The Five Shocking Truths About Where Sherri Papini Is Now After Her Kidnapping Hoax

The name Sherri Papini once dominated national headlines, painting a picture of a victim who vanished while jogging in 2016, only to reappear weeks later with a harrowing tale of abduction and torture. However, the truth—revealed years later as a calculated hoax—shattered that narrative, leading to a federal prison sentence. As of today, December 15, 2025, the question of "where is Sherri Papini now" has a complex answer that involves a recent release from custody, a massive outstanding debt, and a surprising new personal project. Sherri Papini’s current status is defined by a life under federal supervision in Northern California, where she is attempting to rebuild her life near her children following her release from prison. Her every move is scrutinized by the terms of her supervised release, and she remains locked in a legal battle over the hundreds of thousands of dollars she owes in restitution to the government agencies she defrauded. The former Shasta County mother, once the center of a massive manhunt, is now focused on her family and, according to recent reports, telling her side of the story in a new, long-form project.

Sherri Papini: A Brief Biography and Timeline

The story of Sherri Papini is one of a small-town California life that spiraled into a national media spectacle due to a stunning deception. The details of her life and the timeline of the infamous kidnapping hoax are crucial to understanding her current legal and personal standing.

• Full Name: Sherri Louise Papini (née Graeff)
• Date of Birth: June 11, 1982
• Place of Birth: Redding, California
• Spouse: Keith Papini (Married 2009; Filed for Divorce 2022)
• Children: Two (a son and a daughter)
• The Hoax Date: November 2, 2016, when she disappeared while jogging near her home in Redding, Shasta County.
• The Reappearance: November 24, 2016, Thanksgiving Day, when she was found on the side of Interstate 5 in Yolo County, claiming two Hispanic women had abducted her.
• The Lie Exposed: In 2020, DNA evidence and a confession from her ex-boyfriend, James Reyes, revealed that she had voluntarily stayed with him in Costa Mesa, California, for the 22 days she was missing.
• Arrest and Plea: She was arrested in March 2022 and pleaded guilty in April 2022 to one count of mail fraud and one count of making false statements.
• Sentencing: September 2022, she was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.

The Immediate Aftermath: Prison Release and Supervised Freedom

Sherri Papini’s time in federal custody was significantly shorter than many anticipated, leading to a new phase of her life that is strictly monitored. Her current whereabouts and activities are governed by the terms of her sentence.

The Timeline of Her Release

Papini began her 18-month sentence in November 2022. She was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, in August 2023, less than a year into her sentence. Upon release, she was immediately transferred to a residential reentry facility—often referred to as a halfway house—in Sacramento County, California. This transfer is a common procedure for federal inmates nearing the end of their term, allowing for a gradual transition back into society. She completed her time at the reentry facility in October 2023.

Where She Lives Now

Today, Sherri Papini is living in Northern California, specifically in the Redding area, which is near her former home in Shasta County. She remains close to her two children, who are in the full custody of her ex-husband, Keith Papini, following his April 2022 divorce filing. Her current life is not one of complete freedom; she is on a three-year term of supervised release that is scheduled to continue until 2026. The terms of her supervised release are strict, and any violation could send her back to federal prison. This means her travel, employment, and associations are all subject to approval and oversight by her probation officer. This period of supervised release is a critical part of her sentence, ensuring she remains accountable to the federal justice system.

The Crushing Financial Burden: The Restitution Battle

Perhaps the most persistent and significant legal issue Sherri Papini faces today is the enormous debt she owes for the costs incurred during the search for her and the subsequent government benefits she fraudulently received.

The $309,902 Debt

As part of her sentencing in 2022, Papini was ordered to pay a total of $309,902 in restitution. This staggering amount is intended to reimburse various government agencies, including:

• The California Victim Compensation Board (which paid out funds based on her false claims).
• The Social Security Administration (for disability and other benefits she fraudulently received).
• The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office (for the costs of the initial search and investigation).

The 2024 Legal Action

The most recent updates in 2024 confirm that a large portion of this restitution remains unpaid. In March 2024, the U.S. Attorney's Office took aggressive action to recover the outstanding funds by filing a writ of garnishment against Papini. This legal move allows the government to seize funds from her bank accounts, wages, or other assets to satisfy the debt. As of late 2024, reports indicated that a significant amount, including over $148,000 owed to the California Victim Compensation Board, was still outstanding. The ongoing financial obligation and the government's pursuit of those funds mean that Sherri Papini’s financial and legal life will be inextricably linked to the hoax for years to come, long after her supervised release ends.

Life After Confinement: Family, Privacy, and a New Story

While Sherri Papini is under federal supervision, her life is not entirely devoid of personal pursuits. The current focus of her life appears to be her children and a potential new venture into storytelling.

Focus on Her Children

Despite the highly public and damaging nature of the hoax, Papini has remained in Northern California to be near her children. Her ex-husband, Keith Papini, who filed for divorce shortly after her arrest, has full custody. Sherri’s ability to see her children is a private matter, but her continued presence in the area suggests she is actively working to maintain a relationship with them under the difficult circumstances of her legal status and their father’s custody.

Writing a Book: Telling Her Side

In a surprising development reported in June 2024, a visitation supervisor's notes revealed that Sherri Papini was writing a book. The notes indicated that she was "telling a new story," suggesting she plans to offer her own detailed account of the events leading up to, during, and after the infamous 2016 disappearance. This potential book project raises significant ethical and legal questions, particularly regarding the outstanding restitution. Any income she earns from a book deal would likely be subject to the government’s efforts to garnish funds to pay off her $309,902 debt. The public's reaction to such a book would undoubtedly be mixed, ranging from intense curiosity about the full, unvarnished truth of the kidnapping hoax to outrage over profiting from a federal crime.

A Life Out of the Spotlight

For now, Sherri Papini is living a life of relative anonymity, a stark contrast to the intense media scrutiny she faced in 2016 and 2022. She is focused on meeting the requirements of her supervised release, navigating her divorce, and dealing with the persistent financial fallout of her deception. The next major milestone in her legal journey will be the end of her supervised release in 2026, though the restitution debt will likely follow her for much longer.