her parents Alisa and Trevor
Summers had separated after 15 years of marriage and there was a restraining order keeping them apart
Arden and her four siblings had been living with their dad he wanted me my younger siblings to go over to my mom's
house and spend the night and then I would let my dad in the window after my siblings and my mom went to bed Arden
thought her dad could then talk her mom into getting back together but Trevor Summers supposed attempt at
reconciliation was actually an act of manipulation using his children as Pawns in a plot involving kidnapping assault
and attempted murder that would go on for 55 hours the clock it was digital clock and it
said exactly 3 A.M I was startled awake Alisa Mathewson formerly Elisa Summers will never forget the disorienting fear
that began in the early morning hours of March 11 2017. she was awakened in her pitch black bedroom two of her children
were lying beside her seven-year-old Brynn and five-year-old Grady and I felt my face was wet and I started screaming
who's in my room what are you doing here I'm in a panic an absolute Panic her estranged husband Trevor had entered her
home in Valrico Florida trip dripping water on her head and was standing over her and I'm still screaming and he says
calm down it's just me I just start in full Panic throwing things from my end table at him and he grabbed my ankles
and pulled me off the end of the bed this must be terrifying it's terrifying brain and Grady are running out of my
room screaming daddy daddy don't kill mommy but how did it come to this the couple first met in 1995 in high
school in Suburban Philadelphia and started dating three years later he was spontaneous and charming and just seemed
that he always put me first the couple married in 2001 eager to begin their life together he wanted to start a
family right away when I had Arden it was everything I envisioned for my life I envisioned myself being a stay-at-home
mom and then over the years it was Arden times five five kids right yes after Arden came Landon Brynn Grady and Cooper
the more kids it seemed that the more love the more happiness I wanted to have this picture-perfect life Alisa says
Trevor initially started a landscape and pool design company and he dabbled in real estate but he really fancied
himself as an entrepreneur he would open up businesses is for a little while and
then he would move on to a new business the family moved several times says Elisa as Trevor chased opportunities
from Pennsylvania to Florida to Vegas to California and eventually back to the Sunshine State where the children were
homeschooled we would very often host people have sleepovers friends over birthday parties all kinds of stuff
Arden now 20 remembers good times we would go to the beach we had a beach fairly close to our house play video
games as a family and board games stuff like that Arden says while she was close
to her mother she had a special bond with her father I was definitely the definition of a daddy's girl we would go
out on little dates together go out for dinners just him and I meanwhile Elisa says her relationship with Trevor was
changing with each move and birth of another child she says her husband was slowly taking control of her life
I had to wear what he would select I couldn't have men on my Facebook page she couldn't even sit next to a man in
church or anywhere I couldn't ride in a car alone with a man I was to have no communication with any men other than
Trevor Elisa was also overhearing Snippets of Trevor's business conversations there were some things
that just weren't adding up Alisa says Trevor was frequently in financial trouble not paying debts and bouncing
checks he was arrested several times but she says he always blamed his problems on others and the crisis would seem to
pass every single time it would happen it would be a it's a misunderstanding he's having these incidents with with
the law what are you thinking yeah at the same time I was walking on eggshells don't question him okay and not smile
and Nod did he have a temper as long as we stayed in his good graces that it was
fine in 2016 Alisa finally had enough and asked for a divorce Trevor begged her to stay wanting to keep the family
together Elisa agreed but she says Trevor's possessive Behavior worsened he took my cell phone
he took my car I was being held in my own home as like a prisoner it became very apparent that this is domestic
violence this is domestic abuse I need to start working on my plan he wanted to escape but Trevor Summers
had his own plans for Elisa [Music] [Music] I had been just stuck staying in the
house with him watching me by October 2016 Alisa says she felt like an inmate in her own home with her
husband Trevor monitoring her every move he was always with me for several weeks
until one day Trevor finally left to go to work that's when Elisa called a domestic violence organization and I
said you know these are the things that are going on my husband hasn't gone to work in weeks this is the first time
I've been alone and the more and more I asked them and I talked to them about this they said your situation is very
serious but before Alisa could get out of the house that day Trevor burst through the
door he came in and he attacked me and he every time I would try to get away from him he blocked me from leaving
Elisa says that after some time Trevor reluctantly agreed to let her leave with the children and she sought refuge in
the home of a friend he was going crazy over this and he uh he found out where I
was and he would be showing up there after a week there she felt safer moving with her children to a shelter for
