I was done wrong by attorneys I hired. I was lied to and taken advantage of. Millions of dollars and large amounts of property taken from me. There is no such thing as a conscionable fee because of my case. My attorney did deals with the other party without my knowledge. A judge was paid off. Income earning property was taken from me. Probate case. So much wrong was done to me and I have proof of it all. Ask me. My attorney was the nephew of Billie Sol Estes of Pecos Texas.
This man wasn’t sad about his beautiful baby being gone ,he was enraged he wasn’t in control any longer of the situation !!!And he totally under estimated the love and power of a mother who will do anything to protect her children !!this amazing lady raised two of the most compassionate ,intelligent and courageous kids and I know she’s so proud!!!
The fact that this man never dropped one tear tells it. And you are absolutely right but in actuality a man who was very upset about his child being taken would have been crying like a baby He didn't want that child.
@@gerrilagrange1290people react in different ways. So you can’t say that someone would be crying. I am more curious about why he and the daughter don’t seem to have a relationship as of the taping of this show. Seems like after all the searching he would be trying a lot harder to develop a bond.
They do this, though, especially male psychiatrists to women. I was married to an adult when I was just 15, and CPS decided I was the one who was mentally unstable. My ex was assaulting my little sister's 11, 12, 13 year old friends, but my ex was the one who could pay for attorneys and what-not, so they immediately sided with him. He also tried to sue for sole custody and claimed I was crazy/abusive and the docs decided it was true without ever talking to me, but that resolved itself once he had to go on the run for assaulting his new wife's child. The US court system is 100% okay with handing over vulnerable children to predators and abusers, as long as they can pay for the service.
@@NymphaeAvernales I agree the system is so broken and the system makes huge decisions that can make or break people's lives. I'm very sorry you went through that. The truth almost always comes out at the end.
As soon as she met her dad he took her on a 2-hour tour of his house to talk about all his possessions instead of saying "please tell me about your life, I've missed you, I've waited for this moment and I always loved you"! This speaks volumes about him and his true nature!
I came looking for this comment. He's the epitomy of a narcissist. I'm happy Lee ran with her. Imagine the horrible life Samantha would have had with that man raising her?
He was only in it for the fight. He didn't give a crap abt his daughter. He just wanted to cause his X grief. I'm so glad mum was so successful in her endeavors.
My dad had my mom's legal medical records state she is schizophrenic, because he was constantly cheating on her and wanted everyone to think she was paranoid and delusional, believing hallucinations. So, I applaud what she did. The system sometimes does fail you in the worst way possible.
Isn’t this the absolute and final truth! First meeting with his lost daughter and he takes her on a tour of his home and prized possessions. So thankful she did not end up as one of his possessions!!!!!!
What a heartwarming story of a brave and loving woman who outsmarted a narcissist. Her children's characters are testimony to her good character. Well done Lee👏👏👏👏👏👏
Yes, she's so kind and generous. I would have not wanted to meet a man who'd been the reason for my mother's hardships. She not only met him, she also didn't judge him. As she said, she was very lenient.
Annoyd American-Yes, u exactly have right. This man was never want his doughter. He just was jalous his ex ,how the Baby makes her happy, and not cryn after him. He just wanted to take revange on his ex, that why he was pretending in him all life down, he is a poor daddy and his violence mentally sick ex kidnapp his child. She is a very good mother, a nice and good person. She not have anything, what she have to regret. I wish every mother be like her. God with this Lady. And the Familien Court System is very wrong working. And other thinks,she was never judge him. God bless her in the Allmighty Jesus Name Amen
Lee raised two kind, happy and intelligent children who love their mother dearly. That is testament to the fact that she is indeed a good mother. I hope the rest of her life finds her happy and with plenty of grandchildren to love.
Her doing this alone causes potential trauma down the line and bleeds into so many areas of a child’s life that can affect them later as well in future relationships (whether they see it/realize it or not). Edit: no idea if this man was abuse or not etc as I’m not there yet…however, whether he was or not, her actions will affect a child for the longevity psychologically and play into their relationships (like I said), as well as their own children’s and grand children’s)
@@natalie9884 lol I doubt it. She raised 2 decent humans, I would think if she or the environment were toxic, that ONE of them would speak out at the very least. I'm proud of her for doing what she had to do for herself and own family to do what was the best for her child.
