Where is Samantha Stites now ahead of Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror? Explained

The ABC News Studios docuseries Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror arrives on August 19, bringing fresh attention to survivor Samantha Stites and the case that followed her from college into adulthood. Interest has centered on Stites herself, her present life, and how the legal outcome frames the series.

Stites first met Christopher Thomas in 2011 while at Grand Valley State University. Over the next decade, unwanted contact escalated. In October 2022, Thomas broke into her home and transported her to a soundproof bunker inside a storage unit near her Michigan community.

Thomas was later convicted and received a 40-to-60-year sentence in 2024, a fact that sets the timeline for the series’ release, according to The Telegraph.

Where Samantha Stites is now ahead of Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror

As the series debuts, Stites remains based in northern Michigan. Public records in coverage identify Elk Rapids as her hometown, and recent interviews describe a return to daily routines with care and caution. Treatment has included exposure therapy and other steps aimed at reducing triggers connected to the 2022 abduction. The same reporting notes that recovery is ongoing rather than fixed to a single date.

Current work includes advocacy tied to stalking awareness and training. Plans described in interviews suggest building a support system for victims and offering courses for professionals who encounter these cases first, such as social workers and police. Fundraising followed the criminal case to cover therapy and related costs. These details, along with the 2024 sentencing and the Michigan setting, are outlined in a profile published by The Telegraph.

Case timeline behind Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror

The timeline begins with contact on campus in 2011. A personal protection order was granted in 2014, then expired in 2020. After new sightings in public places, the 2022 break-in and kidnapping occurred. Thomas brought Stites to a storage unit built out with soundproofing and restraints. After release and hospital care, investigators located the unit and arrested Thomas within days.

The criminal case ended with convictions for kidnapping, torture, and aggravated stalking, followed by a decades-long sentence in 2024. Public filings and interviews describe the case as moving from stalking to abduction over 11 to 13 years, which aligns with the program title.

What Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror covers

Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror presents Stites’ account in her own words, along with interview clips, surveillance from the storage unit, and images recovered from Thomas’ phone. Producers list three episodes, each gathering testimony from friends, investigators, and court figures tied to the rulings and sentence.

The program also addresses claims that the kidnapper drew ideas from a popular television drama, a detail included in ABC-affiliated reporting ahead of the premiere, according to ABC7 (Aug. 18, 2025).

Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror (Image via @ABCNews YouTube)

In short, Stites is living in northern Michigan, continuing care, and turning to outreach while the series documents events that began in 2011 and concluded in court in 2024. The docuseries begins streaming on August 19, with three episodes set to cover the long record of filings, interviews, and evidence linked to the case.

Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror is a three-part series from ABC News Studios and Bigger Bang. All episodes begin streaming in the United States on August 19, 2025, on Hulu, with availability on Hulu on Disney+ as well. ABC’s coverage lists that date and labels the program a first-person account featuring police interview material and other case records.

About the author

Preethika Vijayakumar is an Entertainment writer at Sportskeeda with a keen interest in pop culture. Although a law student, her curiosity about the world and passion for writing inspired her to explore and analyze the complex narrative and diverse character arcs that define the daily soaps.

With experience as a legal content writer, Preethika also achieved a notable accomplishment as her work was published in a book about criminology and victimology. As a fellow binge-watcher, Preethika aims to provide insightful analysis based on her firsthand viewing experiences, ensuring accuracy and relevance in her writing.

Outside of professional endeavors, she enjoys reading, playing guitar, and creating ceramics. Her favorite celebrity is Jensen Ackles, and if given the opportunity, Preethika would love to be a part of his show, Supernatural, although she isn’t sure she could last until the end.

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Edited by Bharath S