Abused Women leaving everything behind we had nothing we had the clothes on our backs
over the course of several months Elisa started rebuilding her life when I got out of the shelter I got
myself a home and a car and a job as well she filed for divorce and even tried online dating but Trevor
was not out of her life as they shared custody of the children I was forced to see him twice to a week to exchange
children with him by January 2017 Alisa says Trevor seemed resigned to the fact their marriage was
over and about a month later Alisa says she agreed to go by Trevor's home to sign the divorce papers so you're in the
house what happens he said that he just needed to talk to me he was like I have to I have to get everything off of my
chest so we can get divorced I have to tell you I've had multiple Affairs I've really messed up
Trevor was also in serious legal trouble facing real prison time according to court records he was awaiting sentencing
after pleading guilty to wire fraud charges for one of his failed business ventures his perfectly controlled life
was quickly imploding as I was leaving and he said you're not going anywhere with one hand holding me down he abused
the other hand and pulled a knife and held it right up at my chest by my throat how long was the blade it was a
machete and he's got this machete right under right up my neck and he says I won't tie
you up if you just stay still and listen to me and then he held me there for a few hours
eventually Alisa says Trevor agreed to let her go after she calmed him down and promised not to call the police a
promise she did not keep I immediately called 9-1-1 when I left his home but when investigators interviewed Trevor he
denied threatening elise's life the police didn't believe me I wasn't left with any marks
there was no evidence of what I was saying the Sheriff's Office treated it as a concern from the beginning
Hillsborough County Sheriff Sergeant Christopher Steele was not involved in responding to the 9-1-1 call but says
investigators were looking into the case it's not like we could have simply arrested him that day based on the
statements of just the two that were involved we needed more both Elisa and Trevor filed for restraining orders
against each other and Elisa says Trevor used the incident to turn their children
against her he told the children I lied to the police she is trying to get me thrown in in prison he told them their
mother was responsible for the marriage falling apart he would constantly talk about how she was supposedly cheating on
him he you know acted so heartbroken what did you think of your mother I felt like she was awful
then just two days later Alisa arrived home to find the place vandalized there was graffiti all over the walls there
was Kool-Aid poured on my bed the Kool-Aid was his idea the chalk and writing on the walls was my idea what
had you written on the walls I had written things like traitor I wrote thanks for being an ass right above the
bed Alisa was incredulous when she learned Trevor had convinced Arden to take part
it was devastating my kids had a key to my home and they used their key and did this
a few weeks later Alisa got an unexpectedly cheery phone call from Arden and Arden says mom we really miss
you I I just I'm sorry I've been thinking of you I want to come over and just you and
I talk things through hang out like old times within days Arden Brynn and Grady were back visiting Elisa while Cooper
and Landon were at Trevor's house I especially was feeling like Arden was starting to
come around Alisa says she and Arden had no idea they both were being manipulated by
Trevor he had mentioned before that he was really hoping to reconcile with her and to put the family back together and
be almost like the savior of the family the goal was something Noble in a way that you were participating in that
maybe they can get him back together and we can be a family again yes so on the evening of March 10 2017 as
Elisa was in bed with Brynn and Grady Arden was in another room secretly texting her father just checked
she's fast asleep letting him know the coast was clear for him to enter elise's home
[Music] just after midnight on March 11 2017 Trevor Summers left his three-year-old
son Cooper home alone asleep in bed and drove with twelve-year-old Landon to his estranged wife's house where Arden
was already waiting he told me that he was going to talk to my mom following his instructions Arden
had left this window open for Trevor they passed each other as she went out to wait in the car with Landon
that's when Elisa says she remembers waking up to water dripping on her face at that point it's full on terror
Elisa says Trevor dragged her to the living room Grady and Brynn the two young children who were in bed with her
woke up and screamed he looks right at them and he says get back in your mother's room don't come out
Alisa says they struggled as she tried to escape when I get my hand onto the door and he'd grab me and throw me
backwards are you wondering where is Arden yes I'm thinking Arden's going to hear this Arden's going to call 9-1-1
like where is she Arden was sitting in the car hopeful that her parents would come out after talking and they would
all return to Trevor's house together but around 5 a.m Trevor sent a text that the plan had changed she walks in and
doesn't even look at me and that's when I realized she's not going to call 9-1-1 she wants
him to be there Arden says her dad told her to drive Landon Brynn and Grady back to his house
and wait then 14 years old Arden's only Driving Experience had been in a parking lot
it was very terrifying I was doing exactly the speed limit and I just followed all the traffic laws to not get
