Days of Our Lives Spoilers: Who Snatches Kristen DiMera? Breaking Down the Top Summer Kidnapping Suspects

Kristen DiMera is running absolutely rampant all over Salem, leaving a trail of pure devastation, broken hearts, and literal bodies in her wake. From betraying her closest allies to committing cold-blooded murder, Stacy Haiduk’s character has been operating at an peak level of atrocity. However, a massive reckoning is officially locked in. Days of Our Lives viewers know from the explosive big summer promo that Kristen’s reign of terror is coming to a grinding halt when she is suddenly snatched and kidnapped.

This impending abduction is set to officially bring an end to Stacy Haiduk’s current run on the daytime drama. While the promo confirms her capture, the million-dollar question remains: who is the mastermind behind the snatching? While there is one glaringly obvious prime suspect, Salem is filled with vengeful residents who have more than enough motive to take the DiMera diva off the canvas.

EJ DiMera Seeks a Permanent Solution to the Kristen Problem

When evaluating who has the most immediate, burning desire to neutralize Kristen, EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) stands out as the most obvious candidate. Now, seasoned soap fans know that an elite DiMera like EJ isn’t exactly the type to roll up his sleeves and physically grab Kristen himself. He prefers to keep his own hands perfectly clean, utilizing a network of loyal minions to handle messy tasks like high-profile kidnappings.

EJ’s motivation for punishment is incredibly deep. Kristen has somehow convinced herself that attempting to murder EJ’s son, Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman), was a completely appropriate act of retaliation. She blames EJ for the fact that her deeply troubled young daughter, Rachel Black (Lorelei Olivia Mote), was sent away to a specialized facility after the child literally shot EJ. In reality, Kristen’s own toxic, unhinged parenting is the true catalyst for every rotten choice young Rachel has made.

EJ’s fury is bound to skyrocket to an entirely new level once he uncovers that Kristen has been secretly orchestrating plans behind his back to meet up with Sydney DiMera (Evelyn Stephenson) in Paris. Whether Kristen intends to physically harm Sydney or simply poison the young girl’s mind with toxic trash talk to make her despise her father, EJ will absolutely not stand for it.

If EJ decides he has finally had enough, fans are wondering if he might have his hired thugs vanish Kristen to the remote shores of DiMera Island, lock her inside a dark crypt, or permanently eliminate her with arsenic-tainted Coriseal. He wants a definitive, permanent solution to his sister problem, making him the most logical mastermind.

Will a Betrayed Gwen Rizczech Take Out the Trash?

While EJ has the institutional power, Gwen Rizczech (Emily O’Brien) possesses the raw, emotional sting of a ultimate personal betrayal. Gwen genuinely, naively believed that Kristen was her true friend—an inherently dangerous assumption to make about any DiMera, let alone Kristen. Gwen’s history of blind faith and a deeply fractured childhood has repeatedly led her to place her trust in entirely the wrong people.

Viewers will remember that Gwen was naive enough to buy Dimitri von Leuschner (Peter Porte) and Leo Stark’s (Greg Rikaart) ridiculous Madonna concert cover story after practically walking in on them hooking up during her own honeymoon. She similarly trusted EJ to honor the explicit terms of their business deal. But Kristen sleeping with Xander Cook Kiriakis (Paul Telfer) was the absolute final straw.

During a recent confrontation, Kristen added insult to injury by cruelly mocking Gwen’s inability to satisfy Xander in the bedroom. A furious Gwen openly declared to Leo that she was going to kill Kristen. Viewers are now wondering if Gwen might tap into the exact same underground resources that were previously utilized to kidnap her cheating husband, Dimitri. It seems highly possible that a snapped Gwen could subject Kristen to that exact same treatment.

Amy and Jason Choi Avenge Sophia’s Cold-Blooded Murder

Another deeply grieving mother has a bulletproof motive to seek severe vengeance. Kristen crossed an unforgivable line when she killed Sophia Choi (Rachel Boyd), who ironically happened to be her own daughter’s best friend. Right now, Sophia’s grieving mother, Amy Choi (Shi Ne Nielsen), is mistakenly placing the blame for her daughter’s apparent suicide on Holly Jonas (Ashley Puzemis).

However, the audience knows the dark truth: Kristen intensely gaslit Sophia into executing her dirty work in the failed attempt on Johnny’s life, and ultimately killed the girl when the plot went sideways. It feels inevitable that Sophia’s body will eventually wash up somewhere, revealing a fractured skull caused by a rock—proving this was a case of homicide, not suicide.

If EJ eventually pieces this mystery together, it seems highly likely he would present the evidence to Amy to get her to drop her current lawsuit against Holly. Once Amy realizes who truly stole her daughter’s life, she will want absolute retribution. With the show previously casting an actor to play Jason Choi and barely utilizing him, fans are speculating that he might return to act as the raw muscle. Together, Amy and Jason could easily snatch Kristen to subject her to a high-intensity torture dynamic, perhaps mirroring the infamous treatment Eve Donovan (Kassie DePaiva) inflicted upon Ben Weston (Robert Scott Wilson) years ago.

Long Shots and Celebrity Cameos: From Chanel to John Oliver

The list of potential culprits doesn’t stop there. If Chanel Dupree (Raven Bowens) discovers that crazy Kristen actively tried to murder her beloved husband Johnny, she and her powerful mother, Paulina Price (Jackée Harry), would be completely furious. While they aren’t the typical Salem residents you expect to see engaging in illegal abductions, anything is possible in daytime television.

Alternatively, Theo Carver (Tyler Joseph Andrews) might emerge as an unexpected candidate. As a DiMera who desperately wishes to see his family name cleansed of its violent, sketchy reputation, Theo might see a lengthy, harmless “timeout” on a remote island as the perfect way to teach Kristen a lesson without causing her actual physical harm.

Finally, the show may be setting up a wildly creative twist tied to a highly anticipated celebrity guest star. Late-night host John Oliver is slated for a special Days of Our Lives cameo this August, right around the time this summer kidnapping is scheduled to unfold.

We know Kristen has been making frequent, unusual calls to Sydney. Sydney would almost certainly report this strange behavior to her mother, Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney). A protective Sami would naturally ask EJ what is going on, prompting EJ to reveal that Kristen tried to kill Johnny and poses a clear and present danger to Sydney. Viewers know Sami is currently engaged to a mysterious, unseen man named Dante Vitali. Given that the Vitali family name carries immense criminal weight in Salem, Dante would have the immediate resources to eliminate a threat to his future stepdaughter.

Fans are wildly speculating if John Oliver’s upcoming summer cameo could actually see him step into the shoes of Dante Vitali to snatch the DiMera diva and grant Sami total peace of mind.

Which vengeful Salem resident will ultimately be revealed as the one who successfully takes down Kristen DiMera this summer?