UPDATED Sylvia Browne said Missing Child Hornbeck was Dead

I don't believe in Psychics, so this lady seems to be a hoax.

Wonder if she will comment on it on the show.

Blogmania - I have long just detested this woman, suspecting she is a total fake - albeit a genius: she has successfully used hood-winking to make a living.

You know, I am not a total skeptic as regards psychics. Some of the lesser known ones who assist police are amazing in their accuracy. And James Van Prague is also amazing.

But Sylvia. . . she should be ashamed.

I agree, I take Montel Williams as a great wonderful person because of all he does so I figure if he features someone on his show once a week it was for a reason...Now I know it may be just for the ratings.

there have been a few people who seem to have been genuinely blessed with the 'third eye,' but like Mac, this woman most definitely struck me as a fake.

Should we surprised that a TV psychic is a fraud? You might as well go watch Medium.

I can't comment badly on this woman. I personally do not believe her, but I can not condemn someone who gives other people hope.

My wife and I were one of the search teams that went just after the abduction. Within the first 30 min. ten psychics had called.
My understanding was that they paid Sylvia $800 and all they could ask was three questions.

She's just an entertainer....giving details like "it(body) would be near two large, jagged boulders that seem out of place in that area." She just pulls people on a string.

I'm not entertained by her :/

Sylvia Brown is brilliant! She has hoodwinked thousands into believing she "sees" dead people....come on. This woman is such a fake that it amazes me that anyone would ever consider one word she said to be truthful.

@ BluPanda:
I can't comment badly on this woman. I personally do not believe her, but I can not condemn someone who gives other people hope.

C'mon.....it is one thing to hold someones hand in times of grief and loss, it is quite another to make up some feel good story and then ask for your check at the door.

Remember that guy John Edward that had his own 15 minutes of fame with a show on TV where he could communicate with the dead - another total fake. I'm sure he was just following in Sylvia's footsteps. He made his millions and has moved on to a no doubt lovely retirement on some tropical island somewhere, sipping daquiris and counting his cash!

These people pray on sad, lonely desperate souls and take them for all they are worth. They sell stupid books and make a big living telling lies.

I agree with Mac - Sylvia - you should be ashamed!!

I know Sylvia does have more books then I have on my bookcase. Everytime she is on Montel he shows the latest book to everyone..So whats that, like a book a week..

Sylvia, you let me down...I guess Im the last to find out how she really is. Whats that catchy phrase..."Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

I've never carried for this woman's predictions, she always seemed off to me. I do believe that there are people who can "see" or "hear" more than what's perceived as normal, but she definitely isn't in this category.

She got one wrong.... but how many more has she gotten right?
Stats would be good right about now, me thinks ;>)

Sounds Kinda fishy...There could have been someone else who actually did the kidnapping, maybe another perverted friend? The only part of this thread that is actually true and proven is that the boy was dead. That's pretty significant but the thread should have stopped there instead of going on and on about the car etc.

Does anyone think ca10302 just joined to point out the flaw on this Blog...I visited his profile to try and get tips and all I get was he just joined and only commented on my BLOG. Nice...Maybe a Sylvia Browne lover. ca10302 would you like me to point out "Just the Facts" on all of Ms. Browne's Predictions? Thanks for the inspiration. I just might do that. Well cant give you all the credit Posthappy also gave me the idea...and I think she is right.

For the record...I do not disagree with ca10302.

@ ca10302:
Sounds Kinda fishy...There could have been someone else who actually did the kidnapping, maybe another perverted friend? The only part of this thread that is actually true and proven is that the boy was dead. That's pretty significant but the thread should have stopped there instead of going on and on about the car etc.

Hello ca10302 - you might want to pick up a newspaper or something....Hornbeck is NOT DEAD, as you stated above, he was just found, alive, after being missing for 4 years, along with another boy that had been kidnapped and missing for a week........
So, no, Sylvia didn't get anything correct. She is a hack and a very skilled con artist to say the least.

@ BluPanda:
I can't comment badly on this woman. I personally do not believe her, but I can not condemn someone who gives other people hope.

Where is the hope in being told that your child is dead?
Not sure what to make of Sylvia Browne- stats would be great.
I visited the FBI website: How often do they get to add a big bold "RECOVERED" under the names of missing people? Now thats where hope lives! It brought tears to my eyes.

A few years ago I was watching her yearly prediction show on Montel. I was very interested to know if she was right about what she predicted for that upcoming year so I tried to commit at least one prediction to memory.

In that episode she said that Pope John Paul II would die and somthing to the effect that there would be a black Pope and from that the Catholic church would split and completely change the structure of the previous institution.

By the end of that year Pope John Paul was still very much alive and even when he past away a few years after her prediction, his replacement was a white German cardinal. (Boy was she WAY off).

I have seen her get down right nasty with people and she just talks over them and bullies them into sitting down when they try to confront her about things she's predicted that haven't turned out. I think she just uses the law of averages to make her predictions and it isn't any real gift. I was a firm believer before and really liked her, but once I started noticing one or two things she had completely wrong, then there would be three or four more things that didn't add up. If you take that and add in the way she talks to those who try to ask her about what she misguided them about it doesn't look good.

