1) 1974 – Sweeney case – 1 murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: Nov. 18, 1974 (body found), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Mother: Margaret Sweeney (26), shot 3 times & hacked 20 times with hatchet; has 3 children, 18 mo plus 2 living with estranged husband
Perpetrator: Winifred Ransom (35): acquitted Jul. 11, 1975 as insane “schizophrenic”; released 1977
C-Section method: removed baby with “butcher knife”
Child: Girl (8 months), survived
Prosecution: Acquitted as insane (“schizophrenic”); Jul. 11, 1975; released 1977 as “no longer insane”
2) 1976 – 1983 (Serial murders in Argentina “Dirty War”)
Dates of Child Kidnappings: 1976 – 1983, Argentina (thousands of cases)
Mothers: Many thousands of victims, usually political dissidents
Adopters: military officers & others chosen by military dictatorship
C-Section method: Performed by government-employed physician
Children: Thousands; fake identity papers, adopted out but child told adopters are real parents
3) 1987 – Ray case – 1 murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: Jul. 24, 1987, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Mother: Cindy Lynn Ray (23), strangled; Father is Samuel Ray; Mormons
Perpetrator: Darci Kayleen Pierce (19), the wife of an airman stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base
C-Section method: had surgery tools and medical books ready, but didn’t have access so used “plan B,” Car key
Child: Girl, Amelia Ray (8 ½ months), survived; 6 lb, 2 oz, 2 weeks “premature”
Prosecution: (sentenced to life imprisonment); appeal denied Apr. 29, 1998
4) 1992 – Lugo case – 1 murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: Sep. 1, 1992; Brownsville, Texas / Mexico
Mother: Laura Lugo (25); K’d to Mexico for C-Section in Clinica Matamoros; Recovered child after 2 years; Murdered afterwards (unrelated? incident)
Perpetrators: Paulyna Botello, Rosa Botello
C-Section method: “Professional”: Cecilia Noble, Mexico licensed Midwife
Child: Boy, Jorge Daniel, survived; but K’d for 2 years before recovery; falsified birth records
Prosecution: “Paulyna Botello convicted in a Mexican court in June 1993 of child trafficking”
5) 1995 – Evans / Ward case – 3 murders
Date of Child Kidnapping: November 16, 1995: Addison, Illinois
Mother: Deborah Evans, stabbed repeatedly, shot in head
Other victims: & 2 children; Jordan (1 ½ survived), Joshua Evans (7) poisoned, Samantha Ward (10) stabbed,
Perpetrators: Fedell Caffey (22, Born 1-16-73), Jacqueline Annette Williams (28, adopter), Levern R. Ward (24, father of cv)
C-Section method: Scissors
Child: Boy, Elijah (Ward/Evans), 9-month survived
Prosecution: Fedell Caffey, Jacqueline Annette Williams Levern R. Ward, each sentenced to death; Illinois governor gives clemency to each in 2002
6) 1996 – Curry case – 1 murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: Jan. 31, 1996 Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Mother: Carethia Curry (17), shot twice in head, body sealed in trash can and dumped into ravine
Perpetrators: Felecia Scott (29), “best friend” of victim; has 2 sons; Frederic Polion (37)
C-Section method: (information to be added later)
Child: Girl (9 mo) survived
Prosecution: ; Scott sentenced December 15, 1998 to life without parole; Polion convicted December 1997 of kidnapping Curry but acquitted of murder, sentenced to 20 years
7) 1998 – Flores case – 2 murders
Date of Child Kidnapping: Sep. 14, 1998; Fresno, California
Mother: Margarita Flores (40); body dismembered, found in Tijuana; Father: Heliodoro Cruz
Perpetrator: Josephine Sonia Saldana (40); Serafin Rodarte (“Witness”)
Preparation: Saldana claimed Flores had agreed to sell her the baby
C-Section method: Method unknown: only head, forearm and hand of mother were found
Child: Girl, Doraelia (8 ½ mo), died
Prosecution: Convicted of one count of kidnapping & 2 counts of murder March 22, 2001; committed suicide by hanging March 24, preceding the sentencing heraring
8) 2000 – Ganief case – Attempted murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: Mar. 2, 2000; Cape Town, South Africa
Perpetrator: Lazerene Mannoe (26), former police officer, pregnant; Mother: Tasmidah Ganief (16), survived; shredded uterus required hysterectomy
Preparation: “blindfolded, made to undress and then taken to the bathroom, where her hands were tied behind her back, she was gagged with a sock and pinned to the ground”
C-Section method: breadknife & scissors
Child: Boy, Tyreeq, survived; two months premature; “had a few small cuts where the knife had nicked him, but was fine”
Prosecurtion: “She was found unfit for trial and declared a ward of the state.”
