California kidnap case: Mom previously reported to police by family, report says

close

Video

Sherri Papini private investigator speaks out on case

Bill Garcia suspects sex trafficking in Northern California mom's abduction

The California mother who says she was kidnapped during a jog last November before reappearing along a freeway on Thanksgiving was previously reported to law enforcement by her family, according to documents obtained by the Sacramento Bee newspaper.

Sherri Papini's mother, Loretta Graeff, alleged to authorities in December 2003 that "had been harming herself and blaming the injuries on her," in a two sentence incident report from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office obtained by the newspaper.

The incident report did not say whether officers found evidence that Papini – then 21 years old – had in fact harmed herself.

When asked what happened by the Bee, Shasta County Sheriff’s Lt. Pat Kropholler said in an email to the newspaper that a deputy spoke with Papini's mother back in 2003 and "gave her advice."

In addition to her mother, Papini's sister and father also contacted law enforcement about her, according to the documents obtained by the Bee.  Her father alleged his daughter burglarized his residence in 2000, and her sister alleged the same year that her back door had been kicked in and she believed Papini was the suspect.

The reports provided no details about any arrests, and the sheriff’s office did not confirm to the paper if Papini had ever been charged in connection with her sister's allegation.

When asked further by the paper to answer questions about Papini's alleged abduction, Kropholler only said a detective has been assigned to the case full time and the agency is  “in contact with the Papinis on a regular basis.”

“The Papini case is still active and the investigation is ongoing,” Kropholler said in an email to the paper. “I realize there is a lot of interest in Mrs. Papini and the details of her case. However, I am sure you can understand the necessity of maintaining the integrity of the investigation. Please be assured that when it is appropriate to release any further information regarding this case we will do so.”

Papini, 34, was found waving frantically for help along a California freeway early on Thanksgiving morning. She was found battered and bruised, her hands were chained, her long blond hair had been chopped off, and her flesh had been branded with a threatening message. She told authorities that she had been kidnapped at gunpoint by two women Nov. 2 while she was out for a run near her home.

Months later, investigators have not made any arrests in the case, and no motive for a possible abduction has been publically disclosed.

Read more from The Sacramento Bee.