Her Mother Was Told She Died in a House Fire but the Truth Is Shocking

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That's dell.com slash deals. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of True Crime with Kendall Rae. Thank you so much for joining me today. And if you're new to the show, then welcome. I'm so happy to have you. Now, today, guys, we have a very, very interesting case that has a happy ending. And that is not something I can say very often. So I'm really, really looking forward to tell you guys about this story. It's absolutely incredible and just mind-blowing in every way. But before we get into that, I have a very exciting personal announcement. I'm so excited to finally say this because it always feels very weird to hide it. I guess I've only hidden this one other time, but it always feels weird. And I'm sure a lot of you have already figured it out, or maybe you've already seen on Instagram, but I am pregnant. I am having my second baby, in March of 2026, which feels like a really long time from now. But I'm already, I think by the time this goes up, I'll be in my second trimester already. So it's gone by somewhat fast, though day to day, it does feel pretty slow. I've been pretty tired and dragging through recordings a bit. So maybe some of you have noticed. I don't know. But yes, I am just over the moon about it. I'm so excited. Being a mom has been the best thing that's ever happened to me. Makes me really emotional to even think about it. And that's why I think I love today's case so much. But I knew after my daughter was born, which was now over three years ago, can you believe it? Time flies. I know some of you have been with me since then, and some of you way beyond that. But yeah, here we are over three years later, and I'm having my second. So I'm just really, really excited. And things will continue on here as normal. If you're curious about that, for maternity leave, I started pre-recording episodes like six months ago in February of this year, 2025. So I'm hoping to have enough banked so that something will go up for you guys every week that I'm gone and I won't take much of a leave, at least from this show. But I know you guys will be so supportive. So thank you in advance. And thank you guys for all of your support over the years for every milestone that I have hit my personal life and professionally. I just am so, so grateful to have so many of you there who have just been, you know, like, sounds weird, but far away friends. I recently went to CrimeCon and got to meet so many of you in person, hundreds of you. And it just reaffirmed to me how lucky I am to do this job and to have such special, amazing people watching my show. I always say, your vibe attracts your tribe. And I feel when I meet you guys in person that so many of you are people that I would want to be friends with. And I just, I feel very lucky. I feel very happy in this stage of my life. So anyway, I'm just rambling now. But yeah, that's the big news. And if you want to follow me on Instagram, you can. That's where I'll be doing any, you know, personal updates and probably on my podcast, The Sesh as well. I won't really be talking about it much here. But yeah, that's that. But let's go ahead and jump into today's case. Like I said, this one does have a happy ending. Crazy how all of this happened and how it unfolded. It is really this complex web of crimes and deceit and lies over the years that, you know, because of a mother's intuition and her bond with her child, there was an opportunity to reunite. Okay, now let's finally dive in. Thank you. I know that was a long intro. So in December of 1997, Luzida Cuevas, who mostly goes by Luz, and Pedro Vera were a young married couple living in a townhouse with their children in Philadelphia. And they were both married. Pennsylvania. Both of them had immigrated to the United States from Puerto Rico before they met. They fell in love and they had three sons. And then on December 5th, they welcomed their first daughter, who they named Delamar. And Luz was just so happy to have her fourth child, which is so impressive to me. And you know, her first daughter. But just 10 days later, everything that they had worked so hard to build would be destroyed in a way that neither of them and anyone else really could ever imagine. On the evening of the 15th, Pedro was over at a relative's house. And Luz was home with the kids when Pedro's cousin, Caroline Correa, came over. And right away, Caroline went upstairs to use the bathroom. And after she came down, Luz went upstairs to check on Delamar, who was upstairs sleeping on the bed. And she discovered that she had been moved from the bed to the crib, which was really strange. And then she also noticed that a window was open upstairs, which was really weird. Because remember, this is December. It's like 10 days out from Christmas. And it is freezing outside. They're in Philadelphia. So she went back downstairs to ask Caroline if she had moved Delamar to her crib. And she did admit to doing that. But she said it was because she was worried that she was going to fall off the bed, which of course, yes, valid concern. Not the best idea, not the safest practice to leave a baby on a bed. But normally, a normal person would come and express this concern to a mother before just making the move themselves, right? But anyway, the two of them continue to chat. And while they're chatting, Luz suddenly hears this loud boom coming from upstairs. So of course, she's panicked. She runs upstairs to make sure that baby Delamar was okay. But when she rushed in, she could never imagine what she saw. There was a fire engulfing the entire room. And Delamar was nowhere to be seen. She was not in her crib. Obviously, she has very limited time to look for her since there is a huge fire occurring in the house. And she's not in her crib. So she's not in her crib. And she's in the room. And she searched the room as much as she possibly could, but could not find her. And she really did everything that she could. But she was inhaling a ton of smoke. And she was getting burned on her face, her hands. Plus, keep in mind, she had three other young boys that she needed to get to safety. So she grabbed them and ran out of the house. And when firefighters get there, Luz is telling them over and over that she didn't find her baby. She is completely panicked, begging them to go in and save her daughter, to find her. Although she had said that she was going to find her. But she has no idea where she is. And I'm sure you're wondering, where's Carolyn? Well, by that point, she had gone to get Pedro and tell him what was going on. And once he arrived, he was in absolute shock and just pure