NASCAR Driver, but a Woman Convicted of Kidnapping a Newborn from a Florida Hospital in 1998
Byline: Staff Reporter
In a bizarre turn of events that resurfaced recently, it wasn’t a NASCAR driver but a woman named Gloria Williams who was convicted of a shocking crime that rocked Florida in 1998 — the kidnapping of a newborn baby girl from a Jacksonville hospital.
The story began on July 10, 1998, when Shanara Mobley gave birth to her daughter, Kamiyah Mobley, at University Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida. Just eight hours after Kamiyah was born, a woman dressed in hospital scrubs entered Shanara’s room claiming to be a nurse. She told Shanara that Kamiyah needed to be checked for a fever and took the baby out of the room — but never returned.
For nearly two decades, Kamiyah’s whereabouts remained unknown. Despite relentless efforts by local law enforcement, the FBI, and nationwide media coverage, the case went cold. The abduction devastated the Mobley family and remained one of Florida’s most haunting unsolved kidnappings.
The case took a dramatic turn in 2017 when authorities received an anonymous tip about a young woman in Walterboro, South Carolina, who believed her birth documents might have been forged. DNA testing confirmed the woman’s true identity: she was Kamiyah Mobley, living under the name Alexis Manigo.
The woman who raised her, Gloria Williams, was arrested and charged with kidnapping and interfering with custody. Williams, who had suffered a miscarriage shortly before the abduction in 1998, confessed to taking Kamiyah and raising her as her own. Williams claimed she acted out of desperation and deep emotional pain following her pregnancy loss.
During her trial in 2018, prosecutors detailed how Williams faked documents and created a new identity for Kamiyah. Despite the severity of the crime, the trial was emotionally charged, as Kamiyah, then 19 years old, publicly expressed love for Williams and pleaded for leniency in her sentencing.
Ultimately, Gloria Williams was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the kidnapping, followed by five years of probation for custodial interference. The sentencing judge acknowledged the complex emotions surrounding the case, noting the undeniable harm caused to Shanara Mobley and the deception that robbed Kamiyah of knowing her biological family.
Since the case’s resolution, both families have attempted to rebuild their lives. Kamiyah has maintained contact with both her biological and adoptive families, navigating the complicated emotional terrain created by the crime.
The case continues to capture public interest, serving as a chilling reminder of how one desperate act can alter countless lives. It has inspired documentaries, television specials, and widespread discussions about child safety in hospitals.
Recent social media chatter confusing the case with a NASCAR driver appears to be a result of viral misinformation. Officials have clarified that no NASCAR driver was involved in this case, and the convicted kidnapper remains Gloria Williams, who continues to serve her sentence in a Florida correctional facility.
Would you like me to write it in a different tone, like a crime feature or a documentary script style too?
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