THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 13, 1995 TAG: 9501130663
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SHARON LaROWE, CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Long : 198 lines
SHE KNEW SHE had to check her mail. It wasn't what the young woman was hoping to find that made her nervous as she turned the mailbox lock. It was what she didn't want to find.
Shuffling through the stack of letters, the petite blond came across a white, handwritten envelope with no return address. An eerie feeling crept over her.
Letter in hand, Laurel Wissinger, a 1991 James Madison University graduate, went to the campus police station where she and the officers carefully opened the envelope. The letter on teddy bear stationery was from an Alpha Phi sorority sister, not her stalker.
``Hey, it's better to be cautious,'' the officers said amid chuckles.
Laurel had reason to be scared. Her weekly column in the student newspaper had recently solicited unwanted attention from one faithful reader. His letters started arriving the day after her editorials ran. And the contents revealed his sickened obsession with her.
Written in child-like scrawl, they were lewd, suggestive and offensive, and they confirmed that Laurel was being watched.
``You tend to view college as an idyllic place,'' Laurel said. ``You think, `I'm in Harrisonburg.' ''
Once thought to be a crime limited to possessive ex-husbands or long-time boyfriends, stalking is penetrating college campuses. It doesn't seem to matter whether the college is in a small town or a booming metropolis. Stalkers can strike anytime, anywhere.
Since the high-profile murder of TV actress Rebecca Schaeffer by a stalker in 1989, California and 46 other states - including Virginia and North Carolina - have passed ``anti-stalking'' laws.
Stalking victim Regina Butkowski helped usher in Virginia's anti-stalking laws. But when they took effect in April 1992, it was too late for Butkowski.
For six long months, Butkowski was stalked by a weight lifter. When he couldn't influence her to go out with him, he shot her and set her body on fire, dumping it in a local creek. Eight months later, her body was uncovered.
Virginia legislators listened to her grieving mother's emotional story and passed a law making stalking a crime. A revised version of the law, effective July 1, 1994, makes it a misdemeanor to engage in conduct ``with the intent to place, or with the knowledge that the conduct places'' another person in reasonable fear or death or injury or to the person's spouse or child. The maximum penalty is six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Few cases of campus stalking are actually reported. But Cliff Rice, director of public safety at Old Dominion University, said many people are not sure whether to define their situation as stalking or just overzealous pursuit. Limited awareness of the law and the crime it covers limit the police's ability to protect victims.
``Since the law has been put into effect, we haven't had one single case reported,'' Rice said.
Vicki Mister, student affairs coordinator and sexual assault prevention specialist for the State Council of High Education, said no state studies have been done on the magnitude of campus stalking.
``Our focus has been on sexual assault and some on sexual harassment,'' she said. ``It isn't that we've chosen to ignore this situation, but we've just been so involved in working with the other.''
Rice agreed. A potential stalking can start harmlessly at a social function, he said. A young man and woman meet. They share a few drinks, a few laughs. Perhaps there is attraction between them, maybe not. The man telephones a short time later. Then the woman finds a note on her car from him.
Everything seems harmless enough until she says she is not interested. The notes and calls continue, perhaps specifically describing the outfit she was wearing the day before. The woman begins to feel uncomfortable or even frightened.
``As long as they don't see a pattern of being potentially physically hurt, they don't report'' the case to the police, Rice said. ``A lot of times they feel silly reporting. They don't tell their girlfriend about it; they don't tell their boyfriend.''
Last July, ODU adopted a campus anti-stalking policy and encourages students to learn what stalking is.
``A campus is just a small part of society, and we recognize that what happens in society can happen on a college campus as well,'' said Laura McLaughlin, assistant director of ODU's Women's Center. THE FEMALE STALKER
Ryan Netzer, a junior and member of the James Madison archery team, seems an unlikely target for stalking. But two years ago, a young woman sent Ryan a message over the university computer system. The two communicated for only a short time.
After that initial contact, ``Every time I got on the computer, mysteriously she was on there also and she kept writing me, which kind of got to be a little bit annoying,'' Ryan said. The woman started asking personal questions: Who were his friends and what did he look like? Ryan lied.
``I said that I was 6-foot-7, weighed 230 pounds and had black hair,'' he recalls with a chuckle. ``I'm 6-foot-1, I only weigh 174 pounds, and I've got blond hair.''
The girl started contacting his friends and trying to track him down in computer labs. Suspecting he was being stalked, Ryan took measures to protect himself. ``Basically, if she was in the middle of a message and she'd say, `Hold on a sec,' I'd just log off the computer and leave.''