distress when he looks at his house on fire and sees his daughter's room specifically on fire and the fact that his daughter is nowhere to be seen. And it's crazy how much damage a fire can do in a short amount of time. It was in just 15 minutes that the flames were put out. And the fire marshal was able to declare that this was all a tragic accident. The fire marshal was able to declare that this was all a tragic accident. The fire that was caused by an overheated extension cord that was plugged into one of those little space heaters near Delamar's crib. And shortly after he told them that, a firefighter walked out of the burnt home with a small tarp that was seemingly wrapped around remains. And for many of us, it is just impossible to imagine how devastating and heartbreaking a moment like this would truly be to see your home in that condition. And then on top of it, for your child's remains to be brought out by a firefighter. One night, a firefighter walked out of the burnt home with a small tarp near Delamar's crib. And shortly after he told them that, a firefighter walked out of the burnt home with a small tarp did it. But for now, let's talk about what Luz and Pedro were going through in this moment. Obviously, they were dealing with an immense amount of grief and pain and confusion. I mean, just days after they had brought their new baby home, she was gone and they couldn't even give her a proper burial. But even through all of this sadness, Luz just could not shake the feeling that Delamar didn't actually die in that fire. Obviously, she's starting to have thoughts that maybe someone took her out of her comfort zone. But she's not alone. She's not alone. She's not alone. She's not before the fire even started, but she couldn't figure out what exactly happened. She just knew something was off. And as the years went on, so did that feeling. And so she starts telling people how she's feeling, walking through her thoughts, telling them that she does not think Delamar actually died that day, that someone had taken her before the fire. And everyone that she tells this to completely dismisses her. They don't think it's possible. They chalk it up to her mind, and that's just because of profound sorrow and grief that she's going through, which, of course, does happen. And Pedro said that at times she would bundle up a blanket and rock it like an infant, talking about needing to feed the baby. So obviously, she is going through a lot of mental struggles. So people around her, you know, are seeing stuff like that and thinking like, oh, she's just this is just grief. But Pedro also said that she never gave up hope that she would one day see Delamar. And so she's like, oh, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't even if no one else around her believed that. But Luz is a strong person. She knows she has to continue on with her life. She has three boys who are counting on her. And eventually they did welcome another baby, her fourth son. But I'm sad to say that even after all of that, they couldn't work through the wedge of grief between them, which is something that so many people experience. And Pedro and Luz separated in 2002. It seems like life was just never truly the same for them after the fire and after losing Delamar. And really, how could it be? I cannot imagine how anything would ever feel the same again. And the six years following that fire just were grueling for their family, challenging every single day. But finally, there eventually seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel, which brings me to January 24th, 2004. And this is where the story gets wild. OK, so Luz goes to a birthday party for the grandchild of Pedro's sister, Evelyn, when all of the sudden she sees a young girl named Aaliyah. But she doesn't She looks at Aaliyah and just knows right away that that is actually her daughter, Delamar. Now, the girl, Aaliyah, her mother is also there. And I'm sure you guys, right from the beginning of this story, have a theory of who you think took Delamar. And her mother is none other than Carolyn, Pedro's cousin. Yes, the same Carolyn who was there right before the fire, who went upstairs and moved Delamar from the bed to the crib, supposedly. And the window was just randomly open. Hmm. OK. Yeah, it was her. She took Delamar. And this was actually the first time that Luz had seen her since the fire. And in that moment, everything just clicked for her. She knew that Carolyn had kidnapped her baby all of those years ago, not to mention the little girl had striking resemblance to her other children, including profound dimples. And that just confirmed her feelings even more. And Luz even told her sister about her suspicion. And she agreed that it was possible. She would later use the phrase blood calling to describe what was happening, which I took as some sort of alert or gut feeling that you would have, like a calling to another human being or just a sense that you have family close by. I'm not sure if that's exactly what she meant, but I'm sure it was something along those lines. And man, did she have some self-control in that moment, because I feel like it would take everything in someone not to run up and scoop your child up and take them out of the house while yelling, how it's actually your child. And I'm sure she wanted to do that, but she knew that that wasn't the smart way to go about things. So instead, she handled it a much more logical and less emotional way. Instead, she just goes up to Aaliyah and starts casually chatting with her. She built up a little bit of trust with her. And then later on, she pulled her aside and she told her that she had some gum in her hair and she offered to cut it out for her. But there was no gum, of course. Instead, she was trying to get some of her hair out. So that she could have it tested for DNA, which is something that she had actually said she learned from crime shows, which I think it is so amazing that she was able to function enough in this moment. I feel like I'd be so overcome with anger and sadness and joy, like so many different emotions that I wouldn't be able to think of a plan like this. But she did. She was able to get some of her hair. Then she wrapped it up in a napkin and put it in a little plastic bag so that she didn't potentially contaminate the evidence. And now armed with her DNA sample and her intuition, she was ready to take action. So she went to the office of her local state representative, Angel Cruz, and told him everything and then begged him to help her get a DNA test. And I'm sure if someone came in and told you that story, you'd be, you know, a little sus of the whole situation. But even though her story was so outlandish, he said