Man Finds His Own Image On Missing Person List After Investigating His Adoption

In the year 2011, a man named Steve Carter Jr., who sold medical software for a living, found himself engrossed in a news article that was far from ordinary. The news piece revolved around the unsettling incident involving a lady from Atlanta, who had been whisked away in a shocking kidnap plot just weeks after her birth.

The story was so puzzling and gripping, and Steve was completely captivated. Little did he anticipate that the same story would serve as a tool to help him unravel the mysteries from his childhood days.

In 1987, a woman named Carlina White was born in New York City. Her parents, Carl Tyson and Joy White, were extremely happy, overjoyed really, to greet their newborn daughter. However, they got a sense of unease, a suspicion that everything was not quite as it should be, as soon as their baby girl started to show signs of being unwell. Despite the cloud of worry that hung over them, their delight in their daughters’ birth was not dimmed. They just knew that something about their girl wasn’t entirely right.

When she reached the age of 19 days, her parents understood they had to seek medical help for her. As a result, they brought her to a local hospital, where medical professionals identified that she was suffering from an infection. The infection had originated from the fluid she ingested during her birth process.

Despite their sorrow over their newborn Carlina’s illness, Carl and Joy found comfort in knowing she was in good hands at the hospital. One nurse, in particular, had shown a lot of affection towards Carlina, ensuring that she and her parents felt at ease as each day passed. She prioritized their comfort and the quality of the care she was providing.

In the end, it turned out this lady was not actually a nurse at all. Instead, she was an unusual woman who had been lingering in the hospital corridors for a solid three weeks. Her only goal? She was desperately searching for a baby she could claim as her own.

Once upon a time, there was a real lack of suspicion on the part of Carlina’s parents towards the woman who they believed was a “nurse”. Entrusting their precious daughter into her care, they felt comforted by the staff member’s obvious concern for Carlina. Nevertheless, their contentment turned to grave worry when they discovered that Carlina was nowhere to be found.

During the wee hours of the morning, the baby was snatched from the hospital. It was a crushing blow to her parents when they found out that the security cameras had been non-functional at the time. Their infant daughter was now missing, taken by someone disguised as a nurse, and they were utterly clueless about her whereabouts and the true identity of the seemingly innocent nurse.

Removed from her folks, Carlina found herself entrusted with a distinct existence and a fresh identity as Nejdra Nance. Her home was in Connecticut, and she lived under the care of Ann Pettaway. From Carlina’s viewpoint, Ann was not just her guardian, but the woman who had brought her into this world; she believed Ann was her real, biological mother.

As Nejdra began to grow up and shape her own destiny, she realized that something didn’t feel right. Her mother, who was supposed to have answers, couldn’t find her birth certificate, which she needed to get health insurance. Some pieces of her life didn’t seem to fit the puzzle.

Ultimately, Nejdra found herself needing to ask a hard question. It was to Ann, inquiring whether she was truly her mother, an answer to which she was not ready for. In response, Ann began to weep immediately, revealing that she wasn’t her real mother. She told Nejdra that she was adopted when her parents, who were heavily addicted to drugs, were not capable of taking care of her.

Unmoved by Ann’s explanation, Nejdra decided to dig a bit deeper herself. Her investigation led her to the website of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It was during this bout of online sleuthing that she stumbled upon a startling truth. She was, in reality, the missing person named Carlina White listed on the website.

Taking a look at the data she had on hand, Carlina immediately picked up the phone and called the cops. Once contacted, they managed to connect her with the people who were really her birth parents. Not only that, but they started to compile a solid case to catch Ann Pettway red-handed.

Finally, Pettaway decided to surrender and went on to make a plea deal. This deal resulted in her getting a shortened sentence, and in 2012, she was given a sentence of 12 years in jail. According to the decision made by the court, Ann will not be able to leave prison until she is 62 years old – a seemingly small payment for the terrible crime she committed.

