Now that the "kidnapping" of 16-year-old Kelsey Stelting of Independence has been revealed as no such thing, Kansans caught up in the drama surrounding Tuesday’s Amber Alert can only wonder what would cause anyone to tell such a costly fib and, in the process, mobilize multiple law enforcement agencies. Maybe the tale will at least deter other kids from doing such a thing. Then again, as the sextuplets scam in Missouri this week again demonstrated, people of all ages think they can get away with really dumb things.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/22
- Regular on Open thread 11/22
- Regular on Open thread 11/22
- Rage on Open thread 11/22
- cosmos_originally on Open thread 11/22
- Chas on Open thread 11/22
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/22
- Boxlock20 on Open thread 11/22
- satatom on Open thread 11/22
- JimJohnson on Open thread 11/22
40 Comments
What this girl has done is water down the very real good that the Amber alert can do. In her cry of “wolf” she will cause responders and citizens to treat a future abduction with a skeptical eye.The reason that she did this is irrellevant. She should publicly apologize and then be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
She’s just a kid, and obviously has problems, I don’t see the need for criminal prosecution. Maybe have to pay for the unnecessary expenses she caused the taxpayers.
I had a feeling this wasn’t on the up and up. It just didn’t make sense. She called from her cell phone while in the company of a kidnapper with a gun? These days, I’d think a cell phone would be the first thing the bad guy would check for.
Mandatory counseling…for the whole family. And let HER pay off any expenses. I doubt the FBI is cheap.
Poor kid shouldn’t have pulled that stunt in Kansas. Her future is probably bleak. When the Right Wing has their way with her.
I wonder if the FBI has a profile of the kind of kids who might do this. If they don’t, an investigation as to the “why” might be valuable in that way.
A 16 yr. old troubled girl,needs to spend time alone. I’m thinking Phil’s spidey senses are tingling, sensing a news headline and national attention!
In total agreement with JR on this one..the cry of ‘wolf’ can have irrepairable harm on the next time an Amber alert is needed, for real.
As rape crisis counselors can attest, any time a woman falsely charges rape, it hurts the thousands who actually are victims of that crime.
She needs to be prosecuted to prove to others that this is not a good idea. Making a false statement to police is a crime, regardless of motive.
Wow.
I agree with JR.
The average person could not afford to pay for all the FBI, police, and other work involved with this case. She needs to be assigned LOTS of community service for what she did.
D.U.M.B.
That and the embarassment she and her family are going to be put through should probably be enough. I see channel 10 going to have live coverage.I don’t think it will have any effect on future Amber alerts. Each situation will be pursued as unique. It was a waste of resources though.
It is reported that there really is no Federal crime here. At most it seems she MIGHT be charged with filing a false report. So any mandated punishment is likely to be light.
SteveYeah she’s a mixed up kid sure. But 20 FBI agents came to town in a matter of hours. Cessna had planes looking for the vehicle. Her friends and classmates put up posters as far away as Oklahoma. All in all a heroic effort on very short notice. All for nothing. The next time there is an apparent abduction, minutes may be lost in efforts to verify it is real. In these matters seconds can count. Remember the recent case where the little girl was raped repeatedly and buried alive just a short distance from her own house? Did you hear the recent news story where a 911 operator thought a child was pranking her and as a result that childs mother died? Will another child die or another tragedy occur because Kelsey had issues and needed time alone?
We will see the expense this girl caused in money in the next few days I am sure. Will we ever know how much damage has actually been done?
I should hope a judge will be very harsh and inventive in punishing this young woman.
The officer/agent time that she racked up would cost a fortune. I think NoJoCo is right on this one, there needs to be an alternate reparation by her.
Who doesn’t have “issues”?
What a twit.
When so many “Real” kids are missing…this little Bimbo does her little act. makes me sick. Cops could be doing things more important and I aint buying that “Pressure: crap. She needs to be charged with making a false report, a public apology and 200 hours of public service. She also need her little ass grounded for a year.
This could cause the family to move to a different town. Owning up is key to growing up, the aka after her name may lesson in hindsight, I hope it stays for years to come.I’m praying for the parents.
She did file a false police report which is against the law. She should be prosecuted and ordered to pay restitution just like any other juvenile that breaks the law. Why should she be treated different?
She cost the community, the state, the federal government as well as businesses that put planes in the air to search for her. The cost has to be in the thousands of dollars. Not to mention all of the volunteers that donated their time.
If a juvenile is caught drinking alcohol they are arrested and charged with a crime. If a juvenile is caught with illegal drugs they are arrested and charged with a crime. If a juvenile is caught stealing they are arrested and charged with a crime. Why is this any different? By costing the people of Kansas thousands of dollars she has basically stolen their money.
Yes she probably needs some counseling and that could also be part of the order given by a judge. It may be that her family also needs some counseling. Because she is a minor her parents are probably the ones liable for the financial cost of her false report.
Ruby, please stop posting ideas I agree with.
It confuses me, lol!
I had a feeling she made it up from what the news stations reported. I think she should be made to see what happens when a real child gets kidnapped.
She should be screened along with her entire family. There is the possibility that this was some sort of sick cry for help and that should be explored.
If nothing is found, she should suffer the maximum penalty under the law. KAKE news reports that this is one year in prison. She should serve that year.
This case, the “runaway bride” case and others demonstrate a need for legislation to address very harshly false reports.
