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![Bethany_Storro]()
2010: Bethany Storro of Washington State claimed that an anonymous woman approached her outside a local Starbucks and said, "Hey, pretty girl, want something to drink?" then threw acid in her face. But after police started asking more questions about the case, Storro admitted that she fabricated the story of a stranger's attack and she did it to herself. She now may face charges of falsely reporting a police report.![The Heenes]()
2009: Parents of six-year-old boy Falcon Heene claimed he was aboard a helium balloon that drifted away in Fort Collins, Colo. After an intense media frenzy, the boy was found at his home later that day, where he said he had been "hiding" the whole time. Investigators soon confirmed that the parents staged the incident. The father, Richard Heene, later pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to influence a public servant and was sentenced to 90 days jail and ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution.![Casey_Anthony_Weeps]()
2008: Toddler Caylee Anthony disappeared in June. Her remains were found months later near her mother’s apartment complex. Early in the search for Caylee, police became suspicious of her mother, Casey Anthony, who did not report Caylee’s disappearance for a month. Anthony eventually was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder and is currently in jail waiting for a trial scheduled to start in May 2011. Anthony, her lawyers, and her family maintain that she did not harm her child and that she is innocent of all charges.![Scott_Peterson]()
2002: Scott Peterson reported his pregnant wife, Laci, missing on Christmas Eve in Modesto, Calif. Police didn’t eye Peterson as the prime suspect at first, until a string of extramarital affairs were discovered. In 2005, Peterson was convicted of killing his wife and sentenced to death by lethal injection. He remains on death row while his case is on appeal and maintains his innocence.![Susan_Smith]()
1993: Susan Smith gained worldwide attention when she claimed a black man drove away with her two sons still in her car. She later confessed to killing them herself, saying she suffered from a mental illness that impaired her judgment. She was convicted of killing her sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month old Alexander.![Charles Stuart]()
1989: Charles Stuart shot and killed his pregnant wife and shot himself in the stomach in Reading, Mass., and then blamed the crime on a phantom black man. The baby was delivered prematurely but died shortly after. Stuart assumed the role of a grief-stricken husband, until his brother told police he helped Stuart cover up Carol’s murder. After Stuart became the prime suspect, he jumped to his death off a bridge.![Tawana_Brawley]()
1987: Tawana Brawley was found lying side a trash bag outside an apartment complex in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. The 15-year-old claimed that a group of white men, including police, had raped and beaten her. A media frenzy ensued, with the Rev. Al Sharpton coming to Brawley's defense. But after material evidence failed to back up her case, a grand jury determined that her claims were a hoax. Many speculate she fabricated the incident to avoid punishment after running away from home. But Brawley to this day, stands by her story.Crime Stories Beyond Belief
Americans have been trained to be skeptical of the newsmakers caught up in crime stories. All too often, people who present themselves as victims wind up as prime suspects. In these high-profile cases, the truth wasn't what it initially seemed to be.
Move Forward
- Crime Stories Beyond Belief
