Wife Discovered Her Husband’s Secret Affair & Killed Him In The Night While He Slept

…

Clint owned the Blue Moon nightclub on Oakland Avenue.

Sometimes there were problems there.

Drunk patrons, fights, but for someone to want to kill him.

She shook her head.

He was a good man.

Helped people.

Gave them jobs.

Who else had access to your apartment? Daring continued the interrogation.

Just the two of us.

Clint valued his privacy.

We were the only ones with keys.

Not even the manager had them.

After finishing their conversation, the detectives returned to examining the scene.

Milum noticed the contents of the bedroom closet.

Among the men’s clothes, she saw an empty space on the top shelf.

“Something was here,” she said to Daring, pointing to a dusty imprint.

A rectangular object about 30 by 20 cm.

A safe, a box, suggested her partner.

Or a gun case, added Milum.

We need to ask the wife what was kept here.

When they approached Nomi again with this question, she looked at them in confusion.

Clint’s gun case was in there.

He bought it for self-defense and had a license.

Strange, I didn’t notice it was missing.

This information radically changed the picture of the incident.

If the perpetrator had taken the victim’s weapon, it could mean that the murder had been committed with that very gun.

While the forensic team continued their work in the apartment, the detectives drove to the victim’s place of work.

The Blue Moon nightclub was located in a busy part of town between bars and restaurants.

During the day, the establishment looked normal.

The neon signs were not lit and the heavy doors were locked.

The club’s manager, David Brooks, met them at the service entrance.

He was a man of about 45, dressed in a business suit with a tired expression on his face.

“Terrible news about Clint,” he said, Ush ushering the detectives inside.

“I can’t believe he’s gone.

” Inside the club was a spacious room with a bar, a dance floor, and VIP areas.

Everything was decorated in shades of blue, which explained the name of the establishment.

“Tell me about Mr.

Sunderland’s work,” Daring asked.

Did he have any conflicts with patrons, competitors, or employees? Clint was a fair boss, Brooks replied.

Of course, in our business, there are always problems.

Drunken fights, unhappy patrons, but nothing serious.

Although, although, Milamas alert.

A month ago, we fired a security guard, Ray Coleman.

He was too aggressive with customers and beat people up for no reason several times.

Clint fired him and Ray got really angry and shouted something about revenge.

The detectives wrote down his name and asked for his address.

That was the first serious lead in the case.

Anything else? Debts, threats, problems with suppliers.

Daring continued, “No, business was going well.

Clint always paid on time.

We had no debts.

The only thing was that he sometimes received strange calls on his work phone.

” After leaving the club, the detectives headed to the station to analyze the information they had gathered.

On the way, Milum expressed her doubts.

“Something doesn’t add up here,” Nixon.

The criminal breaks into the apartment by some unknown means, kills the husband in front of his wife, but leaves her alive.

He takes the gun, but leaves other valuables behind.

“There are too many inconsistencies.

” “I agree,” Daring nodded.

“But for now, let’s work with what we have.

We need to find this Coleman and check his alibi.

We also need to look into Sunderland’s finances.

Maybe there were deeper problems than meets the eye.

The preliminary investigation results were waiting for them at the station.

No fingerprints from strangers were found in the apartment, confirming the theory that the killer wore gloves.

DNA analysis would take several days, but preliminary data also revealed no signs of anyone else being there.

Daring looked at the board with photos from the crime scene and a diagram of the apartment.

the owner of a nightclub killed on his wedding night by an unknown asalant wearing a mask.

The case promised to be difficult, but experience told him that in the world of organized crime, there are always people willing to solve problems using radical methods.

The next morning, detectives Daring and Milham began their search for Ray Coleman.

The address given to them by the club manager led them to one of the city’s most run-down neighborhoods, old two-story houses with peeling paint and overgrown yards.

Number 23 on Cherry Street looked particularly rundown.

Broken steps, a crooked mailbox, and windows covered with tape.

A perfect place to hide after a murder.

Daring muttered as he climbed the creaky steps.

Milum knocked on the door, keeping her hand near her holster.

There was no answer.

She knocked harder.

Ray Coleman, police, open the door.

There was a sound of hurried footsteps behind the door, then the sound of furniture being moved.

The detectives exchanged glances.

The suspect was clearly trying to hide something or prepare to escape.

He’s in there, Milum whispered.

Call for backup.

Let’s wait for now, Daring replied and knocked loudly again.

Mr.

Coleman, we just want to talk to you about the incident at the Blue Moon Club.

It will only take a few minutes.

Finally, the door opened slightly on the chain, and a weary glance appeared through the crack.

Ray Coleman was a tall, thin man in his late 20s with an unshaven face and nervous movements.

He was wearing a wrinkled t-shirt and stained jeans.

“What do you want?” he asked horarssely.

“We’re investigating the murder of Clint Sunderland,” Daring said, showing his badge.

“We’d like to ask you a few questions.

” Coleman’s face turned pale, and he tried to slam the door shut, but Milum managed to stick her foot in the way.

