Trigger Warning: This post contains descriptions of domestic violence and trauma. Reader discretion is advised.
On October 13, 2007, Hannah Kendrick’s life changed forever.
Her ex-husband, Antonio Draper, poured gasoline on her and set her on fire while she slept, as reported by komu.com
With 67% of her body burned, Hannah’s journey to recovery has been long and painful.
However, her fight for justice and healing is nothing short of miraculous.
This is her story—one of courage, survival, and the relentless pursuit of justice.
You can listen to Hannah tell her story below or on our podcast on Spotify, Candid Conversations by True Crime Avenue.
Hannah Kendrick and Antonio Draper's story began in Springfield, Missouri, where they met as teenagers in 1994.
At first, their bond was built on real friendship.
They ran in the same circles, shared laughs, and had mutual friends.
But by their late teens, their relationship began to have cracks.
According to Hannah, Antonio struggled with hard drugs (crack and meth) and heavy drinking, which led to violent outbursts from him.
The first major domestic violence incident happened when Hannah was seven months pregnant
Hannah said Antonio elbowed her in the face while she was driving.
He however apologised after that incident
This made Hannah give him another chance, hoping he would change.
But the violence only worsened.
In 2001, after learning Antonio was smoking crack with his own mother, Hannah confronted him.
According to Hannah, he responded with a brutal beating.
He threw her down, and smashed a mirror over her face, before stomping on her chest.
"He left me bloody on the floor, then told me to clean myself up and smoke a blunt with him. I was so scared, I did exactly what he wanted," said Hannah.
After this incident, Hannah fled to Kansas City with their daughter.
However, she eventually returned to Springfield where she was still tied to Antonio through their children.
 |
| Antonio Draper and Hannah Kendrick on their wedding day |
 |
| Antonio Draper and Hannah Kendrick |
Moments of Hope—Then More Violence
Eventually, Hannah and Antonio got married and had 3 children together.
After their marriage, they moved into a nice home near Highway 65 in Sunshine, Missouri.
Hannah was doing well in her career at the time, earning $33 an hour in insurance sales.
Hannah said there were times when Antonio seemed to turn his life around and even stopped drinking.
But the peace never lasted.
In 2006, during a casual card game with friends, Antonio smashed a glass of Hennessy over Hannah’s head—for no reason at all.
"There was no argument, no warning. He just walked up and did it. That’s when I knew something was really wrong." said Hannah during her interview on our true crime podcast.
By 2007, Hannah had reached her limit.
Antonio’s drinking had returned, and after a heated argument, he mocked her for believing he was going to stop.
In a rage, Hannah destroyed their wedding photos—a symbolic end to their marriage.
Despite this tumultuous atmosphere, the couple continued living with their children.
 |
| Hannah Kendrick and Antonio Draper after she gave birth |
 |
| Hannah Kendrick |
The Day Of The Attack
October 13, 2007, was the day Hannah Kendrick nearly died at the hands of her husband.
Hannah had spent the previous night out with a friend, enjoying a break from her troubled marriage.
She returned home around 2:30 AM to find Antonio and his best friend drinking heavily in their living room.
Hannah said the atmosphere felt tense that morning even though there was no argument.
Exhausted, Hannah went to bed alone, unaware that her husband would try to kill her in her sleep.
After a few hours, Hannah said she suddenly woke up to the smell of gasoline.
Her face and hair were soaked in it.
As she wiped the fluid from her eyes, she saw Antonio standing at the foot of their bed.
According to Hannah, Antonio chillingly said: "Now you're gonna die, bitch."
Before she could react, he struck a match.
The explosion of flames engulfed Hannah instantly.
She later described the sensation as being "inside a barbecue pit."
Acting on her instincts, she threw off the burning comforter and used her bare hands to beat out the flames on her body, suffering severe burns in the process.
Somehow, through unimaginable pain, Hannah stumbled from the bed.
She ran down the hallway, screaming for help.
Antonio's best friend, asleep on the couch, woke in confusion as Hannah shouted that Antonio had set her on fire.
When Antonio appeared in the hallway, Hannah begged him to take her to the hospital, promising not to tell anyone what he'd done.
He simply stared at her with empty eyes before turning away.
At that moment, Hannah realized if she didn't get help immediately, she would die.
Barefoot and severely burned, Hannah ran to a neighbor's house.
The startled woman handed her a phone to call 911.
As Hannah waited for help, she saw Antonio flee in their truck.
Instead of getting help for Hannah, he abandoned her and their three children who were still inside the smoke-filled house.
Paramedics arrived to find Hannah in critical condition.
Before losing consciousness, she managed to give them Antonio's full name and a description of their vehicle.
