Stalking has long been considered one of America's most insidious crimes, but it remains woefully misunderstood and underreported. For actress Eva LaRue, a 12-year nightmare at the hands of a stalker has left her with emotional scars that still linger to this day.
LaRue's terror began in 2007 when she received a chilling letter signed "Freddie Krueger" – the fictional serial killer from the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The letter was followed by numerous other threatening messages, detailing graphic plans for rape, torture, and murder. LaRue, who had recently become a single mother to her young daughter Kaya at just 40 years old, was plunged into a living nightmare of fear and anxiety.
"The letters escalated in violence and sickening details pretty immediately," LaRue recounts. "What's frightening is that stalking is the crime that hasn’t happened yet. They're threatening to kill you. They're threatening to rape you. They're threatening to cut you into tiny pieces – all the things. But it hasn't happened yet." This terrifying prospect only added to LaRue's sense of vulnerability, as she was forced to live in constant fear of being discovered and attacked.
LaRue's ordeal continued for over a decade, with her stalker sending letters from different post offices, making it impossible to track down the source. Even forensic analysis proved ineffective at catching the culprit, who had carefully evaded capture by avoiding any DNA evidence that might link him to a suspect database.
"I was pretending to be a DNA specialist on a procedural crime show, pretending to have all of this technology that didn’t exist," LaRue admits. This stalker's cunning and lack of fingerprints made it impossible for police to apprehend him until recent advances in genetic genealogy became available.
Thanks to cutting-edge forensic science, the case was finally cracked when investigators were able to match a discarded Arby’s straw with the suspect's DNA. James David Rogers, 58, was arrested after being linked to LaRue through a genetic genealogy database and subsequently pleaded guilty to multiple counts of stalking-related crimes.
LaRue hopes her story will serve as a catalyst for change in how law enforcement approaches this increasingly common crime. "You are never not in fear," she reflects. "You do find a way to compartmentalize it so that you can live your life and not have a nervous breakdown. But you're never not hypervigilant... even though stalking victims are not always taken seriously, the statistics show that they could end up dead."
With her 2022 documentary My Nightmare Stalker: The Eva LaRue Story set to premiere on Paramount+, LaRue is determined to shed light on the often-overlooked world of stalking and its devastating impact on countless lives.
LaRue's terror began in 2007 when she received a chilling letter signed "Freddie Krueger" – the fictional serial killer from the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The letter was followed by numerous other threatening messages, detailing graphic plans for rape, torture, and murder. LaRue, who had recently become a single mother to her young daughter Kaya at just 40 years old, was plunged into a living nightmare of fear and anxiety.
"The letters escalated in violence and sickening details pretty immediately," LaRue recounts. "What's frightening is that stalking is the crime that hasn’t happened yet. They're threatening to kill you. They're threatening to rape you. They're threatening to cut you into tiny pieces – all the things. But it hasn't happened yet." This terrifying prospect only added to LaRue's sense of vulnerability, as she was forced to live in constant fear of being discovered and attacked.
LaRue's ordeal continued for over a decade, with her stalker sending letters from different post offices, making it impossible to track down the source. Even forensic analysis proved ineffective at catching the culprit, who had carefully evaded capture by avoiding any DNA evidence that might link him to a suspect database.
"I was pretending to be a DNA specialist on a procedural crime show, pretending to have all of this technology that didn’t exist," LaRue admits. This stalker's cunning and lack of fingerprints made it impossible for police to apprehend him until recent advances in genetic genealogy became available.
Thanks to cutting-edge forensic science, the case was finally cracked when investigators were able to match a discarded Arby’s straw with the suspect's DNA. James David Rogers, 58, was arrested after being linked to LaRue through a genetic genealogy database and subsequently pleaded guilty to multiple counts of stalking-related crimes.
LaRue hopes her story will serve as a catalyst for change in how law enforcement approaches this increasingly common crime. "You are never not in fear," she reflects. "You do find a way to compartmentalize it so that you can live your life and not have a nervous breakdown. But you're never not hypervigilant... even though stalking victims are not always taken seriously, the statistics show that they could end up dead."
With her 2022 documentary My Nightmare Stalker: The Eva LaRue Story set to premiere on Paramount+, LaRue is determined to shed light on the often-overlooked world of stalking and its devastating impact on countless lives.
it's a real-life nightmare that can destroy people's lives like Eva LaRue's was. The idea that some people think stalking is just about being "obsessed" or "crazy" is just plain wrong. It's a violent and calculating crime that can cause people to live in constant fear for their safety 
. We need to stop minimizing the impact of stalking on its victims and start taking it seriously as a serious crime. The fact that this stalker was able to evade capture for over a decade because of his cleverness is just infuriating 
. Can't we focus on making our communities safer for everyone, not just the privileged few who get to live in peace? 
