Shannon Matthews
#73,188 Most Popular
About
Child who disappeared from her West Yorkshire home in February of 2008 as part of a kidnapping hoax orchestrated by her mother.
Before Fame
She was attending Westmoor Junior School at the time of her disappearance.
Trivia
Her missing persons case was initially compared to that of Madeleine McCann, the British girl who had disappeared in 2007 while on vacation with her family in Portugal.
Family Life
Her mother, Karen Matthews, and a friend, Michael Donovan, staged the kidnapping as a way of securing a monetary reward. Donovan "found" Shannon (at his own house) in March of 2008 and brought her to police.
Associated With
Her staged kidnapping ended with her safe return (and subsequent protection by British social services). Elizabeth Smart was an American girl who was also found safe after a very real kidnapping in Utah.
