Reporting on Sherri Papini
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Reported coverage offers a concise introduction.
2016 · Redding, California
Sherri Papini
Fame, money & betrayal
Photo credit
Shasta County Sheriff's Office / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain (California government). Cropped/resized.Photographs are cropped to fit. Photo dates and original images are available through the source credits.
Sherri Papini claimed she had been kidnapped in California in 2016 and blamed two Latina women. Investigators later determined she had stayed with a former boyfriend. She pleaded guilty in 2022 to mail fraud and making false statements, after years of public concern over the supposed abduction.
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The Story
When2016
WhereRedding, California
In this collection43 resources
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Hoax: The Kidnapping of Sherri Papini
Lifetime
A dramatized interpretation; compare it with the reporting.
Not Another Crime Podcast — Sherri Papini (Episode 66)
Apple Podcasts
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
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Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
True Crime Society · Blog / essay
True Crime Society - The ‘abduction’ of Sherri Papini
An outside blog or essay discussing Sherri Papini. Read the author’s analysis alongside the dated reporting and court sources in this case guide. Some publishers require a subscription.
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Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
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Books
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Movies & TV
Movies
1 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
Lifetime
Hoax: The Kidnapping of Sherri Papini
Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
TV & documentaries
7 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
IMDb · Screen title
Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini (2024)
IMDb title reference connected to the Sherri Papini case. Listed release: 2024. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
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Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
IMDb · Screen title
Sherri Papini: Caught in the Lie (2025)
IMDb title reference connected to the Sherri Papini case. Listed release: 2025. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
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Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
ABC · 2016 catalog, Episode 52 · Listed air date 2016-12-02
20/20 — Sherri Papini's Alleged Abduction
Includes coverage of Sherri Papini.
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Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
NBC · 2022 catalog, Episode 12 · Listed air date 2022-04-22
Dateline NBC — The Curious Case of Sherri Papini
Includes coverage of Sherri Papini.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
ABC · 2022 catalog, Episode 19 · Listed air date 2022-09-30
20/20 — The Vanishing Act
Includes coverage of Sherri Papini.
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Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
ABC · 2024 catalog, Episode 21 · Listed air date 2024-06-28
20/20 — To Have and to Hoax
Includes coverage of Sherri Papini.
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Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
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ABC · 2025 catalog, Episode 17 · Listed air date 2025-05-23
20/20 — Sherri Papini: Where the Truth Lies
Includes coverage of Sherri Papini.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Audiobooks
An audiobook edition has not been confirmed for this case yet. You can check the audiobook catalog or explore the case’s podcasts.
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
Lifetime
Hoax: The Kidnapping of Sherri Papini
Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
16 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Apple Podcasts
Not Another Crime Podcast — Sherri Papini (Episode 66)
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Dateline NBC
The Curious Case of Sherri Papini
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released April 26, 2022. About 85 minutes.
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Morbid
The Suspicious Kidnapping of Sherri Papini
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released November 21, 2024. About 80 minutes.
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Serialously with Annie Elise
Exclusive: My Interview with Sherri Papini
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released June 23, 2025. About 90 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Serialously with Annie Elise
Sherri Papini DOUBLES DOWN on Abduction Claims. Says She’s the Victim
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released June 2, 2025. About 66 minutes.
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Casefile True Crime
Case 245: Sherri Papini
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released April 29, 2023. About 91 minutes.
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Rotten Mango
#169: Project Taken (Abduction of Sherri Papini)
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released June 1, 2022. About 74 minutes.
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Crime Weekly
S2 Ep73: Sherri Papini: Supermom or Storyteller? (Part 1)
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released April 15, 2022. About 111 minutes.
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The Casual Criminalist
Sherri Papini: The Woman Who (Allegedly) Faked Her Kidnapping
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released March 20, 2026. About 71 minutes.
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True Crime Garage
Sherri Papini /// Part 1 /// 335
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released September 17, 2019. About 52 minutes.
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True Crime with Kendall Rae
The Truth Comes Out: Sherri Papini Faked Her Own Kidnapping?
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released July 12, 2022. About 44 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
Sherri Papini Part 1: The Perfect Victim
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released June 10, 2025. About 49 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
Sherri Papini Part 2: The Unraveling
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released June 10, 2025. About 45 minutes.
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True Crime Garage
Sherri Papini /// Part 2 /// 336
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released September 18, 2019. About 62 minutes.
