[chilling music]
* *
[computer beeping, dial tone drones]
* *
[computer beeping]
* *
[computer whirring]
- [screaming]
* *
[computer whirring]
[screaming] [phone dialing]
[line trilling]
* *
[screaming]
[trilling continues]
- Hi. You've reached Beth.
I'm not in right now, but if you leave a message,
I'll get right back to you.
Bye.
* *
[screaming]
* *
- In our suburbs,
evil lurks behind closed doors--
true stories so terrifying because the horror is real.
You will never look at your neighbors the same way again.
I'm John Carpenter,
and this is "Suburban Screams."
[person screams]
* *
- I saved everything the stalker has sent me.
I have hundreds, thousands of phone numbers,
text messages, voice mails.
Would you like to see more?
* *
I moved to Holtsville, Long Island,
because it was safe.
It was a great neighborhood.
It was nice, quiet, peaceful town.
I fell in love with someone who was
a very close friend of mine,
and we ended up dating for about five years.
We got engaged.
Oh, my God, you live with somebody.
This is great. This is it. I'm set.
You know, I'm going to marry this man.
This will be my husband.
And I thought it was going to be forever.
- Oh, shit. No, no, no.
Beth, no. - Oh, my God.
- Beth, Beth-- - Sorry.
- It's not what it looks like.
Beth.
- You loser.
- I broke off the engagement. It was very sad.
- [sighs]
- He was not a trustworthy man.
But, yeah, it was a very tough,
difficult time.
But I have to move on with my life.
- You like this one? - It's great.
- Oh, okay.
- Yeah, keep it on. Keep it on.
- Yeah, okay.
Hey, you want a beer? - Yes, please.
Yeah, one of those. - Okay.
- Yeah, thanks.
Finally, the Beth I know and love.
- I have cried enough over that asshole the last few months.
Bring on the fun and the freedom.
- Preach, baby. [laughter]
Beth and I met probably 13 years ago.
She came in for an interview at my job.
Beth was very bubbly, easy to talk to,
so we got close.
- This is the birthday girl I want to see.
- Ah, thank you.
- Here you go. - Oh, thank you.
- I love you guys.
- Hey, where's mine? Come on, bring the love.
- Come on. - Oh.
Yeah, I love you guys. I need a beer.
- This girl's quirky. She's fun.
- There we go.
- She's just such a friendly person.
Just a warm, good-hearted person.
- Let's go.
- Ah. [laughter]
all: Cheers.
- Thanks for coming. - Yes.
- Mm. Mm! [laughing]
- Oh, yeah. - Happy birthday.
- Thank you.
- And I'm very protective of her.
[indistinct chatter]
- Happy birthday, gorgeous. - [gasps] Oh.
- And for my lovely wife. - Mm.
- Thanks, Darrel. - Yeah.
- Uh, what took you so long?
- I got caught by Helen. - God, what is it this time?
- Well, I'll tell you,
but you got to give me something in return.
- [groans]
- Yeah, I'm going to go help Ronnie with the grill.
- Hold on. I'll do it.
[excited chatter]
- oh, you've got to be kidding me.
- Happy birthday.
- Yeah, I really don't want you here.
- I bought you a gift.
Come on, it's to say sorry.
[upbeat music]
* *
It's the key to my heart.
- No, thanks.
- Don't be a bitch.
- Hey.
She doesn't want you here. - [scoffs]
Careful, Ronnie.
- Mm. [chuckling]
She doesn't belong to you.
- I don't belong to anyone, okay?
And it's time for you to go.
- I'm not going to make this easy.
- You never did.
- [scoffs] Yeah.
Excuse me.
I'm trying to do something nice.
Happy fucking birthday!
* *
- Asshole!
- Sorry about that.
Glad to be single.
[indistinct chatter]
Ooh.
Cheers.
- You were amazing. - Well...
- Yo.
- Not on my birthday. - Very good.
- Oh. [laughter]
- Can I have that?
[dramatic music]
* *
[groans]
* *
Okay, so, uh...
the trash is empty, the dishwasher's going.
You okay if I head out?
- Yeah, all good here. - Yeah.
You give us a call if you need anything.
- You're the best.
* *
- I like to think that I'm tough and can handle anything.
I don't mind taking out the garbage
in the middle of the night, going for the mail.
I've always been like that, not even thought twice about it.
But then I received a phone call
that actually changed my life and my views on everything.
* *
[suspenseful music]
* *
[cell phone ringing, vibrating]
Hello?
Is it Dad? What's wrong?
[person breathing heavily]
Who is this?
- I'm going to jam my dick down your throat.
- Oh. Shove it up your own ass.
Fucking kids.
[dramatic music]
* *
- I'm kind of like, ugh, whatever.
I made prank calls when I was a kid.
My friends all did.