Absolutely insane that "experts" can diagnose a person with such a serious medical condition after 1 meeting... and the fact the ex husband was able to meet one of the experts beforehand to have her medicated is crazy to me! I fully believe she was set up to look crazy
It's obvious he paid them back-handers, stock brokers are hardly hard up for money. He clearly viewed his daughter as a possession, as he did his ex wife and hated it when he could no longer control either. A mother's intuition is always right and I'm glad she had the courage to get away.
And also, she was pregnant at the time. I don't think you can reliably diagnose someone with bipolar when they're pregnant, given that mood swings are a big symptom. It just seems odd.
The way the father conducted himself when reunited with his daughter coupled with his refusal to be interviewed once he was no longer in full control of the narrative tells me everything I need to know. He is the villain.
Plus, she got a divorce from her second husband who cheated on her and she NEVER took either of the kids from him. This was always about protecting her daughter at all cost. Lee didn’t even care to have a relationship with his daughter. It always seems he is disappointed to lose the spot light since she was found.
It really shows how much the father DIDNT love his daughter by not trying to maintain a relationship with her after she was found… In addition if he truly loved her, he would have told the truth to why he did what he did to his ex-wife.
I would have been immensely proud of my mother for protecting me. She obviously did a good job of that, and raised you and your brother as a credit to your mother.God bless you
@@ridinwithjakeTook her from her manipulative father? The man who made lies after lies about her to make her life miserable and pit people against her so he could have the child he wanted to have aborted…? Sound like Mom did the right thing!
That guy is a narcissist.....I'm not one for breaking laws but I totally support that mother.....it's obvious this guy is a control freak and would have made that mother and daughter lives a living hell.......I'm happy how everything turned out.....the best for all of you and God's blessings, guidance and protection 🙏🙏🙏🙏
@@ridinwithjake exactly my thought. Even with just her side of the story, there's no evidence that the baby was in any danger (other than a manipulative dishonest mother)
When she said ‘legal right be damned’ I felt that! What an amazing mother! I take my hat off to her, she did what any SANE mother would want to do, protect their babies. I have 3 children and I would do anything for them, they are our world. We protect them with all we have.
@@TNT-km2eg you see it too. The daughter was lying when she said her mother never hurt her. That so few people see the crazy in this woman is staggering.
My first thought. He is a malignant narcissist. The only thing he cared about was winning. The mom in this case did the illegal thing but the right thing and gave her daughter an amazing life.
@@glennfarris305 No I wouldn’t. There are women who are malignant narcissists and unfit and if the story was the same and just a gender switch, my opinion is the same. You have obviously (thank God) have never spent time with that kind of monster.
Her book should be called "I Married a Narcissist." He didn't want his daughter. He just wanted to make sure his ex-wife, who dared to challenge him, couldn't have her.
She's at fault and very selfish putting her daughter in danger. Her husband Literally told her over and OVER he did NOT want kids and dared put an innocent kid in that !! She should've married a man who would love kids!!!
@@professionaltrollgirl2682She didn’t put her daughter in danger she may have saved her daughter from cold calculating man. To pretend his wife had a severe mental illness to get custody is evil.
@@professionaltrollgirl2682 once she realized her husband was never going to accept the child she attempted to get a divorce and leave but his ego couldn’t let her and HE put his daughter in danger by falsely trying to label his ex wife as mentally unstable for the crime of wanting to keep her child with her
@@blackpuppy5645 to make an innocent baby with a man who DID NOT WANT THE BABY is SELFISH. The mom should have married a man who loved kids . Look how the mom had to leave her whole family and kidnap her own kid !!!
@@danielle739 SHE SHOULDNT HAVE MARRIED A MAN WHO DID NOT WANT KIDS IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! I WOULD NEVER PUT AN INNOCENT BABY IN THAT POSITION TAKING A GAMBLE. NEVER PUT A BABY IN THAT POSITION OF BEING UNWANTED BY A PARENT!!!!
