08/25/2020
You may remember me sharing a post a few weeks ago regarding a woman who was out walking on a country road and had a car stop and attempt to talk with her. She took off into the woods and was able to call her Dad to pick her up. She was carrying Mace, but in the moment of the encounter, she didn't think to get it out and ready, and was embarrassed to admit that.
Reminder-it's important to practice with the tools you carry AND there's no wrong way to survive. Don't waste a moment beating yourself up for what you did or didn't do if you are alive.
This story was shared with me by Exigence Security.
It's horrible. It's tragic. Here's key points from a few different articles I found:
-Sydney Sutherland, 25, was last seen by a UPS driver jogging in the area of State Highway 18 between Newport and Grubbs around 2:30 to 3 p.m.
-According to Sheriff Lucas, Sutherland and the suspect knew each other.
-Sutherland took her cellphone with her when she went for the jog. Searchers found the phone Thursday.
-An ASP agent said on the stand that Lewellyn “admitted to seeing Sutherland walking on CR 41.” Lewellyn reportedly then abducted her, took her to farmland and sexually assaulted her, then buried her body.
-Lewellyn is also listed as a member of a page created to aid in the search for Sutherland, who was a nurse.
She went for a walk, in the middle of the afternoon. Lewellyn was known to her (it's not clear how they are associated). He joined the FB page created to finding her. I assume it was to keep tabs on the search so he would know right away if they found her body.
I don't care who stops their vehicle to say hello while you're out walking. Keep your distance and carry a tool that you are comfortable using to protect yourself. THE MOMENT your intuition alarms start going off, your safety needs to become your #1 priority.
No one has the right to push past your boundaries (leave me alone, go away) EVER. If they think it's funny and you Mace them, well, you get the last laugh and hopefully they'll learn to never cross you again.
If you need help picking the right tool, learning what to do, or anything else relating to personal safety, email me at [email protected].