I am NOT the Original Poster. That was u/ItsMissesStealYoCat. She posted in r/self 10 years ago and has since deleted her account.

A HUGE thank you to u/The_Year_of_Glad who found ALL of the links to the original reddit posts and the wayback machine. You are amazing!!!

Please read trigger warnings.

Trigger Warning:

Mood Spoiler:

Original Post: September 24, 2014 (Recovered with Wayback Machine)

Title: Anyone had success with private investigators?

For the past 6 months I have been relentlessly stalked and had threats against my life made from someone I dated for a month. It started with phone calls upwards of 45-50 a day, 50 page text messages and him showing up outside of my house at 5 am. When I wouldn't not comply or feed the negative attention I began to receive threats, claims that he would murder me and get away with it, all he would have to do is flee the country. Telling me he shouldn't have to force me to be his friend or give him another chance or else. Every time I blocked his number from contacting me, he would then call me from different ones, try and pretend to be other people or have his friends or sometimes even random strangers he'd ask on the street( I once scared a unsuspecting guy half to death after informing him that the person who had just told him to call me was actually stalking me and I sent him proof, he ended up calling the police on him. He fled of coarse) After about 2 months of that I was evicted from my apartment building due to my neighbors no longer feeling safe because of his looming presence. I then applied for and was granted a TPO, A few days afterwards I received a picture message of the note the SHeriff Civil had left on the door of my Stalkers-then residence with a message taunting me that "What you are trying to do was stupid and a restraining order is just a piece of paper." So ultimately he just ended up avoiding the process server and simple as that, I was not being protected at all.

May 31st of this year I relocated. This did not deter my stalker. He vowed to find wherever I moved to and threatened that if he couldn't find me he would be able to find my family and then proceeded to send me a map of my mother's home whom he had never met. I received a message from a woman claiming to be my former landlord, letting me know that I owed a balance on my account and to avoid late fees I needed to pay the amount which I could do with the link provided in the message. Turns out it was my stalker pretending to be a woman and the link turned out to be a tool used to grab the user's IP address when the click the link. Upon this discovery I changed my phone number and began to systematically dismantle any trace of an online presence I once had. This action only seemed to anger him and before deleting the profiles outright I would attempt to block him from contacting me. Each and every time I blocked one he simply created a new one and proceed to contact me as if nothing had happened. 12 different reddit accounts, 9 different tumblrs, 10 different imstagrams, 3 meetup accounts, 4 facebooks (with which he changed his location to that of my hometown and proceeded to add nearly everyone from my graduating class in high school) and even 3 Duolingo accounts and myspace. Yes. MySpace.

I then received an empty package from him addressed to my former residence with the declaration : ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED: DO NOT FORWARD. I'm assuming he thought that the post office would adhere to his requests and return the package to him with my new corrected address on it. Mid July he created a profile using my photos and likeness to threaten my family, when I didn't respond he proceeded to post semi nude pictures of me on the profile in attempt to black mail me into speaking with him. I did not and contacted TWITTER to report the account and have it removed which they eventually did. On 08/21/2014 I awoke around 8pm to vigorous knocking and ringing of my doorbell. I look out my window to see who it is and I was horrified to see my stalker there. I called the police and of coarse he fled once again (over 7 separate police reports filed). This incident was followed by threatening emails from my stalker demanding that I meet him somewhere or because he had found me that next time I would "wake up to gunshots" and that if I didn't he would first "taser you and rape you in the ass using your boyfriends blood as lube."

This past Sunday night I woke up at 645 am to the ringing and banging again, I proceeded to recorded him on video while I was on the phone with the police. He fled on foot once again and I was hit with the same hoopla from law enforcement "Well we can't really do much because technically at this point he's not doing anything wrong." (Then why does he flee, I wonder?). I obtained a TPO again but I have no solid address for this dangerous person. Which is why I am in dire need of a private investigator to assist with finding said residence so this person can be served. I hope you might be able to refer me to someone who might be able to assist me? I've developed insomnia, depression, anxiety and paranoia. I am completely isolated, I am 22 years old and I have no social life anymore. I have zero friends. I've become a shell of my former self. I've faced eviction and lost a job because of this man's behavior and I don't know how much longer I can survive. There's actually so much more filler shit that he has done to terrorize me but for the sake of this already lengthy post I tried to condense it, I have proof in the form of recordings, event diaries and copies of all of his threats, interactions and attempts to communicate and would be more than willing to email them to show I'm not lying. I am in LV if that helps at all.

Tl;dr: People overuse the word 'stalking' so much these days that no one takes it seriously anymore. As soon as someone doesn't like someone anymore they call them a stalker. This isn't staring at your ex's new lover's timeline longer than you healthily should. This is the real 'scared to sleep at night' deal. I have felt the fear before and it's eating away at me. I need help. Badly.

Edit: Whoever has gilded me gold, um WOW. Thank you so much as pathetic as it may seem Redditors and Imgurians have seriously been one of my only sources of comfort and human interaction for the past few months. You've know idea how much these communities helped out my constant sadness. ( I see you r/aww) You guys seriously rock. Thanks for being here for me.

