Oregon man pleads guilty to stalking UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers

An Oregon man pleaded guilty Wednesday in a Connecticut superior court to stalking and harassing University of Connecticut basketball star guard Paige Bueckers, ESPN reported.

Robert Cole Parmalee, 40, of Grants Pass, was arrested in September on charges of breach of peace, stalking and second-degree harassment of Bueckers.

A protective order will remain in place until 2064, according to court records.

Parmalee received a one-year suspended sentence and three years probation, during which time he is barred from Connecticut and any arenas, hotels or practice facilities where the UConn basketball team is present, according to ESPN.

UConn campus police became aware of Parmalee in June after he allegedly sent “rambling” emails to university staff that said he was trying to marry a member of the basketball team, according to ESPN. Parmalee also is identified as “Parmelee.”

Parmalee also posted on social media about wanting to marry Bueckers, including sharing a post with a fake wedding invitation and posting pictures of him with an engagement ring on his tongue. In an August TikTok post, Parmalee wrote, “I’m coming to UCONN Paige Madison Bueckers, I’ll be in Hartford tomorrow morning,” shared photos of himself at an airport with tickets.

Oregon court records show Parmalee has a history of criminal charges going back to 2002, including sexual abuse, harassment, driving under the influence and possession of methamphetamines.

In 2023, he was arrested after his roommates alleged he set the house on fire in Josephine County in order to get money for a bigger house, court records show. The case was dismissed after a certified mental health evaluator found him unable to aid and assist in his own defense.

The evaluator reported Parmalee appeared to be displaying a psychotic disorder and likely a schizophrenia spectrum disorder.

Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at ifunk@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @isabeldfunk