(AP) —Police in the small town of Black Sparrow Lake, Michigan, have given up the search for a suspect in the kidnapping of Hope Shay, 15, after evidence and an indirect admission from the young student indi- cated that the girl herself staged her alleged kidnapping. Kelly Worwitz, spokesman for the Black Sparrow Lake Department of Public Safety,said, “We don’t think there ever was a suspect, and we don’t think there was a kid- napping.”Black Sparrow Lake Public Safety Director William Flaxen and other investigators deter- mined—after interviews with Hope, her parents, fellow students at the Starwood Academy of the Performing Arts, and merchants at the Lakewood Shopping Nook—that Hope probably had care- fully planned what first appeared to be an abduction by a stalker.It is furthermore believed that Hope acted alone. Police learned that she purchased long underwear and the duct tape used to bind her hands and feet.The story of Hope’s disap- pearance spread as far as Australia and England, and a massive outpouring of sympa- thy, including cards and prayer vigils, poured in from around the world.She was found unharmed early Monday morning, four days after she had disap- peared.“We don’t know what possi- ble motive she could have,”