that there was just something about Luz that he believed. So he went ahead and made some phone calls. And eventually he arranged a meeting for her and someone at the Philadelphia Special Victims Unit. Now, unfortunately, the hair sample, as I'm sure many of you probably already guessed, wasn't able to be used. There was obviously a big chain of custody concern here. And then also because she just cut it, she didn't have the root attached, which back then you needed it for testing. But the good news is that this wasn't all for nothing because investigators took her seriously enough that they, went ahead and opened an investigation. And the first thing that they needed to prove was that Carolyn was actually there on the day of the fire. And luckily, it was not too hard to prove that because there was actually video evidence that she was there. Yep, she was captured at the scene on local news coverage, which just piqued the detective's interest in investigating even more. But here's the thing. Carolyn lived across state lines in Willingboro, New Jersey, and that was outside of their jurisdiction. So Philadelphia SVU called up the police department there, and surprisingly, they were willing to work with them. And as agents from both departments are talking about this, going through the crazy details of this story and what they think may have happened, they agree that they need to try to talk to Carolyn, which was easier than they thought. They just went to her house to question her, and she calmly answered everything. And I think the way I worded that is a little bit confusing. Let me clarify, she didn't confess. She just answered any questions that they had at the time, and they weren't just outright saying like, okay, so here's the deal. We think you stole Delamar. We think your daughter, Aaliyah, is not actually who you're saying she is. Instead, they were just asking her other questions, and she was being cooperative. Now, Aaliyah wasn't actually at the house at the time, so they asked for a photo of her, and she willingly gave them one. And as they left her home, because she was so cooperative and friendly, they're wondering if maybe they're just chasing wild accusations, and maybe there's not actually any weight to them. But that changed, pretty quickly, after they talked to Pedro's sister, whose name is Evelyn, and she was the one who hosted the party, and also happened to be really good friends with Carolyn. And that interview went fine, didn't cause any suspicion, until they show her the picture that Carolyn had given them of Aaliyah, and she takes one look at it and goes, oh no, that is absolutely not her. Now, obviously, saying that this raised a million red flags for investigators would be an understatement, because if detectives ask you for a photo of your child, what reason in the world would you have to give them a fake photo? Unless you're possibly trying to hide their identity. And this weird choice definitely made her ass seem guilty, and it actually was enough to grant a warrant for DNA testing. experts already found the winners. So after that, Carolyn and Aaliyah came into the station. And detectives would later describe Aaliyah as a sweet girl, and that they truly felt awful that all of this could ultimately lead to everything that she's ever known being taken away. But of course, they knew that they had to see it through. So the samples were expedited at the crime lab, and before long, the shocking truth was uncovered after all this time. Aaliyah Correa was actually Delamar Vera. This baby, now this little girl, had been presumed dead. All of these years. And now they're finding out that she's actually alive. And Luz's motherly instincts were right all along. And while this was incredible news, it did come with a lot of complications. But before I get into what happened next, I want to sort of tell you about her life under Carolyn's care. Now, like I've mentioned, her name was Aaliyah back then. And she was named after the Aaliyah, if you're not familiar, 90s R&B singer. Who was very, very popular at the time. But anyway, Delamar slash Aaliyah grew up in the small town of Willingboro, New Jersey. Which is just 15 miles away from the home that she was taken from. Doesn't that just blow your mind? All of this time, Luz's daughter was just 15 miles away from her. Oh my god, it breaks my heart thinking about that. And yeah, she lived there with Carolyn, of course. Who she thought was her mother. And believed her birth father was her mom's ex-boyfriend. Andre. Now, he was under the impression that she was pregnant while they were together. And then shortly after they broke up, that she had just given birth to the baby at home, alone. And honestly, I guess he just didn't ask too many questions. Which isn't totally shocking, I guess. But from what I was able to gather, he did accept her as his child. And did keep up a bit of a relationship with her. But there was definitely a disconnect between them. Which is something that Delamar felt about each member. Of her immediate family. Or who she thought was her immediate family. She had three siblings, but all of them were much older than her. And they're teens, and one of them was actually nearly 30. But the big age differences weren't the only reason she felt detached from everyone. Their home life was also just pretty chaotic. And had a lot of instability. And Delamar never really had her own space. She eventually outgrew her toddler bed that was in Carolyn's room. And I guess she would just find anywhere that she could sleep. For the night in the house. And luckily, in all of this, she did find safety and comfort with Carolyn's stepbrother and his wife, Antoinette. She spent a lot of time at their home. And grew so close with them that she even started calling her aunt Mom. And just called Carolyn, Mommy Carol. Now what's interesting is Carolyn was related to the Veras through marriage. So her stepbrother was Pedro's biological cousin. So this means that Delamar did actually share DNA with the man that she thought was her uncle. And it's really interesting to me that she was able to find. This connection and sort of solace with people that she was actually related to. Which kind of speaks to how strong biological ties can actually be. And I'm so happy that she was able to really lean on and become so close with the two of them. And spend so much time with them. Because Carolyn was a very intense person to spend time around. Delamar later said that while she presented as happy and outgoing. She had this dark side to her that could be very cruel and very abusive. She would hit her sometimes with a belt. And Delamar felt like she had to constantly walk on eggshells in their home. And