DENVER -- A 19-year-old Denver woman charged in fatal knife attacks on two men was raped and her throat cut three years ago, a relative says.

Amber Torrez appeared in court Monday amid extra security after a futile escape attempt. Her preliminary hearing in the murders was rescheduled to August.

Friends said that Torrez told them she was raped at the age of 16 and her throat was slit. The scar is visible in her police photo.

A relative said Torrez got into drugs after that incident and is a completely different person now than she was before she was allegedly raped.

She is charged in the stabbing deaths of John Hand, 55, found in his apartment on March 28 and Mesfin Gezagn, 45, found near his cab the next day. Hand was stabbed 30 times and Gezagn was stabbed 39 times.

Earlier this month, Torrez allegedly attempted to escape from her high-security lockup by climbing bars between her cell and the shower, according to deputies. She refused orders to come down and pushed ceiling tiles aside in an apparent effort to get away, but found her way blocked by concrete, deputies said.

The sheriff's department added extra security for her court appearances and have rated her an escape risk.