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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
This May 24, 2010, file photo provided by the Wake County (N.C.) Bureau of Identification shows Ann Pettway, who snatched a newborn baby from a New York hospital more than two decades ago.
Updated 4:35 p.m. ET: A woman who snatched a newborn baby from a New York City hospital more than two decades ago and raised her as her own was sentenced in a Manhattan federal courtroom to 12 years in prison Monday.
Ann Pettway, 51, received less than the life sentence she was facing and the 23 years the mother of the kidnapped girl requested.
White’s father, Carl Tyson, expressed his disappointment, saying, “I’m not really satisfied with the sentencing.” He added that Pettway “put a scar on me.”
Pettway pleaded guilty to a kidnapping charge in February.
For more, visit NBCNewYork.com
During her court appearance then, she offered few details of the 1987 kidnapping. She said she took a train from her Connecticut home to Harlem Hospital, where she scooped up 3-week-old Carlina White, who had been brought to the emergency room by her parents.
"I went to the hospital. I took a child. It was wrong," she told the court.
But she offered no explanation for her action.
As part of Pettway's plea bargain, prosecutors recommended that she be sentenced to between 10 and 12½ years in prison.
Carlina's birth mother, Joy White, wept during the February proceedings. "I've lost 23 years of being with my daughter," she said, adding that those decades were filled with pain and heartache.
White said she encountered Pettway at the hospital on the day her daughter disappeared, dressed like a nurse. "She came up to me and said to me, 'Don't cry. Your daughter is going to be OK.'"
The case was solved by Carlina herself.
Woman pleads guilty in 1987 newborn kidnapping case
As she grew up in Connecticut under another name, the girl became increasingly suspicious of her own identity. Pettway told her she had been given away by a drug addict.
Carlina White said she browsed the website of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for clues to her identity. After matching a photo of herself with one on the site, she tracked down her true mother and they reunited in January of 2011. A DNA test confirmed they were mother and child.
Today, they speak every day, Joy White said.
"I love my daughter. She's a beautiful girl," she said, adding that she had kept a picture of her missing baby at her bedside for 23 years.
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Leave a Comment:
Insanity is inexplicable. All those years apart, but it's good they found each other again.
I am not sure what Obama is going to do now that is wife is going to prison.
well ped, you win the most inane comment that I have ever seen on a post. (and that is not easy)
I do not think he should be re-elected-however-that insult was pointless, tasteless, not really worthy of the time I spent reading it let alone replying to it.
OMG! She DOES look a lot like Obama's wife!
OMG! She does not!
She looks more like Zira, I wonder where Cornelius is?
Kill the kidnapper!
23 years of torture, suffering and pain inflicted on the parents and she may get off with only 10 years in jail?
Execute immediately. Bullet behind the ear!
25 years sounds fair 1 year for every year the mother spent without her daughter. And this woman does look like Michelle Obama uncanny
yougogirl-5926267
OMG! She DOES look a lot like Obama's wife!
OMG! You need a life!
RU People blind???? She does not look like Michelle Obama at all!!!!Or is it White Racist People
Let's not start with the racist garbage already. I'm a racist and see no resembleance here.
LOKI - At last a racist who acknowledges this mental defect openly.
Can't even joke about something without the touchy "no idea what racism is" liberals crying. Was it racism with Tina Fey?
Michelle Obama maybe, but shave her head, tattoo her face and she could definitly pass for Mike Tyson!
You fckers are retarded. Do you even know what this conversation is about? Not who she looks like that's for sure. If you can't read don't post.
I think the woman should do one year for every year the child was missing from her parents.
As for those that claim she looks like Michele Obama, your blind, she does not.
As for the racial comments, I too have become racist, I have seen and been treated as badly by blacks as they claim they are treated by whites. When I was a child my best friend was black, and I never cared about that she was my buddy. But over the years and most recently I have experienced the attitudes, treatment, and down right rudeness of blacks and it has effected me to the point of not wanting anything to do with them.
She has the same shifty leer, the same facial structure and characteristics of Romney's wife.
I"m thinking - nice mustache! How long has 'she' been a woman?
Joy, I sympathize to some extent. I'm white and grew up in the worst neighborhood in Albuquerque, NM(Corrales). I had to walk, or run, to school because white kids got stabbed on the bus. And that was in gradeschool. I couldn't count the number of times I had my a$$ stomped because I was a 'gringo'. However, I never developed any hatred of Hispanics. I'm not a big fan of gangs, Cholos especially, but I don't just lump them all together and hate them wholesale.
