It was October 13th 1995 in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada as two young girls were walking home from a house party. They hear a rustling in the bushes & suddenly a man leaps out of the darkness brandishing a weapon. 

From there the terrified friends were subjected to a brutal attack in which they were beaten & sexually assaulted by a sick, perverted & dangerous man who had been hiding in wait ready to ambush a victim.

16 year old Tanya Smith was unable to escape & tragically lost her life in the attack. But miraculously somehow her friend 16 year old Misty Cockerill only just about escaped with her life.

Thanks to fast acting doctors who performed life saving surgery Misty somehow pulled through despite the nightmarish ordeal she had endured.

But it was down to her stoicism, bravery & unwavering courage that she was able to begin her recovery journey & remain strong whilst police hunted for the dangerous man who murdered Tanya. 

The unknown killer begins to taunt the police & Misty with threats & phone calls, engaging them in a brazen game of cat & mouse, killer versus cops. This unhinged behaviour earned him the moniker the Abbotsford killer, an illusive bogeyman that left the residents of Abbotsford terrified he would kill again .

But Misty was still determined that one day she would see justice for her & her friend.

This is not just a story about Terry Driver the married father of two, a sexually sadistic killer who believed he was smarter than law enforcement. 

But it's a story about how one young girl managed to beat her attacker not only by recovering from severe injuries against all odds. Incredibly she went on to use her own experience & ordeal to help other victims & she has now become a recognised & eloquent voice for other survivors of crime.

This is a case that shows even when faced with the darkest of evil one girls strength & courage made her the ultimate survivor...

This is episode 127: Misty Cockerill, Surviving the Abbotsford Killer

Crime talk timestamp-12:07

Sources 

Spokesman .com / tampabay.com article May 5th 1995 / timeschronicle.ca/ https://fbi.gov / Fraser valley today/ the Abbotsford news/ City News Vancouver/ The Globe And Mail/ Unsolved Mysteries Wiki / linc society bcca/

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