Profile of a Stalker

By: Law is Cool · June 23, 2008 · Filed Under Criminal Law, Humour, Pop Culture · 9 Comments

Stalking the Stalker

We all have them, even if the innocuous kinds like on Facebook.

But we thought it would be fun to stalk the stalker, by creating a profile of the different types out there.

Stalking is defined as an obsessive behaviour towards another, motivated by intense affection or extreme dislike.

The behaviour of stalkers can range from the irrational and the violent, to the flattering and overly affectionate. Most, however, do not represent physical threats, but are still usually unpredictable.

Their behaviour is outside the norms of social acceptance, which projects them as unpredictable to their targets. It is the lack of predictability of stalkers that usually sets off alarm bells of their victims, who often fear that they may instantly turn aggressively violent.

Four types of stalkers types are described below, though many stalkers have elements of more than one profile.

Erotomania

An erotomaniac has a persistent belief that they are loved by another, even if the other person does not know they exist.

Usually this bond is formed with someone of a higher social status or position of authority.

Their goal is to establish a relationship with their fantasy (we’re not sure how this is entirely distinct from groupies).

An example of an extreme erotomaniac can be seen in Tarasoff v. Regents.

Borderline Erotomania

Yes, there are moderate forms of stalkers too.

This type of erotomania is characterized by the knowledge that the victim does not love them back. They actually may have even had some sort of contact, conversation, or otherwise meaningless contact with their victim.

Their behaviour, however, can be exactly the same, and just as creepy as the regular erotomaniac.

Former Intimate Stalkers

Yes, rejection hurts.

These stalkers usually have a real romantic history with the person. So basically this is the guy/girl who got dumped and never got over it and kept going.

They don’t fantasize about a relationship with their victim, but have an unhealthy emotional attachment. They can so far as to target the spouse or partner of their victim, who may be perceived as the obstacle to their reunification.

Extreme cases can even result in double murders, such as Andre Ducarme with Sherry and Maurice Paul.

The LAPD claims that 48% of their case load are these types of stalkers. Something about those California Girls probably.

Sociopathic Stalkers

This type of stalker is so messed up that they don’t even want a relationship with their victim. Instead, they’ve created an ideal partner in their head, and find someone they can place into this ideal.

The extreme sociopathic stalker can become a serial murder or rapist, such as Charles Ng.

So now that you know what to look for, identify these stalkers and keep them out of your life.

If, that is, you even know they are watching you.
Directly based on an excerpt from an article by Bruce MacFarlane, People Who Stalk People. (1997) 31 U.B.C. L. Rev. 37-94.

Post tags: Andre Ducarme, Bruce MacFarlane, charles ng, erotomania, People Who Stalk People, Sherry and Maurice Paul, Sociopathic Stalkers, Tarasoff v. Regents

Comments

9 Responses to “Profile of a Stalker”

sarakanne on August 2nd, 2008 7:33 pm

Very informative article. In fact it describes the David Caruso stalker situation perfectly. See: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/16/arts/EU-A-E-CEL-Austria-Caruso-Stalker.php

David Caruso (star of CSI Miami), his daughter Greta along with Liza Marquez, mother of his two young children are all victims of Heidi Schnitzer, an Austrian fugitive accused of stalking and threatening to murder all three people. Schnitzer fled Austria in April 2008 to avoid prosecution on these charges. She is hiding out in Tijuana, Mexico and it is feared that she may attempt to illegally enter the U.S. to carry out her threats against Caruso.

It appears that Schnitzer was advised to leave the country to wait out the statute of limitations on criminal stalking avoiding incarceration. A court appointed psychiatrist diagnosed this woman with “profound personality disorder” capable of becoming extremely dangerous.

For photos of Schnitzer and a copy of the death threat letter please visit:

http://www.thestalkerchronicles.blogspot.com
Stalking, a very possible dangerous situation! « The UNofficial Soul Patrol on October 12th, 2008 10:42 pm

[...] http://lawiscool.com/2008/06/23/profile-of-a-stalker/ [...]
Editor PreventMurder.org on October 27th, 2008 12:17 am