You can't find a lower piece of sh*t than one that would take another persons child.
Dopes, she is much better looking than Michelle Obama.
Everyone is a little racist, it is human nature. Understanding that in yourself is defeating it. (haven't you seen Avenue Q jeesh)
NO, but it was damn funny!
Concerning this woman who stole the child, she should be executed for what she has done!
To all the posters who think this woman looks like First Lady Michelle Obama, I ask -- what type of hallucinatory substance did you imbibe?
She should have received 23 years in prison -- the same amount of time she took from the child's mother.
@shay-shay: Why is it there is always at least one like you in every post? She does look a little like Obama's wife. But the comments can come from anyone -- even the black community -- but what do morons like you do -- the black racists I mean? You automatically want to blame it on the whites. When all else fails, and you don't have an intelligent comment to make, you run back to your fallback position. That line is getting so old, it is like tar on the pavement. Why don't you think real, real hard now and if you absolutely, positively can't come up with an intelligent comment to make to this post, then just turn your computer off and wait for an article that you can--if one comes along that is. But if a racial slur is the best your can do, well......what can we say?
And, yes, this woman should have received more than 12 years in prison. Wonder who came up with that marvelous number considering the crime she committed? It's another "give away" in the courtroom. "Do the crime, but don't do the time", that seems to be the legal system's motto these days. And, with good behavior, of course, she will probably be out in three. What a system.
She looks nothing like Mrs. Obama. At all. I'm baffled as to why people are even comparing the two to begin with.
As far as execution, I don't believe that is warranted in this case, but she sure deserves more than she's getting.
Score keeping: Comment 1... 9:29 am, 2. deleted, 3. 9:33am, 1.1 10:56am anti-Obama and stupidly racist, but what took you so long?
As far as the short sentence is concerned. I don't know what motivates a woman to steal an infant but it must be some sort of mental illness which would probable reason the sentence was set the way it was. Infant stealing has be observed in other primates, it is not unique to human beings.
@Highway Star
>She looks more like Zira, I wonder where Cornelius is?
Gee, racist, much? G*d damn you, Highway Star, G*d damn you to HELL for your bigoted comment!!
Why is this woman being locked up for so long? What does that solve? Did she harm the child or raise her to be the bright young woman she is today?
On the other hand considering that there are many private for profit prisons looking for inmates and to make a profit, this sort of sentence should net them about 480 thousand dollars over the 12 years of this woman's incarceration.
What, did you really think those long sentences was somehow to show folks what will happen if they commit such a crime and thus somehow prevent people form committing these sort of crimes? LOL It's all about the money.
Lets get real and face it...... capital punishment had never stopped murders being committed and long prison sentences have never stopped folks from committing crimes in the USA. The only people who profit are the private prisons in our country under our irrational, greedy, ignorant, canibalistic, form of capitalism.
So woman goes to jail for 12 years, cost tax payers bocou money and nothing changes for the woman that was locked up and for the taxpayers who are now going to have to support this woman when she is released from prison 12 years older and without any current jobs skills or a chance in hades of any company wanting to employ her.
It would probably have better if the woman had had to pay restitution to the biological parents of the child for their emotional distress and emotional suffering etc, less the cost of raising the child for the past 23 years plus do 2-5 years of community service working with eg..the homeless children, runaway children, child prostitutes, folks in halfway houses etc.
Now that is a win win solution... as the woman would have to work to support herself and make payment and help others and cost the tax payers zero as she would not be in jail costing the taxpayers 30-40 odd thousand dollars per year.
Let the rubbishing begin....LOL
Bye ya... peace..... blah blah blah blah....
...there are so many sick people online.
This woman looks nothing like Michelle Obama.
Michelle is pure class. Probably, many of the people typing these insane comments about Mrs. Obama, wish that they had the same style and polish that the first lady has.
Besides, the point of the story is that the person responsible for the disappearance of Carlina White has been found.
The issue here is about the time the person got and that it did not seem to be enough especially since the family had asked for more.
It does not seem fair that this person got less time than the time taken away from the individuals whose life she changed. Really for the length of time she had the victim, she did not just cause damage for those years, but for the victim's entire life!!
