Jeffrey Stacy

Stacy's profile picture at the time of the sting

> *"IT'S A QUESTION!"*
>
>

> - responding to Hansen reading his chat of asking the decoy if she does anal.
>
>

**Jeffrey Douglas Stacy** was a potential predator featured on the Greenville, Ohio investigation of the "To Catch a Predator" series. Stacy is one of the most famous suspects in the entire series due to his iconic quotes and high-pitched voice that made him sound like Mickey Mouse or Winnie the Pooh.

## Biography

Jeff Stacy, a 27-year-old deli worker, initiated contact with a Perverted Justice decoy who posed as a 15-year-old girl named "Sadie". Despite being well aware of the decoy's age, Stacy deceitfully claimed to be 21 years old. Stacy immediately engaged in inappropriate conversations, questioning the decoy's preference for older men and expressing a desire for her to witness him nude. He further crossed boundaries by inquiring about the possibility of engaging in oral or vaginal sex if he were to undress completely. Stacy also raised the topic of the decoy's virginity and, when she mentioned needing to go to bed, he disturbingly asked if she would sleep naked. Before ending the conversation, he broached the subject of swallowing semen. Later that day, Stacy resumed communication with the decoy and explicitly asked if she would be willing to perform oral sex on him. In response to her disclosure of not having a car, he offered to pick her up from her home, suggesting engaging in oral sex inside his vehicle. He then proceeded to ask about the tightness of her vagina and if she liked to be "eaten."

After the decoy extended an invitation for Stacy to come over, he crossed even more boundaries by asking if she would answer the door while naked. When the decoy declined, Stacy persisted, asking if she could wait for him in her room, naked with her legs spread, so he could perform oral sex on her. He further inquired about the presence of pubic hair on her genitals and expressed a desire to ejaculate inside her. Ignoring any sense of propriety, Stacy commanded the decoy to undress and remain naked while mentioning the possibility of meeting at a motel room. In a further attempt to deceive, he sent explicit pictures with the heads cropped off, falsely representing them as his own. Stacy repeatedly emphasized his expectation for the decoy to be nude and ready for sexual activity upon his arrival. Despite harboring concerns about the decoy's identity as a potential law enforcement officer, he decided to proceed and drove to the location of the sting operation.

## Confrontation

Upon arriving at the designated location, under the impression of meeting a minor, Stacy found himself talking with Del Harvey, who informed him that she was getting ready and instructed him to wait at the bar. As Stacy removed his jacket, Chris Hansen emerged and directed him to take a seat. When questioned about his intentions, Stacy nonchalantly responded, "nothing really." He admitted that he had come to the house to meet someone he referred to as "some girl" named "Amanda." In an attempt to distance himself from any wrongdoing, he claimed to believe that she was 18 years old because he had told her so. Feigning ignorance, Stacy tried to play dumb and deny his knowledge of her actual age. However, Hansen confronted him with the chatlog containing the decoy's explicit statement of being 15. Despite the evidence presented, Stacy persisted in fabricating his age, insisting that he was 21. He continued to deny any awareness of the decoy's true age and maintained his belief that she was 18, prompting Hansen to present him with the incriminating chatlog explicitly stating her age as 15. Stacy, still unable to recall the decoy's age, claimed that their chat had occurred the night before. He asserted that it was his first time engaging in conversation with an underage girl online, denying any prior knowledge of her age.

When Hansen read explicit excerpts from Stacy's chatlog, he downplayed them, stating that he asked similar questions to everyone online and considered it casual conversation. When questioned about his inquiry regarding the decoy's status as a cop, Stacy offered a questionable explanation. He mentioned having friends who were "druggies" who advised him that if he asked someone online about their law enforcement affiliation, they were obligated to disclose it. Stacy continued to assert that his explicit questions were merely part of harmless "talk" and that he remained unaware of the decoy's underage status. Hansen pointed out his question about the decoy's level of arousal, to which Stacy defensively asked, "What's wrong with that?" Similarly, when confronted about discussing anal sex, he defensively said, "It's a question!" Hansen firmly pointed out to Stacy that he had been asking explicit questions to a child, emphasizing that such actions were against the law. Stacy, expressing confusion, questioned why it was considered illegal. Hansen clarified that soliciting a minor for sexual activities was a criminal offense. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Stacy admitted that he was unaware of the legal implications and offered an apology. As the conversation progressed, Hansen proceeded to display the pictures Stacy had sent to the decoy with the heads removed. Stacy, attempting to downplay their significance, dismissed them as "funny pictures" and denied responsibility for cropping the heads, claiming he had found them in that state.

