Salem is entering. One of the darkest nightmares of early 2026. As the stalking-and-kidnapping storyline surrounding Stephanie Johnson unfolds, revealing increasingly terrifying secrets, according to the latest revelations, Days of Our Lives There isn’t just one haunting in the shadows, but quite possibly…A clandestine network of manipulation is operating behind Owen Kent..

And if that’s true, then Stephanie was never really safe.

Owen Kent Returns – Nightmares from the Past Awaken

What the audience suspected has finally been confirmed:Owen Kent The man who terrorized Stephanie over 20 years ago is the stalker lurking around Salem. He’s not just watching, he’s also…directly involved in the plot to poison Alex Kiriakis and tried to break into Stephanie’s hotel room during her book promotion trip to Chicago.

In the winter trailer, the image of Owen wearing a black hoodie, silently watching from Salem Square on New Year’s Eve, sent chills down viewers’ spines. Even more frightening, Steve Johnson will face Owen in a completely unexpected moment., when he believed he was confronting another suspect.

But the biggest question still hangs in the air: Is Owen receiving any help?

Jeremy Horton: Suspect or Scabbard?

The first name to be dragged into the whirlwind of suspicion was Jeremy Horton His toxic past with Stephanie made him the most “easily convicted” suspect in the eyes of Alex, Steve, and even Jada.

However, all the factual evidence… doesn’t match. Jeremy insists he’s changed, is living peacefully, teaching, and trying to rebuild his life. Even as a series of incidents unfold – from sick fan letters, the Salem Singles dating app hack, to the attack on Alex by someone dressed like Jeremy –There is no evidence to suggest that Jeremy was the perpetrator..

OnlyJulie WilliamsShe trusted him unconditionally and vowed to help clear Jeremy’s name. But in Salem, trust can sometimes be a double-edged sword.

Joy Wesley: The Forgotten Mother or the Brain in the Shadows?

Another theory is sending chills down the spines of DAYS fans: Joy Wesley.

Joy once left Salem in secret, carrying an unexploded bomb – Alex Kiriakis’s child She lied about not being pregnant, cutting off all contact with Alex and Stephanie. But what if Joy had given birth? What if she returned with a single goal in mind? Remove Stephanie from Alex’s life.?

Spoilers reveal that the stalker received advice on the Anastasia Sands forum:“Don’t kill Alex, that will cause trouble.”That’s advice that sounds very… reasonable. And Joy has perfectly good reasons for giving it.

Vivian Alamain and the Ghost of DiMera: A Bigger Conspiracy Emerging?

It’s impossible not to mention it Vivian Alamain– A master manipulator, the mastermind behind countless kidnappings, revenge plots, and acts of sabotage. With a deep-seated hatred for the Kiriakis family and intricate connections to DiMera, Vivian is perfectly capable of being the culprit.Funding, concealing, or manipulating Owen to stir up Salem.

The theories even go further:a loyal DiMera, a former henchman, or even E.J. DiMera – the person who hired Owen to kidnap Stephanie years ago – may have lured Owen out of hiding to serve a new revenge plan.

Don’t forget: Owen once escaped after a staged “prison car accident.” Salem never believed it was a coincidence.

Stephanie is about to marry Alex – but will she have time to say “I do”?

Stephanie Johnson is expected to marry Alex Kiriakis in 2026. But with Owen lurking, and with unseen allies potentially behind him, Will that wedding ever happen?

A kidnapping is being planned. A “Pretty Rider” is being hunted. And Salem stands at the brink of disaster. Even a small mistake can lead to an irreversible tragedy..