Woman sentenced in 1997 kidnapping

[tybee204]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/09/23/fire.kidnapping.ap/index.html

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A woman convicted of kidnapping an infant during a fire, then raising the girl as her own for years, was sentenced Friday to nine to 30 years in prison.

In court, Carolyn Correa publicly accused birth father Pedro Vera of helping her commit the crime, a charge he denied after the hearing.

The 10-day-old girl disappeared from her crib during a December 1997 fire at her parents' Philadelphia home. Lacking a body, fire investigators concluded that the fire had consumed the newborn.

"Pedro gave me the baby," Correa, 43, of Willingboro, New Jersey, told the judge. "I loved her as my own. ... I truly believed she was mine."

More at link

[Bobbisangel]

I remember when this little girl was found. It was a miracle in my book. Who would ever have thought that a mother would recognize her daughter when she hadn't seen her since she was new born. It seems to me that she got something that would have the girls DNA on it...like a cup or something like that and had it tested. Sure enough it was her daughter...adorable little girl.

I wonder if the husband did help that woman take the baby. If he did why would he do that? I guess it will never be proven one way or the other.

I was so glad this story had a happy ending. I wonder how much of an adjustment it was for the little girl as she believed the kidnapper was her mother.

[Amraann]

There is a Thread about this in the crimes in the news forum.


Here is the link
http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5445

There are a lot of unanswered questions in this case.
Some Family members claim that the mother had in fact seen this cousin and her child previous to when she claims she had.

Also there was mention that the kidnapper had a child 3 days earlier but no mention of what happend to this child.

Another interesting twist was that the mother claimed she suspected the cousin had in fact taken her child but did not know where she lived, Yet family claims that the cousin lived only 15 miles away.

I am not attacking the victim here and I am happy that this women found her child but I find the conflicting reports disturbing. Maybe just media spin from the side of the family trying to defend the kidnapper??