Ok so lets try to be fair here. Obviously Browne was totally wrong about Hornbeck. But, she has been doing this for a long time. What about some of her other readings? I'm not taking a side here, but if this is such a great story, from a neutral journalist, where is the investigation of her other predictions/readings? Lets say for a second that she is a legitimate psychic, does that mean she's correct 100% of the time? Everyone makes mistakes, so why would we expect psychics to be any different?

What a shame people take advantage of other people who are vulnerable due to no fault of their own!

Thank you for keeping this story alive.
I loved your article and the video. Very well done!

There are many who would like to save the grieving and the desparate from being taken by this con artist. Thank you for being one of them.

Donna Hagan
Ex-Novitiate of the Society Of Novus Spiritus
(a.k.a. Sylvia Browne's tax shelter)

Wow!! Talking about making the story to match your own narrow view. You didn't investigate anything such as Devlin's appearance around the time of the abduction. Had he been darker complexed do to suntan, did he ever wear long hair. Then your big expert was a man that's made his millions by deceiving people and writing books about others that's a threat to him. I would have respected your little piece much more if you would have mentioned the numerous people Sylvia helped in addition to her misses. As many proven psychics have said, the information they receive isn't wrong but their interruptation may be. I don't believe everything I hear. I agree there are a lot of fakes out there which includes fake "investigating reporting".

I am extremely disappointed in the shabby one- sided view that was provided on Sylvia Browne. You were very quick to point out a few mistakes she has made and overlooked the trillions of correct predictions that has brought her so much success. If any one of your reporters had bothered to read any of her books they would know that Sylvia does not claim to be 100% accurate all the time. She has written that no psychic is ALWAYS correct and that right is reserved for God. Her accuracy rate, however, is somewhere between 85 and 95%. She has made predications in books written that have been correct. Do your research on the entire story before you ruin a person's reputation.

Shame on Channel 4 and Craig Cheatham for stooping so low during your sweeps. I have never been so ashamed to be a Channel 4 viewer as I was last night. Sylvia Browne has done nothing but try to help in any way she could. No one is perfect and to isolate one specific case to make your case is far from unbiased. I would hate to have you be judged on this story alone! Sylvia spreads the words of a loving God and wants her audience to know that God loves them more than anything. This is not a "monster".

What a shame that of all the REALLY important things going on in the world you pick on Sylvia Browne during your popular ratings time.

Ok I have a comment about your Sylvia Browne story. I was one of the people that went to see Sylvia when she was in St louis on Sunday. I enjoyed the show and I thought she was a very nice down to earth lady. The reason I am writing this comment is because I believe that people are judgeing her over one wrong reading and ofcourse I mean Shaw Hornbeck. We all know by now that she did not get that right, but she is human and she can make mistakes. People should look past one wrong case and look into if she has had cases that she has solved and that were right. As for all the critics I have something to say that may not be what people want to hear but im going to say it, I believe that the two main guys that are always going after her are only going after her just because she is a woman making a lot of money on something that they dont believe in because they are old fashioned and dont believe anyway can talk to the dead. They are going after her just like people have done to Joyce Meyers several times but thats a whole different subject. I really dont know much about Sylvia because I have never read any of her books but I was asked to go with someone to her show so I went. I cant say that I believe she can talk to dead people or not because I have never personally talked to her but I believe that people should just back off and get over it. If you dont believe in what she does thats fine but dont make the people who do believe in her powers feel stupid or ignorant because they believe in what she does and what she says

This is important stuff, and I thank you for it. I mean, it might sound like a piffling frivolity, but psychics are, to a person, incapable of claiming Randi's prize.

Honestly, I would love to see a segment on Channel 4 that analyzes extraordinary claims like Sylvia's and discovers whether or not they are capable of delivering the extraordinary evidence that they need to substantiate those claims. These are not unverifiable claims, indeed. You can come to a conclusion and say that Sylvia is wrong wrong wrong. You could explain hot reading, cold reading, and whatever Sylvia does, which is "pronounce" and explain whatever comes to mind. Someone on a skeptical beat. Cancer claims, fad diets, even, Shatner forbid, media complicity in exaggeration of claims. These are important issues, and in the truest sense of having a free media serving the public interest by reintroducing them to critical thinking.

