Kidnapping Of Colleen Stan
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Colleen Stan (born December 31, 1956) is an American woman who was kidnapped and held as a
sex slave Sexual slavery and sexual exploitation is an attachment of any ownership right over one or more people with the intent of coercing or otherwise forcing them to engage in sexual activities. This includes forced labor that results in sexual ...
by Cameron and Janice Hooker in their
Red Bluff, California Red Bluff is a city in and the county seat of Tehama County, California, United States. Its population was 14,710 at the 2020 census, up from 14,076 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is located north of Sacramento, California ...
, home for over seven years, between 1977 and 1984. At Cameron's trial, Stan's experience was described as unparalleled in
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
history. Janice was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony, while Cameron was found guilty on multiple charges and sentenced to 104 years in prison. Stan's case has received international publicity, and been the subject of multiple books, films, and television series.


Kidnapping

On May 19, 1977, 20-year-old Colleen Stan was
hitchhiking Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Signaling ...
from her home in
Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie River (Oregon), McKenzie and Willamette River, Willamette rivers, ...
, to a friend's home in
Westwood, California Westwood is a census-designated place (CDP) in Lassen County, California, United States. Westwood is located 20 miles (32 km) west-southwest of Susanville, at an elevation of 5,128 feet (1,563 m). Its population is 1,541 as of the 2020 cens ...
, where she was going to attend a birthday party. Cameron Hooker (born November 5, 1953) kidnapped Stan after picking her up along
Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...
in
Red Bluff, California Red Bluff is a city in and the county seat of Tehama County, California, United States. Its population was 14,710 at the 2020 census, up from 14,076 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is located north of Sacramento, California ...
. Stan stated that she was an experienced hitchhiker and earlier had declined two rides before accepting Hooker's. She reportedly "felt confident climbing into the blue van," because Hooker's wife, Janice (born 1958), and their baby were in the car. When they stopped at a gas station along the way, Stan went to use the restroom. "A voice told me to run and jump out a window and never look back," she recalled, but she calmed her fears and went back to the car. Around 20 minutes into the ride Cameron pulled off the highway, claiming to be interested in investigating some nearby caves. It was at this point, Stan said, that "Janice got out of the car and went down to a lake with the baby. They were playing when Cameron got into the back seat and held a knife to my throat. He tied me up and placed a box over my head." She was subsequently locked in a wooden "headbox" that was designed to prevent light, sound, and fresh air from entering.


Background and imprisonment

Before this, Cameron, then a
lumber mill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimens ...
worker at Diamond International Lumber Mill, and Janice had reached an agreement that he could capture a slave to take Janice's place, because up until that time, Cameron had been using Janice to act out sexual bondage. There was to be no penetrative sex with Stan according to the agreement, but this later changed. On the first night of her kidnapping, Stan was strung up by her hands, physically attacked by Cameron, and left blindfolded and suspended while the pair had sex below her. After her kidnapping, Stan stated that she was tortured and kept locked in a box 23 hours a day until she was given a contract and forced to sign herself into slavery for life in January 1978. In view from the box, propped up against her purse under the bed, was a photo of Marie Elizabeth Spannhake, a previous victim whose body was never found. She further stated that Cameron led her to believe that she was being watched by a large, powerful organization called "The Company" which would painfully torture her and harm her family if she tried to escape. Stan subsequently became a slave referred to as "K," was forced to call Cameron "Master," and was not allowed to talk without permission. Cameron reportedly wanted Stan to be like the female character in the 1954 French erotic novel ''
Story of O ''Story of O'' (, ) is an erotic novel written by French author Anne Desclos under the pen name Pauline Réage, with the original French text published in 1954 by Jean-Jacques Pauvert. Desclos did not reveal herself as the author until 1994, ...
'' and soon started orally raping her. Cameron did not want to have vaginal sex with Stan because he considered that to be a breach of his agreement with his wife. Instead, he raped her vaginally and anally with implements. Following this, the Hooker family moved to a mobile home in Red Bluff with Stan, where she was kept locked in wooden boxes under the couple's water bed. In 1978, Janice gave birth to a second child on the water bed above Stan. Stan said that her faith in
God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
and belief in a chance of escape helped her survive; her greatest fear, which Cameron "reinforced" daily, was of "The Company." To avoid painful punishments, Stan tried to comply with his commandments, which later led to her being allowed to go out to jog, work in the yard, care for the family's children in the mobile home, and help him build bigger accommodations—including an underground dungeon—for more slaves. Even with an open door, neighbors, and a telephone, she made no attempt to escape as, according to Stan, her fear of "The Company" kept her from seeking help. Additionally, Stan was allowed to visit her family by herself in 1981 but did not reveal her situation due to her fear of the possible consequences. Her family thought she was involved in a cult because of her homemade clothes, lack of money, and the absence of communications over the years; they did not want to pressure her, fearing she would stay away forever. The next day, Stan returned for a second visit, with Hooker posing as her boyfriend. At the trial, Stan explained that she was happy about visiting her family, who were therefore able to take a photograph of her and Cameron happily smiling together. According to Stan, Hooker feared he had given his slave too much freedom and took her back to his mobile home, where he locked her in the wooden box under his water bed; she remained in the box 23 hours a day for the next three years. She dealt with bodily functions using a bed pan, which she positioned with her feet, and ate scraps of food. It was stated in court that Hooker's children were told "K" had gone home; however, once his children had gone to bed, Hooker would take Stan out of the box to feed and torture her.


