This is Sherri Papini | True Crime Documentary | Plainly Difficult

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thanks for watching check out me other bits! Outro song: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZWVhIadaraGnrs Patreon: www.patreon.com/Plainlydifficult Instagram: instagram.com/plainly.john/ Merch: plainly-difficult.creator-spring.com Twitter:twitter.com/Plainly_D

[@carelhaasbroek1575]

Did you forget to pin this?

[@EricPhail]

Given you showed a rainy day for your jogging quip at the start but called it sunny at the end , I have to ask: do you literally look at the window to determine the waether at the moment you record the "in a currently () corner of south east London"? If not how do you decide what weather to report given how changeable British weather can be.

[@dildoshwagins2222]

Suffering through heroine addiction withdrawals and fighting the overwhelming need of the bitter drip it’s suffering and I can’t imagine going on I can’t imagine living a life unfulfilled waking up every day thinking of taking my soul idk how I’ll beat heroine but you calm me thank you

[@SLEEPYJK]

That feeling the husband felt when he realizes it was all fake would be one of the biggest kicks in the nuts.. not to mention the impact on her kids and having them go through all of that

[@SourDonut99]

I would be surprised if he didn't at least have an idea of what's going on or suspect something.

[@lesdmark]

@@SourDonut99 Never underestimate the power of naivete.

[@marhawkman303]

@@SourDonut99 I wonder if he's checked to see if the kids are his...

[@LillianCrawfishDE]

I was watching him back away farther and farther from Sherri, until he just had to leave, once he realized that he was married to a lying psychopath

[@sharonrigs7999]

​@lesdmark I think he was blinded by her vajine. The crazy ones are always the best lays.

[@madeline3868]

I feel so bad for her husband. Thinking something horrible has happened to your wife, the relief of her being found alive, and then learning she manipulated you? Awful

[@giftedfox4748]

At least he did what was right and divorced her. He even kept the kids which is normally a huge fight for the husbands.

[@NFS305]

He should have seen it coming. He’s a beta.

[@madeline3868]

@@NFS305 most people trust the person they married and had kids with to not fake a kidnapping sorry your life experience has lead you to believe otherwise

[@madeline3868]

@@giftedfox4748 it’s usually not a fight. Most men don’t seek custody to begin with and in this case the other parent is a convicted criminal so not exactly a fight to be had.

[@woopimagpie]

@@NFS305 The bearded gun-toting incel knob-jockeys that get about calling themselves "alpha" have insecurity levels that would make a koala in a tiger pit look small. Not to mention their appendages, which are also small, hence the gigantic trucks and excess of completely unnecessary firearms. I'll take the good honest beta guy any day of the week thanks.

[@beesod6412]

At least the radiation cleanup crew got the day off :D Thanks for the best content!

[@geigertec5921]

That is until Sherry snuck into an atomic energy reserch lab and stole 18 ounces of Cobalt-60 pellets which she scattered into the local granary contaminating the food supply.

[@notthatcreativewithnames]

​@@geigertec5921 They turned out to be caesium-137 pellets, unfortunately.

[@beesod6412]

@@geigertec5921 lmao

[@Soundbrigade]

I miss the siamese twins … maybe I dress up in my “stepping on me foot bro” Tee and ride along into the sunset on a unicorn … or just me bike as I have been drinking ….

[@georgejones3526]

Yeah, give that guy’s poor foot a rest.

[@Ciborium]

Poor Keith. He seemed so happy when the detectives said they had identified that this was the house she was at and they have identified the captors. He even rubbed her shoulder to assure her. Then that came crashing down when the detectives dropped a truth bomb on her.

[@ameritoast5174]

You can see him go from relaxed to alert and that he started to move his chair further and further away from her till he left.

[@MakerInMotion]

There's still dummies who think he was in on it.

[@SofaKingShit]

Yes but l could clearly hear that his name is Keef. It's poor Keef. Awight?

[@GlennDavey]

@@SofaKingShit "Pwainwy Difficuwt"

[@rabbit0664]

I feel bad for him. Like he was all for supporting her then when the truth dropped.

[@starscream4812]

The interview was quite literally the quote “don’t correct your enemy while they’re making a mistake”

[@runefjord8446]

it is the bread and butter of federal investigators, they will find out something, maybe everything, call you in for an interview where they will ask you stuff they already know, if you lie they've got you for lying to federal investigators right there

[@frenchguitarguy1091]

This is the basics of police interrogations/interview- get some to tell you their story and see if it matches with others or conflicts with evidence. Keeping evidence Hiden from a suspect is essential in this case as it can be used to craft a narrative at the benefit of the interviewee. If you want more stuff like this go watch JCS

[@HenriFaust]

Any time you don't ask for a lawyer to be present counts as that.

[@NerdyTransformed]

For crimes specifically like this one, I think a stupidity scale would be good.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Not a bad idea thanks

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

Dumb people do really dumb shit. 😐

[@PHelsing]

@@PlainlyDifficult you can go from "retarded" to "how are you still alive?" 😂😂

[@SadisticSenpai61]

@@PlainlyDifficult Eventually you're going to run into a police incompetence case, so I'd recommend a "cops actually doing their jobs" scale or something like that.

