Shivangi Sinha
In February 1999, the police were on the hunt for a serial killer and rapist responsible for two murders in Arlington, Texas. The perpetrator had been active in 1996, committing the murders, and resurfaced in late 1998, assaulting several women in a short period. One of these women, Chima Simone, a student at the University of Texas in Arlington, reported a similar incident. In the NBC ‘Dateline’ episode titled ‘Dark Intentions,’ Simone shares her harrowing experience, detailing how she fought against her attacker and ultimately contributed to his capture and justice being served.
Chima Simone Helped in Identifying the Bathtub Killer
Born on July 28, 1976, Chima Simone always envisioned a future in the media and entertainment industry. She was passionate about pop culture, fashion, films, and TV and knew her charm, beauty, and confidence would help her succeed. To pursue her career ambitions, she enrolled at the University of Texas in Arlington and joined the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, which became a haven for her. She felt she was in an environment where she could thrive, embarking on a life full of promise and hope.
On February 23, 1999, Chima Simone was in her room when a man broke in and sexually assaulted her. Though she managed to fend off the perpetrator and also bit him, she sustained severe injuries to her face and was left incapacitated on the bedroom floor. Simone reported the crime, and the police collected DNA samples from her body as well as fingerprints from the scene. Her assault was soon identified as part of a series of similar attacks reported by many women in the area. The collected samples were submitted for analysis, leading to a match that helped the police advance their investigation.
The fingerprints and DNA collected from Simone matched those from two murders committed in 1996 in Arlington, Texas. The victims of those murders were Christine Vu and Wendie Prescott. Despite this, the perpetrator remained unidentified and at large. In May 1999, a man named Dale Scheanette was arrested for “criminal mischief,” although he was released on bail, his fingerprints were submitted to the police database. In September 2003, the police working on the murder of Wendie, one of the women who had been killed in the Arlington apartment complex, resubmitted the fingerprints found at her crime scene.
These fingerprints matched those of Dale. Simone was also able to identify him to the police as her perpetrator as well, and the bite mark from her attack also helped in confirming his identity. Dale was arrested in September 2005. His DNA and fingerprints matched not only the ones found at Wendie’s crime scene but also Vu’s and the assaults on four other women, including Simone. During Wendie’s trial in January 2003, Simone and the rest of the survivors of his attacks testified. Simone detailed her horrific experience to the jury, emphasizing the necessity of incarcerating the perpetrator. Dale was convicted of Wendie’s murder and received a life sentence. Although he was never convicted for the assault on Simone, justice was served when he was executed by lethal injection on February 10, 2009.
Chima Simone is a Writer Today
The impact of the attack on Chima Simone was profound, affecting her mentally, emotionally, and psychologically. Additionally, she had to undergo two surgeries following the assault. Eventually, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as an actress but later shifted her focus to entertainment journalism and television. Simone gained significant recognition when she appeared on ‘Big Brother’ Season 11, where she shared her traumatic experience. She has also recounted her story on ‘Cold Case Files’ and ID’s ‘Unusual Suspects’ and ‘Surviving Evil.’
Chima Simone has made several TV appearances, including on ‘Hollyscoop’ in 2009 and ‘Reality Obsessed’ in 2011. She has also worked with The Wrap, AOL, Style Network, E!, and many other media outlets. Simone was a backstage interviewer for the BET Awards and was nominated for Best Villain at the 2009 Fox Reality Awards. Driven to achieve more, she enrolled at the University of Southern California, where she earned a Graduate Certificate in the Business of Entertainment from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and a Master’s degree from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
On July 28, 2018, Chima Simone and her husband, Jon Olmstead, welcomed their daughter, Nadia Annalise, into their lives. Now settled in Los Angeles, Simone’s main priority is caring for her daughter. She occasionally works as a writer, publishing her work on platforms such as Caesars Entertainment and Buzzfeed. Additionally, she volunteers with RAINN’s Speakers Bureau, the country’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. As a Digital Content Strategist and Editor, Simone focuses on her life, finding it equally fulfilling and rewarding.
Read More: Chanel Miller: Sexual Assault Survivor is a Celebrated Author Today
