London, Ont. victim finds strength after despair

London, Ont. -

After surviving an unspeakable trauma, Ashley Michelle is now hoping to help other victims of violence with her book.

“It was the most horrific thing that I have ever seen in my life, “ says Michelle.

Michelle didn’t know what she was stepping into in August of 2016 when her former boyfriend William Joles called her after a bloody murder. She was attacked in the downtown London apartment and then forced to clean up the mess.

“He strangled me there and sexually assaulted me and showed me the body of the deceased,” says Michelle.

Joles was found guilty of second degree murder in the brutal death of his buddy Nathan Deslippe. He was sentenced to life in prison two years later. Ashley was a key witness at the trial.

“I actually attempted to take my own life at that point because I didn’t feel like I deserved to go on,” says Michelle. “I felt so much guilt that I was still alive and that deceased was dead.”

After months of dealing with depression and despair Ashley decided to take action and put her struggles on paper with a book entitled, “Finding Strength Through Tragedy.”

“I really hope that it helps survivors of crime go in a positive direction and get the help and get the counselling they need,” says Michelle. “I believe every trauma is a teaching tool and a teaching lesson for somebody else.”

For more details or to purchase the book click here.