[@CantHandleThisCanYa]

@@SadisticSenpai61 that would be a scale from no to nope

[@blondebeard6335]

Wow, what a POS. Her poor kids and husband.

[@brianbarrett2487]

Poor dude. The way he just slides back and away from her over the course of the interview till he just finally bails like "Whelp, I'm stupid"

[@brenda5511]

I noticed that too - how he sits back, putting distance between them.

[@krissteel4074]

Run Keith, she's got the crazy! Its really a fairly trivial amount in terms of fraud money, considering the distress the kids and family must have gone through thinking their mum was kidnapped.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Run run run

[@PHelsing]

@@PlainlyDifficult hollyshit i had no idea of this case....wtf is wrong with some women?....and the numbers of crazies is increasing.... wtf

[@annegrey6447]

@@PHelsingI remember Sherri because a big hullabaloo was made about her when it was confirmed Gone Girl was loosely based on this case.

[@PHelsing]

@@annegrey6447 ah, thanks for the info :) it's hard to be up to date with the crazies when you are across an ocean, in eastern EU :) we do have our local fair share of weird stuff though

[@MrGrandure]

Just enough crazy to make it plainly difficult to pull out

[@andrewhallock2548]

Thank you for covering this incident. I would like to point out that the officers stress the polygraph results as if they are conclusive when the science behind the polygraph is so terrible that polygraph results cannot be used in courts. That aside, the officers clearly did their homework well and worked the case well. I agree with another commentor that a stupidity scale would be fun to see.

[@shroomyk]

I think there are definitely cops out there who buy their own BS and don't even know polygraph is a completely made up parlor game. While most of them probably know better, there have been a few cases where they relied so much on a polygraph result that I have to think they really trusted it as real. Of course, they will use results against people in interrogations whether they really believe it or not, because it is mostly for the purpose of making the suspect believe it is some kind of concrete evidence of guilt.

[@Ciborium]

I agree with @@shroomyk. The polygraph is literally pseudoscience. However, while lying to law enforcement is a crime, law enforcement lying to civilians is 100% legal. Maybe they believe their BS about the polygraph not being hokum but if the suspect does not know it's hokum, they can use it to intimidate a suspect. This is why you NEVER talk to law enforcement without your lawyer present. Even if you are 100% innocent, police will use every trick in the book to find something they can charge you with.

[@lemagreengreen]

It's crazy isn't it? is USA the only place in the world where police use polygraph as if its proven? It's one of those things I always notice because of how ludicrous it sounds, I know they can't convict anyone on the basis of a polygraph but I always hear about their detectives using them as if they actually mean something.

[@FiveStringCommando]

It’s more of a tool to coerce a confession. It does record physiological responses that often occur when someone is being dishonest. The problem is, however, that these physiological responses can occur when someone is under duress or could be manipulated with practice. It’s unreliable as a scientific test, thus its use as a tool to coerce confessions. Ultimately, some jurisdictions in the US have banned or severely limited its use, while others allow its use but the results are not admissible in court.

[@typie34]

yeah they use polygraphs as mental manipulation on suspects like that. when i would be offered one i would never do it. even the inventor behind it stated it should not be used in law enforcement because it is very inaccurate. but cops will try anything to get you to talk

[@DardanellesBy108]

Scary to think she was sitting there in that interview ready to help the agents pin this on an innocent person. What an ice cold heart. Great job by the LEOs in all the agencies involved. Seems to me the cops were on to her from the beginning but had to keep quiet about it.

[@Treklosopher]

LEO is used almost exclusively by boot lickers.

[@usernameisusername]

Her life is quite plainly difficult

[@GoBlueGirl78]

😂😂😂

[@M16_Akula-III]

Good one!

[@M16_Akula-III]

I love the pun in your username too!

[@anotherpeasant]

*insert comedic drum roll

[@JoshuaR.Collins]

*bah dum tis*

[@HeisenbergFam]

1:15 "instead I have this, fck that" is golden

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@FishPit]

Perfectly cut too. Got a good chuckle out of me.

[@sarahlouise7163]

from the minute you mentioned her jogging THREE TIMES A DAY, i knew she was something of a mentalist.

[@notmenotme614]

Or she was jogging once then meeting up with her ex boyfriend the other times

[@insertnamehere5146]

@@notmenotme614 horizontal jogging?

[@flowgangsemaudamartoz7062]

@@insertnamehere5146 jackhammering

[@thebirdee55]

I think you mean mental case.

[@JoshuaTootell]

I mean, I kinda would do multiple runs a day if my time was limited. But ...I'm also an ultra endurance athlete, and I'm definitely not the typical person.

[@neuralmute]

Anyone else think Sherri had read Gone Girl a couple times too many?

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Probably

[@kairabyrd2790]

even funnier considering the book was loosely based on her

[@selanryn5849]

@@kairabyrd2790 The book came out in 2012.

[@AMWMWMW]

I'd say not enough judging by her results

[@bartsanders1553]

Pro tip: If the police make you aware that you can leave at any time, you leave.

[@chrisjvas]

well, she did and you can see how that turned out. you watch too many true crime vids bruh get a life 🤣

[@bartsanders1553]

@@chrisjvas But she didn't leave right away.