pulled over once the children were out of the house that's when it even escalated further
he threw me onto my bed and took these scarves and wrapped me my hands my wrists together he is tying me to the
bed frame with the Christmas lights and crisscrossing them across my body to hold me down that's when Trevor told her
why he was there I Came to Say Goodbye I am leaving I've chartered a boat I'm going out into International water and
I'm going to disappear Elisa says he claimed he had millions of dollars in offshore bank accounts Alisa
didn't believe any of it she says she had a plan stay quiet and perhaps he would let her go
I don't want to infuriate this man just sitting back listening and letting him do the talking she says over the course
of several hours Trevor raped her twice did he have any kind of a weapon on him he did
a razor blade Alisa says she felt drowsy because Trevor made her take cold medicine he
had been using NyQuil throughout the day to keep me sedated Alisa says Trevor tied her ankles and
wrists behind her with the scarves and a nylon rope I was in excruciating pain he used her thumb to unlock her cell
phone and recorded those videos I am here with Elisa at her house she's virtually unharmed
she's got a couple bruises today but from the uh from Tiger rock Alisa says Trevor told her he was making
the videos so she could prove to authorities he was there before taking the boat trip but Trevor didn't
immediately leave it was around 5 40 p.m when he came back into the room he put a pillow over my face
and he pushed down with all of his upper body and I thought about my kids and I and I lost consciousness
moments later Alisa says she remembers the pillow being removed and he looked at me
and I said please I'll do anything please don't kill me he says you agree to go with me yes I'll go
with you to the boat to the islands yes Elisa says she still thought the boat story was a lie but agreed to go with
him to buy time with her hands tied Elisa says Trevor loaded her into her SUV later he went into that Walgreens to buy
more cold medicine it was the moment she'd been patiently waiting for I pulled the door handle to
open the door and so I'm running and I'm stumbling through this parking lot and I
could hear him coming at me and grab me did he lift you up to the ground and pushed me back got me all the way
back into the car that's when that Walgreens employee called 9-1-1 trying to get the license
it's a dark dark blue SUV he's falling out right now the employee managed to get that license
plate number Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies realized it was elise's vehicle and began a Statewide
search as they sped into the night Alisa says Trevor was irate he's screaming at me oh you agreed to go
with me why are you doing this because from over here all the way across over to here
he said that's for getting out of the car at the Walgreens [Music] Elisa says Trevor spent hours driving
along back roads down the Tampa Bay Coast they stopped several times including at
a secluded rural area where they head out for over a day here he wrote letters detailing what
he'd done a confession and this chilling farewell to their children Elisa read an
excerpt we should have never gone down the road of divorce that tore our family apart so
we have ended it for your sake and will be watching you from heaven Elisa says Trevor raped her two more
times I just need to stay alive I just need to stay alive on the morning of March 13th Trevor
drove to Little Harbor a resort area where they used to go as a family Elisa says Trevor pulled the SUV over
parked right behind a dumpster and climbed into the back seat and a rope came over my head
and came around my neck is there any doubt in your mind what he's attempting to do at that moment no he is he is
killing me behind a dumpster suddenly he's behind me and he let's go and he Dove through the car jumped into the
driver's seat and took off Trevor believed he'd been spotted there's no talking he is laser focused
and he is driving panicked he pulled into this carport he pulls out the razor blade and he starts slitting his throat
I'm screaming at him to stop and at this point then the police come up around guns drawn screaming
Elisa remembers an officer helping her he puts me right into the front seat and he gets in and he takes off goes down
this road just takes off and boom boom you're out of here not fast suddenly I'm saved I've been pulled from
hell [Music] following elise's rescue investigators took these photographs while still receiving medical attention
Elisa told her story her hands were behind my back and he slipped my wrist and I just kept begging and begging
please don't kill me please don't kill me Trevor Summers also spoke to investigators from his hospital bed
where his wounds were stitched up law enforcement says it amounted to a confession what did you tie her up with
just some rope some nylon rope all right let's grab the pillow and put it over her face but bizarrely Trevor also
claimed Elisa voluntarily went along with him and she willingly let me tie her up
Trevor was later charged with 11 counts including attempted murder kidnapping sexual battery and child neglect Trevor
pleaded not guilty but elise's ordeal was far from over she she would come face to face with Trevor yet again at
his trough [Music] learn more about elise's 55-hour ordeal at 48hours.com [Music]
I'm not afraid of him anymore and I'm going to say this is what happened and this is what
you did by 2022 five years had passed since Trevor Summer's arrest on charges including attempted murder kidnapping
