Since then had three other children. Pretending to be a nurse, Williams kidnapped Kamiyah just hours after the little girls birth at University Hospital, which is now known as UF Health Jacksonville. It was one of the happiest days of my life, Shanara told USA Today of learning about Mobleys recovery and Gloria Williams arrest. Mobleys relationship with her biological mother, Shanara Mobley had been strained in part due to Kamiyahs continued relationship with her kidnapper, Gloria Williams.Williams is now serving an 18-year prison sentence for stealing baby Kamiyah. Alexis, whose interview appeared on Good Morning America, told an ABC News reporter that Gloria Williams would always be Mom. She also said that she owed her biological parents a meeting, and was very interested in getting to know them. She was abducted from a Florida hospital on July 10, 1998, when she was only eight hours old. I could have been doing drugs, drinking, all that. Instead, Williams put Mobley in a bag, walked to her car, and drove home to South Carolina. I shouldnt have to compete with a kidnappershe has to pick one of us, Shanara said. Harms was assigned the case to help Mobley understand the court process and to have a voice. The real estate of Kamiyah Mobley hasnt yet been disclosed in the media. Later, Shanara was interviewed, pleading for her daughters return. "My feelings toward my mother will never change," she emphasized. News accounts from 1998 report that the kidnapper escaped with the baby on the pretense of taking her to the hospital nursery for routine tests, to test for fever, or to administer baby vaccines. For 16 years, her biological parents Shanara Mobley and Craig Aiken had hoped for her safe return. A funny process getting know her sisters and brothers. By 13, she was pretty much on her own. Kamiyahs biological mother Shanara Mobley was awarded $1.5 million after settling a lawsuit against the previous University Medical Center. Mobleys mother lived in Central Florida. I was ready to go then. The baby was said to have an umbilical hernia, and Mongolian spots on her buttocks, which generally fade as the baby grows. She expected her daughter would return. But much of the time she chose not to go. Im serious. Kamiyah's opinions didn't change in the following months. Yes, she does, the teen added. Currently, mother and daughter are not on speaking terms. Williams had miscarried a child a week before, which is thought to be Kamiyahs motivation for the kidnapping. I wanted her to sleep in her bassinet, she said. All Rights Reserved. "I love her [] It was like the regular, stereotypical mother-daughter relationship," Kamiyah told Today in an interview. Williams stole Mobley from University Medical Center (now UF Health Jacksonville) in July 1998 while posing as a nurse. She never returned. Only her birthdate was real: July 10, 1998. Her claim was repelled. I ask for the courts grace and mercy, as I need my mother home, she wrote. ", Falcon 9 launches Crew-6 from Cape Canaveral, Almost a dozen people hospitalized after fire onboard Spirit flight that diverted to Jacksonville, Local Weather: The heat holds as windy becomes the weather word Friday, 'I need my mother home': Kamiyah Mobley tells judge she supports early release for her mother, kidnapper, Kamiyah Mobley's father releases new movie trailer, crowdfunding to complete his documentary "Share the Truth"- Craig Aiken, Keystone Heights man sentenced to 55 years in prison for murder of Jordan Cooper. She was tired, she said, of being disrespected., I didnt know this kidnapper had such a hold on her. Kamiyahs estimated Net Worth is between $1 million $5 million. She forever changed the way we view hospitals.. I had love, especially.. Manigo the name she has chosen to go by, at least for now loves the woman who stole her from the University Medical Center maternity ward. She has accumulated her wealth from her successful career as an actress. She believes people, even the very people she helped financially, have snickered at her. Days prior to Aikens re-arrest, Kamiyahs maternal grandmother, Sheila Mobley, would sue hospital personnel for, among other things, being too slow to call the police. I love my daughter. At age 17, most girls just want to have fun. So that was of no value whatsoever., They had no photographs, no helpful video images and no vehicle descriptions. Williams declined to address the media but extends "her appreciation to everyone involved in her defense as well as all of the people who either wrote letters or appeared on her behalf," Williams' attorney, Diana Johnson, said in a statement. There was no social mediano Twitter, Facebook or Amber Alerts to inform the publicjust TV, radio, print media and a fledgling Internet. While Shoenfeld declined to talk about the JSOs investigation of the Mobley family, he did have words for baby Kamiyah, now 18-year-old Alexis. Im being rejected for a kidnapper; how do you think that feels?. No call. I wish they never would have found her.. That was one of the main things we were concerned with, because the baby hadnt even had all of her shots yet, at eight hours old, he says. The 52-year-old was sentenced last month to 18 years in prison for kidnapping and interference of custody. She self-medicated. And the smiles we gave to each other, Im like, This is my baby. I was anxious. She has not received any major honors yet but based on her work, she may receive nominations in the future. Coverage that informs. At the same time, she maintained relationships with the people shed known as her older brothers and grandparents in South Carolina, and also with Williams. She never had a drivers license or state-issued ID. This past May she received slippers and lotion from her children living in her home. Kamiyah Mobley, 23, was raised as Alexis Manigo by her abductor, Gloria Williams.Prosecutors say that in 1998, Williams