Denyse Holt, an 80-year-old grandmother and former middle school teacher who lives in Lincolnwood, Ill., plays Wordle – the popular online word game – every day and always posts her score.
When she failed to share a Wordle win over the weekend, Holt’s daughters knew something was wrong from their homes on the West Coast, according to the Chicago Tribune. In addition to the missing score, which shows how many tries it took a player to guess a five-letter word, their mother wasn’t responding to texts.
So, they called her neighbor in Lincolnwood and asked her to check on Holt’s house and car. There was no answer.
By Sunday evening, Lincolnwood police said charges were pending against a man who allegedly broke into her home and held her captive, according to WBBM. He broke through a window at around 1 a.m. Sunday.
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Reports described the intruder as a 32-year-old naked man who got into bed with Holt and threatened her with scissors. He has been identified as James H. Davis III of Chicago.
Lincolnwood Deputy Police Chief Travis Raypole said officers responded to a well-being check for an 80-year-old woman in the 4600 block of Morse around 9 p.m. Sunday night. Upon arrival at the home, police noticed the broken window.
According to the Tribune, there was also blood at the scene, suggesting a break in. Officers used a neighbor’s key to enter the home.
“I’m here,” Holt called when they asked if anyone was home. She had been barricaded inside a bathroom in her basement by the intruder. Davis allegedly took away Holt’s phones when he forced her into the bathroom and blocked the door with a chair.
Overall, she was trapped for nearly 21 hours and her daughters believe it was their mother’s calm that kept her alive.
“She’s amazing,” said Meredith Holt-Caldwell, one of her daughters. “She doesn’t really know how she was able to remain that calm. She just kind of played along and made him feel as though he was in charge.”
“You’re the captain. I’m on your team,” Holt told Davis at one point. When she told him his threats scared her, Davis reportedly threw away the scissors and said he wouldn’t hurt her.
Police found him in an upstairs bedroom of the house after they got Holt to safety. He was armed with knives and refused to surrender. Eventually, they disabled him with Taser shock and called in a SWAT team through the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System to arrest Davis just before 3 a.m. Monday.
He was transported to a hospital for observation and treatment for cuts received when he allegedly broke through the window. Holt was not injured.
Davis has been charged with home invasion with a dangerous weapon, a class X felony; aggravated kidnapping while armed with a dangerous weapon, a class X felony; and two counts of aggravated assault against a peace officer, a class 4 felony. Davis was held without bond at the Cook County Jail.
Police believe Davis may have been going through a mental health crisis. His last known address was on the 700 block of North Dearborn Avenue.
Every room in the home, where Holt raised her children, was stained with blood from the invasion.
After the ordeal, Holt stayed at a friend’s house. Soon, her daughter arrived on an overnight flight.
“Lincolnwood police were so wonderful, they made her feel so safe,” Holt-Caldwell said. “They did such an incredible job. They’re part of the reason she’s here today.”
Holt-Caldwell said the experience should serve as a warning to others to check in on loved ones who live far away.
“Don’t be lackadaisical. You can do something from 3,500 miles away. You can save lives and make a difference. Have a plan in place. If there’s weird behavior that doesn’t match, do some investigating,” even if it something as simple as a missing Wordle score, she said.
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