There’s a new twist in the case of the California teen gThere’s a new twist in the case of the California girl, 16, who was abducted by a family friend, James DiMaggio, and taken into the wilderness of Idaho. His family thinks he may have been the biological father of the girl, Hannah Anderson, and now they want her DNA.
DiMaggio was shot and killed by police during Hannah’s rescue. He is believed to have killed her mother and 8-year-old brother before taking her hostage. But he also reportedly was a good friend of the family — best friends with the father, Brett Anderson — and police found in his home during the course of the abduction investigation that he had a stash of documents labeled “Letters from Hannah.” Meanwhile, court documents recently revealed that DiMaggio left about $110,000 to Hannah’s grandmother, Bernice Anderson, with specific instructions to use it to care for Hannah. And some find that suspicious.
“We find it very strange that he has left all this money without explanation,” said Andrew Spanswick, a spokesman for the DiMaggio family, in a CNN report.
DiMaggio’s family — specifically, his sister, Lora — now has requested DNA samples from Hannah and her brother, Ethan, whose charred remains were discovered in the home DiMaggio is believed to have set on fire.
“We are going to be requesting from the Anderson family that we try to get DNA samples from Hannah. And if they have anything left from Ethan, that we get a DNA sample,” Mr. Spanswick said in the CNN article. “There has been a lot of rumors that Jim [DiMaggio] might be the father of either or both children.”
The Anderson family did not comment to CNN, and the San Diego sheriff’s office said it had no knowledge of the DiMaggio family’s intent to establish paternity.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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