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RedHanded
Episode 339 - Sherri Papini: The Woman Who Fooled the World
Podcast coverage of the Sherri Papini case. Released March 14, 2024. About 70 minutes.
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Rotten Mango · Stephanie Soo
Rotten Mango — Sherri Papini (Episode 169)
Episode 169 discusses Sherri Papini. The official episode page identifies this case and provides the show’s listening options. Contains descriptions of violence; this is podcast commentary, not a court record.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
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Talk about sources and storytelling with care for the people affected. A documentary, a book and a court record serve different purposes.
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
0 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
No additional case-specific reading source was confirmed in this review. The reporting and original summaries elsewhere on this page remain available.
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemssacbee.com
Reporting on Sherri Papini
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
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Newspaper clippings
2 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
The Fresno Bee · 2022-04-19 · Page A3
Papini admits the kidnapping hoax
Court reporting covers her guilty pleas to mail fraud and making false statements.
The article corrects the earlier false kidnapping account.
Newspaper ReportingAccess Varies · Check Source
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Read the original at Newspapers.com. Access and subscription requirements are set by the archive.
Open full clipping at Newspapers.comMore from the newspaper archive
Continue with these dated reports on Newspapers.com.
Record Searchlight · 2022-03-06 · Page A1
Timeline revisits Papini’s disappearance and arrest
Local reporting reconstructs events after prosecutors accused Papini of fabricating the kidnapping.
Published after arrest and before her guilty pleas.
Read this article on Newspapers.comKeep following the newspaper trail.
Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
Explore more on Newspapers.comNewspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.
Internet Archive
3 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
Good Morning America: Weekend Edition : WEWS : November 6, 2016 7:00am-8:00am EST
The archive indexes this broadcast under Sherri Papini. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
America This Morning : KNXV : November 7, 2016 4:00am-4:30am MST
The archive indexes this broadcast under Sherri Papini. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
Action News @ 3PM : KTNV : November 7, 2016 3:00pm-3:30pm PST
The archive indexes this broadcast under Sherri Papini. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Plea agreementGovernment repository
United States v. Papini — filed plea agreement
The filed agreement concerning Sherri Papini’s guilty pleas to mail fraud and making false statements. The PDF includes the agreement’s factual basis and terms.
- Court / agency
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- Document date
- April 12, 2022
- Case / citation
- 2:22-cr-00070-WBS · Document 26
- Hosted by
- U.S. Department of Justice
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
11 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Kendall Rae
The Truth Comes Out: Sherri Papini Faked Her Own Kidnapping?!
Video from Kendall Rae covering the Sherri Papini case. Length: 45:30.
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Hailey Elizabeth
She Faked her Kidnapping for 6 Years: The Search for Sherri Papini
Video from Hailey Elizabeth covering the Sherri Papini case. Length: 1:10:11.
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ABC10
Sherri Papini Interrogation by Shasta Co. Sheriff's detectives | Raw video
Video from ABC10 covering the Sherri Papini case. Length: 1:25:07.
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Clues Pod with Morgan Absher & Kaelyn Moore
What Really Happened to Sherri Papini in 2016?
Video from Clues Pod with Morgan Absher & Kaelyn Moore covering the Sherri Papini case. Length: 1:22:08.
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Swoop Too
She Faked Her Own Kidnapping & Ruined Her Life Instead: Sherri Papini | What Happened
Video from Swoop Too covering the Sherri Papini case. Length: 56:51.
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Crime Weekly
Sherri Papini: Supermom or Storyteller? (Part 1)
Video from Crime Weekly covering the Sherri Papini case. Length: 2:01:54.
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dreading (crime and psychology)
Woman Realizes She's Been Caught By FBI | The Case of Sherri Papini
Video from dreading (crime and psychology) covering the Sherri Papini case. Length: 1:20:36.
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Annie Elise
Sherri Papini DOUBLES DOWN on Abduction Claims. Says She’s the Victim
Video from Annie Elise covering the Sherri Papini case. Length: 1:14:31.
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ABC News
Ex-husband of Sherri Papini speaks out for 1st time since her kidnapping hoax
Interview or news segment from ABC News covering the Sherri Papini case. Length: 6:03.
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The Casual Criminalist
Sherri Papini: The Woman Who (Allegedly) Faked Her Kidnapping
Video from The Casual Criminalist covering the Sherri Papini case. Length: 1:07:13.
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TikTok · Creator channel
Serialously with Annie Elise — TikTok channel
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “Exclusive: My Interview with Sherri Papini.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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