Salem man gets 12 years for nearly killing ex with bat

A Salem man charged with attempted murder and second-degree assault after beating his ex-girlfriend with a baseball bat was sentenced Monday to 12 years in prison.

Family, friends and loved ones of Victoria Grimwood, 25, filled half of a courtroom at the Marion County Courthouse for the sentencing of 26-year-old Landis Provancha, the man who almost took her life.

Provancha pleaded no contest to the two charges April 17 after initially pleading not guilty in January 2014.

Marion County Circuit Judge Courtland Geyer heard statements from Deputy District Attorney Doug Hanson, Grimwood, and her parents, John and Carol Grimwood.

John Grimwood described his daughter's past 17 months.

"We're still in awe of our daughter's ability to defy death," John Grimwood said as he stood before the judge. "We know that this is an angry and manipulative man who continues to deny acceptance, and that his character is not likely to change in a few short years."

Periodically turning to Provancha as he spoke, John Grimwood requested that the defendant be sentenced to prison for as long as possible.

"We ask you to at least sentence fully and consecutively in the assaults that intended to murder our child," he said.

Hanson outlined the night Grimwood was brutally attacked. According to Hanson, Grimwood was lured to south Salem home near Minto-Brown Island Park that she and Provancha had been house-sitting the day after Christmas in 2013. As she opened the door she was repeatedly struck in the head with a baseball bat. After the fourth blow Grimwood was able to get the bat from Provancha and temporarily hide underneath the kitchen counter.

With blood dripping down her face, Grimwood crawled to a nearby window, broke the glass and jumped onto the roof. She made her way down from the low roof and ran to a neighbor's house for help, Hanson said.

Photos shown during the sentencing featured bloody hand prints stained on the white carpet of the home, marking where Grimwood crawled to the window.

"She survived only because of her nature, of her willingness to stay alive — he didn't stop," Hanson said.

Following Hanson's narrative of the violent night, Grimwood approached the counsel table with her brother, Colton Grimwood, and read from a typed letter.

"On December 26, 2013, I was brutally attacked by Landis Provancha," said Grimwood. "At the insistence of the defendant I went to the home to check in on the cat one last time. He knew exactly what time I'd be entering the home, what door I'd come through, and ensured my ignorance of his presence within the home. I was set up and completely blindsided."

According to Grimwood, prior to the attack, she and Provancha had dated off and on for over eight years.

She described her life flashing before her eyes as she was hit repeatedly with a wooden bat.

"The second time I was struck I realized the severity of the crime," Grimwood said. "I saw flashes. I was being attacked. I thought for sure that it was the last time I would see my family, my brother, my friends — While this epiphany was terrifying, it also produced the opportunity to make a conscious decision to fight back."

Grimwood read from her statement for about 10 minutes before asking Geyer to impose the maximum sentence in the case, which was 13 years in prison.

"The terror I feel isn't something I'll unlearn," she said. "I don't think he (Provancha) should be rewarded for failing to carry out his plan, for failing to kill me. I'm scared for the future safety of my family and friends because he knows the best way to hurt me would be to hurt the ones I love."

Provancha declined to address the court.

"I have nothing to say, your honor," he said.

Grimwood told the court Provancha had not apologized or showed any remorse toward her or the situation.

"He's demonstrated no remorse, offered no apology and failed to accept responsibility for his actions. In fact, he's drawn out this judicial process for nearly one and a half years, and attempted to avoid the consequences of his actions at every opportunity," Grimwood said. "I don't believe that he will change for the better or learn from his mistakes."

Geyer addressed the courtroom.

"Mr. Hanson described the event as as brutal attack, and this is exactly what this was, a brutal attack," Geyer said. "Someone's life could have been taken and you're a survivor," he said looking at Grimwood. "You were literally on the brink of life and death with everything flashing before you."

Following a brief explanation about his decision, Geyer sentenced Provancha to 12 years in prison, slightly less than the maximum sentence. Geyer stated that Provancha made the right decision by not taking the case to trial, dragging out the process even further.

Following the sentencing, family and friends of Grimwood's embraced in the lobby of the courtroom, applauding her for her courage to address the court.

"I'm glad it's over with now," Grimwood said. "Closure is good."

Grimwood is currently attending medical school in Arizona on a scholarship from the United States Army, a scholarship she said was almost taken away from her because of physical limitations she suffered as a result of the attack.

Despite the daunting nature of facing the man who nearly took her life, Grimwood smiled and stood tall as she spoke of the process.

"I urge others not to give up," she said about others who may be facing similar situations "To fight even if you think you're not going to get what you want — you just never know."

Email aroemeling@statesmanjournal.com, call (503) 399 6884 or follow on Twitter @alisharoemeling