Netflix viewers 'sworn off online dating' forever after true crime thriller ends in unsolved murder
WARNING: Spoilers lie ahead!
With modern day dating being almost impossible to navigate, and organic 'meet-cutes' seemingly a thing of the past, it's no surprise that millions of singletons turn to online dating in the hope of finding that special someone.
That's exactly what divorced mechanic and father-of-two Dave Krouper had in mind when he signed up to popular dating site Plenty Of Fish back in 2012, after moving to a new state to be near his ex and their children.
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Though he didn't set his sights on a serious relationship - wanting to focus more on his kids - he did hope to meet a companion with similar values to his, with whom he'd be able to spend quality time.
What Dave never expected, however, was that his romantic endeavour would soon result in blood being spilled and a missing body.
We are, of course, talking about the plot of Netflix's latest true crime thriller Lover, Stalker, Killer, which dropped onto the streaming service today after months of anticipation.
The 1 hour 30 minute-long original documentary lets viewers in on this twisted tale of torture, obsession, digital deviance and murder in America's midwest.
And since its release - just a mere number of hours ago - millions of viewers around the world claim the thriller has sworn them off online dating for life...
After initially struggling to find a match, two popped up at once for Nebraska-newbie, Dave. He struck up a physical connection with animal-lover and fellow parent Liz, and the pair embarked on a 'friends with benefits' relationship.
Though all was going well for the duo, Dave soon came across mother-of-one Cari, after he fixed her car at his garage, finding her attractive but believing it best to avoid asking her out whilst dating Liz.
It wasn't until later, when the garage-owner stumbled across Cari's online dating profile that they met up, with Dave calling it quits with Liz and spending time with his new beau.
After a while, however, Dave became worried about their romance moving slightly too fast - despite feeling a deep connection with her - and he asked to take the intensity down a notch.
It was then that an outraged heartbroken Cari began sending a string of abusive, threatening texts and emails to Dave.
Though they never met in person again, she claimed to be watching his every move, with the texts becoming increasingly more sinister over the next three years.
"You’ve ruined my life," one read, whilst another told him, "I will destroy your life and take your happiness".
Things then went from bad to worse for Dave - who had begun dating Liz again - after Cari keyed her car, set her house on fire and burn her beloved pets to death.
Calling it quits again with Liz - this time, out of fear for her safety - Dave became increasingly worried about his former flame's erratic behaviour.
Having reached boiling point, he sought the help of his local police department and a private investigator.
But in a startling plot twist, upon investigation, Cari's mum claimed she hadn't heard from her daughter - who suffered with bipolar disorder - since she began dating Dave.
As those who've already sank their teeth into this murder mystery will know, officers later track where the heart-stopping texts and emails have been coming from... Liz's computer.
Unaware of what the police know about her, she even goes as far as to shoot herself in the leg, claiming Cari had done it.
Investigators then discovered a photo of Cari's decomposing foot - complete with unique tattoo - on Liz's iPad, and find traces of copious amounts of blood in Cari's car.
Liz was then arrested, and has since been serving a life sentence in Nebraska Correctional Center for Women.
And it certainly sounds as though Netflix's latest instalment has resonated with its viewers, having raised awareness of the dangers of online dating.
"Yall better watch Lover Stalker Killer and learn to play with the right ones," one viewer penned on Twitter today.
Another wrote: "I’m watching this lover, stalker, killer show on Netflix. And yes this is my fear dating lmao the guy in there said 'no matter how good you get along with someone, you don’t really know who they are'. That goes with anyone really. But yes not only are you dealing with that person"
"Lover, Stalker, Killer on Netflix is an absolute mind f**k holy s**t", a third wrote.
Topics: True Crime, Crime, Netflix, TV And Film
Rhianna Benson