JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The biological parents of Kamiyah Mobley took the stand Thursday morning, giving emotional testimony during the sentencing hearing for Gloria Williams, the woman police say took their daughter as a newborn.
Kamiyah, now 19, was taken from a Jacksonville hospital just hours after her birth on July 10, 1998, at University Medical Center, which is now UF Health Jacksonville. She was raised by Williams in South Carolina, officials said.
Both Shanara Mobley, Kamiyah's mother, and Craig Aiken, Kamiyah's father, asserted to the court the fact that they are Kamiyah's parents.
"It doesn't heal. I'm still hurting. I am your mother, Kamiyah. I am your mother!" Shanara Mobley said loudly to the court, which included Kamiyah, who was sitting in the back.
"My name is Craig Aiken. I am the father of Kamiyah Mobley, her real father," Aiken said, reading from a prepared statement before answering questions.
Kidnapping of Kamiyah 'destroyed' her parents
Shanara Mobley and Craig Aiken also talked about how the kidnapping of their daughter deeply affected them.
Shanara Mobley, who was just 16 when her daughter was born and kidnapped, said she became suicidal. She said she became an angry person and it changed her personality and impacted her relationships.
Craig Aiken was serving a sentence in jail when Kamiyah was born and said the guards came and told him they had good news and bad news: that Kamiyah had been born but that she was kidnapped.
"That day she (Williams) took Kamiyah, she destroyed me and Shanara," Aiken said.
'Her crimes are serious and definitely not a joke'
When asked what kind of penalty Williams should get, Shanara Mobley said she should get death. The state's prosecutor told her that's not on the table, so Shanara Mobley said Williams should get the maximum penalty of 22 years.
"I need her away from my child," Shanara Mobley said of Williams.
Aiken said he wanted to see Williams get the "max time," for what she did, but he also acknowledged Kamiyah's feelings, saying "my daughter don't want to see you get no time."
"Today, I pray that the court or the judge let her know that her crimes are serious and definitely not a joke. It's also like she can't comprehend the damage she has done and is still doing to Kamiyah," Aiken said.
Others who testified in court
Charles Manigo - He was previously in a relationship with Gloria Williams and thought he was Kamiyah Mobley/Alexis Manigo's father.
He recommended the maximum sentence for Williams in this case, calling Kamiyah Mobley the victim.
Rodney McKean - He was a cold case detective who was assigned to Kamiyah's case. He said there were once 3,000 leads in the case and at one point, it was believed that Kamiyah was dead.
Velma Aiken - She is Kamiyah Mobley's biological grandmother and Craig Aiken's mother. Aiken said she was at the hospital when Kamiyah was born and said the 18 years her granddaughter was missing were difficult.
Gloria Brown - She is the mother of Gloria Williams, and the woman who Kamiyah Mobley thought was her biological grandmother. She said her daughter was pregnant in 1998.
Wilbert Brown - Gloria Williams' father and the man who Kamiyah Mobley thought was her biological grandfather.
"If you do the crime, you've got to do the time. I hope it's not as bad as it might be. Whatever it is, you have to accept it," he said.
Sheri Yvette-Base White - Gloria Williams' pastor and friend. She said Williams was a youth coordinator at church from 2014 until her arrest in January 2017 and there were never any complaints against her.
Wernoskie Conevy Williams - Gloria Williams' husband of six years. He said he knows his wife made a mistake, but also said she deserves a second chance.
Antoine Bolden - Gloria Williams' son. He said his childhood was normal and fun, and that he split time between Williams and his father.
Andre Bolden - Son of Gloria Williams. Like his brother Antoine, he tells the court that he had a good childhood.
How we got here and what's next
In January 2017, police said a tip led them to South Carolina, where they found Kamiyah Mobley and arrested Gloria Williams.
Williams accepted a plea deal in February. She could serve up to 22 years for kidnapping and interfering with custody.
The sentencing hearing is expected continue Friday. Previous interviews from Kamiyah Mobley, who was raised with the name Alexis Manigo, will be submitted for the judge's consideration Friday.
ICYMI: WATCH SHANARA MOBLEY'S TESTIMONY ON FACEBOOK LIVE
ICYMI: WATCH VELMA & CRAIG AIKEN'S TESTIMONY ON FACEBOOK LIVE
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