Former Bachelor Clayton Echard reacts to Laura Owens' fraud indictment
The Brief
Clayton Echard, a former Bachelor, says a weight has been lifted after his accuser was indicted on felony charges.
Laura Owens is accused of lying about being pregnant with Echard's child.
PHOENIX - A Scottsdale woman is accused of faking a pregnancy with a former Bachelor star.
On May 7, FOX 10 Investigator Justin Lum sat down with Clayton Echard to hear what he had to say about the felony indictment.
Click to open this PDF in a new window.
What we know
A Maricopa County grand jury indicted Laura Owens on several felony charges, including fraudulent schemes, forgery and perjury, on May 1.
Prosecutors say Owens went to "extreme lengths to manipulate" Clayton Echard.
This was nearly a year-long investigation by the county attorney's office, sparked by the superior court judge presiding over a paternity case involving Echard and Owens.
Last June, the judge described her testimony in court as "uncredible" and accused her of wasting the court's time.
She originally filed a paternity lawsuit, seeking child support, but later dropped her claim, saying she had a miscarriage.
The judge dismissed the case, but alerted the county attorney's office about what happened.
Click to open this PDF in a new window.
Owens is accused of fraudulent schemes, forgery, four counts of perjury and lastly, tampering with physical evidence.
Echard says he's relieved that charges have been filed.
Investigators believe that between May 2023 and June 2024, Owens altered an ultrasound image, fabricated a pregnancy video and lied multiple times under oath in court.
What they're saying
Echard says he's never had sexual intercourse with Owens.
The judge presiding over the paternity claim found that Owens knowingly "presented a false claim," and acted unreasonably when she filed the lawsuit "without basis or merit."
After a two-year legal battle, he's ready for prosecutors to take over.
"A huge weight is off my shoulders. I feel gratitude for justice being served. This is the first time that it feels that this is nearing the end. Of course, she still has to face these charges, and maybe she will be able to take a plea deal, but for me and the previous victims, we were overjoyed last night when we heard the news. A lot of happy feelings, great vibes and a sense of relief that now the county attorney will fight her. We don't have to fight her anymore," Echard said.
Last year, the court determined that Owens has a pattern of similar behavior and court involvement, hence referring this case to the county attorney's office.
The other side
In a statement, Owens says, in part, "These charges appear to be the product of intense public pressure, not impartial judgment. They reflect a system that responded to online outrage, ignored procedural protections, and moved forward based on narrative rather than fact."
Click to open this PDF in a new window.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sabrina Carpenter Teases New Song About Ex, Barry Keoghan
Sabrina Carpenter recently teased a new song releasing this evening. She teased her new single, Manchild, in a recent Instagram post with the caption 'This one's about you'. Fans think this was directed at her ex-boyfriend, Barry Keoghan. Also, Bachelor fans are not happy with host Jesse Palmer after telling US Weekly that he'd like to see an age gap relationship in season 10 of Bachelor in Paradise. This new season will feature recent Golden Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants alongside their younger counterparts. Lastly, Meghan Markle gave fans an update on her brand, 'As Ever'. On Tuesday, she told fans their favorites are returning sometime this month. Insta-Chat is brought to you by Beloit Health System, the only hospital in the area to be awarded an 'A' quality and safety rating by Leapfrog. Sponsored By Beloit Health System
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Theresa Nist slams 'Golden Bachelor' Gerry Turner's claim cancer contributed to split
Theresa Nist slams 'Golden Bachelor' Gerry Turner's claim cancer contributed to split Show Caption Hide Caption Watch: ABC 'Golden Bachelor' divorce reveal, Al Roker's reaction On ABC, "Golden Bachelor" stars Gerry and Theresa announced their divorce, after marrying in January. On NBC, Al Roker reacted. Theresa Nist is hitting back at claims her "Golden Bachelor" marriage tarnished because of Gerry Turner's cancer diagnosis. Nist, who appeared in 2023's inaugural season of the "Bachelor" franchise highlighting elder contestants in their golden years, addressed her ex's claims that the couple split once Turner found out he had cancer. Turner, the first "Golden Bachelor," proposed to and married Nist in a live televised wedding on ABC in January 2024 – but their relationship was over by April 2024, and the couple at the time said a decision of where to settle down contributed to their divorce, which was finalized that June. Turner, 73, in December revealed his terminal cancer diagnosis of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a bone marrow cancer and type of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and suggested their split was connected to his health bombshell. Nist, 71, at the time denied "a factor in the ending of the relationship, at least not for me," in an interview with People, and she's doubling down on her shock at Turner's claims. 