Asher Maslin is a good looking, energetic 21 year old. A charmer with the gift of the gab. He seemed like he might be good boyfriend material when 20-year-old Hollie Gazzard fell for him. Neither she nor her family knew of his past. Stalked: Murder in Slow Motion s1e2: Hollie Gazzard, Channel 4 2019
‘He’d been arrested 23 times with escalating violence, domestic abuse, grievous bodily harm, he was a serial perpetrator.’ ibid. Hollie’s father
Maslin won’t give her any space. He’s jealous of her spending time with anyone else. He even turns up at her work … His messages become increasingly threatening. ibid.
He’s carrying a twelve-inch kitchen knife … Maslin has brutally stabbed Hollie fourteen times. ibid.
How technology is a power-tool in the hands of stalkers. How some smart home gadgets are making it easier than ever. But do we fully understand this growing threat and how to protect ourselves? Tonight: Tech Abuse: Stopping the Stalkers, ITV 2020
Does she live alone? Does she have a room-mate? Does she have a boyfriend? Burglarizing their home: going through their personal possessions serve his fantasy that this is actually a consensual relationship and he is getting to know them. Very Scary People: Norcal Rapist I: Phantom Predator, expert, CI 2020
The Norcal Rapist terrorised northern California from 1991 to 2006. His cruel violence causing lasting trauma, tragically altering lives. This twisted deviant studies his victims, their patterns, their habits, he slips into their homes when they are away, memorising the rooms and planning his ambush. Illusive and careful, for a long time it seemed like Norcal was unstoppable. But he left key evidence at every scene. ibid
‘Stalking is an obsessive and compulsive activity where somebody is delving into private matters … they create a world in their own mind.’ ibid. shrink
‘Now not only have I been inside your body, I’m getting inside of your bank account … Even after I’ve left, I’m going to victimise you.’ ibid.
The Norcal Rapist wears a ski-mask, he is armed with knives and guns, he makes each woman his prisoner, the torture lasting for hours on end. The Norcal Rapist is a stalker, a meticulous planner, but he has made some mistakes. Very Scary People: Norcal Rapist: Phantom Predator II
‘The fantasies never stop. They’re still going on in his head.’ ibid. criminologist
‘I don’t want to stand up here and tell the world I’m a rape victim. But then I told myself this is something I have to do, because this guy is a serial rapist.’ ibid.
But advances in DNA technology called Investigative Genetic Genealogy offer hope for investigators in solving the 27-year old case. ibid.
Roy Charles Waller … is 58 years old, he is a white male … and has worked at UC Berkeley for the last 25 years. ibid.
He had stalked Shana Grice for months. A murder investigation with only one suspect: Michael Lane … Aged 19, Shana Grice had been discovered dead in her bedroom. What had happened would lead to a major investigation into the conduct of one of Britain’s most prominent police forces and a revision of the nation’s laws on stalking. Faking It: Tears of a Crime s3e6: Michael Lane
Shana finished the relationship and returned to her long-term boyfriend. Michael Lane reacted. ibid.
At dawn he used a stolen key to enter the house that Shana shared with two female housemates. ibid.
‘I’m just not right in the head.’ ibid. Lane
Brighton, Sussex, 2016: Shana Grice, aged 19, has been stalked by a former boyfriend, Michael Lane, 26, for months. She’d reported that he’d assaulted her in the street. Lane misled officers into believing he and Shana were still in a relationship. Shana received a fixed penalty fine for wasting police time. Her family say she was fined £90. ibid.
‘Shana’s blood was on those trainers.’ ibid. Rozzer
Sussex referred its handling of the case to independent investigation and has cooperated with the Inquiry. ibid.
October 2016: Police are called to an emergency at a house in Gateshead, near Newcastle. When police arrived they found 24-year-old Alice Ruggles had been murdered in her own home. Faking It: Tears of a Crime s6e2: Trimaan Dhillon
She met a soldier on active service. His name, Trimaan Dhillon. ibid.