@ atroxodisse:
Should we surprised that a TV psychic is a fraud? You might as well go watch Medium.

Hey, Medium is a great show!!!

Just wanted to add. . . the more I think about this the madder I get. Not only is she - IMO - a fraud. . . but to publicly pronounce this child DEAD when he wasn't. . . is so unbelievably cruel toward his family, who were struggling to hold onto hope. It ought to be illegal to do that to people.

PostHappy, you have a point. . . she has gotten other things right. And psychics do make errors and the best of them should be allowed errors occasionally. It is how she used this that is what is so offensive. You don't say publicly that a child is dead unless you really KNOW. There is no room for error in that. . . it's just too cruel.

Sylvia Browne is a convicted felon having used her so called "psychic abilities" to defraud the public in a gold investment scheme in 1992. Investors were told they were investing in a gold mining venture when in fact the money was going to support her "Nirvana Foundation for Psychic Research." This is something Montel doesn't share with his viewers. Furthermore, the night we learned about the miners dying in West Virginia last year, Sylvia was live on the Coast to Coast AM radio show with George Noory. Sylvia said the miners were alive and safe. Literally five minutes later, George broke into the interview with the news bulletin that that miners had died. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, and he ended the interview rather quickly. I think we can all appreciate an entertaining psychic who is right only 20% of the time because they can be fun, however when one plays her audiences emotionally in a very serious manner such as Sylvia, statements like hers about this kidnapped teen cannot be excused nor overlooked.

Thanks for that informative post....reiterates what I posted earlier. This woman is a fake and a fraud and has duped no doubt thousands of people out of their hard earned cash!

@ sardog:
My wife and I were one of the search teams that went just after the abduction. Within the first 30 min. ten psychics had called.
My understanding was that they paid Sylvia $800 and all they could ask was three questions.

This is the latest, I guess the news stations are just now finding out about this matter...so you should be hearing more. Here is what I got from http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/story/489648p-412369c.html

The family also claims the psychic then tried to cash in, which Browne vigorously denies.

"She called Pam and Craig about one month after the show and pretty much offered her services to continue their discussion for a fee," said Wayne Evans, a spokesman for the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation.

"Pam was that desperate that if she had had $700 in her bank account she would have put it on the table. We are talking about a mother who would have sold her soul to have her boy back."

The worst part about this situation is that there are indeed people who possess intuitive knowledge of events, and these types of scandals make them look bad too. However, most real intuitives that I have ever met refuse to take cash for their services, and they usually keep most of their feelings / predictions to themselves.

“.... psychics do make errors and the best of them should be allowed errors occasionally”, “… I do believe that there are people who can "see" or "hear" more than what's perceived as normal…”, “there have been a few people who seem to have been genuinely blessed with the 'third eye…” I hate to be the kid who tells the rest of the class that there’s no Santa Claus, but people really need to wrap their brains around the fact that there is NO SUCH THING AS PSYCHIC ABILITY.
The James Randi Foundation offers a $1 million prize to anyone who can prove that they have ESP. The money remains unclaimed.

Meanwhile, the number of police investigation solved by psychics remains at ZERO

The James Randi Foundation http://www.randi.org/ Click, read, learn.

@ sardog:
My wife and I were one of the search teams that went just after the abduction. Within the first 30 min. ten psychics had called.
My understanding was that they paid Sylvia $800 and all they could ask was three questions.

She should give back the money for her wrong prediction. She should also be held legally accountable for predictions such as this. I have never understood how so called bright, educated people could believe in this woman. Do they leave their brains at the door before entering a room with her? Goes to show that one does not need intellect in order to have faith in God or something else. In this case Sylvia Brown.

@ RodneyAnon:
“.... psychics do make errors and the best of them should be allowed errors occasionally”, “… I do believe that there are people who can "see" or "hear" more than what's perceived as normal…”, “there have been a few people who seem to have been genuinely blessed with the 'third eye…” I hate to be the kid who tells the rest of the class that there’s no Santa Claus, but people really need to wrap their brains around the fact that there is NO SUCH THING AS PSYCHIC ABILITY.
The James Randi Foundation offers a $1 million prize to anyone who can prove that they have ESP. The money remains unclaimed.

Meanwhile, the number of police investigation solved by psychics remains at ZERO

The James Randi Foundation http://www.randi.org/ Click, read, learn.