Aftermath and consequences


Escape and trial

It was not until 1983 that Stan was reintroduced to the children and neighbors; she was also allowed to get a job as a maid at a motel. Hooker wanted Stan to become his second wife, which was a turning point for Janice. Janice confessed that—starting with their first date—she had also been tortured, brainwashed, and referred to as a "whore" over the years by Cameron. Janice further stated that she survived their relationship by engaging in
denial Denial, in colloquial English usage, has at least three meanings: * the assertion that any particular statement or allegation, whose truth is uncertain, is not true; * the refusal of a request; and * the assertion that a true statement is fal ...
and compartmentalization. By August 1984, Janice began struggling with herself and went to Stan to inform her that Hooker was not part of "The Company." However, she maintained that the organization did exist. In a televised interview for ''Girl in the Box'', Stan told the interviewer that she then went to a bus station and phoned Hooker to inform him that she was leaving him and that he reacted by bursting into tears; Stan subsequently caught a bus home. In the months that followed, she did not contact the police but continued to call Hooker regularly; she explained this at the trial by saying that she wanted to give Hooker, at Janice's request, a chance to reform. Three months later, Janice reported her husband to the police. She informed Lt. Jerry Brown of the Red Bluff Police that Cameron had previously kidnapped, tortured, and murdered 19-year-old Marie Elizabeth Spannhake, who had disappeared on January 31, 1976, from
Chico, California Chico ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "little") is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. Located in the Sacramento Valley region of Northern California, the city had a population of 101,475 in the 2020 United Sta ...
. According to Janice, Marie was walking home when she and Cameron picked her up before driving her to their home, where she was hung from her wrists in the basement, undressed, and tortured for an entire day. Spannhake was then shot in the stomach with a
pellet gun A pellet is a non-spherical projectile designed to be shot from an air gun, and an airgun that shoots such pellets is commonly known as a pellet gun. Air gun pellets differ from bullets and shot used in firearms in terms of the pressures encount ...
and strangled by Cameron. The couple then wrapped Spannhake's body in blankets and buried her in a shallow grave near
Lassen Volcanic National Park Lassen Volcanic National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in northeastern California. The dominant feature of the park is Lassen Peak, the largest lava dome, plug dome volcano in the wo ...
. Authorities were unable to locate any remains. Due to the lack of physical proof, no murder charge was brought. Chris Hatcher, a
forensic psychologist Forensic psychology is the application of scientific knowledge and methods (in relation to psychology) to assist in answering legal questions that may arise in criminal, civil, contractual, or other judicial proceedings. Forensic psychology includes ...
and
criminal profiler Offender profiling, also known as criminal profiling, is an investigative strategy used by law enforcement agencies to identify likely suspects and has been used by investigators to link cases that may have been committed by the same perpetrato ...
, testified for Cameron's prosecution at the start of the 1985 trial, and Janice testified against her husband in exchange for full immunity. In the end, Hooker was sentenced to consecutive prison terms totaling 104 years for
sexual assaults Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing organism produces male or female gametes. Sex, SEX or sexual may also refer to: *Sexual intercourse, a sexual activity Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Sex'' (1920 ...
,
kidnapping Kidnapping or abduction is the unlawful abduction and confinement of a person against their will, and is a crime in many jurisdictions. Kidnapping may be accomplished by use of force or fear, or a victim may be enticed into confinement by frau ...
, and using a knife in the process. Originally ineligible for parole until 2023, he had his hearing date moved up seven years to 2015 through California's Elderly Parole Program. On April 16, 2015, his request for parole was denied. Hooker will be eligible for another hearing in 2030. However, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, California officials contacted Stan and advised her that they were looking into possibly granting Hooker parole in March 2021. Instead of a parole hearing, Hooker was evaluated by a state hospital and was subsequently classified as a sexually violent predator. According to the Tehama County District Attorney's Office, Hooker was released on parole in 2021 to the Department of State Hospitals.