Don’t make this difficult, Rey.

Let’s just talk.

I don’t know anything,” Coleman shouted, retreating deeper into the house.

“Leave me alone.

” The detectives entered the house, looking around.

The interior was in complete disarray.

Dirty dishes, scattered clothes, empty bottles.

The smell of stale food and cigarettes hung in the air.

Coleman huddled in the corner of the living room, breathing heavily.

“Ray,” Milm began calmly.

“We know you’ve had problems with Mr.

Sunderland.

Tell us about them.

” He fired me for no reason.

Coleman exploded.

He said I was too rude to the customers.

What was I supposed to do? They were trying to start a fight.

Someone had to stop them.

And you threatened him? Daring continued.

Coleman fell silent, realizing he had said too much.

I was angry.

I said a few words I shouldn’t have, but that doesn’t mean I killed him.

Where were you the night before last, between 2:00 and 5:00 in the morning? Milm asked, taking out his notebook.

at home sleeping.

Can anyone confirm that? No, I live alone, but I didn’t kill Clint.

The detectives exchanged glances.

The lack of an alibi made Coleman the prime suspect, especially considering his previous threats.

Mr.

Coleman, Daring said in an official tone, “You are under arrest for further questioning in connection with the murder of Clint Sunderland.

You have the right to remain silent.

” “No!” Coleman yelled and rushed toward the back door of the house.

Milum was faster.

She intercepted the fugitive at the threshold and knocked him to the floor.

Coleman struggled desperately trying to break free, but the detective was more experienced and stronger.

“Don’t resist,” she shouted, putting handcuffs on him.

“You’re only making things worse for yourself.

” “I didn’t kill him.

I didn’t kill him!” Coleman repeated as he was led to the car.

His attempt to escape convinced the detectives that they had found the killer.

Who else would resist arrest so desperately if not a murderer? At the station, Coleman was placed in a holding cell and the detectives began preparing for the official interrogation.

Daring studied the suspect’s file.

Several arrests for bar fights, fines for disorderly conduct, but nothing serious.

A typical case of someone with self-control issues.

The profile fits, he said to Milm.

An aggressive type, prone to violence with a motive for revenge.

Plus, he tried to escape during arrest.

I agree.

All that’s left is to get a confession or find evidence, replied his partner.

The official interrogation began 2 hours later in the presence of the appointed lawyer.

Coleman looked calmer but was still nervous, constantly rubbing his wrists where the handcuffs had been.

“Ray,” Daring began, turning on the tape recorder.

“Tell us about your relationship with Clint Sunderland.

I worked as a security guard at his club for a year and a half.

” the suspect replied monotonously.

Everything was fine until the incident happened.

What incident? Three drunk guys were harassing some girls on the dance floor.

The manager asked me to deal with them.

I went over to them and asked them to behave themselves.

They started getting rude and one of them pushed me.

So, I responded.

You mean you beat them up? I was defending myself.

Coleman snapped.

They started the fight.

But Mr.

Sunderland thought you overstepped your authority.

He said I was too aggressive, that customers were complaining about my rudeness.

That wasn’t true.

Milum leaned forward, studying the suspect’s face closely.

And then you threatened him.

Coleman hesitated, glancing at his lawyer.

I was upset I needed the job.

I said something like, “You’ll be sorry for this.

” Witnesses claim you said you won’t live to see your wedding day.

Daring said harshly.

That that was just a figure of speech.

I didn’t mean I would kill him, but he didn’t live to see his wedding day.

In fact, he was murdered on his wedding night.

Coleman turned even paler.

I didn’t know when his wedding was, and I didn’t kill him.

The interrogation continued for several hours.

The detectives asked the same questions in different ways, trying to find contradictions in his testimony.

Coleman stubbornly denied any involvement in the murder, but his nervousness and lack of an alibi worked against him.

“Where did you get the gun?” Milamm asked.

“What gun? I don’t have a gun.

” “The one that killed Sunderland.

” “By the way, it was his own gun.

” “I don’t know anything about a gun.

I’m telling you, I didn’t kill him.

” After the interrogation, the detectives returned to their office to discuss the results.

He’s either a great actor or he’s really innocent, Milum said, leaning back in her chair.

Or he just doesn’t want to admit it.

Daring objected.

We have a motive.

No alibi.

His attempt to flee.

What else do we need? A piece of evidence.

Concrete evidence linking him to the crime scene.

They decided to search Coleman’s house more thoroughly.

After obtaining a search warrant, the detectives returned to Cherry Street with a team of forensic experts.

The house was searched from top to bottom.

Every drawer, every closet, even the basement and attic.

The search yielded no results.

No firearms, no traces of gunpowder on Coleman’s clothes, no physical evidence linking him to the murder.

Moreover, nothing was found in the house that belonged to Sunderland or had been stolen from his apartment.

“Strange,” Milum muttered, watching the experts at work.

“If he’s a killer, he’s a very careful one.

” The next day, the results of Coleman’s financial transactions came in.