! Eva LaRue was getting letters from this Freddie Krueger dude for 12 years straight, and it's just plain scary. I mean, who receives threatening messages like that and doesn't freak out? It's not like she could just ignore him or something. And the worst part is, he wasn't even caught until some new DNA tech came along 
. The guy was basically able to stay one step ahead of the cops by avoiding any fingerprints. Now he's in big trouble and I'm glad justice has been served.
. Stalking is a serious crime, not just some harmless weirdo thing. And you're right, LaRue says she was always on edge, even though she tried to hide it from the world. It's like, we need to start taking this stuff more seriously and supporting victims better 
. We need to make sure people know that stalking is never okay and can have serious consequences for the victim 
anyway, this case is crazy and I'm not surprised that LaRue's story is finally being told. It's about time we raise awareness about stalking - it's like, a super common crime and most people don't even report it because they're too scared 
. I mean, can you imagine living with this fear for 12 years? 
it gives me chills just thinking about it. LaRue's documentary sounds like a must-watch - I'm definitely adding it to my watchlist 
I just can't even right now... thinking about Eva LaRue's 12-year nightmare is giving me anxiety! 
How could someone be so cruel and calculating? And the fact that she had to live in constant fear of being attacked or killed is just heartbreaking. 
like that's going to intimidate her? 
And then not being caught until now because he was so clever with DNA evidence... ugh, it's just one of those cases where you feel so frustrated for Eva and for all the other victims out there. 
. We need to do more to support victims and prevent these things from happening in the first place 
. Sending lots of love and positive vibes to Eva and her daughter Kaya 
. But what really gets me is that most people don't take stalking seriously until it's too late 
.
. So, let's all try to be more mindful of our surroundings and look out for each other 
.
. I mean, can you imagine getting these letters and just thinking it's some crazy fan who's obsessed? But nope, it was the real deal 
. I mean, I get it, genetic genealogy can be super helpful in catching bad guys, but at the same time, it's like, how did he even find LaRue's DNA through an Arby's straw? 
.
. We need to take it seriously and support our victims. LaRue's story is a powerful one, and we should all be paying attention to it 
.
Like, what even is more pathetic than that? I mean, I've heard of being caught because of a DNA match, but an Arby's straw? It's like the stalker was saying "Hey, I'm clearly not smart enough to do anything nefarious" 
Anyway, it's crazy how often stalking goes underreported and victims are left feeling traumatized for years. Hopefully Eva LaRue's documentary sheds some light on this issue and gets people to take stalking more seriously 
and don't even get me started on the forensic science stuff, always something new that supposedly 'cracks' the case... it feels like they're just making up stories as they go along. 
. Eva LaRue's story is so haunting, I mean who can even imagine receiving letters with graphic threats and having to live in constant anxiety? 
. it's not something that can be ignored or wished away. we need to start taking these crimes seriously and supporting the victims who are still living with the trauma. LaRue's story is a reminder that you're never truly safe, but it's also a testament to her strength in speaking out against this monster 
I mean, think about it... 12 years of living in fear like that? It's crazy! 
Stalking is already super serious, but Eva LaRue's case is just, wow. I'm all for shedding light on this topic, but it makes me wonder how many more cases like hers are out there and not being reported or taken seriously. 
. We need to make stalking take serious attention - the stats are super scary 
.
I can only imagine how terrifying it must've been for Eva LaRue to go through that 12-year nightmare. The fact that she had to live in constant fear, with no way to know when or if her stalker would strike again... it's just heartbreaking 
. We need more awareness and support for these victims, and Eva's documentary is a great step in that direction 
ugh DNA evidence not being enough? what kinda genius does that? lol anyway, this case got cracked cuz of genetic genealogy who knew?! 
justice has been served but hopefully ppl will listen & take stalking more seriously now 
. We need more awareness and education about stalking, especially for single moms like her who are already dealing with so much stress 
It's like the stalker knew exactly how to cover their tracks 
. And that DNA match at Arby's 
. I mean, what are the chances that a discarded straw would be the key to solving the case? 
It's like the stalker was just waiting for those genetic genealogy databases to become a thing 
. I'm not saying it's not good that LaRue is speaking out about her experience, but I think we're being kept in the dark here