Post-trial

After the trial, Stan studied for an accounting degree and, as reported by Mara Bovsun in a March 9, 2014, ''New York Daily News'' article, "tried to move on to a normal life, but misery followed her—a string of failed marriages and a troubled child, now in jail." Stan also joined and volunteered for Redding Women's Refuge Center, an organization that helps abused women. Janice reverted to her maiden name, Lashley, became a registered associate social worker and has worked as a mental health professional. Stan has changed her last name; both Janice and Stan continue to live in California.


Cultural impact


Films

The main plot of the American documentary-style horror film '' The Poughkeepsie Tapes'' (2007) was based on Stan's case. On September 10, 2016, a television movie based on the case, titled ''Girl in the Box'', premiered on Lifetime starring
Addison Timlin Addison Timlin (born June 29, 1991) is an American actress. She played Jami Lerner in '' The Town That Dreaded Sundown'' (2014), Colleen Lunsford in '' Little Sister'' (2016) and Sasha Bingham in Showtime's ''Californication''. Career Timlin m ...
as Colleen,
Zane Holtz Zane-Ray Brodie Holtz (born January 18, 1987) is a Canadian actor and model. He is best known for playing Richie Gecko on the El Rey Network television series '' From Dusk till Dawn: The Series'' (2014–2016) and K.O. Kelly on The CW The ...
as Cameron, and
Zelda Williams Zelda Rae Williams (born July 31, 1989) is an American actress and director. She is the daughter of actor Robin Williams and film producer Marsha Garces Williams. As a voice actress, she is best known for voicing Kuvira in the Nickelodeon se ...
as Janice. The movie was followed by a two-hour documentary called ''Colleen Stan: Girl in the Box''.


Literature

The case is documented in the book ''Perfect Victim: The True Story of the Girl in the Box'' (1989), by prosecutor Christine McGuire and Carla Norton, and referenced in
Kathy Reichs Dr. Kathleen Joan Reichs (PhD) (née Toelle, born July 7, 1948) is an American crime writer, forensic anthropologist and academic. She is a professor emerita of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is well known ...
's novel '' Monday Mourning'' (2004). An updated version of Stan's story, ''Colleen Stan, The Simple Gifts of Life'' by Jim Green, was published in 2009.