‘He would bombard her with messages on her answer machine.’ ibid. journalist
We know that four indicators that when you put those together his denial here is a confession. ibid. Cliff
‘A previous girlfriend had been forced to take out a restraining order against him.’ ibid. journalist
Cliff: There’s a piece of CCTV footage and you’ll see two characters. One wearing blue in front and she’s walking towards us – that’s Heather. And at the back, we have someone in the shadows in dark clothing with a hood over his head, and that’s Martin Corns. He was lurking in the background. He’s like the Grim Reaper. Faking It: Tears of a Crime s7e1: Martin Corns
Heather Jordan leaves home for her early-morning cleaning shift at a nearby shop. Her route takes her through the local park. ibid. captions
‘She was overpowered and she was strangled.’ ibid. Man
Martin Corns was 52, so 18 years older than Heather, and he was divorced, and he also rented out a room to Heather’s father. ibid. Kerry
He continued to pursue her in ways that were fixated and intrusive. So he sent her over 2,000 text messages. ibid. Kerry
And then Martin Corns’ behaviour became even more disturbing. ibid.
He strangles her to death. ibid. Kerry
I submit eleven against one should be enough. No matter how sickly and decrepit those eleven happen to be. Cape Fear 1962 starring Robert Mitchum & Gregory Peck & Polly Bergen & Lori Martin & Martin Balsam & Jack Kruschen & Telly Savalas & Barrie Chase & Paul Comi & Edward Platt et al, director J Lee Thompson, Pack to Beak
Hello, Counselor. Remember me? ibid. Mitchum to Peck
Give my love to your family, Counsellor. I’ll be seeing you. ibid.
Bird: Are you trying to pick me up?
Mitchum: Yes. ibid.
Stay off my property. Day or night. ibid. Peck to Mitchum
All we can do is act after the fact. ibid. rozzer to Peck
No, no, that would be letting you off too easy. Too fast. Your words, do you remember? I do. No. We’re gonna take good care of you. We’re gonna nurse you back to health ... You’re gonna live a long life in a cage. That’s where you belong. And that’s where you’re going ... until the day you rot. ibid. Peck with shooter to Mitchum
My reminiscence: I always thought that for such a lovely river the name was mystifying – Cape Fear. When the only thing to fear on those enchanted summer nights was that the magic would end and that real life would come crashing in. Cape Fear 1991 starring Robert De Niro & Nick Nolte & Jessica Lang & Joe Don Baker & Robert Mitchum & Juliette Lewis & Gregory Peck & Martin Balsam & Fred Delta Thompson & Illeana Douglas et al, director Martin Scorsese
Is marriage synonymous with deception? ibid. her to him
You know, I think I might have found a companion. ibid. DeNiro to daughter
I want you to savour that fear ... Fear of the Indian, fear of the slave, fear of the damned. ibid.
I told them [FBI] I had had this man in my life for 21 years, relentless and viciously. In November 2014 he sent me a poem called How to Make Your Own Pet Owl … ‘take a human. smash the arms …’ Unravaled: The Stalker’s Web, victim Rachael, Quest Red 2022
Some online stalkers never let their victims go. ibid. Alexis
Alexis and I [Billy] are partners on True Crime podcasts and we’re investigative journalists. For more than two years we’ve been treading on the heels of one of the most elusive and dangerous online predators either of us has ever seen. ibid. Billy
For decades he waged a relentless campaign of terror against an untold number of victims stretching further were ever thought possible. ibid. Alexis
His name was not Chris. His first name was actually Jason. Jason Christopher Hughes. ibid. victim Rachael
Christopher Hughes sent Rachael photos of burned babies. ibid.
Up to 50 different men and women. ibid.
He feels rejection very acutely. He felt it from his father. ibid. Jason’s mother
… Plead guilty to one single count … [366 days, please 3 years supervised release with special conditions & $3,000 fine] ibid.
The truth about stalking: the high price paid by victims. The campaigners calling for a stalking register. And coming face to face with an offender. Louise Minchin: The Truth About Stalking, ITV 2022
Obsession, fixation, surveillance and spying. Sending hundreds of messages or turning up outside a home: all potential stalking behaviours. And every year thousands of us are being targeted. ibid.
Stranger: So how did you guys meet?
Eve: She stalked me. Killing Eve s4e8: Hello, Losers, BBC 2022