Escape from Terror: The Teresa Stamper Story

Teresa Walden, living in Hennessey, Oklahoma, applies for a secretarial role at Stamper Oil and quickly becomes attracted to her charismatic boss, Paul Stamper. The relationship soon turns romantic, giving him control over her life and career. This marks the start of a marriage that will become increasingly volatile.

The couple elopes and wed in Las Vegas in February 1983, sealing a glamorous union that hides a darker dynamic. The ceremony brings them into public life as husband and wife. Behind the smiles, power and manipulation begin to take hold.

Shortly after the wedding, Paul dismisses Teresa’s secretary duties by giving her job away to Mrs. Lawson, and he slaps her when she confronts him. The incident marks the first explicit sign of abuse in their relationship. Teresa starts to fear for her safety while trying to maintain appearances.

Paul visits Wanda Stamper’s house and apologizes to Teresa, offering a semblance of reconciliation. It’s revealed that Wanda’s father abused Teresa’s mother; the family history adds a heavy layer to the tension. The reconciliation feels fragile and does little to end the underlying control Paul has over Teresa.

Two years into marriage, Teresa and Paul have a daughter named Katie. The family life appears happy on the surface, even as Paul remains secretive about his misdeeds. Teresa begins to sense something is off as the couple’s dynamic grows more volatile.

Unknown to Teresa, Paul has been stealing oil pumps and using drugs. When a coworker named Charlie informs Teresa about the theft and drug abuse, she is shocked and struggles to reconcile this with the man she married. She initially chooses not to believe what she’s told.

That night, Teresa goes to a bar with Paul and catches him injecting heroin. He yells at her violently and leaves, worsening her fear. She is found by an old high school friend who takes her to the hospital, where a sheriff advises seeking a restraining order.

Teresa hires an attorney and files for divorce, armed with a tape recorder to capture threatening phone calls. In court, Paul lies that he never threatened to kill her, but Teresa's attorney plays the recorded evidence. The judge grants a restraining order and orders Paul to stay away.

After the divorce, Teresa begins a relationship with Chris Butler. Paul then stalks her by posing as a police officer, shoots Chris, and abducts Teresa. She manages to escape during a diner stop and calls 9-1-1, as the police close in on Paul and arrest him.

While in jail, Paul schemes with an inmate to escape, and the inmate helps him. Sheriff Douglass directs Teresa, Wanda, and Katie to stay with his sister-in-law in Norman, Oklahoma for safety. Paul later finds them and leaves Teresa flowers; other attempts to recapture him fail, and Chris urges Teresa to move on.

Five years pass in which Teresa and Katie attempt to build a new life away from Paul. Chris encourages Teresa to break away completely from him, and she agrees to pursue a life free from his shadow. The couple seeks stability as they navigate the looming threat of Paul.

Five years after the initial danger, Teresa and the authorities turn to a televised appeal as Unsolved Mysteries broadcasts a profile of a man resembling Paul Stamper under the alias Gary Wickle. Viewers in Nashville and Colorado begin providing tips about a truck driver matching the suspect's description. The case enters the national spotlight, widening the search.

Colorado police uncover that Paul is living under the alias Gary Wickle and has moved with a wife and child. They ambush his truck in Commerce City and take him into custody. Teresa receives the news with a mix of relief and resolve, knowing the pursuit is nearing its end.

In the aftermath, Paul Stamper is sentenced to 35 years in prison, and the present-day interview notes that he still claims to love her. Teresa reflects that love, as she defines it now, is nothing like his version of it. The narrative closes with her reaffirming a life committed to safety and hope for herself and Katie.