Savage Shadows: A True Story of Courage in the Face of Crime. This item is unavailable.Savage Shadows: A True Story of Courage in the Face of Crime

Describes how Eileen Ross, a blind woman living alone, was terrorized, beaten, and raped in her New York City apartment, and how she helped catch her attacker

Early one summer morning, Eileen Ross lived through two-and-a-half hours of terror. Alone and blind, she was awakened by an intruder who bludgeoned her with a mallet. When she regained consciousness, her hair matted with blood, the man loomed over her. In the horrible nightmare that followed, she was savagely beaten, robbed, and raped twice. During the attack, while the man repeatedly threatened to kill her, Eileen evolved a plan, not only to save her life, but also to secure physical evidence that would trap the rapist once he was apprehended. After the vicious crime, Ms. Ross had two options: to remain silent and perpetuate the myths about rape or to take action. She chose the latter sparking the police investigation, contributing vital clues about her attacker's identity. Her open stance with the media made her a front page story. She won the hearts of the public. Thousands of letters poured in praising her courage and candor. Through Eileen Ross's determined efforts and acute police work, her attacker, known as "The Spider Man Rapist", was caught, convicted and sentenced to fifteen years to life in prison. Savage Shadows is the story of one woman's night of terror, her twisted rapist, and the police who went the extra mile to catch the man. It is also the story of a courageous woman who refused to be victimized; a survivor who emerged from her ordeal to begin a national campaign to free other women from the stigma and myths about rape.