When college freshman Samantha Stites met fellow student Christopher Thomas in 2011, she never imagined his awkward interest would become a years-long obsession that ended in a hidden bunker and a desperate fight for survival. After rejecting his advances and securing a six-year personal protection order, she briefly found relief before the order, When college freshman Samantha Stites met fellow student Christopher Thomas in 2011, she never imagined his awkward interest would become a years-long obsession that ended in a hidden bunker and a desperate fight for survival. After rejecting his advances and securing a six-year personal protection order, she briefly found relief before the order expired and his harassment returned. Years later, Thomas lured her to an underground bunker he had built, where he held her captive for 13 hours. Stites later said Thomas told her he had been inspired by the Netflix thriller You when constructing the bunker, leaving her uncertain whether she would make it out alive.
Drawing on crisis intervention skills from her work as a social worker, Stites focused on keeping calm and engaging Thomas in conversation. She noticed his fear of prison and used it to bargain for her freedom, promising not to contact authorities if he let her go. To convince him further, she pretended to be open to a relationship, agreeing to his demand that she sleep with him in exchange for release. Once he took her home, Stites immediately went to a hospital, where doctors collected evidence, and she then worked with police to locate the bunker. Within 48 hours, Thomas was arrested. He later pleaded guilty to kidnapping, torture, and aggravated stalking, receiving a 40- to 60-year prison sentence. Stites has since shared her story in a Hulu documentary, hoping to raise awareness about stalking, survival, and trusting her instincts.