Sherri Papini appeared to be the perfect wife and mother, until one big event brought all of her dirty little secrets to light. Papini disappeared in early November 2016, yet by Thanksgiving it was revealed that everything — the disappearance, kidnapping, and Sherri’s entire story — was a lie.
Sherri Papini was a Redding, California housewife who seemed to have it all. She had a beautiful home, a doting husband, and two adorable children. So when she went missing in November of 2016, her friends, family, and the community were understandably panicked. A nationwide manhunt for the young mom quickly ensued. Three weeks later, Sherri Papini reappeared with an unbelievable (literally) story of being kidnapped by two Hispanic women and held hostage. Yet when the DNA on her clothing turned out to belong to a male, Sherri’s story began to quickly unravel.
As the investigation into Sherri’s “kidnapping” continued, it became apparent that there were more than a few discrepancies in her story. When all was said and done, the truth would reveal that Papini had concocted the entire thing with the help of an old boyfriend. She had run away with her high school sweetheart, James Reyes, and staged her own kidnapping. However, when things with Reyes did not go as planned, she devised a scheme that would allow her to return to her former life. She created several self-inflicted injuries, and elicited the help of her former lover to do so. He reportedly pelted her with hockey pucks, and even branded her skin at her request. Despite the pair’s best efforts to cover their tracks, the truth was finally revealed. Sherri’s lies were exposed, and as it turned out, they were criminal.
Where is Sherri Papini now?
When Sherri went missing, the search to find her went nationwide, and even included FBI involvement. What that means is, when her hoax was finally revealed, it carried criminal charges at the federal level. Five years after her mysterious disappearance, Papini pled guilty to two of a thirty five count indictment, and received 18 months in federal prison. She pled guilty to mail fraud, and lying to a law enforcement official.
Papini, now 41, was released last week from federal prison, and moved to community confinement as reported by NBC. She will remain there under the careful surveilance of the residential reentry management field office in Sacramento.
Papini and her former husband, Keith Papini, separated on March 3 in 2022, the day that Papini was officially indicted. Keith filed for divorce from Sherri a month following their separation, and filed for custody of their children, stating “The fact that their mother lied to them on such a major issue is something they, and I, are having a hard time dealing with. We, both children and I, need time to recover and stabilize,” as reported by CNN. Keith has worked hard to stay out of the spotlight since that time, moving his family to Mountain Gate, California. Papini’s former boyfriend, Reyes, is reportedly living in Arizona. He was never charged with any crime.
It is unclear who exactly Papini will be reentering society to, as she lost her former husband, boyfriend, and custody of her children. Why Sherri did what she did still remains somewhat of a mystery, possibly even to Papini herself. Yet it seems she will have plenty of time to ponder it as she reenters society to a life quite different from her old one. She is no longer a wife or a custodial mother, and is now a full time ex-con.