Reynolds allegedly passed a letter supposedly written by "Kodee," to Michael Brenner, who was then a sports editor at the Egyptian which prompted a feature story published May 6, 2003.
In the article, "Kodee" told how upset she was by an anti-war protest at the university campus, and of her worries about her father "Dan" who was shipping off to Iraq with the 101st Airborne.
Reynolds was a broadcast-journalism student at Southern Illinois University and graduated in 2004, putting her in classes alongside Daily Egyptian staff.
Reynolds and Hadley (as "Hastings" and "Kodee"), along with members of the Egyptian staff, attended a memorial service arranged at the local American Legion outpost.
After openly weeping at the service, Reynolds and Hadley met with Tribune reporters briefly at a restaurant, where they were told that media liaisons at The Pentagon were unable to confirm the existence of Kennings.
After numerous articles in the Chicago Tribune, the Associated Press, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Daily Egyptian itself, it appeared no crime was committed.