London, Ont. victim finds strength after despair
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.