Story highlights

  • Newspaper no longer stands by story of Santa comforting terminally ill boy
  • Knoxville News Sentinel editor says it was unable to confirm child's identity
  • CNN unable to confirm account

(CNN)It was a story many wanted to believe: A terminally ill child gets his last wish to see Santa and dies in his arms.

But the Tennessee newspaper that ran it first now says it can no longer stand by the account.

The Knoxville News Sentinel story quickly went viral after it was published Sunday. USA Today republished the column, which was written by News Sentinel columnist Sam Venable. A host of national news outlets gave it additional coverage, including CNN, who spoke to Santa actor Eric Schmitt-Matzen about his interaction with the boy in his final moments.

"When you get to those pearly gates, you tell 'em you're Santa's No. 1 elf, and I know they'll let you in," Schmitt-Matzen recalled telling the boy.

But in a note published online Wednesday, Venable and News Sentinel editor Jack McElroy said they were unable to verify the account after it was published because Schmitt-Matzen refused to provide the identities of the child's family or the nurse who purportedly called him to the hospital, which is not named in the story.

"The News Sentinel cannot establish that Schmitt-Matzen's account is inaccurate, but more importantly, ongoing reporting cannot establish that it is accurate," McElroy and Venable wrote. "Therefore, because the story does not meet the newspaper's standards of verification, we are no longer standing by the veracity of Schmitt-Matzen's account."

CNN called all the major hospitals in the Knoxville area that treat children and none could confirm his account. The coroner's office was unable to provide information without a name. Also, a search of obituaries in the News Sentinel and other area newspapers did not reveal anything about a 5-year-old who died of cancer.

Too good to be true?

Schmitt-Matzen did not respond to multiple calls seeking comment. When reached by phone this afternoon, a man claiming to be his spokesman told CNN he was working on a response...

http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/14/us/kno...rnd/index.html