Widgetized Section
Go to Admin » Appearance » Widgets » and move Gabfire Widget: Social into that MastheadOverlay zone
Woman Gets 12 Yrs Prison for Kidnapping a Baby in 1987, Child Found Her Real Mother
A woman has been sent to prison for 12 years for stealing a child out of the hospital way back in 1987. Ann Pettway is going to spend some time behind bars for committing an unthinkable crime that has every mother shuddering in fear. The baby was stolen from the Harlem Hospital, where 3 week old Carlina White was led to believe that the woman who kidnapped her was her biological mom.
The baby had been brought to the emergency room for a high fever. Prosecutors also alleged that Pettway wanted the baby “and constructed a web of lies that denied the child the truth about her family for 23 years.”
Authorities recommended 10 – 12 years in prison for Pettway. They tried to get a longer sentence after finding out more things about the case that they believed called for a longer sentence. But the judge gave Pettway 12 years and left it at that.
Prosecutors claimed that the wannabe mother “brazenly took the daughter from a hospital crib and, when no one stopped her, brought the baby home with her to Connecticut. If the offense had ended there, in 1987, a lengthy sentence of imprisonment would have been warranted for kidnapping alone. But the offense did not end there. Instead it continued for 23 years.”
Carlina found her real parents by searching on the Internet. She grew up feeling that something wasn’t right and found out that it was all wrong all along. She then located her real family and reunited with them in New York.
Joy White, Carlina’s biological mother, was livid over the shortened sentence and felt that Pettway deserved more time in prison.
“I’ve lost 23 years of being with my daughter,” she said.
Pettway said this in court to try to explain her behavior.
“I went to the hospital. I took a child. It was wrong.”
“Because of my actions so many lives were hurt,” she said in a handwritten letter.
“All I can do now is ask forgiveness from her and her parents. It may not sound correct on paper but I am hopelessly SORRY,” she wrote. “My action led to such a huge loss for her parents, but there is nothing I can do to right this wrong that I committed.”
She says that she failed to seek counseling for her own trauma due to failed pregnancies in the past.
16 Responses to Woman Gets 12 Yrs Prison for Kidnapping a Baby in 1987, Child Found Her Real Mother
Leave a Reply
Taya
August 2, 2012 at 11:50 am
To Moonhead and Neilden I understand that you may be angry with an all powerful God who seems to be doing nothing about what is happening down here but nothing could be further from the truth! God is dealing with sin in all it’s deepest ugly hues and it is an intrusion into his universe. He has felt it too while He stood helpless watching His Son die to defeat it. He could have intervened then too but didn’t, if He had stopped it we would have no hope. So let me say loud and clear God is busy offering the cure for sin and that is the blood of Jesus. This whole sorry cosmic battle between Good and evil will soon be over and you can choose to day to join God’s team. Get enlightened and find out what you are fighting against, He loves you too.
Neilden
July 31, 2012 at 2:46 pm
I just thank God that Ann Pettway did not further abuse the child during the time she had control over this helpless baby.. She could have done unspeakable things like s*x abuse, slavery, allowed men to take the girl child and all sorts of unloving things.. but Pettway just tried to make the child her own; which is a crime when the rightful mother had to suffer fear and want and guilt for all these years..and I feel her pain but she must be greatful that her assailant atleast tried to be a good mother in her own sad way. 12years is enough for haveing a unfixable, wounded, emptiness in her soul.. to be barren. God Bless you all. NK
jackie
July 31, 2012 at 5:25 am
GOOD YOU DIRTY b***h
moonhead
August 1, 2012 at 2:03 am
Jackie, you called her exactly what she is, and she deserves every bit of this time,and more. These bleeding heart people, and bible thumpers nauseate me.
Taritaritari5
July 31, 2012 at 4:49 am
Forgive her!
In the world of midwifery, a woman suffers many spiritual, hormonal changes when they naturally lose a child.
What takes place after is phenomenal, one cannot predict.
Just pray, glad that the biological mother is reunited with her natural child!
Amen!
R
July 31, 2012 at 3:42 pm
Yes, we have to be thankful that she was one of those kidnappers who took a child and attempted to raise it as her own rather than a pedophile/child murderer. This story could’ve turned out so much different. But it’s not for us to forgive. She hasn’t wronged any of us. That doesn’t mean we can’t be upset about such a light sentence. At the very least she should’ve been given a year for every year that child was kept away from her family. I really would like to know what was going on in the judge’s mind when he/she came to this decision.
On a side note, this also speaks to how important it is for women who miscarry to seek help and have a support system. A miscarriage can be devastating and for some people a devastating event in their lives is just the push they need to go over the edge. Folks think mental health is something to play with. It’s fragile and it has to be taken care of.
Neilden
August 1, 2012 at 9:44 am
It is so good to hear another sympathetic voice on this matter.. your words bring so much hope, which we need in times like this, when a sister falls,. its sad,. I think Pettway should not have gotten as much time because she didn’t do all things you mentioned and that I talked about earlier.. I’m glad that the judge remembered that the system we live in is big Kidnappers themselves.. so a little mercy for Pettway is fare.
moonhead
August 1, 2012 at 2:09 am
Pray, pray for what? I pray that she gets her a*s beat in prison. This animal, stole the life of a child, away from her mother, and no amount of kneeling down on your knees, can give her, or her parents back that precious time, and intimacy. So you prayers are meaningless.
kimberly
July 31, 2012 at 12:59 am
So sad…sad that this demon took another woman’s baby and tried to raise it as her own for all these years and sadder that our justice system only gave her 12 years…..this whole story is wrong and fowl….I hope they make her life miserable in jail!
Warren Harry
July 30, 2012 at 9:14 pm
I remember seeing this story on the news. I live in Harlem and it was a big deal here. The way the kidnapped young woman found her real mother is testimony to the glory of God. Anyone need proof of miracles still occurring, here’s one….
moonhead
August 1, 2012 at 1:46 am
Where was this glory of God, for the 23 years this girl was kidnapped? Why is it when something good happens, you bible thumpers always attribute it to this impotent God, and when something bad happens, you start quoting meaningless bible phrases? Explain to me, what are you thanking this God for? What kind of God, would let a child be kidnapped in the first place? What kind of God, would let millions of people starve to death, or die of thirst, and diseases? What kind of God, would let man kill, in his name? Well, it certainly isn’t a type of God, that I would worship, or give praise to, and please don’t quote me from that man made bible, because that is what they said.
Neilden
August 1, 2012 at 9:11 am
I Totally agree with you Mr. Moonhead. What kind of God would let man control his own destiny to create booms, pollute the waters,and kill unborn children.. What kind of God would make an imperfect man and then give that man a chance to chose Good or Evil.. I’ll tell you brother this don’t make no sense. And then to top it off, God allows this ignorant foolish man to wake up, run around and spite filth out of his mouth for free.. I don’t know brother but I think you got a point. I wonder if the Bible explains why God allows man to kill and destroy life and then blame God for it?? what do you think brother. lionstruth@yahoo.com