Ep. 120-121 | Sherri Papini: 22 Days Missing
In November 2016, Redding, California stay-at-home mom Sherri Papini vanished while out for a jog, setting off a massive search and national media coverage. Twenty-two days later she reappeared on the side of a highway, emaciated, bound, and branded, telling police she'd been abducted by two masked Hispanic women. Years later, genetic genealogy linked DNA from her clothing to an ex-boyfriend, James Reyes, who told investigators Sherri had asked him to help her fake the kidnapping — and inflict her own injuries — so she could escape her marriage. Papini eventually pleaded guilty to mail fraud and lying to federal agents, having collected over $30,000 in victim compensation for a crime that never happened.
SOURCES:
A New Cafe. (2022, March 26). Sherri Papini's big adventure: From her house to the big house? https://anewscafe.com/2022/03/26/redding/sherri-papinis-big-adventure-from-her-house-to-the-big-house/
A&E Networks. (2022, September 26). Why Sherri Papini faked her disappearance. A&E. https://www.aetv.com/articles/sherri-papini-disappearance
ABC News. (2017, January 5). 911 call logs shed light on 'Super Mom' Sherri Papini's past. https://abcnews.go.com/US/mother-super-mom-sherri-papini-told-police-daughter/story?id=46477176
ABC News. (2022, September 29). 'The Vanishing Act': How Sherri Papini fooled investigators, family with phony kidnap plot. https://abcnews.com/US/vanishing-act-sherri-papini-fooled-investigators-family-phony/story?id=90381451
ABC News. (2024, June 28). Sherri Papini's ex-husband reflects on living under her hoax, years after learning about her phony kidnap plot. https://abcnews.com/US/sherri-papinis-husband-reflects-living-hoax-years-after/story?id=111387378
ABC News. (2025, June 20). Sherri Papini claims ex-boyfriend abducted her in 2016 hoax kidnapping case. https://abcnews.com/GMA/News/sherri-papini-claims-boyfriend-abducted-2016-hoax-kidnapping/story?id=122988913
ABC10. (n.d.). What we know and don't know about Sherri Papini's disappearance. https://abc10.com/amp/article/news/local/california/what-we-know-and-dont-know-about-sherri-papinis-disappearance/103-362643627
ABC7 Los Angeles. (2022, October 3). 'The Vanishing Act': How Redding mom Sherri Papini fooled investigators, family with phony kidnapping plot. https://abc7.com/post/ca-kidnapping-hoax-2016-sherri-papini-sentencing-abc-2020-the-vanishing-act/12283430/
ABC7 News. (2024, June 18). Sherri Papini kidnapping hoax: Ex-husband Keith Papini says he can't forgive her. https://abc7news.com/post/sherri-papini-kidnapping-hoax-ex-husband-keith-papini/14970883/
Biography.com Editors. (2025, May 14). Sherri Papini admitted to faking her own kidnapping. Now she says the truth is different. Biography. https://www.biography.com/crime/a71308411/where-is-sherri-papini
Burgess, H., & McInerney, S. (Hosts). (2024, March 7). Episode 339 - Sherri Papini: The woman who fooled the world [Audio podcast episode]. In RedHanded. Wondery. https://redhandedpodcast.com/episodes/6jnmf8s8feyjxcs-33nkx-wtmjf-b2m8a-rena2-mhgzn-spe2n
BuzzFeed News. (2022, April 13). Sherri Papini agrees to plead guilty after lying about kidnapping. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/skbaer/sherri-papini-plea-agreement-hoax-kidnapping
CBS Sacramento. (2022, September 21). Investigators release interrogation video of Sherri Papini, mom who faked her kidnapping, breaking down. https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/investigators-release-interrogation-video-of-sherri-papini-mom-who-faked-her-kidnapping-breaking-down/
Dexerto. (2025, May 27). Where is James Reyes now? Sherri Papini slams ex in new documentary. https://www.dexerto.com/tv-movies/where-is-james-reyes-now-sherri-papini-caught-in-the-lie-documentary-3199518/
E! Online. (2022). How Sherri Papini's kidnapping hoax unraveled and why the drama continues. https://www.eonline.com/news/1328252/how-sherri-papinis-kidnapping-hoax-was-exposed-and-what-happened-next
Fox News. (2022, October 1). Sherri Papini, California mom who staged kidnapping, tells police 'it's embarrassing' in interrogation video. https://www.foxnews.com/us/sherri-papini-california-mom-behind-kidnapping-hoax-tells-police-embarrassing-interrogation-video
KIRO 7 News. (2022, March 10). Sherri Papini: Feds detail how missing mom branded, starved self in 2016 kidnapping hoax. https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/sherri-papini-feds-detail-how-missing-mom-branded-starved-self-2016-kidnapping-hoax/CUMZAUDLFBELNHZRAL5VBTM7KE/
