Hoax Declared in Ind. Missing Girl Case (Policewoman was hoaxer)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20030730_1299.html

A woman who called the parents of a missing girl and claimed she may be their long-lost daughter was charged Wednesday with committing a cruel hoax.

Donna L. Walker, 35, of Topeka, Kan., was charged with identity deception and false reporting. Her whereabouts were not known on Wednesday, authorities said.

Walker called the parents of Shannon Marie Sherrill, who vanished in 1986 at age 6 as she played hide-and-seek, and also is believed to have contacted news organizations to spread word about the possible break in the case, said state police 1st Sgt. Dave Bursten.

Sherrill's father, William Michael Sherrill, broke down in tears during a news conference announcing that the call was a hoax.

"I wasn't expecting this at all," he said. "I thought they were going to bring Shannon in here."

[molly]

1. That is one of the meanest - low-life things I've ever heard

hope the woman goes to jail and get sued.

[Demobrat]

2. Honestly. What on earth could have been her motivation?

What did those poor people ever do to her?

[Mel]

4. I'm thinking

the woman that did this is mentally ill it's possible and yes what she did was darn mean!

[alphafemale]

3. unbelieveable! Is she mentally ill or something?

What would motivate someone to pull such a shitty stunt??

:mad:

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

5. A rather novel form of...

something like Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, or Histrionic Personality Disorder, methinks...

[mjb4]

6. Only time police go to jail

no for beating the shit out of a kid, but for hoaxes. The Repuke party=the Ba'aths.

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

7. How awful :-(

What a vile hoax... I can't imagine how twisted someone must be to do this.

[Democat]

8. Where does it say a police officer was the hoaxer?

I read the article and did not see where it said that the person who made the false claim was a police woman.