Kodee Kennings
Encyclopedia
Kodee Kennings was a fictional 8-year-old girl, supposedly the daughter of a U.S. Army
soldier named Dan Kennings in post-invasion Iraq. Kodee's plight was detailed in letters published in the Daily Egyptian, a student newspaper for Southern Illinois University
in Carbondale
, Illinois, beginning in 2003.
protest at the university campus, and her worries about her father "Dan" who was shipping off to Iraq with the 101st Airborne
. Kodee's mother was said to be dead.
Over the next year, the Egyptian would publish, unedited, notes and letters from "Kodee", liberally strewn with misspellings and phonetic English, to update their readers about Dan's Iraq service or Kodee's daily life. A young friend of Reynolds', Caitlin Hadley, the daughter of a Nazarene
minister
, was recruited to play the part of Kodee for photographs, and a nurse, Patrick Trovillion, played Dan. Both believed that they were playing parts in a movie. "Kodee" was taken to the Egyptian newsroom and other Carbondale locations. "Dan" was photographed wearing camouflage
, sitting on a tank
, and meeting with school children in Michigan
. "Dan" also called the newsroom and maintained an e-mail address at Yahoo!
"Dan" was even portrayed as having been injured in a December, 2004 explosion in a mess hall at a base near Mosul, Iraq. He reportedly returned to duty just weeks later, and was later injured by an roadside bomb
which struck a Humvee in which he was traveling.
Reynolds or Brenner also apparently penned a guest editorial published in the name of a real war widow, wherein the author claimed that her late husband had been a war buddy of Kennings'.
Reynolds and Hadley (as "Hastings" and "Kodee"), along with members of the Egyptian staff, attended a memorial service arranged at the local American Legion
outpost. After openly weeping at the service, Reynolds and Hadley met with Tribune reporters briefly at a restaurant, where they were told that media liaisons at The Pentagon
were unable to confirm the existence of Kennings. Reynolds refused to provide any proof of Kennings' existence. Days later, reporters located her at her mother's home in Marion, Illinois
, where she admitted to participating in the hoax.
Reynolds claims that Brenner orchestrated the hoax, while Brenner says he was duped by Reynolds. After numerous articles in the Chicago Tribune, the Associated Press, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Daily Egyptian itself, it appeared no crime was committed. The parents of Hadley were particularly upset, however and considered a restraining order
against Reynolds.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
soldier named Dan Kennings in post-invasion Iraq. Kodee's plight was detailed in letters published in the Daily Egyptian, a student newspaper for Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public research university located in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1869, SIUC is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system...
in Carbondale
Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, in the state of Illinois, within the Southern Illinois region. It is located at the junction of Illinois Route 13 and U.S. Route 51, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest...
, Illinois, beginning in 2003.
Hoax
The story was concocted by Jaimie Reynolds, a woman who claimed to be Colleen Hastings, the caregiver for the fictional Kodee. Reynolds allegedly passed a letter written as Kodee to Michael Brenner, then a sports editor, at the Egyptian, which prompted a feature story published May 6, 2003. In the article, "Kodee" told of how upset she was by an anti-warAnti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
protest at the university campus, and her worries about her father "Dan" who was shipping off to Iraq with the 101st Airborne
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
. Kodee's mother was said to be dead.
Over the next year, the Egyptian would publish, unedited, notes and letters from "Kodee", liberally strewn with misspellings and phonetic English, to update their readers about Dan's Iraq service or Kodee's daily life. A young friend of Reynolds', Caitlin Hadley, the daughter of a Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
minister
Minister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
, was recruited to play the part of Kodee for photographs, and a nurse, Patrick Trovillion, played Dan. Both believed that they were playing parts in a movie. "Kodee" was taken to the Egyptian newsroom and other Carbondale locations. "Dan" was photographed wearing camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
, sitting on a tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
, and meeting with school children in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. "Dan" also called the newsroom and maintained an e-mail address at Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
"Dan" was even portrayed as having been injured in a December, 2004 explosion in a mess hall at a base near Mosul, Iraq. He reportedly returned to duty just weeks later, and was later injured by an roadside bomb
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
which struck a Humvee in which he was traveling.
Reynolds or Brenner also apparently penned a guest editorial published in the name of a real war widow, wherein the author claimed that her late husband had been a war buddy of Kennings'.
Exposure
The hoax unraveled when Reynolds claimed in August 2005 that Kennings had died in Iraq. This news was published in the Egyptian, leading reporters from the Tribune to seek an interview with "Hastings." These reporters became suspicious when Reynolds routed interview requests through Brenner, who had become a close friend of hers.Reynolds and Hadley (as "Hastings" and "Kodee"), along with members of the Egyptian staff, attended a memorial service arranged at the local American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
outpost. After openly weeping at the service, Reynolds and Hadley met with Tribune reporters briefly at a restaurant, where they were told that media liaisons at The Pentagon
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
were unable to confirm the existence of Kennings. Reynolds refused to provide any proof of Kennings' existence. Days later, reporters located her at her mother's home in Marion, Illinois
Marion, Illinois
The city of Marion is the county seat of Williamson County, Illinois. The 2010 census counted 17,193 residents, making Marion the 25th most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area, in Illinois, and the second most populous city in Southern Illinois, outside of the Metro-East, behind...
, where she admitted to participating in the hoax.
Reynolds claims that Brenner orchestrated the hoax, while Brenner says he was duped by Reynolds. After numerous articles in the Chicago Tribune, the Associated Press, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Daily Egyptian itself, it appeared no crime was committed. The parents of Hadley were particularly upset, however and considered a restraining order
Restraining order
A restraining order or order of protection is a form of legal injunction that requires a party to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. A party that refuses to comply with an order faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
against Reynolds.