A suburban mother's disappearance unravels a conspiracy | Forensic Files

if you were to start a new business what would it be maybe you could run a coffee
van providing customers with their much needed caffeine for the day or an animal
shelter or some kind of Charity whether you're starting a new business or growing one if you want it to be
successful you need the most talented people on your team that's where zip recruiter comes in and right now you can
try it for free at ziprecruiter.com slcas why should you let zip recruiter help you hire for your business zip
recruiter's powerful matching technology finds highly qualified candidates for a
wide range of roles got your eye on one or two people who'd be perfect for your job zip recruiter lets you send them a
personal invite so they're more likely to apply zip recruiter also offers attention grabbing labels that speak to
job flexibility key words like remote training provided urgent and more to really help your jobs stand out let zip
recruiter fill all your roles with the right candidates four out of five employers
who post on zip recruiter get a quality candidate within the first day see for yourself go to this exclusive web
address to try zi recruiter for free ziprecruiter.com SLC casefile again that's ziprecruiter.com
c a e f l e zip recruiter the smartest way to hire during the winter of 1993 the
Melbourne suburb of Frankston was terrorized by a vicious serial killer named Paul Dena three decades later Dena
has applied for parole to coincide with danya's bid for parole case File presents is launching a long form series
about the case as a reminder that daa must never be released researched written and hosted by award-winning
crime writer Vicky Petrus the Frankston murders podcast uncovers new material and new victims stalked by daa in the
leadup to the killings all 11 episodes of the Frankston murders are available to listen to right now be sure to follow
the Frankston murders wherever you get your podcasts stay tuned until the end of
today's episode to hear the trailer and be sure to follow the Frankston murders wherever you get your
[Music] podcasts our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you
feel at any time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential
support please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our [Music]
website 34-year-old Sher Pini knew the lyrics to everything by pop singer Michael bé well not only had she chosen
it as her wedding song when marrying the love of her life Keith it was also a great Peacekeeper when
exercising in November 20 16 the Californian mother of two had almost fully healed from a recent breast
augmentation procedure finally feeling well enough to start jogging again Sherry had started
training For an upcoming 5K race still a bit Rusty she was using an app to track
her progress Wednesday November 2 was a clear day with her two young children in
daycare and her husband at work Cherry got dressed in black leggings a pink Nike hoodie and checkered tennis
shoes she had it outside the Pini family lived in reading a small City in Northern
California their home in the rural mountain gate area was surrounded by flat treelined roads and Wide Open
Spaces that provided a pleasant backdrop for a run Sherry connected her earbuds to her
iPhone and opened open her fitness app she pressed play on her wedding song and started jogging down her driveway
[Music] [Music] [Music] later that evening an emergency services operator received a call from sher's
husband Keith pepini he'd just returned home from work and said he was freaking out because his
wife wasn't there officers from the Shasta County Sheriff's Office quickly arrived at the couple's
home Keith explained that it was just after 5:00 p.m. when he pulled into the driveway of his family's two-story home
it was the same house that Keith himself had been raised in with its sprawling backyard leafy
surrounds and a basketball ring in the driveway it was the ideal place to raise a
family Keith approached the front door prepared for the usual warm welcome from his boisterous 4-year-old son and
2-year-old daughter but as he stepped inside it was oddly quiet Sher Pini typically kept the
family on a tight schedule and always let her husband know if anything unexpected had
Arisen but Keith said the last he'd heard from Sherry was around 11:00 a.m. when she texted asking if he was going
to be home for lunch it had been a busy day for Keith who worked at a Best Buy Electronic
store and he'd responded that he wouldn't be able to make it Keith walked through their home
everything appeared as normal except for a half-wrapped present addressed to him
from Sherry and the kids inside was a handmade American flag pillow Ki looked outside sher's car was in the driveway
but there was no sign of her or the kids anywhere he sent Sherry a text but there
was no response he called the children's daycare provider and asked what time Sherry had stopped
by the daycare worker was taken aback Sherry hadn't picked the kids up they were still
there Keith's initial confusion quickly turned to concern he logged in to his find my
iPhone app which was also configured to recognize the location of his wife's device the icon confirmed that sher's
phone was located less than one mile away at the corner of old Oregon Trail and Sunrise
Drive thinking Sherry might have gone for a walk Keith drove to the specified location there was no one
there he called his mother to see if she had spoken to Sher she hadn't Keith tried to remain
calm he told himself that Sherry might have accidentally left her phone on the roof of her car and it had fallen off
during the drive but that didn't explain why she hadn't picked up their kids Sherry was an incredibly dedicated
mother who doed on her children and it was completely out of character for her to leave them in daycare this
late nor did she have any health conditions that could explain a sudden absence Keith got out of the car and
started looking around the intersection housed all the letter boxes for the neighborhood and it
was just 1 and 1/2 miles from the nearest highway other than that it was fairly remote no houses were in the immediate
vicinity and traffic wasn't busy just off the road Keith found sher's iPhone in the
grass it had a crack on the front screen but was still functioning sher's headphones were still
connected and Michael baz everything was playing on repeat wrapped around the headphones
were several strands of long blonde hairir the same color and length as [Music] Sherry's officers visited the location
where sher's phone was found they found no signs that a struggle had taken place similarly a search of the pepin's
home revealed that everything was in order and nothing appeared to have been stolen but there was no evidence to
support the possibility that Sherry had taken off voluntarily her purse and belongings
were all accounted for and she hadn't made any significant withdrawals from her bank
account police questioned whether Sherry could have run away to start a fresh elsewhere Keith vly denied this
possibility he had known Sherry since middle school the two had shared a kiss as teenagers but it wasn't until years
later that they reconnected and a romance blossomed Keith was immediately smitten
with the Sherry a bubbly blue-eyed blonde with a luminous smile they married in 2009 and Sherry
soon left her job as a telecommunications account executive to be a stay-at-home mom it was a position
she thrived in Sherry organized all kinds of projects and activities for her children
while also being a doting wife and homemaker she put great care and attention into
everything she did be it decorating a homemade pie planning a birthday party for her children or maintaining her
physical appearance according to Keith the couple had a very happy marriage they fought
occasionally but no more than any other couple their last argument had been a month prior over something as trivial as
a messy room Keith said there was no way that Sherry would ever voluntarily leave her
children it was a sentiment shared by others who described Sher Pini as a super mom in the leadup to her disappearance
everything had been completely normal Sherry had given no indication that she was making plans to leave or wanted to
escape her responsibilities she had recently taken her children out trick or-treating for
Halloween and was already planning what to cook For an upcoming Thanksgiving dinner a background check revealed no
known history of domestic abuse or any police callouts to the Pen's property in fact Keith's record was
squeaky clean still police had to consider the possibility that Keith was involved with
his wife's disappearance what if he had killed her and then staged a kidnapping to deflect
attention from himself police looked into Keith's movements from Wednesday November 2 and confirmed
that he was at work all day the last reported sighting of Sher Pini occurred around 2: p.m. when a
neighbor saw her jogging there had been no suspicious Vehicles sighted in the area nor had
anyone heard cries for help Sherry was considered to be an alert aware person had someone
approached her sher's loved ones believed she would have put up a fight it therefore seemed more likely
that whoever took her had snuck up unsuspectingly either that or more than one person was
involved a team searched overnight covering a half mile radius from the corner of old Oregon Trail and Sunrise
Drive where sher's phone was found an aerial search was also conducted but nothing of interest was
found the discarded iPhone was the only clue police had to go by the following Day sher's
sister-in-law Suzanne discussed its significance in the Press saying that while it was good to have some sort of
clue it indicated that Sherry had been taken Suzanne said she wouldn't just drop her phone if
she was running away at least it's giving her us some kind of information but we're sick this is a pretty
sickening situation the reading Community was in shock Sherry had no known enemies Keith Pini said there had been
no strange activity such as suspicious calls or emails in the leadup to his wife's
disappearance so who would abduct an innocent mother of two so brazenly in Broad days light just 1 mile from her
home the mountain gate area was considered a safe place to live but like any other Town Reading had skeletons in
its closet back in August 1998 16-year-old terara Smith set out for a jog down old
Oregon Trail and was never seen again while tera's case remained unsolved the people of Reading had never
forgotten it some were quick to point out an eerie coincidence Tera Smith and Sher Pini had
attended the same high school at the same time they also shared a similar look with some noting they could easily