There had been no large expenditures or deposits in recent weeks.

His bank account showed only small expenses for groceries and utilities.

Meanwhile, the detectives decided to look into the suspect’s alibi in more detail.

Although Coleman claimed he was home alone, they interviewed his neighbors and checked surveillance cameras in the area.

Mrs.

Patricia Davis, an elderly woman who lived next door, gave unexpected testimony.

Rey? Yes, he was home that night.

I remember clearly because his music was playing all night very loud.

I even thought about calling the police, but then I changed my mind.

Are you sure it was the night of the murder? Daring asked.

Of course, it was Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

I remember it clearly because I always do laundry on Tuesdays and went to bed late.

This was the first serious blow to the prosecution’s case, but the detectives decided to check the neighbor’s testimony further.

The owner of a 24-hour store on the corner also confirmed Coleman’s alibi.

Yes, he came in for beer late Tuesday night.

I remember because he was drunk and loud.

It was around midnight.

Then I saw him walking home.

Surveillance cameras near the store recorded Coleman at the time, indicated by the clerk.

Moreover, judging by the recording, he was indeed heavily intoxicated and could barely stand on his feet.

“Damn,” Daring cursed as he watched the recording.

“In that condition, he couldn’t even hold a gun, let alone aim it.

” The final blow came from the testimony of a pizza delivery man.

The guy remembered delivering an order to Coleman’s address around 3:00 am, right around the time of the murder.

The guy was so drunk he could barely open the door.

the delivery guy said.

I even thought about calling an ambulance, but he paid me and slammed the door shut.

Coleman’s alibi was completely confirmed.

On the night of the murder, he was at home heavily intoxicated and had no way of getting to the Sunderland’s apartment, let alone committing a premeditated murder.

We’ll have to let him go.

Milum sighed.

Yes, but first we need to have another talk, Daring decided.

Coleman’s final interrogation was a formality.

The detectives explained to him that his alibi had been confirmed and he was no longer a suspect in the murder.

Rey Daring said, “You’re free to go, but I have one last question for you.

Who else could have wanted to harm Sunderland? Maybe someone from the club or one of his competitors.

” Coleman, clearly relieved, thought for a moment.

I don’t know.

Clint was a tough boss, but he was fair.

After the suspect was released, Daring and Milum returned to the evidence board.

All their assumptions had collapsed and now they had to start the investigation all over again.

“So, what do we have?” Daring said, looking at the photos from the crime scene.

The murder was committed with the victim’s gun.

The killer left no traces.

No one except the wife saw or heard anything.

Milum listed.

And the wife claims it was a masked stranger.

“Maybe we should take a closer look at Nomi herself,” Daring suggested.

“It’s too early for that.

We have no motive for murdering your own husband on your wedding night.

Plus, she looked genuinely distraught.

Then what? A random robbery? Why would a robber go into a residential building, climb to the third floor, pick the locks, take nothing of value, and kill the owner with his own gun? The detectives were at a dead end.

All their main theories didn’t hold up.

We need new leads, said Daring.

What about Sunderland’s phone? We haven’t cracked it yet.

Modern security, it’ll take time.

Then let’s speed up the process.

There might be something important there.

Daring contacted the IT department and asked them to make hacking the phone a priority.

The technicians promised results within a day or two.

We’ll wait, Milam concluded.

In the meantime, let’s study the club’s financial documents and Sunderland’s personal files.

Maybe we’ll find some clues there.

The day ended without any significant results.

The detectives felt like they were missing something important, but they didn’t know what.

The wedding night murder remained a mystery, and the victim’s phone was their only hope for progress in the investigation.

On the morning of the third day of the investigation, Daring received a long- aaited call from the IT department.

Computer forensics expert Michael Stark reported that they had finally managed to hack into Clint Sunderland’s phone.

We have full access to his correspondence, Stark said when the detectives arrived at the technical lab.

And I have to say, some of the messages may interest you.

The lab was a room filled with monitors and servers.

Stark, a thin man with glasses, led the detectives to his workstation where the contents of the victim’s phone were displayed on the screen.

“Look here,” he said, pointing to a folder of messages.

Over the last 3 months, Mr.

Sunderland has been actively corresponding with someone named Charlotte Raymond.

Judging by the nature of the messages, they were in a romantic relationship.

Daring and Milum leaned over the screen.

The correspondence was quite candid.

Declarations of love, plans for meetings, intimate photos, but the most important messages were the last ones.

Dated the day of the wedding.

Clint, I can’t wait any longer.

You promised you’d tell her the truth after the honeymoon, but I’m tired of these games,” Charlotte wrote at 6:00 in the evening.

Clint’s reply came an hour later.

“I understand you, sweetheart, but today is our wedding day.

I can’t ruin everything.

Give me a little more time.

” Time? We don’t have time.

I’m pregnant, Clint, and this baby can’t wait for your convenient moments.

Charlotte’s last message was sent at 8:00 pm Clint did not respond to this message.

“Damn it,” Milum muttered.

