Cyberstalking victim partners with detective to push bill to create task force to strengthen Missouri laws, training for police.Angela says she often felt ignored and dismissed by law enforcement and even some friends and family when she reported a stranger was threatening to rape, assault and kill her online.Now, that stranger has been identified as Robert Merkle – a serial cyberstalker now serving federal prison time for doing the same thing to multiple women across the country.
Angela is now partnering with a retired St. Louis police detective to raise awareness and lobby for improvements. Together, they are supporting a bill filed Thursday by Sen. Tracy McCreery that would create a 15-person task force to study ways to beef up cyberstalking laws and training for police.
The task force would include law enforcement representatives, victim’s advocates and survivors of cyberstalking like Angela.
McCreery filed the bill on the first-ever National Day of Action for Stalking Awareness – a day Angela said helps bring awareness to the psychological trauma stalking victims endure.