February 23, 2017
Christina Grimmie was an emerging star who had broken into the mainstream when she was gunned down last June after a performance at The Plaza Live in Orlando. While signing autographs, the 22-year-old vocalist and Marlton native was shot by 27-year-old Kevin Loibl, who also took his own life, abruptly ending a promising career that was born out of YouTube and a season of dazzling displays as a contestant on "The Voice."
Grimmie and her family couldn't possibly have seen the ambush coming, but investigators concluded the singer had been victimized by an obsessive stalker. Cory Dennington, one of Loibl's friends and co-workers, described to detectives in chilling detail how he had witnessed a dangerous transformation in Loibl, one that fused Christianity with a belief that Grimmie's own faith was an emblem of God.
In a special episode of "48 Hours" set to air Saturday at 9 p.m. on CBS, "NCIS" star Pauley Perrette and CBS correspondent Erin Moriarty examine the facts surrounding the case of Christina Grimmie. In hopes bringing the threat of stalking to a broader audience, the special will also feature the stories of both celebrities and regular people who have been harrassed to the point that their lives are at risk.
A preview clip from "Stalkers" can be viewed below.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7.5 million stalking cases are reported each year. Helpful information for victims of stalking can be found at the Stalking Resource Center, a program of the National Center for Victims of Crime.
