The disappearance of a woman from Northern California shocked the close-knit community of Redding, California, more than five years ago.
Sherri Papini’s disappearance sparked a three-week manhunt. Neighbors volunteered to assist with grid searches, and law enforcement made Papini’s recovery a priority.
“Extreme pressure was placed on law enforcement,” Shasta County Sheriff Michael Johnson said.
Papini, a mother and wife, disappeared while out for a jog. Neighbors were put on edge by the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
“We used to walk, and my husband and I decided, ‘I’m not going to walk alone anymore,'” Maria Flores, a Redding resident, explained.
Bill Garcia, a private investigator, was so concerned about Papini that he offered his services to her family.
“It instilled fear in other women, particularly, that it could happen to them,” Garcia explained.
On Thanksgiving Day 2016, she was discovered bruised and beaten. Papini told authorities at the time that she was kidnapped by two Hispanic women and held at gunpoint.
She accused the women of torturing her inhumanely. The hunt began, and new fears took root in Redding, where Latinos constituted less than 10% of the population.
“She chose a specific gender within a race as the suspect. Any Hispanic woman at that time, I’m sure, is raising an eyebrow and peering inside, curious as to how she might be connected to or one of the suspects “As Johnson stated.
For many Latinos in the area, the more Papini’s story was repeated, the less they believed it.
“When they do the sketches, it’s as if she’s wearing a bandana, which, come on, we don’t do. We are familiar with the residents of our neighbourhood “Araceli Gutierrez, the radio host, stated.
After examining DNA evidence, cell phone tracking, and interviews with one of her ex-boyfriends, investigators determined that there was no kidnapping.
The investigation’s resources cost taxpayers approximately $230,000. That is money that could have been used to investigate other missing women cases.
Papini pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of lying to federal agents and mail fraud. She has not been sentenced yet.
Papini stated through her lawyer, “I am deeply ashamed of my behaviour and deeply sorry for the pain I have caused my family, my friends, all the good people who have suffered needlessly as a result of my story, and those who have worked so hard to assist me.”