Kriti MehrotraInvestigation Discovery’s ‘Obsession: Dark Desires,’ as the title suggests, is a series that chronicles harrowing cases of men who couldn’t manage their infatuations. These men are the same ones who end up becoming stalkers, inflicting such suffering on their victims that they almost lose their lives. And its episode, ‘The Good Neighbor,’ examining Savannah Fuchs’ tale of survival, is no different. The single mother had moved to a new neighborhood in 2013 for a fresh start, but instead of finding solace within her four walls, she encountered nothing but trouble. Curious to know all the details? We’ve got you covered.
Who is Savannah Fuchs?
When Savannah Fuchs moved into a townhouse complex in the 435 East block of 2650 North in North Ogden, Utah, with her young son, she was hoping to leave her stress behind. However, that didn’t occur as she ended up residing in an apartment next to Todd Alan Barber’s, sharing a common wall with him that divided their two units. And for nearly a year, Savannah said, he harassed her. According to her, most of it was centered around their different religious belief systems, as Todd was Christian, whereas she’s Jewish. In a year, Savannah allegedly called the police on Todd a total of six times.
The first documented report is from April 2013, which describes how Savannah caught her neighbor “looking into her window at weird times of the day and night.” She also clarified that she was genuinely “afraid of Todd” and wanted him to “leave her alone.” Then, she called the police in January of 2014, claiming that Todd was harassing her and that it was a never-ending and “ongoing problem.” As per police records, though, there are only three documented incidents between Savannah and Todd. But that all changed on April 1, 2014, when Todd crossed all boundaries and attacked the single mother.
At around 5:30 a.m. that day, the then-31-year-old woke up to find Todd Alan Barber standing over her bed with a gun, duct tape, zip ties, and body bags in his hand. Subsequently, while her six-year-old son slept near her, Todd jumped at Savannah, claiming that he would rape and kill her before executing her son. At one point, while Todd pulled his neighbor’s hair and whipped her head and face, he fired two bullets into the floor. For almost an hour, he beat her and shot at her multiple times but the gun kept getting jammed so he missed. Eventually, at 6:30 a.m., Todd himself dialed 911 and requested an ambulance and the police before hanging up. By that time, Savannah’s son was awake to witness the horror.
Where is Savannah Fuchs Now?
Savannah Fuchs was rushed to the McKay-Dee Hospital for treatment by the authorities, where she received over 50 stitches and 60 staples. Her son, thankfully, was unharmed. Upon discharge, Savannah packed her bags and relocated to Roy, from where she filed a civil lawsuit against the city of North Ogden and at least three police officers for failing to protect her. Her attorney alleged that “this never would have happened had the police done their duty, had…done what they should have done” when they first received the harassment calls from Savannah. Ultimately, though, a judge dismissed this matter.
Savannah Fuchs co-wrote a book about her ordeal and miraculous survival following all this. She published it in 2016 with the title ‘Intervening Angel: My Inspirational Story of Survival.’ After all, she attributes her life and endurance to the angel whom her son apparently saw during the attack, to the Hebrew prayer she murmured throughout her beating, and to another litany that a man she knew had spoken to her the night before. But now, with her love for the beauty industry, which hasn’t ever wavered, it seems like the Paul Mitchell School graduate currently works as a stylist at Panache Hair in Utah.
How Did Todd Alan Barber Die?
On April 1, 2014, after Todd Alan Barber dialed 911, he went back to be near Savannah Fuchs for as long as possible. When the authorities arrived at the townhouse complex, they noticed fresh bloodstains on the outside of a unit’s closed door. They subsequently knocked at the entrance and heard a male’s voice from inside asking who it was. Once the policemen positively identified themselves, they immediately heard a gunshot go off.
Before they could barge in, though, a battered and bloodied Savannah opened the door and revealed that her assailant, 54-year-old Todd Alan Barber, had shot himself. Upon investigations, the law enforcement determined that the wound on Todd’s head was, in fact, self-inflicted. As per their records, Todd had become enraged at Savannah following her complaints to the landlord of his behavior, which had apparently led to his eviction.
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