Nick Pasqual, an actor known for appearing in How I Met Your Mother, has been sentenced to 32 years to life in prison for attempting to murder his estranged girlfriend, makeup artist Allie Shehorn. The sentencing took place in a Los Angeles court on Tuesday, months after Pasqual was found guilty.
During the hearing, Shehorn, 37, delivered a powerful victim impact statement, describing the terror of the attack. 'When I was lying on the floor in a pool of my own blood, I remembered wondering if this was how my life was going to end,' she said, according to ABC7. Shehorn, who bore visible scars on her arm and neck, added: 'You, who I had once trusted, decided my life was something that you could take away.'
Prosecutors said Pasqual broke into Shehorn's home in Sunland, California, around 4:30 a.m. on May 23, 2024, and stabbed her more than 20 times before fleeing the state. He was arrested a week later at a U.S.-Mexico border checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, Texas. Authorities noted prior reports of abuse, and Shehorn had filed a restraining order days before the attack, accusing Pasqual of choking, rape, breaking down doors, and assaulting her with a belt.
Shehorn was discovered by a family member and rushed to hospital in critical condition. She underwent 14 hours of life-saving and reconstructive surgeries and spent nearly a week in intensive care after suffering deep cuts to her neck, arms, and abdomen. The judge noted that her injuries were so severe she was clinically dead twice.
Pasqual addressed the court, saying: 'Allie did not deserve to almost have her life taken from her. No amount of words can form an adequate apology for what she had to endure.' However, the judge questioned his sincerity, referencing a recorded phone call two months earlier in which Pasqual mocked Shehorn's suffering. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the case underscores the painful reality of domestic violence.
