Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror returned to ABC’s 20/20 on June 12, drawing attention to the case of Samantha Stites who was stalked for over a decade.
Christopher Thomas stalked Samantha all this while before he finally abducted her in 2022. The three-part documentary series explored Samantha’s traumatic experiences. The abductee features in the documentary and gave a firsthand account of what she went through, including her time in a confined space.
Samantha Stites: All details on stalking case
Samantha first crossed paths with Thomas in 2011 when he was her senior at the Grand Valley State University in Michigan. As per reports, he bombarded her with messages, asking her out on dates.
Things got out of hand and Samantha got a Personal Protection Order (PPO). However, when this expired in 2020, Thomas began to follow her everywhere including soccer games, bars, and even the grocery store, as per reports.
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While Samantha applied for another PPO, it was denied. Then, in the fall of 2022, he abducted her from her house in Elk Rapids, Michigan. Samantha was held captive inside a custom-built torture chamber in Thomas’ remote storage unit. She was locked for about 13 hours and only released in exchange for having sex with Thomas.
Her abductor was later arrested for kidnapping, torture, and aggravated stalking and stood trial in 2024.
Who is Samantha Stites?
Samantha majored in social work from the Grand Valley State University. Following this, she enrolled at the University of Kansas and pursued her master’s in Clinical Social Work.
The first four years of her professional career was spent as a server at Riverwalk Grill. Then in October 2011, Samantha began to work as a part-time Office Assistant at Kirkhof College of Nursing while also being employed at Right Tree Summer Adventures as a Youth Counselor.
She also interned for North End Community Ministry as a Volunteer & Screening Coordinator. Samantha also had a part time job at Rye Leawood as a Server & Trainer. For about a year between 2018 and 2019, Samantha interned at Resolve – Counseling & Wellness as a Master’s Level Therapist.
Samantha also had a short stint at The Salvation Army as the Case Manager – PRN. She was also associated with Bethany Christian Services, working as a Foster Care Licensing Specialist.
Where is Samantha Stites now?
Since 2020, Samantha has been at Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan. She started off as a care coordinator before becoming a social worker. Samantha also set up the Beekeepers Advocacy – focused on protection of victims of abduction, domestic violence, and stalking.
She is known to advocate for policy change and improving social workers’ education. Samantha is believed to be friends with Chari Hayden and Robin Trierweiler, and celebrated the former’s wedding in August 2025. She’s also has a dog, Murphy, and cat, Mara.
Samantha appears to enjoy sports like soccer and basketball. She also goes on backpacking adventures and hiking trips with her dog or other friends. Samantha resides in Traverse City, Michigan, and spends quality time with family, besides focusing on work in the aftermath of her traumatic experience.
Her latest Instagram stories indicate she’s switched over to an Android phone, and is using a ‘modern’ Motorola Razr, a reimagining of the model she was fond of when back in high school.