pass for sisters although the pair weren't known to be France and despite 18 years
passing between the two disappearances it did spark some questions was it possible the same
perpetrator had struck again four known sex offenders lived within one mile of the location where
sher's phone was found 50 more lived in the 5 miles Beyond police began looking into each
individual but one by one they were all ruled out meanwhile Keith pinii agreed to
participate in a polygraph test it concluded he was telling the truth when he said he wasn't involved in
his wife's disappearance this along with Keith's confirmed Alibi and the lack of physical
evidence linking him to the crime scene gave police the confidence to conclusively rule him out as a
suspect being publicly cleared provided Keith with little relief he told People magazine that is not where my head has
been this whole time my head has been trying to find my wife police continue to explore all
avenues including the possibility that Sher might have voluntarily run away but as the days passed with no
breakthroughs local residents became consumed by fear they ried behind the Pini family
setting up a GoFundMe account to help with expenses missing person posters were plased around town urging ing people to
be on the lookout for the 34y old at a fence on the corner of old Oregon Trail and Sunrise Drive concerned citizens
hung a bunch of helium balloons with the words bring Sherry home written on them a $50,000 reward for information
was announced the Pini family hired a private investigator who began working on the possibility that Sherry had been
abducted as part of a human trafficking ring the pini's house was only a few miles from the interstate fire freeway
an area known to be used for criminal activity by Mexican cartels a trailer near their house was
also one known drug Den maybe someone frequenting the trailer had spotted Sherry and
recognized her as an easy target police were quick to dispel this Theory victims of sex trafficking are
typically young and childless but as others argued Sherry looked notably young for her
age at 5' 3 in tall with a petite 105 lb frame and long blonde hair some believed
Sherry could pass for 18 had she been targeted at random it was possible the perpetrator had
mistaken her for a much younger woman by November 17 Sher Pini had been missing for 15
days the FBI became involved as the local Rumor Mill swung into overdrive some theorized that Sherry
could have been taken by a stalker what if someone had been watching her movements closely and knew
exactly when she'd be alone on the remote running trail there was also talk of a possible
affair some speculated that Sher could have been involved with a married man whose scorned lover had abducted her as
part of a Revenge plot despite Keith Pini being publicly cleared many members of the public
continued to cast suspicion on [Music] him Keith Pini did his best to hold it together for the sake of his young
children he held on to hopes that Sherry was still alive and being held somewhere
making a teer appeal to his wife on television Keith said if Sherry is listening I want to
say that we are trying we're trying the best we can and I'm so sorry that I'm not there I love
you addressing the perpetrator directly Keith told People magazine I just want her back and I want
her back safe just bring her home please bring her back the sooner the better a wealthy businessman was passing
through Reading when he learned of sher's disappearance and heard Keith's heartfelt please for her safe
return something about the case struck a cord with the man even though he didn't know Sher or
the Pini family the pain they were experiencing seemed unimaginable he began thinking about
ways that he could help help out that's when the idea struck him what about a reverse
Ransom after reaching out to Keith Pini and getting the goahead the businessman who chose to remain anonymous created a
website titled Sherry pen.com he made a bizarre offer to whoever had abducted Sherry return her safely and
receive an undisclosed sixf figure reward with no questions asked the donor wrote I am willing to pay you in
whatever way you can creatively think about where you feel safe and where nothing can be tracked to you I will not
communicate with the police and Sheriff's Department regarding any details about this
offer law enforcement were firmly against this tactic for several reasons for one there still wasn't
enough evidence to unequivocally confirm that Sher Pini had been abducted if she had her kidnapper had
made no attempt to demand any kind of Ransom two releasing an offer like this left the Pini family vulnerable to scam
artists and thirdly financially rewarding someone for their criminal activity only served to encourage future
copycats the anonymous owner was undeterred he hired an independent hostage negotiator named Cameron gamble
to act as his spokesman and gave a deadline of 100 hours writing on his website once I leave town this offer is
off the table public reaction to the offer was mixed some viewed it as a novel way to
help solve missing person cases Skeptics believed it was nothing more than a publicity stunt for Cameron
gamble to promote his hostage negotiation business either way the 100 hour deadline came and went without anyone
coming forward the donor withdrew the controversial reverse Ransom offer but said the unclaimed money would be added
towards the existing $50,000 reward offered by law enforcement by November 23 Sher Pini had
been missing for 3 weeks investigators had chased over 400 leads and executed 20 search warrants to
obtain data relating to cell phone records social media accounts banking information and
emails a check of Sher pini's cell phone revealed she had recently deleted a text
message exchange with a female contact but when police looked into this contact they realized that wasn't a
woman at all Sherry had been conversing with a man from Michigan named Donovan but had
hidden his number under a woman's name the two had been texting between October 29 and November 1 the day before
Sher went missing Donovan had been in San Francisco for a work conference and the
two discussed the possibility of meeting up in Reading however it was a 5-hour Drive
between the two cities which Donovan deemed too far their runev vu didn't eventuate but
for investigators this was a solid lead what if Donovan had decided to swing by reading after
all they obtained Donovan's travel records and confirmed that he had returned to Michigan on November 2 the
day of sher's disappearance investigators flew to Michigan to visit Donovan's apartment while he was at
work they searched the premises but found no sign of Sherry Pini or anything else
incriminating when police arrived at Donovan's work for an interview he seemed shocked according to Donovan he had met
Sher Pini in 2011 when she was in Michigan for a work trip he later told the Sacramento be
that he found her to be quote drop dead gorgeous Donovan said there was something pretty magical about
her sherry made no mention of the fact that she was married and the two had spent the weekend
together over the years they continued to send the occasional flirty message but it never went beyond
that Donovan assumed the recent contact from Sher was due to her seeing his social media post about being in San
Francisco Donovan denied being anywhere near reading on the day Sherry went missing he had data on his cell phone to
prove he was in San Francisco at the time and others were able to confirm his Alibi for investigators this was a major
blow it was back to the drawing board Thursday November 24 was Thanksgiving Day what was typically a
day of celebration for the peni family was now a stark reminder that 22 days had passed with no sign of
Sherry before her disappearance she'd been enthusiastically making plans with her in-laws about the
day she'd intended on making sweet potatoes her children's favorite instead members of the reading
community planned together later in the afternoon to show support for sher's loved
ones Keith peni got up Before Dawn to begin his day he was in the bathroom shaving when
his phone rang on the other line was one of the detectives working on his wife's
case they finally had news Sher Pini had been found [Music] case File will be back shortly thank you
for supporting us by listening to this episode sponsors we are currently in a challenging economic climate and we
don't know what the future holds so when it comes to saving money as a small business owner every little bit helps
and with ship station you can save money without cutting Corners ship station gives you access to
discounts of up to 84% off USPS and UPS rates and you can manage every order from one simple to use
dashboard when you lower your shipping costs and make returns easy your customers stay happy and you save money
and ship station is now available in the UK Australia and Canada case File team member Paulina runs a Shopify store and
used ship station free trial before signing up she tells me she can't imagine life without ship station now
she's saved money and has more time to do what she loves ship station effortlessly integrates everywhere you
sell online including Amazon Etsy eBay Shopify and more over 130,000 companies have grown their e-commerce business
with ship station and 98 % of companies that stick with ship station for a year become customers for life worry less
about the bottom line when you save money with shipstation go to shipstation.com and
use code casefile today and sign up for your free 60-day trial that's shipstation.com code
casefile Trends and fads come and go especially when it it comes to health and wellness diets like intermittent
fasting low carb high fat and detox juices have all had their Spotlight as the best for weight loss and wellness n
is not a fat they use psychology not trans to help you make sustainable choices that are aligned with your
values and weight loss goals whatever your health goals are the flexible program focuses on progress
instead of perfection choose your level of support from 5 minute daily check-ins to
personal coaching case File team member Jess tells me that it was the online coach who really helped her achieve her
weight loss goals she says just knowing she had someone to chat with who had her
back was invaluable combined with short lessons and healthy recipes on the new map Jess
says she had everything she needed to lose weight and stay fit stop chasing Health TR and build sustainable healthy
habits with n's Psych ology based approach sign up for your trial today at noom.com
casefile that's noom.com casefile to sign up for your trial today check out n's first ever book The N
mindset a deep dive into the psychology of behavior change available to buy now wherever books are
