Naman Shrestha
Investigation Discovery’s ‘Before They Kill Again: Creeping Up on You’ delves deep into the sexual and violent crimes that Christopher Kornberger committed in 2003, leaving several communities terrified. Although he was in the headlines mainly for the murder of Krista DiFrancesco, she was not his only victim. Renee Basile was one of the survivors who managed to overpower him when he crept up on her from behind. Given her encounter with the killer, questions about her current whereabouts are naturally raised in the minds of the viewers.
Renee Basile Had a Hard Time Trusting People After the Attack
The year 2003 turned out to be a horrific one for the residents of South Jersey as various women faced multiple violent attacks from 18-year-old Christopher Kornberger. Before killing 24-year-old wife and mother Krista DiFrancesco right outside her house, he had attacked Renee Basile in her driveway in the Waterford Township. As a matter of fact, she was the first of the five women he attacked that year in the South Jersey area. According to Renee, Christopher ambushed her on her driveway with box cutters. Somehow, she managed to overwhelm him during the struggle, which lasted for more than a minute. As a result, the attacker had no choice but to flee the scene.
Finally, when Christopher was captured for the murder of Krista and violent attacks on other women, she was relieved to find out that her attacker would be brought to justice for his actions. By then, he had also confessed that he intended to abduct Renee that day but failed to do so. During his trial, Renee took the stand and testified how she had to fight for her life alone, despite screaming and yelling to alert her husband inside the house and the neighbors. She also claimed that she was on the phone with her best friend when the attack happened and even her best friend was unable to respond.
She addressed the court and said, “That made me lose faith in my fellow man.” In the years that followed the attack, she divorced her husband and tried her best to instill normalcy back into her everyday life. She even avoided watching television because of the news of all the crimes taking place. Explaining that she had since lost the ability to trust anyone, she added, “Everything I do is affected by this traumatic event because I am afraid to let my guard down.” Once Renee was done with her statements, the judge asked the perpetrator if he wanted to respond to her. He said, “Based on what I’ve heard and what I’ve read, I don’t think I can provide the closure this woman needs.” Renee found a sense of relief when Christopher was convicted and sentenced to 126 years in prison for his crimes.
Renee Basile is Leading a Comfortable Life Away From the Spotlight Today
Over the years, Renee Basile has worked hard to move on from the impact of the 2003 incident. While the memories of the trauma hit her every now and then, it can be said that she has learned to manage them by focusing on the present and being grateful for all the good things and people in her life. She is not very active on social media but took to Facebook in June 2022 to express her joy over finding a nest of cardinal eggs next to her mailbox. After a wait of 4 months, she finally dyed her hair in August 2022 and flaunted it to her friends with several selfies (as seen above) showcasing how the hair color complemented her glowing face in the sunlight.
Renee is also a nature-lover and often shares snippets of the beautiful sky she witnesses on her walks. Aside from that, she also helps raise awareness about missing fur babies or those in need of a welcoming home. Though she doesn’t share much about her personal life, it appears that she is currently content in her own company and leads a life of privacy. If there’s one motto Renee swears by, it is: “Just live life your way, but do something to make it all worthwhile. We only get one shot at making it our way.” Her journey of resilience is indeed inspiring, and we are sure her friends and family members are proud of how she has dealt with the hardships and how far she has come in life.
Read More: Krista DiFrancesco Murder: Where is Christopher Kornberger Now?