HJ

Knowing Sylvia Browne personally, I'd like to thank you for doing the report about her. Hopefully through your video report and blog you'll get through to some of her "followers" and they'll see the truth as I and many others have. She and her "church" the Society of Novus Spiritus have hurt many people and through your efforts as well as those of Robert Lancaster (www.stopsylviabrowne.com)it is my sincere hope that she will be stopped before she hurts so many more.

I'm not surprised she wouldn't respond regarding Shawn Horbeck, but there are many of us who appreciate your keeping this story alive.

Rev. Nancy Williams
Former minister of the
Society of Novus Spiritus Delaware

I have worked with Sylvia Browne and her "church", the Society of Novus Spiritus for several years, and I will state publicly that she is a fraud, and I have been working with Robert Lancaster to expose this woman for the fraud that she is.

From traveling around the country working her lectures, to dealing with her staff, Board members of Novus Spiritus, and dealing with Sylvia herself, I discovered that they all are frauds, and make a fortune deceiving other.

Applause!

Keep up the good work!

I watched the piece on Sylvia Browne last night and I can't believe channel 4 would broadcast such a one sided story. If the reporter had read anything on Sylvia Browne, he would have known that she admits she is only right about 80% of the time. And for him to supposable have James Randi, a magician, out Sylvia is rediculous. Who's the fake here? I have followed Sylvia's life for many, many years and I have seen the good she does for people, the way she helps them, and for channel 4 to broadcast this story just to get people to watch their show is patethic. I won't watch channel 4 again. I can't believe they stooped this low to get a higher rating.

I'd like to personally thank you for picking this story up.

The one genuinely very good thing to come out of the Shawn Hornbeck fiasco is that Montel Williams and Sylvia Browne have not featured a single missing person's or missing child's story on the show since.

Which is, of course, all thanks to the media attention journalists like you gave the case.

There are many, many, many other missing person's cases where she was shown to be spectacularly wrong and garnered no attention, no coverage and no scrutiny.

Thankfully, this one didn't fall through the cracks.

WOW! I am suggesting that people read the Bible.
Scripture states, that folks like S. Brown, are
of Satan, not of God.
You see, only God knows the future, Only God has the insite, Only God knows when HIS son, Jesus Christ is coming for HIS OWN.
So why would I think that S. Brown or anyone OTHER THAN GOD, WOULD HAVE THE POWER/POWERS TO
PREDICT THE FUTURE OR SEE INTO THE PAST.
I JUST DONT BUY INTO THAT EVIL, CULT, SATAN
WORSHIP, GARBAGE.
AND WHAT REALLY GETS ME, IS THAT S. BROWN USES
GODS NAME WHILE SHE IS BEING A FALSE GOD, SO THAT
PEOPLE (PAYING PEOPLE) WILL BELIEVE HER.
THINK ABOUT IT

To all of those who are saying that Channel f "picked on the one case Browne got wrong," do your homework.

The people helping me with www.StopSylviaBrowne.com have researched more than one hundred of Browne's "psychic readings" on the Montel Williams show for the families of the missing and murdered.

The vast majority were never solved, so, whether she was right or wrong, Browne was evidently of no help to law enforcement.

Of those cases which were later solved, Browne was incorrect on every single one. Here are the ones which are documented on my web site:

Eve Brown
Roger DesVergnes
Shawn Hornbeck
Opal Jo Jennings
Ryan Katcher
Richard Kneebone
Holly Krewson
Dan Nelson
Scott Renquin
Weyman Robbins
Dana Chyleen Satterfield
John Slayton

This leaves her with a rating of ZERO PERCENT correct in these more than one hundred cases.

Far below her claimed 87% accuracy rating.

For more than a year, I have been asking for people to send me an example of such a case Browne has gotten right. I have yet to hear of a single one.
Her track record does indeed speak for itself.

Thanks for this report and for giving Sylvia Browne an opportunity to apologize to the parents of Shawn Hornbeck for telling them their son was dead.

When asked whether she had anything to say to the Hornbecks, she replied dismissively, 'No,no,no."

Why is that? And I wonder how her supporters defend her carelessness and complete lack of compassion for other human beings.

Sylvia Brown is a fraud.

