Gloria Williams sentenced to 18 years in prison for kidnapping newborn and raising baby as her own
A woman was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Friday for kidnapping a newborn from a Florida hospital two decades ago and raising the child as her own.
Gloria Williams was slapped with one year in prison for every year the child was missing.
"There are no winners and no losers in this case," Florida Circuit Judge Marianne Aho said. "The family in this case suffered not knowing what happened to their child for approximately 18 years."
Williams plucked Kamiyah Mobley from a hospital in Jacksonville in July of 1998. Williams raised Mobley, who grew up as Alexis Manigo, in South Carolina until her arrest in 2017.
Kamiyah did not find out the truth until she found out she couldn't get a driver's license because she didn't have valid documents.
"I can love my grandbaby as my own now," paternal grandmother Velma Aiken told the Post and Courier. She had crossed paths with Williams as the kidnapper was leaving the hospital with little Kamiyah 20 years ago.
"I remain focused on mending my family," Kamiyah's father Craig Aiken told the newspaper.
Kamiyah has reportedly reconnected with her birth parents, but still supports the only mother she knew. She pleaded for a shorter sentence and was present at a previous hearing.
Williams receives credit for 511 days she's already served. She will also serve five years concurrently for custody interference.
She had testified during the trial that she had no plans to kidnap a child.
"I felt like I was on autopilot," she said. "My life was out of control, I lost everything."
With News Wire Services