Carlina couldn’t wait to be back with her real mom and dad, but unfortunately, her hopes for a warm and welcoming home were dashed. It was only when she was older that she had the chance to be with them again, and her lawyer suggested she ask about the settlement money they got from the hospital.

In the case, they raked in $750,000. It was important to mention though, that they had utilized quite a bit of the money already. The rest was invested in trust for Carlina, a unique arrangement stipulating that she could only access it if she was discovered before her 21st birthday.

Ultimately, Carlina and her real parents had a disagreement concerning money, which sadly led to a breakup in their relationship that they were unable to fix. Despite this, the tale captured the public’s interest after being featured in the national newspapers. Steve Carter Jr., in particular, found the story very compelling.

Learning about the journey of Carlina’s adoption stirred up thoughts of his own adoption story, and it made him realize that he wanted to dig deeper into his roots and find out about his biological parents. All he knew was he first opened his eyes in the world in Hawaii in 1977, and he was named Tenzin Amea at birth before he was introduced to the adoption system.

Tenzin was an adopted child who, surprisingly, didn’t have any ill feelings about his early days. Despite the usual lives of many adopted children, he spent his babyhood peacefully in an orphanage. Later, he found warmth and love when he moved in with a kind foster family living in the island paradise, Oahu.

Although he didn’t have a traditional family surrounding him when he was growing up, he discovered affection from his foster parents and the people running the orphanage where he lived. Among these people, there was one woman who worked at the orphanage that he felt strongly attached to. Her name was Caridad Balcita.

Caridad Balcita was very affectionate towards Tenzin, always showing him love so he would never feel alone or unappreciated. So when the news arrived in 1980 that Tenzin was at last going to be adopted, she was filled with boundless joy, as this was something she fervently desired for him.

An American military officer named Steve Carter and his loving wife Pat had made their home in Hawaii due to his army posting. During their stay, they had the desire to extend their family through adoption. They took their time, visiting various orphanages and thoroughly understanding the profiles of the children waiting for their forever happy homes. Their search eventually led them to the orphanage where a special child named Tenzin was residing.

When Steve and Pat stepped foot into the orphanage, their attention was immediately drawn to a youthful, bright-eyed boy with golden hair. This boy seemed unique compared to the other kids in the orphanage, and the couple felt an instant bond with him as if some unseen force pulled them together.

After getting to know him better and sharing moments with the young boy, their minds were made up. They had chosen to become Tenzin’s permanent family, filled with eager anticipation to provide him with a new chapter in his life with them.

Despite the immense joy that Steve and Pat felt with Tenzin now being a part of their family, there were certain puzzling aspects about his alleged background. They were informed that their newly adopted son had Hawaiian roots, however, he didn’t physically look like he belonged to that ethnicity. This inconsistency was making them question the truth of his lineage.

His light blonde hair and bright blue eyes weren’t quite what they had been expecting, but they made the choice to set aside these puzzling thoughts. Instead, they focused their attention on bringing him up in a home brimming with warmth and affection.

When the choice was made by Steve and Pat to create a forever home for Tenzin, they hoped for a brand-new beginning for him. For this reason, they opted to rename him, choosing to call him Steve Carter Jr. It was more than just a new name, it was the start of his new life.

Even though they wanted him to start anew, they held onto the name Tenzin, electing to keep it as his middle name. From the sandy beaches of Hawaii, they relocated to New Jersey. Here, Steve’s parents tried their very best to give him an excellent life, providing him with everything that he could have ever dreamed of having. As a matter of fact, it’s fair to say that Steve led a particularly privileged life.

As time rolled on, Steve Jr. kept on maturing and started resembling less and less of a Hawaiian heritage. His adoptive mom and dad, along with family members, couldn’t help but chuckle at the notion that his dad was of Hawaiian descent because it hardly reflected in his looks. The irony hit everyone as Steve Jr’s appearance displayed no trace of that specific lineage.

Rather than avoid the truth that they weren’t his birth parents, Pat and Steve committed to total honesty with their son. They made certain that he understood his adoption and the somewhat hazy circumstances of his earlier years. Despite the differences in his origin story, they were determined to provide all the love and support he needed.