[@nzkshatriya6298]

@@chrisjvas she left after lying to federal agents

[@mercedesdrake9113]

you say that as if she was falsely accused

[@woopimagpie]

Most of the time if the detectives have you in an interview room it's already too late. They already know what happened. They're just trying it on to see if you are dumb enough to give them something that makes their job easier, or something that will allow them to act immediately and arrest you there and then. Of course they will sometimes interview people to rule them out, but if you're the perpetrator and they're interviewing you, you're already done, you just don't know it yet.

[@MotherCow71]

I feel bad for Keith. He seems like a really honest, good, hardworking man and a loving husband. The fact that Sheri didn't see that is honestly pretty sad. It sounds like Keith went above and beyond to find his wife.

[@peggedyourdad9560]

No, she saw all those qualities in him. She just decided to take advantage of those qualities.

[@jdocean1]

He’s a sucker. He also pocketed all the go fund me cash.

[@Ethan7s]

This is no less scary than any other crime. Imagine you are some Hispanic woman that looked similar to the sketches and lived in the area, and you also had an suv. Kudos to the diligent cops that got to the bottom of it all.

[@marhawkman303]

This is a case where you realize WHY the most commonly mentioned sin in the law in the Old Testament is lying. "Do not lie." is repeated in various ways of phrasing it more often than any other commandment. It's why in the Book of Revelations there is a special punishment in the afterlife for liars. People forget that far too often in modern life.

[@myra0224]

​@@marhawkman303 Not everyone is religious and I personally don't need a book to tell me I shouldn't be lying to ruin other people their lives...

[@marhawkman303]

@@myra0224 A surprisingly large number of people do need a book thousands of years old to tell them lying is bad though.

[@myra0224]

@@marhawkman303 Sadly those people who claim to follow those books... Don't really follow those books and are most likely to end up where they're saying non-religious people would end up

[@marhawkman303]

@@myra0224 So I keep hearing.... from people I have no reason to believe.

[@villebooks]

Best thing that could happen to true crime online: the Plainly Difficult assessment

[@lucianolago2871]

Something we were not expecting but needed without even knowing.

[@SofaKingShit]

Mike from That Chapter and his life insurance dance occasionally adds something.

[@rodgerrodger1839]

Uh, you go to your partner and say I'm not happy. We need to end our relationship. I'm sorry. That's how it's done. I truly can't believe people go to these lengths. Some commit murder. I would probably die of a broken heart if my wife left me and vice versa. So we're good.

[@peterswanson5383]

I remember hearing about this case s while back, and yeah, she's a huge POS for faking all of this. Glad she's getting the consequences for her actions for deceiving so many people and pinning the blame on someone else. Also on another note, I hate how the interviewer kept saying he had proof because the ex husband "passed a polygraph test." It's the same thing on crime shows all the time. The results of those things literally don't mean anything at all and they're so inaccurate/easy to fool. It's just a pet peeve of mine whenever it's brought up because it's well known how unreliable those are.

[@MrShobar]

That's why the police offered evidence to corroborate their claims. The polygraph results were not offered as conclusive proof. She eventually caved in and confessed.

[@Sashazur]

Lie detectors can’t be used in court, but they can be helpful to scare suspects into confessing or divulging information. Of course if you do the right thing which is shut up and get a lawyer, you won’t be taking a lie detector test. You shouldn’t take one even if you’re innocent.

[@NakedOwl501]

It's also ironically required for 99% of law enforcement jobs.

[@cruisepaige]

I think we all know they are not admissible, but can help to rule people in to suspicion.

[@kaileim970]

True, but it certainly has intimidation value and I think it gives LEO a direction in the case. Then they follow that trail to either another dead end or the truth. May not stand up in court but still valuable.

[@momtammy3563]

Followed this case pretty closely, as I spent a lot of time in Redding in those days. For a very long time, it was speculated around town that the church/cult that basically runs Redding, known as Bethel, had some involvement in Sherri's case. I can recall how shocked I was to find out that her condition after those 3 weeks was, basically, self inflicted. I feel badly for Keith and the kids.

[@MakeItWithCalvin]

Given the very odd things that Bethel dabbles in, it would not surprise me if they directly or indirectly had a role in this case. Without getting into how messed up Bethel is spiritually, the stories about what is going on 100% gives me People's Temple vibes and we all know how that ended.

[@cornpop8586]

It's even more unnerving if you have been inside Bethel and around those people.

[@MakeItWithCalvin]

@@cornpop8586 never been in it, but I have seen the numerous videos Good Fight Ministries has done and that was more than enough to say nope not even going close. I have been in Redding, a beautiful town, but just felt super uneasy the whole time. I think it was for reasons other than Bethel, but...

[@mbryson2899]

Interesting story, and very well presented. I must add some points, though. In the US law enforcement personnel are legally permitted to lie. The US Supreme Court specifically decided that; they call it "using deception." Interviewees and suspects, however, are still banned by law from lying to law enforcement personnel. Also, polygraph tests are useless. They are used as an interrogation tool. The actual results such as the are are completely specious. I was polygraphed multiple times regarding a crime I did not commit and had no knowledge of, yet each time I was told that I had "failed." I know others who have had the same experience. Finally, in the US you only get a free lawyer after you have been charged. NEVER talk to US police; it rarely helps and all too often it hurts. Our jails and prisons are full of innocent people, it's an industry here.

