Jarrett Brooks, a 16-year-old from Arizona, was last seen on July 4, 2023, shown in a security camera video grabbing a pistol in his parents’ house. For years, the family has not stopped looking for him. However, in a strange turn of events, a local journalist and editor has been accused of obstruction after allegedly making up stories involving the teen’s father.
Videos by Suggest
Molly Kathryn Ottman, 50, according to the Daily Mail, allegedly created a Reddit account and impersonated Jarrett’s father, Brian. She then allegedly wrote several posts on the website, alluding to sexual activity with his own son. Ottman allegedly went a step further and alerted local authorities in October 2023 to the posts. Allegedly, Ottman made false accusations, claiming Brian was the one responsible for the posts.
For months, authorities investigated both Brian and his wife, Laura, Jarrett’s mother. Online discourse condemned both parents, with many claiming they were the ones responsible for Jarrett’s disappearance. As per the Daily Mail, the discourse was also fueled by previous sex crime convictions on both Brian and Laura.
Brian spent six months in jail after he pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and two counts of public indecency. This took place 20 years before Jarrett went missing. Reportedly, Brian and Laura had sex in front of their teenage babysitters. Moreover, the pair allegedly offered alcohol to convince them to join in. Laura pleaded guilty to two counts of public sexual indecency and spent 30 days in jail.
Exonerated And Indicted
However, after months of investigations, Brian and Laura were exonerated of the accusations involving their son. Authorities also allegedly discovered Ottman was the one behind the account. On May 6, a grand jury indicted Molly Kathryn Ottman on obstructing a criminal investigation and fraudulent schemes and artifices charges.
“She’s reaping the rewards for what she did,” Brian told the Daily Mail.
Navajo County Attorney Brad Carlyon spoke about this with the outlet.
“A 16-year-old boy was missing, and all of law enforcement’s energy and resources should have been able to remain focused strictly on the search for that young man,” Carlyon said. “Diverting attention, resources, and time to fabricated evidence creates unwarranted distractions during time-sensitive investigations.”
Ever since he was last seen on his parents’ security camera footage in 2023, police have not found any leads on Jarrett Brooks’s whereabouts. Reportedly, Jarrett got in a ride with a stranger he met online. Both Brian and Laura Brooks, however, state that they do not feel their son is dead. They also don’t believe that the gun Jarrett took was used to take his own life, instead believing he took it for protection.