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Politics : Actual left/right wing discussion -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hagar who wrote (208)	9/7/2006 4:27:54 PM
From: one_less	Respond to of 10087

Officials: Marine's disappearance staged By Kirk Mitchell Denver Post Staff Writer Marine Lance Hering, 21, is on leave after seven months in Iraq. (Special to The Post) The buddy of a Marine whose dramatic story compelled more than 300 people to search for the missing Marine on steep, treacherous terrain has been arrested for allegedly making up the whole story. Steve Powers, 20, admitted that he lied to authorities so that his friend Lance Hering, 21, could avoid returning to duty, said Cmdr. Phil West of the Boulder County Sheriff's Department. Powers was arrested late Wednesday for investigation of misdemeanor false reporting and he was taken to the Boulder County Steve Powers, 20, faces false reporting charges in the case of his missing friend, Lance Hering. (Boulder County Sheriff's Office) Jail, West said. Hering, who is classified as "unauthorized absent" by the U.S. Marines, has still not been found. If he does not return to Camp Pendleton, Calif. by Monday he could face much more serious charges, West said. He also faces local charges, he said. Powers gave sheriff's investigators some clues about where Hering may be hiding. The Marines are searching for him as well, West said. Powers told authorities that his friend disappeared after he injured his head while hiking in Eldorado Canyon at night on Aug. 29. His story sparked a massive search involving helicopters, fellow Marines, his girlfriend, parents and volunteers. When the search was called off after several days, the Marines and his family continued the search. But Wednesday night, investigators brought Powell in to the sheriff's office for another interview and confronted him about numerous inconsistencies in his story, West said. Powell had said his friend was broke, but he actually had $2,000, West said. The timeline he described was improbable and left many questions unanswered. The fact that extensive searches involving canines didn't turn up any evidence was also suspicious, West said. "Mr. Powers ultimately admitted that he had assisted Lance Hering with staging his disappearance," West said. "The motive for Hering's disappearance appears to be his reluctance to return to duty as a Marine." Hering had served a tour in Iraq earlier this year. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said he will seek restitution for the thousands of dollars spent trying to find and rescue Hering. Authorities notified Hering's parents, Lloyd and Elynne Hering, who are still concerned about their son's welfare, West said. During the search, Elynne Hering passed out from exhaustion and dehydration. On Sunday, Lloyd Hering said after the head injury he believes his son may think he is still in Iraq and AWOL. Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or denverpost.com