“A mistress, a pregnancy, a wedding, all on the same day.

That’s a recipe for disaster.

” “Here’s something else interesting,” Stark added, scrolling further down the conversation.

“On the night of the murder at 2:23, Clint sent Charlotte a message.

I told her she’s furious.

I’m afraid she’ll do something stupid.

” That was half an hour before the estimated time of the murder, Daring calculated.

And here’s the last message.

Stark opened another conversation.

At 2:31 am, Clint wrote, “Help me.

She’s completely lost it.

She’s threatening me with a gun.

” The message was not delivered.

Apparently, the phone had already been turned off or damaged.

The detectives exchanged glances.

The picture was beginning to clear up, and it was radically different from the version Nomi had told them.

We need information about this Charlotte Raymond, Daring said.

Address, place of work, anything you can find.

A search of the databases yielded results within half an hour.

Charlotte Raymond, 28 years old, worked as an administrator at the City Hospital Medical Center, the same center where Nomi Sunderland worked as a nurse.

They know each other, Milum stated.

They work in the same place.

That explains how Nomi could have found out about her husband’s affair, and that gives her a motive for murder.

Daring added, “Her husband confesses to cheating on her on their wedding night and then tells her he’s got a mistress who’s pregnant.

Any woman would lose it.

” The detectives decided to go to Nomi’s place immediately to present her with the new evidence and observe her reaction.

On the way, they discussed their strategy for the conversation.

“Let’s not accuse her right away,” Daring suggested.

“Let’s present it as new information that could help with the investigation.

Let’s see how she reacts.

” The Sunderland’s apartment was still sealed off, so Nomi was temporarily staying with her sister in a neighboring neighborhood.

The detectives found her in a small one-story house on Elm Street.

Nomi greeted them in her home clothes, her face tired and her eyes red.

“Any news on the case?” she asked, inviting the detectives into the living room.

“Yes,” Daring replied, sitting down in an armchair.

“We gained access to your husband’s phone and found something important.

” Nomi tensed but tried to keep her face calm.

What exactly? Correspondence with a woman named Charlotte Raymond, Milum said, watching the widow’s reaction closely.

Do you know this woman? Nomi’s face faltered, but she quickly regained her composure.

Charlotte? Yes, she works at our hospital.

What about her? Judging by the correspondence, your husband was having an affair with her, Daring said bluntly.

Nomi turned pale and leaned back against the sofa as if she had been struck.

An affair? That can’t be.

Clint loved me.

We just got married.

Mrs.

Sunderland, Milum continued gently.

We understand that this is a painful subject, but we need to know the truth.

Did you know about your husband’s relationship with Charlotte? No, Nomi replied sharply.

I didn’t know anything.

If that’s true, then then he’s been cheating on me all this time.

The detectives noticed how the woman’s hands were shaking, how she was nervously fingering the edge of her handkerchief.

“There are references in the correspondence that Clint was going to tell you the truth,” Daring continued.

“Perhaps on the night of the murder.

” “No,” Nomi repeated stubbornly.

“He never said anything to me about a Charlotte.

We talked about our future, about the children we wanted.

What about the message he sent at 2:23 am?” Milum read the text from the phone screen.

I told her she’s furious.

I’m afraid she’ll do something stupid.

Nomi was silent for a few seconds, clearly considering her response.

I don’t know what that’s about.

Maybe he was writing to someone else or maybe it’s workrelated.

Mrs.

Sunderland, Daring said firmly.

There’s another message.

Help me.

She’s completely lost it.

She’s threatening me with a gun.

It was sent at 2:31, shortly before his death.

Now Nomi couldn’t hide her excitement.

She got up from the couch and walked over to the window, turning away from the detectives.

I don’t know what to tell you.

Maybe it was when the burglar broke in and Clint was trying to warn someone about the danger.

“Then why did he write she instead of he?” Milum asked.

Nomi didn’t answer, continuing to stare out the window.

The detectives realized they wouldn’t get a direct confession.

They thanked Nomi for her cooperation and left.

But now they were certain she was hiding the truth.

“She’s lying,” Daring said as they got into the car.

Her reaction to Charlotte’s name, her nervousness when the messages were mentioned, “She definitely knew about the affair.

” “I agree, but it will be difficult to prove.

We have no witnesses to the conversation between the spouses, no recordings, but we have a motive and an opportunity.

Let’s put her under surveillance.

Guilty people often make mistakes under pressure.

They returned to the station and organized roundthe-clock surveillance of Noami.

Detective Steve Anderson and Officer Lisa Clark were assigned to stake out the house where the suspect was staying.

During the day, Nomi behaved normally.

She went to the store, talked to her sister, and took calls from relatives.

But in the evening, her behavior changed.

She became nervous, often approached the window, went outside several times, and looked around.

“Looks like she’s up to something,” Anderson reported over the radio.

Around midnight, Nomi left the house and got into a small sedan.

The surveillance team began following her, keeping their distance.

At first, the woman drove slowly, stopping frequently at traffic lights and looking in her rear view mirror, but gradually she began to speed up.