This is a simple prank call in the middle of the night.
Kids playing, people drinking, whatever it is,
I'm going to let it go 'cause I'm going back to bed.
* *
[cell phone ringing]
Hello?
[person breathing heavily]
I can't hear you.
Are you the asshole from last night?
- Beth, I'm going to chop your fucking head off.
* *
- I got off the phone,
and I was like, this isn't a prank now.
Like, now I'm scared. I'm like, kill me?
I'm looking around, like, the windows, the door.
This is somebody who wants me freakin' dead.
- I remember leaving my house
and going about my day thinking,
I'm going to go do what I have to do,
but it's still playing in my head--
like, someone's going to chop my head off.
But I'm like, no, no, no one's going to chop my head off.
This can't be happening.
You know, you don't want to believe that.
[telephone ringing]
[suspenseful music]
* *
- [sighs]
I'm still hungover. [chuckles]
[ringing continues]
What's wrong?
* *
- Just need coffee.
* *
- You could definitely see
that Beth was not herself.
And I said, what's going on with you?
Are you sick?
And she says, no.
I was just--you know, I was unable to sleep last night.
I said, why? What happened?
- I didn't want to say, I have a stalker,
because that is scary.
Anyone that has a stalker, you worry now.
I try to remain calm and like, I can handle this.
I'm going to be okay.
- I know. You're always trying to cheer me up.
I appreciate it.
I'll--I'll let you know what happened, 'cause it's--
yeah, it's kind of a lot.
Yeah.
- What do you think Tracy's going to do?
- Oh, she's going to be waiting for you to cover for her,
I'm sure. - [growls playfully]
- Hey.
- Colette, will you watch the phones for a sec?
- [scoffs] Does she ever do her job?
- Not that I've seen. [both chuckle]
- [sighs]
[telephone rings] - Oh, here we go.
Long Island Label Company. How may I direct your call?
- Beth Spierer, please.
- It's for you.
- Hello, this is--
[person screaming]
* *
- Who was that?
- Oh.
- Beth?
Talk to me.
- So now my heart's going, because I'm like,
oh, my God, he knows where I work.
He found me.
Like, why would someone do this to me?
[distant telephone ringing]
[cell phone chimes, vibrates]
* *
Everybody from your past just comes into your head.
Oh, my God, could this be my ex,
or was it someone I met at a networking event?
Did I give my card to the wrong person?
Maybe it's actually a girl, you know?
So then everything starts playing.
Is this a girl? Is this someone's wife?
Is this someone's girlfriend?
* *
- You coming? - Yeah, in a minute.
Do you think--
I mean, Tracy knows I'd never mess with her husband, right?
- Girl, you know she's crazy.
- Crazy enough to do something to me?
- I don't think Tracy is your stalker,
if that's what you mean.
- Yeah, you're right. I'm sure it's nothing.
Drinks at my place later?
- Maybe we should leave together.
- I don't want to change my life
just because someone's trying to scare me.
- Okay. Just be careful.
- She kind of blew it off as if it was nothing.
And I was like, you have to tell someone.
You can't, like, keep this to yourself.
And she goes, I'll be fine. I'm fine.
And I said, you're not fine.
Maybe you should leave when everyone else leaves,
because she was always the last person
to leave the office.
* *
[cell phone chimes, vibrates]
* *
[cell phone chimes, vibrates]
[telephones ringing]
* *
[telephones continue ringing]
* *
- [breathing shakily]
* *
[distant thud]
God damn it.
[wind whistling ominously]
* *
[breathing shakily]
* *
Oh, God. [grunts]
* *
Aah! - Aah!
Jesus, Beth!
- That's what you get for stalking me!
- Stalking you?
I was driving by, and I saw your car.
I ju--I just wanted to give you this.
- [sighs] It's Dad's watch.
- Yeah, I-I didn't feel right keeping it.
Look, come here.
- Thanks.
- Y-you sure you're okay?
I mean, that's one hell of a-a greeting.
- Will you walk me to my car? - [scoffs]
Of course.
[dramatic music]
* *
[car alarm chirps]
* *
Sure you're cool?
I can drive you home if you're scared.
- No, I'm good.
- Give me a call sometime.
You know, I'm still here for you...
if you want me to be.
[window whirring]
[cell phone chimes, vibrates]
[suspenseful music]
* *
- Oh.
Oh, my God.
* *
[suspenseful music]
* *
- Who is this deranged?
Because now it's becoming too graphic, too disgusting,
and too disturbing.
- She told me that she had a stalker,
that someone was calling her in the middle of the night.
First, it started like that, then came the obscene pictures.
And I'm like, what's going on?
Oh, you know, I'm getting a stalker.
Maybe it's a neighbor. Maybe it's a friend.
I don't know.
But then it got continuously worse.
