On the evening of August 25, 2008, a woman we’re calling Linda was home babysitting her 22-month-old granddaughter near Rough River Lake in Breckenridge County, Kentucky, when a knock came at her door. The man standing outside was a neighbor: Ernest Pine, a 58-year-old husband, father, and churchgoing Army veteran who lived just a minute away. What happened next was one of the most violent crimes the area had ever seen. Linda was attacked inside her own home while her grandchild slept in the next room. Despite being brutally injured and left for dead, Linda somehow survived, and in a final act of courage, she used her own blood to write Ernest Pine’s name on the wall so police would know exactly who did this to her. Linda survived and led investigators straight to Pine. As Linda was airlifted to University Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, sheriff’s deputies arrested Ernest Pine at his home. Inside, they found overwhelming physical evidence that matched Linda’s account down to the smallest details. Pine later pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, burglary, and violent assault, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. But the story doesn’t end there. Sixteen years earlier, on January 8, 1992, 29-year-old Elena Sanchez Hawkins was found killed inside her home in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, just an hour from where Linda was attacked. The circumstances were hauntingly similar: a woman attacked in her home, bound, and killed while a young child was present. Elena’s case has never been solved. After Linda survived, law enforcement acknowledged the similarities, and families from both cases crossed paths for the first time, realizing Ernest Pine may not have been a first-time offender. Now, after serving just 17 years, Ernest Pine was released on parole on August 19, 2025, and is once again living in the community. In this episode, Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat tell Linda’s story in full as a warning about how violence can hide behind normalcy, how survivors are often left to carry the consequences alone, and why unanswered questions about past crimes still matter today. If you have information about the death of Elena Sanchez Hawkins, contact Kentucky State Police Post 4, or email tips@audiochuck.com. If you or someone you know has experienced S violence, you can contact RAINN’s National SA Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or by texting HOPE to 64673. -------- Key Episode Moments 0:00 - 0:49 - Case Intro 0:50 - 2:01 - Home Invasion Begins 2:02 - 4:09 - Attack on Linda 4:10 - 7:59 - Writing His Name in Blood 8:00 - 9:46 - Ernest Pine Arrested 9:47 - 12:06 - Police Interrogation 12:07 - 16:23 - Evidence Against Ernest Pine 16:24 - 18:09 - Guilty Plea & Sentencing 18:10 - 20:27 - Elena Sanchez Hawkins Murder 20:28 - 23:05 - Similarities Between the Cases 23:06 - 26:09 - Was Elena Sexually Assaulted? 26:10 - 29:14 - Possible Connection to Ernest 29:15 - 32:00 - DNA Questions Remain 32:01 - 35:04 - Ernest’s Early Release 35:05 - 39:00 - Impact on Linda & Her Family 39:01 - 55:41 - Elena’s Family Still Waiting 55:42 - 56:38 - Outro For even more stories like this one, join the Crime Junkie Fan Club today: https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/fanclub?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=episode_description&utm_campaign=signupfanclub Follow Crime Junkie: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimejunkiepodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrimeJunkiePodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrimeJunkiePod Crime Junkie is created and hosted by Ashley Flowers. About Ashley Flowers Ashley Flowers is the top female podcaster in the U.S. and the host of Crime Junkie, the #1 podcast among women and the #1 true crime podcast globally. As the Founder of audiochuck, she has built a top-tier podcast production company that has garnered over 2.6 billion downloads, captivating audiences with its gripping storytelling through 10+ chart topping podcasts. Ashley and her team are dedicated to creating responsible true crime content that respects victims and their families. Follow Ashley: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ASHLEYFLOWERS/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ash_flowers TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleyflowerscrimejunkie Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyflowers.af/ Check out these other great crime channels: @kallmekris The Mysterious Death Of Princess Diana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymbKBtFDfXQ @annieelise Teen Revenge Kills Over Being “Disrespected” ?! | The Diol-Beye Family https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wnvWDuPeMw @christinaarandall Danika Troy Had a Crush on 16 yr Gabriel Williams But Went Missing When She Snuck Out to Meet Him! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUUj3UP2Agw @rottenmangopod Teen Girl Missing On Cruise Found Under Mattress & Main Suspect Is 16 Yr Old “Obsessed” Step Brother https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnHBR38joRU