The story of Carmen Tarleton is one of those that impacts everyone who hears it. While there were multiple times throughout this video where I grimaced at the details of her experience, I believe her story needs to be shared. Tarleton is a survivor of a gruesome case of domestic violence, but she found the light at the end of the tunnel through the love of family.
In an ESPN E:60 segment, Tarleton opens up about the events leading up to the night of the attack. Tarleton's second marriage began with great joy as many relationships do, but ended in a way that nobody would have ever expected. In the video, Tarleton and her sister both remark on the overall pleasant nature of her second husband Herbert Rodgers, suggesting that there weren't warning signs that he could've been abusive.
It was in 2006 when Tarleton and her family moved back to Vermont that things started taking a turn for the worse. Rodgers wasn't able to find work in Vermont and grew increasingly depressed. Tartleton's daughters describe Rodgers at that time as very reclusive, keeping to his room with the door shut most days. It wasn't long before Tarleton and Rodgers filed for divorce and Rodgers moved out of the house.
Shortly after filing for divorce, Tarleton started dating one of her coworkers. It's unclear from the video whether or not Rodgers knew about Tartleton's new romance when he showed up at her house the night of June 10, 2007. On a night that will forever live on as a nightmarish memory for Tarleton and her two daughters, Rodgers broke into their home and brutally attacked Tarleton with a baseball bat and doused her with industrial-strength lye.
The years following Tarleton's vicious attack have been some of the most difficult and painful years for her and her family. Rodgers was given the minimum sentence of 30 years in prison, but no form of punishment can take away what he did to Tarleton. Tarleton is still recovering from that June 10th night, but she is using her experience to help others overcome their own struggles relating to domestic abuse.
Watch the video and share your thoughts with us in the comments section. We want to hear from you.
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