9) 2000 – Draper case – 2 murders
Date of Child Kidnapping: June 17, 2000 Fernley, Nevada
Mother: Kathaleena Louisa Draper (17), asphyxiated, rubber glove in throat, body found in dump in garbage bag):
Perpetrator: Erin Rae Kuhn Brown, a 31, aunt, emergency room technician
Preparation: The case involved an adoption dispute between Draper and Brown
C-Section method: Butcher knife
Child: Boy, died; found in garbage bag
Prosecution: Jan. 4, 2002, pleads guilty to 2 counts of murder
10) 2000 – Andrews case – 1 murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: Sep. 27, 2000: Ravenna, Ohio
Mother: Theresa Andrews, 23, shot in back
Perpetrator: Michelle Zonko Bica, 39, suicide
C-Section method: (information to be added later)
Child: Boy, Oscar Gavin Andrews (9 months), survived
11) 2002 – Kaiser case – Attempted murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: Dec. 16, 2002; Fullerton California
Mother: Elsa Kaiser (30), survived; stabbed; F = husband
Perpetrator: Charnetta Simmonsabduel (Charnetta Lavia Simmons) (30)
C-Section method: Victim escaped before incision
Child: Boy, (9 mo), survived. The mother’s stab wound was not life-threatening, and her son was born healthy five days later (Dec. 20)
Prosecution: In January 2005 sentenced to life for “premeditated attempted murder”
12) 2003 – Simpson case – 2 murders
Date of Child Kidnapping: December 22, 2003: (last seen) Holdenville, Oklahoma
Mother: Carolyn Simpson, 21, shot in head; Father, Allen Simpson
Perpetrator: Effie Goodson, 37, acquaintance
Preparation: faked pregnancy; baby shower
C-Section method: (information to be added later)
Child: Boy (6 mo), died
Prosecution: Not tried, considered “incompetent”
13) 2004 – Cartagena case – Attempted murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: Jun. 1, 2004, Girardot near Bogota, Colombia
Mother: Solangela Cartagena, 25; saved by surgery; drugged, Caesarean section was “professional” yet “leaves, stones and sand were found in the womb” witnessed by Nicole (2)
Perpetrator: Luzmila Fierro, mother of 6
C-Section method: razor blade (torn uterus)
Child: Boy, Miguel (8 mo) survived
14) 2004 – Stinnett case – 1 murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: December 16, 2004, Skidmore, Missouri
Mother: Bobbie Jo Stinnett, throat cut, strangle?; Father: Zeb Stinnett
Perpetrator: Lisa Montgomery (36), custody dispute with ex
C-Section method: kitchen knife
Child: Girl, Victoria Jo Stinnett, survived
15) 2005 – Brady case – Attempted murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: Feb. 13, 2005; Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
Mother: Sarah Brady, survived
Perpetrator: Katie Smith, killed by victim; previous false sexual abuse accusation sent her father to prison; conviction overturned on Mar. 31, 2006
C-Section method: Escaped before incision; preparation: surgical gloves, cutting instruments, medical gauze, homemade umbilical clamp
Child: Girl, McKaila Grace, survived, born on February 16, 2005
16) 2005 – Oskin case – Attempted murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: Oct. 12, 2005; Pattonville, Pennsylvania
Mother: Valerie Oskin (31), struck in head by baseball bat & tire iron, sliced; rescued by Adam (17) & Andrew (his father) Silvis; survived (barely) through surgery; permanently diminished sense of taste & smell
Perpetrator: Peggy Jo Conner (sentenced to 22-50 years)
C-Section method: Box cutter
Child: Boy, survived, adopted out
17) 2006 – Tunstall case – 5 murders
Date of Child Kidnapping: September 15, 2006, body found Sep 21; East St. Louis, Missouri
Mother: Jinella Tunstall (23); bludgeoned with blunt object, bled to death.
