Former Republican staffer Natalie Greene was found hogtied with multiple cuts (Image: US Attorney’s office)
A former Republican staffer accused of staging a horrific politically motivated attack has resurfaced in a new photograph showing the lasting scars from the wounds prosecutors allege she paid someone to inflict. Natalie Greene, 26, was found bound with zip ties on a wooded trail in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, in July last year, claiming she had been abducted and mutilated by three masked men in a brutal attack linked to her political work.
The words “Trump w***e” had been written across her stomach, while dozens of deep cuts covered her face, neck, chest and shoulder. The case made national headlines after Greene, who had been working for Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew, alleged she had been targeted because of her political affiliation.
The words ‘Trump w***e’ were written on Natalie Greene’s stomach (Image: US Attorney’s office)
But federal prosecutors say the entire incident was an elaborate hoax.
Now, Greene has posted a new profile picture on Facebook in which thick pink scars are clearly visible across her upper chest and shoulder beneath a low-cut knitted vest. She is pictured smiling alongside an unidentified tattooed man.
Court photographs released after her arrest show the severity of the injuries, with deep criss-crossing cuts stretching across the upper part of her body.
According to prosecutors, Greene travelled from New Jersey to Pennsylvania two days before the alleged attack to meet a body-modification artist she had contacted through Instagram.
Investigators allege she paid the artist $500 to carry out the scarification procedure.
Prosecutors allege Natalie Greene paid somebody to inflict the injuries (Image: US Attorney’s office)
During searches, authorities said they recovered a receipt documenting the payment and discovered Greene had viewed online pages relating to body modification and scarification on Reddit.
Investigators also allege that an accomplice searched online for “zip ties near me” shortly before the incident. Police later found zip ties matching those used to bind Greene’s wrists and ankles inside her car.
Emergency services were called after a woman allegedly acting at Greene’s request made a frantic 911 call reporting a violent assault.
Officers found Greene lying in a wooded area with her hands and feet bound behind her back using black zip ties. Her shirt had been pulled over her head and she had multiple cuts across her body.
She allegedly told officers she had been restrained by one or more attackers, who carved into her skin and wrote the slur across her stomach before fleeing. Greene also claimed one of the supposed attackers had been armed with a gun.
However, prosecutors say Greene and the woman who called 911 gave conflicting versions of events and inconsistent descriptions of the alleged suspects.
The US Department of Justice subsequently charged Greene with conspiracy and making false statements to law enforcement.
If convicted on both counts, she faces up to 10 years in prison, fines totalling up to $500,000 and as much as six years of supervised release.
Court records also show Greene was ordered to undergo mental health treatment in December last year.
Her current whereabouts are unclear after reports she became estranged from a number of family members and friends following the criminal case. The charges remain allegations, and Greene has not been convicted.
