This is just my impression on the possibility of a financially motivated hoax. I think we know that there were severe financial difficulties over a several year period. I have posted it before, but the Recorder's office shows that their previous home was not sold by Sergio and Becky but actually taken back by the bank after foreclosure in May 2011 and was then resold by the bank afterward. I can post those details again if anyone wants to see it.
I did some research on the "money-making / fundraising" activities. I admit that the fundraising probably has not gone as well as it might have, because LE has never eliminated the family. But this would not have been anticipated, if there was a hoax or plan.
First,
You can file this under rumor if you want, since the statement has been modified now and I can only give links to blog sites that we can't use here (who copied and discussed this while it was still on the Isa website) You can google it yourself.
When I first read the bringIsahome.com website donation page soon after it went online, I remember it saying:
"A special fund has been established to assist the search for Isabel Mercedes Celis and to support the family. This money will be used to help the family with whatever they may need."
There were soon negative comments about the purpose of the fund being so open ended and the website now says:
"A special fund has been established to assist the search for Isabel Mercedes Celis and to support the family. This money will be used to help the family in their search for their daughter and helps the volunteers to print fliers, banners and other search materials."
The "whatever they may need" portion is no longer on their site but we don't know if they are required to use the donations only to search for their daughter or if it still includes support for whatever the family may need. IMO I suppose that paying the family's other bills would indirectly help them search, since it would allow them more time to concentrate on Isa.
Second,
At first I didn't see a way that anyone could privately profit from the 88-crime fund since it offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever was responsible for a crime.
Then I found the 88-crime Victim Compensation page. It says:
"Crime Victim Compensation provides financial assistance for crime victims who have suffered a financial loss as the direct result of a crime. The perpetrator does NOT have to be charged or convicted for the victim to apply for assistance. However, the victim and claimant must FULLY COOPERATE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND PROSECUTORS"
I'm not sure about the definition of crime victim. I assume it would include the family of an "abducted" child.
Maybe I'm being too suspicious, but it seems coincidental that "We are cooperating to the fullest extent with the investigation" were the first words that we heard from Sergio (even before mentioning Isa's name) when they made their initial press statement. I think many people wondered at that time why he would begin with a statement like that. When I saw that this was the stated Victim Compensation Fund requirement, it just stuck in my mind.
From their webpage, 88-crime victim compensation is available for:
Medical
Mental health counseling
Funeral
Crime scene clean-up
Loss of wages
http://www.pcao.pima.gov/victimcompensation.aspx
Third,
In the Today show interview Sergio said "There have been no calls for ransom. We have the reward ready." This comment confused many people because the only money we had heard about being available at that time was the $50,000 88-crime fund. This money was designated as a reward for information, not to pay a ransom.
It doesn't seem reasonable that only a few thousand dollars in local donations could be considered enough for a ransom. IMO if there was actually a more SUBSTANTIAL amount of money available at that time, it could have come from the Today Show.
I know you have discussed this. But I think that Sergio and Becky could truthfully answer that they were NOT paid for the interview, while accepting a LARGE DONATION for the Isa fund (which may be available for "whatever the family may need").
In the past, NBC has used various methods to indirectly pay people such as setting up an education fund or making a payment to a third party. In this case, the Isa fund was already there and accepting donations. The Celis would probably be required to deny payment as part of any deal. But didn't Sergio and Becky then start talking about how the money was coming in and going right back out for the search effort? Maybe they were thinking of a Today Show donation which had just been made to the Isa fund.
We have already discussed whether the Today show payment of their hotel bills was actually a form of compensation or payment. So, I do think SC and RC were at least parsing their words, when they said that they had NOT been paid. Maybe they received payment of the hotel bills plus a LARGE DONATION. IMO
Later in the local sit down interview, the reporter said that most average families wouldn't have the amount of money required for a ransom. Then he asked Sergio and Becky how much they could come up with personally and they said "Us? Nothing". So the reward/ransom money they mentioned on the Today show must have all been coming from donated sources.
IMO the approximately $20,000 that we have actually heard about being collected by the local fundraisers would be pretty insignificant compared to most kidnapper's ransom demands. So. I have a few questions.
1. Is there now a much larger amount of money from other sources in the Isa fund (maybe including a big Today show donation) and can it still be used for whatever the family may need?
2. Is there some form of accountability required on what the funds are used for or is it just at the discretion of the family?
3. And is the 88-crime victim compensation fund possibly paying for lost wages and crime scene cleanup?