MONTGOMERY, Texas — The mystery woman ringing doorbells in Montgomery County early last Friday tells detectives she had been sexually assaulted by her boyfriend and was trying to get help.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies were finally able to identify the woman Wednesday after her boyfriend was found dead in their home.
Dennis Collins, 49, died from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He had been shot once in the chest.
MCSO Lt. Scott Spencer said Collins left a suicide note and text messages admitting it was his girlfriend in the doorbell videos.
The woman was wearing only a t-shirt and had restraints on her wrists.
She told deputies they were the type of restraints typically used in “private intimate encounters." But this time, she said, the sex wasn’t consensual.
“She’s very distraught about this. She’s upset, she’s embarrassed, she’s in shock,” Lt. Scott Spencer said.
We are not identifying the woman because she is believed to be a victim of sexual assault and domestic violence.
After ringing the doorbells, the victim eventually returned to the residence before fleeing to Dallas where her family lives.
She never reported the incident to authorities.
Investigators don’t know yet if the woman was being held against her will, or how long she had been tied up. They plan to interview her again to get more details about what happened.
The frightening video of the victim in restraints knocking on a door rattled the entire neighborhood.
Most neighbors didn't know Collins or his girlfriend because they'd only lived in the neighborhood for a few months.
Lt. Spencer said this viral video gave families of missing women across the country false hope their loved ones may have been found.
“We did receive numerous, I couldn’t even give you a number but it was a lot of comparisons referenced to missing persons not just locally or here in the United States but also internationally,” Lt. Spencer said.
Lt. Spencer advises if anyone comes knocking on your door, day or night, to let your presence known.
If you feel threatened you should call 911.