The kidnapping of Kamiyah Mobley: The 8-hour-old baby abducted from Florida hospital on this day in 1998
The kidnapping of Kamiyah Mobley is a story that includes years of investigation and complicated emotions.
As a newborn baby, Mobley was stolen from her 16-year-old mother, Shanara Mobley.
The baby grew into a child, toddler and teen under the care of her kidnapper, Gloria Williams, with no indications of anything out of the ordinary. More than 18 years passed before Mobley's biological mother saw her again, but the reunion came with confusing emotions and strained relationships.
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Mobley was stolen on July 10, 1998, from University Medical Center, now UF Health Jacksonville, when she was just 8 hours old. Williams, disguised as a hospital nurse, took the baby from her biological mother.
The newborn was taken from Florida to South Carolina, where she spent her childhood with the perception that nothing was wrong. She was raised under the name Alexis Manigo and expected nothing unusual about the woman claiming to be her mother.
This was until Mobley wanted to apply for a job but didn't have a Social Security number or birth certificate to provide to her potential employer. At that point, Williams revealed to the 16-year-old teen that she had been kidnapped as a baby.
Even after knowing the truth, Mobley kept her secret between her and her abductor, as she was the only parent the teen had ever known.
On Jan. 13, 2017, Jacksonville police followed anonymous tips that led them to Mobley, who was living with Williams in South Carolina.
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A DNA test confirmed that she was in fact the baby who had gone missing more than 18 years prior.
Williams was arrested upon the discovery of Mobley. The teen was quickly reunited with her biological mother and father, Craig Aiken. In June 2018, Williams was sentenced to 18 years in prison after an emotional battle between families in court.
The years following the discovery of Mobley and the arrest of Williams have been filled with complicated family dynamics.
Mobley has gotten the opportunity to get to know her biological family in Florida, but she also has strong ties to those with whom she grew up in South Carolina. The relationship with those in South Carolina, including Williams, strained the relationship between Mobley and her biological mother.
In a 2017 interview with ABC News, Mobley expressed feelings of love for Williams.
"From that one mistake, I was given the best life, I was. I had everything I ever needed, wanted. I had love, especially," Mobley said. "I understand what she did was wrong, but just don’t lock her up and throw away the key like everything she did was just awful."
In 2018, Mobley's biological mother spoke to the Florida-Times Union about the troubled relationship between her and her daughter.
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"I’m still lost. I don’t have a relationship with my child," she said. "What did I gain? Nothing."
There have been multiple accounts told of Mobley's story. One was a documentary-style program, while the other was a movie made for TV.
In the 2020 documentary "The Kamiyah Mobley Story with Robin Roberts," the news anchor asked Mobley about her relationship with the two families. Mobley said she does her best to keep them as separate as possible but does spend time with them both.
She also revealed that she still goes by Alexis when she is in South Carolina.
"Most people in South Carolina, they’re going to call me Alexis. Most people in Florida are going to call me Kamiyah, but I actually usually leave it up to the person," Mobley told Roberts in the interview.
Additionally, a Lifetime movie was released telling Mobley's story called "Stolen By My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story."
The film starred Niecy Nash as Gloria Williams, Rayven Symone Ferrell as Kamiyah Mobley and Ta'Rhonda Jones as Shanara Mobley.