The Girl in the Box: The Story of Colleen Stan, Who Lived in a Maniac's House for 7 Years (14 photos)

Sometimes, victims of kidnappings or terrorists are so overcome by fear that it binds them tighter than any chains. In such cases, a special condition called "Stockholm syndrome" can develop. It manifests itself in victims beginning to feel an unusual connection with their captors. Captives gradually begin to justify the actions of the criminals and even feel a kind of sympathy for them. This is precisely what happened to American Colleen Stan.





A Weird Guy

The trial of Colleen Stan's kidnapper was unprecedented. The defendant's defense insisted that the girl had numerous chances to leave her abuser's home, but she failed to take any of them. However, even with these arguments in mind, the charges remained in place. Ultimately, the perpetrator received the maximum sentence provided by law.



Cameron Hooker

This story begins with the perpetrator. Cameron Hooker was born in 1953 in the small town of Alturas, California. His classmates remembered him as a cheerful and sociable boy. But over time, he began to change, and most likely, he was greatly influenced by his family's lifestyle. His parents moved frequently, preventing Cameron from acclimating to a new environment and making friends.

When Cameron turned 16, his family settled in Red Bluff. By this time, Hooker had become an unsociable and sullen young man. His tall, thin frame, glasses, and problematic skin didn't make him popular among his peers. He also struggled academically. After graduating from high school, Cameron decided not to continue his education and took a job at a sawmill.

Family Life

Cameron spent his time alone, reading pornographic stories and indulging in morbid erotic fantasies. Hooker was particularly drawn to stories of BDSM orgies and complete submission. At 19, he met 17-year-old Janice Lashley. She came from a troubled family, where she was constantly humiliated and beaten.





Cameron and his wife Janice

Hooker thought she was the perfect person to fulfill his fantasies. He invited Janice to live with him and accept the role of a slave. They hit it off, and the couple married in 1975. It was a very strange relationship. Cameron beat his wife with his hands, feet, and a whip, called her names, and once nearly drowned her.

Jennis Lashley endured torture for the love of her husband. But his devious fantasies did not please her at all. When Cameron suggested kidnapping her and making her his slave, she agreed. She thought she would finally be left alone.

The search for a suitable candidate didn't take long. In early 1977, the couple spotted 18-year-old Mary Elizabeth Spanhake hitchhiking on the highway. Cameron and Jannis promised to give her a ride, but as soon as she got into the van, they held a knife to her throat. They bound the victim, gagged her, and placed a 20-pound box with a lock, made by Cameron, over her head.



The kidnappers placed a box over the victim's head, inside which was soundproofing material.

At home, Cameron stripped the girl, hung her up, and began to beat her with a whip. His wife bravely endured the beatings, which pleased Hooker. But his captive began screaming loudly. The enraged maniac shot her in the stomach with a pistol and then strangled her. The next day, Spanhake and his wife's body was taken to the mountains and buried there.

In the Power of a Pervert

Despite the unsuccessful attempt, Cameron Hooker was not about to give up and continued his search. The couple drove along the Californian roads, keeping an eye on hitchhikers and girls in roadside cafes. Soon, luck smiled on them—they met 20-year-old Colleen Stan on the highway.



Colleen Stan

The girl was hitchhiking, heading to a friend's birthday party in Eastern California. She had little experience hitchhiking and was very nervous. Colleen had already passed two cars whose occupants seemed suspicious. Cameron and Janice's blue van inspired confidence. The couple recently had a daughter, and Stan believed having a baby in the car ensured safety.

At first, everything went well—the family and their traveling companion were chatting animatedly. However, as soon as the van turned into a deserted area, Cameron repeated with Colleen what he had done earlier with his victim. The new captive was taken home, hung, and Hooker beat her with a whip. Afterwards, he had sex with his wife right next to the hanging girl. It was one of his fondest fantasies.



The basement where the maniac hung and tortured his victims

Cameron's wife forbade him from having sex with the prisoner. After a while, he convinced her that oral sex didn't count. Janice also allowed Colleen to be raped with various objects. Almost all the time, when she wasn't being abused, she lay in a box that Hooker kept under the marital bed.

Life in a Box

The victim was often forced to lie in the box for 23 hours a day. Colleen even went to the bathroom there. They placed a hospital duck inside her, which she moved with her feet when the need arose. A portrait of Mary, whom Hooker had murdered, stood in the bedroom of the maniac couple—a warning to the slave. Colleen was only let out for Cameron's perverted games or to perform various household chores.



Still from the film "The Girl in the Box"

The girl lying in the box under the bed didn't bother the husband and wife at all. In 1978, Janice gave birth to her second daughter at home, on the bed, right above her head. Hooker often talked to Colleen. He intimidated her with stories about a powerful organization called "The Company," of which he allegedly belonged. He said that if the girl escaped, the organization's members would find not only her but also all her relatives and kill them.

