Treva Throneberry

"Brianna Stewart" redirects here. For the basketball player, see Breanna Stewart.
Treva Throneberry
Born (1969-05-18) May 18, 1969 (age 55)[1]
Wichita Falls, Texas[1]
NationalityAmerican
Other namesBrianna Stewart in Oregon, Washington state, and Daphne, Alabama,
Stephanie Danielle Lewis in Altoona, Pennsylvania,
Emily Kara Williams in Texas,[1]
Keili T. Throneberry Smitt in Corvallis, Oregon,[3]
Cara Leanna Davis in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho,[3]
Keili Smitt,
Stephanie Williams in Pennsylvania,[4]
Emily Kara Williams in North Carolina,[4]
Cara Williams in Texas,[4]
Cara Lewis in Idaho[4]
Criminal statusIn June 2003, after serving two years and three months of her sentence, she was released from a Gig Harbour, Washington, correctional institution[4][2]
Criminal chargefirst-degree theft (defrauding the state Department of Social and Health Sciences of $3,620.27 that was paid for her foster care),
second-degree theft (defrauding Clark College (Washington), $1,050 in tuition was waived after she claimed to be a homeless teen),
perjury (illegally obtained a Washington State identity card under the false name Brianna Stewart)[1]
Penaltysentenced to three years in prison[2]

Treva Joyce Throneberry (born May 18, 1969; also known as Brianna Kenzie, Brianna Stewart, Cara Leanna Davis, Cara Lewis, Cara Williams, Emily Kara Williams, Keili T. Throneberry Smitt, Stephanie Lewis, and Stephanie Williams) is an American woman who spent most of her twenties pretending to be a teenager and engaging in other forms of con artistry for which she was eventually convicted and imprisoned.

Throneberry made numerous false claims of sexual abuse, including that she was a victim of satanic ritual abuse, to gain money.[5] She traveled across the United States, residing in foster homes, colleges and with any family that would take her in,[6] using false identities. Her father, Carl Throneberry, said, "She's just going cross-country and using different names and receiving welfare."[1]

After she was arrested in 2001 and charged with fraud and perjury, Throneberry's true identity was established by DNA testing. Some observers of her post-arrest behavior have speculated that her assumption of different identities may have been the result of delusions or dissociation which arose from real trauma that she suffered as a child.[7] Court-appointed psychologists, however, deemed Throneberry to not be delusional and therefore legally responsible for her actions.[8]

Throneberry was convicted and sentenced to three years' imprisonment at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, Washington. She was released after serving two years and three months of her sentence.[4][2]

  1. ^ a b c d e The Associated Press (2001-04-09). "This troubled teen is 31 years old". seattlepi.com. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  2. ^ a b c "The Girl From Electra". Wweek.com. 2004-11-10. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  3. ^ a b Hollandsworth, Skip (2002-03-01). "The Day Treva Throneberry Disappeared". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "'Imposter Teen' Talks to 'Primetime' – ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. 2004-07-08. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  5. ^ Pruitt, Bernadette (2001-11-11). "Woman portrayed self as abused teen since 1985 – Houston Chronicle". Chron.com. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  6. ^ Dunn, Katia (2001-05-17). "Treva or Brianna". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  7. ^ "The Day Treva Throneberry Disappeared". Texas Monthly. 2002-03-01. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  8. ^ White, Emily (2002-03-10). "Forever Young". The New York Times.