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A new episode of 20/20 will air tonight, May 23, 2025, at 9.01 pm on ABC. According to ABC News, the episode follows the case of Sherri Papini, a 34-year-old mother of two who went missing on November 2, 2016.
Sherri went out for a jog in the Redding, California, neighborhood and did not return. Concerned, her family and friends organized a massive search. A few weeks later, on Thanksgiving Day, Sherri Papini was finally discovered on a highway. She claimed that two Hispanic women had abducted her, but this was later revealed to be false, leading Sherri to plead guilty to lying to a federal officer.
After nine years, 20/20 is airing a documentary about Sherri Papini's case, exploring the details of what transpired following her disappearance and after she was finally found.
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Tonight's 20/20 episode explores the details of Sherri Papini's case
The 20/20 episode airing on May 23 will examine the disappearance of a California woman named Sherri Papini. Sherri became famous as "the new Gone Girl" when she mysteriously vanished in November 2016 and reappeared just as suddenly 22 days later, claiming that two Hispanic women had kidnapped her at gunpoint.
Her case remained unresolved for four years and only gained attention again in 2020 when police uncovered new DNA evidence linking her to a relative of her ex-boyfriend, Reyes. When questioned by police, Reyes claimed that Sherri was hiding with him in Costa Mesa, California, to escape her husband, Keith, whom Sherri described as abusive.
He also told police that she inflicted injuries on herself to fabricate her injuries and the story of her disappearance. Furthermore, it was revealed that Sherri's mother had filed a police report in 2003, accusing Sherri of similar behaviors and holding her responsible. Her parents also alleged that she committed burglary and conducted unauthorized transactions from their checking accounts.
What happened to Sherri? Details explored in 20/20
On March 3, 2022, five years after her staged abduction, police arrested Sherri. She was taken into custody during her children's piano lesson and charged with making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer. Sherri was also charged with mail fraud.
Sherri Papini received an 18-month prison sentence. She began serving her time in November 2022 and was released early in August 2023. Almost two years after her release, Sherri has suddenly changed her account of the kidnapping. She now claims that Reyes abducted her after she asked him to meet her to end their relationship.
According to Sherri, she fabricated the story about the two masked women to prevent Keith from learning about her affair with Reyes. She feared how Keith would react if he found out about the relationship and claimed that he had already made threats against her.
However, she decided to end her affair with Reyes and, with that intention, asked him to meet her in Redding. Sherri claimed that she was abducted by Reyes from that location when she met him. She alleged that Reyes drugged her and took her to his house. She also claimed to have been briefly aware of what was happening, but felt powerless to act. However, Reyes has denied these allegations against him.
Tune in to tonight's episode of 20/20 on ABC for details about the Sherri Papini case and its recent developments.