* *
- [scoffs]
Why didn't you-- why didn't you tell us sooner?
- I thought I could handle it.
I changed my number. Nothing works.
- It's got to be Hugh. I can take care of that guy.
- No, it's not Hugh.
- How do you--
- Trust me, that's not him.
- Oh.
I see.
- Oh.
- She showed me all the blocked numbers
that called her, and it was constant.
I felt horrible for her.
- Good night. - Good night. Bye.
- Thank you so much. - Stay safe.
- All right, you guys be safe, too.
Okay? - All right.
[groans playfully] - [laughs]
- All right, you let us know if there's anything--
anything wrong. - Take care of him, please.
- I'm gonna take care of him. - Okay.
- And you text me if you need anything, all right?
- Okay. - I can't unsee that thing.
You should know. - Let's go.
Come on, Ronnie. Come on. - Okay.
You driving? - Of course I am.
I'm a driving professional. - I'm so lucky.
- [chuckles] - Get in the car.
Let me help you. [Ronnie chuckles, groans]
[car doors close, engine turning over]
* *
[door creaking]
* *
[cell phone chimes]
* *
- [sniffs]
* *
[Ronnie speaking indistinctly]
- I'm gonna take care of him. - Okay.
- And you text me if you need anything, all right?
- I can't unsee that thing. You should know.
- Let's go. Come on, Ronnie. Come on.
- You driving? - Of course I am.
I'm a driving professional. - I'm so lucky.
* *
- Holy fuck.
He's watching me. He's in my neighborhood.
So he is obviously crazy, persistent,
obsessed, and coming after me.
[door creaking]
- I'm closer than you think. [laughs]
- I am literally getting calls 30, 40 times a day.
He literally would call me from a restricted number--
a 201 area code, a Florida area code,
a New York area code, all within a matter of one minute.
Now you're locking windows. You're locking doors.
You're looking around. You're becoming paranoid.
And I ended up actually going to the police
because I couldn't take it anymore.
[suspenseful music]
* *
[emergency brake cranks]
[cell phone ringing, vibrating]
Hi, Ronnie. - Hey, Beth.
I'm just checking on you, making sure you're okay.
How'd it go this morning?
What's happening? [cell phone vibrates]
- Oh, God, it's him. - Connect our calls.
- She put us on a three-way.
I even did a Tony Soprano threatening voice.
[person breathing heavily]
Listen to me,
you piece-of-shit motherfucking bastard.
You better pray
the fucking cops find you before I do,
'cause I got people looking for you.
And when we find you, you're going in the fucking ground,
you got it?
In the fucking ground, you're going.
I wanted to hear a voice. I wanted something.
He was there, but there was nothing.
* *
[distant rustling]
* *
- God damn it, Vince.
Have you been taking pictures of me?
Huh? Do you want to chop my head off?
Fuck you, Helen. - [scoffs]
- It's probably you. - Wha--what?
* *
[lock clicks]
Is he in my home?
Is he hiding in the backyard?
Is he the neighbor that waves to me?
Like, nobody's safe in my eyes...
'cause everyone is a suspect.
* *
[cell phone chimes, vibrates]
* *
[cell phone thuds on table]
* *
- She started to change. I didn't know what to do.
She has a very tough exterior, if you know her.
I believe that in her mind, she was playing it down
so it didn't affect her, even though it was affecting her,
and everyone around her could see it.
* *
[cell phone chimes, vibrates]
* *
- [whimpers]
[crying]
[cell phone thuds on table]
* *
[sobbing]
* *
[line clicks, beeps] - 911, what's your emergency?
- This is Beth Spierer again.
I need someone out here right fucking now.
This is totally out of control.
[knock at door]
- Hi.
We're checking in with your neighbors,
and they seem to have absolutely no idea
what you're talking about.
- I appreciate that, Officer,
but then who the hell is doing this to me?
- Do you have a boyfriend?
- A couple of exes,
but I really don't think it's one of them.
- [sighs] Well, someone is doing it,
so maybe you're not the best judge of character, you know?
You might want to look a little closer
into some of the guys you date.
Call me anytime...
day or night.
[door creaking]
- I showed him text messages, gave him all the information.
Said he was going to work on it,
but he was in contact with me
in a way that he shouldn't have been.
He had sent me a text.
I like your perfume. You smelled classy.
Thinking, oh, this is weird.
I'm scared I'm going to have my head chopped off.
You are someone that's supposed to protect me.
How do you...
hit on somebody who is going through this?
Now what do I do?
Who do you go to at this point?
* *
[cell phone chiming]
[suspenseful music]
* *
- You're shaking. - I can't make it stop.
- She's not dealing
with the issue of having a stalker.
And if you're keeping it inside,
you're hurting yourself,
mentally, emotionally, physically.
