In 1989, Regina Butkowski, 29, was shot, her body was set on fire, and she was then thrown into a creek by her stalker, Pernell Jefferson.

In 1992, Sharon Wiggs, 33, was stalked for eight years and then was shot to death by her stalker’s brother, Jerome Wiggs, but the real stalker remains still at large.

These are just two of the cases in which stalking turned deadly. Experts have estimated that there are as many as 200,000 stalkers on the loose in America. The targets for these stalkers are single and divorced women between the ages of 20-45. Researchers estimate that one out of every 20 women at some time in her life will be pursued by either a former husband, a boyfriend or a stranger.

Each state defines stalking differently. According to the National Victim Center of Iowa, an individual in Iowa commits stalking when he repeatedly maintains a physical or visual proximity to a person without a legitimate purpose, and if the person being followed is in fear of bodily injury.

For Jenny, an Iowa State student whose name has been changed, the nightmare began the summer before 7th grade and it may very well haunt her for the rest of her life. The man who forever lingers in her mind is William. William, who took an interest in Jenny’s life, worked at the construction company that a friend’s parents owned.

“If we went to the beach, he went along,” Jenny said. “It was as if he was a 32-year-old adult, with nothing better to do but to play with 12-year-olds.”

Throughout Jenny’s life, she was always told to treat adults with respect and authority. Jenny said, “I was under the impression what he was doing was okay.”

As time went on, William’s actions became more intense. A dozen roses and a blank card were sent to Jenny. When Jenny confronted William, he said he sent the roses to her friend. So Jenny asked him who sent flowers to her house if he didn’t.

“These were some of the first signs when I was beginning to feel really uncomfortable,” Jenny said. In time, things became even more strange for Jenny.

If Jenny and her friends rented a movie, he would watch it too. If they had a sleepover, William would just happen to fall asleep too.

When Jenny entered high school, the stalking did not stop.

When she was 16 years old, Jenny heard a strange noise in her house. Panicking, she immediately left to get her sister for help. Jenny’s sister reached for the bedroom doorknob, but it would not turn. Someone was holding it. Jenny described a panic stricken fear that ran through her body as she and her sister ran off. This time Jenny had proof that she was not imaging things.

But the police were unable to find fingerprints leading to William.

She said she was constantly looking over her shoulder. From numerous break-ins to threatening phone calls, she was in constant fear for her life. “I’m extremely paranoid about staying by myself,” Jenny said.

But the police could not protect her because she could never prove that William committed any crime against her.

Jenny said she never pressed charges against William. As a child, Jenny said, she felt responsible for what happened. She also feared that people thought she was “blowing the whole thing out of proportion.”

Jenny’s life has changed drastically since the stalking. “Staying alone anywhere is hard for me,” she said. She used to make it a nightly ritual to take knives and search every inch of the room, lock the door and then try to sleep.

Today even the littlest thing can put Jenny in a state of panic. Hearing the musical group Great White sends terror through her body, but she does not know why.

Jenny’s experience may be more severe than some cases. Loras Jaeger, director of the Department of Public Safety, said there have been cases of stalking reported at ISU, but by the Iowa code they do not fit the definition of stalking.

Jaeger said no arrests have ever been made, but the DPS has talked with individuals in the past regarding inappropriate behavior toward an individual.

Stalkers have even appeared occasionally at the ISU campus. A campus where anyone can be a potential stalker.

Sarah, whose name has been changed, is a freshman at ISU. Sarah had always been comfortable meeting new people. Things changed for Sarah after she, too, was stalked.

“Actually, I think I met Josh in the lunch line,” Sarah said. “He just started talking to me.”

After Sarah and Josh started talking they realized they had English class together. Sarah said he started doing particular things that concerned her. “He would come into class and just stand in front of my desk staring at me, saying nothing,” Sarah said.

Josh frequently called Sarah, though she never returned messages. Shortly after Josh began following her.

Sarah was lucky compared to some victims because her stalker finally gave up.

Josh and Sarah’s paths did cross one day and words were exchanged. Sarah said, “Basically he admitted he stalked me.”

Stalkers do not only limit themselves to the everyday common person. In 1990, California was the first state to pass the anti-stalking law after actress Rebecca Schaeffer was stalked and murdered. All states except Maine have now enacted anti-stalking laws, according to Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

The federal system currently has very few laws regarding stalking. But law enforcement agencies have developed programs acknowledging stalking and are trying to improve the procedure that enters stalking data into the local, state and national crime bases.

There are some signals that might indicate to the victim that an individual has stalking characteristics, according to McCalls Magazine.

* The level of persistence the individual is showing may be unacceptable for the relationship.

* When an individual is overly attached to symbols, such as photos.

* Acts of obsession or jealously.

* Anytime there are threatening phone calls or an individual repeatedly shows up at places you frequent.

If you or an individual you know is being stalked, there are places that can help.

Survivors of Stalking, Inc. Phone: (813) 889-0767. E-mail: [email protected]. The National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), is a nonprofit organization to help victims. Hotline: (800) 879-6682.