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CNN Live At Daybreak

Cruel Hoax

Aired July 31, 2003 - 05:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Victimized a second time, the family of a child missing for 17 years gets an unexpected ray of hope only to find out later they were suckered into a hoax.
David Mattingly has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After 16 years and 10 months of heartache, the Sherrill family dared to believe it was possible their long lost daughter could soon come home. But then, the terrible truth.

SGT. DAVE BURSTEN, INDIANA STATE POLICE: After exhaustive investigation it has been determined that the woman who contacted Dorothy Sherrill claiming to be Shannon Marie Sherrill, who was abducted in Thorntown, Indiana on October 5, 1986, was actually the perpetrator of a cruel hoax.

MATTINGLY: According to Indiana State Police, a Topeka, Kansas woman, for reasons unknown, claimed to be three different people in an elaborate attempt to pass herself off as Shannon Sherrill.

LT. JEFF HECK, INDIANA STATE POLICE: I don't know if I, I probably have never seen anything like this and I can tell you four days later or four days into this, I hope I never see anything like it again.

MATTINGLY: Shannon was abducted without a trace in 1986 at the age of six. She'd be 23 next month. But her age enhanced photos bear little similarity to the 35-year-old suspect identified as Donna Walker.

TODD MEYER, BOONE COUNTY PROSECUTOR: The judge could agree wholeheartedly with my argument and give this woman the maximum sentence. But the maximum, according to the laws of Indiana, are four years. And perhaps that's something that, you know, as a state, the legislators, we need to look at.

MATTINGLY: Shannon's father, Mike Sherrill, was not told of the deception until minutes before the police announcement.

MIKE SHERRILL: I thought they were going to bring Shannon in here. I thought this was something.

MATTINGLY: Devastated, and saying it was like he lost Shannon for a second time, the grieving father still finds a reason for hope. All the attention on Shannon, he says, might produce future leads.

SHERRILL: I'm hoping that her picture gets out again and everybody starts looking for her again. The next time I hope it's not going to be a hoax.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired July 31, 2003 - 05:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Victimized a second time, the family of a child missing for 17 years gets an unexpected ray of hope only to find out later they were suckered into a hoax.
David Mattingly has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After 16 years and 10 months of heartache, the Sherrill family dared to believe it was possible their long lost daughter could soon come home. But then, the terrible truth.

SGT. DAVE BURSTEN, INDIANA STATE POLICE: After exhaustive investigation it has been determined that the woman who contacted Dorothy Sherrill claiming to be Shannon Marie Sherrill, who was abducted in Thorntown, Indiana on October 5, 1986, was actually the perpetrator of a cruel hoax.

MATTINGLY: According to Indiana State Police, a Topeka, Kansas woman, for reasons unknown, claimed to be three different people in an elaborate attempt to pass herself off as Shannon Sherrill.

LT. JEFF HECK, INDIANA STATE POLICE: I don't know if I, I probably have never seen anything like this and I can tell you four days later or four days into this, I hope I never see anything like it again.

MATTINGLY: Shannon was abducted without a trace in 1986 at the age of six. She'd be 23 next month. But her age enhanced photos bear little similarity to the 35-year-old suspect identified as Donna Walker.

TODD MEYER, BOONE COUNTY PROSECUTOR: The judge could agree wholeheartedly with my argument and give this woman the maximum sentence. But the maximum, according to the laws of Indiana, are four years. And perhaps that's something that, you know, as a state, the legislators, we need to look at.

MATTINGLY: Shannon's father, Mike Sherrill, was not told of the deception until minutes before the police announcement.

MIKE SHERRILL: I thought they were going to bring Shannon in here. I thought this was something.

MATTINGLY: Devastated, and saying it was like he lost Shannon for a second time, the grieving father still finds a reason for hope. All the attention on Shannon, he says, might produce future leads.

SHERRILL: I'm hoping that her picture gets out again and everybody starts looking for her again. The next time I hope it's not going to be a hoax.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com