KRCR News Channel 7. (2022, April 13). Papini plea agreement: What the court documents reveal about guilty plea. https://krcrtv.com/news/local/papini-plea-agreement-what-the-court-documents-reveal-about-guilty-plea
KRCR News Channel 7. (2022, March 9). Papini's disappearance captivated the country; what led to her arrest? https://krcrtv.com/news/local/pappinis-disappearance-captivated-the-country-what-led-to-her-arrest
KRCR News Channel 7. (2024, June 19). Keith Papini breaks silence ahead of Hulu's new Sherri Papini documentary series. https://krcrtv.com/news/local/keith-papini-breaks-silence-ahead-of-hulus-new-sherri-papini-documentary-series
KRON4. (2022, September 22). Watch: Moment Sherri Papini realized detectives knew she was lying. https://www.kron4.com/news/california/watch-moment-sherri-papini-realized-detectives-knew-she-was-lying/
KRON4. (2025, May 1). Sherri Papini tells her side of the story in ID documentary. https://www.kron4.com/news/california/sherri-papini-tells-her-side-of-the-story-and-asks-havent-you-ever-lied/
KTVU Fox 2. (2022, September 21). Interrogation of California kidnap hoax suspect released; Sherri Papini breaks down. https://www.ktvu.com/news/interrogation-of-california-kidnap-hoax-suspect-released-sherri-papini-breaks-down
Law and Crime. (2022, March 4). Sherri Papini faked kidnapping, hid out with ex: FBI. https://lawandcrime.com/crime/sherri-papini-arrest-fbi-kidnapping-false-statement/
Mount Shasta News / USA Today Network. (2022, April 24). Sherri Papini's kidnapping was a lie; the panic it sparked in her California town was real. https://www.mtshastanews.com/story/news/nation/2022/04/24/sherri-papinis-kidnapping-hoax-redding-fear/7403025001/
NBC News. (2022, April 22). Sherri Papini's theatrics are what got her caught, detectives say. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sherri-papinis-theatrics-are-got-caught-detectives-say-rcna25432
NBC News. (2024, June 25). Keith Papini reflects on lies wife Sherri Papini shared before her kidnapping hoax. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/keith-papini-reflects-lies-wife-sherri-papini-shared-kidnapping-hoax-rcna158550
Oxygen True Crime. (2022). All the bombshell revelations from 'Sherri Papini: Lies, Lies and More Lies.' https://www.oxygen.com/bombshell-revelations-sherri-papini-lies-lies-lies
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Oxygen True Crime. (2022). Where is James Reyes, the ex-boyfriend in the Sherri Papini case, today? https://www.oxygen.com/sherri-papini-lies-lies-and-more-lies/crime-news/wheres-sherri-papinis-ex-boyfriend-james-reyes
Oxygen True Crime. (2025). Sherri Papini changes her story about what happened during hoax kidnapping. https://www.oxygen.com/sherri-papini-lies-lies-and-more-lies/crime-news/where-is-she-now-boyfriend-kidnapping
Rolling Stone. (2025, May 26). 5 things we learned from 'Sherri Papini: Caught in the Lie' docuseries. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/sherri-papini-docuseries-id-hoax-kidnapping-1235347341/
Screen Rant. (2024, June 25). Perfect Wife: What happened to James Reyes after Sherri Papini hoax. https://screenrant.com/perfect-wife-james-reyes-after-sherri-papini-kidnapping-hoax/
SF Gate / SFist. (2022, September 21). Watch Sherri Papini lie, squirm, and fumble in newly released interrogation video. https://sfist.com/2022/09/21/watch-sherri-papini-lie-squirm-and-fumble-in-newly-released-interrogation-video/
Today.com. (2024, June 24). Sherri Papini faked her own kidnapping in 2016. Where is she now, 8 years later? https://www.today.com/news/sherri-papini-now-rcna157042
United States Department of Justice, Eastern District of California. (2022, March 3). Criminal complaint: United States v. Sherri Papini [Case No. 3:22-mj-00001-DMC]. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/press-release/file/1479901/dl
United States Department of Justice, Eastern District of California. (2022, March 4). Shasta County woman arrested for lying to federal agents regarding kidnapping and defrauding the Victim Compensation Board. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/shasta-county-woman-arrested-lying-federal-agents-regarding-kidnapping-and-defrauding
United States Department of Justice, Eastern District of California. (2022, September 19). Sherri Papini sentenced to 18 months in prison for lying to federal agents about being kidnapped and defrauding the California Victim Compensation Board. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/sherri-papini-sentenced-18-months-prison-lying-federal-agents-about-being-kidnapped-and
