Shivangi Sinha
In December 2019, Kelly Sutliff fled her New Jersey home, covered in blood and severely injured, seeking help from her neighbors. She told them her husband, Chris, had attacked her and urged them to call 911. When police arrived, they found that Chris was also injured and transported him to the hospital. The incident left Kelly with lasting physical and emotional scars, but she survived the traumatic experience and has since become an advocate for others facing domestic abuse. In Investigation Discovery’s ‘Toxic: Sleeping with a Stranger,’ Kelly bravely shares her story, naming her abuser and holding him accountable for what she endured.
Kelly Sutliff Endured a Violent Experience 8 Months After Getting Married
Kelly Sutliff was raised in Morristown, New Jersey, where she enjoyed a happy and peaceful childhood with her parents. However, her life changed dramatically in 2013 with the loss of her mother, which left a profound void. Things became even more difficult in 2017 when her father also passed away. Despite the emotional toll, she was supported by friends and family who helped her navigate through the grief. Then, in August 2018, she met Chris, a man who initially impressed her with his kindness and attentiveness. Feeling secure in the relationship, she quickly moved forward with him. They moved in together in November 2018, got engaged the following month, and were married in March 2019.
Kelly later reflected that the absence of any arguments and the rapid pace of their relationship should have raised red flags for her. However, during such a vulnerable period in her life, Chris’s support had felt invaluable. Despite learning that he had already been married four times, she didn’t view it as a warning sign about his character. Things changed dramatically on December 9, 2019, when Kelly found Chris asleep with his phone resting on his chest. Acting on impulse, she looked through his messages and discovered that he had been exchanging inappropriate texts with another woman. Shocked and hurt, she threw a bowl of cold water on him to wake him and confronted him immediately. While Chris tried to explain, Kelly had already made up her mind and wanted out of the marriage.
Kelly said she had a firearm at home but felt a subconscious urge to remove it from the house. On the morning of December 16, 2019, she took the gun to her sister’s home for safekeeping. It was then that she received a threatening text message from Chris. When she returned home, she found him in a violent rage. He had injured himself and destroyed much of her house. He allegedly told her that he was going to kill her and would blame his injuries on her. According to Kelly, that’s when he turned on her and began attacking her. The assault reportedly lasted for roughly 45 minutes. Eventually, she managed to escape and ran to her neighbor’s house to call 911. But before help could arrive, she saw Chris heading toward the basement, where her dog had been locked in. Fearing for her pet’s safety, she rushed back and locked herself inside the basement with the dog. That’s where the police found her.
Kelly Sutliff Alleged That Trauma Lasted Years After the Domestic Violence Incident
Kelly said that after the attack, Chris was taken to the hospital to treat his own injuries. Once he recovered, he was arrested but spent only one day in jail before being released on bail. Following his release, Kelly alleged that he began stalking and threatening her. She, meanwhile, spent nearly two months in the hospital recovering from her injuries. Upon returning home, she began divorce proceedings but said Chris made the process extremely difficult. According to her, he not only accused her of various wrongdoings but also deliberately prolonged the court case to cause her more distress.
In October 2022, Chris pled guilty to aggravated assault by strangulation, possession of a deadly weapon, and criminal mischief. He was sentenced to three years of probation. Kelly has since said that in addition to surviving the physical attack by her husband, she felt re-victimized by both the criminal justice system and the family courts, which, in her view, failed to adequately protect her.
Kelly Sutliff is Helping Others as a Licensed Clinical Therapist Today
Kelly Sutliff has turned her past into a powerful mission to help others. After surviving a harrowing experience of domestic abuse, she channeled her resilience and healing into her lifelong passion for mental health counseling. She graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2005 with a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Counseling/Psychology and has since built a 15-year career as a licensed professional counselor in private practice. She is licensed in the state of New Jersey as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Substance Awareness Counselor. In addition to those credentials, she is also a National Certified Counselor and an Accredited Clinical Supervisor.
Kelly’s trauma has deepened her empathy and sharpened her clinical insight. Her personal journey has reinforced her commitment to supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault—areas that have become a cornerstone of her practice. Today, she continues to work one-on-one with clients facing trauma, depression, anxiety, family conflict, relationship challenges (including narcissistic abuse and divorce), and a broad spectrum of women’s issues. Her therapeutic work is rooted not only in clinical expertise but also in lived experience, which allows her to connect with clients in an authentic way.
Beyond her clinical practice, Kelly has also contributed to the academic world. For five years, she served as an adjunct professor at Kean University’s Counselor Education Program and in the Graduate Programs in Psychology at the College of Saint Elizabeth. She remains actively involved in mentoring and supervising associate counselors pursuing their licensure, helping shape the next generation of compassionate, competent mental health professionals. Through it all, she has transformed her survival into purpose and has helped in creating a safe space for others who feel unheard or alone. She seems blissfully content in her private life as well and has found love again. She is most likely engaged to a man she trusts and has come a long way.
Kelly Sutliff’s Protection Dogs Initiative Empowers Other Survivors
Kelly Sutliff has now devoted her time and energy to remarkable nonprofit work focused on empowering survivors of domestic violence. Her journey into this field began in August 2020 when she got a personal protection dog named Stella. The positive impact Stella had on her sense of safety and healing was profound. A few years later, Kelly brought home a puppy named Luca and trained him with the intention of participating in Schutzhund competitions—a rigorous sport that tests dogs in tracking, obedience, and protection. This experience further deepened her passion for working with highly trained dogs and sparked an idea that would grow into something much larger.
In February 2024, Kelly officially launched Kelly’s K9s, Tails of Courage, a nonprofit organization that provides trained protection dogs to survivors of domestic violence. The organization primarily works with German Shepherds and Dobermans as they are breeds known for their loyalty, intelligence, and natural protective instincts. Each dog is carefully matched with a survivor based on individual needs, lifestyle, and specific safety concerns. The training is tailored not just for protection but also to ensure emotional companionship and trust between the dog and its handler. Currently based in New Jersey, Kelly’s K9s is already making a meaningful difference in the lives of survivors. With a growing waitlist and community support, Kelly has plans to expand the program nationally in the near future. Through this pioneering work, she continues to use her own experience as a survivor to help others reclaim their sense of safety and independence.
