The report that a student was abducted from the Mississippi State University early Wednesday morning was proven to be a hoax after she recanted her story during interviews.
Georgia Lindley, MSU Chief of Police, said the MSU Police Department has not yet spoken with the student but at this point believes she orchestrated the hoax alone. She faces charges for filing a false report.
Detective Brad Massey of the MSU PD said the motivation has not yet been revealed.
He said, when charges are filed in these cases, they are determined on a case by case basis.
“False reporting of a crime is very serious — it takes away hours and resources of the police to investigate real crimes,” he said.
Lindley said as of Wednesday the student was with her family in Alabama but does not know her current location.
Originally, the incident was reported to the police at 1:48 a.m. The student claimed she had been taken from campus at gun point and was told to drive, Massey said. She said she was abducted around midnight en route from Mitchell Memorial Library to South Hall. Her roommate, who is not involved in the hoax according to Massey, reported the incident to police.
Captain Jim Coker of the Hoover Police Department said she was found in Hoover, Ala., between 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. The Hoover Police found her near the InTown Suites in Hoover, and her car was found in the motel’s parking lot.
