Trial to Begin In Virginia Fake Death Case

Larry Deffenbaugh is scheduled to appear in Federal Court this afternoon for charges stemming from his effort to fake his own death. Deffenbaugh, a Maryland resident, was allegedly trying to get out of a probation violation in 2009 when the incident occurred.

Virginia prosecutors are claiming the Deffenbaugh jumped off of a boat in the Chesapeake Bay and communicated a false distress signal before disappearing. According to news reports, Deffenbaugh’s brother contacted the Coast Guard in May of 2009 to report that his brother was missing.

News sources reported that Deffenbaugh claimed that he was never on a boat and therefore did not try to fake his own death. His legal defense is expected to revolve around his contention that his brother, a diabetic, was suffering from a sugar coma at the time that the missing persons report was made to the Coast Guard. The defendant was found living in Texas and using an alias prior to his arrest.