[@grampsinsl5232]

Passing a polygraph test means very little. There's a reason why those test results aren't admissible in court, and that's because they're not really able to separate truth from lies. Their purpose, according to what a trained security officer told me, is to apply pressure to people who believe that they work, in order to get them to voluntarily give up and and confess. But the DNA evidence in this case is enough to do the job without the polygraph results anyway, so that's good.

[@nthgth]

I think I saw on TV once that if you clench your butt, releasing it triggers the "liar" indication on the machine. So if you do that on the baseline "is your name xxxx" thing, that'll show up as a "lie" when you say the obvious Yes, so that throws off the whole results of the test. Or something.

[@mkocel]

@@nthgth YUP YUP

[@rockyblacksmith]

In this case, it wasn't even used to put the person tested under pressure. It was just used to give the "we know this is true" in the second interrogation more weight.

[@northsentinelisland4763]

I think it was really used as a charade to try to get a confession.

[@5papa]

Disagree with your assessment of the test.

[@aromaladyellie]

She is absolutely a terrible human being. Keith and his children didn’t deserve this.

[@KaimanDororo]

Thanks for the video, John, I remember this whole thing. Absurd the lengths this woman went to cover up her infidelity!

[@PlainlyDifficult]

I know right!

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

Sometimes stories grow like topsy!

[@MarvinRB3]

Did I miss something? At 18:50 the investigator said there was no sex. I thought the motive was either attention seeking or financial.

[@tire26]

Yes, there really seemed to be no sex with the ex boyfriend though I don't know how they'd truly know that, but that's what the police said.

[@SadisticSenpai61]

@@MarvinRB3 It's more that they don't have any evidence of sex. He passed the polygraph, but that doesn't really mean anything. Polygraphs are notoriously unreliable. All it really measures is whether or not a person is nervous/stressed. A good liar/actor can easily pass a polygraph without any issues.

[@brittabadie1512]

Husband went from excited and giddy to silent and mean muggin real quick lmao

[@PlainlyDifficult]

its very sad to see!

[@billmadison2032]

I feel so bad for the poor husband who got shafted so many different ways on this deal

[@Dilley_G45]

Hope he gets custody

[@88ights]

​@@Dilley_G45he did

[@lukasribin4168]

I don’t. He chose her for superficial reasons and got what he deserved.

[@billmadison2032]

@@lukasribin4168 you're cool

[@RCAvhstape]

@@lukasribin4168 Uh oh, we got an edge lord over heah!

[@deanisplemoni]

Ran out of nuclear disasters..... FOR NOW.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

😉

[@dotMSOffice]

there's still plenty of international industrial disasters, like the 2016 BASF Explosion in Germany Ludwigshafen, or the 2021 Explosion in Leverkusen.

[@grmpEqweer]

We just had the East Palestine train fire and the plastics plant fire. Our deregulation will keep John in plenty of disasters.🇺🇲👍

[@elle3562]

Her face in those photos at the start - particularly the one at 0:40 - immediately gave me "she's gonna do some insane shit and give Keith a very bad time" vibes. Made me think of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's description of Ford Prefect, specifically "[...] he smiled slightly too broadly and gave people the unnerving impression that he was about to go for their neck"

[@joshroolf1966]

D.N.A. was such a great observer and student of the human condition, I think his writing is good for forensic analysis (or analysts!)..:::😄💚

[@babyleafsaladd5322]

The difference is Ford is a socially awkward alien and Sherri is genuinely thinking about going for your neck hahaha

[@AamuAurora]

This video is an excellent starter into the story. Guys, dig up into this case. The reasons for her saying her captors were Hispanic are so ridiculous. The things she wrote on Internet forum, fake scenarios presented as real events where Hispanic people were threatening her because she was white and pretty and so smart. She is a very wicked person and even her ex-boyfriend touched on her maniac personality.

[@AaronShenghao]

I remember there are about 10% of US prisoners are actually innocent… just imagine if there wasn’t DNA evidence and there are two people matching the description were coincidentally nearby… she could have pinned it on them…

[@rythania7686]

exactly, and detectives need to stop using polygraph. they have been proven not to be accurate.

[@BazookaTooth707]

​​​​@@rythania7686 Polygraphs are not viable in court, so it can't even be used as evidence in ANY court within the United States. Also, detectives are well aware of this fact. They use polygraph results as a way to levy it on their suspects hopefully resulting in admission of guilt.

[@colincampbell767]

If you ask the prisoners about 80% will claim to be innocent. Even if they were caught in the act by multiple witnesses and video.

[@BazookaTooth707]

@@colincampbell767 Exactly.

[@REIDAE]

​@@rythania7686 Studies show that modern polygraph tests are about 98% accurate (search it up if you dont believe me). Technically they are proven not to be accurate... 2% of the time.

[@youtubemusicowesmemoney8470]

I would suggest a scale that considers the human impact/toll that it takes on family members and the community, and whether the crime invokes either changes in law or LEO practices.

[@outistynnanyt5153]

Thats probably a good way to measure the impact of these stories, both on the individuals involved and society as a whole

[@whoarewe7515]

And a stupidity rating of the alleged culprit.

