WFAA-TV

Club Libby Lu says the statement about the father killed in Iraq is false.

It was supposed to be a giant surprise for a six-year-old Garland girl - free tickets to a Hannah Montana concert in New York, after winning a "Rock Your Holidays" essay contest.

But what started out as a happy story turned into an investigation.

The young Garland girl won her tickets to Hannah Montana with an essay that started out "My daddy died this year in Iraq."

It was sure to pull on the heartstrings of any judge but it turns out that wasn't true, setting off a string of shocks that began at Hannah Montana's retail partner for young girls, called the Club Libby Lu.

Club Libby Lu stores across the country sell rock star dreams.

Little girls who walk in are sprinkled with fantasy dust and make a wish.

To help them become more like Hannah Montana, girls can get "Secret Celebrity makeovers."

When a Garland girl came in with her mom, she was presented with a surprise makeover.

Then came an even bigger shock.

Her essay won her a four tickets and airfare to a Hannah Montana concert.

Priscilla Ceballos did most of the talking for her daughter.

She laid out a tragedy of a father killed in Iraq.

An army sergeant named Jonathon Menjivar of Garland who died on April 17th of this year.

But for those who sadly track local Iraq casualties, that was an unfamiliar name.

A check with Department of Defense records showed that no one of that name was killed in Iraq on that day. In fact no one of that name has died in Iraq.

The mother would not talk about it.

Club Libby Lu sponsored the essay contest. The company now says the statement about the father killed in Iraq is false.

They say they never dreamed of having to do background checks on essays from little girls. They say the real truth of what happened is "even more disturbing." But so far, they won't say what that is.

E-mail bharris@wfaa.com.