sold thank you for listening to this episode's ads by supporting our sponsors you support case File to continue to
deliver quality content by 4:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning traffic was already busy on the
Interstate 5 Highway in Yolo County a rural area 140 Mi south of reading as motorists made their way to
celebrate the holiday with friends and family several passes by noticed something strange on the side of the
road through the darkness a panicked looking woman was frantically waving a piece of fabric in the air as though
trying to attract attention unsure what to make of it many continued onwards one woman pulled over a little
further down the highway to call 911 while a truck driver pulled over and addressed the woman
directly in a state of distress she told him her name was Sher Pini and that she
needed an ambulance she was covered in bruises and said that her vision was blurry around her waist was a metal
[Music] chain First Responders arrived promptly and were shocked by what they saw the woman who stood before them was
a severe contrast to the vibrant smiling face that had been plastered on posters
and news bulletins Sher Pini was dressed in dirty gray sweatpants a sweatshirt and
socks her waistlength blonde hair had been crudely hacked to her shoulders and she looked
emaciated she was disoriented having no idea where she was or what day it was there were restraints around her
ankles and zip ties around her wrists one of which was tether to the chain around her
waist it was only upon being transferred to a nearby hospital that the full extent of sher's injuries became
clear her body was covered in bruises in various states of healing some yellow and others black and
blue the bridge of her nose was broken and there were rashes and burns all over her arms and
legs ligature marks were visible on her wrists and ankles she had lost a little over 10B a
significant amount given she only weighed 105 lb when she went missing but the most horrific injury was
on her right shoulder burned into her flesh were a series of undistinguishable letters some
scabbed and others already scarred Sherry had been branded when kith P arrived at the
hospital it was a teary reunion for the couple they hugged each other tightly for 20 minutes as Keith was overcome
with conflicting emotions relief that Sherry had been found alive and revulsion that someone
could do something so horrible Sherry was clearly traumatized and refused to speak to the
police she told Keith that law enforcement had been involved in her abduction and she therefore didn't trust
anyone one instead investigators gave Keith an audio recorder so that he could ask her
questions himself according to Sherry she'd been jogging the old Oregon Trail when a dark
colored SUV drove by and then backed up again two Hispanic women were inside one of them beckoned her over
saying they needed help with something Sherry approached the vehicle but as she got closer one of the women held up a
small gun she demanded that Sher drop her phone and to get into the car reassuring
her we don't want to kill you thinking quickly as she removed her headphones Sherry purposely pulled out
several strands of her hair to leave behind as a clue Sherry got into the vehicle and the
woman put something over her head one of them struck her with something Sherry thought it might have been a
taser from there everything went hazy she tried to stay awake but kept losing Consciousness the next thing she knew
she woke up in a strange room that had its Windows boarded up from the inside there was nothing in the room
except for a bed a dresser and a closet all of her clothes were gone and she'd been redressed in a plain T-shirt
Sher stood on the bed and tried to look out the window only to discover it had also been boarded up from the
outside she attempted to dislodge one of the boards but the two women came in and
caught her in the ACT they yanked her down by her hair and hit her so hard that she saw
Stars when Sherry came to the dresser was gone and the bed was in its place a chain had been tied around her
waist which was bolted to the ceiling and hooked to a metal pole in the closet over the coming days the two
women came and went from the room Sherry was mostly kept locked in the closet she was given a bucket full of
kitty litter to use as a toilet and fed once daily with small portions of bread gritty rice porridge and the occasional
apple or fat off a piece of meat outside her door a speaker blasted what Sher described as quote that really
annoying Mexican music a majority of the time the two women yelled at her in Spanish which Sher didn't understand and
the older of the two occasionally beat her anytime sherry made a sound she was physically
punished she was sometimes burned with heated up kitchen utensils when she AC accidentally made a
clanging noise with her chain one of the women rushed in and cut off her ponytail
threatening I'm going to send it to your mother Sherry wasn't particularly close
with her mother so this comment led her to believe that her captors didn't know her and had taken her at
random when Sherry questioned why they were doing this one of them said we sell you the other added your buyer is a
cop the women read Sher news articles about her disappearance one of them laughed as she
said No One Believes you everyone thinks you ran away guess what the buyer's a cop they're never going to find
you Sherry had no idea what to do she tried to engage with her captors by offering to cook or clean for them them
in the hopes they would give her more information but the women remained tight lipped with sher's limited knowledge of
Spanish words she thought she heard mention of traffic cameras medicine and a delivery
date fearful of what that signified she began making plans to escape at one point sher's captors
forced her into the shower at gunpoint and told her to wash herself as Sher leathered herself with
coconut scentered body wash the women became engaged in a conversation and lowered their
guns recognizing this as an opportunity Sherry jumped on the younger woman and smashed her head into the
toilet she slipped and cut her foot in the process the older woman dragged Sherry
back to her room by her hair forcing an unknown substance down her throat when sherry made another ATT
atted to escape the women tied her to a table and slashed her t-shirt off from behind already in agony from her healing
breast implants that's when the women branded her sher's captors told her this is what
her buyer wanted along with the immense pain Sherry heard her skin make a sizzling
popping sound too scared to make a noise she kept her eyes clenched Sharp until it
was over while it was unclear what the word said Sherry believed it said Exodus which she described as a really
confusing Bible passage to maintain her strength Insanity Sher spent some of her spare
time doing yoga she scratched away at the drywall inside the closet in the hopes she might
chip a big enough hole to escape she thought about her children constantly over time Sherry sensed that the younger
of her captiv was starting to soften sometimes when the older woman beat Sherry the younger one would drag
her off then one day Sherry was sitting on the bed when she heard a gunshot terrified she hid in the
closet it sounded like someone was gathering up keys to leave the house then came the blasting Mar Archie
music Sherry started screaming and yanking on her chains until she eventually fell
asleep when she woke up the younger of her captiv came in and gave her a plate of
food Sherry ate it but soon started to feel nauseous and dizzy she could barely stand the younger cap came back in and
hid Sherry in the face she had laid a fresh sweatsuit out on the the bed and insinuated that Sher get dressed into it
Sherry did so after which the woman hid her again and placed something over her head so that she couldn't
see Sherry was then LED outside and into a vehicle sharp restraints were secured
around her ankles and wrists one of which was secured to the vehicle Sherry didn't know who else was
in the car there were no voices only the sound of the radio Sherry tried to keep track of how
far they drove by counting the number of songs but she kept falling asleep eventually the car
stopped the younger captor ordered Sherry to get out Sherry was terrified she started
crying the woman cut her restraints pushed her out the door and drove off Sherry removed her head covering
realizing it was a pillow case she looked around at her rural surroundings and had no idea where she was she began
to run eventually she came to a building but it was locked so she started running
down the dark Highway waving the pillowcase and screaming at the top of her lungs she screamed so hard that she
could taste blood in the the back of her throat car after car sped past without stopping Sherry wondered if they could
see her restraints and were deterred from stopping because they thought she was an escaped
prisoner she tried to hide them under her clothes until a trucker eventually stopped safe in hospital with her
husband Sherry was thoroughly examined she was adamant that she hadn't endured any form of sexual
sold this was supported by medical exams toxicology tests came up clean for Narcotics ruling out the possibility
that Sher had been drugged her clothing was sent off for DNA testing on Thanksgiving afternoon
members of the reading Community gathered in Sherry's honor as plant unaware that she'd been found
alive when the good news was revealed a few hours later sher's Sister Sheila thanked their supporters
saying everyone's tireless efforts have made our family whole again this [Music]
Thanksgiving news of sher's Escape gripped the nation the public were hungry for details but the Pini family
requested privacy during this time of healing over the coming days investigators gently probed Sher for any
more details she could remember that might help them catch her abductors while Sherry tried to keep
things light-hearted her trauma was obvious she hugged her knees to her chest her eyes mostly cast downward as
she did her best to provide every possible piece of information the two women had worn masks
over the bottom halves of their faces so Sher never got a complete look at them but she remembered other
details the older of the pair had a long straight dark hair that was showing signs of
gray she had dark eyes and thick bushy eyebrows she was roughly 3 in taller than Sherry heavy said and spoke with a
raspy voice her breath smelted like sweetened coffee the younger woman had dark curly
hair that had been smooth with product thin over tweezed eyebrows and wore large hoop
earrings she was a bit shorter than Sherry with a slightly muscular build and hairy
