Lights, Camera, ...Deception

Feeling compelled to weigh in on the story of a hoax that played out in Carbondale, IL regarding the fictitious serviceman Sgt. Dan Kennings who was purportedly separated from his daughter Kodee. Now I could go off on how it points up lazy journalism and the school's reputation, or do a whole little thing on hoaxes and urban myths, or even compare it to the Jessica Lynch story…

But I’d rather focus on a specific part of the above linked article – the part where the little girl’s parents allow her to go to other states with a woman they barely know under the pretext of making a movie.

Let’s assume for a moment these parents are not in on the hoax. This means they were so trusting (or blinded by an imaginary Hollywood limelight) that they would allow their daughter to travel unescorted by a family member to a movie taping. I find this hard to believe, but stay with me. Can you see every child molester who hears this story developing the perfect crime?

Yes, I’d like your child to star in a movie! It’s shooting in another
state. At night. It’s a horror movie that takes place in the woods.

Why thank you, of course I’ll have her home right after Labor Day to start
school…

Or better yet: It’s a movie about an abused child. And of course it will be very realistic…

Also, did you notice the parents thought she was shooting a documentary? What part of documentary means actors? I suppose you could do a ‘reenactment’ of a true event after the fact, but again, that doesn’t quite say documentary to me, so I think the parents were either very dumb or in on the prank for a few bucks. What ten-year-old thinks a movie is all ad-lib? No script, no retakes? Again, hard to believe.

Let’s all applaud the Tribune’s efforts to find the truth behind this event, and hope they go on to expose others.