Do you realy believe ANYONE can talk to dead people? The God I believe in would not allow our deceased loved ones to be tortured by allowing them to be able to hear those of us left behind crying in sadness and hurting because we are missing them. And to be able to communicate?!?! PLEASE people. If this were possible, why can only a few do it? Remember-death is eternal peace and that does not allow for talking to those you left behind. WAKE UP

How about the Sylvia Browne supporters showing us just where exactly she has EVER helped solve a case.
She has one FBI ex agent who supports her. He is a total wingnut.
Other than that no one in law enforcement wants anything to do with her.

Take a look back at her previous predictions. NONE of them have come true.

She is rude and mean. Just watch her on the Montel show. It is cringe inducing.

I would love to see this fraud behind bars for taking money on false pretenses. Sylvia and her son are total skanks. Preying on those who are desperate.

Tricia

I just happen to catch the piece on Sylvia Browne that night on the Channel 4 news. You know I have to say this was by far the worst unbiased piece of journalism I have seen in my 50 years. But everyone has to remember network evening news delivers negativity to a negative world. That's why I no longer watch Network evening news.

What I really took offense to was the comment "how Sylvia preys off of grieving people." And you know this how? This was the worst case of investigative reporting I have seen in years, which just substantiates why I watch FoxNews on Cable for a more fair and balanced aspect of the world. (And no I don't work for Fox).

Let's go back to journalism and ethics 101 and try to get a more balanced view of a story. Sylvia declined to comment? Hello! Where was the media as the 3,000 attendees exited her appearance here in St. Louis?

And who is this James Randi you found to interview? Any intelligent person who watched this interview had to say to themselves - and this guy is credible why?

What a bad reflection on Channel 4 News for such a unbalanced negative news story.

To those who protest that this piece is one-sided I say www.stopsylviabrowne.com.
To those who think there are "so many" whom Sylvia Browne has helped I say www.stopsylviabrowne.com.
To those who say, "Aw, what harm has she done?" I say www.stopsylviabrowne.com.
And, if after reading the fount of information on this website you still believe Sylvia Browne is psychic, I beg of you to find and substantiate ONE missing person or murder case which Sylvia Browne has actually helped solve. I'm convinced none exists, but if you think you can find one, be sure to send it to the webmaster at www.stopsylviabrowne.com. He claims that he will gladly post any case where she has proven to be correct.
Cudos, Craig, for your story and for having the guts to air it. I thought it was great.

To all the people who think that this is simply one case extracted form Sylvia's work and presented in a biased way - what other cases are there that could also be used?

There are, as far as anyone can tell, exactly zero documented cases of Sylvia being correct. In particular, in relation to missing people, in all of the cases that have been shown on the Montel show, and can be checked - she has been dead wrong. In every single case, not just just a few, not even most, in every single case.

If you think otherwise, fair enough, but it would be interesting to know if you have any evidence of her successes - Robert Lancaster in particular would love to hear from you. You may not like Robert, but he is scrupulously fair and even-handed.

People have asked Sylvia, her organisation and her supporters for evidence of her successes - none has been forthcoming. I wonder why that should be?

"I would have respected your little piece much more if you would have mentioned the numerous people Sylvia helped in addition to her misses."

"You were very quick to point out a few mistakes she has made and overlooked the trillions of correct predictions that has brought her so much success."

"No one is perfect and to isolate one specific case to make your case is far from unbiased. I would hate to have you be judged on this story alone!"

"People should look past one wrong case and look into if she has had cases that she has solved and that were right."

What cases has she solved? Do any of you actually have evidence that she's EVER helped solve a single missing persons case?

Craig and crew... don't listen to these idiots that are bashing your report. They clearly have their heads so far down in the sand they don't know what they're talking about.

Of course she's a fraud. And a crook.

Jason Isringhausen has a better chance of saving a Cardinals game, than she does of predicting the future.

Great job, Channel 4 and Craig Cheatham. I wish there was national news organization who would have the guts to do this story.

There is one very simple way for Sylvia Browne to shut up all the critics in the world. Actually do Randi's test and take his million dollars. She did agree to take the test several years ago on Larry King. It's very, very simple. Take the test. She will not do it because she knows she is a fraud, a liar and a cheat.

