When Samantha Stites met Christopher Thomas in 2011, his shy charm quickly darkened into obsession. She rejected him and even
secured a six-year protection order, but his fixation never ended. By 2022, it escalated
into horror: Thomas kidnapped her, trapping her in a soundproof underground bunker stocked for weeks of captivity.
Obsessed with the Netflix thriller You, he planned to keep her hidden indefinitely.
For 13 tense hours, Stites relied on her social work training. She stayed calm, appealed to his fear of prison,
and pretended to consider a relationship. When he demanded sex in exchange for freedom,
she agreed—choosing survival. The moment she was released, she sought medical care and worked with police.
Within 48 hours, Thomas was arrested and later sentenced to 40–60 years for kidnapping, torture, and stalking.
Now 33, Stites shares her story in a Hulu documentary. Her goal is to raise awareness about stalking’s
dangers while highlighting resilience, survival instincts, and the strength it takes to outlast trauma.
