Poe Apologizes For Story But Does Not Admit To Lying

Less than a week ago, Timothy Poe brought America to tears with his story.

Now, Poe is the one in tears.

In an interview released last night by WFAA-TV, a local news channel for Dallas/Fort Worth, Poe apologized for what his story. Poe had his fiancee, Carrie Morris, by his side throughout the interview. Despite apologizing, Poe did not admit to lying.

I mean, as far as everything I said, I believe it wholeheartedly myself. But I feel like I’m going crazy.

It appears that Poe might soon be claiming insanity caused by service in the military. He said:

I don’t know. I’m thinking, why have I for the last, over two years, believed things have happend to me and they might not have? . . . I don’t feel like I’ve lied. That’s what’s driving me crazy, because I truly thought things have happened to me.

Throughout the interview, Poe still had the stutter that he said he developed as a result of a brain injury while in Afghanistan, a story he is still sticking to. However, this may be fabricated as well. In the first post about Timothy Poe, I mentioned a golf tournament for injured soldiers he participated in a few months ago. However, WFAA-TV also interviewed Donna Cranston, the founder for Defenders of Freedom, an organization that helps wounded and injured troops financially. Cranston claimed that Poe is a liar:

I believe he’s a liar, and I hate to say that. I know we’re not supposed to call people liars, but I believe he’s a liar.    I’m not angry for me, but angry that he would slap the brothers and sisters that he served alongside in the face like he has done.

Poe had several bills paid by Defenders of Freedom and also received gas and restaurant gift cards. During an interview she conducted (which can be heard in the video I’ve posted at the end of this post), Poe had no identifiable stutter.

Well, I’m glad that Poe has admitted to some things, but I’m still waiting for the words “I lied” to come out of his mouth. Will that ever happen? Who knows. He did say he will be getting help at a VA hospital though, so that’s one step closer.

A big question swirling around the Internet is . . . Will he participate in America’s Got Talent competition?

According to a Fox News report, he won’t. Anthony Anderson, Jr., manager of Stolen Valor, a Facebook community, told FOX11.com:

I have been told by a very reliable source that Mr. Poe gets eliminated anyways, and very soon, and that is possibly why NBC hasn’t pushed the subject.

Let’s hope this is true, and that NBC will look more carefully into contestant’s back stories in the future. Stolen Valor is a group that “out[s] people who falsely claim military service and/or claim unuthorized medals.” Anderson revealed some of the things they found out:

We have found out that (Poe) only served one month in Afghanistan, and left due to an ear infection.

Fox News also reported that the photo he used for the show was not of him, but Staff Sgt. Norman Bone. TMZ said that Bone is “livid about the misuse of his photoraph, and is consulting the Army legal department to explore his options.” Apparently, Poe apologized for this and blames the show for “pressuring him to produce photographs quickly.”

I must have sent the wrong pictures from my hard drive to ‘AGT’. (Show producers) kept pushing me and pushing me saying ‘You need to put these out. You need to put these out.’ Well I had deleted a lot of photographs because  because I wanted nothing to remind me of things that had happened to the past.

A rep from the company behind AGT, Freemantle, has issued an apology statement from Bone and removed the photo from circulation.

Part of me feels bad for this guy. If he truly is suffering from brain damage that has caused him to not be able to discern reality from fiction, then I hope he can find the help he needs. He did serve in the military for several years, and maybe he is suffering from PTSD. On the other hand, it’s hard to believe anything that comes out of his mouth. He seems to put the blame on everyone but himself. Maybe he is just a pathological liar. Either way, hopefully he can resolve his issues and find peace with the situation (and hope that those he has deceived can forgive him.)

Here is news report from WFAA-TV. The raw, unedited interview can be watched here.