MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — A woman is recovering after she says an ex-boyfriend bit off half of her nose near Myrtle Beach.
Michele Messer says she broke up with Chris Campbell a few weeks before running into him the night she says he attacked her.
Michele Messer says she ran into Campbell at a party February 7th. She said when he asked her to talk outside she thought nothing of it. But as soon as they got in her vehicle, Messer says everything changed.
“I remember him just beating me everywhere, punching me everywhere, mainly in the face,” Messer said.
She said she remembers feeling his teeth on her face. She said she asked him what happened, and he said, “I bit your nose off.”
But Messer didn’t believe him.
“I was looking down and I just saw blood pouring from my face, and then I just kind of looked around and saw blood, smeared and everywhere in my van… all over.”
Messer says Campbell then started to choke her and told her he had to kill her. But says she was able to get a hold of the door handle, and fall out of the van.
Messer says that’s when a witness called police.
Authorities originally charged Campbell with criminal domestic violence.
“I was outraged,” she said. “I was outraged I remember calling, and I was like why is that. Like I’m sitting here permanently disfigured, a body part is missing and he intended to kill me. That was his intent. I mean it was very clear what he said to me.”
Messer was worried he would come back and a piece of paper wouldn’t stop him.
But then authorities changed Campbell’s charge to attempted murder. Police say this is because they later discovered his intent to kill Messer, the force he used, and the fact that he choked her.
Right now, Messer is relieved the charges are more serious especially because she is a mother of two.
“It’s a blessing to know that I get to still be here with them, and they get to still be here with me,” she said. “You know because I unintentionally put them in a really bad situation, and the guilt eats me alive by that.”
But Messer says the battle isn’t over yet.
“Even though, thank God we’ve got the charges upgraded,” she said. “That’s still not even half the battle because between the pleas and the charges being suspended you know these men are still walking around every single day.”
