Shanara Mobley and Craig Aiken were quite young when they welcomed their first daughter, Kamiyah Mobley. However, they were ready to begin this new phase of their lives in 1998. Shanara had only held her daughter for a few hours when a woman posing as a nurse kidnapped the newborn from the hospital. In the years that followed, the two never gave up hope of finding their child. It was only in 2017 that they were finally reunited with her after discovering that Kamiyah had been raised in South Carolina by Gloria Williams. Lifetime’s ‘Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story’ is based on this true story and portrays the imagined experiences of the couple in the aftermath of the tragedy they endured.
Shanara Mobley and Craig Aiken Never Gave Up the Hope of Finding Their Daughter
Shanara Mobley was expecting her first child with Craig Aiken when she was just 16. On July 10, 1998, she gave birth to her daughter at the University Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida. At the time, Craig was incarcerated, reportedly on a drug-related charge, and was unable to be present for the birth. Shanara had only held her baby for about eight hours when a woman walked in, claiming to be a nurse, and told her she needed to take the baby to check her temperature. Trusting her, Shanara handed the baby over. When the woman did not return after several minutes, Shanara became worried. She raised the alarm and soon realized that someone had walked away with her child.
Shanara was deeply distressed by the incident and later filed a lawsuit against the medical center, alleging negligence and failures in security. She continued to mark her daughter’s birthday every year by cutting a cake and always held on to the hope that one day her child would be returned to her. In 2001, her lawsuit was settled for a package worth about $1.25–$1.5 million. In 2002, she cashed out a portion of the structured settlement, receiving a lump sum of around $437,000. Over the years, Shanara and Craig expanded their family. Their children, LaShawnye, Christopher Barnes, Chrisanna Barnes, Savannah Mobley, Journye Barnes, and Craivon Aiken (Craig’s son), were born in the years that followed.
In 2016, Craig heard from his daughter, Kamiyah, for the first time. She had been living with Gloria Williams in Walterboro, South Carolina, under the name Alexis Kelli Manigo. She had recently discovered Gloria’s secret, though, torn by the lifelong bond she shared with her, she kept it from the police. Craig was able to speak with her through FaceTime, and in January 2017, they were finally reunited with her at a police station after Gloria was arrested on kidnapping charges. While the reunion brought them immense joy, things were not entirely simple. Shanara and Craig were surprised by how close Kamiyah remained to Gloria, whom she still considered her mother. For Shanara, especially, it was difficult to accept that her daughter continued to support someone she viewed as her kidnapper, which created tension between them.
Shanara Mobley and Craig Aiken Share a Close Bond With Their Daughter Today
In 2018, during Gloria Williams’ sentencing, Shanara Mobley and Craig Aiken were given the opportunity to address the court. They spoke about the pain of losing their daughter and the years of hurt they had endured. Both asked that Gloria receive the harshest possible punishment, and Shanara also expressed her frustration over the bond that still existed between Kamiyah and Gloria. At the time, Kamiyah had been living in South Carolina and had publicly spoken in support of Gloria. That same year, Craig appeared with Kamiyah on the reality TV series ‘Iyanla: Fix My Life on the Oprah Winfrey Network, though he later criticized the way his relationship with Kamiyah was portrayed on the show. In late 2019, Kamiyah moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to be closer to her biological family, though her relationship with Shanara took time to mend.
In fact, it was reported that the two were not even on speaking terms for a while. In interviews around that time, Craig mentioned that things between them were neither very good nor very bad, and that Kamiyah and Shanara did not speak much. However, with time, they allowed the healing process to take its course and gradually rebuilt their relationship. In March 2023, the family faced another tragedy when Craig’s youngest son, Craivon Aiken, died in a shooting incident. A few months later, in June 2023, Craig released his book ‘Self Therapy,’ in which he wrote about the kidnapping and his life before and after the incident. In an interview, he spoke about how, after Kamiyah had been kidnapped, much of the media focus had shifted to his incarceration, which he felt had been unfairly portrayed and defamed him.
He described it as a very difficult time, but said that being reunited with his family helped him move forward. Both he and Shanara have consistently opposed the appeals filed by Gloria Williams and have urged the court to keep her behind bars. They now live in Jacksonville, Florida, and share a close relationship with Kamiyah. Many people have also remarked on how much she resembles her father, and her relationship with Shanara continues to improve with time. Craig has said that although his daughter often puts on a brave face, he wants to be there for her whenever she struggles and strives to remain emotionally supportive. The family has endured a great deal, but it is encouraging to see them continue to grow stronger together.
Read More: Kamiyah Mobley AKA Alexis Manigo: Where is the Kidnapping Survivor Now?
