Kelsey Nichole Berry (CPD)
CULPEPER, Va. – A Culpeper woman was arrested after making up a story about a violent abduction, and then reporting it to police.
According to a media statement from the Culpeper Police Department (CPD), officers responded to a 911 call from an adult female on April 15, 2025.
The woman told dispatchers that she had been abducted, bound, held against her will, strangled, and maliciously wounded with a knife at a residence in the 1000 block of Hendrick Street. The CPD, Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office, and Culpeper County Emergency Services immediately responded.
As law enforcement invested extensive resources into securing the area and searching for potential suspects, the victim, Kelsey Nichole Berry, was taken to a safe area where she was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
No suspects were located. As CPD detectives continued to process the scene, Berry, 32, was transported to a local hospital for additional treatment.
Detectives collected physical evidence, reviewed digital evidence, and obtained a statement from Berry. After a thorough investigation, it was determined that she had fabricated the entire incident.
After consultation with the Culpeper County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, detectives obtained a misdemeanor warrant for the charge of [18.2-461] False Report to Law Enforcement. Online court records reveal that she was also charged with [63.2-1513] False Report of Child Abuse. The CPD media release did not disclose reasons for this second charge. It was also not immediately clear what caused Berry’s actual injuries.
She was arrested on April 30, brought before a magistrate and then released on bond. She’s due to appear in Culpeper General District Court for both charges on June 30.
Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact Det. Hays at 540-829-5508 or email tips@culpeperva.gov. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can submit tips by calling Culpeper Crime Solvers at 540-727-0300 or submitting an online tip at culpeperpd.org.