at some point in her life Carolyn had started seeing a guy who was also pretty vicious. And Delamar has never publicly said his name or outed who he is. But she said that she was very terrified of him. And that he would hit her. So home life was incredibly toxic and scary and dangerous. But on top of that she was also really being neglected. She said that she was very scared of him. She says that she remembers always feeling hungry. And at one point she even had to split a Pop-Tart with her brother just to get a meal. But even through all of the intensity she was able to remain a very happy child. You can even just see in pictures of her that she has this very bubbly personality. And I guess she made friends at school easily. Which I'm so glad to hear that. And she loved performing. So much so that she was put up for acting and modeling gigs. Which I gotta say kidnapping a child and then trying to become their mom. Momager is um. That's a lot. So by the time Delamar was just six years old. She had already been through so much in her life. And some of it she didn't even know about. But she was about to go through even more when she attended that party in 2004. And obviously at the time she was completely unaware of how important this day was going to be. And you know determine the outcome of the rest of her life. But she says she does have some memories of it. She would later say that she really gravitated towards Luz. As she said. As soon as she saw her. And that she just thought she was a beautiful lady. And that the two of them were sort of just kind of looking at each other. With these huge smiles. So she felt something immediately. Which is really really interesting to think about. And what's also interesting is. She was completely oblivious to the investigation that was happening at the time. But she says she does recall that Carolyn. Was acting very sketchy and paranoid. When this was all going on. Hmm. Wonder why. She even warned her that a bad luck. Lady was trying to take her away from their family. And Delamar even remembers promising Carolyn. That she wouldn't let the lady do anything. And how terrifying. Would that be for a child. For your mother. To tell you. Oh yeah. There's someone. That's trying to take you away from us. I mean the nightmares. That any child would have. The fears. The anxiety. I. Oh my God. And she was really ready to do whatever she had to do. To stay with who she thought was her family. I mean. Who wouldn't. So much so. That when. The two of them had to go in for the DNA testing. Carolyn kept taking Delamar into the bathroom. To spray solution in her mouth. And told her not to swallow. Until the test was done. And she listened. And it was later discovered that Carolyn. So brilliant. She had. Brought in bottles of her own saliva. In an attempt to have the swabs. Absorb. Her saliva. Instead. To manipulate the results. Just genius. Clearly that shit did not work. And after the results came back. The two of them were officially. Separated by the state. Which had to have been. Really really scary for Delamar. She totally did not understand what was happening. And an arrest warrant of course. Was filed for Carolyn. On suspicion of arson. Kidnapping. And concealing the whereabouts of a child. And big shocker here. But when police went to her house to arrest her. She had already. Hightailed it out of there. And left her other children behind. And of course when Pedro and Luz hear about this. They are terrified. Because she had already put their lives at risk before. Who knows. What this woman. Is capable of doing. And what she's going to try to do next. But they knew. That at this point. They had to just put those fears aside. And just focus on reuniting with their daughter. Now at this point. Delamar was put under the care of the state of New Jersey. And placed in a foster home. She later described this time as being very confusing. Because not only was she taken away from the only life she had ever known. But no one was telling her why. Or what was going on. Or what was going to happen next. And it's just heartbreaking to think of any child. Being put into this position. But luckily it did not last for long. And you can skip the research. Because independent tech experts already did it. Dell has laptops, desktops, and monitors. That have been tested, reviewed, and named a winner. By the publishers you trust. So instead of spending hours researching. You get a short list that's already proven. Take the Dell XPS 13 laptop. Built for those who want better. Whether you're studying. Working. Or just getting things done. It's thin and light design makes it easy to take anywhere. It has a touchscreen you'll love using. A battery built to last through your busiest days. And impressive performance powered by Intel Core processors. While shopping you'll also find great perks like Dell Rewards. Fast free shipping. Premium support. And financing with flexible payment options. Shop the winners now at Dell.com. Deals. That's Dell.com. Slash. Deals. Just a few days later. After the DNA results came back. Authorities arranged for an official reunion. At a government office in New Jersey. And I just love this next part. I thought this was so cute. And I can just picture it playing out. But when Delamar was brought into the room. She was brought in there first. And she excitedly hid under a table. And then when losing. Entered. It appeared empty at first. But then Delamar jumped up and yelled. Surprise. And I think this says so much about Delamar's character. To try to have fun in a moment like that. To try and. You know. Have this little surprise. After everything that she had been through. And how terrified she must be. To be meeting her actual mother. And I mean she's so confused during all of this. I don't know. I just. I feel like she's just such a ball of sunshine. And Luz apparently just broke into sobs. And asked. Do you know who I am? To which she replied. My mommy. And the two of them held each other. And she asked Luz if she was crying. Because she was crying. she was sad, but she said no, that they were tears of joy. And I think it's just so amazing and beautiful that the two of them only had 10 days together originally from December 5th to December 15th. And then they had six years apart. But after all of this time, there was something that felt so instantly comfortable between them that they felt that bond right away. It makes me just so emotional thinking about what that moment had to be like for the two of them. It's just it's miraculous. And then Pedro had his reunion, too, which was also very sweet. He brought her a huge stuffed animal and she immediately embraced him. And Delamar later said that right away she felt