In 1994, a custody dispute in South Carolina ended with a mother vanishing with her infant daughter. Dorothy Lee Barnett, accused of violating a court order, disappeared without a trace — along with 11-month-old Savannah.

For nearly two decades, the pair lived under new identities across the world — first in Europe, then South Africa, then Australia — as authorities searched for clues. In 2013, an international investigation finally uncovered the truth. Dorothy had been living as Alexandria Maria Canton, and Savannah, now a young woman, had grown up unaware of her past.

The case became one of the most remarkable parental abduction stories in modern history — a tale of love, fear, deception, and the long reach of justice.

Listen now to hear the full story of the mother who fled across the world — and the daughter who never knew.

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Resources

Documentaries

NBC Dateline: "Finding Savanna" 

CBS 48 Hours: "Dear Savanna" 

Web

Family Abduction Watch

Articles

Dorothy Lee Barnett: Where is the Kidnapper Today?

Savanna Todd: Where is Dorothy Lee Barnett's Daughter Today?

Woman who kidnapped her own daughter during bitter divorce shares tales of nearly 20 years on the run

48 Hours' to feature baby Savanna abduction from Isle of Palms

Unsolved Mysteries Wiki: Dorothy Barnett Case

Created & Produced by Sonya Lowe

Narrated by Noel Vinson

Music: "Nordic Medieval" by Marcus Bressler

Background track: Doblado Studios: https://www.youtube.com/c/DobladoStudios

This True Crime Podcast was researched using open-source or archive materials.