Melissa Dohme’s ex-boyfriend — the man who brutally attacked her — was Robert Lee Burton Jr.

He ambushed her outside her home in Clearwater, Florida, in January 2012, stabbing her 32 times in a fit of rage after their breakup. Melissa miraculously survived, despite suffering massive injuries to her face, neck, and hands.

Burton later pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

The attack became a widely reported case of domestic violence survival — and Melissa went on to become a motivational speaker and advocate for abuse victims.