impersonated a nurse at a Florida hospital and snatched Ms Mobley just hours after she National Center For Missing And Exploited Children. Was she like my kids? JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Craig Aiken, Kamiyah Mobleys father, says his daughter is doing well and living in Jacksonville with her mother. Williams raised her as her own daughter under the name Alexis Manigo. But no one would know what happened to her for 18 years. Nobody is leaving me unattended, she said. Until now.. When we went to look at the video, you could only watch it in real time. She was raised by her abductor, Gloria Williams, who had two other children from her marriage with Wernoskie Williams. But her imprisonment didnt heal Shanaras wounds. Those facilities are much more difficult to get into, because of what Gloria did. Im only, true enough, Im only 16 years old but I have feelings, too. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Craig Aiken, Kamiyah Mobleys father, says his daughter is doing well and living in Jacksonville with her mother. During the show was hosted by an inspirational speaker, lawyer, New Thought spiritual teacher, author, life coach, Iyanla Vanzant. She served as youth-group leader for her Methodist church, which she attended every Sunday. Kamiyah Mobley. She told her family that shed gone into labor at work and given birth to a daughter. Kamiyahs case was one of the centerpieces of our work with healthcare facilities. According to Lowery, NCMECs artist traveled to Jacksonville to create a composite drawing. Its time for trying on prom dresses, riding in cars with friends, dreaming of college and that inevitable rite of passage to becoming an adult: filling out job applications. They scoured every building in the hospital complex, including the parking garage. Why Williams chose Jacksonville, or University Medical Center, or Kamiyah Mobley in particular, remains a mystery. DNA testing proved that Kamiyah was not the daughter of Gloria Williams, her abductor. Aiken says he wasnt aware that Williams filed this motion. DNA testing revealed that Kamiyah was not the daughter of her abductor, Gloria Williams. In 2017, the story of her captivity and eventual rescue made national headlines. She had no way of knowing that the hang-up phone calls she received in 2015 were made by her then 17-year-old daughter. By doing so, a potential life sentence was off the table and the prosecutor and Williams defense attorney agreed to a sentence of no more than 22 years. Health Jacksonville (Florida), was abducted by a woman posing as a nurse at the hospital. I was ready to go then. Every day people got to stay around me all day, every day to watch me. Robert Lowery is Vice President for Missing Children at NCMEC. Mobleys biological mother Shanara Mobley had three other children. First meeting was beautiful, it was wonderful, couldnt have gone any better she was glad to meet us, Aiken said, as reported by the Independent. WebKamiyah Mobley Biography. In a lawsuit filed in October 1998, when Kamiyah was three months old, plaintiff Sheila Mobley said the hospital took 20 minutes to call the police after the baby was deemed missing. Kamiyah took part in dozens of television programs following Williams' arrest. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Celebs Info | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. A staff writer for All That's Interesting, Kaleena Fraga has also had her work featured in The Washington Post and Gastro Obscura, and she published a book on the Seattle food scene for the Eat Like A Local series. One of the homemade quilts was emblazoned with the name that Williams had already chosen for her unborn baby, Alexis Kelli Manigo. She was introduced to her biological parents in January 2017, an experience she compared to spending time with distant relatives in an interview with Post and Courier. For her part, Shanara described her elation at giving birth, and deep grief at having her baby stolen away from her. Mobleys nickname is Starr. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Over the past two years, Craig Aiken says hes watched his daughter grow from a teenager into an adult. Gloria Williams enters the courtroom for her sentencing in the kidnapping of newborn Kamiyah Mobley, June 8, 2018 at the Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville, Fla. Gloria Williams enters the courtroom for sentencing, May 3, 2018, at the Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville, Fla. Will Dickey/The Florida Times-Union via AP. We felt like the best opportunity we would have to see this person [the abductor] was the camera that was on the nursery window. Prosecutors acknowledge that there is nothing they can do about Kamiyah and Williams communicating. According to USA Today, Shanara had had a tough life, and she saw her new baby as a chance to get things right. Kamiyah Mobley kidnapping case: Teen tells Gloria Williams 'I love you' in jailhouse letters Authorities released a series of images of evidence in the Kamiyah Mobley case in 2018. Though shed since had more children, shed never forgotten her firstborn baby. Did she always have this much fun? Aiken said. Mobley has now blocked her daughter from contacting her by cell phone. Copyright 2023 News4JAX.