Look at the children she raised. Nothing further is required as evidence of how much the mum was wronged. Appalling 🤬🤬 but it’s a story of immense love 💖💖
WTF are you talking about? There's zero evidence that he did anything wrong, there is evidence that she has a mental health issue and that she committed felony kidnapping. The judge even said she was acting out in court. You all just ignore the facts and just go off a biased one sided drama show.
The fact that the dad took his "beloved, long lost daughter" on a two hour tour of his stuff in his house is proof enough that he never really cared about Lee or the daughter, but getting revenge.
a hero who illegally kidnapped her daughter and fled the country. Yeah idk about that. Maybe besides the whole kidnapping thing she was a good mother. but nontheless she commited multiple felonies and set a bad example to her children. her father may not have been an amazing person, but there's no evidence to suggest he was a threat to his daughters saftey. if anything the mother does seem like a little bit of a threat due to her emotional outburst(throwing heavy objects out of frustration, slapping, etc..). if a man were to kidnapp his daughter and flee the country for 20 years, you know damn well he'd be punished to the fullest extent of the law. feminist double standards at it's finest.
@@secretsauce4530 he didn't want his child until it was about getting revenge. so how would he be a good parent? you're right, if a man were to kidnap his daughter and flee, it wouldn't be the same, because children especially daughters need their mothers more than they need their fathers. my father was abusive, my mother saved my life. i wish she had taken me from him and his crazy family.
I don't blame her one bit. You can easily tell just from the clips that he's narcissist. It was never about his daughter. It was about him and what this did to HIM and him getting back at his ex. I'd say it was absolutely worth the 21 month sentence.
@@TheVeek192 - The clips are more to go on than what was used in court to judge her fitness as a parent. Lol She did the right thing. The judge was a dolt.
Same happened to me and my daughters. I couldn't run I'm so glad to see Leigh did and had a wonderful life away from him. He looks like my ex, a bitter hollowed out man who has no interaction with his children. And I did or do, my girls grew up and saw the truth of who I am and what type of mother I am. I did get married again and had 3 more children and was the mother I always wanted to be including my older girls!
Both my exes swore to take their son, fight me in court blah blah blah..both ended up deadbeats..had ones parental rights terminated n the other just didnt bother..
Hypothetical: I wonder if the roles were reversed and she was the one who didn't want kids (told him before marriage), then he got her pregnant (saying I thought I could change her mind) and made her keep the child even tho she didn't want it. He was the one screaming at her, crying, breaking tables and slapping her! Then after she gets custody of the child in court because courts ruled him unstable, he abducted the child and went on the run across multiple countries for 20 years on fake passports, getting married and having more children living his best life. Then after 20 years the authorities give him 20 months + time served! F-ing INSANE! THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN IN A MILLION YEARS!!!!!
I’ve been around a narcissist once who did that same thing…..took me around on a huge, long, detailed tour of his town home. Having to explain the history of every item or thing on the wall. It was excruciating!
My ex-husband tried to do this to me. Thankfully I prevailed in court. But the courts gave him unsupervised visits. He used his time to interrogate and emotionally abuse our child. In hindsight I should have run. Eventually he offered to disappear from our lives if I didn't ask for child support. We gladly accepted. He didn't care about his child, he only wanted to use them as a pawn to further control me. Imagine, walking away from your child for a few hundred bucks a month? Not a father. We have happily not heard from him in almost a decade.
That man has spent years maligning the mother of a baby he didn’t want, and it’s all been hateful and controlling. He was gaslighting her from the start, and I do not believe his story one tiny bit. The fact that she went on to raise her daughter with no temper problems, no abuse, no anger. That man has manipulated public opinion and the media, and I believe that he was cold and abusive to his wife, and I believe that judge was either biased, or bought. I would’ve loved to see his face when his daughter fought his corrupt campaign, expressing the dishonesty of her father’s lies about Lee’s ‘diagnosis”. I praise Lee’s resilience because so many cases, including that of my own grandchild, are settled to the detriment of the child. In the end, I see the this as a triumphant battle against a narcissist who tried to manipulate the family court system and almost won.
