Mother Turns Herself in After Kidnapping Her Own Daughter

In Van Buren, Arkansas, Tammi Hamby — a 59-year-old and former member of the local library board — allegedly orchestrated a fake kidnapping of her own 22-year-old daughter.

Fake Kidnapping Built On Fear and Internet Danger

According to arrest affidavits, the daughter had been communicating online with a scammer pretending to be a famous country singer, despite repeated family efforts to stop the contact. Hamby reportedly recruited three others — including a certified caretaker and two acquaintances — to carry out a staged abduction under the pretext of scaring the young woman straight.

What Went Down — From Ruse to Real Trauma

On November 17, deputies responded to a call about a kidnapping. They found the daughter with zip-tied wrists, tied to a tree in a field, trembling, clutching a teddy bear, and clearly terrified.

The plan, authorities say, was for masked men to “abduct” her as part of the scare, then for Hamby to “rescue” her — a twisted stunt meant as an intervention.

But the staged ordeal quickly devolved. The daughter broke free, attempted to run, was allegedly tackled, re-restrained — and then escaped again, making her way to a nearby home to call 911.

Legal Fallout — Charges, Custody, and Heated Moral Debates

Tammi Hamby, along with her accomplices, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and endangering the welfare of an incompetent person.

The state placed the daughter into protective custody. Hamby’s husband — not charged — says the family believed the scare tactic was the only way to protect their daughter after previous attempts failed. He defended it as a “fear-driven attempt” to show “real danger” when authorities couldn’t intervene.

But critics — including law-enforcement officials — strongly condemned the plan. As one deputy reportedly asked: “How could someone understand a lesson when trauma is involved — when it crosses into crime?”

Why This Case Matters — Ethics, Vulnerability & Internet Safety

This shocking case underscores how desperation and fear can lead to awful decisions, particularly when a vulnerable person is involved. The daughter was described as having developmental delays, needing special care, and lacking the mental capacity to fully grasp consequences.

It also raises serious questions about internet safety, guardianship, and the boundaries of parental control. What drives someone to orchestrate trauma as a form of “protection”? And at what point does “protection” cross into abuse and crime?

For many, this story is a cautionary tale — about exploitation, about failing systems, about misguided intentions gone horribly wrong.

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