Dateline: Unforgettable is re-examining the case of Amber Smith, who was brutally kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and left for dead by Stefan Moon in a park in Fort Collins, Colorado.
On the evening of August 30, 2013, 20-year-old Amber had been drinking vodka with a friend in Rossborough Park. Unfortunately, at some stage, she passed out, and her friend left her on a park bench.
Amber woke up in a nightmare scenario; she was in a strange residence with her hands and feet bound and her mouth taped shut. Her kidnapper shouted abuse at her and beat and choked her mercilessly.
She lost consciousness and awoke in Cottonwood Glen Park, about two miles to the west from where she had been drinking with her friend. She was naked, and her hands and feet were still bound with duct tape. She began screaming, causing nearby residents to call the police.
Amber had suffered a suffered a broken jaw and a brain bleed. One of her eyes was swollen shut, and she was severely bruised and scratched. She also said the attacker had put a rope around her neck.
The kidnap victim did not get a good look at her attacker and was unable to identify him. However, the police did recover the attacker’s DNA from the duct tape and Amber’s body.
Amber Smith unknowingly became friends with her attacker, Stefan Moon
It took another four years before the police were able to use the DNA to identify Moon as the attacker. The case took on a disturbing twist when Amber learned her attacker had actually become her roommate and friend two years after the attack.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelThe pair lived together for a period from 2015 to 2016, and Amber never realized he was her violent attacker. She said he had given her a funny look when they first met.
Over time, the pair became friendly, and Amber even told Moon about the brutal attack she had endured.
When Moon was arrested, the police discovered he had searched for rape porn on his cellphone 624 times.
Stefan Moon will likely die in prison following his attack on Amber Smith
A jury found Moon guilty of two counts of sexual assault, second-degree kidnapping and first-degree assault. He was found not guilty of attempted murder. He was sentenced to 128 years to life in prison.
At the sentencing, Amber said, “I’m angry, upset, sad … so many things. But one thing I’ll never be is Stefan Moon’s victim. I’m broken but stronger than I’ve ever been.”
Dateline: Unforgettable airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Oxygen.