MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Audrey Seiler, the University of Wisconsin sophomore accused of staging her own disappearance last month, was charged yesterday with two misdemeanor counts of obstructing officers.
Each charge carries a jail sentence of up to nine months and a fine of $10,000. Investigators said she told them, “It just got so out of hand. I did not mean for it to.”
Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard filed the 16-page criminal complaint two weeks after Miss Seiler, 20, was discovered in a marshy area within a mile of her campus apartment. She told police that a man with a knife and a gun was in the area. She was reported missing March 27 and found March 31.
When officers attempted to assist Miss Seiler to her feet, she said, “I can’t leave the woods — a bad man will kill me,” according to the complaint.
Her claim touched off a major manhunt, which authorities said accounted for most of the money they spent on the case. The Madison police department last week estimated its costs at $96,000.
According to the criminal complaint, Miss Seiler told police on March 31 and April 1 that a man had entered her room at 2:15 a.m. March 27 while she was doing homework and forced her from her room at knife point, telling her to leave the building.
Miss Seiler told police that once she was outside, the same man grabbed her and put her into a car with threats that he had a gun, according to the complaint. She also said the man put duct tape over her mouth and sometimes would give her cold pills.
Police concluded that Miss Seiler’s story was fake after obtaining a videotape that showed her buying the knife, duct tape, rope and cold medicine she claimed her abductor used to restrain her. They also obtained a warrant to search her laptop computer and cell phone records.
After investigators showed Miss Seiler the surveillance photos of her buying the knife and other items during the April 1 interview, she said she purchased gum, lip balm, flu medicine and tape for her bedroom lights.
Miss Seiler’s roommate, Heather Thue, told officers that Miss Seiler seemed depressed and was “confused” about her relationship with her boyfriend, Ryan Fisher. Miss Thue said Mr. Fisher did not pay as much attention to Miss Seiler as she wanted.
During her April 1 interview, Miss Seiler broke down when investigators told her they thought she was under a lot of stress.
“I know you think I can’t handle Ryan, or my grades, but I can,” Miss Seiler said and started crying, according to the complaint.
As investigators attempted to console her, she added, “It just got so out of hand. I did not mean for it to. … Everybody did so much for me,” the complaint said.
Hundreds of people from Madison and Miss Seiler’s hometown participated in searches for her.
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