The Jordan Harbinger Show

1283: Eva LaRue & Kaya McKenna Callahan | 12 Years Hunted by a Stalker

February 10, 2026

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  • The severity of the stalker's threats, which included graphic rape and murder fantasies signed 'Freddy Krueger,' immediately signaled to the host that this was far beyond typical celebrity harassment. 
  • Eva LaRue's experience playing a DNA expert on *CSI: Miami* highlighted the stark contrast between fictional forensic speed and the 12 years it took in reality to catch her stalker, revealing limitations in real-world databases like CODIS. 
  • The stalker's coherent writing style and functional employment suggested a high level of danger, as behavioral psychologists note that clear, non-delusional threats are more likely to be acted upon. 
  • The psychological burden of long-term stalking forces victims, like Kaya McKenna Callahan, to constantly manage their public presence and relationships to mitigate risk, even during formative years like high school. 
  • Forensic genealogy, successfully used in this case after 12 years, proved to be a precedent-setting technology for the FBI, allowing them to identify the stalker via distant relatives in public DNA databases. 
  • The stalker's escalation to threatening Kaya's high school, including leaving 19 voicemails detailing threats against staff and students, highlights how stalking behavior can rapidly endanger public safety, yet resulted in a comparatively light sentence. 

Segments

CSI Effect and Real Forensics
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(00:05:05)
  • Key Takeaway: The ‘CSI effect’ caused juries to expect advanced forensic DNA evidence even in minor cases, complicating real-world prosecutions.
  • Summary: Eva LaRue’s role on CSI: Miami exposed listeners to the fictionalized speed of solving crimes, contrasting sharply with the reality that the FBI could not identify her stalker for 12 years using existing technology. The show’s popularity led to juries demanding forensic evidence that was often unavailable or irrelevant for standard cases. This highlights the gap between television portrayals and the limitations of real-world databases like CODIS at the time.
Early Life Parallels and Sister’s Case
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(00:07:18)
  • Key Takeaway: Eva LaRue’s sister was nearly a victim of a serial killer in the 1970s/80s, whose case was only partially solved due to the high cost of DNA testing.
  • Summary: Eva LaRue’s mother once believed her father was having her followed, foreshadowing future events. Separately, Eva’s sister was identified as one of 53 potential victims of a serial killer who kept trinkets from his victims. Due to funding limitations, law enforcement could only run DNA on three cases, leaving many victims’ families without closure until a cold case grant allowed for re-investigation.
Stalker Mail Escalation and Protection
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(00:12:17)
  • Key Takeaway: The initial fan mail quickly escalated into graphic threats of rape and murder, forcing the family to adopt extreme security measures like purchasing property under an LLC.
  • Summary: The stalker’s correspondence began as seemingly normal fan mail but rapidly devolved into explicit threats, which Eva LaRue stopped reading after the third letter to protect her mental state. The host noted that the stalker’s coherent writing indicated a higher danger level than unhinged correspondence. The family was forced to move quickly after the stalker found their address, highlighting the inadequacy of standard security against a determined threat.
FBI Involvement and Database Limitations
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(00:20:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Local law enforcement could not act on threats alone; FBI involvement was secured through a connection, but DNA evidence remained unmatchable in CODIS for years.
  • Summary: Local police were unable to act unless a physical crime occurred, necessitating contact with the FBI due to the interstate nature of the mail. The FBI stored the letters at Quantico, running DNA and fingerprint tests, but yielded no hits because the stalker was not in CODIS (the national DNA database) or APHIS (the national fingerprint database) as he had no prior felony convictions for rape or murder.
Hypervigilance and Real-World Fear
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(00:27:02)
  • Key Takeaway: The constant threat led to chronic hypervigilance, where the victims could not trust any stranger, even those who appeared physically incapable of carrying out the threats.
  • Summary: The victims maintained a state of hypervigilance, constantly scanning parking lots and public spaces for the stalker, even after seeing his photo, which was described as resembling a cross between Jabba the Hutt and Archie Bunker. The realization that the stalker was a functional human being who worked in a memory care facility was deeply disturbing, raising fears about potential harm to vulnerable populations. The host noted that even if the stalker was physically unimpressive, the threat remained lethal if he possessed a firearm.
Erotomania and Government Blunder
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(00:36:04)
  • Key Takeaway: The stalker exhibited signs of erotomania, a disorder where the individual believes a higher-status person is in love with them, leading to rage when love is ‘unrequited.’
  • Summary: The psychologist suggested the stalker suffered from erotomania, characterized by believing the victim is in love with them, which progresses from adoration to resentment and rage. This delusion was evident when the stalker began sending letters to Eva’s fiancé, demanding he pass the letters to his wife so the stalker could ‘share’ her. A major governmental blunder occurred when the Glendale City Council, while granting a fence variance, publicly stated Eva LaRue’s name and address on live television, immediately compromising their security.