“I think she’s noticed we’re following her,” Anderson reported.

Nomi turned off the main road onto a ring road leading out of the city.

Now she was driving well above the speed limit, clearly trying to shake off her pursuers.

Daring and Milum, having received word of the chase, immediately drove out to provide backup.

They coordinated the actions of all vehicles involved in the operation via radio.

All units, the suspect is traveling on Highway 101 toward the state line.

Daring reported, “Speed exceeded.

Possible attempt to evade justice.

” Nomi continued to accelerate, endangering herself and other road users.

She overtook cars in the opposite lane, ran red lights, and ignored speed limits.

Speed is 120 km per hour and rising, Anderson reported, requesting permission to deploy spike strips.

Authorized, Daring replied.

But be careful.

We don’t want any casualties.

Ahead on a straight stretch of road, police had set up spike strips.

The plan was to puncture Nomi’s tires and force her to stop.

But at the last moment, the woman noticed the obstacle and swerved sharply to the left, trying to avoid the trap.

At such a speed, the car skidded and veered off the road, crashing into a roadside tree.

The sound of the impact was terrifying.

The front of the sedan was crumpled like an accordion, and the windshield shattered into tiny pieces.

The airbags deployed, but the impact was so strong that the car was thrown into the air and spun around.

“Call an ambulance!” Anderson shouted as he ran out of his car.

Nomi was unconscious, trapped between the steering wheel and the seat.

Blood was flowing from wounds on her face and hands.

Detectives and medics arrived 10 minutes later and carefully extracted her from the wrecked car and took her to the hospital.

At the hospital, doctors diagnosed her with a concussion, three broken ribs, and multiple bruises.

Nomi was in a coma for almost a day.

Daring and Milum stood guard outside the ward, waiting for the suspect to regain consciousness.

They knew that attempting to flee would be tantamount to admitting guilt, but they needed to hear her full account of what had happened.

Nomi regained consciousness the following evening.

She struggled to open her eyes, looked around, and saw the detectives sitting by her bed.

“Where am I?” she asked weakly.

“You’re in the hospital,” Milam replied.

“You were in an accident.

Do you remember what happened?” Nomi tried to sit up, but the pain in her ribs forced her back down.

I I was driving.

She fell silent, apparently trying to remember the circumstances of the accident.

No, Daring said gently.

We know the truth about the night of the murder.

We know about Clint’s correspondence with Charlotte.

We know what he told you about his affair.

Why did you try to run away? The woman closed her eyes and remained silent for a long time.

When she spoke again, her voice was trembling.

Because I was afraid you wouldn’t understand.

I was afraid you would think I was a murderer.

Nomi Milum continued insistently.

Tell us what really happened that night.

We know that Clint confessed his infidelity to you.

What happened next? Nomi began to cry, but these were no longer tears of grief, but tears of relief.

It was as if the burden she had been carrying for several days was finally beginning to lift.

We came home after the wedding so happy.

She began staring at the ceiling.

I thought it was the most beautiful day of my life.

We talked about the future, about the children we wanted.

And then she fell silent, gathering her courage.

And then he said he had something to tell me.

At first I thought it was something nice, a surprise or a gift.

But his face was so serious, so guilty.

And he told you about Charlotte.

Daring prompted.

Yes.

He said he’d been having an affair for 3 months that he wanted to break up with her but couldn’t.

And then then he said she was pregnant.

Nomi started crying again.

Remembering that moment.

Pregnant? On our wedding night, he tells me his mistress is pregnant.

I felt so humiliated, so stupid.

All those months of wedding preparations, all my dreams of a future together, it was all a lie.

What happened next? Milm asked quietly.

I screamed at him.

I asked him how he could do this to me.

Why didn’t he tell me before the wedding? He tried to explain, saying he loved me and would do anything to fix the situation, but I was so angry.

Nomi paused, breathing heavily.

I went to the closet where he kept his gun.

At first, I just wanted to scare him to make him feel as bad as I felt.

But when I pointed the gun at him, he started saying stupid things about how we could work things out that he was willing to leave Charlotte.

“And you fired?” Daring asked.

“I I don’t even remember how it happened.

One second I was holding the gun and the next there was a shot.

” Clint fell onto the bed and blood spurtded from his chest.

I realized I had killed him.

The detectives remained silent, allowing her to continue.

At first, I wanted to call the police and tell them the truth, but then I realized they would put me in jail.

So, I decided I decided to stage a robbery.

“Tell us exactly how,” Milm asked.

I quickly got dressed, grabbed the gun, and left the house.

I walked a few blocks and threw it in a trash can near a grocery store.

“Then I went back home, rummaged through my closet a little to make it look like someone had been there, and I called the police.

” “What about the man in the mask?” I made that up on the way back.

I thought it would sound plausible given his line of work.

No finished her story and closed her eyes, exhausted by her confession.

No Sunderland, Daring said formally.

You are under arrest on suspicion of the murder of Clint Sunderland.