Indeed, Pat and Steve, aspired for their son to live his life as freely as possible. They never intended for him to ever feel unease about voicing any curiosities or inquiries he might have. Just as importantly, they hoped that he would be completely understanding and accepting of the reality that they were not his biological parents, but had chosen him through adoption.

Each year, they marked a special day they called their “Came To Be Our Boy Day.” This was the day they celebrated signing the adoption papers, officially making Steve their son. Their open-mindedness was strong enough to accommodate Steve’s choice to delve into his past and locate information about his roots. Despite any fears or insecurities they might have had, they remained dedicated to supporting Steve.

As time marched on, he found that the understanding of DNA and genetic testing was becoming more common. This happened when he was in his thirties. It was a time when such scientific knowledge was grabbing everyone’s attention. His adoptive parents even gave him a delightful surprise one Christmas by gifting him a genetic testing kit. They were as enthusiastic about this new science as he was.

Nervously excited, Steve Jr. was extremely eager to dig into his personal history and discover more about his ancestors. In an amazing turn of events, he found out that he had a familial connection to Scandinavia, which was the first intriguing piece of his past that he unearthed.

For Steve Jr., finding out that first bit of information was like taking a breath of fresh air. It felt incredible to have tangible confirmation of his heritage, even if it wasn’t entirely unexpected. His blonde hair and vivid blue eyes left little room for doubt; he certainly wasn’t of Hawaiian descent.

This was just the beginning of his journey to find out about his biological family and why he was adopted. As he waited for more detailed information, Steve took the time to go through the news report about Carlina and her disappearance.

With Steve’s mind stirring with the details of the story, he decided to be more proactive. Instead of simply relying on the DNA test, he chose to delve into the missing person’s database himself.

Though Tenzin Amea’s name did not bring up any hits at first, he chose to fine-tune his search methods by incorporating his birth date and birthplace. Even so, there were no names that seemed to match his. But as he scrolled progressively down the list and dove deeper into the information available, he stumbled upon a piece of data that absolutely froze him in his position.

As Steve continued sifting through his list, his eyes landed on a particular piece of information – a person who had disappeared named Marx Panama Moriarty-Barnes. The age mentioned for the boy was strikingly young at the time of his disappearance. What’s more, the facts on the report stated that the boy was born in 1977, a year that held significance for Steve – it was his birth year as well.

But it wasn’t his birth date that made Steve freeze. There was an artist’s drawing connected to the name; it represented what they thought Marx appeared like back then. The drawing was shockingly identical to Steve…

Steve found himself gazing at the drawing in front of him, marveling in disbelief. It felt like he was staring into a mirror because, astonishingly, the sketch was practically the same as the image of himself he saw when he peered into his reflection.

His heart started to thump quickly, and he found himself overwhelmed with curiosity and confusion. However, he understood that he needed to stay calm and not get too carried away. As a result, he chose to share the picture with his close friends and family, hoping their opinions might shed some light on his puzzlement.

Surrounded by people who insisted he was the spitting image of the absentee, his adoptive mother pushed him to reach out to law enforcement. It was at this point he picked up the phone and dialed the police department in Honolulu, requesting to be directly involved in the unfolding investigation related to the disappearance of Marx Panama Moriarty-Barnes.

The officials too examined his photograph and speculated that he might be the person they were looking for, swiftly requesting Steve to undergo a DNA test for confirmation. The drawn-out eight months he had to endure while waiting for the results felt like never-ending torment.

After a period of eight long months, Steve finally got his hands on the results. He discovered more about baby Marx, the son of the American duo, Mark Barnes and Charlotte Moriarty. The couple had moved from the state of California to earn their living in the tropical haven of Hawaii. Together, with their son, it seemed as though they were living a picture-perfect life.

When Marx was just a tiny tot, his mother, Charlotte, chose to take him for a leisurely stroll. However, troublingly, they never came back from their little outing. After some time had passed, Mark felt worry creeping in and made the decision to alert the local law enforcement. He officially declared them as missing individuals.

