Friends and neighbors of Lathern put together a charitable benefit and raised $10,000 by taking time off from their vacation allowance and even donating hours of work pay to her. A flier asked people to attend the benefit at the Hog Creek Icehouse, noting that Lathern has two boys and no insurance. Her husband claimed that he believed that she had breast cancer until a police detective told him last month. This may be true, but I am curious how a husband is not present for at least one visit with a doctor to discuss his wife’s prognosis and treatment.
Investigator James Pack alleges that she even shaved her head to pretend to be going through chemotherapy.
Various businesses donated items and at least three bands donated their time to play at the benefit.
A local plastic surgeon became suspicious after he learned about the benefit — and the fact that Lathern asked only about the breast implants and never mentioned chemotherapy. He was given cash for the breast enlargement and reported it to the police.
It is not a crime to pretend that you have an illness, but, when you use that fraud to obtain gifts, you move from being a horrible person to being a horrible criminal defendant. What will be challenging for her lawyer will be to use the two boys as a basis for a claim of mercy when they were previously used as a basis for the alleged fraud.
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