This problem with getting stalkers under due process to restrict their behavior, is that only about 1 percent of victims are murdered. Well, as long as each reader is not a victim, they don’t give a rip and could care less it seems. My wife and I are being stalked relentlessly, and because law enforcement retaliated against us for complaining to state officials, they allowed the starker to torment us and 17 other crime victims in our community. They even set a policy in writing to allow this stalker to commit crime and not arrest him. I have this policy in writing, along with the overt examples of the crimes that were ignored, from attempts to threats of murder. Our officials did not want to give our complaints any credibility, and would not enforce our restraining orders. It is unbelievable but quite true. Eventually somebody will do something! I have filed a federal suit, and hope that will fix the situation for future victims. There are a lot of assaults from stalkers and that should be enough. Police do not want to fill crowded jails with stalkers until they kill or assault. They are immune by common law for this! See Gonzales v. Castle Rock it is terrible! I believe England is forcing people with that bizarre behavior to attend boot camps. Not a bad Idea! Their actions deprive them of Freedom through Due Process of the law, but officials are indifferent! Immunity Immunity Immunity! No skin off of their nose!
michelle g. on November 4th, 2008 1:35 pm

Am I allowed to publish my stalker’s letters and postcards?
karen k on April 7th, 2009 7:12 am

Am sick of anonymous phone calls and text messages, letters in the mail. The police can do nothing. I’ve had the police call in and question my stalker, but he denied everything, no evidence.
Simon Pimms on April 23rd, 2009 10:32 am

Not to help people stalk further but this blog reminded me of the ultimate stalker toolkit site. :)
Kerry on October 22nd, 2009 7:59 am

I have approached a justice of the peace the police and think that I am slowly going to lose my mind and my job over a stalker. The police do not seem to want to do anything even tho this guy has warrants out for his arrest in violent matters from previous years what does it take to get them moving please tell me I really want my life and freedom back .
Danielle on December 2nd, 2009 1:43 am

im worried about my mother. she has been telling me and the family that she has a stalker, who previously used to be her psychologist. The first time i heard about this, she was telling me how much he loved her and she him, how he was going to leave his family and marry her. I have met the man in question when i went to see his business partner for a break down i had at 17 due to my mother and my fighting over various issues and he informed me that the house my mother forced my father to buy was 5 houses down from his and that he stopped treating her as a patient when she made flirtatious advances towards him. now 7 years later he’s apparently stalking her. but i dont really understand whats happening. my mother is convinced he shines lights in her room at night, even though her windows are facing the surrounded garden, that he’s smart because he makes owl and frog noises outside her window. that he has cop cars trying to push her off the road, (when thier sirens are on) that he’s bugged all her cell phones and has hidden cameras in her house. my family and i have searched the house nurmerous time and have found nothing, and her cell records show no calls at the time the man was apparently calling her. Is it possible to be a reverse stalker? to belive that u are being stalked by the person whom u have an unconsious attachment to?
T Miller on August 5th, 2010 3:26 pm

This is the story of my stalking nightmare! I am 90% sure that the stalker is Cliff Wheatcroft! He and I met when I was using drugs and selling drugs to pay for my habit, which I am not proud of. He came to me for drugs through some other people I knew. We went out on two dates. The next day he sent me 28 texts and called me several times as well. My friends were very concerned about him, and suggested I get rid of him, which I did.

He started to drive by my house all the time, and constantly calling, trying to offer to do errands for me, anything he could to get near me.

Within a month he started to break in to my home. He slashed my mattress, masturbated on my bed, put my lip gloss on and then kissed my mirrors and windows. He put a butcher knife in my car, and on and on. My drug use went through the roof due to this!

Finally I left the city I was living in and moved 5000 km away. He followed me to my home town, and has continued to stalk me here. I have moved several times, yet he always finds me. Also, now he is drugging me with barbiturates and Crystal Meth, I am guessing in my food and drinks!!! This has been going on for over three years now!!!!!

I do not use drugs anymore, and have been working very hard at recovering from a very serious disability I have from NMS. But the stress from this is making my life very hard to cope with!!! I have reached my limit with this and have decided it has to be stopped now!! I will do all I can to make this stop. I want him to have to deal with the police and go to jail for these terrible crimes he has done against me!

My life today is much different than it was at the time I met him. I now go to church, volunteer at the mission on east hastings (when I am feeling healthy enough), I read a lot now, and walk my dog often. My life is simple, healthy, and I am at recovering from my drug addiction and my disabilities. I rarely drink, and when I do only one or two at the most. I am starting to do part time child care too. I went to the police two times, and was left feeling even worse than I did going in! I received absolutely no help????

If you will help me I would be so grateful!! I have just gotten a nanny pin hole camera in order to catch him on video.