High school teacher Samson “Sam” Shelton in Freeburg, Illinois, who attempted to strangle a teenage girl in 2006 and confessed under the misconception that she had died, has been released from state prison. Shelton, now 44 years old, had served 17 years of a 20-year sentence for the attempted murder of Ashley Reeves, who was 17 years old at the time of the assault. Reeves, a survivor of the horrific incident, has since publicly shared her story of recovery.
During a 2017 interview with Elizabeth Smart, a kidnapping and rape survivor who was abducted in 2002, Reeves disclosed that she has no recollection of the events before or after she was left in the freezing woods of Illinois for 30 hours.
Smart asked Reeves if she remembered anything about the day of the attack, to which Reeves responded that she had no memory of that specific day, the days leading up to it, or the weeks following. R
eeves mentioned the challenges she faced in relearning basic tasks like eating and drinking post-incident.
Shelton notably admitted to strangling Reeves with a belt and causing her neck injury during a dispute over their relationship. This confession led investigators to the wooded area in Belleville where Reeves was left, with Shelton mistakenly assuming she had perished.
Following this, he pleaded guilty to attempted murder in 2007 and explained that he deserted Reeves in the woods to make it appear as though she had been strangled there, as opposed to inside his vehicle. Shelton, recognized as a driver’s education instructor and pro wrestler known as “The Teacher,” gained attention for his wrestling persona in his spare time.