[@OneBentMonkey]

I always felt so sorry for Keith. He seemed like such a sweet guy

[@insertnamehere5146]

that's the problem. lots of women don't appreciate "sweet guys"

[@Heike--]

If you listen to the phone call at the beginning he comes off like a total soyboy. No wonder she dumped him.

[@insertnamehere5146]

@@Heike-- She didn't dump him. She had her cake and ate it. in other words she was F**king around behind his back.

[@OneBentMonkey]

@@Heike-- Real nice. And that’s not what happened.

[@ZimVader-0017]

He was too sweet, and she manipulated him. He didn't have enough malice to realize he was being duped. People like that are preyed upon by people like Sherri (see how I emphasize PEOPLE, men have manipulated women too by being all charming, taking advantage of their sweetness). I'm not saying to stop being kind to people, you can still be nice and sweet, but be wary too. You never know who's going to try and take advantage of that.

[@beethimbles8801]

I’m really really enjoying the wider spectrum of stories that you are covering. I suggest the following ideas for a rating scale: hockey stick in honour of Pappini 🏑, Your classic robber swag bag💰 , the scales of justice⚖️, the eponymous prison bar of soap🧼, and lastly the good olde Jolly Roger 🏴‍☠️.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you!!

[@corvinredacted]

I know it's a lot of work, but as a true crime enthusiast, I know that subtitles for interrogation videos are pretty highly prized in these sorts of videos. It's notoriously hard to understand the terrible audio quality, even for hearing people. Even more importantly, the auto-generated subtitles struggle especially hard on that sort of footage, and they don't do anything to clarify who is speaking, even if it accurately guesses most of the words. I think it would be a great idea to add subtitles, at least to those bits!

[@Mireflow]

As far as I know, polygraph tests are not admissible in court, so there's really no "passing" it, that word was just used to pressure her further.

[@MrWolfstar8]

Yep.

[@bevinboulder5039]

She's really a piece of work. I'm glad you covered this story because I lost track of it somewhere along the way.

[@sherirobinson6867]

When the evidence was all collected it became apparent her dam collapsed... balls

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Holy shit balls

[@giftedfox4748]

People may see the 18 months in prison as something small. However, stacking with the large fines, divorce, and losing her children seem to have enough damage towards Sherri. I am sure she lost her job as well the comforts in her life. Anything further from now once she is out will be hard as she will be seen more as a physiological liar. I am sure she might do something like this again, but not to a large scale.

[@helgafrahmann4201]

And the whole world hear her lie! This is sentence to life for her!! 😊

[@Gusto20000]

4:45 - he did not pass a “lie detector” ( there’s no such thing as lie detector). They said his polygraph results were “inconclusive” which is pretty much 100% of the cases when they use gimmick apparatus to intimidate people

[@letsburn00]

Exactly. Polygraphs have two answers. Apparently guilty and inconclusive.

[@hatman4818]

Honestly, Plainly Difficult making JCS style content fits weirdly well. I like that he branches out into other genres occasionally.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@WilliamDuckett]

Just wanna give a warning to everyone on this entire planet that if you're driving, you're relatively alone, it's getting dark or you're a long way from help and somebody steps out onto the road, especially a woman in distress never ever stop, just keep going and pull off somewhere safe then call the police. You'll be car jacked or worse. Far too many stories pop up and start with the victim saying they stopped to help.

[@johannesbols57]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[@dfgiuy22]

Wow, glad most of the world isn't your level of paronoid. Yes bad things happen but most of the time, its just people who need a hand, have crashed out or broken down. Feel sorry for where you live bro

[@jpe1]

Just this morning a friend said to me, “the world really is falling apart” and I disagreed, pointing out that the world is safer today than at any time in the past thousand years, and that people are basically good, as seen in the myriad acts of kindness by strangers documented on social media. But then I read your comment, and wow, if most people really are as paranoid and selfish as you, maybe my friend is right. I blame the 24-hour news cycle that is always looking to magnify any problems and never acknowledges anything positive or good in the world.

[@LucyKosaki]

Until it's actually real and after you and many others drive past her, an actual bad person stops and takes her in. And then everyone gonna be like "omg, I cant believe no one helped, how heartless the world has become"

[@WilliamDuckett]

You people are ridiculous... I'll call the police and send them there but I'm in absolutely no circumstances stopping my car to help somebody when I'm alone on the road, at night, in the woods or otherwise not visible by other people. My safety is more important than the chance somebody on the side of the road at night isn't looking to harm me.

[@colincampbell767]

That self-proclaimed 'ransom negotiator' was a huge red flag to me.

[@rilmar2137]

The DNA might not lie but the same isn't necessarily the case for the polygraph test

[@thomasbaker6563]

Polygraph is about as good as flipping a coin

[@Ragetiger1]

True, but remember there were two tests given. To question one would also question the other. However, the ex did have witnesses to back up the claim. So even if the test themselves are dismissed, the statements made aren't.

[@Amanda-C.]

No rating scale for true crime, please. The genre is ghoulish and dehumanizing enough already. It doesn't need encouragement.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Fair enough

[@pellen101]

The SHEER FINESSE of these feds going from looking at the pictures having a good ol time to WELL ACTUALLY and just lay it all on her was fantastic, I wish I could do that 😅

[@Leetgrain]

Woah, Plainly Difficult covering a "true crime" case? I'm surprised

[@ZombieSazza]

1:18 as a Scot, the way I LAUGHED when you showed us the wonderful weather you get, far too relatable dude

[@papaquonis]

I'm pretty surprised they used a polygraph test and they kept mentioning it when interviewing her, considering how unreliable those tests are.

