Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

Chicago: Grandmother rescued from 17-hour hostage ordeal after police were alerted because she missed a Wordle game

Chicago: Grandmother rescued from 17-hour hostage ordeal after police were alerted because she missed a Wordle game

The victim's daughter grew concerned that she hadn't responded to texts - or sent her the daily Wordle puzzle.

A Chicago grandmother was rescued from a 17-hour hostage ordeal after her daughter noticed she had not completed her daily Wordle puzzle.

Denyse Holt, 80, was alone when a naked intruder entered her home, on Morse Avenue, at 3am last Sunday and awoke her brandishing a pair of scissors.

Suspect James H Davis III, 32, then collected all the telephones and mobile phones within the house, preventing Ms Holt from contacting anyone.

James H Davis III allegedly broke into Denyse Holt's home at 3am last Sunday.


She was then locked in the basement bathroom with a chair securing the door.

Davis then allegedly took knives from the kitchen and retreated to the second floor of her home.

On Sunday evening, the victim's daughter, Meredith Holt-Caldwell, grew concerned that her mother hadn't responded to texts - or sent her the daily Wordle puzzle, which was out of character. She called a neighbour, who contacted the police to conduct a well-being check.

At 9.40pm, officers found a broken window on the first floor of the single-family home, along with visible blood on the scene.

Ms Holt was immediately taken to safety where she was found to be physically unharmed.

"I didn't think I was going to live," Ms Holt told CBS News.

With no windows, and in darkness, she said she did exercises in the 17-hours of captivity.

"I was doing marching and stretching as much as I could."

She added: "I didn't send my older daughter a Wordle in the morning. And that was disconcerting to her."

Police said they also discovered Davis at the property. After unsuccessfully using a Taser on him, a SWAT team was sent into the home. He was detained just before 3am on Monday.

It is believed Davis had been suffering mental health issues when he discarded his clothes and broke into the victim's residence.

He now faces several felony charges - including aggravated kidnapping while armed, home invasion with a dangerous weapon and assault of an officer.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
×