The woman who stated she saw former Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton in a pedophile chatroom on an American Airlines flight has never been contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to reporting by tmz.com.
Passenger Reports Jim Thornton for Chatroom Messages
- A passenger captured cell phone photographs of Jim Thornton’s laptop screen displaying chatroom messages referencing underage children during a May flight from Charlotte to Los Angeles.
- After the passenger reported the incident to a flight attendant, the flight captain notified authorities, and law enforcement officers met the aircraft upon landing at LAX.
- While the Los Angeles Police Department took a full statement from the witness and informed her the FBI would follow up, sources close to the witness state the federal agency has not made contact.
FBI Refuses to Confirm Investigation into Thornton
Following the plane’s arrival at LAX in May, authorities briefly questioned Jim Thornton before allowing him to leave without an arrest or formal charges. Sources close to the witness told tmz.com that the LAPD officer who took the initial statement indicated the information would be immediately forwarded to federal investigators.
Despite that handoff, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has maintained its standard institutional posture regarding the matter. A representative for the federal agency stated on Friday that “The FBI does not, as a matter of policy, confirm or deny the existence of investigations.”
Wheel of Fortune Terminates Jim Thornton
Amid the fallout from the incident aboard the American Airlines flight, Jim Thornton has been terminated from his position as the announcer on Wheel of Fortune. Legal representation for Thornton has defended his actions, stating that he “did nothing wrong” and exited the chatroom immediately upon realizing its actual nature.
| Timeline Event | Location | Key Development |
|---|---|---|
| May | American Airlines Flight (Charlotte to L.A.) | Passenger snaps laptop photos and notifies flight crew |
| September | Los Angeles / Media Disclosure | Story breaks publicly via tmz.com |
| October | Federal & Local Jurisdiction | Witness confirms zero contact from the FBI |
