DeepSummary
The episode begins with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman introducing a story from an anonymous caller named Madeline about being stalked. Madeline recounts finding footprints leading up to her bedroom window in her suburban Wisconsin home with a backyard bordering woods. Months later, she experienced strange occurrences like someone ringing her doorbell and leaving, an explosion in her yard on Halloween, and her dog being poisoned with hot dogs leading to its death.
After filing a police report, Madeline discovered her name was on a list found on a man named 'Brian Johnson' who had been charged with stalking and sexually assaulting another woman before committing suicide. Her friend 'Jake' consoled her during this terrifying time. Eventually, through tracking anonymous calls, Madeline realized Jake was behind the disturbing incidents all along, even planting a tracking device in her car.
Despite the evidence being deemed a serious felony stalking case, Madeline was advised to confront Jake directly rather than pursue charges, as he could become even more dangerous if he lost everything. She agreed to drop the charges if Jake ceased all contact, though police still searched his home, finding an illegal cache of firearms and ammunition.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Stalking behavior often escalates from relatively minor incidents into far more dangerous acts of violence or retribution.
- Confronting a stalker directly poses serious risks and should only be done under guidance from law enforcement and safety experts.
- Stalking stems from delusional thinking and obsession in the perpetrator, making reasoning or negotiation extremely difficult.
- Police and legal responses to stalking are often inadequate, forcing victims into compromised positions to protect their safety.
- Being stalked by someone close causes a deep sense of betrayal and loss of trust that is extremely traumatic.
- Maintaining evidence and documentation is crucial for stalking victims when authorities get involved.
- Non-traditional living situations like homes bordering wooded areas create isolation that enables stalking.
- Poisoning or harming pets is a common tactic used by stalkers to inflict fear and psychological torment.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Never in my life have I been so out of control of my own body.“ by Melissa
- “So essentially what you will do is you will keep the tracker, you will cancel your police report, you will go have a conversation with him, and you will say, I have ABCD and E. The offer is you never speak to me again in any form.“ by Melissa's lawyer
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Episode Information
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Armchair Umbrella
5/10/24
Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy stalking story.
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