Sherri Papini kidnapping hoax
Sherri Papini, an American woman, gained notoriety after disappearing on November 2, 2016, while reportedly jogging near her home in Redding, California. At the time of her disappearance, she was 34 years old. Surprisingly, three weeks later, on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, she reappeared, claiming to have been freed by her captors at 4:30 in the morning. She was found still restrained on the side of County Road 17 near Interstate 5 in Yolo County, approximately 150 miles (240 km) south of where she vanished.
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The case attracted significant media attention, and national law enforcement experts expressed doubts and confusion due to the unusual details and inconsistencies surrounding her reported abduction.
In August 2020, when questioned by a federal agent and a detective from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, Sherri Papini maintained her story, even after being warned that lying to a federal agent is a crime. However, it was revealed that she had received over $30,000 from the California Victim Compensation Board between 2017 and 2021, leading to her being charged with mail fraud.
Subsequently, on March 3, 2022, Papini was arrested for making false statements to federal law enforcement officers and for mail fraud. The Department of Justice concluded that she had fabricated the entire abduction story. It was later discovered that during the time she claimed to be missing, she was actually staying with a former boyfriend, James Reyes, and had inflicted harm upon herself to lend credibility to her lies.
Following her arrest, Papini was released from jail on March 9, 2022, on a $120,000 bond, surrendering her passport. Both she and her lawyer declined to comment on the allegations against her. Initially facing up to 25 years in prison for the charges of mail fraud and lying to a federal officer, Papini eventually signed a plea deal six weeks after her arrest, confessing that she had orchestrated the entire hoax. Consequently, in September 2022, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $300,000.
Early Life of Sherri Papini
Sherri Louise Graeff was born on June 11, 1982. In October 2009, she married Keith Papini. The couple was blessed with two children, a son, and a daughter. However, on March 3, 2022, the same day Sherri was arrested on federal charges, the couple decided to separate. Following Sherri’s plea of guilty to fraud charges in April 2022, Keith filed for divorce from his wife and also sought sole custody of their children.
Sherri Papini’s Agenda
On November 2, 2016, Keith Papini, Sherri’s husband, grew concerned when he returned home from his job at Best Buy and discovered that his wife was not there. Using the “Find My iPhone” application, he traced her cell phone and earbuds to an intersection at Sunrise Drive and Old Oregon Trail, approximately one mile from their home.
Sherri Papini shared her harrowing experience with the Shasta County Sheriff, Tom Bosenko. According to her accounts, she was held captive by two Hispanic women who took measures to conceal their identities, either by wearing masks or keeping her head covered. During her captivity, she was branded on her right shoulder, although the specifics of the brand remained undisclosed. Sherri mentioned that it resembled a verse from the Book of Exodus, but she could not provide concrete evidence to support this claim. Additionally, she stated that she endured physical abuse, including a broken nose, and her hair being cut off, and she weighed a mere 87 pounds (40 kg) upon her release.
The investigation was active at that time, and authorities were on the lookout for a dark-colored SUV carrying two Hispanic females armed with a handgun. To gather more information, detectives obtained close to 20 search warrants, some even in Michigan, and scrutinized cellphone records, bank accounts, email, and social media profiles. The FBI also lent its assistance to the case.
Notably, Sherri Papini was found with both male and female DNA on her, but neither matched her or her husband. The FBI examined these samples through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) but found no matches. In March 2022, it was revealed that the DNA found on her clothing matched that of an ex-boyfriend, James Reyes. He confirmed that Sherri stayed with him at his residence in Southern California during the period she was allegedly kidnapped.
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On March 3, 2022, Sherri Papini was taken into custody by the FBI following accusations of lying to federal agents and fabricating her own kidnapping. The alleged purpose behind this elaborate deception was to spend time with her ex-boyfriend, apart from her husband and family. Six weeks after her arrest, Papini decided to sign a plea deal, confessing that she had orchestrated the entire hoax.
As a result of her actions, in September 2022, she received a sentence of 18 months in prison and was also fined $300,000.
Sherri Papini’s Spotlight
During the time of her alleged kidnapping, Papini’s disappearance garnered significant attention from national news outlets, leading to extensive coverage on various media platforms. Prominent shows such as Good Morning America, 20/20, True Crime Daily, MSNBC, NBC Evening News, Inside Edition, ABC Evening News, The Today Show, The Daily Mail, Primetime Justice on HLN, Us Weekly, Fox News, and People Magazine featured the story.
However, after the truth behind the purported kidnapping came to light and it was confirmed to be a hoax, the case once again made headlines across national media. News outlets such as ABC Evening News, CBS Mornings, Good Morning America, NBC News, CNBC, Dr. Phil, Inside Edition, USA Today, Court TV, People Magazine, and The Today Show covered the revelations.
Moreover, the Papini case became the subject of in-depth examinations in several television programs and podcasts. It was profiled in an episode of Dateline NBC titled “The Curious Case of Sherri Papini,” as well as Reelz Investigates: Sherri Papini, HLN Investigates “Runaway Mom: The Sherri Papini Story,” and Oxygen’s “Sherri Papini: Lies, Lies, and More Lies.”
Furthermore, the first scripted film inspired by the hoax, titled “Hoax: The Kidnapping of Sherri Papini,” was released in 2023 as a Lifetime television movie, with Jaime King portraying Sherri Papini. The lead detective in the film was depicted as a female character played by Lossen Chambers, while in real life, the lead detective was Shasta County Sheriff Sergeant Kyle Wallace.
