Get ready because this true crime story is absolutely wild! A 37-year-old woman in North Carolina was arrested last week after she allegedly faked her own murder!
According to the Franklin Police Department, Margaret “Maggie” Sweeney was reported missing on Friday, August 18, 2023. Law enforcement immediately began an investigation as they were given information claiming she was endangered, kidnapped, or deceased. A post was even made on social media asking the public for help locating a missing woman with brown hair and eyes.
But the next day, police revealed she “has been located in a neighboring town and is safe.” People took to the comments section of the Franklin Police Department’s Facebook account to express their relief over Margaret being found safe. The twist in this case, though? She was then taken into custody on Monday, August 21, 2023, after investigators figured out she was lying about her own disappearance and murder!
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Franklin Police Chief Devin Holland told WLOS that when a deputy found her unharmed, Margaret claimed “she didn’t know everyone was looking for her” at all. But that didn’t turn out to be the case. As First Sergeant Randy Dula continued to investigate the situation, police said he soon determined that Margaret had been the one who “allegedly made anonymous third-party false reports to a friend, and the Department of Social Services that she had been murdered.”
An arrest warrant obtained by HuffPost revealed Margaret allegedly pretended to be someone else through a text messaging app and claimed she had been beaten to death with a tire iron. This prompted the pal and the agent from DSS to report to the police that an unknown suspect had killed Margaret.
OMG!
After figuring out this was all a hoax, Margaret was arrested for causing a false report to a police station, falsely reporting death or serious injury by telephonic communication, and obstructing law enforcement officers. The arrest warrant also noted she was accused of resisting the cops after she was found. The Franklin Police Department said in a statement on Facebook:
“Sweeney’s actions caused our department, as well as other departments, many hours of work which could have been spent on other matters. Family, friends, and the community as a whole were also very concerned and worried about Sweeney’s welfare.”
She is now scheduled to appear in court on September 7, WLOS reported. Wow. Reactions to this case, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments below.
[Image via Franklin Police Department/Facebook]
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