Lee Barnett is a HERO and protected her daughter the way a mother should. Savannah's biological father never really cared about having a relationship with her. It was about punishing Lee, period.
How do YOU now? You don't, regardless of the "period" you finish with. That word doesn't carry any weight. And unless you actually know these people more than what you watched here in this one hour ENTERTAINMENT, you know zero.
There is another hero in this case - her 2nd husband Juan Geldenhuys. He knew her past but never let anybody know even when he knew he was dying with cancer. He married Lee & accepted her along with her daughter and was a good husband & father till it lasted
She took the law in her own hands because *he* did it first when he won custody with lies. Anybody who’s ever been in a relationship with a narcissist can see this for what it is.
The doctors diagnosed her. Her own mother felt she was bipolar. He could not control that. She herself admitted she threw flower pots, etc. She had no right to kidnap her daughter.
@@nikkirodriguez8207 …For a grown woman? Lol. Really? It indicates she couldn’t control her rages. Either way, mother’s are not the law and she had no right kidnapping her. She should have gotten as many years as she deprived her husband of having his daughter in his life. My only exception to wanting that is it would deprive her daughter and son (and any grandchildren born during that time) of having her in their lives, so for their sakes it was probably best it wasn’t that long. But it was a mighty shameful thing to do.
@@mountainman4859 easy explanation. When you are with a narcissist they will push you/gaslight you to do these things. Convince you that you are crazy even though you aren’t. As a mother I would also do whatever is necessary to keep from being separated from my child.
She did a great job with her children, they are georgeous! It's sad when someone paints a picture about you that's not true and everyone believes the accuser. Glad she won!
I totally feel for her. My ex-husband was a military doctor and he "diagnosed" me with bipolar and tried making me take medicine for it. I went to my doctor, who oversaw him at the Army medical clinic, and she said I showed no signs of mental illness. He kept insisting I had mental illness and personality disorders, trying to get me to believe there was something wrong with me. My kids were taken from me for four horrible months after he filed an emergency motion in Georgia claiming I was a "sexual deviant". I moved from Georgia to Michigan, where my kids were, and the case was transferred to Michigan. Luckily the court system in MI wasn't corrupt and I got my kids back. During the divorce he had my medical records pulled, but luckily, his overseeing doctor had repeatedly written that I showed no signs of mental illness. I'm almost sure he paid off the GA judge because the MI judge had to call him to see why my kids were taken away in the first place. The system can be terribly corrupt and I don't fault Lee one bit. She was doing what she had to do to protect her child and if Michigan hadn't given my kids back, I would have done the same. Good for you, mom.
I’m so sorry you went through all that! But thankfully you got your kids! That’s the worst. I had a military psyop ex who destroyed my children and did very similar things. The system can be so corrupt!
Military+doctor= worst combination imaginable. Sociopaths always seek to portray their victims as mentally ill to have control over them in case they want to report them for abuse, call the cops or in case of divorce and custody battle. So glad you got out of that situation, had the strength to fight and won.
@@thecommonchumps3937 It's a toxic combination and perfect for narcissists to feel they have power. Over their patients, over their subordinates, over their family--everything. Fun fact: I meant nothing more than the enlisted men and women he oversaw.
I spent 16 years running from my ex here on US soil. He wasn't even here legally and they didn't bat an eyelash at all the times he tried to run me off the road with the kids in the car, shot at my vehicle with the kids in the car, cut my brake lines, tried to sneak into my home. When I left him; he told me he was going to unalive me and chop me up and toss my body parts in dumpsters from Idaho to the Mexico border and then take our kids into Mexico where he would traffick our daughter and teach our son to be a kingpin. I got my own name tattooed on my abdomen for identification purposes back in 2004. Now that our kids are grown and have an adult understanding of why I was running scared with them all those years (And I also trained them in MMA and Krav Maga); I DARE him to show his face. Family Courts are rarely about the kids. It's usually about the money. And who's going to have more money to feed into the system? A mother running scared or a dude who trafficks dope and humans? Lee did the right thing.
