Girl requested police to run DNA test on Christmas cookie for evidence of Santa Claus—they knew what to do next
Many children come to a point in life where they question the existence of Santa Claus. While some stay up late to catch the man in red, others leave milk and cookies and a few even set up traps to catch him before he disappears. 10-year-old Scarlett Doumato from Cumberland, England, went one step ahead to investigate whether Santa Claus is a real person or just a fairytale, WJAR reported. She didn’t do it alone; she requested help from one of the best — the Cumberland Police Department. She got hold of a Christmas cookie and sent it straight to the department to be tested for DNA. The authorities had the perfect response.
The Deseret News conducted a poll asking Americans to share their opinions about Santa Claus. Four in five Americans (83%) noted that they were taught to believe in Santa by their parents. Of these, 80% added that they would like to take forward that belief to their children. This certainly means that they had some faith in the existence of the bearded man with his sleigh. However, no polls or reports mattered to this little girl. She wanted to know the truth once and for all and so took matters into her own hands. She left a cookie out for Santa but not as a treat. The half-bitten cookie was packed and sent straight to the department along with a handwritten letter.
“Dear Cumberland Police Dapartment [sic], I took a sample of a cookie and carrots that I left for Santa and the raindeer [sic] on Christmas Eve,” the girl wrote, TODAY revealed. She requested them to use the samples to get DNA and let her know “if Santa is real.” Chief Matthew Benson from the department got to work. “For her to take that initiative and to push that forward because she has a question that she wants answered, I just think was amazing,” he said. A post confirmed the investigation’s commencement and lit up hopes for many tiny inquisitive minds. There were also pictures of the evidence in bags along with footage of a reindeer in the neighborhood.
The officer also shared the DNA application. “Chief Benson immediately instructed his Investigative Division to forward her evidence to the State of Rhode Island’s Department of Health — Forensic Sciences Unit for analysis,” the post read. The officer added, “This young lady did a tremendous job packaging her evidence for submission. We will do our very best to provide answers for her.” The officers got to work and thoroughly checked the records for any information or matches. They started to get leads, got a description of a man with a white beard and red coat and also noted names of aliases — the reindeer.
Santa Claus was also charged with “failure to finish snacks,” and a solid search was underway. The North Kingstown Police Department also shared a post of their police car parked with a lead in the picture. To the top left corner, is a faint view of Santa and his sleigh and it’s a view for the case. While all the evidence pointed to the existence of Santa Claus, Doumato is keen to get a fixed verdict. The officers did their best in offering as many leads as possible and it's up to the little detective to make a conclusion for herself.
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