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By Kent Larsen
LDS Woman's Stalker Arrested and Charged
MESA, ARIZONA -- A 20-year-old LDS woman's stalking nightmare may be over
after Mesa, Arizona police arrested Frank William Elmer, 52, on May 11th.
Elmer is charged with two counts of stalking, one count of threatening and
one count of attempted kidnapping in connection with his three-year-long
obsession with the woman. Elmer met the young woman, whose name has not been
released, when her father, an LDS Bishop, was helping him return to normal
life after a stint in prison.
The woman's father first met Elmer in 1994 through his work as a volunteer
in the prison where Elmer was serving a sentence for theft. After Elmer's
release in 1996, the father assisted him through two years of parole. Then,
in 1998, Elmer learned that the young woman was recovering from surgery, and
sent her a card and dinner to her family. After she thanked him with a hug,
he sent other, mostly platonic, cards.
But after the young woman sent Elmer a graduation announcement with her
picture in 1999, his cards and letters turned more serious. An August 1999
letter, accompanied by earings and a Spice Girls key chain, both threatened
suicide and proposed marriage. In December of that year he sent a card, a
dozen roses and a stack of photos of his home, which had been turned into a
shrine to her. "Every doorway had a heart cut out of it," the young woman
described. "There was a bedroom with a shrine, stuffed animals and flowers."
Police reports indicated that Elmer had carved the columns on his carport
into the shape of hearts, installed two heart-shaped fountains in his back
yard, and installed heart-shaped stones spelling out the young woman's name.
In February 2000, the young woman and her family obtained an order of
protection, and Elmer responded by requesting a hearing, appearing for it
wearing a tuxedo and telling another LDS Bishop that he thought he was going
to his wedding.
Following his arrest, Elmer was interviewed by news reporter Lew Ruggiero
from Phoenix's TV12, who found Elmer confused and contradicting himself. In
the interview, Elmer claims that he isn't stalking anyone, "If she says she
doesn't want to marry me, that's fine. I'll walk away from it." But then he
says that he heard her voice while he was in the mountains telling him that
she wanted to marry him. Elmer also claimed that he never asked the young
woman to marry him, and then admitted that he had.
The young woman says that the experience has been very frightening, "It
freaked me out, it freaked my mom out. It freaked everybody out," she said.
Believing that Elmer is mentally unstable, she added, "Anyone can snap."
Sources:
Mesa victim of stalking describes 'nightmare'
(Phoenix) AZ Repblic 19May01 P2
By Paul Matthews: The Arizona Republic
Accused Stalker Arrested
Phoenix AZ KPNX TV12 News 18May01 P2
Man jailed on stalking charges, reportedly built 'shrine' to bishop's daughter
(Phoenix) AZ Republic 18May01 P2
By Paul Matthews: The Arizona Republic
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