Truman State student accused of faking cancer

Friday, November 30, 2012

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. (AP) — A graduate student at Truman State University is facing felony forgery charges over allegations that she faked terminal cancer.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/UftW6O ) reports that Victoria Ann Marut, 22, of St. Peters, was charged earlier this month and is free on bail. Truman State police chief Thomas Johnson said the inquiry continues and additional charges are possible.

Marut was studying to be a special education teacher but is no longer taking classes.

She told colleagues and professors in June she had terminal Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, resulting in widespread sympathy. Teachers at Kirksville Primary School, where Marut was doing field work this fall, donated gift cards and meals, even hats and a wig to cover her bald head. A fundraiser was planned to help with expenses.

But principal Tricia Reger became suspicious and contacted Truman professor Peter Kelly. He required Marut to get a note from her doctor to see if she was physically able to complete her work. She produced a note within an hour, further raising Kelly’s suspicions.

“Knowing how busy doctors are, that just didn’t make sense to me,” Kelly said.

He checked with the doctor and found out Marut’s story wasn’t true. She had never been a cancer patient at the hospitals she claimed treated her.

Johnson said Marut admitted to making the doctor’s letter on her computer, and said she didn’t have Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Johnson said she had been shaving her head in an effort to make others think she had cancer.

“The story she’s giving is that she wanted attention from her mother, but I think you can probably put a period after she wanted attention,” he said.

Marut’s attorney, Ben Gray, declined to discuss details of the case or Marut’s health, but urged people to keep an open mind.

“The allegation sounds pretty bad, and people who have experienced an illness like cancer in their family tend not to be real sympathetic,” he said. “In this case I just hope people won’t be judgmental because there’s a lot of things going on that people aren’t going to probably know about.”

A preliminary hearing is set for next month.

Kelly worries about the impact Marut’s actions will have on the Truman community and the staff at Kirksville Primary School.

“People in the building were remarkably generous in their support and the way they wanted to take care of her,” he said. “They were taken in by her story, and I know that was a difficult thing.”

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com

More like this story

eileen10 5 months, 3 weeks ago

I've had cancer multiple times and have been at death's door several times. This woman seems to have acted out of desperation. I'm certainly not going to judge her or have an attitude because I've had cancer and she hasn.t. She needs help and I hope she finds what she's looking for.

eileen10 5 months, 3 weeks ago

Yes. It's a medical judgement. I didn't judge her for her actions. I've worked psych and she needs help.

eileen10 5 months, 3 weeks ago

Don't know what the problem is but there;s a problem and only a professional can help. As a nurse I had to make medical judgements. With luck this person can become healthy of mind and spirit. You have a problem with that oh kooky one?

eileen10 5 months, 3 weeks ago

Your the one that said wer'e all kooks and Iagreed. Of course it crossed my mind but a professional is the one to decide what the problem is or 9if there is a problem and no one should be excluded from getting a professional opinion. Whose to say this person doesn't have a real problem? If we as society were to pick and choose who see's a professional that would be judgement run amock with horrifying consequences.

Paroquet 5 months, 3 weeks ago

Graceful, mental disorders aren't all physiological, and the psychological ones usually aren't the patient's fault. In any event, psychology is a young science, and soft to boot. I can recall when they used to give young ladies still living with their parents, lobotomies, because they were "incorrigible". Basically it meant they were headstrong. Kinda like you, no? So, I'm agreeing and disagreeing with you. Do people try and fake mental disorders? Yep. Do people try to hide them? Yep. But my end point is that you have no basis dismissing the suggestion someone seek help. The professional will determine the extent of their impairment and whether or not it is contrived. You wouldn't come to me for a heart transplant anymore than I'd take my car to an oncologist for a brake job.

tonto_goldberg 5 months, 3 weeks ago

Wow. This is astounding and cold, even for you. I hope you can meet your own standards your whole life.

connor 5 months, 3 weeks ago

Not any different than faking Racism at every turn or creating fake sympathy scenarios every time someone wants to test for drugs or require an ID to vote. In fact perhaps this woman's fraud was even more honest. All she wanted was attention not lasting benefits and more of other people's money with reduced standards for her own advancement.

She can more easily be forgiven than your average Cleftwing Liberal.

3633 5 months, 3 weeks ago

This has nothing to do with politics, this young lady help.

wow 5 months, 3 weeks ago

She is going to court for lieing about having cancer? I'm not saying the lady doesn't have a few issues, buy we're gonna tie up the leagal system with this case. She lied... OK, so what? Unless she defrauded some insurance company or committed some other type of criminal offense...then ok...but if all she did was lie...big deal. Politicians lie everyday and all they get is more campaign funds and or elected. Criminals lie to the Poooleece all the time...all they get is a Plea deal. If we start prosecuting people for lieing, there isn't gonna be very many people left walking the streets with an unblemished record.

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