Solved Murders - True Crime Stories - Surviving the Loneliest Roads, Violent Strangers, and a Deadly Obsession Unfolded PART3 #21

Episode Date: November 9, 2025

#horrorstories #reddithorrorstories #ScaryStories #creepypasta #horrortales #truecrime #roadhorrorstories #deadlyobsession #violentstrangers #survivaltales  Surviving the Loneliest Roads Part 3 concludes the harrowing tale of isolated roads, violent strangers, and a deadly obsession. The protagonist faces the climax of danger, with life-or-death decisions, confrontations with threatening individuals, and the final unraveling of the obsessed perpetrator’s actions. This chapter delivers a tense, suspenseful, and terrifying resolution that underscores human vulnerability in extreme situations.  horrorstories, reddithorrorstories, scarystories, horrorstory, creepypasta, horrortales, truecrime, roadhorrorstories, deadlyobsession, violentstrangers, survivaltales, shockingencounters, dangerontheroad, realcrime, crimeinvestigation, realhorrorstories, suspense, lifeordeath, thriller, tensejourney

A story of Jamie, Ryan, and the darkness that nearly swallowed her whole. I've gone back and forth about whether I should even write this down. Part of me feels like putting it into words makes it more real, like I'm summoning something I'd rather leave buried. But another part of me thinks it's important to tell this story, because if something like this could happen to Jamie, it could happen to anyone. And maybe, just maybe, writing it out will finally let me breathe a little easier. Back then, Jamie was my closest friend.

Not just a school friend or someone I hung around with when it was convenient. No, she was the kind of person I could talk to for hours about anything and nothing at the same time. We had our own little world, with inside jokes, shared projects, and late-night phone calls that always ended with us both too tired to keep talking but too comfortable to hang up first. For a while, I thought things were perfect between us. We weren't dating, though there had been moments where the idea crossed both our minds. Still, we were close enough that people often assumed there was something more going on. But life has a way of throwing curveballs, and the curveball in this case came in the form of Ryan. I'll never forget the night Jamie called me, her voice breaking through the static on the line.

It was late, sometime in the spring, and I was just about ready to go to bed when my phone buzzed. At first, I thought it might be something small, maybe she was upset about school, or she had fought with her mom. But when I picked up, all I heard was sobbing. Hey, hey, what's going on? I asked, sitting up straight, instantly awake. She tried to talk, but the words tumbled out in fragments, broken by hiccups and sharp breaths. I caught Ryan's name, the word sorry over and over, and something of. about not knowing what to do.

It took almost an hour of gentle coaxing before she could explain. That night, Jamie finally laid it all out, starting from the beginning. The beginning of Ryan About a year before that call, Ryan had just, appeared in her life. One day at school, he walked up to her out of nowhere and announced that they were dating. Just like that, no build-up, no prior conversations, nothing. Jamie told me later that she'd been confused but also flattered. She thought maybe it was his awkward way of asking her out, a shy kid trying to be bold. And honestly, Ryan seemed nice enough at

first. He was polite, attentive, and had this way of knowing things about her that made it feel like he'd really been paying attention. Too much attention, as it turned out. He knew details about her favorite classes, what music she liked, even where she liked to sit at lunch. Jamie figured he'd just been quietly crushing on her from a distance for a while. It didn't seem dangerous then, just sweet in an overly enthusiastic kind of way. But slowly, bit by bit, things shifted. Ryan started to push his way into every corner of her life. At first, it was little things, insisting on walking her to class, or tagging along with

when she hung out with her friends. Then it escalated. He demanded that she meet him between every class, no matter how much she had to rush. He inserted himself into her conversations at school, answering questions directed at her, laughing louder than anyone else at her jokes, like he wanted everyone to see that he was part of her world now.

Jamie told me it was exhausting, but she didn't know how to stop it without causing a scene. She didn't want to hurt him, and besides, he wasn't being outwardly cruel yet, just controlling in ways that were easy to excuse. The real problem began when Ryan noticed me. The jealousy Jamie and I had always been close.

We had this Google Doc where we'd write silly collaborative stories together, half creative writing, half inside jokes. We'd three-way calls sometimes with other friends, just talking nonsense late into the night. None of it was romantic, but it was ours. Ryan didn't like that. Not one bit. At first, he asked innocent-sounding questions, What do you and Jamie talk about so much, or can I see what you're writing?