I am so very proud of you that you ran with your kids and gave your kids a chance to live without an abusive crazy father. Your kids were better off with you, and now that they have adult understanding, I'm pretty sure that they are glad that you are their mom and that they did not have to stay with their dad. Kudos to you
Savannah/Sam seems like such an awesome young woman 💜 She was raised right and given a chance at a real life with unconditional love. Had she been left with Harris Todd, I don’t think she would’ve turned out so wonderful.
The father (or anyone else) can't really proove that. Same as mother couldn't proove she wasn't crazy. Both of them are vindictive and tried to get the child away from another. Mother succeeded and even lied to the girl about her real father. Savanna was is shock after finding out and now has to cope with vindictive parents who blame each other in the media. Poor girl. :(
@@kvacka B/S Harris Todd and the ilk he probably paid off to LIE will answer to God for that. Harris TODD didn't even want CHILDREN. And that was from all that KNEW HIM.. and the fact that HE took 2 hours showing Sam HIS prized POSSESSIONS just cements that is a NARCISSIST.
@@nunya2954 @nunya2954 Do you know him personally? Because I don't, but I know many that didn't want children and still fell in love with them when they got them. And the baby was stolen from the biological father and that's a crime. The mother will have to answer in front of God for that too. No bad behaviour excuses another bad behaviour. If she was really so afraid, she still had legal options, but didn't even try. I don't argue he is not a bad person, but I think she is equally as bad. Washing dirty loundry from both parties in front of everybody doesn't help to clear either of them. Showing prize possesions? He could be narcissist, true, but he could also be awkward because he didnt get a chance to see his daughter in 20+ years and couldn't form a connection with her because of the actions of the mother. Even both could be going on at the same time. But still the mother is no better for stealing the child. She did to him the same thing he tried to do to her. The only difference is that she succeeded.
@@kvacka Exactly! I've been around couples like that a few times and they try to hurt each other and don't care who they hurt in doing so. My younger sister is like that and she always seems to find men that are the same. It's ridiculous and over the top, but she has a temper to meet theirs and it's so bad i won't have anything to do with her.
@@kvacka Oh yeah, the legal system always does the right thing, eh? The baby belonged with mother, he didn't want the pregnancy anyway but fought her to be vindictive CLEARLY. She took a risk but it worked out. I would have done the same thing.
Yes, he’s not a good friend, but in a sense he did her a favor. She no longer has to live in fear, and she has her life and friends back. Her kids still adore her. She just keeps winning!
The fact this father hasn’t had more contact with his daughter after meeting with her is proof he was indifferent to her all along. This man was only out to hurt his ex wife. Now that his daughter is over 18, he can’t hurt her so, he’s done with wanting more of a relationship. This man is the one who should have gone to prison for trying to make his wife look like something she’s not.
@macahdahma7382 agreed, but he didn't want the child he wanted control. I disliked your comment after hearing he, the father, once reunited spent hours talking about himself . That's narcissistic in the extreme . No love, just control . Male or female that's just wrong , he also won custody on pure lies .
A healthy loving mother dont steal her child, she protects. Thats what she did. She did what is best for her daughter and not what the ones who framed her.
I understand she may have broken laws, I totally get that but I do not blame her AT ALL for what she did. That man tried to make her out to be crazy, it really warms my heart to know everyone else KNEW that was lie. Now the world knows, and I am so happy she had all that time with her daughter and son. This lady is totally badass and I hope she's a best seller with the book! :)
Patty, I agree 100%. She may have broken the law, but as she said, they broke the law by claiming she was mentally ill and taking her baby away from her to hand over to her father. I think he only wanted her in order to punish Lee. The end result proves to me that she did the right thing. Look at what a smart, happy and fine young lady that Samantha has become.
That first judge, psychiatrist, and lawyers should all be in prison for this. What she did very well could’ve saved her child’s life and is well worth the time. That man is disgusting. He wanted his daughter because she was his possession, not because she was his daughter.