arms Sherry struggled to record details about the clothing either of the women had been wearing other than the fact
they always wore leather gloves the pair fed often and Sherry regularly overheard the older woman hit
the younger one as for the location where she was held Sherry had no idea she sometimes heard birds outside
but because of the speaker outside her door she never heard anything else it was always cold possibly raining
every night and she could smell a fireplace anytime she made a noise her captors came in and took her blankets
away as punishment the bathroom had a unique look layout which Sherry was able to
describe in detail right down to a crack in the shower tile she never saw the outside of the
building to maintain the Integrity of the investigation police made the Strategic decision to withhold details
about sher's time in captivity including The Branding but this silence led to speculation from cynic that the whole
kidnapping had been a hoax if the police were so vocal about seeking answers when Sherry went missing
why go quiet when she was returned safely was it possible the whole thing had been a publicity stump by Cameron
gamble the hostage negotiator after all or perhaps Keith and Sherry had crafted the elaborate plot for financial
gain and fame investigators had considered this possibility ility but unless they had
evidence to prove otherwise they had no reason to treat the abduction as anything other than a legitimate
crime it was a lesson learned the hard way by valo police just 180 Mi south of reading the year before Sher pini's
abduction a valo man named Aaron Quinn called police to report a home invasion he claimed that a gunman had
broken into his home and forced him and his girlfriend to Denise huskins to drink tea laced with sleeping
pills they were blindfolded and tied up in the closet where the gunman played a pre-recorded
message it explained that the couple had been targeted by a criminal group who were going to hold Denise captive unless
Aaron paid an $85,000 Ransom within 48 Hours when Aaron woke up hours later Denise was gone he reported Ed the
incident to police but the story was so outlandish that they thought he was making it
up when Denise resurfaced 2 Days Later claiming to have been held captive and raped both law enforcement and the media
palmed it off as a wild hoax 3 months later police were investigating an unrelated home invasion
when they uncovered evidence linking the perpetrator to Denise huskins and Aaron
Quinn it turned out that the couple had been telling the truth the perpetrator a dispar attorney
named Matthew Muer was tried and sentenced to 31 years in prison valo police were forced to
publicly apologize to Denise and Aaron who were awarded a 22 million compensation
payout investigators in the Sher Pini case were determined not to make a similar mistake
Keith Pini released an exclusive statement to national news program Good Morning America to address the rumors
surrounding his wife's case head on he acknowledged the quote double-edged sword that is social
media while modern technology had allowed news of sher's disappearance to spread quickly those same people who
helped spread the word now expected answers instantly and became angry when they didn't get the gore
details Keith said those people should be ashamed of their malicious subhuman behavior we are not going to allow those
people to take away our spirit love or rejoice in our girl found a life and home where she
belongs I do not see a purpose in addressing each Preposterous lie instead may I give you a glimpse of the mixture
of horror and Elation that was my experience of reuniting with the love of my life and mother of our
children Keith went on to provide a harrowing account of sher's ordeal complete with the details of her
injuries including The Branding he remarked nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see upon my
arrival at the hospital nor the details of the true hell I was about to hear acknowledging the tireless Board of
law enforcement and the public Keith said Thank you to the many incredible humans that have never known Sherry that
facilitated in sharing our heartbreak across the globe Sherry has always captured my
heart and it is no surprise that she has captured Hearts not only through the country but throughout the
[Music] world the following day police held a PR conference to acknowledge Sher pini's
courage they released brief details about her two captors and appealed for anyone with information to come
forward the fact that Sher had overheard the perpetrators talking about a buyer and getting paid gave weight to the
human trafficking Theory maybe the woman had kidnapped Sher at random thinking she was much
younger when they realized she was a 34-year-old mother they didn't know how to proceed hence why they held her
captive for so long and were constantly bickering but if this was the case it would be highly
unusual in the United States white women are rarely abducted for sex trafficking victims usually know their
exploiters who are often tricked into willingly going with them after being promised a better
life perpetrators involved are typically professionals it would be highly unusual for someone
involved in trafficking to let a victim go as it risked exposing the entire ring the fact that Sherry was branded
also raised questions some believed this type of torture was typical for traffickers who
wanted to maintain control over their victim While others questioned why a sex trafficker would want to taint their own
product based on the description that Sher had provided of her time in captivity investigators began working on
the theory that she had been held somewhere in the mountains they obtained cell phone data
from the area where Sherry was abducted and the area where she was found on the lookout for any numbers that pinged off
phone towers at both locations as reported by the Sacramento B six numbers came up among them was a 21-year-old woman
police visited her home discovering that she had dark hair like sher's young captor but she wasn't Latina and had an
alibi for the abduction [Music] period tip offs continued to come in from the public one woman reported
having seen a pair of Latino women who matched the suspect descriptions in a Walmart store they were looking at her
and Whispering the caller had blonde hair similar to Sherry Pini she was scared that she might be
[Music] next by December 3 Sherry Pini had been home for a week and a half hundreds of
reading locals gathered to celebrate her safe return and stand in solidarity with
their Community wearing pink in Cherry's honor they posed for a photograph underneath a
large pink Banner that read welcome home despite this warm response Sher struggled in the aftermath of her
abduction while her physical injuries eventually healed the emotional scars remained she became afraid of people
particularly strangers and wanted Keith by her side at all times Neighbors noted that she rarely
left the house and her children hardly ever played out in the yard Sherry began extensive therapy to
treat post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety she met with investigators from
time to time and officers checked in on the penis weekly but sher's recollection
of the events became hazy and she was unable to provide any new insights the search for her abductors
continued but police failed to come up with any solid leads a year went by with no major
breakthroughs to Mark the upcoming anniversary a police artist worked with Sherry to
create composite sketches of her two capts bandanas covering the bottom half of their
faces these were released to the public along with the first to date out account
of sher's experience in captivity Keith peni released a statement on his family's behalf
thanking their supporters and requesting privacy as his wife continued to heal and focused on putting their lives back
together but for all the support Sherry still had her fair share of critics following her safe return an
online blog post had surfaced from 2007 that had some people asking questions the post had originally
appeared on a white supremacy website called Skin heads.com it detailed the author's adolescent
years during which her High School experience suffered because she was quote defending myself against the
Latinos the chief problem was that I was drug-free white and proud of my blood and
Heritage this really irked a group of Latino girls who would constantly Rag and attack
me the author detailed an incident at one of her volleyball games one of the Latina girls had a parent ly called her
dad a Nati which enraged the teen and provoked her to launch an attack it took three full-grown men to pull her
off by then she had broken the nose of one of her tormentors the author used this event to
explain why girls shouldn't fight stating we are just too fragile and break easily she spoke proudly of her German
Heritage concluding being white is more than just being aware of my skin but of standing behind
skin heads who are always around in spirit as well and having Pride for my country the author was credited as Sher
graph Sherry pini's maiden [Music] name an old account on social network site Pinterest also surfaced that was
attributed to a user named Sher Pini the user had posted several images with pro-white and racist
undertones sher's critics immediately started speculating that she had made up the story of her kidnapping to ignite a
race war Latinos only made up 10% of Shasta County's population and since sher's
kidnapping the minority group had faced ongoing scrutiny according to the Sacramento B
local women of Latin American descent were advised not to go out in peirs avoid driving dark colored SUVs and
avoid going out in public unless they had a witness sher's loved ones firmly denied
the allegations that she had written the blog post Sherry had been briefly married in 2007 her ex-husband with whom
she had an amicable divorce told reporters that Sherry wasn't racist and had a very diverse group of friends
he said the blog had been maliciously written by someone who hated Sher in high school and that she had
unsuccessfully attempted to have it removed at the time when questioned by investigators
Sherry described the blog post as awful she confirmed that she'd hired a lawyer to try and have it taken
down investigators looked into the claims that Sher had written the post herself but were unable bble to
ascertain its true origin regardless of who wrote it they confirmed too much time had passed for
it to be of any relevance to sher's current kidnapping case police openly acknowledged that
there were puzzling details about Sherry's abduction but stated they had no reason to doubt Sherry's
