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MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA - A massive, multi-agency search prompted by a false Amber Alert was called off late last week after authorities determined that a 17-year-old Florida boy had fabricated his own violent abduction story—and even shot himself to sell the hoax.
The widespread alert, issued Thursday evening, claimed that Caden Speight had been abducted and stuffed into a van by four men near Dunnellon, Florida. It advised residents, “If located, DO NOT APPROACH. Contact law enforcement immediately,” sparking a huge response from federal, state, and local police.
However, investigators with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office quickly found holes in Speight’s account.
“Completely made up,” Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said.
The investigation began Thursday afternoon when Speight texted a family member that he had been kidnapped and shot outside his truck. While deputies found evidence of a single gunshot at the truck’s location, Sheriff Woods said, “his claims that he had been shot and abducted were quickly disproven.”
https://www.tampafp.com/florida-amber-a ... n-speight/