Hooker addressed his victims with a single letter, "K," and demanded that they call him "master" or "lord." Over time, he developed a whole set of rules that Colleen had to follow unquestioningly. When the maniac was convinced that her will was broken, he began letting her out of the box more often to do various chores. Sometimes, at night, the pervert would also take her out into the backyard for a walk, but only on a leash.



Belts and ropes with which the sadist bound his victim

A year later, Colleen had become practically part of the family. She only slept in the box at night and spent the rest of the day in the house. She cleaned, cooked, and played with her tormentors' children. She was already allowed out into the yard alone, and Hooker shared his plans for the future with her. He wanted to build a special room in the house where he could keep several slaves at once.

The Victim's Strange Behavior

The girl had numerous opportunities to escape or call the police, but she chose not to. In 1981, Cameron and Colleen went to visit her parents. He introduced himself as her fiancé and chatted casually with the victim's parents. Stan didn't pretend to be kidnapped—she was thoroughly indoctrinated with a new round of stories about a secret organization.



Colleen Stan

Strangely enough, the girl's parents didn't find it unusual that their daughter hadn't shown up. She wasn't alarmed by the fact that her "groom" brought her home without any personal belongings, wearing only her pajamas. They later confessed to investigators: they thought Colleen had joined some kind of cult. Her parents didn't question her, fearing she would stop communicating altogether.

After spending one day at Colleen's parents' house, Hooker took her back to his place. As they parted, her father, Stan, took a photo of the couple. In the photo, the maniac and his victim are embracing, looking like a happy couple. After their return, Cameron became paranoid. He feared his captive would escape.



Photo taken at my parents' house

Because of this, Colleen was forced to live in a box again. The older children asked where their nanny was, to which Cameron and Janice replied that she had gone home. Stan later said that in the summer, the box heated up to 38 degrees Celsius, and she was seriously afraid of suffocating inside.

Unexpected Release

In 1983, the maniac became kinder again. He even introduced Colleen to the neighbors and allowed her to get a job as a maid at the motel. One day, Cameron confided in Janice that he wanted to make the captive his new wife. Colleen didn't object. However, his legal wife was hostile to the idea. She thought for a long time, but finally decided to tell Stan the truth: there was no secret organization, and if the girl escaped, nothing bad would happen to her.



The mask and gag worn by the victim

Janice offered Colleen her freedom and only asked her not to go to the police. Stan finally made up her mind and left. She called Cameron from the bus stop and told him they would never see each other again. The maniac began sobbing into the phone. Interestingly, the victim didn't actually go to the police. Cameron's wife did.

After Colleen left, Hooker's attention turned back to his wife. She tolerated it, but when the pervert began hinting at their daughters' involvement in the games, she couldn't take it anymore. She went to the police and told them everything that had happened over the past few years, including the murder.



Colleen Stan after her release

The police were shocked by what they heard. They were particularly struck by the story of a girl who had lived in a coffin-like box for seven years. Janice was exonerated for her confession and even reclassified as a victim. Cameron Hooker was arrested, and during a search they found a box, an entire arsenal of BDSM toys, and numerous photographs of Stan being abused. They also discovered the remains of the unfortunate Mary, hidden in the mountains.

Life after the Trial

It was these photos that prevented the maniac from escaping justice. Colleen's lawyers insisted that her presence with her tormentors was voluntary. The victim herself was distant in court and seemed unwilling to see her tormentor punished. Ultimately, Hooker was sentenced to 104 years in prison.



Cameron Hooker began painting in prison.

Colleen Stan told her story in a book and starred first in a documentary and then in a feature film. Seven years spent confined inside a box seriously damaged her health. She still suffers from severe back pain. Psychologists helped her recover for a long time, and only thanks to this work was she able to return to a normal life.

The woman became an employee of the Redding Women's Refuge Centre, an organization that helps victims of violence. Colleen's personal life was unsuccessful. She tried several relationships and even got married, but the marriage soon fell apart. She has a son who fell in with a bad crowd and spent many years in prison. Now, the elderly woman considers her only grandson to be her only joy in life.



Colleen Stan now

Jennis divorced her husband and took her maiden name, Lashley. She became a social worker. She never saw Colleen again after the trial. Cameron Hooker applied for parole in 2015, but his request was denied. He currently serves his sentence in a California prison.

Colleen Stan's story is a horrific example of how fear and psychological abuse can be more powerful than physical shackles. Despite the opportunity to escape, she remained captive for years, believing in a nonexistent threat. This case raises questions: how powerful can mind control be, and how can we recognize it in everyday life? What do you think about the phenomenon of Stockholm syndrome—is it a legitimate response to fear or a profound psychological trauma? Share your thoughts in the comments!