If you think she is actually psychic, give some evidence. Just saying "she helps people" is not evidence. Names and what Sylvia predicted would be a good start.

As for some unnamed dolts who say James Randi is a fraud. James Randi is a magician. He entertains people by tricking them. Everyone who goes to a magic show knows that it is a trick. Half the fun is trying to figure out the trick. He readily admits he does tricks. Sylvia on the other hand says that she really has psychic powers, but she has never actually helped find any single missing person.

There should be a lemon law for psychics. A lot of gold crosses her palm for her bogus "predictions."

I agree you should have explained about hot and cold readings. Consumers being swindled by parlor tricks is always newsworthy.

For those of you who are taking up arms for Sylvia Browne - lets hear a success story or two. One commenter even said she's helped 'trillions' of people. If this is true, it shouldn't be difficult to come up with a name of a dozen or so people she 'helped'. As I see it - she 'helped' herself to $750 of their hard earned money. Sylvia Browne is a charlaton and a thief and I commend ANYONE who works towards exposing her.

Quote:
""how Sylvia preys off of grieving people." And you know this how? "

Have you seen the prices she charges for her awful 'readings'?
I'd call that preying off of vunerable people.

Sylvia Browne is a horrible person, a vulture and a fraud.

I've seen Sylvia on various shows and via her books for years. It astounds me that people are still shouting about how wonderful and right she is, when she's shown herself time and again to be anything but. Her claims of 85% accuracy are laughable.

I urge those "believers" to take the time to visit Robert Lancaster's site, stopsylviabrowne.com and read some of the accounts there.

She perpetually contradicts her own information. She gives false hope to people in desperate situations and tells outrageous stories to people already suffering. For example, the little girl that was missing who Slyvia claimed had been sold into sex slavery in Asia.

It's ridiculous that this woman is still in business, at all.

I'm glad to see this story. I urge anyone who defends Sylvia to go to www.stopsylviabrowne.com. Take some time, read the articles. Every article Mr. Lancaster writes is wonderfully researched and very fair. He does not simply bash Sylvia. It is a wonderful website that tells the truth.

My girlfriend's 16 year old daughter is convenced that Sylvia is legit. That is until I played Cheatham's report for her. She could not believe that one guy who is holding $1 million to be proven wrong by Sylvia and she has yet to take the challenge. All because she does not know how to contact the gentleman making the offer. All I can say is that Sylvia is a fake, a fraud and a phony. If I were the Akers, I would be filing a fraud lawsuit against her. It would be in Montel Williams' best interest to pull her from the show. She needs to go!

I think it's disgusting that all the Browne supporters, so far, are people that have never met her or been personally affected.
Show us, the people not seeing your side, any one of the "trillions" of correct readings she has done. Browne has never tested her alleged ability under controlled circumstances, so all that skeptics have ARE the failures.
And, it's not a matter of being psychic cant be tested, or empirically proven, because that is where Browne followers and people like Randi may fall terribly short. Do some research, like starting with the "presentiment" effect that's been observed (and repeated) in MRI scans of human brains.
The reason why Browne has never been tested, and has never been publicly correct with her predictions, is because she is not a psychic.

The news of Sylvia Browne's successes would have been brought to the article, if there were any. She charges a great deal of money to generate garbage results. Of her published "predictions" the success rate is below 12 percent on items that are non-obvious (like, some movie star will end up in rehab this fall).

Surely, you supporters can provide a long verifiable list of her successes to prove any of us skeptics wrong.

She's not wrong sometimes... she is wrong almost all the time.

How do you WRONGLY interpret someone being dead from someone being alive in a prediction? How do you get "J-Lo will never have children because something is wrong with her" when she's had twins?

And James Randi is vastly more credible, he's been debunking such frauds for decades now.

