Actress Eva LaRue, best known for her roles in CSI: Miami and All My Children, is once again in the spotlight—this time for surviving a 12-year stalking ordeal that tested her resilience.
The story of her harrowing experience is now the subject of Paramount+’s new docuseries, My Nightmare Stalker: The Eva LaRue Story, which premiered on November 13, 2025. The two-part series delves into the years between 2007 and 2019, when LaRue and her daughter were relentlessly targeted by a man later identified as James David Rogers.
The case, which was finally solved through DNA genealogy, highlights how technology and persistence brought long-overdue justice to the actress.
Who Is Eva LaRue?
Born and raised in California, Eva LaRue began her career as a model before breaking into television. She earned acclaim playing Dr. Maria Santos Grey on All My Children, which earned her a Daytime Emmy nomination.
In 2005, she joined CSI: Miami as Natalia Boa Vista, appearing in more than 150 episodes across six seasons. Her personal life also drew attention — she shared a daughter, Kaya Callahan, with her late ex-husband John Callahan, who passed away in 2020.
The 12-Year Stalking Ordeal
LaRue’s nightmare began in 2007, when she and her daughter started receiving disturbing letters signed “Freddie Krueger.” The messages, sent to her publicist and manager, contained threats of rape, kidnapping, and murder.
Over the years, the threats grew more graphic and personal. “It was the most sickening, terrifying thing a mother could endure,” LaRue told PEOPLE. She and Kaya moved three times, only for the stalker to find them again.
The perpetrator was eventually identified as James David Rogers, a nurse’s aide from Ohio, who sent 37 threatening letters over eight years. His stalking escalated in 2019, when he began calling Kaya’s school pretending to be her father.
How Justice Was Finally Served
The FBI reopened the case using advanced DNA genealogy techniques. Investigators matched DNA traces from envelopes to samples collected from a discarded soda straw Rogers used.
Rogers was arrested in November 2019 and later pleaded guilty to multiple counts of stalking and sending threatening communications. In 2022, he was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison.
“I forgive you, but I cannot forget,” LaRue told Rogers in court. “The fear will always be with me.”
Rogers was released in 2024, ending a painful chapter that lasted more than a decade.
Eva LaRue Today
Despite her trauma, Eva LaRue has returned to television with renewed purpose. From 2019 to 2020, she appeared in The Young and the Restless, earning a Daytime Emmy Award, and in 2024, she joined General Hospital.
She left the soap in June 2025, telling Soap Opera Digest she was “grateful for the experience and the support of her castmates.”
Today, LaRue uses her platform to raise awareness about stalking and victims’ rights. Speaking on CBS Mornings, she said, “Your brain never goes back to not being hyper vigilant. But if my story can protect someone else, then it’s worth it.”
What’s Next for Eva LaRue
With My Nightmare Stalker: The Eva LaRue Story now streaming, the actress continues her advocacy for stronger stalking laws and mental health support for survivors.
LaRue plans to collaborate with safety organizations and possibly pen a memoir detailing her experience. As she told CBS Mornings, “This is not about fear anymore — it’s about empowerment and awareness.”