To keep her from tracking him down, Ryan quit using the system for a while. Eventually, she gave up on him and started bothering his friends. ``They're a little more blunt, to the point of `just leave, don't come after me.' ''
``It was kind of scary,'' he reflected. ``I mean, I can't even fathom being famous. . . . Millions of people loving what you do. . . and not knowing anything about you.'' STALKING, A FINE LINE
Alex watched as his friend Greg became increasingly obsessed with a young woman from high school. Greg had spent the last half of his senior year pursuing her, and now that she attended his college, his obsession was renewed. (Names have been changed because of the sensitivity of the issue.)
Alex, a senior at James Madison said, ``He got to the point where, if he saw her on a Friday in front of Wilson (Hall) at 1:40, he would be there the next week waiting for her,'' and play off their meeting as coincidence. Greg even went so far as try to solicit his friend's help in tracking her down. If Alex were to spot her on campus, ``he wanted me to call up immediately and tell (him) where I saw her and what time.''
Greg started having hallucinations about the woman. He talked about her constantly, seeking romantic advice from Alex.
``I said, `Leave her alone, you're being inconsiderate,' '' Alex warned.
``I can't, man. I can't,'' his friend responded.
Greg was upset because he didn't think his love interest knew how he felt. On one visit to her dorm room, she wasn't home. Her roommate asked if he'd like to leave a message. When he gave his name, the roommate's face went white.
``Finally he was like, `Whoa, I'm really scaring this girl. I'm scaring her,' '' Alex said.
With that, Greg came to his senses. He apologized, and left her alone. AN EERIE FEELING
April Lust is careful. She always carries Mace and uses campus escorts. The 5-10 Virginia Tech junior felt reasonably safe at school until September.
April was washing laundry and studying. At about 9:30 p.m., she sensed she was in danger. She picked up Mace while heading out of her apartment for the laundry room. Rounding the corner of the building, April found a shabby man waiting for her. Just as he went to grab her, April pointed the Mace his direction and screamed.
April ran for her car. Hurling her laundry basket into the front seat, she jumped in and locked the door, just as the man approached the window. He screamed an obscenity as she lurched out of the parking space.
``Now, I don't do many things by myself,'' April said, gravely. ``I don't even go running in the daytime,'' without a companion.
Since then, she's seen him around campus. Her neighbors have spotted a character fitting his description hanging around the apartment complex.
``My neighbors look out for me,'' she said.
Regardless of that, April and her roommate had an unwelcome visitor soon after the initial incident. April awoke at 5 a.m. and headed for the shower. Before leaving, she switched on a lamp and left her bedroom door open. Several minutes later, she returned for some forgotten shampoo. The bedroom door was closed. The light was off.
She went into her roommate's room and awakened her. The two girls quietly, quickly left the apartment, locking the deadbolt with a key as they left.
When police arrived, they found nothing missing in the apartment, no sign of an intruder, except the unlocked deadbolt. The intruder had left through the front door.
April is concerned that the police ``can't do anything until he hurts me,'' she said gravely.
Blacksburg Police Chief M.L. Brown said a single incident cannot be qualified as stalking. But police recommend that anyone who suspects that he or she is being stalked should notify authorities. And as a rule, don't give out information about yourself such as where you live or hang out, what kind of car you drive or even your major. And, of course, use campus escort services. ILLUSTRATION: JOHN CORBITT\Staff
Everything seems harmless until she says she is not interested.
Graphic
IF YOU THINK YOU'RE BEING STALKED. . .
If you think you are being stalked, do not take it lightly. Local
law enforcement suggest several precautions. Some of these are to
ensure your safety. Others are aimed at documenting the stalking so
you can press charges.
If you suspect you're being stalked, contact a magistrate, police
or university police. Do not assume that you don't have enough
evidence.
Keep a diary. Document every occurrence with the time and date.
Report every incident and keep accurate records of whom you reported
it to.
If you know the person stalking you, send him or her a series of
certified letters, one after each incident. In the letter, inform
the person that he or she is breaking the law and you have reported
the incident. Review the letter with the police. Tell the stalker to
stop. Say you are taking action.
If it continues, take out arrest warrants for stalking once you
have documented enough incidents. (Police can tell you how much
information is enough.)
Get caller I.D. Keep a diary of every phone number so police can
cross check them with places the stalker could have been. Keep
recordings of all messages.
Carry Mace, a flashlight and an automatic shriek whistle.
Take out a restraining order.
For more information, call your local police department or campus
police.
by CNB