Italy Incident and Turning Point
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(00:42:08)
  • Key Takeaway: A break-in at their Italian villa, though random, served as a psychological turning point, allowing Eva to compartmentalize her fear after realizing the stalker could reach them anywhere.
  • Summary: While vacationing in Italy, Eva and Kaya were robbed in their bedroom by unknown intruders, causing immediate panic that the stalker had followed them internationally. This event, though unrelated to the stalker, provided a strange form of relief; Eva interpreted it as a sign that if the stalker wanted her dead, he could reach her anywhere, allowing her to compartmentalize the fear moving forward. The Italian police response was unimpressive, characterized by contaminating the scene and lacking proper forensic procedure.
Stalker’s Letters and Teenage Burden
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(00:49:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The stalker began sending letters addressed to Kaya Callahan in 2007, forcing her to navigate high school social life while concealing the constant threat of violence.
  • Summary: Letters from the stalker started arriving for Kaya in 2009, though they began in 2007 addressed to Eva LaRue. Kaya felt compelled to warn new friends about her stalker, complicating normal relationship development at age 16. She also had to enforce strict social media rules, forbidding friends from tagging her or posting locations for her protection.
Stalker’s Erratic Behavior and Obsession Origin
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(00:52:28)
  • Key Takeaway: The frequency of the stalker’s letters was irregular, often coming in flurries, and his obsession originated from Eva LaRue’s time on the soap opera All My Children.
  • Summary: The letters arrived sporadically, sometimes daily for a week, followed by weeks of silence, suggesting erratic behavior possibly related to medication status. The stalker admitted in court that he wished he had received therapy sooner, linking his actions to his obsession. His mother revealed he obsessively rewatched episodes of All My Children, where Eva LaRue previously starred.
Escalation of Stalking and Legal Implications
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(00:53:59)
  • Key Takeaway: Stalking is a critical precursor to violence, with 86% of murdered women having been stalked first, underscoring the need for stronger laws against menacing behavior.
  • Summary: Statistics show that 86% of women murdered in the US last year were stalked first, indicating stalking frequently escalates to rape and murder. The speakers argue that the law must evolve to treat menacing behavior as a serious crime, regardless of whether physical assault has occurred. This segment emphasizes that menacing someone is fundamentally different from general harassment.
Close Call at School Incident
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(00:54:56)
  • Key Takeaway: The stalker attempted to lure Kaya Callahan from school by impersonating her father via an overhead announcement, leading to immediate FBI involvement.
  • Summary: Kaya was called to the front office under the pretense that her father was picking her up, which she confirmed was false via text, realizing the stalker was responsible. Upon confirmation, the FBI was called, and the stalker left 19 voice messages detailing threats against school staff and students overnight. This incident demonstrated the stalker’s willingness to directly target her school environment.
Forensic Genealogy Breakthrough
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(01:01:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The FBI agents who solved the Golden State Killer case applied their newly developed forensic genealogy technique to the 12-year-old cold case, leading to the stalker’s identification.
  • Summary: The case became the next target for the forensic genealogy team after the Golden State Killer, proving the technology was replicable and setting a legal precedent as the first adjudicated case using this method. The stalker was identified after investigators found a fifth cousin in a public DNA database (like 23andMe or Ancestry) and then conducted traditional detective work. The final match required surveillance to obtain his DNA from a discarded Arby’s cup straw.
Courtroom Experience and Sentencing Disappointment
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(01:14:11)
  • Key Takeaway: The victims successfully lobbied to participate in the sentencing hearing remotely via Zoom, and Kaya spoke first after the stalker suggested they should ’let this go’ due to his new therapy and medication.
  • Summary: Eva LaRue and Kaya insisted on appearing remotely for the sentencing to avoid proximity to the stalker, who they felt deserved more than the maximum seven-year sentence offered. Kaya felt compelled to speak first after the stalker suggested the victims should move on from the 12 years of trauma. The stalker received three years plus probation, which the speakers felt was insufficient given the severity and duration of the threats against them.
Lasting Effects of Trauma and Vigilance
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(01:18:24)
  • Key Takeaway: Even after the stalker’s arrest, the trauma results in permanent hyper-vigilance, manifesting as necessary safety protocols like delaying social media posts and constant route checking.
  • Summary: Both Eva and Kaya acknowledge that the fear and paranoia are intertwined with daily life, making it impossible to fully return to normal vigilance levels. Kaya now always delays posting travel locations on Instagram until after she has left the area, and Eva’s family maintains heightened security measures, such as always setting the alarm. The experience fundamentally rewires the brain, making constant vigilance a necessary, albeit exhausting, reality.