Woman speaks for the first time after testifying against her attacker | Forensic Files

On January 27th, 1996, CC Openowski was home alone in Hudson Falls, New York, when her ex-boyfriend
Shawn Doyle showed up at her house and became violent, at one point holding scissors to her neck.
He pushed me onto the couch, started holding me down and restraining me, and you know, yelling at me. Then I thought
he was going to stab me. He picked me up, held me up, and cut my hair off. It was gone, just all of it.
What was it like to have your hair cut off in this way? Dehumanizing. Dehumanizing.
Think that's why he did it? Probably. CC thought she would never make it out alive until the phone started to ring,
and Doyle let her answer it. It was her friend, Shannon McAuliff. When she finally picks up the phone,
what did you hear in her voice? Fear. Shannon knew that Doyle had threatened CC in the past.
And that's when she said, "Is he there?" And I said, "Yes." McAuliff called police. Doyle was
arrested. He pleaded guilty to menacing in the second degree, and was sentenced to three years probation.
I'm having night terrors. CC, terrified of Doyle, left Hudson Falls and tried to forget her past. But
nine years later, Doyle was arrested for murdering Lori Leonard, a young mother of two boys. Lori's body was found
inside a toolbox floating in the Champlain Canal. Lori was handcuffed and duct-taped,
and wrapped up in a comforter. It was terrible. It was a terrible thing to see. When CC learned of Lori's tragic death,
she was heartbroken. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I felt for her whole entire family and her
two young children. So, in 2006, when Doyle's murder trial began, CC was determined to testify
against him. I need to make sure that he is put away for murdering Lori. At this point now
I'm angry. I'm not fearful.

A woman was just 18 years old when she survived a vicious attack by her ex-boyfriend. Years later, she faced him in court after he was accused of murdering a mother of two. "48 Hours" correspondent Anne-Marie Green has her story.

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "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.

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Brief Summary

CC Openowski recounts her violent encounter with Shawn Doyle and his later murder of Lori Leonard, leading her to testify against him.

Key points

A Violent Encounter. CC Openowski faces a terrifying situation when her ex-boyfriend shows up violently.
A Heartbreaking Discovery. CC learns of Lori Leonard's tragic death, leading to her determination to testify.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Dehumanizing.

CC's response to having her hair cut off by Doyle.

0:35WatchMay 9, 2025

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Woman speaks for the first time after testifying against her attacker | Forensic Files