Other victims: 3 children drowned: DeMond Tunstall (7), Ivan Tunstall-Collins, (2 ½), and Jinella Tunstall (1 ½); bodies found in washer & dryer
Perpetrator: Tiffany Hall (24)
Preparation: “a makeshift birth kit: scissors, alcohol and a bulb syringe”
C-Section method: Scissors
Child: Girl, (7 mo), died
Prosecution: On Jun. 9 2008, Hall pleaded guilty Monday to four counts of first-degree murder and received four sentences of natural life in prison without parole for the deaths of Tunstall and her children, along with 60 years for the intentional homicide of Tunstall’s unborn child.
18) 2007 – Howard case – Attempted murder (Plan abandoned)
Date of Child Kidnapping: July 31, 2007; Clinton, Missouri
Mother: Amanda Howard (18), survived; tied up; attempt to break neck by twisting head violently
Perpetrator: Lauren Gash (19 or 20), Alisa Betts (17); Myspace contact
Preparation: False birth certificate found; “They took her to a motel in Missouri and bound and gagged her. Prosecutors say a plan to cut the baby from the womb fell apart when Betts changed her mind and called police.”
C-Section method: Target mother escaped before incision; prepared: scissors, x-acto knife
Child: Boy, Ethan Damon Howard, survived, born Aug. 1
Prosecution: Nov. 13, 2008, sentenced to 6 months probation
19) 2008 – Gomez case – Murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: June 27, 2008, Washington
Mother: Araceli Camacho Gomez (27), stabbed multiple times in the chest
Perpetrator: Phiengchai Sisouvanh Synhavong (23)
Preparation: hands and feet bound by yarn
C-Section method: “craft-style box cutter”
Child: Boy, “After an extensive hospital stay the child was returned to his father. He may suffer from possible brain damage because of the lack of oxygen and not receiving medical treatment immediately after being cut from his mother’s womb. The extent of this damage is unknown.”
Prosecution: Trial scheuled for September 2009
20) 2008 – Johnson case – 1 Murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: July 17, 2008, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Mother: Kia Johnson (19), “suffocated”
Perpetrator: Andrea Curry-Demus (38); “In May 1990, several months after Curry-Demus said she had a miscarriage, she stabbed a woman in an apparent plot to steal her newborn, according to court records. The next day, she kidnapped a baby from a hospital.”
Preparation: bound with duct tape at the wrists and ankles, and there were also layers of duct tape and plastic covering much of her head.
C-Section method: “A very sharp instrument” was used to cut open her belly”
Child: Boy, Terrell Kian Johnson, survived
Prosecution: pending
21) 2009 – Haynes case – 1 Murder
Date of Child Kidnapping: July 23?, date of murder, Body found Monday, decomposing, Jul 27 arrest in Plymouth New Hampshire Jul 29; kidnapping occurred in Massachusetts
Mother: Darlene Haynes, murdered, 23, last seen alive, Jul 23; mother of 3 other chn, 5, 3, 18 mo
Perpetrators: Julie Corey, 35; Alex Dion, 27 (arrested, claims innocence)
Preparation: (information to be added later)
C-Section method: (information to be added later)
Child: Girl, Sheila Marie, 4 lbs., survived
Prosecution: pending
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