He reiterated that his actions were merely part of casual conversation and denied any harmful intentions. When questioned about his intentions with the teenage girl, Stacy initially downplayed the situation, stating that there would be "probably a whole lot of nothing" happening. However, he later admitted that he might have considered a kiss or two but insisted that he wouldn't have gone any further. He denied bringing condoms or alcohol and reiterated that his actions were confined to the realm of online chat. Stacy maintained his position that it was all just "talk" and argued that he didn't distinguish between the internet and real life. He claimed that what he typed in the conversation didn't necessarily reflect his actual intentions or actions. Hansen challenged this assertion, suggesting that it would have been easier to believe if Stacy hadn't shown up at the sting house. In response, Stacy acknowledged that he knew the girl was alone but downplayed its significance, considering it a mere "misunderstanding." He claimed that his intention was simply to meet and have a conversation with her. However, as Hansen revealed his true identity and the presence of cameras, Stacy left the house and was subsequently arrested by the waiting police.

## Police Interrogation

After being handcuffed by the police, Stacy found himself lying face down on the ground. When an officer asked him about his age, Stacy initially mumbled twice, stating that he was 21, but his words were barely audible. The officers had difficulty understanding him, so they turned him around to get a clearer response. When questioned again about his age, Stacy hesitated and replied uncertainly, "25...I think."
While one of the officers proceeded to read him his Miranda rights a distraught Stacy asked the officers to shoot him. During the subsequent police questioning, Stacy consistently denied being aware of the girl's age, claiming that he hadn't paid attention to that particular detail. He insisted that he believed she was 18 years old. However, despite his earlier denials, Eventually, Stacy blatantly confessed that he had gone to the house with the intention of soliciting a minor for sex. Yet, he swiftly reverted to his previous stance, asserting that his true motive was merely to engage in conversation and that he would say anything that came to mind on the internet. Stacy persisted in his claim that he engaged in sexually explicit conversations with everyone on the internet. He admitted that he went to the house with the intention of meeting the person and "what happens happens."

Eventually, he even acknowledged the possibility of having sexual relations with the girl. Detectives confronted Stacy about the pictures he sent where he falsely represented as himself. He confessed to posing as the person in those pictures and explained that he did it for the sake of "fun and games." As the detectives read aloud excerpts from the chatlog, Stacy admitted to writing those messages and dismissed them as "normal things." When informed that he would be going to jail, Stacy began to whine, vehemently denying being a child molester. He raised his voice, claiming that he hadn't paid attention and genuinely didn't know that she was 15. In a distressing turn of events, Stacy started making threats of suicide. He repeatedly expressed his intention to slit his throat, hang himself, or even shoot himself, stating that death was all he desired. In response, the detectives noticed a set of over twenty keys on a ring in Stacy's pocket and inquired about their purpose. However, Stacy ignored their questions and continued with his threats of suicide. At one point, the detectives decided to unhandcuff Stacy momentarily to allow him to sign a permission form to search his car. Seizing this opportunity, Stacy grabbed the pen and made a halfhearted attempt to stab himself in the throat. The detectives swiftly intervened, reapplying the handcuffs, while Stacy continued to persist in his threats of suicide.

## Aftermath and death

Following his arrest, Stacy faced a charge of attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fourth-degree felony. Opting for a jury trial, Stacy proceeded through the legal process and was ultimately convicted. As a result, he received a sentence of six months in jail and probation. In addition to the incarceration, he was required to register as a sexually oriented offender for a period of 10 years and participate in sex offender counseling. Furthermore, he had to relinquish his personal vehicle and bear the financial responsibility for the police overtime costs incurred during the investigation. Stacy remained on probation until 2010 and was subsequently removed from the sex offender registry in 2017. In 2015, he formed a connection with a woman named Leann Cundiff Shaw through an online platform. The two began dating, and their relationship progressed to the point where Stacy proposed in December 2017, resulting in their engagement. They later exchanged vows and got married in June 2018. During this time, in the same year, Stacy's association with a karate dojo came to the attention of To Catch a Predator fans. It is unclear whether Stacy's employment was affected due to feedback from the photos or if his presence was gradually phased out due to his past. However, it was evident that Stacy participated in activities at the dojo, including placing in a tournament.

On February 22, 2021, a store employee at Walmart made a distressing discovery when they found 41-year-old Stacy unresponsive in his car in the store's parking lot. An officer promptly arrived at the scene and determined that Stacy's body was cold to the touch and had no detectable pulse. Based on the officer's observations, Stacy's skin exhibited signs of pale and gray coloring, indicating a condition known as hyperemic hypoxia. The store employee informed the officers that Stacy's car had been parked in the same spot for the past two days. The store employee stated they had previously attempted to contact Stacy on February 21, 2021, when they noticed him seemingly asleep in his car and breathing heavily. The following day, the store employee noticed that the car's door was unlocked. Upon discovering Stacy was still in the same position and unresponsive, they immediately contacted the police to report their findings. Later that day, the Walmart manager informed the officer who had inspected Stacy's body that Stacy had arrived at the store on February 20, 2021. After locating Stacy's wife at their apartment, officers delivered the news of his death to her. Initially, his death was presumed to be a result of natural causes. However, following an autopsy conducted on his body, the coroners concluded that Stacy had passed away due to intoxication from a combination of morphine, diazepam, and alprazolam, with arteriosclerosis cardiovascular disease and obesity being contributing factors. Officers discovered an email addressed to Stacy's mother and sister, in which he detailed an abusive marriage and his wife's alleged threats to accuse him of rape.

