Samantha Stites’ story is a living nightmare that began more than ten years ago and climaxed in a horrific abduction straight out of a horror movie.
From her early university years—when her kindness toward an awkward classmate turned into obsession—to the terrifying night she found herself tied up in a soundproof basement, Samantha endured a decade of stalking, fear, and uncertainty for her life.
Her story has now become a documentary series, “Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror,” bringing to light the details of her experience. Below, she recounts everything she went through— from Thomas’ first appearances to her release and his conviction — in a story that shocks, frightens, and moves.
Awakening Into Terror
It was deep in the night when Samantha Stites awoke to the sound of footsteps outside her bedroom. Her heart was racing. She reached under the mattress for the small axe she kept for protection — but it was already too late.
Christopher Thomas, the man who had been stalking her for over ten years, was standing over her bed with “a devilish look,” as she describes. He gagged her, restrained her, and kidnapped her, holding her captive for nearly 15 hours in a soundproof bunker he had built himself in a remote warehouse near her home.
The First Encounter
In 2011, Samantha, then a student at Grand Valley State University, met Thomas in a Christian group.
She recalls: “I must have been a junior when I met him. We were playing frisbee outside my off-campus apartment, and he came out to play.”
She describes him as “a very awkward guy,” about eight years older. Thinking he simply had trouble making friends, she was kind to him. He soon began messaging her constantly on social media, showing interest that she politely rejected.
At the time — before #MeToo — Samantha says she felt obligated to be good-natured and polite. She never imagined his behavior would escalate into obsession and stalking.
Escalation of the Obsession
Things worsened when Thomas appeared at her bus stop and later at her workplace with flowers after her grandfather died. Samantha confronted him publicly:
“I yelled at him. I said: ‘I’ve asked you so many times to leave me alone. I don’t know why you’re showing up at my job with flowers. I don’t know why you think I want to talk to you. I’ve blocked you, I’ve told you to leave me alone.’”
Although she thought this would stop him, his obsession continued. Even when she moved to another state for an internship, Thomas followed her. Then she requested and received a seven-year restraining order. For a while, she felt safe — until she saw him again at a huge conference with 20,000 people.
Her story is thoroughly documented in the series “Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror,” which reenacts events through interviews and archival material, showing how the obsession evolved into terrorizing behavior.
After Seven Years of Silence, the Nightmare Returned
Samantha thought her life had moved on — until she saw him again at a soccer game.
“My heart dropped,” she says.
Thomas signed up at the same gym and the same soccer league. Although he was watching her again, there wasn’t enough for a criminal charge. Her request for a second restraining order was denied.
A few months later, the night of the kidnapping would change everything.
The Kidnapping
On October 7, 2022, Thomas broke into her home while she was sleeping.
“He put his hands around my throat and choked me to stop me from screaming, saying, ‘I just want to talk.’”
He tied her up, gagged her, and transported her to the soundproof room he had built: sandbags to the ceiling, a bed, handcuffs on the wall.
“It was like something out of a horror movie,” she says.
There he revealed that he had been tracking her with GPS for over a year and that he wanted to marry her — even though he knew she was not interested.
Negotiating for Her Life
Samantha realized the only way to survive was to calm him down. She used her training as a therapist to convince him they could be “friends” and move past the past.
But Thomas demanded sex in exchange for letting her go.
Samantha made what she calls a “horrific but life-saving decision” in order to survive. In the end, he let her leave.
“All day I was sure I was going to die, and then he just… let me go to my car. I couldn’t understand what happened.”
Arrest and Justice
Samantha went straight to the hospital and reported the assault. Within 36 hours, Thomas was arrested. Police found GPS trackers, thousands of dollars in tools, and weapons.
In March 2024, he was convicted of kidnapping, torture, and stalking, receiving a sentence of 40 to 60 years in prison.
Life After Terror
Samantha is trying to heal.
“I think some things get better with time. In the first months, if someone was in the house and made a noise, I would jump in fear.”
She no longer wears headphones outside. She constantly checks behind her, avoids walking alone at night, and remains wary of men.
“I don’t know how much that can change,” she says.
Ask me anything
Explore related questions
