Connie Culp was in the news as getting the first face transplant in the US. It said she lost most of the middle of her face from a shotgun blast that was just 8 feet away. I googled her as I wondered how that happened. Her husband shot her in the face and then himself in the face. Both lived. She is blind as well as lost her sense of smell and taste, her mouth and nose and was very disfigured. One article had a photo of her , very beautiful, before this happened. I looked up Michael Culp in the state she lived in and was shocked. He lost one eye, but was not disfigured in the way she was. His sentence is up to 7 years! I'm thinking of all the inmates who got long long sentences for being in the car when a robbery went bad. This is a horrendous crime.

And she's still talking about possibly take him back once he's released! Blind in more ways than one, poor girl!

I have followed this story from the medical standpoint for months and months...but to hear that she may return to the source of her suffering, and the catalyst for a need to perform this medical miracle.....:eek:.....that is information the media hasn't made widely available, and I am shocked, saddened, and scared for her.
That is a testament to what abuse can do to one's psyche.

Perhaps she's going back because she thinks no one else would want her the way she is now...but it's also poetic justice that he has to look her everyday and be reminded of what a monster he is.

"She endured 30 operations to try to fix her face. Doctors took parts of her ribs to make cheekbones and fashioned an upper jaw from one of her leg bones. She had countless skin grafts from her thighs."

I am constantly amazed by the medical miracles that are possible these days. I recently underwent a cornea transplant and I thought that was amazing but wow... a full face!!

I just read another article that says he was sentanced to 7 years but maybe released as early as Oct of next year, basically only serving 6 years... Thats just outragious he got 4 yrs for atempted murder and 3 yrs for assalt with a firearm. Plus the guys got 4 dui's... WTF!!!

"He was later charged and pleaded no contest the following April to an indictment of first-degree attempted aggravated murder and second-degree felonious assault with a firearms specification. During the sentencing phase, Connie begged the court for leniency, professing her love and forgiveness to her husband and shocking the community. Thomas was given seven years but could be released in October of next year.

The lack of a prior violent record played a role in the decision, although Nunner believed the man’s four DUI charges between 1979 and 1996 still showed a proclivity to abuse alcohol and a greater risk to re-offend. Under state law, the attempted aggravated murder charge carries three to 10 years in prison but the court can impose the shortest prison term authorized unless the offender was either serving time or had been in prison when the offense occurred or the court found it would demean the seriousness of the offender’s conduct or would not adequately protect the public from future crime. Nunner added one year to the minimum term because of the prior DUI’s and minor traffic offenses, and the sentence included three years for felonious assault upon the firearms specification and four years for the attempted aggravated murder count.

OMG, I have followed the story as best I could, but had no idea that she either plead for leniency or that she was considering taking him back. That saddens me to the core. Maybe now that she is in the spotlight, someone will offer her some serious counseling. If he never physically abuses her again, an ass like this guy will taunt her for the rest of her days for the way she looks, regardless of whether he was responsible or not. A lifetime of "See what you made me do" is what she can look forward to if she takes this monster back.

I have not followed this story. What state is this in? What city? thanks.

How sad. Some would say she is lucky to be alive, but is she really? & 7years is all that low-life got?

When a man physically abuses his wife or girlfriend in the eyes of the law...it is not treated the same as if he physically abused a complete stranger...he gets more time for a strnger than his own wife..this is very very sad......goes to show it is STILL a male dominated world!!

Well back in the 70's a man raping his wife wasnt considered a crime... so we've come far but aparently not far enough.

And she's still talking about possibly take him back once he's released! Blind in more ways than one, poor girl!
WHAT ???? please tell me your kidding

Not only is she taking him back but she also spoke in court in his defense

Damn .I just looked at the photos , she was beautiful before her piece of shit husband shot her.

If she was on PTO everybody would be supporting her decision to support her man

Except on the DV forum. They would be telling her straight up that she needs to think of what she has been through the last few years and that she might not survive the next time. There would be support for him on the other forums and rightly so. This one is support for the victim.

She has endured so much. I wish her strength as from what I understand she may not be done.

Okay this is a bit off topic and may come off cruel but is he really that stupid that he cant shoot two people correctly? I mean he shot himself and her WITH A SHOT GUN and they both lived??? If I were her I'm not so sure that I would want to live after that between the pain both physical and emotional not to mention the surgies and bills her life will never be the same. It takes a very strong person to edure all that she is going through. Like I said it sounds cruel but then again I cant even begin imagine going through all that. I also think a big part of the reason she is defending him and possibly staying with him is in part because she doesnt feel she can find anyone else with her physical situation. Dont get me wrong Im not advocating her staying in the least.

No, Jonsgurl, she's traumatically bonded to him (Stockholm syndrome). And it's a tough bond to break . . . without serious counseling it won't happen.

This just makes me so sick! My ex got 6 years for robbing a convenience store. Not making lite of it, but no one was physically injured, there was no weapon and it involved less then $200. This poor woman gets her face blown off, was blinded and disfigured for the rest of her life and not to mention the emotional scarring and this dirtbag gets 7 years!!! I will never understand our system! That SOB should be locked away for the rest of his life!!! Our system certainly has it's priorities screwed up!

Connie Culp was in the news as getting the first face transplant in the US. It said she lost most of the middle of her face from a shotgun blast that was just 8 feet away. I googled her as I wondered how that happened. Her husband shot her in the face and then himself in the face. Both lived. She is blind as well as lost her sense of smell and taste, her mouth and nose and was very disfigured. One article had a photo of her , very beautiful, before this happened. I looked up Michael Culp in the state she lived in and was shocked. He lost one eye, but was not disfigured in the way she was. His sentence is up to 7 years! I'm thinking of all the inmates who got long long sentences for being in the car when a robbery went bad. This is a horrendous crime.