Happy Ending to the Newborn Baby Kidnapping

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

20 Sep 2006 06:54 AM

I love a happy ending and none more so than the recent one that I read in the news this morning that Stephenie Ochsenbine was reunited with her newborn daughter. The baby was brutally abducted from the 21-year-old mother just last week and the mother's throat was slashed. When I first read this story, I couldn't imagine what went through her mind to be so brutally attacked in her own home and left to die and her newborn was taken away from her.

Shannon Beck was arrested yesterday after Dorothy Torres, her sister-in-law, contacted the authorities. Ms. Beck miscarried recently and the sister-in-law became suspicious due to make up on the baby's forehead that Ms. Beck was claiming to be her own. When the sister-in-law rubbed off the make-up, she found a strawberry-red birthmark that matched the description given in the bulletin released by authorities that were searching desperately for the missing child and the kidnapper.

Authorities are hailing Torres as a hero because she made it possible to reunite Ochsenbine with her baby girl. The 11-day-old baby is in good health and mother and daughter reportedly doing fine. Charges are expected to be filed against Beck sometime today.

Ochsenbine was attacked at her rural home on Friday when a woman entered her home with a knife, slashed her throat and then left, taking the then week-old infant with her. Authorities believe that this is the same day that Beck's full-term pregnancy ended by miscarriage.

Many experts say that kidnappings by strangers in child abduction cases is extremely rare, but they do happen. In the end, mother and daughter were reunited - they are both in my thoughts and my prayers and as awful as what Beck did is, I feel for this woman who seems to have been acting out of grief and misery of her own. Thankfully, for Ms. Ochsenbine and her newborn - this story does have a happy ending.

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Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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Jaime Egan (2178) 20 Sep 2006 08:54 AM

Having a miscarriage can be devastating, but whatever could possess one woman to take another woman's baby is beyond me. Thank goodness things turned out well for the Ochsenbine family.

Valorie Delp (49340) 20 Sep 2006 08:55 AM

I'm so glad you blogged on this. I was horrified when I read the story about the kidnapping. I just can't even begin to imagine.

mommytotwo (526) 20 Sep 2006 08:58 AM

I live about three hours from where this happened. My in-law's live very close to this area. It was on the news down here a lot and I am so glad that the kidnapper was finally found and the baby is safe! It was a horrible story with a happy ending!

PamalaLauren (6497) 20 Sep 2006 09:48 AM

I'm so glad this woman got her baby back and whether Beck miscarried or not that's no excuse to do what she did. They'll probably try to use it as a defense but somethings are just inexcusable.