Relevant Comments:

Commenter: Can you post the video?

OOP: Yes, but I'm on the phone with the police during the video, I'm not 100% sure how to blurt out certain information like my address and my phone number from the Audio in the video.

OOP Comments on September 27 (3 days later)

Commenter: Damn, I remember talking to an old friend of mine from Vegas who was saying she'll get a CCW soon. I kind of think I should forward this to her, soon just doesn't seem soon enough.

OOP: Do it. My gun saved my life.

Update Post : (Deleted, recovered with imgur ) Imgur Post from September 26, 2014 (2 days from OG post)

Reddit Post October 8, 2014 (2 weeks from OG post)

Image description: a photo of the slightly open door. The chair is in front pushed to the side. Black paint(?) is covering the side of the door that has been busted in. Arrows (most likely from crime scene units) are stuck to the door pointing to individual spots.

I'm writing this staring at the mess the police left for me, in a bit of a fog. After 6 months of stalking and threats against my life my stalker finally snapped and decided to kick my door in and make good on his promise. Out of fear, the past month I had begun sleeping with a chair propped against my front door, to give myself a few extra precious seconds in case of emergency. I shudder to think how differently things might've turned out had I not barricaded the door. I awoke around 1:15 am to the sound of the door giving way after one kick followed by the sounds of my stalker struggling to dislodge the chair while forcing his way inside. I jumped up and grabbed the gun I've learned to do everything even shower with. I stood at the top of my stairs and fired twice. Hitting him in the chest, I hear his scream, his disbelief that I'd stood up for myself.. 0 to 100 in milliseconds. I've never been so afraid in my life. I do not know if he is living, but I do know the police have him and that's what helps the most. For months of him evading the police I began to question whether he was unstoppable. Untraceable. Houdini, he would murder me and get away with it. As of now I'm in a haze of guilt, surprise, relief and disbelief. I shook as the canines drag him out from his hiding place under a bush. I survived, where so many people do not. Holy shit, I survived.

Edit: The outpouring of support is WILD. I cant thank you guys enough. Everyone can be a critic and the fact still remains, you dont know what you will do in a situation until its presented in front of you. Those who believe there was other things to be done have never had someone tell you that you no longer deserve to draw breath and mean it. And for the 'shouldve fired a warning shot' folks: There are no warning shots, a gun is a deadly force, you only pull that trigger if you are in fear for your life and all other methods of deterring are gone. When he kicked my door in, there was no longer a deterrent preventing harm. Warning shots are dangerous and could hurt the unintended. This is not a wild west movie. That's what responsible gun ownership is. Ill update once things have calmed down a bit I promise. Ill write back to everyone and after being isolated for so long, anyone who wants to be friends, I am always accepting those.

Link to News Article: October 2, 2014

LAS VEGAS, NV – A woman shot her stalker after he kicked in her back door.  She had been living in fear, showering with a gun and propping a chair up against her door for just this sort of situation.  Her post to Reddit made the story go viral.

She writes, “I’m writing this staring at the mess the police left for me, in a bit of a fog.  After 6 months of stalking and threats against my life my stalker finally snapped and decided to kick my door in and make good on his promise. Out of fear, the past month I had begun sleeping with a chair propped against my front door, to give myself a few extra precious seconds in case of emergency. I shudder to think how differently things might’ve turned out had I not barricaded the door.”

Police say former boyfriend Douglas Eugene Jackson, 22, kicked in her door at around 1am last Friday.

“I awoke around 1:15 am to the sound of the door giving way after one kick followed by the sounds of my stalker struggling to dislodge the chair while forcing his way inside. I jumped up and grabbed the gun I’ve learned to do everything even shower with. I stood at the top of my stairs and fired twice. Hitting him in the chest, I hear his scream, his disbelief that I’d stood up for myself.” said the victim in a blog post.

KVVU-TV reports that Jackson left the scene and tried to hide in some bushes.  Police dogs quickly found the stalker.  He was treated for his injures at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. Jackson now faces charges of home invasion and aggravated stalking.

“For months of him evading the police I began to question whether he was unstoppable. Untraceable. Houdini, he would murder me and get away with it. As of now I’m in a haze of guilt, surprise, relief and disbelief. I shook as the canines drag him out from his hiding place under a bush.” the victim writes in a post to Imgur.

The victim, does not wish to be identified, has saved many threatening texts and social media posts from her stalker.  She says  he forced her to move, obtain a restraining order and acquire a license to carry a concealed weapon.

The victim followed up with a note, “The outpouring of support is WILD. I cant thank you guys enough. Everyone can be a critic and the fact still remains, you dont know what you will do in a situation until its presented in front of you. Those who believe there was other things to be done have never had someone tell you that you no longer deserve to draw breath and mean it. And for the ‘shouldve fired a warning shot’ folks: There are no warning shots, a gun is a deadly force, you only pull that trigger if you are in fear for your life and all other methods of deterring are gone. When he kicked my door in, there was no longer a deterrent preventing harm. Warning shots are dangerous and could hurt the unintended. This is not a wild west movie. That’s what responsible gun ownership is.”

