Unwanted (Part 1)
Every year, an estimated 3.4 million men and women are stalked in the United States. Of this number, women rank as the majority of victims – nearly 67% – whose stalkers are almost always someone they know. Three in four victims report that their stalkers are ex-husbands, ex-boyfriends, former roommates, co-workers, or acquaintances. Only 10% of all victims are stalked by a stranger.
The U.S. Justice Department defines stalking as "a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear." Despite anti-stalking laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the United States still holds the dubious position of number one for more stalking crimes than anywhere else in the world.
Those who are stalked experience relentless violations of privacy and unwanted attention by being continually followed and watched. They are harassed by intrusive phone calls, gifts, emails and other communication, and endure property damage, break-ins and attacks on pets, friends or family members. While some stalkers eventually give up their obsession and move on to another target, they leave an indelible mark on the victims whose lives they've turned upside down.
Those, one might say, are the lucky ones, who might forever look over their shoulder or bolt out of sleep by the creak of a floorboard at night – but whose stalker is no longer a threat. For others, their stalkers' obsession only grows bolder and more dangerous over time, with acts that eventually culminate in physical violence and murder.
Angela's Story
The following account is based on a true story told by the sister of the stalking victim. Names have been changed to protect the identities of those involved.
Angela never had dreams of becoming a celebrity or basking in the limelight of fame and fortune. She grew up a simple girl from the Midwest, content to marry her high school sweetheart and live an ordinary life in Missouri. But as is often the case, Angela and her husband, Brad, quickly discovered the harsh reality of marriage as teen newlyweds. They argued frequently over money, living paycheck to paycheck, while Brad worked two jobs to support his wife.
Brad had been raised to believe that men should be the breadwinners in the family, so it wasn't surprising that he discouraged Angela from taking a job, even in light of their financial struggles. When Angela learned she was pregnant six months into their marriage, she was both thrilled and devastated. The pregnancy, she believed, would only put added pressure on Brad who had become increasingly controlling. He no longer wanted Angela to see her mother, who he considered judgmental and overly critical toward Brad. He even limited Angela's visits with her older sister to once a month. In a strange new routine, Brad began checking his wife's cell phone every night and monitoring the mileage on her car. Soon, Angela contemplated divorce – something she confided to her sister on a rare visit.
Pregnant and isolated, Angela took long walks during the day while Brad was at work to avoid any accusations about the mileage on her car. She bought a disposable cell phone to keep contact with her mother and sister, and discussed her plans to divorce Brad once the baby was born.
But all of Angela's plans turned to dust when Brad suffered a serious work accident. With only his disability as income, Brad finally allowed Angela to take a job. Still early in her pregnancy, Angela quickly found work as a receptionist for a company that offered a steady paycheck and insurance benefits.
Angela's older sister recalls that Brad called his wife incessantly at work, often accusing her of having affairs with co-workers. He wrote Angela long, rant-filled letters during the day, calling her profane names and insisting the baby Angela carried wasn't his. He punched holes in the walls of their house, broke gifts and sentimental tokens, and threatened to maim Angela if she ever left him so that no other man would want her.
When Angela pulled out of the couple's driveway on an early Tuesday morning – after a night of arguments, accusations and destruction – she headed straight for the courthouse and filed for a protective order. She planned to move in with her mother and work until her due date. Once the baby was born, she would file for a divorce.
But Angela's plans would never reach fruition. In the last six months of her pregnancy, Angela became the target of deadly obsession by the man who vowed to love and honor her until death do they part.