## Stacy's wife

After the death of her husband, Leann continued to reside in their apartment without paying rent. As a result, on July 16, 2021, the apartment complex received a court-ordered eviction notice for Leann. Subsequently, on July 21, an officer affixed the eviction notice to her door, which stipulated that she had 10 days to vacate the premises. Three days later, Leann set her apartment on fire and then went behind her apartment and set a lawn chair on fire. While both her and her neighbors apartments were destroyed in the fire, fortunately, the neighbors were not present during the incident. On July 24, 2021, a different neighbor who lived next to Leann reported to the police that she had entered their apartment without permission and stolen medication belonging to his wife and children. The neighbor stated that Leann gained access to their apartment because the front door was left unlocked. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they discovered Leann sitting in the lawn chair behind her own apartment. Empty pill bottles were scattered on the ground nearby, and a clear plastic bag filled with pills was found in her purse. An officer approached Leann and questioned her about entering the neighbor's apartment. Leann admitted to going inside the apartment. The officer proceeded to arrest her and read her the Miranda rights, which she acknowledged. However, when asked for a statement, Leann refused to provide any further information. Consequently, she was taken into custody and transported to jail.

On July 30, 2021, following the processing of evidence from the fire incident and the issuance of a search warrant, an officer visited Leann at the jail for questioning. When asked about the fire, Leann initially claimed that her family members, who did not reside with her or in the same city, were responsible for causing it. When pressed by the officer to explain how her family could have started the fire, Leann insisted that the officer already had the information. The officer continued the inquiry, asking if her family had instructed her to start the fire. Leann responded affirmatively. When questioned about the motive behind such instructions, Leann again suggested that the officer was already aware of the reasons and that she was living in a state of torment. Eventually, Leann admitted to intentionally starting the fire, stating that she believed her family members intended to start a larger fire and she felt compelled to initiate a smaller fire before they had the opportunity. Leann described pouring olive oil on the kitchen counter and using fire starters to ignite the fire. She mentioned that she believed the oven had caught fire as well and claimed to have reported the issue to the property managers. However, upon investigation, no fire damage was found in the oven, and the property managers denied receiving any reports regarding the matter. Leann was charged with first-degree aggravated arson, second-degree aggravated arson, third-degree burglary, fourth-degree theft of drugs, and a fourth-degree misdemeanor charge of criminal trespass. She entered a plea of not guilty and could have potentially faced a maximum prison sentence of up to 20 years if convicted. Leann ultimately decided to plead no contest to the charges of second-degree aggravated arson and third-degree burglary, resulting in the dismissal of the other charges against her. Subsequently, on July 25, 2022, she received her sentence of three years in a mental health hospital.

## Quotes

* *IT'S A QUESTION!*
* *It's just talk, to me*
* *I ask everybody all kinds of stuff. It's just talk [...] What's wrong with asking questions?*
* *Death...it's all I want. It's all I need.*
* *I'll put a bullet right in my head and watch myself die*
* *I'm really just gonna slit my fucking throat. No, I'm really just gonna kill myself. Put me in jail and I'll hang myself, I don't care*
* *I ask that to everyone (Stacy's response to Hansen questioning why he asked if the decoy was a cop)*
* *The i'nernet and real life are two different things. What I say on the i'nernet, doesn't mean that's how I really think!*
* *Can I just be shot?*
* *I'm not a child molester...*
* *I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS FIFTEEN!*

## References

1. ↑ https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/arrested-charged-online-sex-sting/7ktjiz6wznCmHc5LYqxDMJ/
2. ↑ http://www.perverted-justice.com/?con=singletxguyforfun
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://dairystatedegenerates.blogspot.com/2020/11/to-catch-predator-update-greenville.html
4. ↑ https://skiplook.com/jeff-stacy-death-investigation/
5. ↑ https://skiplook.com/jeff-stacy-life-and-death/
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVggvnFVvL8&ab\_channel=J%E1%B4%8F%E1%B4%87%CA%8F%E2%80%99sTC%E1%B4%80PC%CA%9C%E1%B4%80%C9%B4%C9%B4%E1%B4%87%CA%9F
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLtGbOB5puY&ab\_channel=J%E1%B4%8F%E1%B4%87%CA%8F%E2%80%99sTC%E1%B4%80PC%CA%9C%E1%B4%80%C9%B4%C9%B4%E1%B4%87%CA%9F