JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The woman accused of kidnapping a newborn from a Jacksonville hospital nearly 20 years ago was back in court Tuesday.
Gloria Williams appeared before the judge in Duval County in a very brief pretrial hearing. The court is working on procedural issues hoping to set a trial date in the near future. The judge said she would like jury selection to begin in October or November.
The woman accused of snatching Kamiyah Mobley from what was then known as Shands Hospital was arrested in January ending a mystery that spanned two decades. The 51-year-old woman raised Kamiyah as her own. Kamiyah has been known as Alexis Manago for 18 years.
In April, she pleaded not guilty to one count of kidnapping and one count of interference with custody. She is being held without bond and her attorney has yet to file a motion for a bond hearing.
The baby was only eight hours old when she was snatched from the hospital and the story gained national attention. Over the almost two decades the child was missing, more than 2500 tips filtered into the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Some of those tips led investigators to Walterboro, South Carolina where they found Williams and Manigo. They confirmed the child’s identity with DNA evidence.
Williams is set to be back in court June 26. She could face life in prison if convicted.