[object clattering]
- [sighs, breathes deeply]
* *
[breathing heavily]
* *
- Over time, it got very serious.
She started physically showing signs of...
having tremors.
I don't even know what her mental health is anymore.
- [sighs, breathing heavily]
* *
- I do believe the paranoia was getting the best of Beth.
There was one instance
when Beth accused someone from the factory
of being her stalker.
So I said, Beth, you can't accuse people
unless you know for sure.
- Officer, all of my coworkers are in on it.
That's why there are so many numbers.
- I highly doubt it's that coordinated.
We're looking at a hacker, a tech person,
someone with a number-cloning device like telemarketers use.
- What am I supposed to do with that?
- You relax. Let me take care of you, okay?
- Now, he's supposed to be the one I contact with
every time I get the phone numbers.
So I would have to text him,
here is a list of the numbers for the day,
and his replies were totally not about the stalking case
but about me...
saying that he had a dream about me and I screamed a lot.
This is the cop.
This is the man I went to because somebody is after me,
watching me, stalking me.
- Maybe get a front-door camera.
Do you want me to come help you install it?
- Is that something cops do?
- I'd do it for you.
- I think I can handle it myself.
[cell phone beeps]
[sighs] God.
- I have no trust in the police whatsoever.
* *
No, the police turned their back on me.
He did to me what was being done to me already.
[door closes]
So I had to turn to me.
[objects clatter on table]
- [sighs]
* *
[door opens]
* *
- I am worried that she can be killed.
* *
But I also am worried about what's happened to her mind.
She's not the same person.
* *
I wish I knew what was going to happen next,
because then you could be there to stop it,
but there's no answer to that.
It could be anything.
* *
[tools clatter]
- I wish we could get this guy.
Put him in jail or put him in the ground.
Either way, it's got to stop.
Where is he? Who is he? It could be anybody.
It could be a good friend of hers.
- Could be her landlord.
It could be the guy across the street
or someone she came in contact with.
- When I see this fucking guy, I'm going to fucking kill him.
I want to kill him.
I do. I want to kill him.
I want to show him what he's done to me.
[cell phone chimes, vibrates]
- Hey, Beth. It's Ronnie.
Please give me a call. We're all worried.
[suspenseful music]
* *
[hammer tapping]
* *
[cell phone ringing]
* *
[hammer tapping]
* *
[cell phone chimes, vibrates]
* *
- Hey, Beth. It's Colette.
We're missing you at the office.
We haven't heard from you.
Call me, please.
- [sighs]
* *
[cell phone ringing, vibrating]
* *
- Hello?
- Hello. Is this Beth Spierer?
- Yeah.
- This is Carla Brown from Long Island Assisted Living.
I'm afraid I'm calling
in regards to your father, William.
I'm very sorry to inform you
that at 4:00 a.m. this morning,
William suffered a cardiac event.
We did everything we could to try to resuscitate him,
but, unfortunately, he passed en route to the hospital.
- [cries]
- A social worker will reach out to discuss next steps.
Okay?
I'm so sorry for your loss.
- [crying]
[cell phone ringing, vibrating]
Oh.
I'm sorry, did I forget--
- Beth? Beth?
It's Daddy. Come join me.
- [sobbing]
* *
- I can't even really put it into words.
But it was so disturbing
and so scary and so frightening.
Like, he knew my father had just died that minute,
and he followed up with a phone call.
He knows everything about me 'cause he must be watching
or maybe tapped my phone or something,
but he knows everything.
[insects chirping]
* *
[cell phone chimes, vibrates]
- Leave me alone! [cell phone clatters]
[echoing] Leave me alone!
* *
[doorbell rings]
* *
[dog barking]
* *
- Someone's at the door, Beth.
Knock, knock.
* *
What are you going to do with that hatchet, Beth?
* *
I can see you.
* *
[static crackles on TV]
* *
- Aah!
* *
Aah!
[hatchet thuds, glass shatters]
* *
[doorbell rings]
[gasps, whimpers]
* *
[breathing heavily]
[clattering, thudding]
[screaming]
* *
You!
- Oh, yeah, it's me. It's me. It's me.
I heard you screaming, and I just went crazy trying--
trying to get to you, okay? - [crying]
- Are you okay?
- He was in the house. I--
- Come on. Oh, my God.
* *
You need to move.
[dramatic music]
* *
[computer whirring]
[suspenseful music]
* *
- I have two locks on my door.
I have pepper spray,
knife, Tasers,
and I sleep with them by my bed,
because this person has not been caught.
My stalker has been stalking me for almost six years now.
I don't think he's ever going to completely go away
from my life.
I mean, if you've been this obsessed
and this persistent for so many years, why end?
I mean, he hasn't gotten what he wants.
He hasn't killed me yet.
* *