Tamara "Tammi" Hamby, 59, allegedly staged a faux kidnapping of her own daughter, who has special needs. Hamby reportedly worked with three accomplices, Shannon Childers, David Quach and Nico Austria. All three have been arrested in connection to the case, per TMZ.
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When speaking to 5NEWS, Jeffrey Hamby, Tamara's husband, admitted that he wasn't aware of his wife's plans or her behavior.
"She (their daughter) has a lot of needs," Jeffrey said.. "She has a reactive attachment disorder and epilepsy; she is 22 and beautiful and has the mind of about an 11-year-old."
According to Jeffrey, his wife's actions were for a good reason. His daughter had allegedly formed an online relationship with someone posing as Luke Bryan. As the relationship continued, both Jeffrey and Tamara became concerned for their daughter's safety. Tamara then decided to take matters into her own hands.
"The predator developed a relationship with her, and he said he was Luke Bryan, the singer. And my daughter adores him," Jeffrey said. "So, over the last six months, he's developed somewhat of a trauma bond, now that we've been able to see the chats and the messages, and he was attempting to obtain her or get her."
Tamara Hamby Planned Out the Faux Kidnap
According to Jeffrey, it was after the man online had convinced his daughter to begin covering up cameras in the house that his wife decided to take drastic action.
"We tried everything, and she has not stopped communicating with him, and he was going to get her. He was going to take her," Jeffrey said. "And so, my wife, without my knowledge, with her aide and a couple of their friends, tried to do an intervention ... we wanted to show her that evil does exist, and now she's in DHS custody, and my wife is facing jail time."
The four suspects allegedly took the victim to a field nearby, asked her for money, and zip-tied her hands to a tree. The victim then broke free and began to run away before being tackled to the ground. According to the authorities, the plan was for Tamara to watch from afar before intervening and using the ordeal as a teachable moment.
However, the suspect escaped for a second time, fleeing to a nearby house where the authorities were called. According to Law & Crime, all four suspects have been released after turning themselves in. The daughter, however, is in the custody of the Arkansas Department of Human Services.