LOTS of community service and mandatory therapy. What stress and embarrassment for her family.
She’s a screwed-up kid who did a dumb thing. Everyone of us has done idiot things in our youth that we look back and shake our heads at. Give the kid a break, drop all this old testement HARSH punishment talk. My God, what do you want to do? Put her in stocks for a week?Ease us folks.
I want her made an example of Git. So that this does not happen again.
OK, JR. Let’s give her 30 lashes across her bare back in downtown Independence at high noon and make her lie there, sobbing in the sun while you uptights can cast stones at her. Would that satisfy your blood lust?Make her an example? She already is an example. And do you truly think that is going to stop the next teenager from doing something dumb?
Nope..lashing is not necessary. She did break the law, and she should be expected to face her punishment. This is a nation of laws, supposedly, and if you break them, you must face the consequences.
Or, should we tell the next shoplifter that it is ok, since they have “pressures”? Should we tell the next kid that speeds the wrong way down K-96 and kills someone that because they are young and foolish it is ok to break the law?
She is nothing special..she broke the law and needs to face the consequences.
Git?
If you bothred to read , I have already stated that she should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of THE LAW.Blood lust? Lashes? Stoning?
Where did anyone but you mention those things?
This girl did something far more than dumb. She did something criminal that could cause other people to get hurt or killed.I have had the experience of having my son go missing. Now fortunately it did not take long to find him. That’s because the police took me serious. What this girl has done works against that.
I agree, she needs consequences and counseling. This was far more than a prank, she had the town upside down, her parents panicked, and a whole bunch of law enforcment officals wasting taxpayer’s money. This needs to be taken very seriously becasue she committed a crime. Maybe her “pressure” was the reason, but it’s no excuse.
Consequences and counseling, sure, I agree. But the comments were heating up to the point where I was beginning to wonder if a lynch mob was forming. She’s 16, for God’s sake, yes, old enough to know better, but still young enough to make dumbass mistakes.Think back, what did you do when you were 16 you don’t want to remember? Ok, you didn’t have the FBI, etc., out, but still, let’s have a little human forgivness.And JR, I’m sorry about your son. Other than death, I can’t think of a thing more horrible for a parent than to have a child missing.
Why is she supposed to be treated differently than any other juvenile that breaks the law? She not only broke the law but she was responsible for thousands of dollars being spent looking for her when she was faking it. How is that different than a kid that goes down the street and vandalizes several cars? Because he has some pressures are you and your insurance company going to say no big deal you were just young and did a foolish thing. Don’t worry about it? No you are not. You are going to report the damage and get your car taken car of and then your insurance company is going to go after the kid to pay for the damages.
There is not one person saying she should be stoned, lashed etc. we are just saying that she should be held accountable like any other criminal. She should make restitution which her family may be responsible for and hopefully learn a valuable lesson.
She is a lucky girl in that she was not abducted. She is also very lucky that while law enforcement was spending time looking for her that there was not another little girl or boy that truly needed their help.
I spent 3 hours cruising the backroads looking for her. Would not hesitate to do it again, nor would the law enforcement people. What she did was wrong, but its not like she is some hardened criminal, she needs help, not to be put away.
What she needs is a healthy dose of good ol fashioned corporal punishment. Put her over someones knee..
CruX, I think we may have a first here! I FULLY agree with your last post. Somebody needs her bottom warmed. My folks would have blistered my bottom good for a stunt like that.
I wonder what would happen if this were a 16 year-old boy we’re talking about?
I agree with much of what is said on both sides her. She definitely should pay a price for what she did. However, at the same time I really wonder what drove her to it. Her family? School? Peers? There are definitely some real issues behind the scene here.
Ben’You hit the crucial question. Something flipped her out. What was it? Prior to tanning her hide, a complete answer would be very beneficial to her.
I know this is going out on a limb, but I wonder if she was contemplating suicide? What better way to do away with yourself and not have everyone feel guilty about it than to pretend someone else killed you.
The waste of resources is maddening but this seems like a cry for help, I think. At the very least, this young lady should have to put in some serious long hours of community service.
V.L.R.B!!
I agree with those who already said this girl needs to have some community service. I think she needs to work directly with the Missing and Exploited Children’s organization.
One thing to keep in mind here. This girl is 16 and she is overscheduled to the point of exhaustion — tennis, track, student government, school play, church activities, etc. In and of themselves, none of those are bad activities for a kid her age — but there is a point where you have to say no! Instead of saying, “I need a break,” she did a really dumb thing. Apparently, her parents are keeping her so busy that they failed to see the warning signs here.I’m sure there’s more to this story than we’ll ever know, but I think this girl needs some serious counseling, as well as a serious reduction of extra-curricular activities. Community service should be the ONLY thing on her plate for a while!
The entire family should be evaluted. Something made her do this.But just as we have Amber alerts, maybe we need a “Kelsey’s law” that deals with false reports.
Wow, the pressure of the weekend, cleaning the grill, seeing and sharing with friends,some shopping with the wife, so much pressure.I’m calling into work tomarrow for the day off.
I’d like to ask all those that have posted, when is there going to be a public apology from kelsey?
Kelsey Stetling and her family need to go to counseling. Kelsey also needs to publicly appolize. Kelsey needs many hours of Community service so she realizes that what she did is wrong.