Then he pushed harder. He wanted to be added to our chats. He wanted access to the Google Doc. Jamie, probably trying to keep the piece, added him. Suddenly, this space that had always been just ours was invaded. And though she tried to keep our phone calls a secret, Ryan somehow always knew. Every time she and I talked, he'd demand to be included. If she resisted, he'd sulk, accuse her of hiding something, or twist the situation until

she felt guilty. When I planned a trip to visit Jamie, things finally boiled over. Ryan demanded she tell me not to come. He said it made him uncomfortable, that it was inappropriate. But this trip had been on the calendar for months, and Jamie stood her ground. That's when things got scary. Meeting Ryan I met Ryan by accident during that visit.

I wish I could say I had some sixth sense, some got feeling that told me to run the other way. But the truth is, he seemed. seemed normal. A little intense, sure, but polite enough on the surface. Jamie, though, Jamie was terrified. I could see it in the way her hands shook when he was nearby, the way she avoided saying anything that might set him off. At the time, I thought maybe she was overreacting, maybe he was just an awkward boyfriend. I didn't realize until later how deep the manipulation went. After I left, Ryan apparently apologized for his behavior.

He told her he'd just been jealous, that he only acted that way because he cared so much. Classic abuser tactics. Jamie wanted to believe him, so she gave him another chance. The cycle started. He'd hurt her, then shower her with affection. He'd scare her, then drown her in apologies and gifts. over and over and through it all

he kept trying to drive a wedge between us he lied to her claiming I'd said cruel things about her behind her back he insisted I was trying to steal her away Jamie didn't believe it not at first but constant repetition wears a person down the breaking point things escalated when Jamie finally snapped

After one too many accusations, she told Ryan she was done. She said she was going to call me, tell me everything, and then move in with her family on the East Coast. That's when he shoved her. She told me later that the force knocked her to the floor, and for a moment she thought her arm was broken. Ryan stormed out, leaving her crying on the ground. And still, still, he came back the next day with her. apologies. He swore it would never happen again. He promised to make it up to her. He told her he'd let her call me that Sunday, and as an extra gift, he planned a hiking trip for Saturday at Red Rock

Canyon. Jamie, exhausted and scared, agreed. The knock at the door Friday night. Around 8 p.m. Jamie and her mom heard a knock at the door. It was the police. It was the police. They asked to come in, said they needed to talk. Jamie told me her stomach dropped before they even spoke, like her body knew something terrible was coming. The officers explained that they'd received a tip, someone close to Ryan had reached out, saying he was planning to kill Jamie. They had already searched his room and car. What they found was chilling. There was a suicide note, detailed and deliberate. In it, Ryan laid out his plan, he would drive Jamie into the Nevada desert, kill her, and then take his own life so they could

be together forever. Alongside the note, they found several knives in his car. Jamie told me later that she couldn't even process it at first. She just sat there, numb, while her mom asked questions. When the police finally left, she called me. This time, there were no secrets. She told me everything, every detail of the past year, every manipulation, every threat. She apologized over and over for shutting me out, for thinking she could handle it on her own. We stayed on the phone the entire night. Neither of us wanted to hang up. Eventually, we both drifted off, phones still pressed to our ears, like we were holding on for dear life. Aftermath

In the weeks that followed, Jamie and I started talking regularly again. But as time passed, life pulled us in different directions. Sadly, we lost touch. I still check her Facebook sometimes. From what I can tell, she's back on the East Coast now, living what looks like a happy, peaceful life. She posts pictures with friends, smiling in a way that seems genuine. As for Ryan, I heard he was declared mentally unfit for trial and committed to a facility.

I don't know exactly what charges were brought against him, but I do know Jamie has a restraining order, and as far as I can tell, it still stands. Even now, years later, I get chills when I think about him. The idea that I met this guy, spoke to him face to face, all while he was secretly plotting to murder my best friend, it's surreal. It feels like something out of a movie, but it was terrifyingly real. The police never told us who tipped them off, but I'm grateful every single day that someone did.

Without that, Jamie might not be here. Nights that never felt safe. After everything with Ryan, Jamie wasn't the same. At first, she tried to act normal, to keep life going like it had before. But I could see the cracks. Small things, she flinched at loud noises, double-checked locks multiple times before leaving the house, and avoided mentioning Ryan even in passing. I could tell she was haunted by what had almost happened. One night, she called me after midnight. I can't sleep, she said. her voice tight with tension. Every time I close my eyes, I see him. I see him smiling, like

everything's normal, like I won't notice. I didn't have the right words. I just listened. Sometimes, that's all a person needs, someone to hear them, to not judge, to sit with the fear even if you can't fix it. She admitted she still checked over her shoulder when she walked to the corner store. She carried pepper spray, even though she hated feeling like she needed it. And she couldn't shake the feeling that at any moment, Ryan might find a loophole, a way to get close again. The Journal Discovery Around this time, I decided to take my mind off things by hiking with some friends in the Sierra Nevada's. We found an old wooden shack, half collapsed, with a journal inside a dusty box.

