The long, sad, story of Carlina White and her kidnapper Ann Pettway has added another twist: Pettway's defense now says White will testify on behalf of her fake mom in court. Pettway previously pleaded not guilty to taking White from Harlem Hospital in 1987 when the girl was 20-days-old. White is expected to ask for leniency if Pettway is convicted, as she faces up to life in prison for the alleged baby-snatching.
When last we heard about White, her birth mother was guilting her via tabloid for being too interested in money and not interested in her rediscovered family (White's biological parents received a $750,000 from Harlem Hospital, but it was long gone by the time White found her family in January). Perhaps it's not that surprising White has supposedly agreed from her home in Atlanta to support the woman who raised, and reportedly abused, her.
"I believe after meeting with her and speaking for a long time, that she will be supportive in every way," Pettway's public defender Robert Baum said after a brief court conference in the case. No trial date has been set yet as Baum asked for more time to review documents as well as to search for a mysterious woman in white who he may claim was the one who actually took the baby girl from the hospital.
White's birth parents were in court for the conference yesterday, but declined to comment. The Post says that a call to the cell phone of Carlina White's mother, Joy, "directed questions to a California TV production company, Blackbird Fly Entertainment, which declined comment." Back in February we told Carlina that if she wanted cash now she just needed to get herself a movie or a TV deal for her life story. Looks like at least one White took our advice.
