Ball State student fakes cancer, officials say

MUNCIE, Ind. -- A Ball State University student shaved her head and pretended to be deaf for three years to convince people she had cancer so they would give her money, prosecutors said.\nBrookelyn Walters, 24, of Culver is expected to surrender to authorities Monday to face charges of forgery and theft, said her attorney, Jay T. Hirschauer of Logansport.\nShe could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the charges filed Tuesday in a Delaware County court.\nHirschauer said Walters has repaid the money and was cooperating with authorities.\nProsecutors allege that Walters has faked cancer since 2000, forging letters from doctors and starting a Web site to raise donations to pay for cancer treatment.\nUniversity officials provided an interpreter to attend classes with her last year after she convinced them she was deaf. Sympathetic people set up donation jars at banks near the campus and circulated e-mails asking students to donate money for her medical care.\nKappa Delta sorority and Delta Chi fraternities gave Walters $1,000 raised at a benefit hog roast that featured games and a live band, according to court documents.\n"It's upsetting," said Lauren Spath, president of the sorority. "Each of our girls took a lot of time to raise money for the event. We will be a little more cautious in the future."\nUniversity officials detected the alleged scheme when problems arose with forms Walters turned in to request an interpreter, said Richard Harris, director of Ball State's disability services.\n"We did initially believe her, but shortly thereafter we developed some suspicions," Harris said. "My worry about this whole thing is that many young people on this campus might turn into cynics, and I really hate that because people acted on good faith."\nWalters left school in May when university police began investigating her. She had completed classes toward a special education major and still hopes to get a job working with deaf children, Hirschauer said.\n"She is very gifted in working with deaf children," he said.\nHirschauer said Thursday that Walters plans to turn herself in next week because her father died last weekend and the funeral was Wednesday.