Carlina Renae White, who was kidnapped at the age of 3 weeks back in 1987, has been FOUND ALIVE AND WELL! It happened just the way it’s supposed to: she couldn’t find her birth records, got suspicious, checked a missing persons site and saw herself. She grew up in Bridgeport, Connecticut under the name Nejdra Nance, and now lives in Georgia.
I’ll write more when I know it. Articles:
AOL News
New York Daily News (with pics of Carlina, then and now)
The Charley Project Blog 
WOW!!!!!
Amazing! It sounds like she and her family had a happy reunion, which is great!
Wow! That’s amazing! I can’t wait to learn more – about everything, her kidnappers, her bio family, etc.
Same, that makes me shivery, I hope the reunion etc between her and parents goes okay, I see they have other families and partners now, what a shock this will all be to them!!
Yes, this is an amazing story! I only wish that major and/or more news outlets will pick up this story so that other families of missing children will know that there is hope or better yet, that their hope and faith will be rejuvenated by the outcome of this case.
I just tuned in to CNN (Anderson Cooper 360- no news about Carlina), and a search of the website produced no results BUT I see that AC 360 will be discussing the Mahan case and the case is on the website. Carlina and her family need more coverage.
Meaghan, could Carlina’s case now be considered the longest a person has been missing then recovered alive?
Also, thanks for posting this!
The longest for a stranger abduction — I believe so. The longest by far. Jaycee Dugard was the previous record holder.
I’ve been searching to find when the CNN show on Cherrie Ann Mahan airs on CNN and can’t find anything. Do you happen to know anything?
Anderson Cooper did a small piece on Cherrie yesterday. The only thing that I got from the segment was that there “might” be a person of interest who is/was known by the Mahan family.
That’s definitely a “Holy Crap” moment. 🙂 How old is Carlina now?
So happy for the family! This certainly gives hope to those whose loved ones have been missing for so many years.
This is just absolutely crazy! It’s even making international news. It’s on a major Norwegian news site.
Just wondering, do you remember any other cases where the kidnapped child recognized themselves on a missing persons website or poster, Meaghan?
I think a few family abduction and runaway kids have.
Saw a screen shot of Carlina’s Charley profile on the “Today” show. Such an exciting story!
This is so good news. :)))
Love It!
It’s because of people like you, Meaghan, that Carlina found out the truth. In fact, I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if The Charley Project helped her put together this puzzle. God bless you, and always remember how important your work on this website is.
CNN had an article on the case this morning. I’m very happy that she was found, though I’m sure there is going to be a long road ahead for both her and the family that raised her. I’m wondering though, I know it was a different world back in the 80’s and all, but how in hell has she gotten this far without a birth certificate and maybe an SSN. Esp. these days you need it for everything. In college they used it as our file id number. At any rate, good news for sure.
I’m wondering that myself. Hard to get any kind of medical care at all if you don’t have even a birth certificate. You might be able to get by with no ssn, b/c there’s some paranoid types that don’t have one, they do some process or other to get rid of it. Not sure how they do it though. But you won’t get very far without one.
I think I read years ago about a boy kidnapped by his father or his mother that didn’t suspect anything at all till he wanted to join the police force and his fingerprint check showed he was missing.
Illegal immigrants manage to do it. There’s always forgery, or buying someone’s real documents. I suppose for some documents like school records where they just need the number for reference, you could make one up — just make sure it’s the same one each time. I myself did not have a Social Security number as a young child. I’m not sure when I got mine, but when I was six (in 1991-1992) I recall my Dad telling someone I didn’t have one.
I have heard that in blighted urban schools where kids are often moving in and out of various homeless shelters and relatives homes’ etc and thence from school to school, they aren’t all that fussy about having all the records lined up. After all, a kid is entitled to an education whether they have a piece of paper or not. That’s just something I’ve heard, though, don’t have first-hand knowledge of it.
Yeah, I love how I have two vaild id’s, (one from our us military) but not a DL and they refused to let me put my name on my son’s bank account. The last thing I said before I left was something akin to “yeah, and if i was an illegal you would give me a house loan”. I was so mad. However, look at other long term missing cases, like the Baskins…I think the girl, Katherine, became a nurse or something. She had to have had some form of id. Speaking of which, this brings it back, heard anything else about them Meaghan?
Unless you weren’t claimed on your family’s tax returns, you would have had a social security number well before age 6. Children have needed an SSN to be claimed as dependents since 1986.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_number
All I know is that when I was around that age, I was bragging about my intelligence to some woman and she was asking me questions like “what’s the capital of Alaska” and then she said, “I bet you don’t know what your Social Security number is,” and then my Dad said, “Actually, believe it or not, she doesn’t have one.”
No.
That is great! I was watching a special on Investigation Discovery called “I’d Kill For a Baby” and her mom was on there and was just heartbroken and hopeful that she would see her again. My heart goes out to them and I hope for the best for her and her family.
OMG I can’t believe this. This was one of the first missing persons cases that I got on and I am overjoyed they found her. This left me in tears knowing she’s still alive and contacted her family. Congrats to her mother and father, their two decade nightmare is over
I’m crying in happiness right now. This is such a wonderful start for the new year.
OH MY GOD!! The new longest survivng non family abduction victim…how wonderful for the family…just amazing and unbelievable!!
Wow! Its like coming back from the dead! Look at the eyes. Its like soooooo her!