I understand that Sylvia Browne gave incorrect information reguarding Shawn Hornbeck, however I do not feel that this makes her a "monster" or a "fraud" necessarily. There have been many more situations that she has been right on as opposed to wrong and we all have to remember that she is NOT God and that she is in fact ONLY human. All humans make mistakes (granted this one was pretty big)and there is only one person in this world who is perfect and their name is not Sylvia Browne. I'm not saying that she is or is not a fraud. All I am saying is that everyone deserves a fair chance and should be given the opportunity to make a mistake without being attacked for it. :)

Feels good to see something in the media that actually reflects the truth. Thank you Craig Cheatham!
Sylvia Browne is in my opinion a money hungry, emotionless woman who helps not other people but herself.
I urge anyone who still considers themselves a fan of hers to visit www.stopsylviabrowne.com. There's no trashing and bashing going on,just tons and tons of accounts of Sylvia's "accomplishments".
Plan B: Waste your money on her and her "psychic reading" and come to the same conclusion.
I personally wouldn't trust her with my dog....!

I love the Internet, at no other time is it possible for me to sit in front of my computer in California and watch an excellent news report and then be able to comment on it and read other's comments. What a wonderful time to be alive!

With that said, psychics need to go, the dark ages are over people. They are either all frauds or delusional. Society needs to learn to grasp reality firmly in their hands and see death as death. You can talk all you want to dead people, but they ain't talking back. Browne is just one of thousands of frauds sucking money from the pockets of the desperate.

When she falls, there will be another and another to take her place. Wake up people. For more information just put "cold-reading" into your favorite search engine and see what it turns up. And Yes, Stopsylviabrowne.com and stopkas.com are amazing sites that throw light on these insects.

Susan

After watching this news cast, reading the article and the comments, I am left disillusioned yet again. Not by the topic but by the fact that journalism has become nothing more than tabloid T.V.

What happened to real journalists? Where are the stories that actually matter? This story talks about how a psychic makes money off people who are grieving. From what I understand there are no fees charged in missing person cases by Sylvia Browne. Not to mention proceeds from her personal readings go to charities.

The news channels, reporters, and Randi do make money off of stories such as this. So who's really making money off of the grieving. Hmmm... I wonder.

Sylvia Browne sends a message of love, hope, and helping others. What do her critics promote? Negativity and hate. All you have to do is take a look at Randi's forum to see that. Do you all really think a psychic test put together by a critic that makes money off of debunking people would be unbiased. I don't blame her, I wouldn't trust his test or bother with it either.

People have commented on how she hasn't helped anyone. Really, and you know this how? My life has been affected in a very positive and profound way thanks to Sylvia Browne. I will always be grateful that she put her thoughts and wisdom out there for the world.

Hopefully, sometime soon, journalist and news stations will start reporting on the real issues again. That they will come to realize we want to hear real news not tabloid t.v.

To those claiming she is mostly accurate, where is the evidence? Easy to claim, let's see the proof. Name a few cases - or one.

Nice job - wish there were more shows like this. I have talked to people who realize they were conned.

Best,
Richard

Thank you for this report. It is certainly a step in the right direction. Yes, you only focused on Sylvia, and her "one mistake", but any small amount of research would uncover many more mistakes(and no correct predictions).

James Randi did not come off as well as he should, but he has been fighting "woo-woo" for years and is probably just sick and tired of Sylvia by now.

I used to be a true Sylvia believer. However, after reading several of her books, attending one of her seminars and watching her faithfully on Montel, I began to see several of her inconsistentcies raise their ugly little heads. At first, I tried to dismiss them as me being too critical. However, the inconsistencies continued to surface and I could no longer justify being a Sylvia supporter. I was heart-broken and a little embarassed that I believed in her for so long. But when faced with being unable to substaniate any cases which were sucessfulyl solved by Ms. Browne, reality must take control.

Amazing. No-one here has said they were helped personally by Browne. This indicates that very few if any were helped by her.

Even the most pro-Browne comments here do not have any facts to back up their comments.

IMO, to refer to Sylvia as a "monster" or a "fraud" is being too kind! I can think of a few words to call her! How dare she make a living by selling a lie to people who are at their most vulnerable and most hurt? I commend this newscast for telling the truth about her. I wish the MSM in general would wake up and also investigate/report the truth as far as Sylvia is concerned. It seems for the most part most are intimidated by her.

Sylvia Browne was also on Coast To Coast AM w/ George Noory when she told him that all the miners would be found alive. When George went to break, breaking news came in that the miners were all found dead but one. Sylvia quickly changed her prediction and George called her on it.
She tried to lie but the millions of people had already heard LIVE ON AIR what she had said. George respectfully discontinued the interview and she has never been on the show again, thankfully.

