Episode 191: The Anatomy of Obsession: The Laura Black Case

In 1984, 22-year-old engineer Laura Black began working at ESL Inc. in Sunnyvale, California, where coworker Richard Farley quickly became obsessed with her. Despite repeatedly rejecting his advances, Farley stalked Laura for nearly four years—bombarding her with hundreds of letters, gifts, phone calls, and unwanted visits. He even obtained her personal information through deception, followed her to social events, and vandalized her property. After losing his job and just one day before a restraining order against him was set to take effect, Farley returned to ESL on February 16, 1988, armed with multiple firearms. He killed seven people, wounded four others—including Laura—and held police at bay during a five-hour siege before surrendering. The shocking case became one of the driving forces behind California's first anti-stalking law and inspired the 1993 television film Stalking Laura.