You have the right to remain silent.

But the woman wasn’t listening anymore.

She lay with her eyes closed, tears streaming down her cheeks, tears of relief that the lie was finally over.

The next day, the police found the gun in the trash can Nomi had pointed out.

Ballistics confirmed that it was the weapon used to kill Clint Sunderland.

Fingerprints belonging to both the victim and the killer were found on the gun’s handle.

Daring and Milum closed the case a week after the murder.

Their report stated the murder was committed by the victim’s wife in a state of emotional distress after her husband confessed to marital infidelity and the pregnancy of his mistress.

The suspect has fully confessed and is cooperating with the investigation.

The wedding that was supposed to be the beginning of a happy life together turned into a tragedy for everyone involved.

The murdered husband, his wife who killed him, and the pregnant mistress who was left without a father for her unborn child.

Nomi Sunderland was sentenced to 15 years in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years.

At the trial, she expressed deep remorse for her actions and asked for forgiveness from her husband’s family.

Charlotte Raymond gave birth to a daughter whom she named after her father, Claire.

According to ABS data, that’s the Australian Bureau of Statistics, an estimated 2.

7 million Australians have experienced being stalked.

When you drill down into those numbers a little deeper, and it turns out 1 in five women and one in 15 men have been stalked, with women almost eight times more likely to be stalked by a man, while men are stalked similarly by both genders.

The types of women who are most likely to be stalked are young, who are students, who rent their home, and those experiencing financial stress.

Over three quarters of those women who reported having been stalked knew the man who was following them.

The most common perpetrator is an intimate partner, both current and former.

Half of the women who were stalked by a male intimate partner were assaulted or threatened with assault.

The majority received unwanted contact via the internet, phone, or in the mail.

60% experienced their stalker just turning up wherever they were.

52% were followed or tracked.

Samantha Stites experienced all of these things.

And then, despite attempts to stop it, it got much, much worse.

I’m Claire Murphy and this is True Crime Conversations, a podcast exploring the world’s most notorious crimes by speaking to the people who know the most about them.

Samantha Stites fit all the criteria you just heard for a woman most likely to be stalked.

She was young, a student at Grand Valley State University in Michigan.

She rented an apartment with one of her good friends and until she met Christopher Thomas was planning a future of adventure, of career goals and exploring her faith.

But a meeting at a Christian group would change her life for the next 13 years.

While Samantha lived her life, Christopher watched.

While she ate, slept, worked, celebrated, grieved, no matter what life event she experienced, Christopher Thomas watched it.

His obsession with the girl he thought he’d one day marry, persisting even through a long-term restraining order.

Then one day in 2022, Christopher took his obsession to a whole new level, breaking into Sam’s home and taking her prisoner.

What Samantha endured in the hours she spent locked in a soundproof box in a storage facility not far from her home is shocking.

But her resilience and ability to think straight in the face of horror would see her not only be set free, but finally show the system that had failed her that she would not allow Christopher Thomas to beat her.

Samantha joins us now.

Thanks for joining us here in Australia.

>> Yeah, pleasure.

Pleasure to be here.

It’s I know your morning there, my evening here in the US, but happy to be here.

Thanks for the conversation.

>> First of all, we want to say thank you for actually being here, being here, because there was a moment in your life where you didn’t know if you would be here speaking to me today as you are.

So, thank you for surviving what you’ve survived and living to tell the tale and using that opportunity to help us understand the dangers of stalking a little bit better.

We really do appreciate it.

I guess we should start from the beginning.

Can you take us back to when you’re in college and you join a Christian group? Like, what was Sam like then? What were your hopes and dreams for the future? What was your life looking like before Christopher stepped into it? >> Yeah, I let’s see.

College.

I am 33 now.

So, this was um I graduated high school in 2009.

So, started college kind of right off the bat from there.

Um I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study.

I thought something kind of in the math and science realm.

I was always a big athlete.

Um, and in college I chose to go to like a larger university and and not play sports and just focus on academics and, you know, do some inter mural sports on the side, things like that.

I had a really hard time kind of finding a social group when I first started college.

Uh, my freshman year was really difficult.

Um, and then by my sophomore year, I had found this Christian group on campus.

I didn’t identify as a Christian.

Um, but the people I met were just so genuine and caring.

Um, that I kind of got, you know, swept up into their group and learning, you know, about what they believed and I kind of joined this Christian group and it sort of became a, you know, a big cornerstone of my, you know, education experience in college.

So, a lot different than a lot of university students that are, you know, partying and drinking all the time.

I was leading Bible studies, you know, going to church.

We were playing Frisbee on the weekends or um like American football, things like that.

Um, and I met Christopher my must have been my junior year.

I was there for five years, so I kind of get confused sometimes which year was which, but must have been my third year when I met him um in the fall.

We had been just playing frisbee at my off-campus apartment um in some green space there and um he had come out and joined us to play.

There were I don’t know maybe six of us.

Um, and so we kind of introduced one another and you know, what’s your name, what are you studying, kind of the basics.

