911 call, suspect sketches released in Sherri Papini case
REDDING, Calif. (KTVU) - Almost one year after her disappearance, new details were released Wednesday on the mysterious case of a Redding mom who went missing and was later found.
Sherri Papini was 34 years old when she was reported missing Nov. 2 from Redding. In a kidnapping investigation update Wednesday, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office released sketches of the suspects, text messaging evidence and an audio file of her husband's 911 call.
According to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, Sherri Papini's husband Ketih Papini placed the initial 911 call on Nov. 2 to report his wife was missing.
In the 911 call Keith Papini can be heard saying he had returned from work and his wife wasn't home which was unusual. He said the kids should have been home from day care, but they were not. He called the day care who said the kids were never picked up. With the Find My iPhone app he tracked his wife's phone to the end of their street. "I just drove down there and I saw her phone with her headphones - cause (sic) she started running again - and I found her phone and it's got like hair ripped out of it - like in the headphones - so I'm like totally freaking out thinking somebody like grabbed her," he said during the call.
Keith sounded flustered as he told the 911 operator he was going to have his mom pick the kids up from daycare.
In the call, he said the last time he heard from his wife was when she texted him asking if he was coming home for lunch at 10:47 a.m. Keith said he responded, "Sorry, long day."
As he talked to the 911 operator he said he knew something had happened to her because of the hair in the headphones.
According to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, after Keith Papini's initial call an extensive investigation began. More than 20 search warrants, which remain sealed by order of the Shasta County Superior Court, were executed. Keith Papini took a polygraph exam and investigates determined he was not involved in his wife's disappearance.
Investigators learned Sherri Papini had been texting with a male acquaintance from Michigan. Days before she disappeared, the two had texted each other about plans to meet while he was in California, according to authorities. Detectives interviewed the Michigan man and determined he was not involved in Sherri Papini's disappearance, according to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office.
On Thanksgiving day last year a trucker found Sherri Papini on the side of Interstate 5 in Yolo County. The trucker stopped to help and emergency crews responded. She was found bound with restraints. Additional details on the restraints have not been released as the investigation continues.
According to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, Sherri Papini had later told investigators she was dropped off by one of her captors who she described as a younger Hispanic female.
According to the news release from the sheriff's office, Sherri was taken to the hospital. She "appeared battered and bruised, her hair had been cut to shoulder length and she had a brand on her right shoulder." Additional details on the brand have not been released.
Initially, Sharri Papini had limited details about the suspects. She said they had kept their faces covered. One was described as a younger adult Hispanic female with dark curly hair, pierced ears and thin eyebrows. The second suspect was described as an older adult Hispanic female with straight black hair with some grey and thick eyebrows.
Sherri Papini continues to have contact with the sheriff's office and FBI providing, "details as she can recall them, but has not been able to provide a complete detailed statement due to her poor recollection."
The sheriff's office says it took Sherri time to recover to a point to provide an FBI sketch artist with accurate details, so that's why the sketches are being released now.
Anyone with information about the location where Sherri was held, the suspect vehicle and/or identities of the two suspects are urged to contact the FBI at 916-746-7000, online at tips.fbi.gov or a local FBI office. A reward up to $10,000.00 has been established for information leading to the identification of the suspects.