'Old' Vernon Trail Attack Probe Resurfaces as 'News' on Facebook

VERNON, CT — Facebook rumors about a "new" attack along the Vernon Rails to Trails system seem to be a case of social media running completely amok, police said on Tuesday.

Tales of an attack began circulating around Facebook over the weekend and spread throughout the area. A police sketch of an alleged suspect was even included.

It turns out, it was a case dating back to 2012, when a woman claimed to be attacked on the trail system.

See the original story here.

Police never made an arrest in the case and detectives on Tuesday said the investigation has been closed for some time.

Even during the investigation, police asked that members of the media not use the initial sketch of the alleged suspect because they were not happy with the way it came out.

Police were not sure if the Facebook posts were deliberate fake news or someone sharing an old story thinking it was new news.

"We have no reports of a recent attack on the rail trail," Vernon police spokesman Lt. William Meier said. "There is no new investigation."

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