Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Facing a Monster’ of CBS’ ’48 Hours,’ the primary focus is on the crimes of Shawn Doyle, whose violent tendencies were inflicted on quite a few women over the years, starting with his ex-girlfriend, C.C. Opanowski. The man whom she considered her everything at the age of 18 turned out to be a killer several years after they parted ways. Featuring in the documentary, Opanowski revisits her relationship with Shawn and opens up about the impact it had on her life, showcasing her resilience and strength.
C.C. Opanowski Played a Part in Getting His Former Boyfriend Convicted For Murder
Since her teenage years, Ceres Opanowski, also known as C.C. Opanowski, had been friends with Shawn Doyle. By the time she was in high school, the two began seeing each other, and their relationship continued into her freshman year of college. Opanowski alleged that while they were together, she was subjected to bouts of violent outbursts from Shawn. It became the major reason for their breakup, which was not taken well by him. While she was studying at Sage Junior College of Albany, she had become close to her college roommate, Shannon McCauliffe, who, in a way, saved her life.
On January 27, 1996, Shawn showed up unexpectedly at Opanowski’s mother’s place in Hudson Falls, New York, where she was house-sitting at the time. According to her, he became violent and pushed her around before cutting off her hair. As the situation escalated, she became scared for her life. Right then, Shannon called and was able to figure out that she was in trouble. After hanging up, she called 911 and informed the authorities about the situation. The police finally arrested him and charged him with menacing, harassment, and trespassing. After taking a guilty plea, he received three years of probation as punishment. Traumatized by the entire incident, she transferred colleges and relocated out of Hudson Falls.
Almost a decade later, when she heard about Shawn’s arrest for the murder of a 33-year-old mother of two named Lori Leonard, she “felt for her entire family and her two young children.” When he stood trial for his crime in late January 2006, Opanowski took the stand and testified against the defendant, her former boyfriend. She also claimed that she tried her best to keep her whereabouts hidden from Shawn by not mentioning her address in her driver’s license and not using her name for utility accounts. “I need to make sure that he is put away for murdering Lori,” she said.
C.C. Opanowski Runs a Pilates Studio in New York Today
A native of upstate New York, 19-year-old Ceres Opanowski, fresh off the violent incident with Shawn, relocated to Tarrytown, where she went to college and graduated with a law degree. For nearly a decade or so, she was in the legal field and even sat for the LSATS. She admitted that it was a stressful phase in her life. But when she moved to Los Angeles, California, in 2005, her life turned upside down for the better as she found her true calling — Pilates. From an early age, she had been struggling with JRA (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis), which caused loss of mobility in her joints and muscles.
However, when she started taking Pilates regularly, she found a cure to the physical condition she had been struggling with for several years. Soon, she realized that Pilates was “much less strenuous on the joints than other exercises. It changed the way I moved, it changed my body, but that’s nothing compared to what it did for the arthritis.” Once she realized the benefits of Pilates, she got her certification from the renowned Physical Mind Institute. At the same time, she was an apprentice teacher under master instructor Maria Leone of Body Line LA in Beverly Hills, California. Later, she also reportedly got the opportunity to work with Dr. Erik Swartz, owner of Back to Total Health in West Hollywood, California.
After moving back to New York State, Opanowski served as an instructor at Pilates Studio of Rye as well as at The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Having gained enough experience under her belt, she founded her own Pilates studio called Rivertown Pilates in Tarrytown, New York, in the early 2010s. Her studio specializes in improving the strength and transforming the physique of anyone who walks through their doors. Being the owner and instructor at Rivertown Pilates, Opanowski and her team have remained focused on the core philosophy and principles of Pilates. From what we can tell, the Pilates instructor still resides in Tarrytown, New York, and runs her successful 14-year-old Pilates studio. Opanowski seems to be a private person as she prefers to keep the details of her personal life to herself.
