– Suddenly I hear a loud noise. A flashlight shines in my face and I was so confused. Then I hear his voice and realize it’s my ex.
The words belong to American Tracy Otto (28), who speaks out about the terrifying night that completely changed her life back in 2019.
She had recently kicked her ex out and changed all the locks in the house to be on the safe side. Now she was dating a new guy and life was looking up.
It didn’t last long.
On that fateful October night, Otto was in bed with her new flame when her ex was snooping around her house. He peeked into the bedroom window and saw the couple together.
He then left the area and bought a powerful air gun, along with a knife and a pair of handcuffs.
– He comes back to the house, breaks in, and wakes us up – yelling that we need to get out of bed. He says he’s going to kill us, and if he doesn’t kill himself, he’s going to call the police, Otto says in an emotional interview with BBC.
Long Prison Sentence
The ex assaults Otto several times, before shooting Ricky Riessle twice in the face and stabbing him in the back, causing one of his lungs to collapse. Then he shoots Otto in the left eye, before driving the knife into her neck. He then sexually assaulting his former girlfriend.
When he called the police afterwards, he thought he had killed both of them, but the couple survived. In January 2023, the perpetrator pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Meanwhile, Otto is left with her life completely changed.
The 28-year-old now sits in a wheelchair and there are several things inside her that no longer function as they should. Her body, for instance, does not regulate temperature, putting her at risk of heat stroke. She also struggles with her intestines and bladder.
STILL TOGETHER: Tracy Otto receives help from her boyfriend Ricky Riessle. Photo: Felix Scheyer/AP/NTB
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Settled in Paris
So why does this story appear in Dagbladet’s sports section, you might wonder. Because Otto – who was a fitness model before she was assaulted – has found joy in life through archery, and is currently participating in the Paralympics.
It was in March 2021 that she tried the sport for the first time, and since then she has been hooked.
– I thought: “Why not try archery?” Ricky replied: “Your hands don’t work,” but I thought we would figure it out. I did a bit of research and found out we had archery courses in the area. A week later, I tried it for the first time, says Otto.
Already after the second week, she started talking about the Paralympics. Now she has fulfilled her dream.
And the new flame? He is now her boyfriend and is also part of the journey to Paris.