Lindsey Buckingham’s Alleged Stalker Pleads Not Guilty to Seven Charges

Michelle Dick, arrested in Indiana in April, faces charges including assault with a deadly weapon and making criminal threats against the Fleetwood Mac guitarist.

Michelle Dick, 55, appeared before a Los Angeles judge on Tuesday after quietly entering a not guilty plea to seven criminal charges stemming from an alleged years-long stalking campaign against Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. Dick, who was led into court in a jail uniform and waist shackle, is accused of repeatedly following and harassing Buckingham between October 2021 and March 2026, including throwing an unidentified substance at the 76-year-old musician in Santa Monica.

Court Appearance and Case Continuance

Dick appeared before Judge Lucy Armendariz in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. Her public defender requested additional time to review evidence and asked that the case be continued to June 23. The judge turned to Dick directly and asked whether she understood her right to a more immediate evidentiary hearing.

Dick acknowledged she understood, then began to speak before her attorney leaned over to whisper to her. ‘Yes, but I wanted to … ‘ Dick said, trailing off before agreeing to the delay. She was then led out of the courtroom, still in custody.

Dick had entered her not guilty plea on May 6, after authorities transported her back to Los Angeles County following her arrest in Indiana in April. The plea surfaced publicly via a minute order on Tuesday.

The Charges Against Dick

In an amended complaint filed April 7, prosecutors allege Dick repeatedly followed and harassed Buckingham between Oct. 9, 2021, and March 25, 2026. The charges cover a range of alleged conduct across multiple incidents.

On March 19, Dick allegedly committed assault with a deadly weapon, with the alleged weapon being a motor vehicle, and also allegedly vandalized Buckingham's Mercedes-Benz S450, which authorities claim she defaced ‘with graffiti and other inscribed material.' Six days later, on March 25, Dick allegedly tracked Buckingham to a location in Santa Monica and threw an unidentified substance at him before fleeing. A law enforcement source told Rolling Stone it was not immediately clear whether the substance was caustic. Buckingham was not injured.

Dick also faces a separate felony charge of making a criminal threat against Buckingham on Dec. 20, 2024. She had been subject to a restraining order requiring her to stay at least 100 yards away from the musician at the time of the March incidents, which is why she was arrested after the alleged confrontation.

Swatting Incident and Restraining Order

About a month before the December 2024 criminal threat charge, Buckingham sought a restraining order against Dick, alleging years of harassment and linking her to a swatting incident in November 2024. According to court filings, Dick allegedly called 911 and falsely reported that Buckingham's son was suicidal and that gunshots had been fired at the family's Brentwood home, prompting a large police response.

Buckingham described the experience in a statement to the court obtained by Rolling Stone. ‘When I answered the door, I was handcuffed and asked to step outside,' he wrote. ‘After 20 minutes of the police searching my house … I was let back into my house, shaken and fearful.'

An LAPD detective later contacted Dick using the same phone number and said she admitted making the call, according to court filings. A judge granted the restraining order in December 2024, requiring Dick to stay away from Buckingham, his wife, and his son for five years.

Buckingham alleged the harassment began in 2021 with repeated phone calls, threats, and what he described as delusional claims that he was Dick's father. He also accused Dick of targeting his family and showing up outside his homes in Los Angeles.

What we know

• Michelle Dick, 55, pleaded not guilty on May 6 to seven criminal charges related to an alleged stalking campaign against Lindsey Buckingham.
• Dick appeared in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday; her public defender requested the case be continued to June 23.
• Dick was arrested in Indiana in April after allegedly confronting Buckingham in Santa Monica on March 25, in violation of a restraining order requiring her to stay at least 100 yards away from him.
• Prosecutors allege Dick battered Buckingham and made criminal threats on March 25, and committed assault with a deadly weapon using a motor vehicle on March 19.
• Dick allegedly vandalized Buckingham's Mercedes-Benz S450 on March 19, defacing it with graffiti and other inscribed material.
• Dick faces a separate felony charge of making a criminal threat against Buckingham on Dec. 20, 2024.
• Court filings allege Dick called 911 in November 2024 and falsely reported that Buckingham's son was suicidal and that gunshots had been fired at the family's Brentwood home.
• A judge granted Buckingham a five-year restraining order in December 2024, covering Buckingham, his wife, and his son.

The take

Stalking cases involving high-profile musicians are, unfortunately, a recurring feature of the industry's darker side. From John Lennon's murder by an obsessed fan in 1980 to more recent restraining-order proceedings involving artists across genres, the pattern of a fan developing a delusional fixation on a performer is well-documented and taken increasingly seriously by law enforcement and the courts. What makes the Buckingham case notable, beyond the severity of the alleged conduct, is the breadth of the alleged campaign: swatting, vehicle assault, vandalism, and physical confrontation across a span of roughly four and a half years. Swatting in particular has emerged as a dangerous escalation tactic in stalking cases, weaponizing law enforcement response against the target. Buckingham's own written account of being handcuffed at his front door illustrates how traumatic that tactic can be regardless of physical injury. The five-year restraining order granted in December 2024 was clearly not sufficient to deter the alleged conduct that followed in March 2026, which raises broader questions about the enforcement mechanisms available to protect public figures from persistent, escalating harassment. The case now moves toward a June 23 hearing as Dick remains in custody.

Why it matters

For Classic Rock fans, Buckingham remains one of the most distinctive guitarists and songwriters of his generation, and news of a prolonged alleged stalking campaign underscores the very real personal dangers that come with decades of public visibility. Beyond the individual case, the alleged use of swatting as a harassment tool against a legacy artist highlights a growing threat that law enforcement and the music industry are still developing adequate responses to. The outcome of this case could influence how similar stalking prosecutions involving musicians are pursued in California.

What's next

The case has been continued to June 23, when Dick is expected to return to court. She remains in custody in the interim. The amended complaint covers alleged conduct through March 25, 2026, and prosecutors are pursuing seven charges in total, with the separate felony criminal threat charge from December 2024 also part of the proceedings.

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