FORT COLLINS, Colorado – In August 2013, Amber Smith, a 20-year-old single mom, faced a terrifying ordeal that left her strangled, beaten, and raped in a local park. Despite being left for dead, she miraculously survived the brutal attack. For months, she lived in fear, suspicious of every man she encountered and reluctant to leave the safety of her home. The attacker’s DNA was found on her body and on the duct tape used to bind her, but police were unable to connect it to a suspect. It was a nightmare that haunted her every day.
After two years, Smith sought refuge with a group of friends in an attempt to regain control of her life. Little did she know, one of her new roommates was her attacker. The realization that her rapist was living under the same roof shocked her to the core. The encounter shattered her sense of safety, leaving her grappling with a profound sense of betrayal and deep emotional scars.
Smith’s injuries from the attack were severe – a broken jaw, brain bleed, and marks of strangulation. Despite the trauma, she slowly began to rebuild her life, unaware that a breakthrough in her case was on the horizon. In 2017, DNA evidence finally led to the arrest of her attacker, Stefan “Sam” Moon, a man she once believed to be a supportive friend.
The revelation of Moon’s true identity left Smith reeling, but she found the strength to confront him and seek justice. In court, Moon was charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault. Although he was acquitted on the attempted murder charge, he was convicted on the other charges and sentenced to 128 years in prison. Today, Smith remains resilient, determined to use her harrowing experience to help others and move forward with her life. She is no longer defined by the trauma she endured, stating, “I’m not a victim.”