UPDATED Thursday, January 17, 2013 --- 11:51 a.m.

LAIE, Hawaii (AP) -- People in the small Hawaii hometown of Manti Te'o are offering support for the Notre Dame linebacker after the story of his girlfriend and her death from Leukemia were revealed as a hoax.

No one answered the door Wednesday evening at Te'o's parents' home in the small coastal town of Laie on Oahu's northern shore where Te'o was born.

But members of the mostly Mormon community said they were dumbfounded, and didn't believe he would have knowingly perpetrated such a story.

Neighbor Katherine Lindsay, a retiree sitting in front of her home talking with friends, says she knows how people are raised in the community, and she could not go along with the idea that Te'o could be involved in the deception.

Notre Dame officials confirmed that the story was a hoax, but insist Te'o was the victim.

Copyright 2013: Associated Press

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Posted Wednesday, January 16, 2012 --- 4:55 p.m.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- Notre Dame says a story about Manti Te'o's girlfriend dying, which he said inspired him to play better as he helped the Fighting Irish get to the BCS title game, turned out to be a hoax apparently perpetrated against the linebacker.

The university issued a news release Wednesday after Deadspin.com reported it could find no record of Lennay Kekua existing.

The university says that Notre Dame coaches were informed by Te'o and his parents on Dec. 26 that Te'o had been the victim of what appeared to be a hoax. Someone using a fictitious name "apparently ingratiated herself" with Te'o, the school said, then conspired with others to lead him to believe she had died of leukemia.

The university said "the proper authorities" are investigating a "very cruel deception."

Copyright 2013: Associated Press