story on the 1-year anniversary of the abduction one of the lead investigators told People magazine
there is no information that would indicate it's not true I have invested almost a year of my
career in this case and we will continue on until we get some answers and hopefully get some people in custody
soon case File will be back shortly thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode
sponsors this show is sponsored by betterhelp getting to know yourself can be a lifelong process especially because
we're always growing and changing things that happen to us whether good or bad change who we are therapy is all about
deepening your self-awareness and understanding because sometimes we don't know what we want or why we react the
way we do until we talk through things better help connects you with a licensed therapist who can take you on that
journey of self-discovery from wherever you are at case File we know how important it is to look after our mental
health even when we're feeling great we have found therapy to be so beneficial in goal setting and planning for our
futures we also love that better help is entirely online we can find time to talk
to a therapist that fits with our schedule and can do so from the comfort of homes to get started all you have to do
is fill out a brief questionnaire and you'll be matched with a licensed therapist and you can switch therapists
anytime for no additional charge discover your potential with better help visit betterhelp.com
casefile today to get 10% off your first month that's better help hp.com slcas file
have you tried new Splenda peel and po zeroc calorie drink mix liquid drink mix in a pod simple to peel pour and serve
four delicious flavors the whole family will love fruit punch pink lemonade sweet tea and peach mango splend a peel
and pour drink mix has zero sugar zero calories in the pre-measured liquid means no waiting for messy powder to
dissolve makes the perfect picture every time find new Splenda peel and POR in the drink mix aisle at your favorite
grocery store thank you for listening to this episode's ads by supporting our sponsors
you support case File to continue to deliver quality content for investigators behind closed
doors unanswered questions were stacking up for starters a motive still hadn't been established
Sher pini's captors had never demanded a ransom and there was no conclusive evidence to support the human
trafficking Theory so why had this unassuming mother been targeted her abductors were seemingly
part of a wider network but there had been no other recent crimes that fit the same
bill it therefore seemed strange that they hadn't struck again elsewhere over time other small Lincoln
consistencies had started to mount Sherry had told investigators that she had cut her foot during an
altercation with her younger captor yet there had been no evidence of such a cut
when she was first taken to hospital she'd also given conflicting accounts of when The Branding had
happened first saying it happened early on and then changing her story and saying it happened
later Sherry had initially told investigators that she was forced to wear an adult diaper but never mentioned
this detail again Sher said that when she first woke up in captivity her hands had been tied
behind her back with the zip ties she explained that she'd managed to chew through the bindings but had never
explained how she managed to get her hands from behind her back while investigators knew it was
entirely possible that sher's memory had been distorted by trauma the inconsistencies raised some major red
flag perhaps most perplexing was the fact that when Cherry was found safe her clothing was sent off for DNA
testing traces of unknown male DNA was found on both her underwear and sweatpants but there was no female
DNA investigators ran the profile through the National codus Database in which DNA profiles from crime scenes and
known offenders are stored there were no m es but if Sherry had been taken by two
women with no one else involved this didn't explain the DNA discrepancy investigators learned early
on that Sherry had a history of lying several of Sherry's friends had described her as a crazy and wild youth
who often ran away and made up stories including that she suffered from a heart condition
an ex-boyfriend described her as attention hungry he said Sherry fabricated stories
of being abused by her family and even accused him of abuse once their relationship
ended the director of a youth program that Sherry had once participated in said that Sherry was
quote good at creating different realities for people so that they would see what she wanted them to see which
got her really good attention sher's first marriage had been one of convenience her first husband was in the
military and had agreed to marry Sher so she could take advantage of his health insurance while Sherry had told her
second husband Keith this was due to a heart murmur she had told her first husband it was due to complications from
regular egg donation Sherry had also told her first husband that her family was abusive it it was only after their
divorce that mutual friends warned him that she had a history of lying investigations conducted by the
Sacramento B newspaper revealed that in 2003 sher's mother Loretta had called the local sheriff's department to Lodge
an incident report Loretta claimed that her daughter was harming herself and then blaming the
injuries on Loretta a deputy had provided Loretta with advice but no further action with
was [Music] taken this wasn't the only time a member of sher's family had reported her to the
police in 2000 sher's Father Richard accused her of burglarizing his home that same Year sher's sister Sheila had
her back door vandalized when she reported it to the police she named Sherry as a
suspect 3 years later Richard alleged that Sherry stole money from his checking account
although investigators had been aware of these issues it didn't prove that Sher was lying about her
kidnapping the hunt to find her abductors continued but the years passed by with no
arrest by 2020 the case had long faded from the headlines but it hadn't been forgotten by the reading Community who
still wanted answers skepticism remained RI while fears that kidnappers were on the loose
continued to haunt locals some of whom had been too scared to let their young daughters Walk Alone ever since sher's
attack Sherry continued to work intermittently with the police whenever she remembered something new that could
help with the investigation she or her husband would call to make a report Sherry looked online to find
photos of anything that shared similarities to details from her abduction from the hairlines of her
kidnappers to the coffee table she was tied to during her branding on August 13 2020 Sherry and
Keith Pini met with two detectives from the Shasta County Sheriff's Department who had been working the case from the
beginning they had some photos of potential suspects they wanted to show Sher she studied them carefully looking
at them from different angles and honing in on small features just like I'm trying not to get my hopes
up I know I would say right right here is what's drawing me to this photo so on Photo number five smart is this is the
first one we showed you this the second one we showed you so back number two but like you were saying if someone
were to lose weight that would change you're drawn to photo number five yes features of photo number five correct
and again just for for the record and for when you go back like number number one is when you say three is similar
she's similar to the younger female that we've always described in everything this part right here doesn't really
match what I'm remembering but the hairline doesn't match smaller one older one and just cuz it's been a long time
um can you remind me what number what what the younger one did like the main parts of it compared to the older one
just for the last like Clarity of stuff so for the record so the younger one's the one that let me go and was the nicer
of the two okay the older one was really abusive and really mean and is the one that did all the really terrible
things the detectives then showed Sherry some photos of coffee tables similar to
the ones she had described focusing on one of them Sherry enthusiastically exclaimed excuse my language but it's
pretty [ __ ] similar you said it looks very similar what's I mean this is what I'm remembering that feeling you know
grabbing it and feeling that feeling but this part is different this part is different that doesn't definitely does
saying this metal part it looks the same as what you remember but this piece right here this
part doesn't look the same right and what was the difference in it that there was a lot more there was a lot more
there thank you I don't think the pictures really show Sher had always described her
Captain's bathroom as having a unique layout the detectives showed her some photos of bathrooms with similar designs
to the one she described Sherry acknowledged the layouts were similar but that was
all she'd previously said there was a crack in the shower tile shown a photo of a shower with a crack in it Sherry
couldn't say whether it was the same one after all these years she was struggling to
remember the detectives made it clear they weren't trying to overwhelm Sherry there was actually a good reason for the
probing they had found the house that Sher was held in and they knew who was responsible Keith penni was elated he
pumped his fists in the air and rubbed his hands together in Glee but sher's reaction was surprising
she became strangely defensive over the years investigators had continued to run checks on the DNA
found on Sherry's clothing in case someone new had entered the codus database during that
time no matches were ever made then came the rise of genealogy testing where users voluntarily
submitted DNA to trace their family trees in 2018 familial DNA had led to the apprehension of the notorious Golden
State killer as covered in episode 53 of case File investigators is wondered whether
the same technique could be applied to identify Sher pini's captors in March 2020 they ran the DNA
from sher's clothing through An ancestry DNA database this time there was a match the DNA in the database belonged
to an individual who had two biological Sons one of those was James Reyes a man in his mid-30s who lived in the
Californian city of Costa Mesa 585 Mi south of reading Reyes appeared to be a lore
Abiding Citizen a check of his background revealed no major criminal record save for a drunk driving
charge but as police dug further they discovered some interesting details James Reyes had once shared an
email account with Sher Pini in the past the two had made made joint Financial transactions furthermore Reyes had once
