Hi, I'm Caitlin Van Malle, host of I Survived. We are so proud of these stories, and we're

relaunching season one to hopefully find new audiences for them. This episode is Anita, and what I

remember most about interviewing Anita was her sense of humor, which could veer into the morbid,

but so does mine. I think sometimes when you're confronting and talking about terrible things,

you can laugh or you can cry.

And laughing is more fun. And it was so fun to talk to her. This is episode 15. The Box became my safe haven.

This episode contains descriptions of sexual assault and violence. Listener discretion is advised.

I had just turned 21. I graduated with a microcomputer specialty

degree and computer programming. Had a boyfriend working part-time for UPS and was, you know,

starting to look for jobs in my field, just kind of hanging out with friends

enjoying life, just being a 21-year-old.

But her life as a regular 21-year-old in Kokomo, Indiana was about to change.

This is I Survived, the podcast where we talk to women who have lived through the worst things

imaginable in all the tragic, messy, and wonderful things that can happen after survival.

I'm Caitlin Van Moll.

My mom came in on the morning of June 25th and woke me up, told me I need to be up

and doing stuff and, you know, just graduated college and wanted to sleep in. And at that time,

she left for work and I went back to sleep for a few hours. On June 25th, 1998, Anita slept until

about 10 a.m. and then got up and went to the kitchen.

She had plans to go to lunch with her boyfriend and grandparents in a couple hours.

And the next thing I know, the telephone's ringing in the door, there's a knock on the door.

And I answered the phone, ran over, answered the door, and Victor Steele was at the door.

...