Both these stories are ridiculous. Now they obviously much harsher sentences.

If you do this, try not to speed ar DRIVE again!

DES MOINES, Iowa -- An investigation concluded that a Des Moines woman faked her own death to avoid paying traffic tickets.

Polk County investigators said Kimberly Du, 36, faked her own obituary and forged a letter telling a Polk County judge she was dead.

Du is spending time in the Polk County Jail in connection with a forgery charge.

Court documents show that Du tried to avoid paying several tickets by sending a letter to the courthouse.




 

The letter is allegedly signed by Du's mother and said Du died on Dec. 5, according to court documents.

Investigators said the information submitted include a phony obituary made to look like a page from The Des Moines Register's Web site that said Du died in car accident, and her mother's signature was forged.

Du's mother said she didn't write or sign the letter. It's a case that leaves a legal expert scratching his head.

"The state still has to convince a jury of 12, but faking your own death is not a good idea," said Bob Rigg, of the Drake Law Clinic.

The case began to unravel when investigators said Du was stopped for another traffic ticket in January, which was a month after the obituary was dated.

The probe began at the county courthouse.

"If she did it, she now faces a felony instead of a misdemeanor," Rigg said.

He said that she probably she didn't think about the fact that she was getting out of simple misdemeanors by committing a class D felony, and going from a $500 fine to a five-year prison term.

Du now faces more trouble than before.

The Polk County Attorney's Office could not comment about the case except to say it has never seen anyone try it before

AND this one??? This girl has got to be a huge IDIOT!

ATCHISON COUNTY, Kan. -- A rural manhunt ended Tuesday with a suspect and his girlfriend in custody.

Dylan Stiffler was caught deep in the woods in Atchison County, where investigators said he lived in a makeshift camp with the help of his girlfriend, 19-year-old Christina Gerdes.

Police said Stiffler had skipped his January sentencing for drug possession.

KMBC's Lara Moritz reported that during the coldest month of the winter, Stiffler chose to sit around a campfire and keep a daily journal -- all to avoid a sentence of a little more than a year in jail.

"This is a unique one. Usually we don't have someone living out in the woods for five to six weeks in the middle of winter," Sheriff John Calhoon said.

Deputies acted on a tip that Stiffler was living in the woods. With the help of dogs and a helicopter, deputies found weapons, then an abandoned campsite.

"The campsite was an eye opening experience to the deputies," Calhoon said. "We discovered weapons, ammunition, portable heaters."

Investigators also hauled out a truckload of clothes, blankets and coolers. There was also a clue that someone was helping Stiffler.

"He had actual common, everyday food, so someone was bringing him food," Calhoon said.

Police said Gerdes was the person helping Stiffler. Both are being held in the Atchison County Jail.

Gerdes faces charges of aiding a felon. Stiffler faces several charges, including aggravated failure to appear in court and possession of drugs and firearms.