KFC: Story of girl getting tossed from KFC a hoax

KFC: Story of girl getting tossed from KFC a hoax Jun 25, 2014 5:56:43 GMT

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Post by Admin on Jun 25, 2014 5:56:43 GMT

There is no evidence to support a family's claim that a scarred 3-year-old girl was asked to leave a KFC in Jackson, Mississippi, because she was scaring customers, KFC said Tuesday. Victoria Wilcher was badly scarred in April in a pit bull attack. Her grandmother, Kelly Mullins, had told CNN affiliate WAPT that she took Victoria to a Jackson KFC after a doctor's appointment, and a restaurant employee asked them to leave because the girl's scars frightened other diners. Two investigations took place, including one by an independent investigator, and neither revealed any evidence that the incident occurred, KFC spokesman Rick Maynard said in a statement e-mailed to CNN.

The family-maintained Facebook page called Victoria's Victories was taken down Tuesday, but before that happened, this statement was posted: "I promise its not a hoax, I never thought any of this would blow up the way it has. ... Please do not believe untrue media. I have personally watched this family go without to provide for Victoria. They have not and would not do anything to hurt Victoria in any way."

After the family's story became public, donations poured into the family's fund-raising effort at www.gofundme.com. KFC apologized on the family's Facebook page and donated $30,000 for Victoria's treatment. The CEO of the fund-raising webpage GoFundMe, Brad Damphousse, issued a statement Tuesday suspending the campaign and offering to refund donations. "In lieu of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the 'Victoria's Victories' online fundraising effort, GoFundMe has temporarily suspended the campaign until the full truth is made clear," the statement said.

Some of the Facebook users commenting on the statement did not believe the story, however. 'This is the sad reality of the world,' Olivia Normand wrote. 'People use what they can to get what they want. Time to move on.' Victoria had been injured in April when three of her grandfather's pit bull dogs ran into his home in Simpson County by ripping through the back door of the home before jumping on her. They dragged the little girl outside into the backyard, where they continued to maul her before her grandfather, Donald Mullins, and his girlfriend, Rita Tompkins, attempted to stop the carnage.

The dogs then attacked their owners, causing Mullins to shoot them. Two of the dogs were killed. Victoria was rushed to the emergency room. She suffered a shattered top and bottom jaw, broken cheekbones and eyesockets, a broken nose, lost her right eye, and lost the ability to move the right side of her face. Mullins and Tompkins were arrested on charges of child endangerment and their eight surviving pit bulls were seized by Animal Control officers. Victoria was in the hospital for a month after the attack and upon her return home, she continued with physical therapy and wore a feeding tube. Before the story hit the headlines, a gofundme.com site for Victoria had raised only $600, but since then more than $135,000 has been raised.

KFC: Story of girl getting tossed from KFC a hoax Jun 26, 2014 4:39:18 GMT

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Post by Admin on Jun 26, 2014 4:39:18 GMT

The grandmother of the 3-year-old girl whose family claims KFC employee asked to leave one of its restaurants because the girl's injuries from a pit bull attack disturbed customers, is aware that public sentiment has turned against her.

Kelly Mullins understands many choose to believe KFC's findings that there's no evidence the incident occurred, but she stands by her story. "I've heard about all the nasty comments on the Internet, and I'm very, very upset about it," Mullins told The Clarion-Ledger Tuesday. "What is getting me through this is, I know the truth and the truth has to come out at some point."

A story appearing Monday in the Laurel Leader-Call newspaper quoted anonymous sources "deep" in the investigation as saying investigators could find no evidence in a review of surveillance video at the two KFC restaurants nearest Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children that anyone matching the description of Mullins' granddaughter, Victoria Wilcher, entered either location on May 15. They also contend no register orders showed a combination of foods the grandmother reported as being ordered were placed on that day. The Victoria's Victories Facebook page — which was taken down Tuesday after people began posting hateful comments — noted the little girl and her grandmother visited Batson on May 15 after Victoria pulled out her feeding tube.

But the alleged incident at the KFC wasn't noted on the Facebook page until June 12. The story went viral the next day. Mullins says her days and dates run together because of Victoria's relentless schedule of doctor's appointments. "Since Victoria got out of the hospital in May, we've been driving to Jackson at least two to three times a week," she said. "And it's usually not just one appointment when we go. She usually sees two or three doctors, which I guess is good because I couldn't afford to drive up there every day.

Questions about what happened began when the family initially told KFC the incident happened at the location on State and High streets, a claim backed by a post on Victoria's Victories, which was run by Victoria's aunt, Teri Rials Bates. The post read: "Thank you for your support for Victoria. If you would like to file a complaint, it's the KFC on State Street in Jackson MS." That store is not in operation and has been closed for several years.

Mullins told The Clarion-Ledger that the confusion on the correct KFC could be because Jackson "looks a lot different" than it used to be. "I moved out of state, to Missouri, for 15 years and came back about three years ago," Mullins said. "There are new roads ... I get turned around and lost very quick. My mom tried to tell me how to find her house (in Jackson) and I wound up having to go buy a Jackson map. I know that's pitiful, but it's the only way I could find it."