Michigan Man Sentenced for Kidnapping Woman After 13-Year Stalking

Traverse City, Michigan – A man was sentenced to 40 to 60 years in prison for kidnapping and torturing a woman he stalked for over a decade. Christopher Thomas, 39, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including kidnapping, torture, and aggravated stalking, stemming from a traumatic incident in October 2022.

The victim, Samantha Stites, had been targeted by Thomas since 2011, when she was a college student at Grand Valley State University. Stites reported that what began as innocent interactions escalated into harassment and fear. The situation intensified as Thomas stalked her, arriving at her workplace with flowers and tracking her movements with GPS devices.

During sentencing, Stites shared her harrowing experience, saying, ‘I wondered if I would see daylight again.’ In her victim impact statement, she described how Thomas raped her and how fearful she was that he would not stop.

The case drew significant media attention, particularly because Stites had sought legal protection from Thomas shortly before being kidnapped. In July 2022, just three months prior to the incident, her request for a personal protection order was surprisingly denied.

On October 7, 2022, Thomas kidnapped Stites from her home, taking her to a soundproof bunker he built inside a storage unit. Detective Mike Matteucci highlighted how Thomas dedicated significant resources to create the bunker for this crime, indicating premeditation.

Stites said Thomas informed her he had been tracking her movements for over a year and showed her the tracking data on his phone. Despite her fear, she managed to engage him in conversation and eventually convinced him to let her go by promising not to report him.

Authorities later discovered Thomas had a prior stalking conviction. Another victim, known only as Kelli for legal reasons, had obtained a protection order against him in 2009. ‘I always knew that there would be somebody else,’ Kelli said when contacted by detectives.

During sentencing, Judge Kevin Elsenheimer criticized the legal system’s earlier failure to protect Stites. He acknowledged the risks posed by Thomas, emphasizing his likelihood to reoffend. Thomas has been ordered to wear a GPS monitor for life if he is ever released.

Stites expressed her feelings after the trial, saying, ‘Knowing that I’m finally turning the page on this… meant a lot. I felt free.’ Her case has prompted changes in how Michigan courts handle protection orders, aiming to better protect victims like her.