It looked untouched for decades, probably abandoned since the 1800s. The journal was brittle, each page smelling faintly of mildew and old ink. I started reading aloud to my friends. The entries were dated August 14, 1848. They were detailed accounts of a treacherous journey through the mountains, struggles for food, dreams of gold, and survival against harsh elements. I couldn't help but feel a connection between the words and Jamie's story. Both were about endurance, about facing dangers that seemed unimaginable,

and about the human will to survive against forces bigger than yourself. One passage, in particular, stuck with me. I long for the day that I can sit by the seaside, our pockets full of California gold, and feast upon the bounty of delicacies the West has to offer. It reminded me of Jamie's longing for normal life, for the simple freedom of living without fear. I transcribed the entire journal entry and shared it with her. She loved it, fascinated by the historical perspective, but I could see the melancholy in her messages. Even a story from centuries ago resonated with the kind of fear and hope she was living through now.

Rebuilding Trust After Ryan, Jamie had to relearn how to trust. not just other people, but herself. Every decision felt heavy, every friendly gesture weighed against the fear of manipulation. I tried to be there in small ways. Late night texts just to check in. Random memes and inside jokes to remind her she wasn't alone. Even though we were miles apart, I wanted her to feel connected, grounded.

She began journaling herself, filling pages with her thoughts and fears. something to get the darkness out. And slowly, she started reconnecting with friends and family on the East Coast. Social media became a tool for her, a way to see the world outside her immediate anxiety. One night, she admitted something surprising. You know, I used to think I was strong, she said. But this, dealing with him, it showed me I wasn't. Not really.

But now. Now I know I can survive anything. I didn't say much. There was nothing to add. Her words spoke volumes. She had been through horror most people couldn't even imagine and came out breathing, still capable of hope. Shadows that linger. Even now, years later, there's a shadow that never fully disappears.

I still think about Ryan sometimes. Not often, but enough to get that chill running down my spine. I wonder if he even remembers the details, or if in his mind, it was all just a fantasy. The idea that someone could plan something so horrific, that they could live among us while plotting murder, is terrifying. It makes you second-guess people, situations, even your own intuition. But it also makes you appreciate the normal, mundane life that much more. the walk to school without fear the freedom to talk to your friends without someone monitoring every word

the simple joy of staying on the line with someone you trust until you fall asleep Jamie eventually moved back to the east coast and from what I can tell she's thriving college work friends her life looks bright on the surface and I hope it is truly I hope the past doesn't whisper to her too often Lessons Learned There are so many lessons tucked into this experience, lessons I only understood in retrospect. Red flags are often subtle.

Ryan seemed nice at first, which made it easy to dismiss the little controlling behaviors. But they compounded over time. I've learned to pay attention to the little things, patterns matter. Isolation is dangerous. Abusers often try to cut you off from support systems. Jamie was careful about keeping me in her life, but Ryan's efforts to monitor her chats and calls show just how isolating manipulation can be. Trust instincts.

Jamie's fear was real, even if I didn't fully understand it at the time. There's value in listening to your gut. Support networks save lives. Whoever tipped off the police might have saved. saved Jamie's life. Being connected to people who can intervene in emergencies is invaluable. Reflection I sometimes wonder how things would have gone differently if I had recognized Ryan's controlling behavior sooner. Could I have done something? Should I have done something?

Guilt is tricky because there's no easy answer. But Jamie survived, and that's what matters. Her story is a reminder that the world is filled with people who might not be who they seem. And yet, it's also filled with people who show up, who notice, who tip the balance between life and death in favor of the survivor. I keep her messages saved. I check her social media occasionally. And though life has moved us apart, the bond we share remains. Because trauma like that doesn't erase friendship, it reframes it, deepens it,

makes it something you carry with you like a badge of resilience. The end? The last entry of the journal I found in the Sierra Nevada's ended mid-sentence. Tomorrow we enter the mountains. It's going to be the most difficult part of our journey. It's a fitting parallel to Jamie's story. There's no neat ending in life, no way to guarantee safety. But you keep going anyway.

You face each mountain, each dark path, and somehow, you survive. I still think about that journal sometimes, about the people who lived centuries ago facing danger with nothing but hope and determination. And I think about Jamie, sitting on her couch on the East Coast, trying to live her life fully after all she endured. Both stories are proof that humans are capable of surviving the unimaginable. Even though Ryan's shadow will always linger somewhere in the back of my mind, I've learned to focus on what matters, the light that survives, the laughter after tears, the resilience that emerges when fear tries to take over. Life isn't fair, and the monsters exist, both literal and metaphorical. But Jamie is living proof that they can be beaten. And sometimes, that's enough. To be continued.