There is a simple reason the story got airplay, and it's found in the National Enquirer and other tabloid press...which is where major news outlets go these days--same old story, "if it bleeds, it ledes." Once its online, stories become fair game. I write crime. I do everything I can to inject empathy into stories and I fact check. Kudos for you for clarifying all the facts...they can quickly get lost in sensationalism.