listed his address as a residence owned by sher's parents investigators searched through
social media on an account owned by James reyes's brother they found a picture of
a coffee table that looked exactly like the one Sherry had described being tied to while she was
branded they went to Costa Mesa and kept a covert eye on rees's property after seeing him discard some
trash they retrieved a bottle of iced tea and sent it to the lab for testing there was no doubt about it the
DNA on Sher pini's clothing had come from James Rees two detectives knocked on reyes's
door and asked him a few questions about himself and his relationship with Sher Pini
a former professional hockey player Rees had recently quit his job at an ice skating rink to take care of his aging
grandmother he met Sherry through a youth group as a teenager in late 2002 the two
reconnected and started dating they were together for several years and lived together in Costa Mesa
but the relationship eventually crumbled they ended things on good terms and stayed in vague contact for a few
years but Reyes said he hadn't seen Sherry in around a decade all he knew about her abduction
was whatever was reported on in the media the detectives cut to the chase they told Reyes his DNA had been found
on sher's clothing the day she escaped her captors Reyes seemed perplexed he maintained the two hadn't
seen one another since around mid 2006 he had no explanation for how his DNA could have gotten on sher's
clothes asked Point Blank if he was involved in sher's abduction Reyes said no the investigators reiterated that
there was no way his DNA could have gotten on her clothing if they hadn't been in
contact they gave him several opportunities to change his story reminding him it was a crime to lie to
law enforcement but Rees maintained he had nothing to do with the abduction after almost an hour of
questioning Rees cracked I didn't kidnap her he said a friend in need asked me for
help according to James Rees he was cleaning out his house in 2015 when he came across some of 's old
belongings he sent them to her parents' house not long after that Sher contacted
him out of the blue she needed his help she said her husband had been beating and raping her and she didn't
know what to do she'd reported the abuse to police but her husband had connections with law enforcement and
nothing had been done at a loss Sherry told Rus she'd hatched a plan she was saving money and was going
to run away to stay with him Reyes was taken aback but more than willing to help a friend in
need Sherry asked him to get a prepaid burner phone so they could speak without fear of her husband finding out the two
maintained regular contact from that point on in the summer of 2016 Sherry gave Rees a set of instructions
rent a car and drive to reading to pick her up tell no one James rees's drink driving charge
prohibited him from renting a car instead he organized a coworker to hire one for
him it was a Dodge Challenger sports car not an SUV as Sher had described her kidnappers is
using on November 2 2016 Reyes set out on the 9-hour drive when he got to reading Sher texted
directions on where to pick her up near Old Oregon Trail when Rees got there Sherry was
wearing jogging clothes and sweating she jumped into the back seat and laid low Rees didn't see what she did with
her phone the two drove back to coasta Mesa rarely stopping except for gas Sherry
laid down and napped for the entire Journey while Rees struggled to keep his eyes open after so many hours behind the
wheel Rees lived in a Suburban neighborhood in Costa Mesa once they were at reyes's apartment
he claimed they both did their own thing Rees went about his normal routine going
to work each day and sometimes playing hockey at night he slept on the couch while Sher
took his bedroom he left Sherry to her own devices assuming she was doing whatever
she felt necessary to deal with her situation Reyes claimed he had no input in any of sher's plans he simply went
along with whatever she told him to do he brought her new clothes cleaning supplies food and
chains he boarded up the window at no point did Sher leave the house nor did anyone else come
over Rees did confide in his cousin that Sher was there explaining that he was helping protect
her but all this didn't explain sher's extensive injuries when asked about those Rees
responded she did all that while she was here Rees claimed that Sher hid herself
to create bruises and that at her request he agreed to help while he never outright touched
Sherry Rees admitted to hitting hockey pucks at her at one point he held up a hockey
stick so that Sherry could purposely run into it breaking her nose in the process Sherry cut her own hair and
limited her food intake she told Rees to visit the local hobby store and purchase a wood burning
tool she willingly removed her shirt and sat down with her back to Rees handing him IND idual letters that she wanted
burned into her skin he didn't know what the word meant or why she had chosen it all he knew was
that it was a Bible verse Rees didn't own a TV so he didn't know the full extent of the media
coverage sher's disappearance was receiving the detectives asked if he kept any kind of insurance something
that would prove his story if Sherry had been found in his home and denied that it was all
cenal Reyes said he hadn't felt the need to while he didn't know what sher's intentions were for when the whole
situation was over he thought there was a chance they might end up together in the
end this wasn't a motivator to Rees either way as he wasn't really in a place to start a romantic
relationship regardless Reyes said that nothing remotely sexual occurred between
the two eventually Sher said she missed her children and wanted to go home Rees had his co-worker hire him
another car in the early hours of Thanksgiving morning Sherry gathered up a pillowcase
of items including chains the pair drove to Yolo County where Rees dropped Sherry off on the
side of the road from there he returned home to retrieve his car then continued to his
arm house for Thanksgiving lunch he hadn't spoken to Sherry since Reus admitted he'd looked sher's
case up from time to time he didn't know what possessed her to blame the abduction on two fictional
Hispanic women he had considered whether he'd get in trouble but Justified his involvement
to the detectives quote when it comes down to it I was doing an old friend a fa when investigators saw James rees's
bedroom it was exactly as Sherry had described the only difference was that there was no chain in the
closet they questioned rees's cousin and his wife who confirmed that Sher had willingly stayed with Rees during her
so-called time in captivity blonde hairs found in his bedroom were tested for DNA and
confirmed to have come from from Sher pepini other data including car rental records and cell phone data also
confirmed James reyes's version of events he agreed to a polygraph test and passed friends of Reas told detectives
that he was the nicest guy alive to a fault armed with this information the detectives repeatedly reminded Sherry it
was a crime to lie to federal agents when they told her they'd identified the house where she'd been held captive she
was visibly caught off guard she seemed reluctant to receive the information which confused her
husband Keith the detectives told Sherry they'd found DNA and uncovered several inconsistencies in her
story still Sherry seemed perplexed she asked to have a moment alone to speak to her husband
alone Sherry and kith began speaking in Whispers Sher explained the reason she is hesitant to have her Captain's
identity revealed was because she didn't want the younger woman to be arrested I don't I don't know I don't
want them to find her you're not listening to me tell me why because she saved my life but tell
me there's obviously something there's obviously some this is going to be really bad look at being right now
[ __ ] with you I don't want them to find her I don't want to press chares and I don't
want I don't want to go down that road but you tell her I don't want to go down that road I
don't because she saved my life and she's the reason why I get to hold my children every single
day this when the detectives came back into the room Sher admitted that she didn't
want the younger of her captiv to be punished it was clear that she wasn't going to budge from her version of
events detectives gave it to her straight saying the DNA that was on you belongs
to James Reyes in this situation the reason why you can describe the room is because you
stayed in the room in the dark for hours for days on it the reason why you lost so much weight it's because you stopped
eating the reason why you got a rash on your arm is because you cleaned his house the reason why the brand is
because he went to the store bought The Branding tools and branded you the reason why your nose was broke is
because of a hockey stick I know all of those things and I know there was no sex I know all of that
because he passed a polygraph test that said it's not an abduction she asked me to come and give it
no I rented a car I drove up and picked her up he he passed the polygraph T us Sher
if that's not what happened what did happen Sher I don't know no there's no way it's D there's no
way there's no way the DNA doesn't lie his DNA is his DNA was on you no way Robert saw you in the
house while you were down there while everything SP out of control his cousin why everything ran out of control
on the initial there's no way it's it's 100% Robert's or James's D even collected blonde hairs from the
room there's no way it's James there's no way why are you saying it's not James why are you saying that
not you thought it's me what's up we were friends there's no way and he came and got you because you asked
him no when was the last time you had contact with James Sherry sat with her head in her
hands sobbing confronted with the truth about how she received her injuries she acted
confused she said she hadn't seen James Rus in over 10 years confronted again and again with
evidence Sher continued to play dumb the detectives asked Keith to leave the room alone with Sherry they asked her
whether she was trying to escape an abusive marriage or teach Keith a lesson Sher sobbed even
harder she tearfully admitted to speaking with other men when she shouldn't have
why would I do that she sobbed almost incoherently I don't want to leave my husband I love my
husband the detectives made it very clear that James Rees had confessed to his part in the whole
ordeal they gave Sherry numerous opportunities to come clean letting her know they couldn't help her if she
continued to lie nobody else he got nothing out of this and you're welcome to go home Sher
