In a regular evening news broadcast, an American TV station featured an announcement that was not at all uncommon in the media. The anchor was reporting about new possible developments in a so-called “cold case,” which was eight years old, and that had registered no significant breakthroughs during all that time. The woman speaking to the audience helpfully presented all the facts of the story, and then went on to show the picture of the suspect, at which point it seemed that a malfunction or a practical joke made by her colleagues displayed an innocent-looking hamster on-screen.

In addition to being just a hamster, the animal was also properly dressed for a TV appearance, and had a little movie-directing device in his little paws, so as to look more menacing than a hamster ought to normally look. The presenter herself was thrown off-guard, and the image cameras quickly moved back to her.

Reporting about the case of 16 year-old Molly Bish who disappeared from her lifeguard station at a pond as early as 2000, the presenter said that a man in a Florida prison, by the name of Rodney Stanger, 60, was at the moment questioned as part of the investigation. She pointed out that the man was in prison, and that he was locked for killing his former girlfriend. When she announced that his picture was going to be displayed, the viewers were surprised to see the image of the hamster.

At that point, the anchor replied “Well, this is not Rodnery Stanger, obviously. Well, we're gonna get he's picture, he's currently in a Florida jail.” This occurrence must have had a very bitter sting to it in the eyes of the girl's parents, who were hoping to make their case public, and maybe get closure on the disappearance of their daughter.

It would be a real shame if someone did this on purpose, people maintain. A person's life is nothing to play with, and making fun intentionally of a family's pain is as low as it gets.