The Only Mother She's Ever Known Was Her Kidnapper

University Medical Center

In July of 1998 Shanara Mobley arrived at University Medical Center (known now as UF Health Jacksonville) to have her baby.

A joyful occasion many expectant mothers look forward to, the day when they finally get to hold their baby in their arms! There is no greater joy.

Shanara Mobley

Shanara Mobley was just 16 years old when she became a mother.

But who knew that this day would also be a day of great sadness for the next 20 years?

Gloria Williams

This woman right here knew! This is all they had to go on....a composite drawing of a woman named Gloria Williams.

She had been in the University Medical Center in Jacksonville Florida for nearly 15 hours on the day she abducted Shanara's little baby girl Kamiyah Mobley. She was dressed in nurses scrubs and through out the day, kept asking about the Mobley baby. Williams even spent about 5 hours with Shanara and the baby. Shanara thought nothing more than she was a very attentive nurse. While the nurses thought that Ms. Williams was part of Shanara's family.

Velma Aiken

Velma Aiken, is the paternal grandmother. She was the one that spotted Ms. Williams as she was headed to her see her new grand-baby. She thought something was odd when she walked passed her because she had a baby wrapped in a blanket in her arms and a purse over her shoulder. (Remember Ms. Williams was also wearing scrubsh. Ms. Aiken didn't know at that moment that the baby was her grand daughter but she had the good sense to alert staff but by the time they arrived, Ms. Williams and the baby were gone never to be seen again.....at least not for 18 years. Ms. Aiken through the years often wondered if any of the people that came in to her work place could be he long lost grand-baby. She's also felt a little guilty for not doing more to keep Ms. Willaims from slipping away.

Huge reward offered

In the first year of searching for baby Mobley, policed received over 2,000 tips and offered $250,000 as incentive. The case was even featured on America's Most Wanted. Authorities would stop women in grocery stores and even take foot prints of the babies they had with them to see if they were a match. Over the years the case went cold thought they never stopped searching and looking for leads.

When Gloria Williams took the Mobley's baby girl, Kamiyah, she changed her name to Alexis Manigo and raised her in S. Carolina, making it nearly impossible to find her.

Suspicions

In 2016 tips came in that let authorities to S. Carolina. There they found a baby with the same birth date but a different name. They were then able to locate "Mobley". They asked her to submit a DNA sample and she did so willingly. The test came back positive that she was indeed the kidnapped "Mobley" baby.

"Mobley" herself became suspicious that she might some how be connected to the 1998 kidnapping case. Reasons for her suspicions have not been released.

Further investigation since Ms. Williams' arrest reveal she has a previous record....to include welfare fraud.

Craig Aiken

Craig Aiken - the biological father said he would pray every day that she would be found. He never gave up home but admitted that it was hard some days to carry on and move forward with his life. He too talked about how he and Shanara would "celebrate" their daughter's birthday and talk about what it would be like if she was there. Wondering different things about her like what her favorite color is. He has spoken with his daughter over the phone and on Skype since she's been found. He is hopeful that she will be returning "home" soon.

Aiken was in jail at the time of her abduction.

Shanara Mobley

Shanara couldn't hold back the tears when she was told that her baby who had been taken from her 18 years ago was found alive.

In an interview in 2010 she told of how every year on her birthday she would cut a piece of birthday cake and wrap it up and put it in the freezer because there was no one to sing Happy Birthday to.

Shanara also said that it was very hard to wake up in the morning and get on with her life day after day not knowing where her little girl was.

In 2000, Shanara won a $1.5 million law suit against University Medical Center. She bought a house with it and eventually lost it to foreclosure.

Alexis Manigo defends her "mother".

Here Alexis is with the only mother she's ever known, taking a selfie in the car. She looks happy and health and they both are dresses well. It isn't right (or legal) what Ms. Williams did and in obtaining happiness for herself while causing so many others, years of emotional heartbreak. If for nothing more than peace of mind..it does appear that she at least raised her well. Her grandmother Velma Aiken has said that she was thankful that Ms. Williams was at least willing to raise her right.

Alexis was understandably upset when her "mother" was arrested and put in jail with no bond set. Alexis wrote on FaceBook "My mother raised me with everything I needed and most of all everything I wanted, she's no felon."

It is uncertain whether she will choose to reunite with her biological family. She has 3 siblings from her biological mother waiting to meet her as well. Sheriff Williams asks that everyone give her time to process all of the events and she will decide when she is ready.