This story was first published on February 3, 2015
Outline
Circulating report claims that DNA tests on the body of an elderly homeless man have identified him as Elvis Presley.
Brief Analysis
The claims are nonsense. The fictional story comes from the fake-news ‘satirical’ website Empire News. Reports published on Empire News are for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken seriously.
Example
Shocking DNA Results Revealed: Body Of Elderly Homeless Man Identified As Elvis Presley
Earlier this month, an 80-year-old, homeless, white-bearded man was found deceased under an overpass in San Diego, California.
Detailed Analysis
According to a report that is circulating via social media and the blogosphere, investigators attempting to identify an 80-year-old homeless man found dead under a San Diego overpass made a shocking discovery.
Supposedly, DNA tests on the man revealed that he was none other than iconic entertainer Elvis Presley. The report then quotes an FBI spokesperson who revealed that Elvis voluntarily entered the witness protection program back in 1977 because he ‘wanted out of his life’ and wished to become unknown.
The report includes an image depicting Elvis as a young man alongside an image showing what the star may have looked like as an older man.
But, of course, the story is nothing more than fanciful nonsense. The event described never occurred.
The fictional story was published on the fake-news website Empire News. Empire News considers itself satirical and includes the following disclaimer:
Empire News is intended for entertainment purposes only. Our website and social media content uses only fictional names, except in cases of public figure and celebrity parody. Any other use of real names is accidental and coincidental.
The site presents its stories in news format and further implies via its name that its material is real news. Thus, many readers tend to believe the stories and share them with their online friends via social media. The disclaimer is included on a separate “About” page and does not form part of the fictional articles. Empire News has published a series of false reports that have gone viral via social media in recent months.
This current story plays into longing running conspiracy theories that postulate that Elvis Presley did not die in August 1977 as reported by the world’s media at the time. The images used in the article are taken from a website that features an artist’s impressions of what deceased stars may have looked like as they grew older.
It is a good idea to verify any ‘news’ reports that come your way via social media before you share them. Usually, a quick search on a news portal such as Google News will reveal if a story is true. Of course, if the body of a homeless man really had been identified as Elvis, then the story would be front-page news around the world.
Original Source : https://www.hoax-slayer.net/fake-news-claims-body-of-homeless-man-identified-as-elvis-presley/