Domestic Violence Awareness: Lawrenceville Woman Shares Story Of Survival After Ex-Boyfriend Breaks Into Home, Stabs Her 12 Times
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A local survivor of domestic abuse who nearly died after her ex-boyfriend broke into her home and stabbed her 12 times is sharing her story.
Laura Smith was only given a 50 percent chance of survival after the attack at her home in Lawrenceville.
She kept fighting and battled back from the brink of death to see 54-year-old Israel McNair sentenced to 10-20 years for attempted homicide.
"If he had moved anywhere else, I would have been dead," Smith said.
Smith didn't know McNair well when they started dating, but she did know he was released from prison seven months prior to meeting her.
Smith did not know the severity of McNair's violent past.
"He got out from a 20-year prison sentence," Smith said. "Two rape charges, plus hurting the guard down at whatever prison he was at."
Now Smith wishes she had listened to the inner voice telling her something wasn't right.
"Listen to the vibes you're getting and look into it," Smith said.
Smith said McNair had a drinking problem, but she didn't see any violent tendencies.
Smith said she later asked McNair to leave after he started acting controlling.
"He would have come to the house, he'll cry like a 2-year-old or like a little kid not getting his way," Smith said. "And then the last time he came he was like, 'Why don't you have a heart?'"
In November of 2018, more than two months after he left, McNair broke into Smith's home, stood over her bed in the middle of the night and stabbed her repeatedly.
"It was 12 times, punctured my stomach twice and punctured my colon once," Smith said. "Broke things off with him, saying ... I wasn't taking him back. So he figured since he couldn't have me, nobody could have me."
McNair was sentenced on Nov. 13 and is at the State Correctional Institution Greene in Waynesburg.
Smith said she hopes other women will hear her story and reach out to agencies like the Greater Pittsburgh Women's Shelter.