When the Lies in the Newspaper Are About You

At any given time, I would believe what was printed in my local newspaper The Herald Journal. But on January 28, 2009, I never before felt that this newspaper was more full of lies. And the lies began on the night of January 27, 2009 in Cowpens, SC.

A man I've been engaged to for awhile now invited me to his house one night after work. I was there, along with him, his sister, and two of his other friends. What seemed like a nice evening with friends, would soon be destroyed by his estranged wife.

She came over unannounced and asked to come inside to get clothes for their children. He was reluctant to let her inside because we all knew that she would try to start a brawl with me. After she promised several times that she only came to get clothes, he finally opened the door and allowed her to come in. Little did we know what would happen next.

I was sitting on the couch when she flew through the door and came towards me. I'm no idiot, I knew I had to think fast, or I would be hurt. This woman came at me with all intentions of hitting me. I jumped to my feet to protect myself and she lunged at me. She began clawing into my neck, face, and shoulders with her fingernails. I had so much adrenaline running in me that I hit her. She screamed at me, "I'm so glad you did that, now I'm calling the police and saying my husband did this!"

Thinking she was crazy, I asked my then boyfriend to take me home. I went and got in the car and not two minutes later he was running to the car himself. She had hit him at least six times in the face. He had blood coming from his nose and mouth. I was shocked. We went to my house were we stayed the rest of the night and we heard nothing more from this crazy woman.

The next night is where all the fun comes in. On January 28, 2009, my boyfriend was arrested on charges of kidnapping, second degree lynching, and CDV. I was flipping out. There was no way he could be charged with these crimes because none of it happend. What was worse, was that the police were also looking for me on the second degree lynching charge. I turned myself into police the next morning.

Now here I am on March 20, 2009 after making bail, I am awaiting my trial date. That date is six days away from now. I have had my face in numerous newspapers saying I did these things to her, when in real life, she is making these things up. I never lynched anyone. I hit her once, and that was it.

Now I know not to believe everything I see in the news or read in the newspaper, because it's not always the truth. They lie to get stories just like we do. And I'm sure you will continue to believe what you see or hear, that is, until it happens to you.