Um, and I could tell he was significantly older than me.

Like he wasn’t a traditional student.

He was, you know, six or eight years older than me.

Um, which automatically you think somebody is going to have a harder time, you know, fitting in.

So, we were all about trying to make ourselves and our campus welcoming for new students and, you know, if they’re interested in our group to, you know, promote that as well.

And, um, I can just noticed he was a really awkward guy, would have trouble making friends.

I just kind of offered kindness to him.

And I don’t really remember a lot about meeting him.

I just thought this is some guy who lives at this apartment complex and I, you know, it’s possible I’ll see him again at the bus stop, but I didn’t really think, you know, too much about it.

>> Had you had many like high school relationships with boys or like what was your experience like before Christopher? What was your understanding of like relationships between men and women and and negotiating that? Had you had any experience in that area before? >> Yeah, I had been in a couple relationships.

I guess the longest was like a year.

Um, you know, I was really focused on academics.

I wasn’t, you know, super into dating in college.

I was pretty focused.

Um, I, you know, he wouldn’t have been anyone I ever would have had interest in, um, you know, based on his looks or his personality really any of it.

you know, I had zero romantic interest.

Um, and it didn’t take too long really before I found out that he, you know, either he thought that he could be a friend to me or we could be friends or maybe more than that.

I could see that there was interest on his end.

Um, after a while, you know, back in that day in 2011, 2012, especially on a college campus, you’d add somebody on Facebook once you met them and, you know, kind of build your social connections that way.

Um, and I noticed after a few days he had messaged me um, on that platform, which I thought was kind of weird, but I’m like, I don’t know, people who aren’t very social in person sometimes have an easier time, you know, messaging behind a keyboard.

And, um, it was just very like, “Hey, how’s your day going? It was really nice meeting you the other day.

” Kind of really basic things, but I didn’t I didn’t think too much of it.

I mean, he was kind of an awkward guy, so, you know, I gave him a pass.

And maybe compared to other people, I maybe would have been more dismissive, but to him, I was like, he’s just awkward, doesn’t really know social cues very well.

I was trying to be kind to him.

>> That’s the reason I asked because you were very diplomatic in your dealings with Christopher at the beginning because he was very persistent.

And in the documentary, you can see how many messages he sent and how many times he asked you to either go somewhere with him or um you know have a date with him and you very kindly and politely dismissed those advances and it seems like it didn’t matter what you said and at the beginning it seemed like you would kind of put him off rather than completely cut him off which I know that a lot of women struggle with because you don’t want to sometimes outright say no to somebody because you don’t know how that will impact them or how they might respond to that.

Was there ever a feeling when you were trying to kind of let him down easy that was it more just like you were being kind to someone who was socially awkward or was there anything in the back of your mind, any red flags that you can look back on potentially now that made you think maybe I shouldn’t confront this person in that way? >> There really weren’t any red flags to me, you know, at that time, you know, thinking I was 20 maybe 20 years old.

Um, you know, this was before the Me Too movement.

This was like in sort of a Christian setting where I felt like I had to be kind and welcoming to newcomers and be, you know, a nice, polite person, which I was trying to do, you know, regardless.

Um, I didn’t really, it didn’t strike me as he was, you know, that this would ever go down this path of stalking.

It was just somebody who doesn’t really have friends, is new on campus, doesn’t really get social cues.

So, I’m not going to, you know, shut him down hard at the beginning and have somebody, you know, I don’t want to be labeled, you know, a [ __ ] or, you know, something like that.

I want to, you know, be kind to people and, you know, give him respect if I’m not interested.

He does ask me out, you know, do it in as many ways to say, you know, I’m busy.

he must get the picture.

I don’t ever want to spend time with him.

I always have an excuse, you know, and then I start saying, you know, I’m not interested um more clearly.

And it takes some time really before I realize that it’s not just that he’s socially awkward and doesn’t get it, but that he’s ignoring my wishes.

And that’s kind of where things start to go a little sideways and really where I start to notice that it’s more irritating.

Um, at the beginning for me, it was more irritating than frightening.

I think >> you remember when that shift happened like what was he doing? There was a lot of messaging on Facebook.

In the documentary, you explain an experience where he’s kind of come to your workplace with flowers, even though you’d made it very clear that you were not interested in him in any way, shape, or form.

Like, where did it start to turn from you being kind to someone who wasn’t quite understanding to it being this is not right? Um, I would say it was that kind of altercation at the bus stop we had where he showed up to my um, workplace in college with flowers after my grandpa had died.

He had heard through the grape vine or potentially social media or something that, you know, my grandpa had passed away.

And at this point, I had blocked him his phone number.

I had blocked him on email and like multiple mediums.

I had told him very clearly in person and you know via text or messaging like I I’m not interested.

Please leave me alone.

Um and then he shows up again in person.

Um and I just think I’ve told you so many different ways that I like I’m I’m speaking English like you’re understanding me.

This isn’t somebody who’s not getting it anymore.

it’s somebody who doesn’t care to listen to what I’m asking them.

