January 1, Popular Word Game Saves Woman’s Life

An Illinois woman was saved from a hostage situation after her daughter suspected something was wrong when she hadn’t sent her regular Wordle update.

Denyse Holt, 80, had been held hostage for nearly 17 hours after a naked man broke into her home in Lincolnwood.

James H. Davis III, 32, reportedly entered Holt’s home, dragged her around the house, and disconnected her phone lines before locking her in the basement bathroom.

“I didn’t think I was going to live,” Holt said.

Holt’s daughter contacted police to conduct a welfare check when she realized that her mom had not sent her score for the daily word puzzle Wordle.

“I didn’t send my older daughter a Wordle in the morning and that was disconcerting to her,” Holt said.

When local authorities arrived on the scene, they discovered a broken window and found the suspect on the second floor of Holt’s home with multiple knives. They safely removed Holt from her basement, and she did not sustain any injuries.

Davis faces felony charges, including home invasion with a dangerous weapon, aggravated kidnapping while armed with a dangerous weapon, and aggravated assault against a peace officer.

Wordle, a puzzle game in which players have six chances to guess a five-letter word, has grown wildly popular in the last few months, with hundreds of thousands of players daily who often post their scores on social media platforms.

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‘I Was Trying To Survive’: Lincolnwood Woman Tells Her Story After A Man Was Charged After Holding Her Against Her Will