'Golden Bachelor' Gerry Turner says cancer diagnosis factored into Theresa Nist divorce "I was just so surprised that he even said that I knew about the cancer a long time ago," she said on the June 5 episode of the "Almost Famous Podcast" with Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti. "The way Gerry presented it to me was that, 'The doctor said that I'm going to die of old age before this cancer gets to me.' He bluffed it off, like it really wasn't that important, and he had no symptoms, and he still doesn't." 'Golden Bachelor' breakup bombshell: Look back at Gerry Turner, Theresa Nist's romance She added, "I would have never left my husband over an illness." While Turner previously told People magazine that his health announcement "probably will clear up a lot of mystery around what happened back in February, March and April" during the couple's choice to split, Nist denied that their relationship was affected in that way because of Turner's cancer. "We never had a conversation that said, 'Oh my gosh, you're sick. I can't stay with you now. I have to leave.' That never happened," she said on the podcast. Nist also suggested Turner wanted "empathy" from "Bachelor" fans. "Did he want empathy from the public?" she questioned. "I was angry that he would say something like that, but then I am such an understanding person, and I can put myself easily in someone else's shoes. So I tried to see it from his perspective, and I thought, 'OK, if that's in his mind, then I guess that's how he sees it.' Everyone has their own perception of what happened."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Tempe red light and speed cameras begin issuing $250 fines on June 6
The Brief Tempe's new speed and red light cameras will begin issuing tickets starting June 6. This follows a month-long warning period designed to help drivers adjust to the new technology. The ticket will be $250. TEMPE, Ariz. - Red light and speed cameras are officially back in Tempe. FOX 10 reported in April that the cameras were being installed, and on June 6, citations will begin. For the past month, an offender has only been sent a warning as people and police get accustomed to the new system. So, how has it all been working out so far at the 14 intersections? What they're saying "I see a lot of people speeding, so maybe it will be a good thing," a driver said. "I think that it's bringing awareness so eventually, yes, it will prevent crashes," another driver named Nicole Crenshaw said. "Don't run red lights," Maya Coleman, a driver, said. "That's pretty much it." By the numbers In just one month, Tempe Police says it has issued several warnings. Tom Haubold is the traffic program supervisor for the Tempe Police Department. "So far, 5,186 have gone out," he said. Haubold is able to review video and pictures showing drivers running red lights or speeding. "Well, this one, they're doing 59 in a 40," he said, looking at a video of a violator. Data is also broken down by how fast people are driving over the speed limit. "This one was 21 miles an hour. All of these people were 22 miles an hour. All of these were 23," he said. Before a citation can be mailed out, there are steps the police department takes to make sure a violation is valid. "They'll look at all the information that's in there, and then they'll decide, 'OK, yes, this is a good violation.' Now, they have to look at the driver's photo and the registered owner's name. Is it a match? Is it a male driving in a male name? That's better, right? So then they'll run the plate, they'll get the driver's license photo of the registered owner. "Now they have to compare the two photos, and if that's a match, then it can go out as a citation," Haubold said. If you are photographed running a red light, you could expect to see a $250 citation in the mail. Dig deeper The city of Tempe is leasing the cameras on a monthly basis. The red light cameras are $2,000 a month. The mobile cameras that move every two weeks are $3,000 a month. "The biggest thing I want to see is, I want to see the reduction in our fatalities and our serious injury crashes," Haubold said. Here's a fun fact: the city of Tempe had these cameras years ago but got rid of them. They brought them back as part of their Vision Zero program.
