Though it's not the most exciting or glamorous way to spend an evening together, there's nothing quite like vegging out on the couch with your significant other. You can put on your favorite show or movie, get yourselves some food and maybe something to drink, and just be together.
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But like everything else in life, even those simple plans can go awry. When one young couple had their night derailed, their plans of a pleasant evening would turn out to be a more harrowing tale than they could have imagined…
Taking It Easy
It should have just been a simple night staying in, just like any other for the young couple, Jennifer and her boyfriend Robbie. She was at her Fairfield, Ohio apartment, waiting for him to arrive, looking forward to some quality time with the man she loved.
Acting Strangely
But when Robbie arrived, something was off. Robbie was usually great to be around, cracking jokes and being affectionate. But from the moment he walked in the door, Jennifer noticed that his behavior was erratic, seemingly agitated about something she couldn't put her finger on…
On Drugs?
From the looks of him, Jennifer thought that he might be on drugs of some kind. Already, it seemed like the peaceful night in that she was expecting was slipping away. He wasn't going to be any fun in his current state so Jennifer came up with an idea to try and salvage the evening.
Have A Drink
Jennifer offered to fix him one of his favorite drinks, a gin and juice, to calm his nerves. Robbie agreed, though he eyed her suspiciously as she went into the kitchen to make the cocktail. She took a deep breath as she tried to get the proportions just the way he liked…
Strange Suspicion
When she came back from the kitchen, Jennifer put a smile on her face to try and lighten the mood but Robbie was having none of it. Her smile seemed to have the opposite effect as he took the glass and sniffed it, then hurled a bizarre accusation at his girlfriend.
Dead Serious
With a sharp tone of anger in his voice, he accused Jennifer of trying to poison him by putting battery acid in his drink. Jennifer was shocked. She thought he was joking at first, but when she realized he was serious, she flatly denied the accusation…
Prove It
But Robbie was insistent, his drug addled mind had somehow worked out that his girlfriend wanted him dead. He started shouting at her, demanding that Jennifer drink the cocktail to prove it wasn't poisoned.
Exploding
Things had gone from awkward, to uncomfortable, to downright frightening for Jennifer. Her hands shaking and nearly in tears, she took the drink from Robbie. When she took a sip and it caught in her throat, causing her to cough, he took that as proof that the drink was tainted. That sent him into a rage…
Don't Move
Robin "Robbie" Chester grabbed a meat cleaver from the kitchen and dragged Jennifer to the couch, telling her that if she moved or made a sound, he would cut her head off. He started screaming nonsense at her, accusing her of murderous intent and threatening to do awful things to her.
Torture
Jennifer Miller was already in tears when the threats turned into actions. Robbie began to torture his girlfriend, putting cigarettes out on her body and forcing her to put dirty laundry in her mouth. When she refused to "admit" that she was trying to kill him, things only escalated…
Confess!
Over the next several hours, Robbie repeatedly forced Jennifer to drink boiling water to make her "confess." He then, like something out of a horror movie, escalated to slashing her arms again and again with the meat cleaver.
Making A Break
Jennifer started to believe that she was going to die in her own apartment, right there on the couch where she'd spent countless hours watching TV and snuggling with the man who would be her killer. Then, in a moment where Robbie stepped away, she saw an opportunity for escape and bolted for the apartment door…
Wild Pursuit
Robbie chased after her, swinging wildly with the cleaver as she tried to escape. He struck her several times in the back, the head, and once in the left hand, nearly chopping it in half. When she collapsed in the hallway of the apartment building, Robbie took her for dead.
Call 911
Hearing the screams and the sounds of the attack, several of Jennifer's neighbors saw Robbie then run out into the street and begin removing his clothes. Someone called 911 to alert the authorities about the gruesome scene and they responded in minutes…
Miracle
When first responders arrived on the scene, they were quickly able to apprehend Robbie. They also found Jennifer miraculously still alive. Knowing that an ambulance wouldn't bring her to a hospital quickly enough, they ordered a helicopter to airlift her as medics tried to stabilize her condition.
Emergency Surgery
Jennifer was in terrible shape when she arrived to the hospital and was immediately rushed to the operating room. A team of doctors worked for more than nine hours, performing extensive emergency surgery in an attempt to save her life. When the final stitch was sewn up and it appeared she would survive, they were as exhausted as they were relieved…
Night Of Terror
"It was a night of terror, having my hand chopped in half, for hours and you're watching the blood, I'm looking inside parts of my body I've never seen before," Jennifer said. "That night I incurred 2,000 stitches and staples […] I wasn't supposed to live."
Guilty Plea
Robbie, who was apparently high on cocaine that night, was charged with attempted murder for the brutal assault he'd subjected her to. He plead guilty to the charges and as part of a plea deal was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay $197,000 in restitution for Jennifer's numerous surgeries and after care…
Not Enough
Jennifer believed he should have gotten even more time in prison. "I don't feel 10 years is enough," she said. "In 10 years am I going to remember everything? Yes. Will I still have emotional problems? Yes I will. Will I still have visible scars? Yes. I may never be able to use my left hand again and I don't see how you can put a price on that."
Not Blaming Them
That's not to say that she was attacking the prosecution for offering Robbie the deal. "I am in no way holding the Butler County Prosecutor's office at fault for the sentencing," she said. "I hold no ill will over how they handled my case. I am upset with state of Ohio laws that are in place for victims of violent crime."