Exactly! The law was used as a weapon to get back at her. I’m glad in the end she has too kids that grew up to be grounded and clearly great living. They definitely should be looking at how they were able to weaponise the law
@@oanhvu7886 So it's cruel to take away children from their mother, but its totally fine to take them away from their father. That is totally backwards thinking. A mother has absolutely no more right to a child than the father has. I am a single father, and I can not imagine for one second if my child was taken from me. Men have just as much rights as the mothers do.
I did not expect this story to end like this. Very happy for the happy ending. Moms life -overall- seems to be awesome, and she raised two awesome kids. Sam seems remarkably put together and mature. Nice.
@@lisawentworth6831 How do you know this woman isn't lying about absolutely everything. I don't buy this c*** for 1 second that she was trying to protect anything
This guy has creep written all over his face. Not only that you can tell by the photos that he’s the one with the temper and the one that’s unstable. Look how she is when she’s interviewed. She’s very calm and balanced and of course has a good relationship with their children which reveals that she’s quite the opposite of what he says.
@@superRobertoist Yeah, she “kidnapped”her own child from her abusive ex husband that wanted to use them to harm / control her. Such a bad woman! How dare she? *sarcasm*
I don't usually leave comments, but I can see so clearly that Harris Todd fought for Chattel, not for Savanah. Emotions and compassion seem alien to him. I've had a loosely similar experience, so it all feels very familiar. All I can say is that LEE saved Savanah and herself when she took things into her own hands. The court system is incredibly fallible, because human biases, ego's and alliances can trump simple truths. This was lovely and powerful! I'm so glad it turned out so well. It is beyond obvious Lee did the right thing and that Harris doesn't seem to know much about love.
not at all unususl for people like hou to know exactly wha happens and know all facets just by looking at 45 min of edited footage that is the problem. none of us know anything, just one word against another. nobody won here. and how we decide what the law should be. but always remember to always be considtent when people decide to take the law into their own hands
When someone doesn't want to have children, they should be believed.Thinking you can change someone with a strong conviction just because you are their spouse, is magical thinking. "When someone tells you who they are, listen to them".
Yes, I have a friend who has a current partner who doesn’t want any kids even though he really does. It’s one of those disagreements that can really ruin people’s lives
@@MikaelaKMajorHistoryI don't have much a thing for this man because what he did was horrible and in the end I think she made the best decision she could with where they were at that moment. But I would like to know whether he refused to use birth control and expected her to go through an abortion for his convenience. Agreeing not to have children and agreeing to go through an abortion are two different things. Even if you don't want a child or don't feel you can have a child and must get an abortion it can be quite traumatic and no woman wants to go through it nor considers that a minor matter I don't care what anyone says. So a man that would refuse to use birth control while insisting that he did not want children and just offhandedly telling her to have an abortion would at the least V misogynist with stone narcissistic and sociopathic traits. If on the other hand they agreed of a particular type of birth control that was highly reliable and they used it faithfully and she got pregnant by accident it is fair for them to have a discussion again about whether or not to keep the child and to go their separate ways if they could not agree. He should not try to force her to have an abortion and she should not force him to have a child if they felt differently. She could ask for child support because of course they both brought the child into the world knowing it could happen but she should not be surprised if he divorced her. It's on the other hand he was abusive toward her because she changed her mind he was wrong and she should have left at that point. She was naive and she was wrong and trying to forced him to get used to the pregnancy and hopes he would become happy about it. But if any part of it was a genuine accident then all after that was just the Fallout that occurs when neither one feels the same about having children and a pregnancy happens anyway. It would not give him the right to abuse her and if he really didn't want children there is absolutely no way that he would have been a good father or husband to the woman who forced Parenthood on him.
Let's just admit the law isn't always right. Family court is not somewhere you want to be. Having some stranger make core decisions for your family is horrifying. The judge and doctor in this case should be dismissed immediately.
Right. The system should just allow a judge to "be dismissed immediately." That'd be justice. That'd be a very good thing for the law to allow. What a hypocrit you are--and you don't even realize it.