[@av_oid]

American law enforcement still love them, as discredited as they are.

[@meevins]

they're an intimidation and manipulation tactic and a way to put pressure on the person in question even though they hold no weight in court

[@sheldoniusRex]

Most people actually believe they work, and cops love to use that belief against the stupid.

[@hanaarikson8935]

Great video as always. I do wish you had mentioned the other woman who had gone missing at the same time more, because she still hasn’t been found. The Sherri case took away national media attention and resources from real missing person cases.

[@sethalas]

I like it, please do more of these! Since barely anyone is making huge mishaps with radiation lately, you will never run out of content with humans doing evil deeds Edit after watching the video : you'll never run out of content on stupid people either!

[@alewis514]

well, it's because we know radiation is pretty dangerous and employ proper safety measures. It's really difficult to access stuff that's radioactive enough to hurt or kill people. Even if you wanted to kill / die by radiation it'd be really hard if not impossible without commiting massive trespassing and theft. This channel covered a number of uncontrolled outbreaks that have a potential of quickly snowballing into nearly-uncontainable disasters that harm tens of thousands of people if not more. IF ONLY the U.S. could stop listening to NRA nonsense and put proper safety regulations on firearms, then MAYBE, just MAYBE that country wouldn't suffer from 600 mass shootings per year.

[@scarymsmary]

tempting fate, i see.

[@GoBlueGirl78]

You sound disappointed about fewer radiation accidents. LOL

[@2BFeXX]

​@@GoBlueGirl78I can't lie, they always made a good story. 🙃

[@GoBlueGirl78]

@@2BFeXX True 😂😂

[@Mgunner7623]

I know a lady that did the same sort of thing, except she was a junkie and nobody noticed that she was gone.

[@vera9230]

why is it that every fake kidnapping or misdirection in a murder case seems to involve blaming it on a team of people who are black or latino? i hate how that's almost a red flag in a witness statement with these true crime documentaries. you know someones not telling the truth when it's blamed on a random group of black or latino people lol

[@ofen5415]

The people doing the haox probably have only this one stereotype in mind

[@chillphil967]

He was... Average Puertican height...

[@7996hobguy]

Just like when someone says they found a noose or a swastika somewhere. It was usually put there themselves.

[@danadecker4855]

People who do that as part of their cover up story should have a hate crime added to their charges

[@MrShobar]

Agree. The generally powerless are often convenient scapegoats.

[@Dinkwadz]

John! Look at you branching out into my favorite true crime genre! It's very fitting tho, because this story is indeed Plainly Difficult. This is one of my favorite cases too. Great job! ❤

[@michaelgroves4395]

A JCS style video from Plainly Difficult?! Yes please

[@YouGenom]

My thoughts :)

[@peterhoch8375]

I really like that your channel is always trying and doing new stuff. It's kinda crazy! Lol. My favorites were definitely the nuclear accidents.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you! I try and follow stories I enjoy reading about!

[@p4ngolin]

did she not think that they would do DNA testing? No? just take her word for it? I wonder exactly what the motivation was.. was it to cover up adultery? was it for the money? she wasnt involved in the whole gofundme thing so was keith really that innocent? on a side note, hiring a guy whose name is "gamble" to deal with a kidnapping negociation is just... straight out of a comic book

[@selanryn5849]

Narcissism. She thought she could pull this stunt, everyone would fall for it, and she'd be the pampered and adored star victim that she felt like she deserved to be. She just wanted the attention.

[@FayeVert]

She wanted to have a couple weeks long fling with her ex boyfriend, it's just that simple. She's a spoiled and privileged brat who thought she was smarter than everyone else around her.

[@helgafrahmann4201]

Egoism !Narzisse! Love, to be a pampered victim! Fame hungry ! Silly! Blond!! Proud: hey, look at me!! Clickbait! Unhappy housewife without adventures, boring, to be only a mother and housewife! And how many women were happy in such a life!!😢😢😢😢

[@cineffect]

I've listened to this twice and still failed to find the radiation accident 🤔

[@moiraatkinson]

I’m glad someone else is confused here 😅

[@maxstr]

Mental illness explains this entire thing. I've had a family member that did very similar things, but just short of actual fake kidnapping. Otherwise a completely normal person, the "episodes" were usually caused by some perceived paranoia, triggering her to drink alcohol with her meds (a terrible mix) or just simply stopping her meds cold turkey. I had to talk her out of some bizarre situations a few times. In the end she hanged herself

[@sashamoore9691]

No narcissism does. U idiots always excuse bad behavior or justify it by a debilitating mental illness depending on their skin color or ethnic background. Never see this much excuse extended to other minority demographics so just shut up already

[@WhiteWolf-lm7gj]

I'm sorry for her and your loss

[@Ciborium]

Sherri Papini is why you NEVER talk to law enforcement without your lawyer present.

[@pharisaeus6493]

or idk, just don't fake your own kidnapping?

