Naman Shrestha
From 2007 to 2019, ‘CSI: Miami’ fame Eva LaRue and her daughter, Kaya Callahan, became targets of an obsessive stalker named James David Rogers, who sent them dozens of letters, threatening to torture and kill them. Paramount+’s ‘My Nightmare Stalker: The Eva LaRue Story’ is a two-part true crime documentary series that delves deep into the terrifying case through the eyes of the two women who had to live in fear for more than a decade. The stalker was eventually taken into custody and punished for his crimes.
James David Rogers Harassed Eva LaRue and Kaya Callahan by Sending Them Threatening Letters For Over a Decade
Born in the early 1960s, James David Rogers allegedly grew up in an unstable and abusive household. He also claimed that he was a social outcast in his school, where he was allegedly bullied by his peers. According to his mother, his obsession with Eva LaRue began when she appeared on ‘All My Children,’ which he used to watch on repeat. His obsession manifested into something dangerous in March 2007, when he sent the actor, who featured on ‘CSI: Miami’ at the time, the first of the many letters, threatening and harassing her and her daughter, Kaya Callahan. For the next decade, James reportedly sent dozens of handwritten and typed letters, claiming that he had been stalking her. He used to sign each letter using the name of Freddie Krueger, the fictional killer from ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street.’ In February 2008, he sent a letter wherein he stated, “I am going to…stalk you until the day you die.”
In most of his letters, he also threatened to rape Eva and her daughter and then kill them. His letters turned the actor’s world upside down, causing her to stay paranoid, move houses, and get her relationships affected. The stalker took it a step further in June 2015, when he sent a direct letter to Kaya and stated, “I am the man who has been stalking for the last 7 years. Now I have my eye on you too.” In 2019, James also called Kaya’s high school in Sherman Oaks, posing as her father and asking the school employees to send her outside. He also left a voicemail at the school’s answering machine, in which he threatened to rape and kill her. Despite the best efforts of the authorities, including the FBI, the stalker’s identity could not be determined. However, everything changed when they used genetic genealogy technology and ran the stalker’s DNA, which they had gathered from the letters he had sent to Eva, through the database.
The law enforcement was then led to James David Rogers, who worked as a nurse’s assistant at an assisted living facility at the time. In the fall of 2019, the detectives began tracking him in Ohio and collected a used soda straw from the trash that he threw after eating a meal at Arby’s. The DNA from the straw matched the DNA on the envelopes of the letters. Thus, in November 2019, he was arrested by the FBI agents at his home in Columbus, Ohio, without any incident. Upon searching his house, they found more evidence on his digital devices — many pictures of Eva on his computer and the contact number of Kaya’s high school on his cell phone. Consequently, he was charged with two counts of mailing threatening communications, one count of threat in interstate communications, and two counts of stalking in violation of federal law.
James David Rogers is Currently Out on Probation
On April 28, 2022, a few years post his arrest in November 2019, James David Rogers pleaded guilty to two counts of mailing threatening communications, two counts of stalking, and one count of threats by interstate communications. For putting Eva LaRue through a nerve-wracking 12-year ordeal by incessant stalking and threatening to hurt her and her daughter, the Heath, Ohio, man was ultimately sentenced for his crimes in the same year. In September 2022, United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt sentenced him to 40 months in federal prison.
Attending via video call from Ohio, James spoke about his childhood experiences once again. He further divulged that he was seeking treatment to improve his mental health. He expressed remorse for his actions and stated, “I sincerely apologize for what I did for the last 12 years, putting you and your family through hellish behavior.” The then-58-year-old further added, “I accept full responsibility. I hope you can put this behind you and at some point never think about me again.”
In her victim impact statement, Eva stated, “I forgive you, but I cannot forget. The fear is with me forever.” Considering James was handed over a 3-year sentence, the actress expressed worry about his conduct post-release. “I am so worried what will happen when he gets out,” she concluded. She also emphasized the emotional toll James’ conduct took on her, her daughter, and their family members. Ultimately, James served 24 months and was released from prison in 2024, specifically in the fall of that year. As of writing, he is a free man on probation, which will conclude in 2027.