and sexual battery during that time the couple's divorce was finalized now after legal and covid
related delays a jury would decide if Trevor's mission had been to kill Elisa or to reconcile with her
there was no murderous intent it stopped otherwise she would would be dead Anthony Marchese Trevor Summers court
appointed attorney says his client believes he did nothing illegal so in his mind he could see consent he would
think that he could show everyone that no crime was committed even though she's tied up even though there's been alleged
physical violence he still believed that the sex they had was consensual yes I mean in his mind
if it's tying up or other things happened those were temporary then from there she would consent I've never had a
client like Mr Summers he was always a gentleman always very polite and very intelligent but he doesn't understand
the distinction between consent and acquiescence Marchese was the latest of seven
different lawyers who had been on and off the case Trevor Summers plan was always to take Elisa and to harm her
that night Jennifer Johnson and Jessica O'Connor prosecutors with the Hillsborough County
state attorney's office built the case against Trevor Summers the strongest evidence that we have was the
postmirinda statement grab the pillow and put her over her face the handwritten confession
as well as the videotaped confession and it woke Elisa up and I have been holding
her against her will those pieces of evidence would play a crucial role as Trevor Summers trial
began in August 2022. Elisa Summers thought she was living out the last few days of her life
she believed that the defendant Trevor Summers was going to kill her testimony from Mrs Summers will be that she was
tied up that she had no alternative but there's some inconsistencies in this case in many ways rests on your
shoulders your ability to deliver so as you take the stand what's going through your mind oh gosh what's going through
my mind was just tell them what happened use the Christmas lights to tie me to the bed rails and use the vacuum cord to
go underneath the mattress over the course of several hours the prosecution questioned Elisa regarding Trevor's
actions being hog-tied the pain was so incredible he pushed down the pillow on my face the prosecutors anticipated
the defense would question if Elisa was raped or consented to having sex so they
raised it first with Elisa detailing the alleged assaults he started to remove my
bottoms and proceeded to have sex with me did you tell him no no why is it that you
did not tell him no or fight back because I didn't want to get hurt you finish your testimony and now it's
time for the defense attorney to cross-examine you what happens so we're taking a break to then do
cross-examination and Mr Marchesi stands up and gets the judge's attention Marchesi informed judge Christopher
Sabella that he had just been fired his replacement to now cross-examine Alisa would be the man on trial for attempting
to kill her Trevor Summers himself the man you believe kidnapped you and at least two occasions
attempted to murder you is now going to do what stand in front of me and ask me questions that was his way to manipulate
and to abuse her again to represent himself defense attorney Mark Casey was permitted to remain as standby Council
but he was not permitted to speak with Trevor while Court was in session Elise is questioning by her ex-husband
her alleged Tormentor went on for more than four hours much of it focused on the issue of consent did I
threaten you or force you to have sex at times Alisa refused to look at Trevor focusing instead on the jury and objects
in the courtroom I was in my head starting off him standing in front of me and questioning me about the things he
did to me how was this how is this possible and then as it went on my confidence built you did tie me up
you did attack me and you did break into my home when I was sleeping you raped me
so you're calling it rape it is that is the definition of rape to come into someone's home and attack them and tie
them up and then have sex with them that is the definition of rape that was the probably the most powerful incident
situation in the entire trial Trevor also questioned some of his own children not shown on camera about the events
that night Brynn 13 years old at the time of trial do you remember Miss Brandon um if I was yelling anything back at
Mommy no and Arden 19 at the trial Arden did you ever see us physically fighting in the
home when you came in not physically no Sergeant Edward remya was asked about that hospital interview he conducted
with Trevor after he was treated for the self-inflicted knife wound Summers argued that despite seeming
coherent and agreeing to be interviewed he was not in stable enough condition to
have been questioned did you see me before the surgery I'm not aware that you had any surgery
did you notice a large cut in stitches and bandages on my neck again I think we're probably gonna
differ on our definition of getting stitches in surgery now the man that you interviewed
is cross-examining you have had you ever had that happen in your career before I've never had that happen before never
never it just poses you know a unique set of circumstances when he's interviewing his own children when he's
interviewing his ex-wife what's his goal his last ditch effort to cause any you know mental anguish that he can possibly
do or is it his last ditch attempt to show everybody that everything was okay that I was in control of the whole
situation and that I'm not guilty of a crime [Music] after three days of testimony in Trevor
