Sandusky Couple Charged After Staging Fake Murder Scene With Ketchup, Spreading Photos

When Micah Risner began sharing photos of what appeared to be his significant other, Nataleigh Schlette, dead in a bathtub Thursday night covered in blood along with messages that he killed her, he probably didn’t think Sandusky police would come knocking at his door. To be clear, he probably should have thought that law enforcement would take note and that recipients of the picture would have no reason but to believe him, but it’s clear at this point Risner and Schlette weren’t thinking at all.

After receiving at least three “hysterical” calls, police went to the apparent scene of the crime to find that it was all a dumb, dumb joke.

“She got into the bathtub, and they put ketchup all over to make it look like he murdered her,” Sandusky police Sgt. Dawn Allen told the Sandusky Register. “He started sending the picture and texting that he did it.”

For now, the pair is facing charges of inducing panic (a misdemeanor) but a city prosecutor is reviewing the case and could file additional charges.

This article appears in Mar 8-14, 2017.