Mother 'drugged healthy son, 12, and shaved his head to convince him he was dying of cancer - to get money from well-wishers'

Carol Lynn Schnuphase drugged her son Christopher to make him look ill and even shaved his head and eyebrows in an effort to convince people the youngster was dying from leukaemia.

The 47-year-old spiked her son's meals with drugs to make him appear ill before contacting local businesses and church groups to raise funds for his treatment.

Investigators said Schnuphase was so convincing that she received more than $7,000 before her scam was discovered by her sister.

One her Facebook page, Schnuphase wrote: 'Christopher now knows he's dying.'

She later told relatives that he had succumbed to the illness.

But police in Roseville, Michigan, said the 12-year-boy is in perfect health.

Detectives who interviewed members of Schnuphase's own family said they genuinely thought the boy had cancer.

They only became suspicious when Schnuphase said her son had died and she had decided against a holding a funeral.