Twelves years does not seem like enough time. This is an example of how the law does fail the victim and their family. The family's request was a valid one, it is a shame that it did not appear that the family's wish was granted. It seems like even the amount of time asked for(23 years) was even less than she should have been given!!
That's it? 10 - 12 1/2 years? Too bad the law doesn't allow a more severe penalty. I don't know, I guess we should be more compassionate of a sad individual, but denying this child a life growing up with her family and the biological mother a birthright is horrific. Too bad her jail sentence couldn't equal the number of years she denied this child her real parents.
I agree AJ, She needs two years for each year she had the child. You just slap someone on the wrist and send them on to commit again.
She'll probably get a reduced sentence for time served, no priors and the fact that she could be Michelle Obama's twin sister.....2 weeks community service.
She should be in jail for the 23 years that this mother lost with her daughter. At the very least, sue her for mental damages. Make it so this woman loses her house, that way she has nowhere to go except a half-way house when she gets out.
The amount of time she is jailed, isn't going to bring back the years the mother and child lost together.
However, I agree that the time should be much lengthier.
Yes, throw everyone in jail for the rest of their lives, you dumb 5h!t.
They should put all the racists who think she looks like M. Obama in jail with her. Maybe they could help her do something about that 'stache.
AJ She is being sentenced in Federal court She has to serve at least 85% of her time before she can come up for parole.
Kidnapping use to be a life sentence(THE LINDBURG LAW)
There is an old adage that says:" THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD,GO I".That being said,let us hope and pray that JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED.
The sentence was so low because it was part of a plea bargain...but why on earth was a plea bargain necessary??! What the heck is wrong with the legal system anymore? The baby was taken, the now adult child discovered the crime herself, DNA proves everything, case closed! Right? Just sickening.
Who you callin dumb 5hit jok3ra? You are some tough little cookie aren't ya...spilling your slime behind a keyboard?
Bet your chicken arsse wouldn't step out in public and call people names like that.
What punishment would be equal to this crime? As a mother, I would have gone crazy wondering for 23 years as to what happened to my child. I know many others may never find out; I can't even fathom their loneliness or sorrow.
I'm glad that the family has been reunited. I don't know what penalty would be sufficient for this crime. 10 - 12 years is no where near enough.
Give her life as she took the key parts of others like. Plus, she looks like a mean B.......
I agree! The sentence should start from 23 years and above!
My daughter walked out of our home on April 1st with our only Grandson. Have not seen or heard from them since. I wait by the the phone knowing my Grandson knows the number and will call when he can. Church members took them to a safe Christian home. 34 yrs old no drug or alcohol issues. How do you see that coming? I wish I could quit crying.
I am very sorry to hear about your pain. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
The judge can also give her more than that, but that is the number they came up with on the plea deal. This avoids a trial for everyone, and is the right thing, if she cares for the girl she kidnapped and raised as her own, to do. I highly doubt the daughter wants her "mother" in jail either
Joy pleaded for many years with a broken heart, Ann should have no room for any plea, She deserves to be hung and forgotten, Or let Joy have her way with the ho. I bet she wont live,
Her ''Mother '' was/is the woman who gave birth to Carlina and had a horrific crime committed against her and her child not this kidnapper and from what I have read previously she does want the kidnapper in jail.
I don't understand why anybody would have offered a "deal" for her to plead guilty. The evidence was overwhelmingly against Pettway, so there was no real defense. Why let her off easy on the power of the evidence? I would have considered it had she turned herself in. But the young lady had to do all the legwork while Pettway continued to lie to her.
Perhaps the daughter has something to do with the plea bargain. After all, she only knew the woman who raised her as "mother". It has to be difficult to wrap your mind around the fact that this person who raised you, whom you gave mothers day gifts to, who fed, clothed, and did all those things for you ended up not being your real Mom.
As for the sentencing I don't think that is set in stone as of yet. And the real mother does deserve some justice.
Send that OLE ASS HO to the Clink Clink Lock Lock. Dumb B!!! You dont effing kidnap kids PERIOD
Seems like a lot of people don't understand how/why plea agreements work.
"The evidence was overwhelmingly against Pettway, so there was no real defense."
Exactly. So why go through a trial and the COST of a trial to taxpayers? Why dredge up 20 years for the real mom and the daughter. Why bring in the people she considered family and cause those kinds of hard feelings -- none of them may have known what happened. Let her plea guilty to a 12 year sentence (which means she will be out in 6, more than likely) and let everyone move on with their lives.
