A shocking alleged assault, in which a 20-year-old Louisiana woman was supposedly set on fire and her car vandalized with racial slurs, may have been entirely fabricated, according to local authorities.
According to reports, the police now believe that Sharmeka Moffitt, the alleged victim, actually set herself on fire and wrote the n-word and ‘KKK’ on her own car to create the appearance of a hate crime.
The Franklin Sun reports that Moffitt’s fingerprints were found on the cigarette lighter and lighter fluid recovered in the woods near the crime scene. The writing on the car, which was done in toothpaste, showed traces of female DNA.
“Although I think what she did was wrong and had major consequences not only for her, but throughout our community and our country, there’s something wrong here, and we need to help individuals like this. In the same way our community came to support her as a victim, I still hope the community will support her emotional and physical recovery,” said Franklin Parrish Sheriff Kevin Cobb.
There have been rumors swirling around this case since it was originally reported. Some claimed that Moffitt was wearing an Obama 2012 t-shirt when she was attacked, hinting at political motivation. There were also those that saw a parallel between this case and Tawana Brawley’s, who claimed to have been viciously assaulted 25 years ago in November.
Whether Moffitt herself will face charges is still unknown.