Sherri Papini has changed her story years after her kidnapping hoax came to light, with her divorce attorney Chase Kinney appearing on ID’s new documentary series Caught in the Lie to share her experience. Warning: some may find this content distressing.
On November 2, 2015, Papini vanished while out jogging near her home in Redding, California, leaving her husband, Keith Papini, and their two children fearing the worst. 22 days later, she showed up chained, emaciated, covered in bruises, and with a branding on her back.
According to her accounts, she had been snatched by two Hispanic women, but law enforcement soon noticed holes in her story. In 2022, she entered a plea deal admitting to the hoax, and was later sentenced to 18 months in prison alongside a $300,000 fine.
But in the new true crime docu-series Sherri Papini: Caught in the Lie, she claims she really was kidnapped, accusing her ex-boyfriend James Reyes of being the aggressor. Although the FBI don’t believe her story, one person who is on her side is Chase Kinney.
Who is Chase Kinney?
Chase Kathryn Kinney is an attorney and partner at Kinney & Kinney, a Redding-based law firm she co-runs with her father, Van Kinney. Chase specializes in family law, and so she was hired by Sherri Papini in 2022 to represent her during her divorce from Keith Papini.
As per her latest biography, Chase is now around 38 years old, and “has already garnered ten prestigious awards within her four years as a licensed attorney.” She has nearly 20 years of experience in family law, including 13 years as a paralegal.
Alongside Sherri, Chase has represented a number of high-profile clients, including a “well-known socialite”, although it’s unclear who this is referring to.
Her profile states, “One of Chase’s notable achievements includes being chosen to represent a well-known socialite, which led to her participation in an upcoming HBO docu-series.”
Alongside her legal career, Chase is a dancer, having pursued this passion for more than 30 years. In 2023, she competed in a Dancing With the Stars-style fundraising event at the Cascade Theatre.
The event raised funds for Shasta County’s One SAFE Place, a shelter that supports individuals escaping trafficking and domestic abuse. Chase danced in the competition alongside Chris Caldwell, performing to Aqua’s ‘Barbie Girl’.
Speaking in the documentary series, Chase says, “So when I walk into this case, I have Sherri Papini, who is just about ready to go to prison. She came in. Me and my dad met with her the first time. So dad and I, both of us are thinking the same thing: ‘How crazy is this person?’
“Everyone has an opinion of her, and they have an opinion of her because of the media and Keith Papini, right? And that’s the stories that the whole world has heard.”
Chase asked Sherri what she expects of her as her family law attorney, which was to get divorced and then get her kids back. For the record, Keith Papini still has full custody of their two children at the time of writing.
Chase needed her to put the children on the backburner at that time, as Sherri was about to go to prison. Instead, she wanted to get to the bottom of her character, and so Sherri told her the whole story of the kidnapping hoax.
What she says about Sherri Papini
Sherri allegedly told Chase that Reyes was the perpetrator, and she believes her even now. “I absolutely know what happened,” Chase says. “I’ve already been there, I know that feeling.”
In Sherri Papini: Caught in the Lie, Chase describes an incident that unfolded in 2006 while she was in Cabo, Mexico. “I was in a really bad situation while I was in Mexico,” she says.
“I think I was like 18. I was partying on this yacht… I ended up that night being drugged to some degree because I remember waking up and then passing back out. I have really blotchy memories of it.
“It was a very traumatic experience, I was highly assaulted by a group of guys that I’d just met. The next morning when I woke up, I’m looking for my bathing suit and my clothes, and I’m walking up the stairs of the captain’s quarters.”
Chase says she was hoping to quietly jump off the boat without anyone seeing her, as it was docked at the marina. “When I get up there, I see nothing but ocean,” she continues.
“I was by myself on that boat, now with these five gentlemen who just brutally assaulted me. So you go into this survivor mode, and the only way I’m going to make it out this is I’m going to manipulate these men to think I have no problems with what happened.
“So that’s what I did. The only thing I’m thinking of is land. The only thing Sherri was thinking of was her kids. She did what she had to do to get released and I relate to that. That situation is so real to me.”
Has James Reyes responded?
With James Reyes now accused of being the kidnapper, there are calls for him to file a lawsuit against Sherri, although it’s unclear whether this will go ahead. That being said, he says in the docu-series that he’ll be reaching out to his attorney.
A private investigator did manage to track James down, and he sounded tired of the situation. James was initially questioned by police early on in their investigation after his DNA was found on Sherri’s clothes.
He told law enforcement that Sherri had falsely accused Keith of being abusive, convincing him to let her stay. She also allegedly roped him into helping her injure herself during the 22 days she was gone.
Detectives were able to corroborate his version of events, and he passed every question of a polygraph test. James has moved on since then, but the PI tracked him down at his home in Arizona.
When the PI says it’s about Sherri, James replies, “Oh yeah, I’m not interested. Whatever it is, it’s bull, dude.” He does allow the visitor to share what it’s about: the fact that Sherri is coming out with a book this year.
James explains that he’s just staying out of it, and is currently looking after his 95-year-old grandfather. The PI explains that Sherri has made a bunch of allegations against him, to which James responds, “Oh yeah, I know. I’ll have to contact my lawyer in California.”
He finishes by confirming there’s nothing else he wants to add to the situation, stating, “I’ll contact my lawyer and I’ll go from there.”
Now that the documentary is out and the book Sherri Papini Doesn’t Exist is available for pre-order, viewers are calling on James to take action. Over on Reddit, one wrote, “She now claims her ex did it. I can see a lawsuit inbound.”
“I told y’all! She’s blaming James Reyes, right? So stupid,” said another. “Hoping he has the balls to do SOMETHING about it. (Legally, I mean… I’m still NOT hoping harm or harassment comes to Sherri Papini).”
A third added, “I predicted she’d throw James (and/or Keith) under the bus, as well – but I had no idea she’d go as far as to state he actually kidnapped her against her will (when there’s SO much evidence proving that he didn’t).”
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