Arkansas police say a mother went to shocking extremes to protect her vulnerable daughter – orchestrating an elaborate abduction, all to scare her off chatting with strangers online. Meet Tamara “Tammi” Hamby, 59, who walked out of Crawford County lockup Wednesday, hand-in-hand with husband Jeffrey Hamby, after turning herself in over the disturbing stunt that’s rocked her small town.
Authorities have slapped Tamara and three alleged accomplices with charges of endangering an incompetent person, plus an extra count of kidnapping conspiracy for Tammi herself. According to court documents unearthed by CBS affiliate KFSM, the mom masterminded a pseudo-kidnapping to hammer home the real-life dangers lurking behind internet screens – specifically targeting her 22-year-old daughter, who has a mental disability.
It all boiled over after months of messy drama with an online scammer, who convinced the daughter he was country music superstar Luke Bryan. “We tried everything, but she just kept reaching out to him,” dad Jeffrey told ABC affiliate KHBS. “She truly believed he was coming to get her.”
Desperate to break the spell, Tammi allegedly enlisted Shannon Childers – a nurse assistant living with the family – to help stage the high-stakes scare. Childers then pulled in two pals, David Quach and Nico Austria, completing the cast for a bizarre criminal production. The plan, cops say, was to whisk the daughter from the Hamby home, march her out to a field, and tie her to a tree. Tammi was supposed to make a grand entrance and “save” the day.
On November 17, the plot played out. Quach and Austria arrived at the doorstep wearing menacing ski masks, claiming, “Luke sent us today – it’s now or never.” The daughter, clutching her beloved guitar and teddy bear, went willingly. According to the arrest affidavit, the men got lost en route to their intended location, landing in the wrong field. Despite the detour, they allegedly zip-tied her to a tree, issued threatening warnings, and left her stranded. Undeterred, the daughter slipped free and fled for help but was reportedly recaptured and tied up again while Tammi watched nearby.
The young woman eventually managed to break loose and alert authorities, triggering an investigation that has now resulted in multiple arrests. Those tangled up in Tammi Hamby’s scheme – including nurse Childers, plus Quach and Austria – are all facing serious charges.
