A man accused of stalking and harassing University of Connecticut basketball star Paige Bueckers had an engagement ring and lingerie in his possession when he was arrested near a Connecticut airport, police reports reveal. Robert Cole Parmalee, 40, had used social media to announce his intention to marry Bueckers and sent emails to university officials expressing his obsessions and threats.
Parmalee, last known to reside in Grants Pass, Oregon, and Ritzville, Washington, was ordered held on $100,000 bail after his arraignment in Rockville, Connecticut. The court mandated that he stay away from Bueckers, referred to as “P.B.” in legal proceedings, and banned him from the UConn campus in Storrs. His public defender did not respond to a request for comment.
The incident began on August 27 when Parmalee was apprehended walking along a highway near Bradley International Airport. He told a state trooper that he had just arrived from the Pacific Northwest and was on his way to meet Bueckers at UConn. When he was found with a ring and lingerie, the trooper arrested him under a warrant from Josephine County, Oregon, for allegedly setting a home ablaze with roommates and pets inside.
Parmalee’s fixation on Bueckers became evident through his TikTok posts and emails to UConn officials since June, detailing his wish to marry her. While his initial communications did not meet the threshold for criminal behavior, his messages grew increasingly concerning over time, according to police.
The arrest warrant affidavit, which redacts the name of the UConn student, refers to her as “V1.” Parmalee’s social media posts revealed his desire to marry V1 and warned those close to her. A UConn police officer noted in the affidavit that Parmalee’s behavior had escalated, causing significant emotional distress for V1 over the past weeks.
V1 informed police that Parmalee had been sending her Instagram direct messages since February, though she had not responded as they were not immediately threatening. Her concern amplified following Parmalee’s arrest near the airport, fearing for her safety and that of her family and teammates.
In a reviewed TikTok post, Parmalee referred to a photo of Bueckers and an unnamed man, making ominous comments about sacrificing the man. Police documents cite this post among others where he mentioned bringing flowers to V1 and finding her mother’s residence. Additionally, Parmalee wrote disturbing threats, saying if he could not live with his chosen woman, he would choose death, taking others with him to hell.
Before arriving in Connecticut, Parmalee posted on TikTok, “I’m coming to UCONN Paige Madison Bueckers, I’ll be in Hartford tomorrow morning,” including a photo of himself with airline tickets.
Initially held on the arson warrant from Oregon, Parmalee now faces charges of felony stalking, misdemeanor harassment, and breach of peace by UConn police. His criminal record dates back to 2002 and includes charges of misdemeanor sexual abuse, harassment, burglary, DUI, and methamphetamine possession. Oregon police indicated they had no mental health-related calls concerning Parmalee.
