The victim of a shooting in Ulster County is speaking exclusively to News 12 about why she feels her life remains in danger, even though her shooter is behind bars and is about to be sentenced.

“I just feel very hopeless and defeated. I’ve been begging for help,” says Jessica Cesana.

The 35-year-old was shot in the outer thigh at her home in Port Ewen in 2022.

Police arrested Corey Marshall for the shooting, and he pled guilty earlier this year to assault.

Cesana says Marshall was once her friend who she had known since high school. She claims that someone else impersonating her instigated the crime in alleged texts with him.

“They’ve had these messages from a spoofed number that they’ve just assumed was from me because that’s who he thinks did it,” says Cesana. “This whole time, I’ve been telling them there’s been no contact. I don’t know why he did this.”

No one else has been charged in the case.

Cesana says she has provided evidence of online harassment and threats aimed at her to police, including alleged Facebook posts from an individual about the crime that said, “It’s what the {expletive} gets. IDK why she thought playing with the devil she wouldn’t get burned but she played with the wrong person family.”

Another post said, “Too bad it didn’t kill her. Hopefully she won’t be able to walk for the rest of her life.”

The Ulster County Sheriff’s Office says they can’t comment on the investigation until after Marshall’s sentencing Thursday.

The district attorney’s office has not responded to our requests for information on the case.

Cesana says she has permanent nerve damage in her leg because of the shooting.