INDIANAPOLIS -- A woman who served prison time for falsely claiming she was the long-missing daughter of two Indiana residents could appear on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" with the parents if her probation terms are altered.

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The nationally syndicated TV show has invited Donna Walker (pictured, left) to appear with the parents of Shannon Sherrill, who was 6 years old when she vanished from the Thorntown area in 1986.

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Walker and Mike and Dorothy Sherrill have agreed to the joint appearance, but a judge must first make an exception to Walker's probation terms, which stipulate that she not have contact with the Sherrill family. Indianapolis attorney Jack Crawford, who represents Walker, filed a court motion requesting the exception.

Mike Sherrill told RTV6's Derrik Thomas that he believes the show would generate buzz about his daughter, whose disappearance still hasn't been solved. He said he also believes Walker could know something about what happened to her.

"I feel that she might know something about my daughter," he said during an interview Tuesday at the Tipton County gas station he operates. "This isn't about Donna Walker. It is about Shannon."

Authorities said that in the summer of 2003, Walker, a Kansas resident, called the Sherrill family and claimed to be Shannon. Police said that she also called police and the news media, sometimes pretending to be two other, fictitious people to bolster the story that she was Shannon.

Investigators determined that the story was a hoax. Walker surrendered to authorities in late July 2003.

Police said they believed Walker had learned about the Sherrill case through the Internet.

Last year, Walker pleaded guilty but mentally ill to attempted identity deception and false reporting. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison, but she was released less than a month later after receiving credit for time already served and good behavior.

Mike and Dorothy Sherrill wrote letters supporting the motion to allow Walker to appear with them on TV. Crawford said he understood why the three would want to be on the show.

"It's not unusual for crime victims to want to understand why a person would do this to them," Crawford said. "They did suffer from this, and perhaps they have a lot of questions that weren't answered that they want to ask Donna Walker.

"And Donna Walker is interested in reconciling, if you will, to some degree, with this family."

Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer opposes the motion. He said he is concerned that the Sherrill family would be used and that Walker is just craving attention, Thomas reported.