Take the ho out back shoot the low life in the head and get on with life, we dont need people like this on our planet, Its time we make our laws fit the crime, She has destroyed enough lives, she should not have one,,
I am sure your ideal society would be a wonder to behold. Not fascist at all. I bet you consider yourself for 'small government' too.
I'm curious, there was no mention of it, but was there any monetary settlement between the hospital and the parents? And would the defendant have to reimburse the hospital?
There was a monetary settlement. But the hospital was still wrong for not securing the child and they had no part in finding her. And whatever the parents got was not enough.
stupid
RT, I am sure she is on welfare, how could she pay it back?
Two years for each she had the child...46 is my number for her time in prison.
Does she look like she has money?
Jean-982597
RT, I am sure she is on welfare, how could she pay it back?
Right, cause you've probably seen her while waiting in line for your welfare check.
Yes, you are correct. There was a settlement of $500,000. You wanna hear the SICK part. When the young girl found out they were her real parents, The second question she had for them was..." What did you do with the money? Do you have any of that money left?" The mother said "No we spent it all on the other two children". I feel so bad for this REAL mother , finally getting to meet her kidnapped daughter, then most of the conversation is about the money they received form the lawsuit. Just makes my stomach turn. The kidnapping person "DID NOT" raise her well !!!!
Well, you can hardly expect that a woman who would steal a baby would be a great parent. I'd like to know how the girl was treated growing up...was there abuse? Neglect?
Tell me Jean. What drew you to the conclusion she is on welfare?
A fair sentence would have been 23 years.
What would make a child that suspicious? If the child was suspicious, why weren't any adult family members? I just don't understand how she got away with the crime for so long.
She should never spend another day as a free woman.
She didn't have a birth certificate so she couldn't get a summer job. She had no access to no one else in her family such as cousins, aunts, or grandparents. These are things that make you go hmmmm.
It is amazing how much one person can stand. This story is beyond comprehension. It does prove that nothing and nobody can change your destiny. Carlina lived to fulfill her mission and reunite with her birth mother. The thief did not get away with the crime. It is good that a confession was rendered as well. Doesn't matter much why at this point, the how, needs to be examined. Unsafe practices caused this family to be torn apart.
najuma or what ever.. UNSAFE PRACTICES caused this crime? BS, this woman that stole the child created this horrific crime.. Please re/examine your post.
I thought najumamunirah was referring to the security practices of medical facilities, which have been examined and improved upon over the past few decades. People used to be able to go look at babies in the pediatrics ward unquestioned, which is no longer the case today. I understand that a person intent on kidnapping a baby will find a way to do it, but the poster made a valid point regarding hospital security.
just curious, how does the kidnapped girl feel about the fake mother, she must have some feelings towards her, i didn't see anything mentioned? just curious!
I'm guessing if the kidnapped girl was suspicious and looking on the Internet, that she was not happy with her situation - otherwise why look? My biological father abandoned us when I was 3 and I was adopted by my stepdad at 9; never felt any desire to look for the biological because all was well at home. And I was too young to remember anything about the bio or what my home life was like when he was around, but I still had no desire to look for him.
If I had a kidnapped child I would just kill the bitch. She is a victim though because of the color of her skin, she gets off easy.
Uh.... just in case you didn't know (and I'm sure with an ignorant statment like yours, you don't know much) white people get plea offers just as much as black people.
Ophotfoot
If you had a kidnapped child, you would be arrested and thrown in jail, and have people calling for your head. I guess, stupidity is color blind. But hey, don't let dropping out of school stop you from posting idiotic comments.
you have got to be kidding. stealing babies ranks right up there with clubbing seals, raping children, and shooting mulitple innocent people in a movie theater. hang her.
LIFE in an asylum. (paid for by the retirement fund of federal politicians)
freddy, that's a good one.. I'll go along with your deal...:O)
freddy4life~I've read every ssingle post here and yours is the most sensible and pleasing! Congratulations...you win a cookie!
freddy4life for president!
Based one this one post, and with freddy4life a complete unknown, I honestly don't think we could do any worse...
This woman should get 2 years in prison for every year the daughter and biological birth mother were apart. The biological mother can never get the years back she was deprived of.
