The Girl in the Box - The Kidnapping of Colleen Stan

Colleen was an avid hitchhiker, and on that day in 77’ she had refused rides from two cars
before accepting a ride from Cameron Hooker. At the time, twenty-year-old Colleen had
reported that she “felt confident climbing into the blue van” because Hooker’s wife, Janice, and
their baby were in the car. It wouldn’t be until a stop at the gas station bathroom that Colleen
would get a nagging feeling that told her to “run and jump out a window and never look back.”
She silenced that apprehension and returned to the vehicle.

Shortly after this gas station stop, Cameron pulled the vehicle off the highway to an isolated
area and climbed into the backseat. Under knifepoint, he handcuffed Colleen and blindfolded
her. He then used a wooden box that had been on the seat next to Colleen and placed it over
her head. The box weighed twenty pounds and was designed to prevent light, sound, and fresh
air from entering.

Later that same evening, Colleen would arrive at the Hooker’s home, where they removed the
headbox and led her into the basement of their home.

Immediately, Colleen was tied up and
attached to the ceiling. She remained blindfolded while Hooker removed her clothing and
began to whip and sexually assault her. Colleen blacked out from the pain. She awoke, still
hanging from the ceiling, to find Cameron and Janice having sex below her.
Colleen would later be removed from the ceiling and placed in six feet long and three feet wide
box, with her hands chained to the top of the box. The same headbox from the car ride was
used again to cover her head. She was kept in the box unclothed for 23 hours a day and
released only to eat or when Hooker wanted to abuse or sexually assault her.

Eight months into Colleen’s captivity, Hooker brought his wife, Janice, down to the basement.
He then removed Colleen’s blindfold and handed her a contract. The contract stated that she
was his property, and going forward, she would be referred to as “K.” Colleen would be
required to call Hooker “Master” and perform all demands set by him. These demands ranged
from; never crossing her legs in his presence and always wearing a collar around her neck for
identification. Hooker then told her about “The Company” that traded females and forced them
to become life-long sex slaves. He informed Colleen that he was raised in ‘The Company’ and
that his father and brother were also members. Should she try to escape from Hooker, “The
Company” would painfully torture her and harm her family.

Because of this, Colleen never
made an attempt to flee. This fear was reinforced daily by Hooker and led her to believe “The
Company” was watching as well as surveilling the home. Colleen also believed that the phones
were tapped and that members of the “The Company” lived in the neighborhood.

Signing the contract brought Colleen more “freedom”; she would now be permitted to cook for
the family, work in the gardens, and clean and care for the home. She was still required to
allow Hooker to sexually assault her whenever he pleased. He would eventually train her so
that she would have to strip naked and be in a particular position within seconds when he said
a specific word. But Cameron would not perform vaginal sex with Colleen because he
considered it a breach of his agreement with his wife. Instead, he raped her vaginally and anally
with implements during these sessions.

One evening Colleen was escorted out of the home with the headbox in place and was told to
lay in the car with her head on Janice’s lap. Hooker drove them to a mobile home in Red Bluff,
California, where they would live for the next seven years. Along with the new residence,
Colleen would also be kept in a new location within the home. She was locked inside a wooden
box under the couple’s waterbed. Again, she would endure long periods, even months in the
box, without being released. She was provided a bedpan and would be let out occasionally to
eat and empty the pan, and of course, when Hooker wanted to abuse her.

In 1981, more “freedoms” were given to Colleen – she no longer was required to sleep in the
box. She was permitted to sleep in the back bathroom, chained to the toilet. She was also
allowed out for morning jogs with Hooker, and on one occasion, she even went out to a bar
with Janice. During these times of “freedom,” Colleen began to build a relationship with
Hooker’s children, who knew her as “K.” Colleen would frequently babysit the children during
her capture.

Later the same year, Colleen would convince Hooker to let her call her family. Hooker had told
Colleen that he could also arrange a visit for her to see her family, but it would take some time
as he would need to convince “The Company” that she would not alert the family of her
capture. In March of 1981, Colleen was granted access to finally visit her family, and she
presented Hooker to her family as her finance. While her family suspected she was active in a
cult due to the absence of communication over the years, lack of money, and homely
appearance, they did not press the issue with her as they didn’t want her to distance herself
again.

Following the visit, Colleen was placed back in the box under Hooker’s bed, which the couple
still slept in. Having been free for over a year from the box, Colleen assumed she would not be
placed there again, however, she would be held there for three years, which was the longest
period she’d been confined to the box. When asked about her disappearance, Hooker explained
to the children and neighbors that that “K” had simply returned home. Colleen would spend
twenty-three hours a day in the box, and same as before, she would only be let out to eat or to
be tortured by Hooker.

Finally, in 1983, Hooker reintroduced his children and the neighbors to Colleen, claiming she had
returned. He forced Colleen to get a job to pay for fines charged to Hooker from “The
Company.” Colleen secured a job at King’s Lodge as a maid and befriended the hiring manager.
Still fearful of “The Company”, Colleen never disclosed too much information, but her hiring
manager did find her situation with Hooker to be a bit odd. Colleen would explain that she lived
with the Hooker’s and that Janice was like her sister. The true details of her kidnapping were
never revealed to her employer.

Over the years spent imprisoned, Janice and Colleen had a varied relationship.
Early on, they would fight as Janice was jealous of Colleen and the attention she would receive
from Hooker. By now, many years later, they formed a “friendship” that had initiated over
bonding about the Bible, which they would read together. Janie and Colleen would find a
shared connection to the biblical story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. In this story, Abraham
and Sarah are unable to conceive a child. Sarah grants permission to Abraham to use her maid
Hagar to have a baby while the three of them would live together peacefully. Janice leaned into
this story and would refer to herself as Sarah, and Colleen has Hagar.

Janice herself had been tortured, brainwashed, and abused by Hooker over the years. She
would later say that she could survive the relationship with Hooker by engaging in denial and
compartmentalization. Janice began to humanize Colleen and was starting to struggle with the
entire situation. In August of 1984, Janice visited Colleen while at work and informed her that
“The Company” did not exist. And that she was not being watched by anyone. Colleen went
home with Janice one final time, and the following day she phoned her father and asked him to
wire her money for bus fare home. Colleen made one final phone call to Hooker and told him
that she knew he was lying about everything and that she was leaving and would not be
imprisoned by him any longer.

Finally reunited with her family, Colleen explained to them what happened and how she’d been
held prisoner over the last seven years. They encouraged her to inform the police, but Colleen
declined. Before leaving, Janice pleaded with Colleen to not alert the authorities because she
truly believed she could change Hooker and that they both owed him the chance to be a better
man. Colleen, for a short while, kept her word and stayed in regular contact with Janice. Three
months later Janice came to the realization that Hooker could not be changed and asked
Colleen to report him to the police.

When Janice reported Hooker, she also informed them of the kidnapping, torture, and murder
of Marie Elizabeth Spannhake. Who had disappeared on January 31, 1976, after accepting a
ride from Hooker. Unfortunately, authorities could not locate the remains, and due to lack of
physical evidence, no murder charge was brought.

Janice would receive complete immunity for testifying against her husband. Hooker was
sentenced to consecutive prison terms totaling 104 years. However, due to changes to state
law, Hooker would be eligible for parole in September 2021 as he would have accumulated
enough “good conduct” credits. Tehama DA Matt Rogers mounted a campaign to have Hooker
evaluated as a sexually violent predator to prevent this from occurring – this designation would
likely delay Hooker’s release. Hooker’s parole hearing is still scheduled for this September.

To read more about Colleen Stan, I highly recommend the following book: Perfect Victim: The True Story of the Girl in the Box.