more love from them than she ever did from Carolyn. And things moved pretty quickly from there. Just less than a week after those first meetings, Delamar was placed back in their custody. And because they were no longer married, a judge said, that she would primarily live with Luz, but that Pedro would also have joint custody. And obviously there was a ton of buzz about this story. There was so much public excitement about their reunion and people just could not believe this actually happened. And it got pretty crazy. Paparazzi hounded them and reporters even followed them back to catch a glimpse of her entering the house. And after all of that calmed down, settling was a little bit rough, especially because of a huge language barrier. Like I explained earlier, Luz primarily spoke Spanish, but Delamar was raised with English as her first language. Luckily, though, her brothers were able to help translate and they were also just, oh my God, amazing siblings who really made her feel like she fit right in. And all four boys moved into a room together so that Delamar could have her own space, which was something that she never had before. And she also had one of those sweet car-shaped beds, which she absolutely loved. And can I just say that as a 90s kid, those were the coolest bed ever. And anyone who had one of those, I was always so jealous of. And this is really beautiful. But Delamar said that for the first time ever, she didn't feel lost in her own home. But as exciting as all of this was, their family still had a lot to navigate. Like for instance, her name, because as an adult, Delamar loves her name and she's very proud of her name. But as a little girl, she didn't like it, didn't feel right to her. So their family did call her Aaliyah for a bit because that's what she was used to. But eventually they phased it out entirely, which is just so complicated for all of them and understandable. I mean, I can see why it would be really hard for Luz and Pedro to call her Aaliyah. I mean, Delamar was the name that they chose for their daughter. And just think about calling your child anything else, let alone the name that their abductor picked for them. It would be really, really hard. But at the same time, she had always been Aaliyah. And at just six years old, everything in her life changed. And she was completely different. So getting to have her name still meant a lot to her at first. But yeah, she had just so many changes. She had to change homes, she had to change schools, friends, routines. And it's really hard to try and put yourself in her shoes as this is such a unique experience and something that I hope none of you out there have experienced. But it was a very, very difficult transition for her. And I can see why she had an identity crisis. I mean, who wouldn't? Let alone going through this as a child. It's just, yeah, it's really hard to even try and wrap your head around what this would be like for her. Now, I am sure you are wondering what the hell happened to Carolyn. Was she held accountable? And the answer is, thankfully, yes. On March 2nd, after being on the run for a couple of days, she just showed up at the Philadelphia Police Department to turn herself in. And she was detained and held on a $1 million bond while detectives tried to question her. And surprisingly, even though she turned herself in, she wasn't willing to give up any information. However, during the course of the investigation, they realized how much she had planned all of this out. It turns out that she actually went to the house the night before the fire on the 14th. I guess she had just randomly shown up over there asking if Pedro could fix her car's brakes. And when I say random, I mean random because he hadn't seen her in years. It's not like they were close cousins. And Luz had been there for a long time. And she had been there for a long time. And she had never even met her before. And since it was already dark out and he couldn't work on it that night, he kindly offered for her to spend the night. And he said he would fix the brakes in the morning. And that night, Carolyn became fixated on Delamar. And she told them that she also had a baby just 10 days ago and that the baby, her daughter, was over with her boyfriend for the night. Hmm, what are the odds? So it's clear she already had things in motion in her mind. Well, her fall asleep that night. But by the time they woke up in the morning around 7 a.m., she was gone. I guess her brakes were just miraculously fixed overnight. But then she came back the next evening to tell Pedro that she had a job for him, that she knew of a job for him. And she even offered to take him to the work site right then and there. And of course, we know now that this was a bunch of bullshit. But back then, he said that he was sort of desperate for money, especially with another baby on the way. So he took her up on it. And while they were driving, he said, Carolyn suggested that they stop by another cousin's home to say hi. But when they got there, Carolyn said, oh, shoot, I left my purse back at your house. So she told him to just hang out here. I'm going to run to your house, pick up my purse, and then I'll take you to the job. But now, with Pedro out of the house, her plan to kidnap Delamar was in full motion. And that's when she returned to the house, went upstairs to open the window and move Delamar closer to the bedroom door and then came back downstairs to destroy the house. And that's when she returned to the house, distract Luz while the fire broke out. And after all this, she returned to the cousin's home to tell Pedro there was a fire at his house and that his baby had passed. Now, what's very interesting and very dumb is that she left the house right as the fire broke out and before they had declared Delamar dead. So why would you tell a parent that their baby was gone unless you had absolute confirmation? Probably because you're staging it to look like a kidnapping. And like I said earlier, Carolyn then took Pedro back to the home. And stayed at the scene, got a little screen time. So it's not like she had a ton of time to take Delamar anywhere. So uncovering that, detectives realized that she must have had someone to help her pull this all off. I mean, Luz saw Delamar upstairs just moments before the fire broke out and Carolyn was downstairs with her when it happened. So it seems that someone else must have started the fire, right? And not only that, but whoever started the fire had to have been the one to take Delamar. I mean, that would be the only thing that makes sense, right? She was around people after the fire. So how could Delamar have been smuggled off to New Jersey if she didn't have an accomplice? There