The Bonnie Sweeten Abduction Hoax

Philadelphia Mom Bonnie Sweeten had apparently been embezzling money from a charity where she worked for years. Fearing that she was about to be found out, she fled to Orlando with her daughter, but not before concocting a hoax about being abducted by two black men who rear-ended her SUV. (She placed a call to 911, pretending she was locked in the trunk of the black men's car.)

I guess the hoax was intended to cover her tracks, but I'm not sure if it didn't simply increase police scrutiny, making them search more closely for her than they otherwise would have. Obvious signs that her call was a hoax: a) the call was placed miles from the scene where she said the abduction occurred; b) police soon found her car, unharmed; c) police then identified Sweeten on airport video, boarding a flight to Orlando with her daughter. The police tracked Sweeten down in Orlando and arrested her.

If someone wanted to disappear effectively, I would think they should slip away quietly, to give themselves as much of a head start as possible. And also avoid airports and other places with lots of security cameras.

Links: Yahoo! News, Philly.com.

Law/Police/Crime

Posted on Fri May 29, 2009


Comments

Yeah, sending out a press release, calling 911, etc., are poor ways to avoid detection. And since airports have elaborate security regimens that involve, among other things, showing photo ID and being on video cameras, and airlines maintain lists of everybody on each flight, airports aren't good places to be anonymous, either.
Posted by Big Gary  on  Sun May 31, 2009  at  07:08 AM
I agree. Now, if this gal had studied the way Madelineine McCann's parents pulle dit off, she would be in the money now like they are.
Posted by D F Stuckey  on  Tue Aug 11, 2009  at  12:58 AM
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