Where is James Reyes now?
The new Hulu documentary, Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini, which is available to stream from June 20, 2024, tells the story of a stay-at-home mom named Sherri Papini from Redding, California, who was reported missing in November 2016.
Three weeks after her disappearance, Papini reappeared and told law enforcement she had been kidnapped and abused by two Hispanic women. This was a lie. As it turned out, Papini hadn’t been abducted. While her husband Keith frantically appealed for information relating to her disappearance, she was living with her former boyfriend, James Reyes.
In this article, we discuss Reyes’ involvement in Papini’s hoax and ask the question: Where is James Reyes now?
Who is James Reyes?
James Reyes is the former boyfriend of Sherri Papini. According to the Daily Mail, he and Papini began dating in 2006. He reconnected with her in 2015 when she told him she wanted to escape from Keith, who she claimed was abusive.
On November 2, 2016, Reyes picked Papini up in a rental car and took her to his home in Costa Mesa.
What happened at James Reyes’ home?
Sherri Papini stayed with Reyes for 22 days. Before she returned home to her husband and children, she needed evidence of her supposed abduction, so she asked Reyes to injure her. He was reluctant to do so but reportedly agreed to brand her shoulder with a wood-burning tool and hold a hockey stick for her to run into.
How was Sherri Papini’s hoax unveiled?
When Sherri Papini returned home, she lied to her husband and law officials and told them she had been abducted and abused by two Hispanic women.
The truth about her disappearance remained a mystery but in 2017, the investigating agents discovered male DNA on Papini’s clothing that didn’t belong to her husband.
No solid progress was made in the case until June 2020 when FBI agents collected items from Reyes’ trash outside his home. The DNA found on one of his discarded bottles was matched to the DNA on Papini’s clothes.
After discovering Papini had been staying with Reyes, the agents interviewed him. He told them about Papini’s story of her husband abusing her and revealed that her injuries were mostly self-inflicted. He also proved in a polygraph test that he knew nothing about the Hispanic women who Papini alleged abducted her.
Where is James Reyes now?
Despite his involvement in Sherri Papini’s hoax, James Reyes was never charged with any crime.
As of April 2022, Reyes was living with his grandfather in Arizona, according to the Daily Mail.
At the time of writing, we have no further updates on where James Reyes might be living now.
We expect more information will be revealed about James Reyes and his involvement in Sherri Papini’s hoax, in the Hulu documentary “Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini” which airs on June 20, 2024.
Read More: Where is Sherri Papini now?
What do you think about this case? Have you seen the documentary? Let us know in the comments below.