Sherri Papini was found alive on Thanksgiving Day, giving a happy ending to one of the most shocking Northern California abductions to date. Now that Sherri is home safe, details about her horrific experience are starting to emerge. While some question whether Sherri’s abduction was a hoax, the injuries she suffered certainly are not made up, and the Redding “super mom” will be recovering from the physical and emotional effects of her kidnapping for a very long time.
On Thanksgiving Day, news broke that Sherri Papini had been found. Sherri was reportedly dropped off on a stretch of County Road 17 near I-5 just north of Woodland, California, roughly 150 miles from where she had been abducted. Initial news of Sherri’s rescue contained very little information about what happened to her in the 22 days that she was missing. What we do know is that Sherri sustained non-life threatening but serious injuries while she was being held against her will.
#SherriPapini is safe, with family. We still need the publics help to bring justice to the ones who are responsible for her disappearance. pic.twitter.com/cXvuPf9fJm
— NorCal Alliance (@NorCalAlliance1) November 25, 2016
Just days after Sherri Papini was returned to her family, a few details have emerged about her injuries. Apparently, Sherri’s long blonde hair was chopped off, according to her husband, Keith Papini, in a statement to Good Morning America . Papini said that after Sherri was found, investigators warned him to brace himself because his wife was recovering from some pretty shocking injuries.
In addition to Sherri’s involuntary haircut, the Redding mom reportedly was badly bruised from the multiple beatings she was given at the hands of her kidnappers. Sherri had been beaten so badly that the bridge of her nose is reportedly broken and her body is covered in scabs. In addition, Sherri was branded, burned, and had chain marks from where she had been restrained. When she was found, Sherri Papini is said to weigh just 87 pounds and looked emaciated. It is unknown if that is the extent of Sherri Papini’s injuries or if there is still more.
Sheriff Confirms Husband’s Chilling Details on Sherri Papini’s Condition After Alleged Abduction – Yahoo https://t.co/bPcCfYhAwA
— John Applegate (@JohnApp63499667) November 29, 2016
According to Keith, when Sherri was finally released by her captors, they did so by placing a bag over her head and throwing her from a moving car. When she was found, Sherri was still bound by chains.
“Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see upon my arrival at the hospital, nor the details of the true hell I was about to hear,” Keith Papini said of Sherri’s injuries. “The mental prison I was in over the past three weeks was shattered when my questions of my wife’s reality became known.”
Sherri described her captors as being two Hispanic women armed with a handgun and driving a dark-colored SUV. It is unknown if these women worked alone or if there were others involved in the abduction. Little else is known by the public at this time, and it’s possible investigators are holding back more information as they search for those responsible for Sherri Papini’s kidnapping and 22 days of terror.
Keith Papini had strong words for those who suggest Sherri staged her kidnapping or that her abduction was a hoax.
UPDATE: Sheriff confirms husband’s account of Sherri Papini’s condition https://t.co/cFk54RfGI1
— PalaPala (@dolphinsbarb) November 29, 2016
“Rumors, assumptions, lies, and hate have been both exhausting and disgusting,” Keith Papini wrote. “Those people should be ashamed of their malicious, sub-human behavior. We are not going to allow those people to take away our spirit, love, or rejoice in our girl found alive and home where she belongs.”
“I understand people want the story, pictures, proof that this was not some sort of hoax, plan to gain money or some fabricated race war. I do not see a purpose in addressing each preposterous lie,” Papini continued.
Investigators are still actively working on Sherri Papini’s abduction case and are looking for clues as to why she might have been abducted. The Inquisitr previously reported that Sherri made some comments online roughly 13 years ago about Latino girls from her high school that used to bother her, and she recounted two different encounters with them from her high school days. It’s unknown if those incidents or something like it was the catalyst for her abduction, but Sheriff Bosenko did confirm that they are aware of what was written more than a decade ago.
Sherri Papini’s husband releases statement on disappearance https://t.co/8qR2LRmM39 via @ABC7NY
— Kathleen Gentile (@KDG703) November 29, 2016
So far, nearly 20 search warrants have been issued as investigators check every possible lead that might help explain why Sherri Papini was abducted. According to Sheriff Bosenko, they are checking cell phone records, bank accounts, email, and social media profiles for information about what might have occurred and even did some investigating out of state on a possible lead.
There certainly are many more details in the Sherri Papini case that the general public just isn’t aware of while investigators continue to look for answers as to why this happened.
[Featured Image by Sherri Papini/Facebook ]