Hi all,

I apologize in advance for the length of this post, and also if this is not the correct forum. It was not clear what part of the board I should post this in.

For the past few years I have been stalked -- if that is the correct word-- by an individual. I suppose the word for him is "paranoid," but I am not a doctor so I cannot say so for sure myself. It has been an occasional problem, but recently his stalking has escalated and has gotten me worried. The situation has been roughly like this:

1. A few years ago I met this person in a professional context and, in the course of that, did him a huge favor. He was extremely grateful and several times said that I had "saved his life." That is an exaggeration, but there is no question it was a big thing for him.

2. In 2000 something I did insulted him. Exactly what I don't know, as he never told me. I found out he was upset when he began writing nasty letters to third parties accusing me of "denigrating" him. The letters got worse and worse, more and more delusional --accusing me of plotting against him and "defaming" him, and being complicit in "crimes." This was back in 2000. I must emphasize that there was no truth to any of this whatsoever. I had never "denigrated" him, had no reason to do so, and had no idea what he is talking about and still don't.

3. Since then he has engaged in a sporadic letter writing campaign against me and some professional associates of mine, accusing me of bigger and bigger crimes and at one point comparing me to a "kapo in a concentration camp" (something that I, as a relative of dozens of Holocaust victims, would find particularly nauseating in anyone not so obviously sick). He accused my boss of taking a "$3 million payoff." This is really sick stuff. Since his letters are obviously crazy and delusional, they have not done me or anyone any real harm, or at least none that I know of. At the advice of a psychologist with whom I discussed this several years ago, I ignored his attacks. I was told that if I just ignored him, he would latch onto another obsession and go away.

4. My name has appeared publicly recently, and he has started again writing nasty letters about me and some of my associates (to my employer and professional groups, among others). What concerns me is not that, but that he has escalated.

He had never contacted me directly. The other day he left a threatening message on my voicemail. It was threatening in the sense of saying that "my reputation is ruined," and that I am "dead meat" (professionally--but I still don't like that word) and threatening to "sue me for defamation." All these, you will note, are things he has done against me, and not vice versa.

Obviously I would like this guy to go away, and at the very least I don't want his "hate campaign" to escalate any further, or for him to make good on his threat and force me to waste money defending against a crazy "defamation suit." (I doubt he'd find a lawyer willing to take a case based on delusions, but I can see him going pro se).

My question is this. Should I continue to ignore this person, or should I take action? Confront him in writing or by phone? Lodge a complaint against him for harassment? His phone call might be grounds for such a complaint, but I am not sure it would accomplish anything. My only aim is for him to go away, or at least to not escalate. Since he is nuts I know that ordinary and obvious things (such as a suit or threat of same) are of no value. In fact, I think he would enjoy it, as he has waged other "fights" in the past and enjoys them.

Any thoughts on this appreciated. Thanks.
Dave