BEDFORD COUNTY (WSLS 10) - Ashley Brogan was supposed to testify against her boyfriend in three days. Despite his previous abuse, she thought they were in a better place. But when the arguing just wouldn't stop on August 29, 2015, Ashley decided she'd had enough. But Willie Hale wasn't going to just let her go, without knowing what she planned to say in court.
Ashley Brogan gave the sheriff's office permission to share the video. It's a momentary glimpse of a life she felt trapped in for two years.
Brogan is living proof you can't keep a good woman down, though Willie Hale tried his hardest.
"He was sitting at me with a knife and so I couldn't move I couldn't say anything," said Brogan.
Paralyzed by fear in the woods and shivering in a blood-covered sundress they had to stop because Ashley couldn't go any farther.
"I got my first three stabbings in the house," said Brogan. "After that, he drug me out the door."
"He's dragging me by my hair," said Brogan. "The whole entire time we were going from the house to the woods his intentions was killing me. He told me he said if you're not going to be with me I'm going to kill you."
"I said 'I'm going to die' and he said 'who cares?'" recalled Brogan.
Her parents cared, enough for her mom to call police, enough for her dad to show up at the trailer where Ashley had been living with Hale and his parents.
"When I was in the words I heard a horn blow. I didn't say anything because I knew if I had said anything he would probably kill me," said Brogan. "But as I was in the woods I heard the horn beep and I was thinking in my head 'that's my dad, thank God.'"
Sgt. Jeremy Gardner was the next to arrive.
After asking Hale's dad questions and getting absolutely nowhere, video from his body camera shows Gardner getting to Ashley and her attacker. It took him roughly nine minutes through rough terrain and dense woods.
"Willie was the one who peeked around the tree and he was like 'oh crap,'" said Brogan. "He was like if you make any sudden move or make any noises I'm going to kill you."
"I seen Jeremy Gardner walking down and my heart actually fell to my feet because I didn't think anybody was going to find me," said Brogan.
Willie Hale once had a way with words with Ashley. He'd talked her into watering down a story on the witness stand so he could get out.
The woman who he forced to stay quiet, or change her story, is speaking up. She hopes her words will encourage other women to go from silent to survivor.
"As soon as I started seeing the signs, I wish I had gotten away a lot faster than I did," said Brogan. "That was my mess up, but you live and learn and I've definitely learned a lot from this whole situation."
"Get to know whoever you're with a lot better than I did," said Brogan. "The whole entire two years I was with him I was a punching bag. This wasn't the only incident. He busted my lip before and I had to get seven stitches."
"People like Willie, they don't deserve to ever be on the streets again because there is going to be another victim and it may not be as good of an outcome is I got," said Brogan.
She credits that outcome to another man.
"Jeremy Gardner saved my life," said Brogan.
The video from Gardner's body camera is so damning, Hale pleaded guilty to malicious wounding. He received 11 years in prison. The video was never played in court and Gardner didn't even have to testify.
Brogan plans to work with Bedford's victim witness program to talk women in similar situations. Gardner told her he'd go with her to any talks she does.
Brogan was pregnant with Hale's child when he attacked her. The baby survived and is healthy. Brogan is engaged and will be married later this month.