A documentary on Portland attack survivor Kristene Chapa is coming. Here's what to know.

Ashlee Burns, Corpus Christi Caller Times
·2 min read

Editor's note: The documentary "Left for Dead: The Kristene Chapa Story" is set to open Thursday, Sept. 29, with showings at Northshore Cinema 8 in Portland and Rio 6 Cinema in Beeville.

A documentary about Mary Kristene Chapa is in the works nearly 10 years after the Portland park attack that changed her life.

The documentary, directed by Charlie Minn, focuses on Chapa's survival and her life after the attack.

Alondra Nevarez (left) and Kristene Chapa (right) were interviewed for a documentary nearly 10 years after the Portland park attack that changed Chapa's life. The documentary, directed by Charlie Minn, is expected to premiere in late 2022.
Alondra Nevarez (left) and Kristene Chapa (right) were interviewed for a documentary nearly 10 years after the Portland park attack that changed Chapa's life. The documentary, directed by Charlie Minn, is expected to premiere in late 2022.

In June 2012, Chapa and her girlfriend, Mollie Olgin, were bound, sexually assaulted and shot in the head at Violet Andrews Park in Portland before they were found by bird watchers. Olgin, 19, died at the scene. Chapa, now 27, survived. Chapa suffered tunnel vision and lost part of her mobility

"We are going to touch on the whodunit of it all, but going into this film, the focus was on her survival more than anything else," Minn said.

Minn, who has worked on a number of documentaries in the El Paso area, said he learned of Chapa's case from her lawyer while working on a film about the deaths of 10 concertgoers at last year's Astroworld Festival.

"He sent me a link about Kristene, and I couldn't believe I didn't know about it," Minn said. "Every story fades over time, even 9/11. I couldn’t believe I didn’t know about the story, being someone who lived in Texas. I think awareness is important. Who can tell the story better than her?"

Minn spent this week interviewing about 15 people, including family members and friends of Chapa, but said finding someone close to Mollie Olgin has proved difficult.

Dateline NBC aired an episode questioning the guilt of the man convicted in the case, David Strickland. The episode featured Strickland's lawyer and suggested new DNA evidence could prove a second man, who was once a suspect in the attack, was to blame.

More: Could David Strickland be exonerated in 2012 Portland double shooting? Here's the latest.

The documentary, which has not been titled yet, will not name Strickland or the second man to keep the focus on Chapa and Olgin instead of giving power to their attacker, Minn said.

Two possible titles are "The Nine-Hour Miracle," inspired by the amount of time that passed before Chapa was found, and "There Are No Birds," according to Minn.

"The 10-year anniversary is coming up, and I'm honored that she's allowing me to tell this story to clear up any rumors and inaccuracies," Minn said.

Though there isn't an official premiere date, the documentary will be shown in September or October at Northshore Cinema 8, the same Portland theater that Chapa and Olgin were planning to go to the night of the attack.

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Ashlee Burns covers trending and breaking news in South Texas. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Kristene Chapa sharing story in new documentary premiering this year