12 Miles of Terror : The Survival Story of Danielle Keener and Daniel Zapp

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Danielle Keener and Daniel Zapp with me today. On the night of January 8, 2000, 18‑year‑old college students Danielle Keener and Daniel Zapp were walking near a marina outside York, Pennsylvania, when a man in a red pickup truck blocked their path, pulled a 9mm handgun, and forced them into his vehicle at gunpoint. He drove them to an isolated stretch by the Susquehanna River, sexually assaulted Danielle, then marched them to the water’s edge, shot Daniel in the head and Danielle in the face and shoulder, and pushed both of them into the icy river, assuming they would drown and his witnesses were gone.Miraculously, the shock of the cold water jolted Danielle and Daniel back to consciousness, and they managed to cling to each other and fight their way to shore, where a hunter spotted their badly wounded bodies and got help in time to save their lives. The gunman, identified as 37‑year‑old William Babner, was arrested weeks later and went to trial that summer; a jury found him guilty on all counts, including the attempted murders and rape of Danielle and Daniel. In August 2000, the judge handed William a sentence of 117 to 235 years in prison, effectively ensuring he will die behind bars with no chance of parole until well past a normal lifespan.