Ann
and Mike Kibalo married after dating for nine months. Only
one thing was missing to make their lives complete - a child.
Two and a half years after they were married, Ann gave birth
to Samantha and the couple brought her home to Suffern,
New York. But their joy was short-lived. According to Mike,
Ann began behaving erratically almost immediately. She allegedly
began yelling at Mike saying that she didn't need him anymore.
The following afternoon, Mike returned home from work to
find all the furniture missing. They baby's room was also
completely cleaned out. Mike called his mother-in-law. He
claims Ann answered the phone and told him the marriage
was over and that he would never see their daughter again.
According to Mike, Ann told him that she had called the
police and reported that Mike beat her up and that he was
also harming Samantha. Police later determined that there
was no evidence of abuse. Mike Kibalo sued for divorce and
sole custody of Samantha. As the divorce case weaved through
the legal system Ann was ordered by the court to share custody
of Samantha with Mike.
After a weeklong visit with Ann, Mike said Samantha was
returned to him with bruises on her face. Mike immediately
took Samantha to the family pediatrician. The doctor said
that the bruise was three to five days old - which means
that it most likely occurred while Samantha was with her
mother. A court-appointed psychiatrist was assigned to evaluate
Mike and Ann's fitness as parents. While no determination
was made as to how Samantha got the bruises, the psychiatrist
concluded that there was something odd in the way Ann was
treating her daughter. Over a span of 11 months Ann took
Samantha to 7 doctors on 33 occasions. She also reportedly
hired 23 lawyers and 11 psychiatrists - according to some,
a classic behavior of a person suffering from Munchausen's
Syndrome by Proxy. The final diagnosis was that Ann had
a severe personality disorder with a mixture of traits from
several disorders. Soon Mike Kibalo was awarded full custody
of Samantha.
But
the ordeal was far from over. Ann had appealed the court
ruling and she still had a right to see her child. The day
before the court made it's final decision on the appeal,
Mike brought Samantha to the police station for a scheduled
overnight visit with Ann. Mike returned the following day
to pick up his daughter but Ann never showed up. All efforts
to find them have failed, leaving Mike Kibalo's life in
ruins. Mike fears that his daughter is in grave danger.
Two
months later, police discovered Anne's SUV abandoned in
a Brooklyn parking garage. But a search of the vehicle provided
no clues as to Ann or Samantha's whereabouts. Both have
been missing since February of 2001. Samantha Kibalo would
now be three years old. She has light brown hair and brown
eyes. Ann Kibalo is wanted for kidnapping and unlawful flight
to avoid prosecution. Authorities believe she may be traveling
with her red Tibetan terrier named Vodka. She may also be
in contact with medical professionals.
