An Indiana mother, Katherine Jackson, 41, found herself under scrutiny after her highly publicized claims about her daughter’s terminal illness unraveled under investigation.
Mother caught faking child’s terminal illness
The story, which once received public support, took a sharp turn when authorities charged Jackson with felony neglect and fraud.
Jackson had previously been part of WANE, a CBS affiliate, to raise awareness about her supposedly terminally ill daughter and solicit donations.
The mother claimed her daughter was battling a genetic disorder, Pilarowski-Bjornsson Syndrome (PBS), along with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), which she said caused relentless seizures, reportedly as many as 80 to 90 a day.
According to investigators, while the child did indeed have PBS, it is a chronic, non-terminal condition—contrary to Jackson’s claims.
Adding fuel to the fire, prosecutors alleged Jackson neglected her daughter’s medical care, failing to refill prescribed medications that could have alleviated her symptoms.
The misrepresentation of the girl’s condition reportedly started several years ago, culminating in the promotion of a GoFundMe campaign in July 2021.
The campaign claimed the then-5-year-old only had six to twelve months to live and mentioned her dream of visiting Disney World.
It also caught the attention of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and WANE, which highlighted her tragic story in an August 2022 feature.
Mother withheld medication from child she claimed had terminal illness
Three weeks after the feature aired, Jackson brought her daughter to the hospital, where doctors raised red flags about possible medical abuse.
Despite being prescribed necessary medications, the child continued to experience seizures and deterioration.
Following further medical evaluations, authorities found that Jackson had neglected to provide the treatments her daughter required.
The situation escalated to involve Jackson’s other two children, ages 5 and 6, who were placed into foster care.
Foster parents reported these children weren’t toilet-trained or enrolled in school, indicating broader neglect in the household.
For her actions, Jackson now faces charges of fraud and two counts of neglect—each categorized as felonies.
Mother lied about daughter’s kidnapping
Meanwhile, an unrelated but equally shocking case of parental depravity unfolded in Illinois. Princess Ilunga, a 37-year-old from Rock Island, reportedly concocted an elaborate lie about her 4-year-old daughter’s kidnapping, sparking a nine-hour-long search.
Authorities claim Ilunga falsely reported her car was stolen with her daughter inside, prompting an Amber Alert and mobilizing both state and local police.
This unfolded early on January 26, when she dialed 911, claiming she had left her running vehicle outside her residence with her daughter in the backseat before it was taken.
Rock Island authorities quickly located the abandoned vehicle a few blocks away, but the child remained missing—or so it appeared.
The small-town community, supported by Illinois State Police, went into overdrive searching for her.
Drones and door-to-door searches were deployed, and the case drew intense public attention, with social media posts shared tens of thousands of times.
By late that afternoon, the girl was discovered in an alley not far from the family home—but the tale was far from over.
Investigators later alleged the girl had never been missing and was hidden deliberately by Ilunga.
According to Rock Island Police Chief Timothy McCloud, “From the moment the 911 call was made, our officers were lied to, with the only thing being true was that the car had been stolen after she left it running.”
Digging deeper, McCloud detailed how Ilunga worked to deceive officers even while initial questioning took place in her home.
With quick thinking, she reportedly labeled her daughter as another child, instructed her other kids to address her by a different name, and even commented on how the child “looks just like her sister.”
Ilunga went as far as removing the pink coat the child was described as wearing during her “abduction.”
However, police saw through the facade, thanks in part to an officer fluent in Swahili, the language Ilunga had been using with her children.
After police briefly stepped away from her home, Ilunga allegedly dressed her child in the same pink coat, took her to the alley, and contrived for two women to “discover” the girl.
Upon unraveling the truth, a warrant was issued for Ilunga’s arrest on January 30.
Despite leaving the area and attempting to evade authorities with her seven children, Ilunga was eventually intercepted 200 miles away in Wisconsin’s Johnson County.
The entire ordeal has since left Ilunga facing charges for filing a false police report. Her children were handed over to their father, while she awaits legal proceedings in Illinois.
