Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: FR_addict
What a sick story. I vaguely remember this, but I don't think I ever heard the whole story.

From an article in the Chicago Sun Times-

In 1992, a brother-sister team of Irish Travelers created a rape-and-robbery scenario in a Walt Disney World hotel. Wanda Mary Normile, a k a Wanda Mary Burke, a k a Wanda Mary Cleveland, a k a Leah Ann Kelly, then 21, had consensual sex with a partner (who didn't know about the scam) in a nearby hotel, so that there would be evidence of recent sexual contact. She then got a room at the Caribbean Beach Resort on Disney property, and, with her consent, her 33-year-old brother bound her to a bed with duct tape and beat her repeatedly with a stick. Normile then contacted police and told a horrifying tale of being beaten, raped and robbed by a man "in a Dracula costume" while her 10-month-old daughter was in the room.

Several months after reporting the "rape" to police, Normile filed suit against Disney, which offered her a $200,000 settlement. She refused the money and asked for more than $1 million, but the hoax was uncovered after investigators received a tip from a disgruntled relative.

The brother died of an undisclosed illness in March 1994. Two months later, Normile pleaded guilty to grand theft and falsely reporting a crime, and was sentenced to 3-1/2 years in prison.

71 posted on 09/27/2002 3:08:38 PM PDT by socal_parrot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies ]


To: socal_parrot
Glad you were able to step in and add some teeth to this tale, I was just going off recall.
76 posted on 09/27/2002 3:18:11 PM PDT by Deguello
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies ]

To: socal_parrot
Thanks for the details on this scam. A particularly bold one inspired by what?

By (my guess) previous Traveler scamming of Disney but on a more modest scale. Maybe a few phony slip and fall lawsuits at DisneyWorld and it's Disney hotels.
84 posted on 09/27/2002 3:31:03 PM PDT by dennisw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson