FRANKLIN, North Carolina – The Franklin Police Department announced the arrest of a 37-year-old woman from North Carolina who stands accused of orchestrating her own murder hoax by sending anonymous reports to both law enforcement and acquaintances.
Identified as Margaret Sweeney, and known as “Maggie,” she was taken into custody on Monday for charges encompassing making false reports to a police station, fabricating death or severe injury through telephonic means, and obstructing law enforcement officers. The department expressed frustration over the substantial amount of time and effort expended on Sweeney’s actions, which diverted resources from other important tasks.
“Sweeney’s actions caused our department, as well as other departments, many hours of work which could have been spent on other matters,” the department wrote on Facebook. “Family, friends, and the community as a whole were also very concerned and worried about Sweeney’s welfare.”
The incident began when Sweeney was initially reported missing on Friday. The Franklin police initiated a public alert seeking assistance in locating a woman characterized by brown hair and brown eyes. The following day, an update on social media revealed that Sweeney had been located in a nearby town and was safe.
On the Franklin Police Department’s page, numerous individuals expressed relief at the news of Sweeney’s discovery.
