As cons go this one is right up there with the finger-in-the-chili and equally destined to fail. Scam artists Sarah Everson, 45, and Kris Everson, 33, falsely claimed having sextuplets (4 boys and 2 girls) to help them with their financial difficulties.

The tale exploded in the local spotlight Monday when The Examiner in Independence, Mo., ran on its front page a photograph of the couple holding six one-piece baby outfits and announcing the births. Those who heard the Eversons’ sad story of tight finances set up a Web site to solicit contributions – including a van, washer and dryer, cash and gift certificates. A real estate agent was even working to find the family new housing.

Sarah Everson showed an Associated Press reporter photos, one of herself in maternity clothes, another baring a huge pregnant-looking midsection, and sonogram images she claimed were of her soon-to-be-born infants. She showed off a tiny nursery, a closet full of baby clothes and the tiny diapers premature newborns must wear.

To stave off questions about the secrecy surrounding the births, Sarah concocted this sorry excuse that somehow seemed plausible to The Examiner’s editors.

She said the entire story of her children’s births was being kept secret by a court order enacted because a member of her husband’s family was trying to kill the Eversons and their new sextuplets. “I’m so afraid they’re not going to make it,” she sobbed. “Nobody understands how hard this is. I know that they’re here. I know what I had to go through to get them here.”

But a little while later after a detective begin questioning her the couple revealed the story was a scam. And proving once again that criminals can say the darnedest things:

Reached by phone late Tuesday, Sarah Everson offered no explanation for the hoax. “I’m not talking to anybody right now,” she said, “because nobody gets it.”

The only thing missing from this story is the double-negative.

Update: Sarah Everson is now claiming that she had duped her husband for most of the “pregnancy” by over-eating and gaining 40 lbs during the period. She says that she only told him right about the time that she was due at which point he joined her in the con. How her husband could confuse a person carrying 6 babies with someone who was just becoming obese is anyone’s guess. This just keeps getting weirder. For the record, charges have yet to be filed but much like the “Runaway Bride” of last year, one hopes that they are.

tags: sextuplets hoax

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 12th, 2006 at 7:33 am by Insider and is filed under Loons. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.