/ CBS News. Timmothy, from Aurora, Illinois, would be 14 years old now. "I'm not going to say she was the best mom ever, but she did what she had to do to make me who I am," she said. "I wasn't able to take my daughter to school, take my daughter to day care, watch my daughter get on the bus and, you know, have birthday parties with my daughter," he said. She retreated from family and friends including her newly-discovered biological parents Joy and Carl, with whom she had a complicated relationship. [citation needed] At age 23, White used websites such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, where she found that the images of the kidnapped Carlina resembled infant photos of herself as Nejdra and those of her daughter, Samani. White spent the next several years searching for her birth parents. Pettway is on probation because of a conviction for attempted embezzlement. White grew suspicious during her teens that Pettway was not her biological mother, because of her inability to provide a birth certificate. In his, Carl told Pettway, "What you should get is 23 years, what you took away from me," while Joy said, "I'm broken into a million pieces." 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. NY 10036. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The revelation was not entirely surprising to White as she had begun to notice that she did not share physical traits with Pettway. Joy White and Carl Tyson both confirmed that most of this money had been spent during the years before their reunion, and that a trust fund that had been established was obtainable only if Carlina had been found before the age of 21. Joy White said she remembered Pettway, posing as a nurse, consoling her before picking up the baby and waking away. Feb. 10, 2012 -- A woman who snatched an infant from a New York City hospital 24 years ago and raised her as her daughter pleaded guilty today to a federal kidnapping . In 2010, she noticed that a photo of a missing child in a database looked like her own daughter Samani, according to the Chicago Tribune. For the mothers of the missing boys in Episode 6 of Unsolved Mysteries Volume 2, Carlina White's case is a beacon of hope. For the next few weeks, White was in constant contact with her birth parents, but she sometimes struggled to form a relationship with them. The defense pointed to Pettway's suffering, including miscarriages and three still births. "[1], In 2014, White spoke at the Crimes Against Children Conference, the leading national training event for law enforcement professionals working to combat child victimization. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She claimed that White was abandoned by her mother at birth. "We say listen, the Whites, we're sorry this happened, but at the same time too, have some compassion for our relative," Brian Pettway, a cousin of Ann Pettway, said. 135 Likes, 3 Comments - Angelin Ann (@anngelinan) on Instagram: " As Eris finally decided to open the pyxis her mother left behind for her 21st birthday." Carlina White's father, Carl Tyson, insinuated the punishment was too lenient and felt as though Pettway should receive prison time equivalent to the years his daughter was kept away from him. She began to think about Pettway, who at the time was on the run from the FBI. On Aug. 4, 1987, Joy White and Carl Tyson rushed their newborn daughter, Carlina White, to the hospital due to a fever. After comparing baby photos of "Nejdra" to Carlina's, and with White sporting the same birthmark on her arm as baby Carlina, the NYPD contacted Joy and Carl for DNA samples. The infant even had the same birthmark as White. New York, It may be rejected, but I am deeply sorry for what I've done. Pettway had been in trouble with the law several times as a teen on charges of larceny, theft, and forgery, but police who knew her said she wasnt a hell-raiser. As an adult, she struggled with a drug addiction. There was no way of knowing what the woman in white looked like except for the description given by Joy White and Carl Tyson. All my friends used to say she was a cool mom.". 419 Likes, 59 Comments - Penelope Ann Miller (@penelopeannmiller) on Instagram: "Happy birthday to my hunky hubby A wonderful daddy and partner in life, love, and adventure. He had just managed to doze off when the phone rang. I took a child. [4][5] The baby had been receiving intravenous antibiotics when, between 2:30am and 3:55am, someone removed the IV line and abducted her. You took something away from me," Tyson said. In a flat. Finally, more than 23 years after her kidnapping, White was reunited with her parents in 2011. Growing up, White sometimes wondered if Pettway was her real mother. Authorities checked her DNA against her birth parents and realized she was their missing daughter. White ultimately discovered that she had been kidnapped as a baby by searching missing children web sites, and earlier this year was finally reunited with her real family. The woman who sparked a nationwide manhunt by snatching a baby from Harlem Hospital a quarter century ago closed the book on the sensational case Friday by pleading guilty to kidnapping. Carlina White Was Abducted As A Baby Then Solved Her Own Kidnapping 23 Years Later. Prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of 10 to 12.5 years. She handled the potentially awkward moment with grace. Soon, she got in touch with her biological family. Ann Pettway abducted baby Carlina White from Harlem Hospital on August4, 1987, and raised the child as her own. Pettway, the woman who White called Mom while growing up, has several aliases as well as a criminal history that includes charges of embezzlement, forgery, theft and drugs. The security guard stated that a heavyset woman (matching the description the parents had given) did leave around 3:30 am, but she did not have a child with her. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. "Now I have two moms and two dads and my life is richer now because of that," White told the outlet, noting that she was writing to Pettway in prison. Carlina Renae White was born in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City on July 15, 1987. White's parents, Joy White and Carl Tyson, had taken their feverish daughter to the hospital 23 years ago. "She's concerned about the impact this has on all the members of her family, but she is trusting that all the true facts will come out and when they do, she will be looked at in a very different light," Baum said. "She lied to Carlina, to law enforcement and state authorities for 23 years," the prosecutor said. Pettway was ultimately sentenced to 12 years in prison. White solved the case herself 23 years later after finding her photo on a website with images of missing children. Where Are Carlina Whites Biological Parents Now. Fast forwarding to 2005, she had graduated from high school and was pregnant with her first child. Leonardo DiCaprio keeps it low-key as he leaves a friend's birthday party wearing face . "She took [Carlina] for 23 years. Netty graduated from Warren Harding High School, following which, Ann and her moved out to Atlanta for a while. So how exactly was the mystery solved? [18] By the following July, White became estranged from her biological parents. He said that she was relieved to confess. Feb. 10, 2012— -- A woman who snatched an infant from a New York City hospital 24 years ago and raised her as her daughter pleaded guilty today to a federal kidnapping charge and faces at least 10 years in prison. Carlina Renae White was raised as Nejdra "Netty" Nance by Annugetta "Ann" Pettway in Bridgeport, Connecticut, just 45 miles from where her parents had lived. Well, she had on a nurses uniform that night, and prior to that, she had spent 2-3 weeks in the hospital. PICTURES: Missing Children, Where Are They? The indictment against Ann Pettway was. A woman dressed as a nurse kidnapped Carlina White from the hospital and raised the child as her own. Kates coat was a Catherine Walker rewear; Diana wore her Moschino suit numerous times. Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. Where things stand in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial, Alex Murdaugh testifies 4 years after fatal boat crash involving son, Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, January 20, 2011 - Carlina White: Kidnapped Girl Finds Her Mother After 23 Years. White's father, Carl Tyson, expressed his disappointment, saying . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Pettway offered an emotional apology in court, saying it was understandable if the family didn't accept it. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. She was reunited with her birth parents 23 years after being abducted. Tyson also went on to talk about all the things he never got to experience with his daughter. A security guard had seen someone matching the womans description leave the hospital around 3:30 a.m. She didnt have a baby with her, but he believed it was possible that the missing infant had been hidden in her smock. "We say listen, the Whites . She was placed on intravenous antibiotics to fight the infection, and Joy White and Carl Tyson waited anxiously for news of their daughters condition. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "I would like to apologize to the family. Then, learn more about the Jim Twins, who were separated at birth only to discover they lived the same life. According to The New York Times, Pettway explained that she kidnapped White after suffering several miscarriages in an attempt to fill the emptiness they left behind. NEW YORK (CBS/AP) Ann Pettway, the woman believed to be responsible for the kidnapping of Carlina White, who at 19-days-old was abducted from a New York hospital and then was finally reunited with her biological family twenty-three years later, has been declared a probation absconder. I can take your bike and give it back to you the next day, you are okay, but not a child," Shannon Tyson, the uncle of Carlina White, told the Associated Press. Carlina White's father said he thought the sentence was too lenient and that Pettway should've received the amount of time as she'd kept his daughter, 23 years. For the following 23 years, Carlina White became Nejdra Nance. Pettway's attorney, Robert Baum, plans to obtain her hospital records and review her medical history. While "Carlina White" is her legal name, as it appears on official documents, she says that she will continue to go by "Netty" in public since it was neither the name her biological parents gave her nor the name given to her by the woman who raised her, but rather is "[the name] I gave myself. The hospital had video surveillance, but at the time it was not working. He was last seen at a water park in Wisconsin Dells,. / CBS New York. When Netty was 10 years old, Ann gave birth to a son, and the children were raised as siblings. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In 2012, Ann pleaded guilty to federal charges of kidnapping. Pettway went on the run after the kidnapping and reunion of White with her biological family made headlines, police said. Carlina White pulled away from her birth parents and returned home to Atlanta. White's parents sued the city and with the money they won established a trust fund for their daughter in the event of her return. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. First published on January 21, 2011 / 6:45 PM. According to New York magazine, White was in high school when she discovered that her birth certificate was fake. White was abducted from New York City's Harlem Hospital Center in Aug. 1987, when she was just 19 days old. Pettway lied and told White that she had been abandoned by a drug addict. "You hurt me so bad. [5] DNA profiling confirmed in January 2011 that she was the missing Carlina White. She brought her beautiful daughter. In May 2011, public defender Robert Baum said that he met Carlina White during preparations for Ann Pettway's trial and that White agreed to testify on Pettway's behalf. Ann Pettway, 51, had pleaded guilty to kidnapping in February and offered details of the 1987 kidnapping. Tyson and Joy White decided that she would stay at the hospital with the baby, but she needed to get some things from home first. Pettway is on parole in North Carolina until June 2012. Joy White next to her daughters crib shortly after Carlina Whites kidnapping. Jan. 25, 2011 — -- The family of Ann Pettway, the woman who confessed to kidnapping Carlina White 23 years ago, has asked for compassion following Pettway's arraignment. Then, in a quest to find some answers, Netty turned to the internet. [6], The case was the first known infant abduction from a New York hospital.[7]. In her last interview in 2014, White told the Mirror that she'd forgiven Pettway and was in contact with her. We all went up there, we had dinner together, her aunts were there. While on the website of theNational Center for Missing and Exploited Children, she found baby Carlinas photos and realized that they matched her own features. It wasn't until 2010, when she was 23 and living in Atlanta, that she decided to try expanding her search outside of Connecticut, and found a photo of a baby who had been abducted in 1987 and looked just like her own young daughter on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's website. Even before the DNA analysis was complete, with all three feeling certain it would be a match, White began talking to Joy and Carl on the phone, and flew to New York to meet them in early 2011. Daniels said that Pettway had a relative contact the authorities through Facebook. Carlina White's biological father, Carl Tyson, doesn't believe that Pettway is sorry. In another interesting turn of events, Ann turned herself in to the FBI on January 23, 2011. She had swallowed fluid during her delivery and had an infection. NCMEC reached out to Joy White and Carl Tyson through email just before Christmas 2011. Friends and family assumed shed gone elsewhere to give birth to the baby, presumed to be the daughter of her on-again, off-again boyfriend Robert Nance. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Ann Pettway, 51, received less than the life sentence she was facing and the 23 years the mother of the kidnapped girl requested. This was when Netty was pregnant and needed health insurance. Carlina White solved her own kidnapping case in 2005. Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below First published on July 30, 2012 / 11:27 PM. Paleontologists In North Dakota Just Found The Remains Of A Dinosaur That Was Killed The Day The Asteroid Struck, The Disturbing Disappearance Of 18-Year-Old Zebb Quinn And The Series Of Bizarre Clues Left Behind, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. In a letter ahead of the sentencing hearing, Pettway apologised and said the kidnapping would have never occurred if she had sought professional help after her failed pregnancies. Joy White and Carl Tyson had brought their newborn daughter to the hospital after she developed an infection and high fever; within a few hours, she was smuggled out of the hospital by Ann Pettway. DNA testing was performed to confirm that Carlina White was indeed their child. The couple didn't see their daughter until earlier this month when White's true identity was established. White added to New York magazine that she intended to change all of her official documentation to her legal name of Carlina White, but that she would continue to go by her nickname Netty. Carlina White was reunited with her birth parents in 2011. 1 of 6 Ann Pettway turned herself in on Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011 to authorities in Bridgeport, Conn. Pettway was charged in 1987 kidnapping of Carlina White from Harlem Hospital in New York City. Ann Pettway, Kidnapper of Carlina White, Gets 12 Years in Prison - The New York Times Kidnapping of Baby Draws 12-Year Term Joy White, speaking to reporters on Monday. They specifically challenged the defence's contention that Pettway had provided a "stable, loving and happy home", for Ms White for 23 years. But no one ever came forward, and the parents had to wait 23 years before gaining some closure. The case represents one of the longest known gaps in an abduction in which the victim was reunited with the family in the United States. While Pettway was stalling, White visited a Connecticut Bureau of Vital Statistics, where a clerk was unable to find any records under her name and birth date, accused White of attempting to obtain a false identity, and flagged the case to the state's Department of Children and Families, White toldNew York. The father remembered that the culprit had said, The baby dont cry for youyou cry for the baby. He found this method of assuring someone a bit weird. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 2023 BBC. White was raised as Nejdra Nance. White ultimately discovered that she had been kidnapped as a baby by searching missing children web sites, and in early 2011, was finally reunited with her real family. She then raised White as her own daughter for over 20 years, renaming her Nejdra "Netty" Nance. Plus, flyers with her photos and information had been circulated nationwide. The last thing Joy White could recall about the nurse was a bizarre comment she made as her newborn daughter was admitted: The baby dont cry for you, you cry for the baby. She now believes it was the womans attempt to get rid of her. At first, White only searched for kidnappings that had occured near Bridgeport, Connecticut. [15] On July 30, 2012, Judge P. 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