mistaken identity

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WWI Hero's Family 'Shocked' They Aren't Really Family

But Medal of Honor recipient still a hero—and family—in their eyes

(Newser) - President Obama honored Pvt. Henry Johnson posthumously yesterday with the Medal of Honor for his bravery in World War I, recognizing how Johnson fended off at least a dozen enemy troops while protecting a seriously wounded comrade —actions that made Johnson's family proud for nearly a century. So...

Cops Inform Wrong Parents Son Is Dead

They were kind of surprised when he answered the door

(Newser) - The parents of Justin Priest were in agony after learning their son had just been killed in a car crash, and they drove to the home of his longtime girlfriend to deliver the news in person. Thus, as Alaska Dispatch News explains, they were more than a little surprised when...

Dad Visited Incorrect Grave for Years

Father grieved over stillborn son in wrong spot because of mixup

(Newser) - For seven years, a man in Westminster, Colo., regularly visited the grave of his stillborn son. Or so he thought. NBC 9 Colorado reports that Vance Abeyta learned this year that his son, Quincy, was actually buried in a different spot in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. It seems the Catholic Archdiocese...

Deputy Shoots Daughter After Mistaking Her for Intruder

Crashes car taking her to hospital

(Newser) - A veteran Virginia deputy shot his teenage daughter after mistaking her for an intruder, then crashed his car rushing her to the hospital himself, reports WHAG . The 16-year-old girl is in stable condition with a bullet wound to her torso. The bizarre chain of events unfolded about 3:30am Tuesday,...

Teen Wrongly Jailed for Month Over Name Confusion

Florida cops got the wrong Cody Williams on sex-assault charges

(Newser) - A Florida teenager spent 35 days in jail on sex-assault charges because it apparently never occurred to his arresting officers that two people might have the same name, reports the Florida Times-Union . Cody Lee Williams, now 19, was arrested last August and charged as an adult after a young girl...

Hunter Mistakes Man for Deer, Shoots Him —Twice

Tampa man may have suffered permanent damage in shooting

(Newser) - A hunter in Tampa, Fla., mistook a man practicing turkey calls for a deer Sunday night and shot him—twice—with a high-powered rifle. Amazingly, he survived, Opposing Views and the New York Times report. Clint Galentine, 37, was walking with a friend in a wildlife management area when the...

Teenager Killed Trying to Enter Her Own House: Police

Stepfather apparently opened fire as she climbed in the window

(Newser) - Tragedy in Colorado: A man shot and killed his stepdaughter before dawn today, probably mistaking her for a burglar as she sneaked back into the house, the Colorado Springs Gazette reports. "The initial call came in as a burglary-in-progress," a police spokesman said. Officers found the unidentified 14-year-old...

Woman Turns Up 13 Days After Funeral

Family held services, burial, but body was misidentified

(Newser) - A Philadelphia woman has turned up alive nearly two weeks after her family held a funeral and burial. KYW-TV reports that 50-year-old Sharolyn Jackson showed up at a mental health facility last Friday. A body found July 20 on a Philadelphia street had been identified as Jackson. A spokesman for...

'Blade Runner' Pistorius Charged in Girlfriend's Murder

Said to have mistaken her for robber, but police not so sure

(Newser) - Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius has been charged with murder after his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, was found dead in his home, Sky News reports. The South African sprinter, a 26-year-old double amputee known as the "Blade Runner," may have taken his girlfriend for a burglar when she arrived...

&#39;Dead Man&#39; Shows Up at His Own Wake
'Dead Man'
Shows Up
at His
Own Wake
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Oct 28, 2012 12:06 PM CDT

'Dead Man' Shows Up at His Own Wake

His family is happily surprised

(Newser) - A car-wash attendant named Gilberto Araujo had to show up at his own wake to prove to everyone he wasn't dead. ABC News and the Guardian have the strange tale from Brazil: It started when another car-washer who kind of looked like Araujo was murdered, and both police and...

Student Googles Self, Finds He's a Wanted Man

Police mistakenly post his name and photo in murder case

(Newser) - One night, Zachary Garcia decided to Google himself—and the Florida teen discovered he was wanted for murder. Garcia, a University of Florida student, saw his name next to his driver's license photo, alongside notice that he had been charged as an accomplice to murder, AOL News reports. The police...

Brad Pitt Roughed Up by Own Guard

Security mistook the actor for a photog at LA movie event

(Newser) - Brad Pitt got to see how the other half lives when a bouncer at a promotional event for his latest movie failed to recognize the star and tried to pin him to a wall. The guard pulled Pitt out of a crowd of paparazzi that had infiltrated a secure area...

Innocent Customers Caught in Terrorist Dragnet

Companies refuse business to partial name matches on OFAC's list

(Newser) - Hassans, Muhammeds, and other men with Arabic-sounding names  are being turned away when they try to buy cars, homes, and even exercise equipment. Responding to post-9/11 requirements to screen customers against terrorist lists, companies are turning down buyers with even partial name matches rather than risk stiff fines and prison...

Ballooning Terror Database Spawns Errors

The poorly maintained list is easy to get on, and hard to get off

(Newser) - The US list of suspected terrorists has ballooned to 435,000 names, and upkeep is so poor that once you're on it, it's virtually impossible to get off. The size alone  threatens to overwhelm those responsible for its upkeep, reports Karen DeYoung creating  concerns about secrecy, errors and privacy.

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