I know someone who was caught with marijuana and got a fifteen year sentence. I read previous articles about this poor girl-Carlina that said she did not have a great child hood. Why does this woman get off easy? Is it because she agrees to plead guilty and save us all a bunch of money? Who has the control here? Looks like the criminal to me. I wouldn't be surprised if money was a major factor in this case.
Yup!
who could live with themselves when they know they stole someones life? its just as bad as murder taking this much time from someone. we only have so much time. hang her.
I applauded the daughters "discovery" when it was published. I'm very happy they have reunited and have a chance at regaining a life stolen from them.
While Ann Pettway might have been a "loving" care giver for those 23 years, it doesn't negate the pain and suffering she brought on a mother and her child.
I believe a fitting sentence would be a year for every year mother and daughter were separated. 23 years.
I am reading so many of these comments that totally ignore that that 23 years were taken from a FATHER. This low life despicable scum took an infant from BOTH of her parents! The bias towards mothers is evident throughout these postings. Almost none even acknowledge that Carlina White has a father. Why are so many expressing support for the birth mother while not even mentioning her father?
The kidnapper should have gotten 46 years in prison. She inflicted pain and suffering on both parents for 23 years. 10 1/2 to 12 is a reward for committing a horrible crime...
The sentencing Judge is NOT obligated to issue the sentence as recommended by the Prosecutors; but, not to sentence less than recommended...
Sentencing to 25+ years without early parole/release is more appropriate...
I applaude the daughter for having the sense to start thinking for herself and to begin to investigate. The fact that she felt the way she did and suspected something tells me she's a pretty smart cookie. Some people don't have a clue about things while others just have that sixth sense about it. So glad the Missing Children site was available and that she took it upon herself to check it out. This ended in a good way, although it began badly. I agree that the sentence doesn't seem to fit the crime....she'll live in her own hell the rest of her life but the baby girl (23 years old) has a new lease on her and on her biological mothers life now. Go forward !
Her picture says it all. Selfish, self centered narcissist. What a waste of air this women is. Bet she's probably been on Welfare this whole time too.
I think you have to present a birth certificate to get welfare. Not sure but girl said she couldn't get a job because she didn't have one.
Wow TSO. You can ascertain a LOT from a picture!
So, can you tell me what it was, exactly, that tipped you off to her being on welfare? I just love it, the picture tells you everything.
Oh, and your screen name ensures to myself and everyone else, that your probably not so well hung there, chief.
tso, what are you doing posting on the vine. You should apply for an FBI profiling detective position. You are a genius when it comes to the 8th sense.
tso let me guess how you knew she was on welfare? the earrings, the hair, the cool stare that people on public assistance has ......what a POS !!!
Tso, perhaps you should do a little more reading elsewhere prior to posting ignorant garbage. The kidnapper actually worked and made a decent home for the baby she took. Welfare? Really?
Mo, the person without the birth certificate is the kidnapping victim. Considering the circumstances. doesn't that make sense? That is what made Carlina suspicious about her true history. She couldn't get a summer job or a driver's license due to the lack of a birth certificate. Her fake mother could never give her a reasonable answer so she began looking into missing children...
So where were all the other people around this POS when she had this miraculous birth? Don't tell me that no one noticed that she was not pregnant but suddenly came up with a child - no one questioned? I realize that it is the thing in her community that you don't "rat out" a bro or sister, but that attitude is just helping gangs and this kind of thing to continue.
I realize that it is very hard for you to read. But I'm still holding out hope that you can learn to read some day. I know, I know, your community advocates for dropping out of school.......but that attitude is just helping this kind of thing to continue.
The kidnapper lived in Connecticut when she took this child from a NY hospital. How do you know if she was close to anyone at that time? Perhaps she told everyone that she ADOPTED the infant, but you jump on here with your stupid assumptions and ugly stereotypes. This criminal ALONE is responsible for committing her crimes and perpetrating it for years. The hospital was certainly extremely negligent, but no one kidnapped the infant but the convicted criminal. Stop trying to blame everyone that may have known her or happened to live nearby...
I am surprise that Ann Pettway did not ask for back child support!!
Shamma Lamma welfare ding dong ! Who yo baby mama is ???????
Racism aside, have some respect for the family who had their child stolen. It's not funny.
Snatching is a term that softens kidnapping. Life sentence for all kidnappers, no exceptions.
I agree! Too much PC going on.
She should do life!
she gon'a get a free ride on your dime...so the more time the more dime...