Episode Details

In May 1977, 20-year-old Colleen Stan accepted a ride from Cameron and Janice Hooker while hitchhiking through Northern California. The presence of the couple's baby made them seem safe. Instead, Colleen was kidnapped and held captive for seven years, enduring prolonged confinement in a coffin-like wooden box and psychological manipulation involving a fictional organization Cameron called "The Company." The case would become internationally known as the Girl in the Box kidnapping.

In this episode of You Can't Unhear, we examine how Cameron Hooker controlled Colleen Stan, how Janice Hooker eventually helped expose the truth, the controversial 1985 trial that resulted in Hooker's 104-year sentence, and the major development that came decades later. In June 2026, a California jury found Cameron Hooker to be a sexually violent predator, preventing his release into the community and allowing his continued civil commitment in a secure state hospital.