Online dating has fast become a commonplace means of meeting potential partners in today's society - being that you're often able to extract the red-flag daters from those genuinely looking for love.
On the odd occasion, however, a deadly catch might slip through the net, and you don't discover their negative intentions until later down the line.
And no one is more aware of this than father-of-two David, who, back in 2012, created an online dating profile for the first time after his long-term relationship came to an end - totally unaware that his romantic endeavour would result in a woman going missing and blood being spilled.
Advert
Dave's real-life horror story is soon to be told by Netflix, in the form of a brand new spine-tingling documentary called Lover, Stalker, Killer.
Set to be released on the UK streaming service on Friday 9 February tells the tortuous tale of obsession, digital deviance and murder in America's midwest.
*WARNING: Spoilers lie ahead!
After initially struggling to find a match, two popped up at once. Dave met with animal-lover and fellow parent Liz and - after striking up a physical connection, with Dave insisting he didn't want anything serious at that point - they embarked on a 'friends with benefits' relationship.
Advert
All was going well for duo, until Dave came face to face with mother-of-one Cari, after he fixed her car at his garage.
Though he found her attractive, the mechanic thought it best not to pursue Cari, being that he was already having fun with Liz.
It wasn't until he stumbled across Cari's online dating profile some time later and the duo matched that they began dating, with Dave calling it quits with Liz.
Advert
After a while, however, Dave thought things were moving slightly too fast with Cari - despite feeling a deep connection with her - and he asked to take the intensity down a notch.
It was then that a seemingly heartbroken Cari began sending abusive, threatening texts and emails to Dave.
Despite the two never meeting in-person again, she told him she was watching his every move, with the texts becoming increasingly more sinister minute by minute over the next three years.
Advert
"You’ve ruined my life," one read, whilst another told him, "I will destroy your life and take your happiness".
Cari then began sending menacing texts to Liz after she and Dave started their relationship up again, later going on to key her car, set her house on fire and burn her beloved pets to death.
Dave - who worried for Liz's wellbeing and called their relationship off again for a final time - became increasingly worried about his former flame's erratic behaviour, and sought the help of his local police department and a private investigator.
Officers weren't able to locate Cari - who had also began sending Dave's ex-wife Amy murderous messages, threatening to harm their children - however, so they got in touch with her mother.
Advert
But in a startling plot twist, Cari's mum claimed she hadn't heard from her daughter - who suffered with bipolar disorder - since she began dating Dave...
This 1 hour 30 minute true-crime thriller sees recovered recordings, interviews with those involved - including the authorities that finally solved this blood-curdling mystery - and dramatic reconstructions bring viewers along every step of the way.
What started off as a bitter love-triangle had spiralled into a heart-stopping murder investigation... without a body.
Who has been sending the threatening texts? Who burned down Liz's house? Who threatened to harm Dave and Amy's children? And more importantly, where is Cari?
Lover, Stalker, Killer is avaion Netflix from 9 February.
Topics: Netflix, Crime, True Crime, TV And Film, Sex and Relationships
Rhianna Benson