I don’t know what is wrong with some people

For a case I’m adding today, there’s going to be info about a woman who knowingly provided false information in a case. The story left me shaking my head in disgust.

This is hardly the first time a person has provided false information in a missing persons case, but usually there’s a reason that makes sense. Usually, the person who is lying is trying to protect themselves or somebody else.

In this case, however, this lady was not a suspect. In fact, there were no suspects. This case isn’t a crime as far as anyone knows: the guy disappeared while hiking alone in a national park. And then along comes this “witness” and her detailed story about seeing the missing man, and having a conversation with him about where he planned to go next in his hike.

Her false information derailed the search for the guy. The authorities estimate they spent over $17,000 and many, many hours looking for this missing man in the wrong place before they finally realized the witness was lying. Meanwhile, the poor missing man was, if still alive by this point, presumably lost or injured somewhere and not getting help.

I don’t know if this was an attention seeker or what. (If it was, she needs to go therapy or something and find out what made her do that.) But it’s absolutely disgusting.

She was charged with filing a false report, but reached a deferred prosecution agreement where she will pay back restitution and is banned from the park for five years. It doesn’t seem to be enough.

There are STILL fliers and stuff for this guy floating around on the internet with her fake sighting listed on them as the last time anyone saw or heard from this man.