A Texas Boy, Kidnapped as an Infant, to Reunite 8 Years Later with Mom

Eight years ago, a Texas infant was kidnapped from his mother at the age of 8-months. The babysitter and godmother was suspected in the case, but after years of searching, the case was closed, as of 2006. Now the mother, Auboni Champion-Morin, is soon to reunite with her son, pending some necessary but perhaps superfluous DNA testing.

“I want to hold him in my arms and let him know who I am,” said Auboni. “I hope he can feel the same thing I feel for him.”

The change in life will certainly be an upgrade. The child, whose kidnapper, Krystle Rochelle Tanner, 26, sometimes referred to as “Dirty,” was found out because Tanner had been negligent with her children. Child Welfare investigators in San Augustine had been notified.

When questioned about the identify of the boy, Tanner used different names and gave sketchy stories. He was not immediately connected with the missing boy, whose name had been removed from the missing children’s database.

“It was very difficult [to identify him] because we were essentially searching for a ghost,” said Chief Deputy Gary Cunningham. But when CPS discovered that Tanner was a suspect in a kidnapping case, the pieces fell into place.

“I prayed every night that he was safe, loved and he would come home one day,” said Champion-Morin. With a little counseling, and a lot more prayer, maybe her life and the child’s will one day be one of happiness.