Viswa Vanapalli
In November 1984, the authorities heard a chilling tale from Janice Hooker about her then-husband, Cameron Hooker. The subsequent investigation revealed that he had kept a woman in captivity for seven years to rape and torture her. Netflix’s ‘Unsolved Mysteries: The Ghost in Apartment 14′ delves into Cameron’s case and explores what happened in the ensuing trial.
Cameron Hooker is an Alleged Violent Predator
Cameron Hooker married Janice sometime in 1975 when she was just a teenager. According to reports, at the beginning of the relationship, Janice realized her husband liked hurting her. Cameron would hang her from trees in the woods and whip her. Over time, it became too much, and she refused to participate. As a result, the two agreed that he would have another woman, letting him indulge in his bondage practices. However, Cameron was not allowed to have sex with that woman.
However, what Janice would reveal in November 1984 stunned the authorities. By then, she had left Cameron and contacted the police after speaking with the pastor and some friends. Initially, Janice stated that in January 1976, the couple had kidnapped a woman she claimed to be Marie Elizabeth Spannhake in Chico, California. Janice noted they got her home and hung her in the basement, but Cameron allegedly ended up killing her while attempting to cut off her vocal cords.
Then, per Janice’s own accounts, the couple and their oldest kid were driving around in May 1977 when they kidnapped 20-year-old Colleen Stan, a hitchhiker. She was taken at knifepoint before being gagged, blindfolded, and handcuffed. Colleen’s head was then placed in a custom box that muffled any sound coming out of it. The married duo took her home and ostensibly hung her from the rafters in the basement. At one point, she was blindfolded but stated she could see Cameron and Janice having sex in front of her.
Cameron Hooker Really Tortured Colleen Stan
According to records, over the next few months, Cameron either placed Colleen in a custom-made rack, a coffin-like box, or kept her bound and naked, only to let her out just once a day. The investigation revealed that during this period, Cameron practiced bondage on her by whipping her, shocking her, and placing her head underwater, in addition to several other disturbing activities. In January 1978, Colleen was asked to sign a “slave contract” that required her to obey Cameron and take permission for anything she wanted to do.
Once the Hookers moved to a mobile home in April 1978, Cameron built a box under their bed where Colleen lived most of her time. She was let out briefly at various points, even babysitting their kids for a period. However, Cameron threatened her by saying if she tried to escape, “the Company” would track her down and torture her. He sodomized and sexually assaulted her several times during the period she was held captive.
It was sometime in 1981 that Colleen was also allowed to meet her family, with Cameron posing as her boyfriend. But all that while, she was scared of “the Company” and didn’t tell her loved ones the truth. Over time, Janice became upset about Cameron having sex with Colleen and wanting to keep more women as slaves. In August 1984, she and Colleen left with the kids while Cameron was at work, and Colleen went home. However, Janice convinced her not to go to the police at the time as she stayed in touch with her over the next few months.
Cameron Hooker is Currently in Custody
By November 1984, Janice had decided to talk to the police, eventually leading to Cameron’s arrest. He stood trial in 1985, and while on the stand, he claimed that the sexual acts were consensual. The defense stated that Colleen was a willing participant because she wasn’t always chained and was allowed to visit her family. In response, the prosecution argued that Colleen had been brainwashed and had Stockholm Syndrome.
In the end, the jury found Cameron guilty of several charges, including kidnapping, oral copulation, rape, and sodomy. He was sentenced to serve a total of 104 years in prison. However, as state laws changed, Cameron accrued good credits and was granted parole in 2021. Nevertheless, the 70-year-old remains under the custody of the California Department of Hospitals because the accusations against him were so severe he now needs to face a trial to determine whether he is a sexually violent predator and if he’s fir for society or not. From what we can tell, his ensuing court proceedings are scheduled for August 2024, and if deemed predatory, he will return to a state hospital for treatment for at least the ensuing decade or two.
Read More: Where is Colleen Stan Now?
