“Man cuts off wife’s head after DNA test proved none of 6 kids are his own.”
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Fake news about a DNA test-related beheading recirculates on social media
A recent Facebook post warns about false positives in DNA testing but uses a fake headline to prove its point.
"Man cuts off wife’s head after DNA test proved none of 6 kids are his own," the headline says below a man’s photo and a woman’s photo.
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
A reverse-image search led to real 2013 news headlines about a man who stabbed his wife in London because he suspected she was having an affair with the neighbor.
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The articles showed photos that appear to be the same man and woman from the Facebook post, but they don’t mention DNA or paternity.
Other inauthentic news stories that use their pictures give the victim a different name and dateline. Supposedly, the alleged beheading happened in "Mountain View."
We rate claims that a man beheaded his wife following a DNA test False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, Oct. 3, 2023
Blog post, March 14, 2018
Blog post, archived Feb. 16, 2016
Daily Mail, Jealous husband stabbed his wife 15 times, ran her over then sent her a Christmas card as she lay dying in hospital, Dec. 16, 2013
Enfield Independent, Enfield Island Village man Minta Adiddo who murdered wife Akua Agyeman to be sentenced at Old Bailey, Dec. 16, 2013
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Fake news about a DNA test-related beheading recirculates on social media
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