85 – Samantha Stites: Stalking, Survival & System Failures

Sam shares the harrowing true story of Samantha Stites, a Michigan woman who endured more than a decade of obsessive stalking before being violently kidnapped and held in a soundproof bunker by her stalker in October 2022. The case, now featured in the docuseries Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror, reveals how stalking escalated despite legal protections, how Samantha survived by staying mentally sharp under terrifying conditions, and how her bravery and quick thinking helped bring her captor to justice after years of relentless terror.

Trigger Warning: Discussion of long-term stalking, abduction, torture, and non-consensual confinement.

Visit us on Linktree for the collection of links, Instagram, or email us at [e-mail].

Sources

• Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror — docuseries (Hulu/Disney+) about Samantha Stites’ ordeal and survival.
• TV show “You” inspired true crime case highlighted in ABC News Studios’ docu-series ‘Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror’ — ABC News report on how her case unfolded.
• Michigan Woman Shares Story of Survival After Being Kidnapped — local Michigan news coverage of her escape and stalker’s conviction.
• Hulu’s Stalking Samantha: Where Is Christopher Thomas Now? — overview of the case, prosecution, sentence, and aftermath, including advocacy and systemic concerns.