Could $184,000 raised to help a young man attend college in middle Georgia end up being returned to donors?

Unless an agreement is hashed out that's exactly what might happen. The standoff over the donations marks a troubling turn in a heart-warming tale that had captivated the national spotlight.

Fred Barley is a young man who said he was homeless when he bicycled six hours to register at a college in Barnesville, intent on becoming a doctor. His plight attracted the attention of Casey Blaney a housewife who started a GoFundMe campaign for him.

But then the feel-good story took an unexpected twist. Doubts emerged about Fred's story. Fred and Casey clashed over who should control the money. Everything abruptly came to a halt when Casey publicly challenged the veracity of his story.

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. (center) is flanked by GOP whip Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. (left) and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, as Thune speak to reporters at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Earlier Tuesday, the Senate passed the budget reconciliation package of President Donald Trump's signature bill of big tax breaks and spending cuts. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Credit: AP