In 1987, a shocking crime shook New York City when Carlina White, who was only 19 days old, was taken from Harlem Hospital. Joy White and Carl Tyson, her parents, looked for their daughter for more than 20 years. In the meantime, Ann Pettway, the woman who kidnapped Carlina, raised her as her own. The truth came out when Carlina, who is now an adult, started to wonder where she came from. Lifetime’s “Abducted: The Carlina White Story” is a movie based on this gripping story that brought this real-life drama to the big screen. We’re going to tell you the story of Ann Pettway, her crime, and where she is now at Spiky TV. This will give you a clear and fascinating update on this well-known case.
Ann Pettway’s Troubled Past and the Kidnapping
Ann Pettway, who is in her early 60s, came of age in a tough home, it has been reported. She said her mother was abusive and beat her with belts and extension cords. Even as a teenager in the 1970s, Pettway had brushes with the law, spending weeks in a Waterbury, Connecticut, jail on a larceny charge. Her battles with fertility continued into adulthood, subject to repeated miscarriages that made her yearn even more for a child. Desperation had taken them to a remarkable decision in August 1987.
On August 4, 1987, Pettway entered Harlem Hospital, impersonating a nurse, where Joy White and her companion, Carl Tyson, had taken their ailing newborn daughter Carlina, suffering from a high fever, for treatment. While the baby’s mother was recovering from an infection at the hospital, Pettway was able to take the 19-day-old baby and leave the hospital without being detected. The hospital’s security cameras were not working that night, and no one stopped her. This marked the beginning of a 23-year ordeal that would change multiple lives forever.
Pettway renamed Carlina “Nejdra Nance” and raised her as her own daughter in Bridgeport, Connecticut, just 45 miles from Carlina’s biological parents. Over the years, Pettway’s life was far from stable. She faced multiple charges for petty crimes, including probation violations and a guilty plea for stealing cash and clothing from Hudson Belk in Raleigh, North Carolina. Despite her troubled behaviour, she provided a home for Carlina and, in 1998, gave birth to a son, Trevon Teele, whom she grew up with as her brother.
Carlina’s Discovery and Pettway’s Arrest
As Carlina grew older, she began to notice inconsistencies in her life. She didn’t resemble Pettway or her family, and suspicions deepened when she couldn’t obtain a valid birth certificate. In 2005, while pregnant with her own daughter, Carlina needed health insurance and requested her birth records. The document Pettway provided was flagged as forged, prompting Pettway to admit she wasn’t Carlina’s biological mother. However, she lied, claiming Carlina’s real mother was a drug addict who had abandoned her.
Carlina was determined to find out the truth, so she took matters into her own hands. She called the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 2010 and found pictures of a missing baby that looked like her own. DNA testing in January 2011 confirmed she was Carlina White, the child abducted from Harlem Hospital 23 years earlier. This revelation led to a heartfelt but complicated reunion with her biological parents, Joy White and Carl Tyson.
Days after Carlina’s identity was confirmed, Pettway turned herself in to the FBI in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on January 23, 2011. She confessed to the kidnapping, explaining that her actions stemmed from the emotional pain of multiple miscarriages and a desperate desire to be a mother. On February 17, 2011, she was indicted on federal kidnapping charges, as the statute of limitations for state kidnapping charges had expired.
Ann Pettway’s Trial and Sentencing
On February 10, 2012, Ann pleaded guilty in court. During her sentencing on July 30, she apologised to Carlina’s family, stating, “I would like to apologize to the family. It may be rejected, but I am deeply sorry for what I’ve done. If they don’t accept it, it’s understandable. I’m here to right my wrong. Because of my actions, so many lives were hurt.”
Despite her apology, the crime had caused decades of pain for Carlina and her parents. The judge sentenced Ann Pettway to 12 years in prison, along with three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment fee. Carlina’s father, Carl Tyson, felt the punishment was too light, pointing out that she had stolen over two decades of his daughter’s life.
After the hearing, Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara emphasized the damage Pettway had caused, saying, “Exactly 25 years ago, Ann Pettway snatched an ailing newborn from a hospital, and with that kidnapping she shattered three lives – the life of the child who would not know her parents, and the lives of her parents who were left to wonder what had become of their baby.”
Where is Ann Pettway now?
Ann Pettway was let out of FCI Aliceville on April 14, 2021, after serving almost ten years of her 12-year sentence. She probably got out early because she was well-behaved. After she got out of jail, she had to go through a period of supervised release. This meant that she had to check in with a probation officer, follow travel rules, and look for work. These rules are normal and help former prisoners get back into society while keeping the public safe.
Since she got out of jail, Pettway has kept a low profile, and no one knows where she is right now. The Federal Bureau of Prisons does not disclose details about former inmates’ locations for privacy and safety reasons. It’s likely she’s living quietly, possibly in a designated district or state as part of her supervised release terms, which ended around April 2024. Unlike high-profile cases where individuals seek public attention, Pettway appears to have chosen a private life, staying out of the spotlight.
You can watch “Abducted: The Carlina White Story” on Prime Video.
Also Read: Laquan McDonald Murder: Full Story of His Death and Justice Served
