NATCHEZ — When Roxan Smith heard a noise outside her kitchen Tuesday night, she didn’t think twice about going to investigate.

She had no idea what she was walking into.

Smith lives on Old Highway 84 No. 2 and said it’s common for birds or cats to wander in to the outside laundry room.

But on Tuesday night it, wasn’t a bird or cat outside.

Smith said she went out to investigate the noise and saw the laundry room door was open.

“I walked over to shut it and heard (the light bulb) shatter and felt the rope go around my neck,” she said. “I was being attacked.”

Smith said the incident happened after 10 p.m. and unfolded over a matter of minutes.

“The only thing he said was, ‘I want your money,’” she said.

As Smith’s attacker was dragging her toward the backdoor, she struggled to get free fearing she would soon pass out.

She forced her hands between the rope and her neck to lessen the tension and fell to her knees.

When Smith fell to the ground the assailant went for her jewelry.

“He took my wedding rings, a bracelet and another ring,” she said. “He just ripped them off.”

And while Smith had been attacked and robbed — she was still ready to fight.

As she backed into her house, her attacker following, she kneed him in the groin.

“I got a pretty good jab in,” she said. “That’s when he punched me in the face and started swinging the knife.”

Smith’s attacker lunged at her with a knife, cutting her pants and leaving a scratch one her leg.

“All I could think was that I had to get to my pistol,” she said.

Running through the house, Smith knocked down furniture and threw anything she could get her hands on to the floor in her wake to slow her attacker.

When she got to her bedroom, she got her pistol, spun around and fired.

“I wasn’t sure if he was behind me or not,” she said. “I was hysterical.”

But Smith’s attacker was gone.

Smith used her cell phone to call her landlord, who then called 911, and her son.

“When we moved out to the country, I thought it was awesome,” she said. “Now I’m not so sure.”

Adams County Sheriff’s Deputy Maj. Jody Waldrop said ACSO is investigating the matter.

Smith said she believes her attacker was a white male, judging by his voice, but was mostly in dark clothing.

She said he wore a hooded sweatshirt with the drawstring pulled tight so that only a small portion of his face was exposed.

He also wore cloth gloves.

Waldrop said some evidence left by the attacker was found at the scene.

It is believed the attacker left the scene in a vehicle, Waldrop said.

“We need the public’s help,” Waldrop said in locating the suspect.

Smith said she won’t be staying at home alone for a while.

Her husband, who was deer hunting at the time, now wants to invest in a German Shepard to help guard the house.

Smith said her blind poodle and Pomeranian offered no resistance to her attacker.

“It was scary,” she said.

Anyone with information related to this incident should call the ACSO at 601-442-2752 or Crime Stoppers at 601-442-5000.