Warmest Greetings,

I do apologize for deviating a bit from the original topic, but I found this comment so appalling, on so many levels, that I felt compelled to create an account and respond...
First, to state that "there is no such thing as psychic ability" so unequivocally is, honestly, nothing short of arrogant, presumptuous and, well, rather ignorant, I'm afraid. In truth, no human truly knows the exact nature of reality or the Universe; time and time again, throughout history, many assumptions and theories with regard to natural laws have been found to be false or inaccurate. (Too many to account for here...) To state that one individual definitively knows exactly how the world works is quite absurd - even Stephen Hawking, a true genius, does not profess to know all of the answers or explanations.
Furthermore, new discoveries and insights continue to support the notion and possible existence of "psychic abilities"...most notably, recent advances in quantum physics and mechanics seem to indicate (at the very least) the potential for this. Everything within this Universe - including not only physical matter but thoughts and such intangible things, as well - appears to be made up of energy...and if all within the Universe is connected to and a part of this vast sea of energy, how could it not be possible that thoughts could be transmitted as easily as radio waves and such...and that some "part" of our minds - also made up of this network of energy - could be aware of things from the past, present, and future...things that also exist within this energy matrix?
(I know that my brief description and words are a poor explanation for this concept, but many books, films and scientific data exist to shed further light on this topic...perhaps the writer of the comment alluded to above would care to "read" and "learn", as well?)
We cannot physically see satellite waves and transmissions...but do we believe that, when we turn on our televisions, we will see the broadcast of images? We cannot see the energy and radiation "created" by our microwave ovens, but, when we place our food in the appliance, do we believe that it will actually be cooked? Of course...because we can actually see the results.
Just because we have not all been exposed to the effects of psychic abilities, or have not all "seen" these results with our own eyes, does not mean that they do not exist. Again, one single person's experiences can not, by any means, represent the truth behind the whole...no one truly knows the nature of "everything".
(Concepts such as the idea of the "collective unconscious" are also related, in a way, to the idea of psychic abilities...but a lot of information on that is also available for further study, if one is so inclined. :) )
But, to return to the topic at hand...like everyone else, I find it equally horrible that Sylvia Browne brought so much unnecessary anguish to this family, and I totally feel that she should not have ever stated to them that their son was dead. :( She shouldn't tell people that she knows the answers to everything, either, and she definitely shouldn't be taking anyone's money for these inaccurate "insights".
She certainly appears to be a fraud, now...or, at the very least, unreliable...and not only did she inflict additional pain and suffering upon this boy's family, but she has cast a negative light on all true psychics, as well. It does seem like she should be held legally accountable...
She really should be ashamed. I feel so awful for the boy's family...that they had to go through that. :(:::

(I do very sincerely apologize again for the rambling tangent, though...)

Sylvia Browne is a joke. I feel embarrassed for Montel everytime I see her on his show and he is just eating it up. Man, does she have him fooled!

If any of these self-proclaimed "psychics" had even an iota of real abilities, shouldn't they have predicted 9/11?

Sylvia is a joke, she continues to say Bin Laden is dead when it appears he's not. She loves to tell people of their dis-eases but does not help them to heal themselves (I believe many can through belief, lifestyle changes and meditation). Then, she has the audacity to wear a cross around her neck insulting anyone who does not believe is Christianity or has evolved beyond religion. She is sending the wrong message, where is her love for all? There is no religion on the other side. Everytime I see her which is very rare (I work) it appears she's had more plastric surgery. Must be the absolutely ridiculous fees she and her son demand.

Well, Sylvia is banned for life from appearing on "Coast to Coast AM" with George Noory, Art Bell, and Ian Punnett for being a fraud and her felony conviction for fraud.

partytildawn, or anyone else, can you please provide the info on Sylvia's fraud conviction?

I have heard that Montel's audience members must agree not to ask certain questions of Sylvia, not sure what they are (please post if you know).

1) Sylvia Browne likes to claim that she lives a modest life, but a public search of property shows that she owns several properties, houses, condos, and apartments in California alone worth in excess of $15,000,000.00.

2) In 1992, Browne and her estranged husband were indicted on several charges of investment fraud and grand theft. The Superior Court of Santa Clara County, California, found that Browne and her husband sold securities in a gold-mining venture under false pretenses. In at least one instance, they told a couple their US $20,000 investment was to be used for immediate operating costs. Instead, the money was transferred to an account for their Nirvana Foundation for Psychic Research. Browne pled no contest to securities fraud and was indicted on grand larceny in Santa Clara County, California on May 26, 1992. Sylvia and her estranged husband Kenzil Dalzell Brown pleaded no contest to a felony charge of "sale of security without permit," made restitution, and received one year probation each.

Browne's indictment
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/The_People_vs_Sylvia_Celeste_Browne_%28original%29.pdf

partytildawn - many thanks. Why does she go by Brown'e' and not her legal name Brown? Also, do you know if Montel is a partner in any of her business ventures? Guess I just can't understand why he continues to be associated with her.

Follow the money trail.

Most of the public are unaware of her scandalous behavior, companies like Barnes & Noble are making a great deal of money off of her, and these gullible fans of hers tune in to any show on which she appears.

The last night she was permitted on Coast to Coast AM, she was being interviewed by George Noory. It was the night the coal miners in WV were found -- dead. Sylvia emphatically stated that all of the miners were alive then within only SECONDS the network cut away to announce that all the miners except one were dead. Noory asked her to explain how she got it wrong, she got quiet and they ended the interview with her.

As long as people like Sylvia continue to sell books, publishers will continue to put them out, and the talk shows will book her.