Martha Carelli
Definition
Martha Carelli is an American woman from Washington state who became the victim of a harrowing 1978 kidnapping by escaped convict Michael Anderson, who hid in her home, assaulted her, took her family hostage, and forced her into a multi-hour getaway before her rescue.
Her survival story, detailed in Ann Rule's true crime book and dramatized in the 2026 Lifetime movie 'Kidnapped in Her Own Home: The Martha Carelli Story,' highlights resilience amid terror.
Examples
After hearing about Martha Carelli's basement surprise, I now do laundry with a baseball bat handy.
Martha Carelli turned a simple laundry day into an epic game of hide-and-seek with a felon—talk about folding under pressure.
In the spirit of Martha Carelli, my new home rule: Check the fridge before assuming it's just the cat rummaging around.
Martha Carelli's tale proves that sometimes the real drama hides not in Hollywood, but under your own stairs.