Um, and I that was really the first time I had kind of experienced that where, you know, it’s different than like a sibling or a friend like put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

It’s like you’re asking personal space and for someone to leave you alone and they’re not doing that.

And it’s not that they’re not understanding the clues you’re trying to put.

It’s that you’re saying it very clearly and there’s still, you know, so I we have this kind of I get angry with him at this bus stop and other people are witnessing this and me yelling at him telling him I’ve asked you to leave me alone so many times.

I don’t know why you’d show up to my work with flowers.

I don’t know what makes you think, you know, I have any any interest in talking with you.

I’ve blocked you.

I’ve asked you to leave me alone.

you know, there’s people like looking at us and I feel like I’m embarrassed because I feel like I’m making a scene, but I’m like maybe he’ll listen to me if I yell.

Like I don’t I’m like I don’t really know what else.

But to me, that was really where things started shifting.

And it was he clearly knows what I’m saying and is defying it and just keeps finding other ways to try to see me or give me things or that was really the first time it became something more than just, oh, this person doesn’t really get it.

And you know I I assumed if I asked someone to leave me alone that they will.

And so that was really the first time after strongly asking him to leave me alone like very bluntly that he came back and still found me somewhere.

>> At this stage did you what did you know about Christopher? like other than what you’d sort of seen of him whilst you’re at college together, like did you know anything about him beyond that like his past or his family life? Like what did you know about him at that stage? >> I didn’t know a lot.

I mean, I knew he was like an older student.

He the one thing I that I knew about him that he told me kind of once in confidence.

He was really said he was really struggling with anger at one point and you know confessed he had been in some bar fight or something when he was younger and that he just got mad at this person and tried to beat them up and you know spent the night in jail or something.

And so, you know, I’m thinking, okay, this person also maybe has impulse and anger issues and that this is something I should also be careful with him about because if he, you know, he’s stronger than I am, for sure he’s bigger than me.

You know, if he were to get angry, there’s, you know, aside from somebody else stepping in, you know, he could potentially hurt me.

I never thought he would.

Um, but in the back of my mind, that was like the one piece of info I kind of had about him was that, you know, he had been in this bar fight at one point and the police got involved.

Um, I didn’t know anything about any prior stalking or, you know, other issues.

He had a couple friends, like long-standing friends that seemed like pretty normal people and was like, I don’t like there’s nothing that really makes me think that this guy is really off until, you know, this interaction at the bus stop.

>> It does escalate from here.

Even when you move away from where you are going to college, like he seeks you out and finds you like miles and miles away from where you initially have contact with him.

What was that like to know that this man is now like he’s becoming a threat? He’s actually following you and and not just following you down the street, but like to an entirely new town.

>> Yeah.

And I I mean hindsight’s always 2020, but you know, at the time I thought, you know, this isn’t just a problem that I’m going to leave behind when I graduate.

I won’t be on this campus anymore.

He has a like he’s got a motorcycle, which where we live, you can only ride a few months a year because of the snow.

Like I’m going to be moving to a different part of the state, like two plus hours away by car.

And then I had planned to go halfway across the country for this like ministry internship.

So I >> like I can just leave all this behind, right? >> I can just leave this person behind despite what’s happening.

You know, I don’t necessarily have to get the law involved because yeah, probably what he’s doing is wrong, but why would I go through all of that if I’m just going to be, you know, moving? I’m, you know, I was a very busy college student.

I had an internship.

I worked all through college.

Um, I had a heavy course load.

I volunteered.

Like it was just I didn’t have spare time to think about how can I, you know, go about this.

I just thought, you know, I’m going to leave this person behind and this is going to be history.

>> But also too, at 20, sorry to interrupt you, but like I had a vaguely stalky incident with someone when I was also in my early 20s.

And it and people always ask me every time I tell the story, did you tell police? And I was like, well, no, I didn’t because I was 20some and just kind of getting on with my life and it didn’t really occur to me that I should have probably taken it further.

Did you feel that way? Like, you know, when you’re 20 and you’ve got your life ahead of you and things are happening and like you just the last thing you want to do is like get involved in all of that kind of stuff.

Does that make sense to you, too? >> Yeah.

And I think I think maybe had I had more time where I would have been on the same campus or within the same city or something as him, I I probably would have.

>> Um, but knowing that I was moving multiple hours away and he was I knew he was still going to be at that campus studying, I was like, there’s this big physical divide where it’s not going to be easy for him to come check up on me.

like if I have him blocked on everything, there’s essentially no way he can get in touch with me.

He’s not just going to be, you know, driving places to find me and then I’m going to be several states away where it’s like a 14-hour drive.

Like there’s no way I’m going to see this person again.

Um, you know, he’s not going to abandon his studies or something.

And you know, it just to me it was like this is an easier fix of like I’m just going to move on with my life and distance and time is going to solve it because he’s not like he’s not crazy.

He’s just another college student.

Um and then that summer, it was like two days before I was planning to move halfway across the country for this ministry internship.

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