The victim of a brutal attack in 2006 was featured Monday on a Dr. Phil episode focusing on domestic abuse. Penny Waldroup, who was attacked by her estranged husband Davis Bradley Waldroup, appear on the program along with her children, who witnessed the attack. Penny’s best friend, Leslie Bradshaw, was murdered during the attack. Brad Waldroup was convicted of aggravated kidnapping and voluntary manslaughter of Bradshaw and especially aggravated kidnapping and attempted second degree murder of Penny. He sentenced to 32 years in prison.

During the program, Penny described the brutal attack that nearly took her life. She and Bradshaw had gone to Waldroup’s home to drop off the children for a visit. Waldroup took the keys out of their vehicle, stopping them from leaving. A fight ensued and Waldroup shot Bradshaw with a .22 rifle. Penny Waldroup attempted to flee and was shot, stabbed with a pocket knife, hit with a shovel, and hacked with a machete. She was then dragged into the home where she was told to say goodbye to her children. Brad was attempting to have intercourse with Penny when their daughter said she saw headlights. Penny and Bradshaw had left word with a friend to call police if they did not return; the headlights were that of the Polk County Sheriff’s department.

Penny told Dr. Phil that Brad hit her the first time when she was pregnant with their first child, Chelsea. She said she would justify his continuing violence by thinking that she had done something wrong or that he had just had a bad day. She said she knew she wanted to leave years before she filed for divorce but he was the father of her children and she wanted a family. She said she felt guilty every day for taking Bradshaw with her.

Chelsea told Dr. Phil she blamed her mother for the incidents until recently and had always considered her dad a hero. She said she had trouble trusting people and now blamed herself for the attack because she was the one who told her father Penny had filed for divorce. Chelsea said adults were always telling her it was not her fault but she did not know how to get over the guilt.

Dr. Phil told Chelsea people were a product of their “learning history” and that Brad had somehow learned that it was okay to be violent. He said Brad’s choices began long before she was even born and that she couldn’t have stopped or started anything. Dr. Phil reminded her that Brad would have found out about the divorce anyway and pointed out to Penny that Chelsea was a mirror of her – Penny blamed herself for the abuse and now so does Chelsea.

Penny said she was afraid her children were permanently damaged. Dr. Phil said they could be if something wasn’t done. “Someone has to hit the reset button,” he said, pointing to the cycle of abuse that tends to go from one generation to the next. Penny’s son Elijah said he wished it had never happened. Dr. Phil said what would be worse is letting it control their lives now or continuing the cycle of abuse.

Penny and the children were all invited to New York to help write a book for other children to get through domestic violence.