In a harrowing ordeal that would irrevocably alter her life, a Texas woman survived a brutal attempted murder after a teenager broke into her home and launched a vicious attack with a hammer and a large knife.
The Ninja in the Attic: A Home Invasion Turns to Horror
Ellen Halbert's ordinary morning in 1986 was shattered when an intruder she did not know was there emerged from hiding. An 18-year-old had spent the night concealed in her attic, dressed in what she described as a 'ninja suit', waiting for her family to leave. After her husband departed for work and her son visited a friend, Halbert decided to take a shower.
Stepping out, she came face-to-face with the young man, who was armed with a large hammer and, in her words, "the biggest knife I've ever seen." Her immediate instinct was to order him out of her house. In response, he threw her to the ground and bound her, leaving her completely defenceless.
A Torturous Assault and a Miraculous Survival
What followed was a two-hour nightmare of violence. Halbert was raped, beaten with the hammer, and stabbed multiple times. The assault was so frenzied she lost count of the blows to her head; a surgeon later estimated she suffered eight to ten "areas of impact." The attacker stabbed her in the neck and chest before delivering what he likely believed was the final blow: a stab wound to the head.
In a moment of particular brutality, Halbert recalls him placing his foot on her head to gain leverage, stamping down to wrench the knife from her skull. Believing her dead, the attacker fled with an $800 cheque he had forced her to write, leaving her for dead.
Miraculously, Halbert clung to life. Summoning unimaginable strength, she dragged herself to a telephone and called her parents. They rushed to her aid and alerted the police. The attacker was captured just days later when he attempted to cash the stolen cheque.
The Long Road to Recovery and a Life of Advocacy
For Ellen Halbert, survival was only the beginning of a gruelling journey. She underwent extensive surgeries to repair the severe wounds to her head and neck. The profound psychological trauma led to stress-related illnesses, the breakdown of her marriage, and the loss of her job.
"I had been ripped inside out in every way possible: physically, spiritually, sexually, and emotionally," she shared. "I didn’t know how I could ever recover from such violence."
At trial, her attacker was found guilty of attempted murder and received a life sentence, though he was not convicted on rape charges. Halbert's path to healing began when she connected with other victims and sought therapy. "I actually wanted to come out of it stronger than I was before," she said. "It took me a long time."
Transforming her trauma into purpose, Halbert dedicated herself to restorative justice. In 1991, she became the first openly identified victim of violent crime to serve on the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, completing a six-year term. For over two decades, she has worked with the Bridges to Life programme, facilitating meetings where survivors share their stories with inmates to help them understand the devastating impact of crime on victims and their communities.
