When Sherri Papini disappeared on November 2, 2016, her husband, Keith Papini, seemed quite worried about his wife. During the search, he cooperated with authorities and seemed visibly relieved when Sherri suddenly reappeared 22 days later. ABC’s ’20/20: Missing Mom’ chronicles the incident and shows how it affected Keith Papini. However, since her return, Sherri has been accused of fabricating the whole incident, which has many people wondering if she’s still with Keith. Well, we provide answers.
Is Sherri Papini still married?
Yes, on the face of it, Sherri Papini is still married to Keith, and the couple is doing well. According to the show, Sherri and Keith’s marriage was never in trouble and the two shared a great relationship. Being the proud parents of adorable children brought them together, and neighbors said they had never witnessed an altercation or quarrel. At the time of Sherri’s disappearance, Keith was working at a local Best Buy as an audio-video specialist and residing with his family in Redding, California.
When Keith returned from work on November 2, 2016, he was surprised to find neither his wife nor his children at home. He immediately called the daycare and learned that Sherri had never picked up the children there. Anxious and worried, Keith quickly got law enforcement involved and hoped for Sherri’s safe return. Throughout the initial police investigation, he did his best to help the officers and was always at the forefront of the search for his wife.
Amazingly, on November 24, 2016 – 22 days after her disappearance – Sherri reappeared in Yolo County near Woodland. She had a chain around her waist with further restraints on her wrists and ankles. Her body was badly bruised and police noticed ligature marks on her wrists. Additionally, his hair was cropped short, while further medical examination revealed a burn on his left arm and a mark on his right shoulder. Keith seemed delighted to have his wife back and was visibly relieved.
The doting husband released a public statement thanking everyone for their help before mentioning the severity of his wife’s injuries. Additionally, according to the show, Keith even said that after a month of intense media coverage, the family wanted some privacy to get over the incident. Since then, Keith had been spotted with Sherri in public, and the couple had apparently returned to everyday life. To the outside world, the Papini once again appeared like a happy family, enjoying life with their children.
However, the investigation quickly took a turn as police were unable to locate the two Hispanic women who Sherri said had kidnapped her. When he reappeared, agents had extracted alien male DNA from his body, which led directly to an ex-boyfriend. The boyfriend claimed Sherri spent the days of Nov. 2-24 at his home in Orange County at his insistence.
Additionally, the man’s cousin also mentioned witnessing Sherri there and said she was not being held against her will. Once police found evidence to support the ex-boyfriend’s claim, they spoke to Sherri and warned her that lying to a federal officer was a federal crime. Still, Sherri stayed true to her story, and Keith supported his wife in every way.
Where is her husband now?
Police believed Sherri Papini fabricated the kidnapping incident. Additionally, she had also withdrawn over $30,000 from the California Victims Compensation Board between 2017 and 2021. So, with enough evidence in hand, authorities arrested Sherri in March 2022 and charged her with lying to a federal agent and engaging in mail fraud.
The complaint that details the criminal charges against Sherri does not accuse anyone else of being involved. Additionally, while the U.S. Attorney’s office refrained from making a statement about Keith, it confirmed that he was not charged in any way. Therefore, on the face of it, Keith is still in California and has continued to support his wife through recent developments.
Read more: Where is Sherri Papini now?