but right now is your opportunity to tell us the truth and can't be are you saying that it was two
females that picked you up what's that every time I ask that question it seems like you don't answer it I just
can't be you sat in a room you drew out two people on the sketch Sher those two people the ones that took
you that said yes or no I don't know well you were pretty clear when I asked you earlier what what did the younger
one do you said the younger one pointed a gun at you he was there she wasn't it was just
James not me James was 2 hours late we have the rental records from 2016 for the vehicle that he used what
because we wouldn't look for it cuz he told me because I was talking to that's clear you talking I don't my fault
because I'm talking him I just this can't we have to control what we can control
no we to the point did two did the younger female that you've always described is she the one that put a
point G at you is that true or not I don't know you you do know you told me ear so earlier today when we
were talking I asked you what did the younger one do you told me the younger one pointed a gun at you and let you go
that's what you said she let me go you let yourself go you let yourself out of the backseat never even said bye to
James never a thank you never a nothing just an out no yeah that's what James told me until you can start telling me
that James is a liar and start pointing things out James passed poly graph this is my
fault my fault that I was [ __ ] doing this my fault that I was fing with other men it was such a stupid thing to do I
love my husband love my children understand stupid here's the deal though Sher flirting with other men not a
crime lying to me today yes a crime when asked if a fale pointed a gun at her Sher said she couldn't
remember she said she refused to get anyone in trouble crying I know you know who she
is the detectives told Sherry that at this point the only person who was going to get in trouble was
her Sherry responded tearfully I didn't do anything wrong I don't understand there's no way that
it's James with no admission Sherry was free to go home investigators continued building
their case against her for a year and a half it was determined that all up law enforcements spent more than
$150,000 in resources investigating sher's so-called abduction concerned community members
who rallied behind the penis had raised $49,000 in a GoFundMe account the pinis used this money to
fund a private investigator pay off credit card debt and other personal expenses in total Sherry had received a
little over $30,500 from the California victim Compensation Board which had been spent
on therapy ambulances and blackout blinds she also received $127,000 in disability benefits
by early March 2020 over 5 years had passed since Sher Pini went through with the
hoax she was attending a piano lesson with her two children when a man burst in and said her car outside had been
hit it was all a Lure by detectives as soon as Sher walked out she was placed under
arrest given that she'd received some of the compensation payments via US Postal
Service she was charged with male fraud as well as making false statements a spokesperson for the Shasta
County Sheriff's Department made a post on Facebook that read today is a great day for the Shasta
County Sheriff's Office and for all law enforcement in this County not only did this charade take
valuable resources away from real criminal investigative matters but in a time where there are serious human
trafficking cases with legitimate victims Sher Pini used this tragic societal phenomenon to gain notoriety
and financial [Music] gain James Reyes was never charged for his involvement in the so-called
abduction if found guilty Sher peni faced a possible 25 years in prison in mid April she pleaded guilty
to the charges in the hopes of receiving Alessa sentence her defense team blamed sher's
actions on a painful upbringing and quote chameleonic personalities which they said drove her to simultaneously
crave Family Security and the freedom of Youth they said she inflicted the injuries on herself as Penance and her
lies spiraled out of control when she realized what she'd done the defense argued for 1 month in
prison followed by 7 month months of home detention stating it is hard to imagine a more
brutal public revelation of a person's broken inner self at this point the punishment is already intense and feels
like a life [Music] sentence the prosecution debated this stating pini's planning of her hoax
kidnapping was meticulous and began months in advance it was not merely the reaction to a traumatic child
childhood they said it was important to acknowledge that quote an entire Community believed the hoax and lived in
fear that Hispanic women were roving the streets to abduct and sell women ultimately Sher Pini was sentenced
to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of just over $300,000 she admitted to the lies but
offered no explanation for her actions telling the judge what is done cannot be undone it
cannot be erased I'm sorry your honor I'm sad I feel very sad Keith pinii had always stood by
sher's side his unfaltering loyalty had seen him and his children be the victims
of hate mail and threats but as soon as the truth about sher's part in the kidnapping hoax came
to light Keith filed for divorce he applied for full custody of the children releasing one final public
statement that said the events of the past two months have been shocking and devastating my current focus is on
moving on and doing everything I can to provide My Two children with as normal healthy and happy of a life as
possible Sherry didn't admit the truth about her lies to her family until the day before she pleaded guilty in
court in a Facebook post following sher's sentencing her sister Sheila wrote that Sherry could intentionally
mislead her own beautiful children her devoted husband Keith our families the authorities and all of you for so long
is beyond comprehension and was done for reasons for which only she is aware sadly the despite what she has
expressed to the media she feels no remorse or guilt for the untold damage she has caused nor for taking advantage
of critical criminal financial and Mental Health Resources that should have gone to help real victims in
need it deeply pains me to say this but my sister is very disturbed and I hope for her children's sake once she is
released she will finally get the treatment she clearly so desperately needs to this day no one knows for sure what
motivated Sher Pini to Stage such an elaborate hoax some believe she was a narcissist
who craved attention or that she wanted to be viewed as a hero others blame mental health issues
but various experts have struggled to come up with a diagnosis that would explain sher's
actions the fact that she was capable of planning and organizing such a ruse ruled out various
conditions one forensic psychologist who studied the case said it is a mistake to
assume mental illness is the cause of unusual behavior regardless of Sherry's motivation this wasn't a victimless
crime financials aside sher's actions had a detrimental impact on others a spokesperson for the Shasta
County Lao Community told the Sacramento B that sher's false narrative deeply impacted Latino women who were unfairly
treated with suspicion they said this incident instilled that fear in people and it didn't need to
happen as the sentencing judge stated this case is serious and there have been very real harms to
society victims of crimes may not believe believe they will be believed by law enforcement because of this hoax
Sher Pini is a manipulator it's not as if she has seen the error of her ways if she had not been caught she'd
still be living the LIE [Music] [Music] in June 1993 Elizabeth Stevens 18 was murdered on her way home from the bus
stop her death began a 7-week reign of terror for the people of Frankston I remember thinking like how can it happen
to someone that's fought so hard to get away and have a good life a serial killer was on the loose no one was safe
not young mother Debbie frem 22 taken on a trip to the shops nor natal Russell 17
murdered on her way home from school then two detectives came in and they just said to Brian and myself can we go
somewhere PR and we went into the bedroom and they said I'm sorry to tell you it's Natalie the serial killer Paul
denya was captured and sentenced to life in prison on appeal he was granted a 30-year minimum sentence and I I saw in
his face that yeah I'm SP new sort of thing he was proud of what he had done fast forward 30 years and denya has
applied for parole award-winning crime writer Vicky Petrus was on patrol with police the night the final murder took
place as a true crime author I found myself right in the heart of Frankston doing ride alongs with the local police
when the murders were happening she wrote the best-selling book The Frankston murders which has never been
out of print Vicki has Revisited the case in a long form podcast to remind the world why denya must never be
released Dena isn't just dangerous where young women are concerned he is dangerous to all women babies school
girls friends strangers older women everyone the Frankston murders podcast uncovers new material and new victims
stalked by Danya in the leadup to the killings the woman policeman turned to me and said you should take a ticket in
tax as much as to say I was the luckiest person around Vicki interviews prison guards police officers family members
and people C in the periphery of a serial killer he has not learned his lesson he has not changed he has not
become remorseful he has not repented or even apologized a scale of 1 to 10 I'd easily put him as a 20 it's that far off
the scale the Frankston murders is the latest podcast from case File presents available now wherever you get your
podcast have you tried new Splenda PE for zero calorie drink mix liquid drink mix in a
pod simple to peel pour and serve four delicious flavors the whole family will love fruit punch pink lemonade sweet tea
and peach mango Splenda peel and for drink mix has zero sugar zero calories in the pre-measured liquid means no
waiting for messy powder to dissolve makes the perfect picture every time find new Splenda peel and pour in the
drink mixis at your favorite grocery store happy birthday baby and you'll be even happier to know I bought all your
gifts at BJ's Wholesale Club oh so smart H batteries and muffins Welsley Farms muffins and toilet paper nice
right Jeff is BJ's having a member favorite special again I may have seen a sign save over $50 on BJ's member
favorites from Welsley farms and Berkeley Jensen now through May 22nd check your app for coupons BJs absurdly
simple savings

Case 245: Sherri Papini When married mother of two, Sherri Papini, goes missing near her home in Redding, California, the community is gripped by fear. Suspicion immediately falls on Sherri’s husband, Keith Papini, but an even darker theory emerges – what if Sherri was the victim of a human trafficking ring?

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Elsha McGill Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

Website https://www.casefilepodcast.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/casefile Twitter https://twitter.com/case_file Instagram https://www.instagram.com/casefilepodcast Patreon https://www.patreon.com/casefile Casefile Presents https://casefilepresents.com

RESOURCES

For all credits and sources, please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-245-sherri-papini

Brief Summary

Sherri Pini staged her own abduction in 2016, leading to a complex investigation and eventual conviction for fraud.

Key points

The Disappearance of Sherry Pini. Sherry Pini, a devoted mother, mysteriously vanished while jogging, sparking a frantic search.
The Reverse Ransom Offer. An anonymous businessman offers a reverse ransom for Sherry's safe return, stirring controversy.
Sherry Found Alive. After days of searching, Sherry Pini is found alive, but severely injured.
A Disturbing Reunion. Keith Pini's emotional reunion with Sherry reveals the extent of her trauma.
Public Speculation. As Sherry's story unfolds, public skepticism arises about the legitimacy of her kidnapping.
Sherry's Emotional Return. After her abduction, Sherry struggles with emotional scars despite a warm community welcome.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

This is a pretty sickening situation.

Suzanne, Sherry's sister-in-law, on the community's shock.

13:33WatchApr 29, 2023

Tension

75/ 100High tension

More from Casefile

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.