The Child Crime Prevention & Safety Center reports that in the U.S., a child is reported missing or abducted every 40 seconds. While some cases are solved within hours, others result in the child being lost forever or for an extended period. A case in point is from 1987, when Ann Pettway posed as a nurse and abducted a 19-day-old baby girl from Harlem Hospital in New York. She then moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut, gave the child a new identity, and raised her as her own.
In 2011, Pettway’s hidden crime was discovered, and she turned herself in to the authorities. The following year, she received a 12-year prison sentence for kidnapping. After completing her term, she was released in April 2021, as confirmed by prison records.
A Look At Ann Pettway’s Background
Ann Pettway, born in 1962, had a challenging upbringing, with no known details about her birthplace, parents, or siblings. She suffered physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her mother, who used belts and extension cords to beat her.
In her twenties, Ann began using drugs, starting with cocaine in 1983, around the age of 21, and continuing until she was about 43 years old, totaling 22 years of cocaine use. Additionally, she smoked marijuana daily until her thirties.
Pettway’s struggles also led to criminal activities. She stole items like pants and a belt from her workplace’s department store and faced convictions for attempted embezzlement, forgery, larceny, and marijuana possession.
Did She Have Children?
Ann Pettway had a rough start to family life. She really wanted a baby, but luck wasn’t on her side, with a few false starts and heartbreaks. But in 1998, she hit the jackpot and gave birth to her son, Trevon.
Before Trevon came along, Ann was super eager to be a mom. This longing took her on a rollercoaster of emotions, and during a particularly low point, she made a decision that would change many lives.
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How Ann Pettway Kidnapped The Infant Baby, Carlina White, And Raised Her As Her Daughter
In 1987, a heartbreaking crime occurred when Ann Pettway kidnapped an infant named Carlina White from Harlem Hospital in New York City.
Carlina was only 19 days old when she was brought to the hospital with a high fever. As already mentioned, Pettway, who had suffered multiple miscarriages and yearned for a child, saw an opportunity to fulfill her desire. She had been seen around the hospital for a few months before the kidnapping, posing as a nurse.
On the night of August 4, Pettway took advantage of the hospital’s shift change and the non-functioning surveillance cameras to abduct Carlina. She removed the baby’s IV line and left the hospital with Carlina concealed in her clothing. The distraught parents, Joy White and Carl Tyson, were left with no clue except for the description they provided of the woman they thought was a nurse.
Pettway then raised Carlina as her own daughter in Bridgeport, Connecticut, under a new name, Nejdra “Netty” Nance. But the truth about Carlina’s identity remained hidden.
As Carlina grew older, she began to notice discrepancies in her life story. She lacked a birth certificate and noticed she did not resemble the woman who claimed to be her mother.
The turning point came when Carlina became pregnant and needed her birth certificate. Her persistent requests for this document were met with evasive and inconsistent answers from her supposed mother.
This fueled her suspicions, leading her to conduct her own investigation. After doing this, she found a photo of herself on the website of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Determined to uncover the truth, Carlina reached out to the center and contacted the New York Police Department. The NYPD’s Missing Persons Unit initiated a new investigation into Carlina’s case. They conducted a DNA test, which ultimately confirmed that Carlina was indeed the baby who had been kidnapped in 1987.
She Was Arrested And Sentenced To 12 Years In Prison In 2012
The case of Carlina’s abduction received widespread media attention, prompting the kidnapper, Pettway, to go into hiding. Nevertheless, in January 2011, Pettway surrendered to the authorities in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
After pleading guilty to the kidnapping, Pettway received a 12-year prison sentence. At her court hearing, she expressed her remorse to Carlina’s biological parents through an apology. Despite this, Carlina’s parents found it difficult to forgive her actions.
Where Is She Today?
Pettway served a 12-year prison sentence and was released on April 14, 2021, according to the Bureau of Federal Prisons‘ records. Since her release, which was now 3 years, there has been no news coverage about her whereabouts or activities.
Her case, the kidnapping of Carlina White in 1987, is a crime that unfortunately is not uncommon in the United States, with hundreds of thousands of similar incidents occurring annually. Carlina’s case was solved after two decades, placing it among the long-term missing child cases highlighted by organizations like the Child Crime Prevention & Safety Center.