was just no other way. She had to have had help. And you can skip the research because independent tech experts already did it. Dell has laptops, desktops, and monitors that have been designed a winner by the publishers you trust. All that's left? Is finding yours. And at first, she refused to admit that anyone helped her. But after a while, detectives pointed the finger at someone and their allegation was that they were absolutely shocking. And this one is probably going to blow your mind. But in court filings, they stated that the accomplice was none other than Delamar's father, Pedro. Carolyn claimed that the two of them were having an affair and that he told her he didn't want to have another baby. So the two of them devised a plan to give Delamar to her without Lou's knowing. Now look, all of this is coming from the defense attorneys of a massive liar and manipulator. So take that with a hint. If you're a liar, you're a liar. If you're a manipulator, you're a liar. Huge grain of salt. But people have definitely pointed out some suspicious things about Pedro. First of all, Lou's herself has stated that Pedro didn't seem that excited about the baby and that he wouldn't even sign her birth certificate. But he explained that the reason for that is that he didn't speak English and he didn't understand what he was being asked to sign. And that did make me wonder if he signed the birth certificates for his other four children. But I couldn't find an answer for that, so I'm not sure. But that's not the answer. So I'm not sure. But I'm not sure the only interesting thing. There's also this interview where two of Pedro's cousins said that they came to him a couple of years after the fire to say that they were suspicious of Carolyn's daughter actually being his baby. But according to them, nothing was done about it. And they thought that was really odd. Of course, that's hearsay. I don't know if that actually even happened. But they weren't the only family members to think this. Antoinette, the one who was married to the cousin that Delamar thought was her uncle, also had a suspicion when she first met baby Aaliyah, days after the fire. One of her neighbors was a Philadelphia detective, so she told him about it. But after he looked into the case, he assured her that the baby had died in the fire, so she dropped it. But it's really just so interesting and concerning to me that so many people thought that this was a possibility, but no action was ever really taken. And other relatives have also explained that while Luz never saw Delamar until that birthday party, Pedro had attended family functions that she was at. But to give him the benefit of the doubt, he wasn't home when the fire occurred. He didn't see her right before the fire happened. He didn't have the same confusion as Luz. And if he really believed that his daughter had died, I could see him not being willing to even entertain the idea that she was actually being raised by someone you knew. But I want to be very, very clear here when I say that there is no solid evidence against Pedro whatsoever, and he completely denies being involved. Plus, it's also really important to note that Delamar says that she doesn't believe he had anything to do with it. She doesn't believe he had anything to do with it. And honestly, her opinion matters more to me than anyone's. So I believe her. But his name was not the only name to be thrown out as being a possible accomplice. In fact, some people are suspicious of his own sister, Evelyn, who was hosting the birthday party where Luz saw Delamar. Like I said, her and Carolyn were very close, so much so that Luz even claims that Evelyn had photos of Carolyn and Delamar up around her house. And one time, Luz even commented that the two of them had photos of Carolyn and Delamar. And the next time she was there, all of the photos had been removed. So that's interesting. But of course, it's possible that she had taken them down or put up other photos of her family instead. But then in a later interview, Pedro said that he doesn't trust his sister and no longer has a relationship with her. However, at the end of the day, there isn't anything besides rumors that makes people point to Evelyn. So that's really out. And honestly, it really wouldn't make any sense for her to have invited Luz to a party that she also knew Delamar would be at if she assisted in her kidnapping. And don't forget that she was the one who, when police brought out a picture of Aaliyah, she told them that's not her. But there is one more person that some people have wondered about, and that's Carolyn's oldest son. Apparently, detectives did try to speak with him, but he refused. And I tried my best to find some information about him, but it was pretty limited. And all I could really find was that he was in his late 20s around the time that Delamar was kidnapped. And supposedly, he had prior run-ins with law enforcement, but I don't even know what those were. So that certainly doesn't tell us anything. There's just not enough information to understand if he's even a possibility, if he would be capable of something like this. But basically, what's fueling the speculation behind him is that people are wondering who she would possibly care about protecting that much. Whoever she's protecting must mean a lot to her, right? Maybe she doesn't want to throw her own child under the bus. Unless she was telling the truth, and it actually was Pedro, which is mind-blowing to think about. But still, no solid evidence of that. So unfortunately, there's really no solid evidence for anyone other than Carolyn. So as frustrating as it is to say, we still have no idea who helped her. And we may never know, because the case was officially closed after she was charged and convicted. In 2005, she pled no contest to kidnapping, interference of child custody, and conspiracy, for which she was sentenced to 9 to 30 years in prison. And if you're not familiar, no contest basically means that you're not admitting guilt, but at the same time, you're acknowledging that the state does have enough evidence to convict. So that means that even in her plea, she wouldn't even admit to what she did. And that's what's especially frustrating here is that she never explained her reasoning for it. And I'm sure we all sort of have our own ideas of why we think she would have done something like this, why anyone would do something like this. But it is pretty hard to understand her exact reasoning for it. And I'm sure we all sort of understand her exact motive here, because it's not like Delamar was treated well. You'd think if she wanted this daughter her whole life, that she would treat her well once she had her. Plus, she spent