A Florida couple has admitted to fabricating a story about children trying to drown their dog, an account that triggered a months-long investigation before it fell apart entirely. Public pressure intensified after Ghost died shortly after the alleged incident, with many directing anger at the sheriff’s office and the lead investigator over the pace of the case. The truth came out only after weeks of avoiding investigatorsCook said the Mannings avoided law enforcement for seven weeks before investigators finally confronted them directly. The sheriff’s office is now working with the state attorney’s office to pursue charges against the Mannings for filing a false report. The statute also allows restitution to any victim who suffered damage or injury as a result of the law enforcement response prompted by a false report.