Summers trial closing arguments began what this comes down to is a scorn lover the defendant was not
willing to come to grips with his divorce Trevor had decided not to testify now his life was in his own hands as he
would have to counter the prosecution's claims we spent a lot of time that weekend just talking just trying to
figure things out I'm in a confused State of Mind we're going through a divorce we don't know what's going on
Trevor tried to cast doubt that he was violent with Elisa in her home there was not broken glass or dancing walls
there's not scratches on countertops or blood splatter and he questioned the legitimacy of that
interview he gave to police at the hospital if you were in that position you would feel vulnerable and feel taken
advantage of I was captive and possibly coerced Trevor also disputed elise's description
of being tied up and held against her will at the Walgreens parking lot how do you get out of the car your hands
tied behind your back in the prosecution's rebuttal Jennifer Johnson returned to the video Trevor had
recorded I spent a lot of time with Mom last few hours and the thing that she's the things that
she's told you about me being good at manipulation and control and lying is true
tying her up that is Trevor summers in a nutshell manipulative lying controlling it was now up to the jury to
decide Trevor Summer's fate and about five hours later they had the vert is read tell us what you heard
and I was just guilty all the way across all 11 charges a guilty it's emotional by elise's side to
support her was Jeff Mathewson who Melisa had met shortly before the 2017 attack I just had my hand on his
shoulder and I was holding his hand throughout it all Jeff stood by Elisa and they stood up together getting
married in 2018. I think Elisa knows as long as I'm around her she's safe and and I will protect her with my life and
the kids another step toward protecting the family would come about a month after the verdict at sentencing
during the 55 hour reveal Alisa spoke about the impact of Trevor's actions and did several of their
children including Arden who had been manipulated by her father into letting him into the house that night for five
and a half years I have struggled with what happened to my family especially for the part I took in it we asked Arden
to read from her Victim Impact statement well no one else blamed me for what happened I did the guilt all misplaced
has caused Arden profound pain I've had so many issues with trusting people after what happened and just the guilt
that I lived with for so long before I finally told myself that this isn't my fault but most of my teenage years I
spent just absolutely traumatized because of him Arden's trauma was not lost on the judge who addressed her
directly as he prepared to give his sentence to Arden you should not feel guilty for anything
that you did in this case I assure you of that judge sabella's address to Trevor Summers had quite a different
tone the testimony and evidence that I heard clearly make you a monster in every
stretch of the imagination Mr Trevor Summers will spend the rest of his life in Florida State Prison
the judge sentenced him to three life sentences and Then followed by 224 years of prison and what a sentence
I've never heard of a sentence of that length of you I have not my focus when that sentence came over were the kids
and my focus was moving forward with them we got it the family once so broken is whole again
the healing says Elisa is a process and ongoing we've already come so far Elisa now hopes to raise awareness of domestic
abuse sharing her experience and Recovery with other victims full-time as an insurance agent
what she does not do is dwell on Trevor Summers I've been dealing with him since I was
19 years old that man means nothing to me and I'm moving forward with my life foreign
we have the life more than I've ever envisioned us to have now we're on my road to kids happiness
my healed family this is a happy ending this is a happy story here we go [Music]
he wasn't there convicted of murder this man has spent 28 years in prison for a crime he did not commit and no judge has
given me a chance to be heard a surprising twist can prosecutors finally win his freedom 48 hours Saturday on CBS
and streaming on Paramount Plus [Music]

A woman is attacked in her sleep and kidnapped by her estranged husband. The dramatic story of her captivity and rescue. "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant reports. Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV.

True crime. Real justice. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

Brief Summary

Elisa Summers shares her traumatic story of domestic violence and kidnapping by her estranged husband, Trevor Summers, and the impact on their children.

Key points

A Family Torn Apart. Elisa and Trevor Summers' marriage deteriorates, leading to a tragic series of events.
Desperate Escape. Elisa makes a daring attempt to flee from Trevor during a trip to Walgreens.
Manipulation and Control. Trevor uses his children as pawns in his manipulative schemes against Elisa.
The Night of Terror. Elisa is violently confronted by Trevor in her home, leading to a harrowing struggle.
A Chilling Confession. Trevor writes letters detailing his actions, leaving a haunting message for their children.
Elisa's Rescue. Elisa recalls the moment she was saved from her captor, feeling a rush of relief.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

This must be terrifying.

Elisa's realization of the danger she is in

6:44WatchApr 28, 2023

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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