After that night, Hannah Kendrick spent the next six weeks in a medically induced coma.
During this time, she battled with life-threatening infections from her wounds.
She suffered third-degree burns on 67% of her body
She also required multiple skin graft surgeries using pig skin due to the severity of burns.
In fact, Hannah said Doctors gave her only a 28% chance of survival
For Hannah's complete story in her own words, including her remarkable recovery and fight for justice, listen to Episode 1 of Candid Conversations by True Crime Avenue on Spotify.
 |
| Hannah Kendrick |
Justice for Hannah: The Long Road to Accountability
After the attack, Antonio Draper turned himself in that same day.
Hannah's prosecutor Jill Patterson told her he was ready to fight for justice.
"I won't accept anything less than 60 years," Patterson told Hannah the day she woke up.
Due to the overwhelming evidence including detailed police reports, harrowing 911 recordings, and Hannah's powerful testimony, Antonio ultimately accepted a plea deal in 2008.
He received 20 years for first-degree domestic assault with an additional 20 years for armed criminal action to run concurrently.
This makes him eligible for parole after serving 85% of his sentence.
 |
| Antonio Draper |
For Hannah, the sentencing brought mixed emotions. "Part of me wanted him locked up forever," she later confessed.
"But another part knew prison wouldn't heal my burns or give me back the life he took."
The legal resolution provided closure but couldn't erase the physical and emotional scars.
Today, Antonio Draper remains incarcerated with a current release date set for October 13, 2026 - exactly 19 years to the day after his horrific crime.
Upon release, he must serve one year of parole under strict no-contact orders and will be permanently listed on domestic violence registries.
Also, the court initially refused to fully return her children from state custody until she finalized her divorce from the man who tried to murder her.
However, she was later given custody of her kids after going through family court proceedings, with her body wrapped in bandages and grafts.
 |
| Hannah Kendrick after the attack |
The Aftermath and Hannah's Book: Heroes and Monsters
The aftermath of the attack left Hannah Kendrick facing challenges that would have broken most people.
With 67% of her body severely burned, her physical recovery became an excruciating daily battle.
Each morning began with the torturous process of debridement, where medical staff scrubbed away dead tissue from her burns.
The skin grafts came next.
It is a painful procedure that uses pig skin to cover badly burnt areas on a victim's skin.
Additionally, Doctors warned she might never regain full mobility to walk again.
But through sheer determination, Hannah gradually relearned how to walk, how to use her hands, and how to live in a body that would never be the same.
The psychological scars ran even deeper than the physical ones.
Hannah Kendrick was diagnosed with PTSD.
The smell of gasoline triggered panic attacks and the sight of a lit match sent her heart racing.
She had nightmares, waking up in fear, reliving the attack over and over.
Even staying under sunlight became a serious problem as it threatened her sensitive skin.
Due to her severe injuries, Hannah was declared permanently disabled.
Even though doctors said she was disabled, the government kept cutting off her benefits.
This happened because government officials wanted Hannah to prove her disabilities over and over.
Each time, she was forced to retell her painful story in endless paperwork and humiliating hearings, as if her scars weren't evidence enough.
At her lowest point, she found herself homeless.
She lived in a motel while battling an addiction to the fentanyl patches doctors had prescribed for her pain.
The medications meant to help her heal nearly destroyed her.
Yet Hannah refused to be defined by her struggles.
In 2022, she told her whole story in her book, Heroes and Monsters.
 |
| Hannah Kendrick holding her book |
In her book, Hannah holds nothing back—she writes openly about the childhood abuse she survived, the choices she regrets, and the grueling journey to recovery.
It's also a tribute to her mother, the steadfast figure who stood by her through every surgery and setback.
Most importantly, the book serves as both warning and inspiration.
It tells you how domestic violence escalates, and proof that survival is possible even when all seems lost.
Today, Hannah has rebuilt her life in ways she once thought impossible.
She's become a fierce advocate for burn survivors and domestic violence victims, speaking nationally about her experiences.
She fundraises for burn units and trauma centers, determined to make the path easier for others facing similar battles.
As a grandmother, she cherishes milestones she once feared she'd never live to see.
Her story, told with unflinching honesty in Heroes and Monsters, stands as a testament to human resilience - proof that even from the darkest ashes, new life can emerge.
You can also listen to Hannah on our podcast below, where she tells us her story exclusively.
You can listen to this episode on Spotify and all major platforms.
Search for 'Candid Conversations by True Crime Avenue' to hear Hannah's powerful story.
Got a tip about a crime? Please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS immediately.
You can also see how to report a crime anonymously online if you wish to remain anonymous.
Comments
Post a Comment