News & Views

First, we had a woman impersonating a little Sandy Hook victim's aunt because she was allegedly trying to scam people out of money for "funeral expenses." Now we have a dude who claimed to be Adam Lanza's uncle because he was ... well, not sure. Because he's crazy? A man named Jonathan Lee Riches was arrested after showing up in Newtown, Connecticut shortly after the shootings and claiming to be "Jonathan Lanza," Adam's uncle. There, he got the attention of the press, who took him at his word, and began spouting off.

Jonathan told a reporter for The New York Daily News that his "nephew," Adam, was on the antipsychotic drug Fanapt. That story ran, and other outlets picked it up. But oops! It looks like the guy has a history of trouble and wasn't actually related to Adam Lanza, so the News removed the story. But you can still see a bunch of stories linking the drug to Adam Lanza.

Jonathan Riches was reportedly already on probation for perhaps an even more bizarre stunt -- he claimed in a lawsuit that he stumbled upon none other than Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in an "Al-Qaeda training camp" and that Kim had "taken his virginity." Wow. Doesn't get any loopier than that!

He also, according to the Huffington Post, filed lawsuits against the Lincoln Memorial, James Hoffa, and the Eiffel Tower. I wonder what the Eiffel Tower did to him? He also apparently tried to sue the Guinness Book of World Records for "hurting [his] feelings." He's listed in Wikipedia for filing over 2600 lawsuits against everyone from Martha Stewart to Steve Jobs to Perez Hilton.

Since he was on probation in Pennsylvania, he shouldn't have been in Connecticut. This man seems to be mentally ill. A judge, however, said his lawsuits are "self-promotional." But it goes to show you shouldn't believe everything you read in the press. Or believe everyone who shows up after a tragedy claiming this, that, and the other.

Can you believe this guy?

Image via Wikipedia Commons