A Festus High School student’s claim last week of being attacked on school grounds has been determined by authorities not to be credible, Festus Police Chief Tim Lewis said in a press release issued this afternoon (Feb. 4).
“Exhaustive investigations into the evidence presented, interviews conducted and other evidence obtained determined the abduction never occurred. The alleged victim fabricated the entire event,” Lewis said in the written statement.
When called about the press release, Lewis said he could say nothing more because the student is a juvenile.
“As far as I’m concerned, our investigation is over,” he said.
Lewis said he does not know if juvenile authorities would get involved or if the Festus R-6 School District would take action regarding the student’s discredited claim.
On Jan. 29, Festus School District Superintendent Link Luttrell sent a letter to parents saying a student had reported that at approximately 4:15 p.m. Jan. 27, “an unidentified individual allegedly abducted a female student as she walked in the vicinity of Mid-Meadow Lane and Pryor Drive and pulled her into a nearby sparsely wooded area. The student was eventually able to escape.”
Luttrell said today that district officials are “pleased with the results” of the investigation.
“We appreciate the time the police put into it to find out the facts, and we’re thankful that the investigation affirms that our campus remains safe,” he said.
Luttrell said he could not comment on whether the school district would take disciplinary action against the student.
“As with any type of a student matter, we are never able to divulge what we did or didn’t do,” he said. “The most important thing here is that they (parents) don’t have anything to worry about.”