In a bizarre case out of Arkansas, police arrested Tammi Hamby, a longtime Van Buren resident and former Crawford County Library Board member, on charges that she organized a staged kidnapping of her 22-year-old developmentally delayed daughter.
Authorities say Hamby did so to scare her daughter away from an online predator who posed as country star Luke Bryan.
Police affidavits allege Hamby recruited three accomplices, a certified nursing assistant identified as Shannon “Jasmine” Childers and two men, David Quach and Nico Austria, to carry out a simulated abduction on November 17, 2025.
Reports indicate the daughter broke free on her own, tried to escape, and was reportedly tackled and threatened before she eventually freed herself again and ran to a nearby house, where a resident called 911.
Deputies responding to a reported kidnapping found the woman tied to a tree in a field, her wrists zip-tied and with visible marks and bruises.
Meanwhile, she reportedly clutched a teddy bear and said she feared for her life, the arrest paperwork states. Investigators say Hamby intended the staged plot as a “lesson.”
Hamby’s husband: She believes it’s Luke Bryan
Hamby’s husband, Dr. Jeffrey Hamby, said he was unaware of the plan beforehand but defended his wife’s actions as “fear-driven.” He said the family exhausted other options as their daughter spent months believing she was in contact with the celebrity while an online predator groomed her instead.
“We’re trying to teach her that there are people who will hurt her, and instead of helping us, they arrest my wife,” Hamby said. “I’ll spend every dime I’ve got to help my wife and those people who are trying to help my daughter.”
“For the past six months, my special needs daughter has been affected by an online predator who has developed a trauma bond with her and now has her complete control,” he added, according to Arkansas’ 4029 News. “She believes it’s Luke Bryan, and we cannot talk her out of it.”
Hamby is prominent in the community
Hamby, 59, served on the Crawford County Library Board, where Hamby played a part in LGBTQ+ book-banning controversies. She resigned from the board on November 24, 2025, saying she was moving out of the district.
Authorities say Hamby turned herself in to deputies on December 3, and authorities booked her for criminal conspiracy to commit kidnapping and endangering the welfare of an incompetent person. Reports say she’s now free on bond.
Crawford County’s sheriff recused himself from the investigation because of a personal relationship with the family, and the sheriff’s office says the probe remains active. Prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will pursue additional charges.
Criminal conspiracy to commit kidnapping convictions can carry a potential penalty of 10 to 30 years in prison. Hamby will appear in court on December 10, 2025. State child-welfare authorities placed the daughter in protective custody following the incident.
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Published: Dec 9, 2025 09:09 am