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Shanara Mobley told the Florida Times-Union, in an article published on her first-borns tenth birthday, that each year she would slice a piece of cake for Kamiyah, wrap it in foil, and put it in the freezer. The young adult came forward to defend Williams on many occasions, insisting that she raised her with everything she needed. Always smiling, always upbeat, up-tempo about everything. And it was not her. I had everything I needed, wanted. PHOTOS: Whos who in the Kamiyah Mobley kidnapping case. Your email address will not be published. Sometimes, thered be family trip or a big party in honor of the child that wouldnt be there. Last month in court Williams apologized to Mobley's birth parents. Mobley filled her room at her uncles house with new and used baby clothes and a stark white bassinet gifts from a church as a well as a counselor at the juvenile program. Kamiyah was Alexis Kelli Manigo. That image, along with the sketch of Kamiyahs abductor, hit the airwaves, with only the following descriptors of her abductor: a black woman, about 5 feet 5 inches, 150-160 pounds, likely wearing a wig. I could still be running the streets. She volunteered for veterans groups, and for Habitat for Humanity, which built her Walterboro home. Alexis would soon learn that both her birth certificate and Social Security card, used to enroll her in school, were fakes. The hospital staff, in turn, believed the then-unknown kidnapper was family. "It hurt me more that she was in cuffs, it was just so surreal for me," she added. We had to open every door on every room on every floor., Luggage had to be searched. In February, Williams changed her not guilty plea to guilty, essentially forgoing a full trial. Williams, for her part, expressed regret for what she had done. That was about a six- to seven-hour job right there, Schoenfeld says. Its good to know that the case is closed. She didn't send one to Mobley. From that one mistake, I was given the best life. She expected she would want to be part of the family. "What did I gain? Oh man, I was ready to go, Shanara told USA Today. She was kidnapped by a woman dressed as a nurse who entered the room, assisted and conversed with the We did however get the cord blood, Schoenfeld says. Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. Mobley sat hunched over much of the time and cried. Kamiyah Mobley, 23, was a newborn in Florida when she was kidnapped by Gloria Williams who posed as a nurse and befriended Shanara Mobley, Kamiyah's biological mother. Most play is inside, she said. That way she could finally start a relationship with her daughter. The settlement was sizable. I ask for the courts grace and mercy, as I need my mother home.. Mobley is around 5 feet 4 inches tall. Im about to start calling her Alexis so I wont be hurt. Kamiyah traveled to Florida to meet her biological mother, father and five younger siblings, and began to build relationships with them. She was born at 6:55 AM. Her life at the time was half circumstance and half the result of choices she made as a teenager, she said. Yes, Mobley said, adding she wished there was a way to get a court order so that her daughter and Williams could not have any contact. Shes in jail. Kamiyah was discovered alive in Walterboro, South Carolina, in January 2017. If we see a child leave a maternity ward in someones arms, we know theres a problem.. When Mobley was 16, however, she discovered that that her mother had a dark secret. The filing also included a letter from Mobley writing in support of Williams, who she called mom. At trial, as 19-year-old Mobley quietly listened, both Williams and Shanara described the effect of the kidnapping on their lives. So many days so many days so many days I just wanted to pick that child up and say, Come on, lets get in this car and go. I just couldnt. Mobley told the judge she thought Williams should get the death penalty. She worried about the impact of it all on her other children. Five years passed before she had another baby and got to experience motherhood for more than eight hours. If you need help with WJXTs or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801. Gloria Williams the well-educated, God-fearing woman who provided care to veterans, her elderly parents and the abducted girl admitted in a Duval County court to abducting Kamiyah after she had a miscarriage in 1998. In March 2022, she even wrote a letter asking for Williams early release. There are monitors placed on children now in many facilities. News accounts put the total at more than 2,500 since 1998. He was serving a sentence on an unrelated charge at the time of the sex crimes arrest, and was rearrested in the correctional facility. This is what Gloria [Williams] and Kamiyah brought upon my children. Nafessa Williams Bio, Age, Height, Parents, Partner, Actress, Net Worth, Darnell Nicole Bio, Age, Height, Husband, Parent and Net Worth, Meghann Fahy Bio, Age, Height, Weight Loss, Parents, Husband, Net Worth, Lashana Lynch Bio, Age, Height, Partner, Family and Net Worth, Shepard Smith Bio, Age, Wife, Gay, Kids, Salary, Fox, Net Worth, Ainsley Earhardt Bio, Age, Height, Husband, Parents, Fox News, Salary, Net Worth, Sean Hannity Bio, Age, Height, Wife, Parents, FoxNews, Salary, and Net Worth, Meredith Seacrest Bio, Age, Height, Parent, Siblings Husband and Net Worth, Haley Bull Bio, Age, Height, Parents, Husband, Career, Net Worth. Just let my baby go. Please let my baby go. Motherhood, she said, has always been her desire. JSO said her suspicions were sparked when she tried to apply for jobs, and she ran into I.D. Gloria Williams posed as a nurse and stole Kamiyah Mobley from a Jacksonville hospital in July 1998 before giving the child a different name, Alexis Manigo, and raising her as her own in South Carolina. Presenting herself as a hospital nurse, Gloria offered Shanara comfort and support and even fetched her a new hospital gown. Shanara Mobley, Kamiyahs biological mother in Florida, was awarded $1.5 million after settling a lawsuit against the previous University Medical Center. "I dont deal with disrespect, she said through tears. I was. In March 2016, Colleton County, South Carolina court records show the teen received a ticket for driving without a license, just months prior to her eighteenth birthday. That includes a tip as recent as 2002, when Schoenfeld left Homicide to work in another JSO division. 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