Sherri Papini Kidnapping Hoax Explained: What Really Happened

Summary

• Sherri Papini faked her own kidnapping in 2016, but her overly detailed and often-inconsistent recounting of events was a red flag to law enforcement.
• James Reyes, Papini’s ex-boyfriend, unknowingly aided in a hoax, from picking her up to allowing her to stay in his home.
• Sherri Papini was arrested and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Hulu’s Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini delves into what really happened during Sherri Papini’s kidnapping hoax. Although the entire real-life story feels like something out of fiction, Perfect Wife chronicles the Gone Girl-esque tall tale of Papini, who orchestrated her own “abduction” in November 2016. Missing for roughly three weeks, Papini was supposedly held captive and tormented by her abductors, and proceeded to tell California and federal law enforcement about her ordeal in great detail. Sherri’s now-ex-husband, Keith Papini, stood by her side, grateful to have his wife back.

As Hulu’s true-crime docuseries Perfect Wife shows, however, Papini invented the entire abduction story. Although her supposed kidnapping garnered widespread national media attention, law enforcement officials were far less convinced by Sherri’s story, which contained several inconsistencies and details that felt too exact — too rehearsed. Thanks in part to Papini’s own recollections and a bit of DNA evidence, federal agents were able to revisit the case several years after the fact, which culminated in Sherri Papini being found out and exposed. A fascinating watch, Perfect Wife is a reversal of a true-crime series like Netflix’s American Nightmare.

Sherri Papini’s Fake Kidnapping Story Explained

Papini Fabricated A Detailed Story & Engaged In Acts Of Self-Harm To Make Her Tale More Convincing

While out for a jog on the morning of November 2, 2016, Sherri Papini claimed she was abducted by two “Hispanic women” who hid their faces from her. According to Papini, the women wore masks some of the time, but also put Sherri’s head in a covering to keep their identities hidden. Supposedly held captive for weeks, Papini described the closet she was chained to in great detail to law enforcement. In addition to being restrained and locked in a closet in the dark, Sherri Papini revealed a brand on her right shoulder, which she claims her abductors burned into her skin.

Papini told law enforcement officials that she was released by one of her sympathetic captors…

In order to paint a more convincing tall tale, Papini engaged in acts of self-harm, claiming that physical abuse was inflicted upon her by her captors. When Papini was released, she showed signs of starvation and was covered in bruises. She also revealed that her captors had cut off her hair and broken her nose. After reappearing on Thanksgiving Day, Papini told law enforcement officials that she was released by one of her sympathetic captors. Papini even wore broken restraints around her wrists to make it look as though she was just let out of her captors’ bedroom closet.

How Long Sherri Papini Was Missing

Sherri Disappeared On November 2nd But Returned By Thanksgiving Day

After vanishing on November 2, 2016, Sherri Papini was missing for most of the month. Although Papini claimed to have been abducted in the morning, her then-husband, Keith Papini, didn’t realize she was missing until he came home from work that evening and used the “Find My iPhone” application to track the location of her phone and earbuds, which she’d strategically abandoned at the scene of her fake kidnapping. In total, Sherri Papini was missing for three weeks, as she decided to reappear on the morning of Thanksgiving Day 2016.

How Sherri Papini’s Ex-Boyfriend Helped In Her Kidnapping Hoax

James Reyes Allowed Sherri To Stay In His House For 3 Weeks

Years after Sherri Papini faked her own kidnapping, law enforcement officials — including the FBI — finally found DNA evidence that led them to the home of Papini’s ex-boyfriend, James Reyes. Although the two had dated years ago, Sherri had reached out to reconnect with James. After she claimed that she wanted to get out of her marriage, Sherri arranged for James to pick her up on the morning of November 2nd. Eager to be a supportive friend, James agreed, and didn’t really ask many questions. Ultimately, he allowed Sherri to hide in his home.

…the agents proceeded to interview Reyes, who told them what had happened in great detail.

When federal agents searched Reyes’ house, they immediately recognized the bedroom and closet from Sherri Papini’s description. Knowing they had located the supposed scene of the crime, the agents proceeded to interview Reyes, who told them what had happened in great detail. Evidently, Reyes didn’t know that Papini was orchestrating an abduction hoax, even though he helped her board up the bedroom windows, bruised her skin with hockey pucks, and burned “Exodus” into her skin. Perfect Wife eventually digs into what happened to James Reyes after the hoax, and it’s clear that his cooperation helped officials arrest Papini.

Why Sherri Papini Faked Her Own Kidnapping

Perfect Wife Doesn’t Give A Clear-Cut Answer About Papini’s Motivations

Hulu’s Perfect Wife doesn’t really get to the bottom of why Sherri Papini orchestrated her kidnapping hoax. In the docuseries, Jenifer Harrison, Sherri’s best friend, shares that Sherri made claims about her now-ex, Keith, being abusive — though Papini, a known liar, might have been planting seeds and just wanted to leave her marriage. SFGATE reported that police found text exchanges between Sherri and various men, suggesting she was cheating on Keith. Others believe Papini is self-motivated — an attention-seeking person who used the scandal to attract media attention, garner sympathy, and cover up potential affairs.

Sherri Papini’s Arrest & Charges Explained

A Newly Divorced Sherri Papini Went To Prison In 2022

The FBI arrested Sherri Papini on March 3, 2022, accusing her of lying to federal agents and faking her own kidnapping in order to escape her husband and family. Six weeks after the initial arrest, Papini pleaded guilty in the US District Court of Sacramento, California, to one count of false statement-making and one count of mail fraud. Although she admitted to orchestrating her own kidnapping hoax, Papini took a plea deal, which meant other counts were dropped. A few days later, Keith Papini filed for divorce and sole custody of their two children.

In September 2022, Sherri Papini was sentenced to prison for 18 months; she was also ordered to pay $309,902 to cover the costs of the investigation. After being released from prison in 2023, Papini was admitted to a halfway house. As Hulu’s Perfect Wife shows, Papini completely destroyed her life by orchestrating the kidnapping hoax.

Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini is now streaming on Hulu.

Sources: Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini, SFGATE