Are these your feet? Mason County Sheriff’s seeks help identifying potential voyeur victims
MASON COUNTY, Wash. – Mason County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help identifying potential victims of the serial intruder recently captured. 22-year-old Chase Garner has been charged with 20 counts related to a string of break-ins over the last several months in Mason County.
Detectives said Garner would break into homes and watch young women sleep. In many cases, victims told police the intruder would take souvenirs, including underwear and photos, many of which were found when authorities arrested Garner.
Some photos of feet have been released. Detectives said they need help identifying them.
“You just feel violated," said Jerica Northness. Q13 FOX interviewed Northness in April after she said she woke up to find a man watching her and her boyfriend sleep. She said the strange intruder had a phone in his hand.
“There’s definitely is a chance that maybe I wasn’t fully covered up all the way and it just gave him something else to want to look at,” said Northness at the time.
After our story aired, two other potential victims came forward helping detectives to identify the suspect. That would make Northness victim number 9, in a case that could include more.
The three images released by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office show pairs of feet, all caught seemingly in the same state, lifeless and in bed. Detectives said it could be photos of sleeping victims of a serial intruder in custody.
“He’s a voyeur number one, he’s watching these women and he’s, of course, entering their premise which is illegal and I would say he has a serious problem,” said Dr. Roger Libby, a Seattle psychologist, and certified sexologist.
Dr. Libby said he doesn’t know the suspect and has not treated him, but his 50 years’ experience gives him insight.
“The guy probably has some problems just relating to women, going out with women or being sexual with them, so he’s acting out scripts that he’s learned early in childhood and he needs help to change some of those scripts so he doesn’t do it in ways that are going to get him and others in trouble,” said Dr. Libby.
Dr. Libby said between the feet, the photos, the stealing, and break-ins, there’s potentially multiple fetishes and fantasies at play for the suspect. Dr. Libby said the suspect won’t be able to manage those desires without treatment.
“I think he’s committed a crime, of course, he should be charged, but he’s not going to get the help he needs in jail, he’s going to need to get some kind of mental health help to deal with what he’s doing because he’s out of control,” he said. “We can’t leave it alone. His behavior is abhorrent and it could potentially become a danger. At least to himself and maybe to the women.”
Northness said she fears the suspect won’t ever learn to control his behavior.
“This isn’t his first time, he’s only getting better and he obviously knows how to get out without getting caught,” she said.