This Stalking Case Is a Warning New Yorkers Can’t Ignore

Some stories settle in your heart and don’t let go. This is one of them. In 2023, just weeks before Kristil Krug was found murdered in her Colorado garage, she was doing her best to make sense of something that felt deeply wrong.

Kristil was a married mom of three who had been receiving threatening texts and emails. She believed she was being stalked, and as many people would, she tried to figure out where it was coming from. At the time, she thought it might be her ex-boyfriend. She was so very mistaken. 

When the Investigation Took an Unexpected Turn

When the idea that it might be her ex was looked into more closely, it unraveled quickly. In an interview with CBS News, Kristil's ex explained that she had been his first love, but they hadn’t been in contact for over two decades. He lived far away and had a solid alibi.

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What investigators eventually uncovered was devastating. The threats weren’t coming from outside her life at all. They were coming from inside her home. Kristil’s husband had been posing as her ex, sending the messages, and deliberately stoking fear for months. Kristil was killed by her husband just before Christmas.

Why This Case Stays With Me

With this case back in the spotlight on 48 Hours, it keeps finding its way into my feed. And every single time, my body reacts before my mind does. My chest tightens, my stomach sinks, because I know that kind of fear.

What Living With Stalking Really Feels Like

I’ve experienced stalking myself, and I want to say this as clearly as I can to anyone who may be quietly carrying something similar. Living with that kind of fear wears you down in ways that are hard to put into words. It’s the constant alertness. The wondering who’s watching, when the next message will appear, and whether today is the day things go too far.

In my case, one person became convinced we should be in a relationship, even after I made it clear that wasn’t happening. Over time, my phone and internet were compromised, and my privacy disappeared. Even being inside my own home no longer felt safe. I was fortunate that help came before that situation turned violent, and I don’t take that for granted. But I also know that not everyone gets that kind of outcome.

The Dangerous Myths Around Stalking

Movies and TV have done us no favors when it comes to stalking. They blur the lines, and they romanticize it. They make stalking seem passionate, misunderstood, and even funny at times. Please hear me on this. There is nothing romantic about stalking. Nothing is flattering or edgy or harmless about stalking.

Stalking is about control. It’s about fear. It’s about stripping someone of their sense of safety and privacy. It can include surveillance, intimidation, sabotage, and very real physical danger. When we brush it off or downplay it, people are less likely to be believed and more likely to suffer in silence. And stories like Kristil’s are the heartbreaking result of that silence.

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Resources for Anyone Dealing With Stalking

If this story stirred something in you, or if any part of it felt uncomfortably familiar, you’re not alone. Stalking often lives in the quiet spaces, the ones people don’t talk about openly. But help does exist, and there are people across Upstate New York who understand this kind of fear and know how to help you navigate it safely.

Below, I’ve gathered support resources available right here in Upstate New York for anyone dealing with stalking, harassment, or intimidation.