Family Reunited After Kidnapping 30 Years Ago
There's a video on this link that I couldn't copy. Grab a tissue or two before you watch it! :)
life.http://www.wsav.com/sav/news/local/a...ars_ago/10229/
By Randi Hempel
Published: March 8, 2009
A mother and one of her kidnapped sons are re-united after more than 30 years and it’s all because of MySpace.
In an exclusive story, News 3’s Randi Hempel introduces us to a family who endured many years of heartache, tears and a tough road.
It started in 1979 in Newark, New Jersey, with a custody battle and lawyer supervised visits between a father and his 3 and 4-year old sons.
The father kidnapped his sons at the end of a visit, fleeing to Savannah. It left mom, Diane Spann, searching the northeast, heartbroken and hopeful.
She had other children, but always remembered her boys, Isa and Laquarn.
Their father told them she was trying to poison them and that if anyone asked about their mom, they were to say she was dead.
The boys ended up in the state of Georgia’s custody for a year. When they were returned to their father he abandoned them when they were 12 and 14.
Isa made it to tenth grade, while his brother quit school in 8th grade and is now in prison. But after years of struggle, there’s a happy ending.
“This is my son, my long lost son. These are my children that never seen their brother,” Diane Spann is ecstatic as she introduces her family.
But now this family is together, thanks to MySpace.
A living room full of extended family members cheers.
“My dad, he always told me stories about what happened and why he didn’t have a mother so I just wanted to see if I could find her and maybe let them meet each other,” explains 13-year old Tajare Muhammad.
“I really don’t get on MySpace, but I had an account that was put up a couple of years ago, so I said let me just go in it cause Omar (24-year old son) was home, I said let me just check and I seen where are you my grandmother, and I’m like well what is this and my son said click on it,” explains Diann.
“She started reading it and she just started screaming and hollering and rocking, say it’s my babies, it’s my babies,“ explains Cleveland Omar Davis, who hadn’t met his older brother until this weekend.
“Please if this is you and you had 2 children who was separated from you about 30 years ago, please, please contact me,” Davis reads a message from his niece.
“At first I didn’t believe it until I heard her and we talked and she said some stuff that I already, that I knew and then it just went to tears for me,” explains 34-year old Isa Spann.
Diane cries and the family preaches “restoration, restoration, over 30 years, 30 years…”
“His mother is a cry baby, he come from a crying family,” sobs as she talks about her son.
“I knew I had family but I didn’t know it was this much but my eyes, I thought I wouldn’t never see them again so I always felt alone in the world,” explains Isa.
Isa’s not alone anymore. His living room is filled with family who never stopped loving him.
“I cried and I prayed throughout the years and I didn’t see it coming. I had faith and I prayed and I just had faith in God and I just prayed that where ever they were at that they would be ok,” says Diane.
This reunion day will forever be in this family’s minds just like the day Diane’s boys were taken.
“It was January the 26th, 1979 and his birthday was February the 2nd and I bought a cake anyway, hoping that he would be brought back home and he said he never had a birthday cake,“ Diane recalls.
But, a message from mom is the best birthday gift this year.
“It said tell your father happy birthday. His birthday was the 2nd of February. I whispered to God to bless him with a happy birthday. And for God to let him know that I love him,” Tajare reads a message sent by her grandmother.
“It’s an awesome feeling, I mean, I just thank God that he’s okay, you know what I’m saying? I thank God that I have beautiful grandchildren, you know what I’m saying? I love them and I love all ya’ll so much. You know I just thank God,” Diane is excited.
“It just makes me happy and to see that he found his mom and that there ain’t nothing else, they’re not going to break apart again,” adds Tajare.
Diane and Isa continue hugging, crying and smiling.
The family visited all this weekend and they plan to talk every day and visit often. Now, Diane is trying to see her other son, who’s in prison near Macon.
She just wishes that she could have raised her boys so they didn’t have a truly difficult and painful
