Assistant Police Chief Noble Wray said Friday police believe Audrey Seiler's alleged kidnapper does not exist and ceased the search for a man Seiler described as her abductor.
\We do not believe that there is a suspect at large, period,"" Wray said.
Wray noted several inconsistencies in the case that led police to question the legitimacy of the alleged abduction.
First, Wray said, Seiler purchased the items she claimed her abductor used, including rope, duct tape, a knife and cough medicine, at a convenience store prior to her disappearance.
Stephanie Stanke, a sales associate for Open Pantry, 1401 Regent St., said police officers confiscated surveillance tapes from their store last Sunday, but has not informed them whether Seiler purchased the items there.
She said they sell all of the items Seiler allegedly purchased and noted both she and the manager had seen Seiler in the store before.
Additionally, Wray said Seiler's computer showed someone conducted Internet searches of wooded areas in Madison as well as a five-day forecast prior to her disappearance. Wray added someone used Seiler's computer twice during the time she claimed to have been kidnapped.
""It's highly likely she was making transactions on her computer,"" Wray said.
Finally, a witness claimed to have seen Seiler twice during the time in which she said she was being held against her will, according to Wray.
Wray said police had early suspicions the incident may have been a hoax, but took Seiler's words as truth during the investigation.
""It would have been a disservice ... to jump to conclusions,"" Wray said.
Wray could not confirm Seiler's exact whereabouts during her four-day disappearance.
""That is one of the issues that we still are trying to piece together,"" Wray said.
As of Friday, Seiler was at a Madison hospital receiving psychiatric treatment, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Since police have openly considered the possibility that Seiler fabricated her abductor, some have speculated the composite sketch created from Seiler's description closely resembles her father, Keith Seiler.
Clinical psychologist for the Department of Health and Family Services Rodney Miller said similar physical characteristics between the sketch and Keith Seiler could be due to his daughter using familiar physical features to quickly depict a false abductor while under pressure.
""You're going to call upon some images that you have ... and I think those could those could certainly get reflected in a sketch,"" Miller said.
Miller noted images that easily come to mind are often those of friends or family.
Though Seiler and authorities have not publicly disclosed all details regarding the incident, some experts have used available information to speculate on motives and reasons for faking an abduction.
The first possibility UW-Madison pediatrics Professor Peter Karofsky explored was that of an extremely traumatic event in Seiler's childhood that could be manifesting itself now. He gave an example of abused children punishing themselves.
""If I were a psychiatrist, I would be very curious about her background and what may have happened to her,"" he said.
Karofsky also said he saw drugs as a possible explanation.
A reason that may be applicable to the average UW-Madison student is stress. Karofsky said college students are under tremendous amounts of pressure that can cause them to act out.
""Clearly it's a very stressful time,"" he said. ""I think we underestimate as adults how stressful it is.""
Karofsky also referred to three psychological disorders that could explain Seiler's actions. Disassociative disorder, under which one feels he or she can move out of themselves, could be an explanation.
Schizophrenia or paranoia could also be possible explanations, Karofsky said.
Randy Hopper, a high-profile Minneapolis attorney, will represent Seiler, according to the State Journal.
According to the State Journal, Hopper intends to cooperate with the Madison Police Department and has had one conversation with police officials.
""I don't want anyone talking to the media, including me,"" he said. ""What I'm urging people to do is give the family and Audrey a few days. Right now, I want my clients focused on their daughter.""
UW-Madison law Professor David Schultz said if Seiler lied to police officers she could be charged with obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor offense.
In this type of misdemeanor, Schultz said the penalty does not worsen depending on what happened as a result of the lie.
UW-Madison law Professor Donald Downs added if Seiler also lied to federal officials, she could be charged with a separate federal crime of lying to the federal government. He said the repercussions of such a charge could be severe.
However, the family has been cooperating with Madison Police, and Downs said this could influence how the state handles the investigation.
""[The state] might just sort of back off ... out of consideration for the family,"" he said.
Schultz said right now Hopper's primary role is most likely to assist Seiler in discussions with the authorities.
""Most lawyers would like to be in a case at this very early stage, in order to influence things or get more information before a charging decision is actually made,"" he said.
WISCTV.com reported the costs of the search for Seiler and the subsequent investigation will exceed $75,000.
Wisconsin Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Charles Schudson said the state could issue a civil lawsuit or could use a criminal sentence to recover the money.
He added since Seiler is over 18, she is the one who would be charged, not her family.
While many UW-Madison students received the latest news with anger, other students turned the situation into a joke.
UW-Madison sophomore Dan Savaadra said UW-Madison students as well as students from other colleges were initially uniformly concerned about Seiler, but when they learned Seiler may have fabricated her abduction, the incident became a running joke throughout the weekend.
""It reflects negatively upon the university and the city of Madison,"" Savaadra said.
However, Dean of Students Luoluo Hong said she does not regret the extensive efforts the university put into Seiler's search.
""If I had the decision to make over in terms of the time and effort and resources that we put in, I would not change the decision that we made,"" Hong said.
Hong added there are too many unknown facts to determine if the university will ask Seiler to leave UW-Madison.
""[The Seiler family] may make the decision about whether or not Audrey will be returning for the rest of the semester,"" she said.