Music

The 1990 song "Girl in a Box" by alternative band
Blake Babies Blake Babies were an American college rock band formed in 1986 in Boston, Massachusetts. The three primary members were Freda Love, Juliana Hatfield and John Strohm. They recorded three albums before splitting up in 1991. They reformed to reco ...
is based on Stan's case. The 1993 song "
Jennifer's Body ''Jennifer's Body'' is a 2009 American comedy horror film directed by Karyn Kusama and written by Diablo Cody. Starring Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, J. K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris, and Adam Brody, the film follows Jennifer Chec ...
" by
Hole A hole is an opening in or through a particular medium, usually a solid Body (physics), body. Holes occur through natural and artificial processes, and may be useful for various purposes, or may represent a problem needing to be addressed in m ...
in their album '' Live Through This'' is speculated to be based on Stan's experience. This is mostly due to the lines in the song “He cuts you down from the tree / He keeps you in a box by the bed”. In 1996, the American rock band Elysian Fields released a song titled "Jack in the Box" for their debut studio album, ''Bleed Your Cedar'', which was made available for purchase that same year. Its lyrical content delves into Stan's experience of being imprisoned by Cameron in the box under the bed he shared with his wife, and alludes to the power he had over her. The case inspired the name for
Richard Ramirez Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez (; February 29, 1960 – June 7, 2013), better known as Richard Ramirez, was an American serial killer and sex offender whose killing spree occurred in Greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area in the ...
's Texas experimental noise group Black Leather Jesus. In 2012, a short
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
piece composed by Patrik Jarlestam and Jonas Bernander was based on the kidnapping, and premiered in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, under the name of ''Den 4444:e dagen'' (''The 4444th day'').


Television

The case, and its core elements of an invisible conspiracy used to coerce the victim into servitude and long periods of confinement, have formed the basis for several episodes of television crime series, including ''
Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Jeff Davis that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005. It follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral ...
'' (episode "The Company", season seven), ''
Ghost Whisperer ''Ghost Whisperer'' is an American supernatural television series, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005, to May 21, 2010. The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon ( Jennifer Love Hewitt), who has the ability to see and communicate w ...
'' (episode "Ball & Chain", season four), and '' Law and Order: Special Victims Unit'' (episode "Slaves",
season one Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) Season 2 may refer to: ...
). It was also profiled in the 2008 episode "Kidnapped" of the
Investigation Discovery Investigation Discovery (stylized and branded on-air as ID since 2008) is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries, similar to corporate sibling HLN. It is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery's netw ...
series ''
Wicked Attraction ''Wicked Attraction'' (broadcast in some countries as ''Couples Who Kill'') is an American true crime television series on Investigation Discovery which began airing in the United States in 2008. The series focuses on how two seemingly ordinary ...
''. "The Apartment", a 2012 episode of the SyFy series '' Paranormal Witness'', told the story of the disappearance of Marie Spannhake, and includes a cameo mention of Stan's kidnapping. The case was also mentioned in passing during an episode of '' Waking the Dead'' (episode "Fugue States", season four). Stan's case was profiled on an episode on Netflix's ''
Unsolved Mysteries ''Unsolved Mysteries'' is an American mystery documentary television series, created by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer. Documenting cold cases and paranormal phenomena, it began as a series of seven specials, presented by Raymond Burr, Kar ...
'' and on July 17, 2021, Stan recounted her ordeal in a ''Snapped: Notorious'' episode.


See also

*
List of kidnappings The following is a list of kidnappings summarizing the events of each case, including instances of celebrity abductions, claimed hoaxes, suspected kidnappings, extradition abductions, and mass kidnappings. By date * List of kidnappings befo ...
*
List of solved missing person cases Lists of solved missing person cases include: * List of solved missing person cases: pre-1950 * List of solved missing person cases: 1950–1999 * List of solved missing person cases: post-2000 See also

* List of kidnappings * List of murder ...
*
List of long-term false imprisonment cases This is a list of notable long-term false imprisonment cases. Cases involving children imprisoned by relatives * Álvarez incest case, Alba Nidia Álvarez, Mariquita, Colombia, 25 years, discovered in March 2009. * Anna (feral child), "Anna", Pe ...


References


Bibliography

* *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stan, Colleen 1970s missing person cases 1977 crimes in the United States 1977 in California 1970s crimes in California Formerly missing American people Hostage taking in the United States Kidnapped American people May 1977 in the United States Missing person cases in California People from Eugene, Oregon Sex crimes in the United States Violence against women in California 1970s kidnappings in the United States Sexual slavery History of slavery in California