most of her time at her aunt and uncle's house, so much that, you know, she wasn't even calling Carolyn her mom anymore. She was calling her mommy Carol, but she was calling someone else her mother. So it really doesn't seem like she wanted a child, like she enjoyed having a child. Maybe she just was like, eh, whatever, I don't care about you. I don't know. And maybe that's really all there is to it. Maybe she really just wanted a baby. And it's important to note that after the birth of her last child in 1990, Carolyn did have her tubes tied and couldn't have any more kids. But what's really interesting to note, and I'm very curious to hear what the audience is going to think of all this, but in the years that followed, there were multiple instances where she told people that she was pregnant. But each time her due date would change and she never gave an explanation as to why she never actually gave birth. And it seems like over time, people got used to this and felt kind of bad for her. And they would just let her tell them that she was pregnant and go along with it, knowing it wasn't true and just not call her out for it at all. One of her family members speculated that she did this as a way to manipulate the men that she was seeing. But no, I feel like it's probably more complicated than that. Her medical records showed that she went to the hospital multiple times, claiming that she was pregnant, and then tests and ultrasounds would show that she wasn't. But even through all of that, she really seemed to cling to the belief that she was. And to make matters worse for her, in 1996, she was actually pregnant for a short time before having a miscarriage. So I think it's quite possible she was struggling with some sort of postpartum mental health issues or just general mental health issues. And there's something that might point to this being the motive. Just two days before Delamar's birth, Carolyn went to the hospital seeking medical attention for a pregnancy. And when the hospital staff told her that she wasn't, she refused to believe them and told them that she had taken three positive pregnancy tests at home. So maybe it's possible that she learned that her cousin Pedro just had a baby and decided to take her as a way to carry out this false pregnancy, being so desperate to actually be pregnant. Now, I'm not a professional, so I definitely can't say for certain, but a clinical psychologist met with her while she was in jail and diagnosed her with pseudosiesis, which is actually the clinical term for believing you're pregnant when you're not. And this was so interesting to me. I had never heard about this, but in some cases, people actually experience pregnancy symptoms such as nausea and weight gain, even back pain. So I think it's really, really interesting that she was actually diagnosed with this and gives us a lot of perspective on the whole thing. Now, after Carolyn was arrested, Andre came forward to say that he believed that she was pregnant with his child because he had seen her grow a belly, which could point to her dealing with a false pregnancy. But even though she was diagnosed with this real condition, the psychologist said that she was not fit for an insanity plea because she definitely understood that her actions were wrong. Still, though, her lawyers did try to argue that the kidnapping was a result of her mental state. Other than that, she was not fit for an insanity plea because she definitely understood Other people who know her have pointed to a more manipulative motive. Apparently, Carolyn was facing charges for arson and embezzlement because she stole money from her old job and set the office on fire as a way to destroy evidence. So we're seeing a pattern here. Clearly, she loves to cover up crimes with fire. So people have wondered if maybe she wanted to appear as a new mom to get some leniency from the judge. And I don't know. But eventually, she did plead guilty to the crimes and only received five years probation. So I think it's really interesting to see if she's which does seem pretty light for doing all of that. And personally, I don't believe that theory. I don't think she would go through all the trouble of kidnapping a baby and setting another home on fire to try to get leniency from a judge in another case. That just doesn't add up to me. So I guess unless she decides to tell the truth, we may never know what she was really thinking throughout all of this or why she did any of it. Now, she was paroled in March of 2013 after serving eight years in prison. She was sentenced to six years in prison. She was sentenced to seven years in prison. about where she is now. So I really just hope for everyone's sake that she is just living a peaceful life and not hurting anyone. And I definitely, even though I know what you guys are going to say, I want to know what you think about her serving only eight years for kidnapping Delamar for six years. Now, Delamar has said that she doesn't think she'll ever truly know the motive, but she actually did try to ask for it. After Carolyn's arrest, she went and visited her. Child psychologists thought it would be helpful for her to do that, which I don't know. I'm not a child psychologist, but that is crazy to me. But she thought it would be a good way for her to, I guess, get closure and sort of process the changes. And I don't know, I guess it's such a strange circumstance that who am I to judge that decision? It just seems, I don't know, seems wild to me. But she actually did go and see her in jail. And during that, Delamar, at just six years old, asked her why she would kidnap her when she already had three other kids. But Carolyn, I guess, wouldn't give her a solid answer. And she never apologized. And instead, she told her that she loved her and that they would be together again one day. And imagine hearing that at that age. She had to have just been so confused and, you know, twisted inside. I just, ugh. But thankfully, as far as I know, Delamar has never spoken to Carolyn again. But she did say that for a long time, she thought she would have a relationship with her and be raised by two moms. And I could see how as a kid you would have thoughts like that, again, it just had to have been so confusing for her, like impossible to process at that age. It can be hard as an adult to think about how a child would process something, but, you know, she knew that Carolyn wasn't good for her, but it was hard for her to let her go as a family member for someone you had known your entire life to suddenly not be a part of your life anymore, no matter if they were good for you or not. Now, I really wish that this was the part where I could tell you that Delamar was able to neatly close