[@TheMurfed]

@@pharisaeus6493 or practice your rights don't talk to the law without a lawyer. Period. Simple. Most people wouldn't end up in jail if they followed this simple rule. Or practice the fifth amendment and don't say a word, they can only hold you for 72 hours legally. Can't tell you how many times I've been let out of the sheriff's office because of these simple things. Since I run a business I have a lawyer in retainer because this is another stupid law.

[@SkunkApe407]

​@@TheMurfedremaining silent won't do you any good when the cops have definitive, clear proof that you're guilty. The easiest course, by far, is to simply not break the law. Your need to retain a lawyer for your business is in no way comparable to criminal cases unless you're admitting to illegal or unethical business practices.

[@KitsuneAdorable]

@@TheMurfed What do you do that has you on first name basis with the police?

[@REIDAE]

The fact that so many criminals can weasel themselves out of facing the law by simply remaining silent shows how ineffective our justice system is. If you need to be silent to not self incriminate yourself, then you are certainly guilty of the crime. The fifth amendment does nothing but help criminals escape.

[@existentialcrisisactor]

This happens to women of of minorities all too often in the states. You should might want to look up how bad the human trafficking is through the Navajo reservation specifically. It's heart breaking

[@SkunkApe407]

This lady faked her disappearance. Unless you're implying something awful about those unfortunate women their stories are nothing like this one. I'm not saying that you are implying such a thing, but your comment could maybe be worded a little better.

[@existentialcrisisactor]

@@SkunkApe407 you're 100% right. It can absolutely be worded better. I think what was going through my head is a frustration how white women going missing is always the story we hear about, good or bad. It was wrong of me to make that comparison. Thank you for the correction. It's rare to hear of the way minorities are abducted and how they're trafficked, and that really bums me out. Because if it keeps being ignored, it'll keep being a problem.

[@SkunkApe407]

@@existentialcrisisactor I absolutely agree.

[@discoj7112]

​@@existentialcrisisactor I think a similar thing happens with sex crimes against minors. We hear all about it when it's a little kid, but the vast, vast majority of victims are teenagers and especially teenagers of color, unfortunately.

[@jnerdsblog]

Love that you're branching out a bit! Good stuff all around as usual friend.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@Kitsudote]

Love that you now also do true crime. I think your documentation style works very well in this genre!

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@Kitsudote]

@@PlainlyDifficult Thank you for your amazing work John!

[@johnfairweather9188]

The feminist meme “Believe All Women” seems highly inappropriate thanks to Sherri.

[@SMOK156]

I find it weird how the cops in the interview say that he passed a polygraph, as if that means anything 😅

[@Galfrid]

"Yeah, there ain't nothin' that's better than the polygraph. He passed, so he's clean." WTF? Why not tarot cards too?🙄

[@babyleafsaladd5322]

Tbf I think it’s a bluff tactic - a surprising amount of people don’t realise that polygraph tests aren’t 100% accurate, so if you as a cop say ‘XYZ passed the polygraph test, we know you’re lying’, there’s a chance that the suspect might be one of those people who don’t know they’re not always accurate and just give themselves up because they think they’ve already been caught. You’d be surprised how many people genuinely think that polygraph tests are accurate.

[@helgafrahmann4201]

A psychologic Trick, May be! Some ppl lost the nervs, if they guilty , i imaging ! Only unguilty ppl can have this stress!😅😅😅😅😅

[@lauraspangler5179]

I feel terrible for this poor husband, I just can’t imagine 🤦🏻‍♀️ even in the 911 call you can hear his uneasiness and nervousness and still was politely apologizing to the dispatcher and all for being frantic. He’s too good for her for sure! And she has a dream life.. Poor dear 🤦🏻‍♀️ and then proceeds to just piss all over it

[@sekijawi]

Appreciate spreading out your topics. Looking forward for more compelling true crime stories from you besides the usual disasters.

[@jaykace5160]

Ahh yes, another beautiful Saturday morning with a new plainly difficult video! Again thank you for *ALL* of the awesome content you provide! Hope you have an amazing day!

[@xDragonHybridx]

Did I hear John say 'fuck that' when he opened his door to the rain?

[@p4ngolin]

that was the whole of the uk echoing a mutual feeling in the hive mind

[@PlainlyDifficult]

XD

[@MrJagger112]

Anyone filing false police reports or throws out false accusations should be severly fined and jailed. It's not just a matter of wasting resources, the bigger problem is the damage it does to other people. In this case it's her husband and her kids having to deal with the mental traumas this woman inflicted.

[@uzaiyaro]

This video series should be called Plainly Criminal.

[@ahrengroesch8774]

I have known people like this, not this far down the rabbit hole, but that have a similar type of personality. They have to be a victim. They HAVE TO. They don't know how to live without being a victim. You and I think about food, entertainment, sex, but they obsess about how to get sympathy. They need sympathy like we need oxygen. Everything that comes out of their mouth, some of it true, some of it lies, some of it a mix, is all part of a scheme to somehow get you to have sympathy for them. Once you notice this in a person you will forever see everything they say and do through this lense. I don't know if we have a name for this type of disorder. Personally, I think it you could subcategorize it as a form of narcissism.

[@helgafrahmann4201]

Victimmentality!

