Kriti Mehrotra
When Karen Kummerer separated from her husband of 17 years in 2006 due to irreconcilable differences, she was admittedly vulnerable yet determined to move forward with her life. Therefore, she stepped back into the dating world shortly after, unaware she would end up in a relationship that would turn her entire world upside down for the most egregious reasons. Netflix’s ‘Worst Ex Ever: Ride or Die’ carefully chronicles her ordeal, shining a clear light upon the alleged abuse, domestic violence, and stalking committed by Joseph Scott Freeman.
Joseph Scott Freeman Had a Checkered Past Dating Back to the Early 1990s
Joseph Scott Freeman was born around 1963 in Florida and grew up surrounded by unwavering compassion and support. He thus ended up relying on his folks a lot even as he grew older, per the documentary series, whether it be in terms of living with them at various points or asking them for financial assistance. That’s because he allegedly struggled to keep steady jobs – he was reportedly fired as a firefighter in the early 1990s and then failed to establish himself as a personal trainer in the 2000s.
Little did anybody know at the time that Scott was capable of going in a wholly different direction, that is, apart from his then-partners, as they allegedly experienced his anger first-hand. According to the original, he first met fellow Daytona Beach native Kim Copsidas-Martin at a bowling alley in June 1991, only for sparks to soon fly despite their 6-year age difference. The duo didn’t waste any time before starting to date, yet she gradually grew wary as she claims he lost his firefighting job within a month, often disappeared for days, and was addicted to cocaine.
Kim had noticed Scott’s erratic behavior over time, per her account in the aforementioned production, but she alleged he became physically violent whenever she tried to confront him about it. She further claimed he was controlling as well as manipulative, which came in the form of telling her how to dress, who she could hang out with, and what to do with her free time. Things came to a head on January 19, 2000, when he allegedly tried to choke her after she claimed to have discovered his steroid use, but she managed to escape, called 911, and had him arrested. That was her breaking point, Kim candidly stated in the episode, so she broke up with him for good not long after.
Joseph Scott Freeman Stalked and Kidnapped an Ex-Girlfriend in 2006
When Karen Kummerer first came across Scott at a bar in January 2006, she had no idea the man who claimed to be an aspiring personal trainer had a rap sheet. She wasn’t aware of his arrest in early 2000 for the aforementioned domestic incident, as well as of his conviction for a home-invasion robbery in 2001. Therefore, she danced the night away with him and even readily said yes when he asked her out – she didn’t really mind that he wasn’t in a stable position because she was. However, she never expected him to practically move in with her within weeks, demand that her niece move out, develop a possessiveness, start controlling her clothing, or become abusive.
According to Karen’s account in the show, Scott initially allegedly used to hold her down on the bed and scream in her face for hours if he got mad, but she claimed his behavior then became physical. She also claimed he used to call her incessantly whenever she decided to hang out with friends or family without him and then hijack those catch-ups to ensure she gave him attention. She stated in the original that he definitely love-bombed her, but when she finally saw through his actions and gained the courage to break up with him after 6 months, he did not take it well at all.
That’s when Scott started harassing and stalking his ex-girlfriend – he allegedly followed her to and from work, gave her needless calls, and once even ambushed her inside her vehicle. Karen subsequently filed for an emergency restraining order, claiming he had smashed her head on the window and threatened her with a knife, but it didn’t deter him from wanting her. So, he took her spare keys, hid in her trunk, and kidnapped her at knife-point while she was on her way to work on November 27, 2006. He even had her call in sick to work to avoid raising any alarms, but her niece soon caught on and contacted the local authorities. Soon after, the FBI took the lead.
Joseph Scott Freeman Died in Prison While Serving a Life Term
Since Scott was having Karen take out cash from her bank, and she was smartly leaving a paper trail in the form of notes in diner/gas station bathrooms, authorities knew their route. He drove them from Florida to Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi over a period of 7 days, all the while threatening to kill her if she made one wrong move to raise suspicion. In the end, it was the mix of these aspects, along with his call to his mother demanding money on December 4, 2006, that led officials straight to him on a highway around Leland, Mississippi.
That’s the same day Karen was rescued with no physical injuries, and Scott was arrested on charges of kidnapping, violation of a protection injunction, and stalking. He was later extradited to Florida to stand trial, which commenced months later, during which all his actions were brought to light through testimony and physical evidence. In the end, he was found guilty of violating a restraining order, aggravated stalking and kidnapping with a weapon, for which he was sentenced to life in prison on November 20, 2007. Therefore, he was incarcerated in a Florida State Correctional Facility when he passed away in 2025 – he would have been around 62 at the time.
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