Stalked, Kidnapped, & Chained Up: New Hulu Docuseries Shares Michigan Woman’s Story
A new three-part docuseries tells the story of one Northern Michigan woman's 13-year-long nightmare that led to her eventual kidnapping.
Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror was released on Hulu on August 19.
What Happened to Michigan's Samantha Stites?
According to People, the nightmare began in 2011 when Samantha Stites was in college at Grand Valley State University. It was during that time that she met her eventual kidnapper, Christopher Thomas, while they both attended the same church group.
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After that, Thomas became infatuated with her. He would randomly show up where she was - at the gym, at the grocery store; wherever Stites was, often so was Thomas.
According to an officer from the Grand Traverse County Sheriff,
When he was not at work or sleeping, he was tracking her.
In 2014, Stites was granted a Personal Protection Order (PPO) against Thomas. That order was in effect for six years.
Just months before she was kidnapped by Thomas in 2022, Stites petitioned for another PPO, and that petition was denied, according to BigRapidsNews.com.
The Kidnapping of Samantha Stites
The docuseries chronicles what happened on the night of October 7, 2022, when Thomas broke into Stites' home in Grand Traverse County. He then restrained her, kidnapped her, and took her to a soundproof storage unit that he had built, chaining her to the wall.
Stites and Thomas remained together in that soundproof space for over 14 hours. Stites was tortured and sexually assaulted by Thomas repeatedly while in captivity.
How Did Samantha Stites Escape?
While Stites says, at the beginning of the docuseries' trailer, "I did not picture myself surviving through that day," she did survive, and she was able to convince Thomas to release her after promising him that she would not report him to the authorities.
What Happened to Samantha Stites' Kidnapper?
After seeking medical treatment, Stites did go to the authorities, and Christopher Thomas was arrested over a year later, in December 2023, and ultimately pleaded guilty to kidnapping, stalking, and aggravated assault. In 2024, he was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in prison.
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Gallery Credit: Wendy Reed
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