People who believe in psychics are fools. The paranormal field has a lot of opportunists all out to make mass amounts of money.

C'mon people are you all that naive?
Sylvia is just stealing your money!

These people that support her need to do some extensive research before coming on here and defending her and making themselves look like fools.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

Bravo!! Its always nice to see a news station taking a skeptical approach to stories, especially to such a scam artist!
I also have to point out how wonderful Robert Landcaster's site is, really opens your eyes to how horrible of a "psychic" she is.

Hmmmmmm,,, Sylvia I have a prediction for you, your health is not good, you will not live to 98 as you have predicted,have your heart checked I sense very strongly that you have problems in this area. And I'll throw in for free, yes free thats right this extra tid bit, What goes around,you know the rest of that universal law. I'm just trying to help. From one psycho,err ahhh,,mm I mean pyschic to another.(disclaimer, this is a cold reading and not to be used as actual reliable information) I will happy to speak to anyone at only 3.99 a minute for as long as you desire. :P

I was talking to my mother-in-law tonight about Sylvia saying "Shaun was dead." My mother-in-law pointed out that after what Devlin did to Shaun, he was dead. His spirit was dead. He didn't ever want anyone to know what happened to him. So, my point is fake or not, it makes sense to pick up on death, given the situation. Shaun died, and Devlin made him into someone else. No human is 100% right or we wouldn't be here. She is not God!! But I do believe people have instincts and gut feelings, sometimes we're right, and sometimes we're wrong. Give Sylvia a break, we will get ours too someday!

I find it interesting that all the people posting that the report was "biased" and only focused "on one case" have yet to post a link to some information about a case Sylvia got right. And I'm sorry, but even if the Shawn Hornbeck case was the only case examined, Sylvia was so glaringly wrong about the whole thing that I don't see how people could look the other way. She may not be perfect, but can't we expect a little more from someone who supposedly has psychic powers? If she can be so wrong as to say the boy was dead when he was really alive, how is her information any better than a random guess.

If I go to the doctor to have my appendix removed and find that he accidentally removed my liver instead--I'm sorry, but I'm finding a new doctor.

Sara
www.skepticalmonkey.com

I do believe that genuine psychic ability exists. I also believe it's extremely rare as well. I believe people have a right to make a living as does Sylvia, BUT she should be obligated to state that her ability is for entertainment purposes only because I don't believe for one minute she is the real deal. How she could charge money to a grieving family is obscene.

Let her write books and if people want to buy them, fine. They're actually getting something for their money, but psychics such as her and faith healers, are nothing but scam artists.

I can't believe the people in this world would fall for her deception. The bible clearly condems the practice of spiritism, mediums, occult, psychics, etc. (Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10-13). Horoscopes, tarot cards, astrology, fortune tellers, palm readings, séances, etc., fall into this category as well.)
The only one that knows what truely is going to happen is God and God alone! Read the bible people! God is the only One who you should seek for answers and He will reveal them to you if you are a believer and have a personal relationship with Him!!

I came across www.stopsylviabrowne.com a couple of months ago while searching for more info on Sylvia. I was a true believer and had several of her books and tapes. I was also saving up money for a reading from Browne. When I saw what this site was about I was eager to look through it and find all the biased information. WHat I found was a neatly organized site that was far from biased. His articles are very clear and well researched. Within a 1/2 hour I went from a believer to incredibly disappointed with myself. I'm glad I never spent the $750 on a reading though. I urge ALL her followers to go to the site and look and decide for themselves.

I'm so happy to see that you're reporting on this false charlatan. We recently had a 'psychic' come through Oklahoma and claim that he knew where the bodies of a missing child was, and it was found int a completely different place! These people are a menace and a waste of taxpayer money in the cases where they provide 'leads'.

I started out reading one of her books, and i thought wow!! someone who can do all of this is fantastic!!! but now i see news stories such as this one, cnn with anderson cooper, the lancaster site and the james randi one and i am floored as to the amount of information on her and how she has been proven wrong!!! why doesnt someone, just one person, come forward and substantiate her claims or her readings to say that this is really for real? im sure there is one person out there who "thinks" that she helped them, but that ONE person has yet to materialize. well, till then i also think she is a fraud and only interested in the greenbacks.