this chapter of her life and had a happy ending, but life tends to be messier than that. The truth is, as she got older, tensions between her and her family grew. She said that both of her parents suffered from anxiety, and Luz was very overprotective, which, I mean, how could she not be? But at the same time, Delamar was untrusting and paranoid, and how could she not be? It just sounds like there was a lot of trauma between all of them that would cause. You know, a lot of fighting and outbursts and just chaos in their lives, and eventually it did get so bad between her and Luz that she ended up moving in with Pedro, but things actually didn't calm down from there. There was one day where her and Pedro got into this huge fight, and he said that her attitude was why her mom didn't want her anymore, and Delamar became understandably so upset by this that she went into her stepmom's room and started to break things, and Pedro responded by putting his hands on her, and she later said, that this was the only time he had ever done something like this, but she had markings on her body after that, and when she went to school, it drew a lot of attention, and between that and her frequently missing school, CPS was called, and she was removed from the home. And this is just so heartbreaking, but from that point on, she said that she basically raised herself. She even spent her 15th birthday in a group home alone, and neither of her parents even called her. Eventually, when she was 16, she finally got into regular therapy and was diagnosed with PTSD, which helped her start to really work through everything. And up until that point, I guess she had really blamed herself for everything, which her therapist helped her understand was just a symptom of PTSD. And I'm so grateful that she was able to get the help that she needed and make such huge improvements in her life and her mental health, but it's hard to hear that she had to do all of this on her own at such a young age after everything that she had been through. And she is just so impressive, so tough. She got various jobs, like working at a Mexican restaurant or selling newspapers while she was bouncing around group homes or friends' places. And unfortunately, at just 19, when she was no longer in the custody of the state, she moved in with an abusive partner. But again, Delamar is super, super tough, and one day while he was at work, she mustered up the courage to leave. She grabbed up all her stuff and got out of there. She ended up moving into her own apartment and said that this was when her life started to run out of control. And she was able to get out of there. And she was able to turn around. And I'm not telling you this to like air out their family drama or anything, but I think it's important to highlight just how much Delamar had to overcome on her own from such a young age. But she has handled everything with such strength and resilience, and it's really, really inspiring. And I'm just so happy to see that now she seems to be in a really great place in her life. She's now married to a man that she speaks very highly of and credits him with pushing her to work through everything with her family, which I'm also happy to say that she has. She and Luz have a much stronger relationship now, and they talk on a weekly basis. And in an interview, she said, My mom has taught me so many things. We had our difficulties, and I didn't appreciate it at the time. But she taught me how to be strong, how to be independent, how to take care of a household, how to take care of a child. We have the same laugh, the same sense of humor. When I show a little attitude to my husband, I always say, My mother, I get it from my mom. And at the end of the day, even though they have, like she said, had their difficulties, and how could they not with everything that they went through? I mean, Luz went through so much mentally. And, you know, so did Delamar. And in those years being apart, and then in the years after, it's just a lot to process and to handle. And it'd be shocking, I think, if they came out of that with no issues at all. But to see at the end of the day that they have a good enough relationship, that they're talking and have been, you know, they're talking about a lot of things, and they're talking about a lot of things, and they're talking about joy in each other's lives to this day is just really, really special to see. And very rare, I think, in a circumstance like this to have it turn out this way. I also did want to update you that she does stay in touch with Pedro, who now lives in Puerto Rico. And she's also very close with her brothers, which is awesome. And after years of not seeing each other, she reunited with the aunt and uncle who took care of her at the time that she was Aaliyah, and now has a relationship with them too. And I really think this whole story speaks to the power of family. Her aunt has said that she still has so much love for Delamar, even after decades of having not seen each other. And now they get to have that bond together again. And even though this story isn't perfect, that doesn't have the storybook fairy tale ending that you would want for a story like this, I really appreciate having learned about this whole situation and their lives. Because I think it really does show you, like I said, the power of love and family, and that connection that you have to your immediate family. But that is all I have for you guys on this case. And I just had to say how much I enjoyed learning about their story here. I mean, it's not the perfect storybook ending that you would want. It didn't play out exactly like a movie or something, but life isn't a movie. Life never really plays out that way. And it's just so amazing to see a case where a kidnapped child is reunited with her family, and still has a pretty good relationship with them at the end of it all. It made me just feel, I don't know, it gave me hope after covering so many cases week after week where there's not this happy ending. And I'm just so happy to see that Delamar has found happiness in her life and love and that they all got closure in some way at the end of all of this and have each other, whether it's a super close bond or not. At least they know the truth and they have each other. That is going to be it for me today, guys. Thank you for joining me for another episode. And make sure you follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. It really does help me out. If you want to watch the video version of this show, you can find it on my YouTube channel, which will be linked, or you can just search Kendall Rae. I will be back with another episode soon, but until then, stay safe out there. I'll see you next time.