[@raphaeldagamer]

An idea for rating true crime stories could be that you rate them based on how heinous the crime was, how long the criminal got away with it, how many counts of the crime occurred, how much punishment they received, and how much damage they caused along the way. I don't know how exactly you would rate each if these factors, that's for you to decide.

[@Sibyle79]

I feel bad for her husband and kids.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

As do I!

[@mariecarie1]

I don’t usually like true crime stuff, because to me it feels like voyeurism and gaining entertainment at someone else’s misery. But stories like this or Dalia Dippolito, stories of nasty people trying to be nasty and getting caught before anyone got hurt, are pretty satisfying.

[@anoninunen]

It might be interesting to rate True Crime stories in terms of 'Truth' and 'Crime' For example, this was a relatively minor crime as things go (donations were requested and given in good faith, and some self-harm), but the coverup is the real story. Because the coverup fell appart so completely, I would rate this a _2_ on the crime scale, for lying, loitering, and littering, and a _6_ on the truth scale for setting up and maintaining a lie from the law and her family for five years, and because this was her only charge in court.

[@jwarmstrong]

Your Scale of Evil could be divided between child & adult years of crimes - plus a hint at nature vs nurture leading into crimes - Lastly the bottom line of power, hate , money or all 3

[@SebD18]

I just feel bad for Keith

[@bec7080]

I just don't get the boyfriend. If my ex showed up and was like "hey i need to hide here, I'm being abused. But I need to starve myself, let you brand me, break my nose, etc" I would not be going along with that

[@ladyrazorsharp]

Redding is, as I recall, very hot in the summer, but it’s in a pretty nice part of the state (I live about six hours south). This case is just messed up-I’m left with just a big “Why??” Why in the world did she do this? For money, it seems like, but to put her kids through this? Yikes. Nicely reported as usual, John 👍🏼

[@mar-carelliott2358]

Redding is an absolute shitshow, tons of meth, parolees, and Bethel church cult taking over the town. It’s also now one of the reddest counties in the state, and is trying to fire the election board that voted the elected officials in.

[@DanArnets1492]

Well, she belongs to the streets/barrio... 😂

[@JoshuaR.Collins]

maybe a scale of how disgusting scale of how the crime is. (disgusting as in bad not felling sick/like you have to throw up)

[@PlainlyDifficult]

I think I’m how much I want to vomit

[@JoshuaR.Collins]

@@PlainlyDifficult up to you how you want to define it man

[@ThisFinalHandle]

YOLO so why not fake a kidnapping.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

In for. Penny in for a pound

[@multipletanksyndrome]

Thanks for speeding up the interview to keep just the relevant parts.

[@pascalwiery7129]

Interesting story! Its cool to see a true crime story that actually has an ending. How long was that interview that we skipped through near the end of the video?

[@sasquatchkiddo3720]

I'm already excited lol I know this case already but I love your commentary xD

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@gregmeyer9595]

I love the interrogation, her husband’s chair gets further and further away as it goes. 😆

[@MrShobar]

It's remarkable that he could be so completely deluded.

[@redacted2275]

​@@MrShobar"Deluded"? He leaves the room at 19:33 🤌🙄 and asks for a divorce after. Guy's the victim here ffs

[@MrWolfstar8]

I felt awful for the guy. He so excited that they’d caught the people who kidnapped her… only find out she hoaxed it up.

[@abraxasjinx5207]

You can see the point in the federal detectives' interview where her husband physically distances himself from her when it becomes clear what she has done, right before he fully exits the room. I'm glad their kids are safe away from her now.

[@RedentSC]

I like this man. not your usual gab but very accurate and you dismantle all this like nobody else I know on YT. keep it up pal!

[@GlennDavey]

0:40 "Too much gum. Not a good tooth-to-gum ratio..." - Stewie Griffin

[@alybloodshade]

I remember when she and the other woman went missing. My family thought it was a serial kidnapping thing going on as well as several of my friends.

[@ak3p0]

Funniest intro ever, "and SHE is about to have a bad day" 😂

[@mike-ph3fk]

Good way to start a Saturday morning.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you

[@sharedknowledge6640]

I love good crime drama. This is something you could do more of.

[@harley_the_hack4416]

I like the addition of these videos, John. If I recall correctly (if I'm mixing cases please correct me if I'm wrong) but poor Keith said something along the lines of "I feel stupid" (to the media) finding out it was all a lie. I can only imagine he thought the money could help them start over a little and get his wife help after what he only knew as a horrific experience. I think it's still scary. She could have harmed women who matched that description and tried to pin it on an innocent man when cornered. Muchausens seems to be her issue and that can do a lot of damage just for a little attention. Chilling, really Edit: I very much doubt you're walrus sized btw

[@ferretyluv]

Munchhausen’s is faking medical illness. She faked a kidnapping.

[@smallsleepyrascalcat]

You could rate stupidity in cases like this...

[@PlainlyDifficult]

it was pretty dumb

[@Yezpahr]

This new series is equally shocking as the irradiated stickfigures who shout "balls" when touched by the green glow. I do miss the stickfigures, expecting them to pop up any moment but they never do. Looking forward to more of this branch.

[@RisingRevengeance]

Feel bad for the husband and kids, must be hard to explain to them why their mom is gone.

[@leuk2389]

nice to see you dipping into the true crime genre!