Timeline: How $400K For Homeless Man Went From Uplifting To Ugly

One day they were being viewed as heroes; now, Kate McClure and Mark D'Amico are the villains in a sordid tale in which they are accused of taking money from a GoFundMe account for a homeless veteran. It's an account they launched themselves after Johnny Bobbit Jr. helped McClure the way a Good Samaritan would help a Damsel in Distress.

But how did we get here? How did this situation evolve from homeless vet Johnny Bobbit Jr.’s actions as a Good Samaritan to a battle that now involves law enforcement and the nation’s leading online fundraising organization? Below is a timeline of how it all unfolded.

Early November, 2017: Kate McClure meets John Bobbit after her car runs out of gas on I-295 on her way into Philadelphia. McClure had no money, and was frightened when she pulled over to the side of the road. A homeless man named Johnny approached the car and told her not to get out and to lock the door. He disappeared and returned a short while later with a red can of gas. He used his last $20 to make sure she could get home safe.

Nov. 10, 2017: McClure launches the “Paying It Forward” GoFundMe page after she and her boyfriend Mark D’Amico visited Bobbit several times with gift cards, money and other necessities. The fundraiser quickly collects $380,000.

Nov. 27, 2017: The fundraiser balloons to $400,000. The trio begins making the rounds on national TV, with Bobbit telling “Good Morning America” he plans to find a permanent home. McClure and D’Amico say they are looking for a financial adviser for Bobbit. Read more here: Homeless Man Will Pay It Forward After Woman Raises $380K For Him

Dec. 5, 2017: Bobbit claims he bought a house, but doesn’t say how much it was or where it is. However, he asked his supporters to contribute to a campaign for another homeless veteran. Read more here: Homeless Vet Who Helped Woman Buys New Home With Money She Raised

April 16, 2018: Five months after claiming to have bought a new home, it is revealed that Bobbit is living in a camper on the couple’s front lawn in Florence. He admits that he is still battling an addiction problem he developed in North Carolina and moved to Philadelphia to escape. He says he is in rehab. Read more here: Woman Raised $400K For Man, But Addiction Struggle Continues

Aug. 24, 2018: Bobbit tells the Inquirer he's living on the streets again and accuses McClure and D’Amico of taking his money. D’Amico says they are holding onto the money to make sure he doesn’t spend it all on drugs. Read more here: NJ Man Is Back On Streets - Even Though $400K Was Raised

Aug. 27, 2018: McClure and D’Amico tell their side of the story to Megyn Kelly on national TV, say there is about $150,000 left.

Aug. 28, 2018: Bobbit hires a lawyer and files a lawsuit against McClure and D’Amico.

Aug. 30, 2018: A superior court judge in Burlington County rules that McClure and D’Amico must turn over the remainder of the money to Bobbit’s legal team. She rules in Bobbit’s favor, citing the likely irreparable harm done to Bobbit because he is homeless and collecting money from a GoFundMe campaign. Read more here: NJ Couple Must Surrender Some Of $400K Raised For Homeless Man

Aug. 31, 2018: McClure and D’Amico’s attorney claims there is nothing left of the $400,000 raised by the GoFundMe campaign. Bobbit’s attorney requests a list of documents showing what happened to the money. Read more here: NJ Couple’s $400K For Homeless Man’s GoFundMe Is Gone: Attorney

Sept. 5, 2018: GoFundMe, while working with law enforcement to determine what happened to the rest of the money, puts $20,000 into an account to be controlled by Bobbit’s attorney. Read more here: GoFundMe Gives $20K To Homeless Vet, Probing NJ Couple’s Role

Sept. 6, 2018: Investigators search McClure and D’Amico’s home in Florence, and tow a BMW from the scene. No charges are filed, and McClure and D’Amico are each able to leave the home on their own without commenting to reporters on the scene. Read more here: BMW Hauled Away In Search At Alleged GoFundMe Scammers’ Home

Photo courtesy of GoFundMe, a promotional partner of Patch. It was posted on the Paying It Forward GoFundMe Page.