The following events are still somewhat fuzzy to Mark, and he can’t pin down why his girlfriend Charlotte took off from their household, their infant cradled in her arms. The only fact that the police could discern was that Charlotte had taken the step to provide them with a fresh start, going as far as changing their identities.

Marx transformed into Tenzin, and all the while, Charlotte strived to continue a regular life, eventually finding herself in a mental health hospital. Even when Tenzin was merely six months of age, he had already found a new place to call home – an orphanage. Unknown to all, he was essentially a missing child who everyone assumed was simply an orphan.

During that period, Mark was entirely unaware that his missing child was just on the other side of the island, a few miles away. The harsh reality of not having his son close by was on the verge of shattering him completely.

Conceding to the harsh reality that he may never see his son again, Mark opened his heart and home to more children. Tragically, three decades passed without any sign of his lost boy. Much later, his eldest daughter sparked a renewed hope when she urged her father to revisit the missing person’s case for his son. This led to the creation of a new sketch, a beacon of hope that was promptly posted on the missing person’s website.

After Steve Jr. persuaded himself that the child referred to in the sketch was him, he at last got the DNA test results from the police. This DNA test provided clear and final proof for him. It was through this that he confirmed his true identity – he was indeed the baby who had originally been named Marx Panama Barnes-Moriarty.

As the word got around about his shocking news, many struggled to come to terms with it. It’s not often that mysteries surrounding missing individuals find solutions, particularly after such a long period, but this instance signaled a break in the pattern, as the case had been resolved finally.

Steve’s adoptive mom and dad were thrilled when they found out that Steve was sure about his roots. However, this news also filled them with a sense of guilt, considering the circumstances. They strongly felt this despite the joy of knowing their son had clarity about his origins.

They were under the impression that they had denied their son a genuine life, and it was hard for them to comprehend the fact that their son had been a lost child for such a long period. There was a deep sense of guilt in them because they had brought up Mark’s kid without his awareness, and they had done this thinking it was their child. They suggested that Steve should reach out to his real family, but this was a decision that Steve was hesitant to make as he was unsure about it.

In the end, Steve decided to phone his sister before anyone else. She had been the one urging their father to start looking into the missing person’s case again. And it was also her idea to have an artist draw the missing person’s sketch. It was her suggestions that pointed him in the right direction, and he felt the need to talk with her about it.

Incredibly, the two connected right off the bat, and they engaged in an hours-long conversation before stopping for a breather. It wasn’t too much later that he made up his mind about reaching out to his biological father.

While chatting with his dad, Steve was astounded by the scale of Mark’s obliviousness. He didn’t have the faintest idea about Charlotte’s whereabouts or where she had taken their little boy when he was just a child. All these years, Mark simply presumed that Charlotte had kept their son out of his reach and hidden from him.

While Steve felt a sense of happiness from finally meeting his real dad, his mind was still flooded with an even larger batch of unanswered questions. Even though reality hinted he might never find out the truth to all his queries, deep down, he still held on to the desire to understand. He wanted to know what happened to his mom and the reasons behind her decision to take him away all those years back.

Although there remain questions today about his early years, Steve has gained numerous explanations along his journey. Unlike many adopted kids, he now understands his origins and the events of his youth. It’s a knowledge not all in his position are lucky enough to have.

What’s truly mind-blowing about this tale is that its origins stemmed from a news article about a wholly different individual. Steve discovered his own mystery’s solution and had the opportunity to receive responses he’d only ever considered in his wildest dreams, all from reading Carlina’s storyline.

If you found that tale about Steven Carter Jr., a boy who was taken in by a new family and years later shockingly spotted his own picture on a list of missing persons, then brace yourself for this next saga. It revolves around a woman whose spouse mysteriously disappeared after he had been a soldier in World War II.

After a long period of 60 years, tirelessly searching for him, she was finally able to get the answers she had been needing so desperately.