An Oregon man, Robert Cole Parmalee, 40, has been arrested and charged with breach of peace, electronic stalking and harassment of UConn women's basketball star Paige Bueckers. Parmalee is being held on $100,000 bond and a Connecticut court has issued protected and no-contact orders for Bueckers.
According to police reports, Parmalee was first arrested on Aug. 27 after he was found walking on a highway near Hartford, Connecticut, and officers were alerted to the fact that he had an outstanding warrant in Oregon relating to an incident where he was accused of setting a house on fire. He told the arresting officers that he was going to see Bueckers and had an engagement ring and lingerie in his possession.
Parmalee was set to be extradited to Oregon until UConn police were notified that those charges were going to be dismissed. At that point, UConn police served a warrant on Friday relating to Parmalee's stalking and harassment of Bueckers.
Parmalee began sending videos via Instagram to Bueckers in February, though she told police she did not respond. Since then, Parmalee had made numerous social media posts regarding Bueckers and even emailed the school's communications department in June.
In various posts uncovered by the Associated Press, Parmalee discussed sacrificing a man whom Bueckers had taken a photo with, finding her mother's home and bringing her flowers. He went so far as to state in one post that if he could not live with Bueckers, "I will choose to die, and I will choose to take all of you that pose me, oppose us, to hell."
Shortly before arriving in Connecticut, Parmalee wrote in another post, "I'm coming to UCONN Paige Madison Bueckers, I'll be in Hartford tomorrow morning."
A UConn police officer stated in an affidavit that, "Parmalee has shown a continual, escalating behavior and directed effort to make electronic postings about V1 [Bueckers] and threats against those close with V1 which has caused emotional distress over the past two weeks for V1."
Parmalee's next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 22.
Bueckers' attorneys declined to comment when reached by ESPN, as did a UConn spokesperson.
UConn is set to begin its season on Nov. 7 against Boston University. Bueckers, who is entering her fifth year with the program, is a candidate for Naismith Player of the Year and is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft next spring.
