The Signs Were There

accused stalker Devin Vandorhoef
Devin Vandorhoef/Monterey County Sheriff’s Office

A Canadian Accused Stalker and His Gamer Buddy Tried to Kill a California Woman. They’re Now Learning Firsthand What It Means to “F*ck Around and Find Out”

A Canadian accused stalker and his gaming buddy may spend the rest of their holiday season in the cramped confines of a California jail after being arrested for the attempted murder of a woman and her boyfriend.

According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, 25-year-old Devin Wolfgang Vandorhoef of North Vancouver, British Columbia played video games with the victim online for years and became obsessed with her. Accompanied by 25-year-old Darius Avery Whyte of Angus, Ontario, he flew to California in late November and followed the woman for several days without her knowledge.

Darius Whyte/Monterey County Sheriff’s Office

After learning the victim’s lifestyle habits and routine, Vandorhoef went to her house shortly before 10 p.m. on November 25 while posing as a deliveryman. He approached the door carrying a package that contained handcuffs, knives, and duct tape.

When the woman’s boyfriend answered the door, Vandorhoef forced his way inside and began stabbing the man.

A bloody scene ensued as the woman attempted to defend her boyfriend by stabbing Vandorhoef with a sharp piece of metal.

As Vandorhoef strangled and stabbed her in response, several neighbors overheard the commotion and dialed 911. Emergency responders rushed Vandorhoef and the victim’s boyfriend to the hospital in critical condition, while the victim suffered moderate injuries.

Responding officers also encountered Whyte at the scene, but he said he had no knowledge of the violent altercation and was allowed to walk free. The next day, law enforcement made a beeline for San José Mineta International Airport, where they found Whyte attempting to flee the U.S. on a Canada-bound aircraft.

Deputies booked Vandorhoef into the Monterey County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit a crime, mayhem, stalking, and burglary. The judge set his bail at $4,150,000, so unless Vandorhoef is well-off or the amount is lowered, he’ll probably remain in pretrial detention throughout the remainder of his court proceedings. I hope the judge throws the book at him, slaps him with a substantial prison sentence, then deports him and permanently bans him from entering the United States.

Whyte faces charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and attempted murder. He’s currently in custody in lieu of $1 million bail.

Speaking with CTV News, Chief Assistant District Attorney Berkley Brannon described the attempted murder as one of the strangest cases he’s ever seen. I agree that it’s bizarre, but I’m also not shocked due to what I’ve been through with my stalker, and I hope the defendants serve hard time for their their crimes.

This case exemplifies how internet activity often feels deceptively safe. In reality, online obsessions can become life-threatening without warning. So many people thought my stalker would limit his behavior to cyberstalking, slander, and long-distance harassment. That he’d reach a certain point, realize that he’d be going too far if he continued, and stop short of physically stalking his victims.

First of all, cyberstalking is wrong and shouldn’t be allowed to happen. Cyberstalking is going too far. Secondly, many stalkers don’t have limits. Mine has never toed the line without crossing it. In fact, he can’t resist crossing it. His behavior has only escalated over the years. Much like the suspects in this article, he has traveled thousands of miles in physical pursuit of his targets.

To this day, I strongly believe my stalker would’ve seriously harmed someone (or worse) if the victims he tried visiting hadn’t known about his impending arrival. Had they not been warned with ample time to prepare, who knows what would’ve happened?

Many have acted like I’m crazy to think he’d do something violent, but they seem unfazed that he drove halfway across the country to bother people who very clearly wanted zero contact. I often wonder if they truly think that all he planned to do was show up at his victims’ homes and workplaces, talk some smack, and then turn around and drive home.

Additionally, this case proves that it’s not unrealistic for a stalker to spend years obsessing over their victim(s). People often condescendingly reassure me that my stalker will eventually “get bored and go away.” They don’t acknowledge that they were saying this nearly three years ago, and that the problem has only worsened. Or that my stalker is still going after victims he targeted long before he began stalking me.

The suspects – Vandorhoef, especially – deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I’m sure plea deals will be on the table, but I wholly disagree with the system’s overreliance on this method of settling criminal cases.

I don’t know if Vandorhoef harassed his female victim before he traveled to California, but based on the information that’s currently available, it seems as though no one saw this coming. The woman and her boyfriend are truly lucky to be alive, and I doubt their lives will return to normal overnight (if ever). On top of their physical injuries, they’re probably mentally traumatized.

I have no idea whether Canadian prisons are more comfortable than U.S. correctional facilities, but I hope the experience is a shock to the system. I hope it pains the suspects to eat mystery meat with a spork for holiday dinner, to wear tighty whities that were previously occupied by an unknown number of strangers’ sweaty undercarriages, and to sleep on a two-inch-thick mattress that looks and smells like a gym mat that hasn’t been washed in years.

To learn more about this twisted case as it develops, watch the video below: