Woman whose nose was bitten off called police two weeks before incident for fear of life

Less than two weeks before a woman’s nose was bitten off in attack allegedly by her ex-boyfriend, Horry County Police were called to her home for a domestic dispute involving the same man.

On February 8^th, Michelle Messer was attacked and had a portion of her nose bitten off by her ex-boyfriend, Christopher Brian Campbell, according to police.

Messer says on January 27, Horry County Police were dispatched to her house after her boyfriend threatened to kill her and her children.

Messer showed News 13 a recording between her and a man she says is Campbell immediately after she says he made the threats.

She says she also showed an Horry County Police Officer the recording when they arrived on the scene January 27; however says the officer did not offer much help.

“He said that there was nothing he {responding Horry County Officer} was going to do about it,” said Messer “That it wasn’t illegal what he {Campbell} did and if he {responding Horry County officer} brought it in front of a judge it would be laughable and there is a good chance a judge wouldn’t do anything about it either,” she added.

Messer says the officer told her she did not sound like a woman in distress in the recording.

In the actual police report it states, “Victim state that was in fear for her safety and the safety of the children, however evidence provided by the victim in the recording indicated that she confronted the subject, not contacting police until after subject left the location.”

“The cop came to my house,” said Messer. “If he would have done something that night this may not have happened,” she added.

“We know how important criminal domestic violence is and we don’t take it as a joke,” said Lieutenant Raul Denis with the Horry County Police.

Lieutenant Denis says there is only so much an officer can do due to the way the laws are written.

“We heard some recordings, but obviously he {Campbell} wasn’t there. He did not have the ability to hurt her. There was no imminent threat there. There was no imminent peril for her,” he said.

 News 13 asked Lt. Denis if Campbell being out on bond for a murder charge from 2013, added to the severity of Messer’s claim.

“Since the murder charges did not occur in our jurisdiction we are not familiar with that case,” he said.

Lt. Denis says even if officers were aware of the charges, the law is, ‘innocent until proven guilty’.

“As far as a police officer saying well this guy has a history of this so he must be guilty of it, we can’t stretch it that far,” he said.

Lt. Denis says officers do provide assistance to victims any way they can.

“We would have found a shelter or someplace for her to go or had one of our victims advocates find a place for her,” he said.

The police report states the responding officer attempted to assist Messer in going somewhere else that night, however she refused.

But Messer says the officer only offered her a ride and never mentioned a safer place for her to go.

The Horry County Sheriff’s Department has told news 13 they do not allow interviews with current inmates.

At last check Campbell is still listed as incarcerated on J. Reuben long’s website.