Newspaper: Viral Santa Story Cannot Be Verified [Video]

It was a story that went viral over the weekend. 'Santa visits terminally ill boy and gives him a present. Then the child dies in his arms.' I have to say, the story had me in tears trying to relate the details to my wife. But, the original newspaper who did the story on the "Santa", Eric Schmitt-Matzen, says they cannot verify the story. Here's what the editor's note the Knoxville News Sentinel posted on the story.

Since publication, the News Sentinel has done additional investigation in an attempt to independently verify Schmitt-Matzen’s account. This has proven unsuccessful. Although facts about his background have checked out, his story of bringing a gift to a dying child remains unverified. The News Sentinel cannot establish that Schmitt-Matzen’s account is inaccurate, but more importantly, ongoing reporting cannot establish that it is accurate.

The note also says that the time of the initial interview, Schmitt-Matzen said he promised to protect the identities of the family and the nurse who summoned him to the hospital. A subsequent investigation found no information to support his story.

Now, the internet can't contain itself.