An Oregon man has been charged with harassment, electronic stalking, and breach of peace involving UConn women’s basketball player Paige Bueckers.
On Sept. 13, 2024, Robert Cole Parmalee, 40, was arrested by the UConn Police Department for alleged harassment and threatening statements toward several UConn employees, including Bueckers.
Parmalee, whose last known address was in Grants Pass, Ore., was previously arrested by Connecticut State Police on Aug. 27 after state troopers spotted him walking along a highway near Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn.
According to reports, he told troopers he was going to propose to Bueckers and have her expelled from school.
As early as June, Parmalee reportedly sent “rambling” emails to a UConn employee claiming to be part of the royal family with the intention of marrying Bueckers.
UConn police also reported that Parmalee made several threatening comments about Bueckers’ family on social media.
In a post on July 16, he wrote, “And if I cannot live with a woman of my choosing, Paige Bueckers, then I will choose to die, and I will choose to take all of you that pose me, oppose us, to hell, and return, king,” according to Parmalee’s personal TikTok account.
Prior to his arrests, Parmalee, who refers to himself as “Cole,” had made several other social media posts about Bueckers, including a TikTok post depicting a fabricated wedding invitation between them. The video stated that the ceremony would be held in Spokane Arena in Washington.
In another post on the day of his arrest, he wrote, “I’m coming to UConn, Paige Madison Bueckers. I’ll be in Hartford tomorrow,” according to Parmalee’s TikTok account.
At the time of his initial capture, Parmalee also had an active warrant for his arrest in Oregon for first-degree arson, in which he allegedly set a house on fire with his roommates and pets inside, according to CBS Sports.
According to the Hartford Courant, the charges against Parmalee in Oregon were dropped, while UConn police executed a separate warrant regarding the harassment of Bueckers.
Parmalee is currently held on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 22 at Connecticut Superior Court in Rockville.
