Duke of Cleveland hoax: Where are they now?

Caspian James Crichton Stuart IV. This was the name that a 22 year old sex offender used when he came to the high school posing as British royalty in the 2005 – 2006 school year. Joshua Gardner created a British accent and posed as the Fifth Duke of Cleveland, 27th in line for the British throne. He did not realize however that he would be uncovered by the Pony Express newspaper staff, specifically the four editors-in-chiefs, Matt Murphy, Karlee Weinmann, Marisa Riley, and Chantel Leonhart.

Even though the four EICs dedicated a big amount of time towards the Pony Express, they have each taken on very different careers and lifestyles. However, they each have one thing in common: they each have a fun story to tell every now and then.

Chantel Leonhart

Leonhart and Weinmann were some of the first people to interview the duke. It lasted about two hours and they “became skeptical pretty quickly.” This was the event that triggered the uncovering of Gardner.

Leonhart was very active throughout high school. She played hockey and soccer while working at Joseph’s Family Restaurant. Besides working for the Pony Express, most of her classes were general courses.

“I always had more of an interest in arts and writing,” Leonhart said. “That’s what drew me to take Newspaper, and helped grow my love for photography.”

After graduating high school, Leonhart attended Winona State and majored in Photojournalism for two years. Even though she loved Winona State, Leonhart was not enjoying her classes as much.

“The Photojournalism program was much more journalism heavy and I really wanted more photography,” Leonhart said. “I transferred to Brown College in Mendota Heights and that’s where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Digital Photography.”

Since then, Leonhart has created her own company, Chantel Lynn Photography, which is located in the Twin Cities. She also helps pay her student loans bar serving at a bar in St. Anthony.

“Mostly, I photograph weddings, but do a little bit of families and senior portraits as well,” Leonhart said. “I also photograph weddings for George Street Photography on a contracted basis.”

Karlee Weinmann

Weinmann became skeptical about the Duke very quickly after her interview with him started. “Each of his anecdotes seemed more ridiculous than the last,” Weinmann said. “He name-dropped celebrities and claimed to be in the room when Prince Harry found out Princess Diana had died. It was, simply put, unbelievable.” This only fueled her to continue digging into the story.

Weinmann enjoyed many of her classes in high school, such as debate, sociology and philosophy. Newspaper was her main activity and had the biggest affect on her career. She attended the University of Minnesota and earned degrees in journalism and sociology of law.

“During college, I worked at the Minnesota Daily — the U’s student newspaper — and interned at the Star Tribune and MinnPost, plus some community newspapers,” Weinmann said.

After graduating, Weinmann moved to New York City and worked at a nonprofit. After some time, she found that she missed journalism and wanted to continue to write and report stories.

“I eventually found my way into newsrooms at the Fiscal Times, Business Insider and Law360 — a newswire for corporate lawyers where I covered Wall Street transactions,” Weinmann said. “I developed a passion for business reporting during those years, but over time grew pretty tired of New York living so I moved back to Minneapolis in March. Since then, I’ve covered economic development for Finance & Commerce, a local business publication.”

The Fifth Duke of Cleveland hoax had a big affect on Weinmann. The fact that the EICs were interviewed by Diane Sawyer and appeared on the Today Show showed to her that, “journalism matters and that any intrepid reporter, regardless of age, can make a difference as long as they’re willing to put in the work.

“That’s something I’ve definitely taken with me,” said Weinmann. “Any story can be meaningful and interesting if the reporter has the right mindset.”

Marisa Riley

After another interview with the duke, Riley became very skeptical about him. He had been asked about his his royal family and some famous locations in Scotland, where he was supposedly from.

“I distinctly remember the moment his mannerisms changed from confident to defensive and anxious,” Riley said. “We knew we had broken down a wall that was not to be tampered with.”

In high school, Riley was very athletic. She was in varsity doubles tennis and was a captain of the alpine ski team.

“Some other classes I took were journalism, photography, sociology and Spanish,” Riley said.

After high school, Riley attended Marquette University and majored in communication studies with a minor in business administration.

“My sophomore year I studied abroad in Galway, Ireland for six months,” Riley said. “While there, I was contacted by my academic advisor about a new program they were starting in the College of Communication. I was one of 30 people that pioneered the corporate communications major at Marquette University.”

Riley currently works at an advertising agency, Bader Rutter, as a senior PR counselor. Bader Rutter is full-service business-to-business marketing agency that inspires human connections that matter.

“In my day-to-day, I manage a spectrum of internal and external communications to help build brand awareness and educate audiences on my client’s product portfolio,” Riley said. “This includes writing for websites, news releases, social media platforms, e-communications, video scripts, talking points and executive speeches.”

Uncovering the duke and being a part of the Pony Express fueled Riley’s love for writing. Not only did these help her get a look at the world of media and mass communications, but it also helped her start her career at college.

“I contacted admissions to share my story and learn about additional scholarships that were available,” Riley said. “Telling my story about the Fifth Duke of Cleveland earned me the scholarships I needed to start my career at Marquette University.”

Matt Murphy was the fourth student involved in uncovering the duke, but he was unavailable for comment. The Fifth Duke of Cleveland hoax was a major story that brought the world of journalism to four talented high school seniors. It has made a lasting memory that they will take with them for many years to come.

“This experience has forever elevated my curiosity,” Riley said. “I have a hunger to learn more and get to the bottom of the story/facts. It’s a priceless appetite for knowledge and clarity that I wouldn’t exchange for anything.”