Daily Mail has an article on the case, along with text evidence submitted by OOP here.

Update on Case in 2020: Article (text copied below) (6 years later)

Editor's Note: This is 6 years after the original events, but is the same man. He did this to a different woman in 2019, while on parole. They refer to OOP as the "former girlfriend in Las Vegas," even though she only went on 2 dates with him.

RENO, Nev. (AP) — A Nevada man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to stalking a female acquaintance while on parole for a similar crime that happened in Las Vegas.

The Washoe County District Attorney’s office in Reno announced the sentence for 28-year-old Douglas Eugene Jackson on Friday. Jackson was arrested in Florence, Arizona in January and pleaded guilty to the aggravated stalking charge in July.

According to prosecutors, an investigation by the Sparks Police Department determined Jackson had sent numerous threatening text message to a woman over several months in 2019. The texts included threats against the woman’s dog and property. He also called the woman’s family and friends in an effort to get information about her.

At the time of the threats, Jackson was on parole for stalking a former girlfriend in Las Vegas. That woman ended up shooting him at her home. (Editor's note- this was OOP in 2014. He served about 5 years in prison after OOP shot him per the https://ofdsearch.doc.nv.gov/ website. If you search his name his details come up)

According to the District Attorney’s office, prosecutor Travis Lucia sought a maximum sentence because of the “terrifying nature” of Jackson’s conduct, which came after only a month on parole for the previous crime.

Jackson was living in Washoe County at the time of the threats but had no steady address.

In 2023, a woman on TikTok claimed to be the OOP from 2014. There was an article written about that here (text copied below): September 20, 2023 (9 years later)

Dasia Washington was 22 years old when she agreed to go on a date with a man.

After the second date, she decided she 'wasn't really feeling it' and told him.

In a post to TikTok, she has since revealed how just three weeks of knowing the man turned into her being stalked for a whopping seven months.

In a video uploaded to her TikTok account - u/dasiadoesit - Washington says she had 'a lot of other stuff going on' at the time and explained this to her date who said it was 'okay'.

Washington walked away from the connection thinking 'everything was fine'.

But a month-and-a-half later and the date had very much changed his tune.

📷TikTok/ u/dasiadoesit

Washington's date later 'decided that everything was not fine' and began messaging her 'hundreds of times a day'.

He argued he was 'a good man' and 'deserved a chance'.

"At first I blew it off and I was kind of annoyed, I was like, 'Who do you think you are?' but then it started to get really scary really quickly.

"He started sending me pictures of the outside of my house telling me that he was planning a raid."

📷TikTok/ u/dasiadoesit

Washington received messages and calls from the man for over a month and started filing police reports - the man taking pictures of her doing so and of her talking to the police.

Washington explains he would even talk to strangers and her neighbours, so she couldn't trust 'anybody'.

She eventually had to move out of her apartment 'because a restraining order truly is just a piece of paper,' left unable to sleep because he would threaten he was outside and was planning to break in.

📷TikTok/ u/dasiadoesit

Washington claims she went to the police 'five, 10 times' and filed 'like 10 police reports' but says she was told there wasn't anything they could do as he hadn't 'hurt' her.

She eventually moved house, but her stalker posed as her former landlord, used packages and social media to try and track her down.

The man threatened to kill her and said he 'knew he was going to get away with it because he was a white man and [she] was a Black woman'.

Washington was later assigned a detective to her case, but 'the first time' she met him she says he revealed he'd met her stalker who seemed like a 'nice guy' and suggested it could be a 'misunderstanding'.

"I knew in that moment this man was going to kill me and he was going to get away with it."

📷TikTok/ u/dasiadoesit

Washington's stalker changed phone numbers and even used Duolingo to try contact her, and it was when Washington registered to vote, he finally found her address.

She resolved to buy a firearm - despite being very anti-guns after her parents were shot when she was younger.

The man kept demanding they meet - threatening if Washington didn't he would 'grate her and use [her] blood as lube' - and frequently turned up at her door, dodging police.

But suddenly, he went completely quiet.

📷TikTok/ u/dasiadoesit

In September, 'he came for [her]' - kicking her door in.

Washington said: "I remember just grabbing my firearm off the table and I wasn't angry, I wasn't upset. I had just made a decision that it's either him or it's me and I choose me.

"And I shot him."

The police later found Washington's stalker - his injuries leaving him unable to run - and he was sentenced to jail.

Washington went on to work at a gun range and took part in 'Refuse to be a Victim' courses to help other women 'feel empowered to protect themselves'.

She now works at a big tech company and never takes any moment of life for 'granted'.

Washington's stalker - Douglas Eugene Jackson - was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2020.

Link to tiktoks in post- full video available on reddit here