I found out in law school that Family Law wasn’t for me. Every trial - criminal or civil - has so much at stake.Yet, the litigants in Family Court are especially vicious. And if you are malicious you have zero problem lying in order to prevail. The best interest of the child/children be damned.
@@ailleananaithnid2566 That’s for sure. My “mother” made me go to Family Court and testify in her completely fabricated, insane allegation my father wasn’t sending child support. He sent it every. single. week. I know because I had to endorse the checks as well as fight with her every weekend to spend a few hours with my father-my sanity check. I refused to lie in court and her retribution towards me lasted the rest of her ugly, miserable, evil life-even after I terminated my relationship with her completely when I was 30. *We need to re-examine the default physical custody arrangement of giving us helpless kids to mommy dearest.* I have never, ever regretted being truthful or refusing to have any further relationship with this cruel, abusive, manipulative, lying thief with the label “mother.” Too many of ‘em are monsters.
@@TheVeek192 if you still believe in 'justice' & 'laws' you're living in lala land. It depends on who's meting out the 'justice' & what 'laws' have been broken, especially by whom & the ideology on both sides as well as their financial status, standing, etc.. We live in a two tiered justice system where laws only apply to certain ppl. Unfortunately our Lady Justice is NOT blind & hasn't been for yrs! Good luck to you VK in life.
Plus they settle custody battles on the basis of income. He who earns the most is the most capable of raising their children better. Are they actually saying that if your parents are poor then they are going to be lousy parents? Really? Well Lee's life is a proof of how wrong they are. Love is the key factor and that mother did everything in her power to protect her daughter whereas he with all his money did everything in his power to destroy both of them.
I believe her. Men used to have women put away for an entire list of reasons 5 feet long. Things like reading to much, talking back to your husband, being too emotional. If men wanted rid of you, it wasn’t hard to make it happen, and everyone went along with it.
My goodness lee’s story rang bells,I too lost my country to get away from a mad man, I ran in the dead of night with the most important part of our “ relationship” my beautiful son who was two,it took me a long time to understand why he went from loving father to a man who hit his child so hard I thought he’d killed him. He was jealous of the attention I was giving my son over him. My beautiful son is 39. I would do it all again in a heartbeat!! Much respect to lee and her beautiful children ♥️
I believe a completely sane person can be pushed by a bad person to act out in violent ways that they normally wouldn't, and that's probably what was happening to Lee at that time. When she wasn't faced with someone tormenting her she lived a healthy, normal life!!!
That’s so very true. As someone who lived through an abusive relationship, I can testify to how accurate your statement is. I’ve never been violent, or prone to anger and rage. I got to a point where, I knew what was coming, and it’s hard to put into words, but I guess I just refused to “cower”. I’d “stand up to him”, and do my best to maintain some semblance of strength. As he’d come toward me, with those hate filled eyes, and hands that repeatedly were used to hit, push, and choke me, I’d stand there and let him get right in my face. I wouldn’t cry. I didn’t want him to get that satisfaction. Instead, I got angry. I said some things that I’d never say to anyone else, because I wasn’t physically able to overpower him. What I could do, was use my words to “fight back”. I probably made the violence escalate, because of my refusal to quietly accept his cruelty. At the time, I felt “crazy”, too. Living life just waiting for the next bruises can truly bring out parts of you that would never have existed in a healthy relationship. Thank God I found a way out from it. And, God bless this mama for her strength and courage in doing what she had to for her child. ❤
It’s called reactive abuse. I recently had experiences with this and a narcissistic person. Like they literally have a name for what happened to Lee. The narcissist will manipulate and gaslight and abuse until the other person snaps….. and then the victim looks like the crazy person. Reactive abuse. I felt crazy, insane. I had to do research to even figure out what had happened to me.
That’s what psychopaths do best … gaslight , isolate their partner, abuse in private, condemn in public …he was a controlling narcissistic psychopath.😢
Having been through a very abusive relationship, my heart goes out to Lee. I pray she gets to spend the rest of her life in joy and happiness. And that her ex pays for the damaging lies he's done to her and Sam.
I was thinking the same, seems like she could sue him for the fact she had to run and leave behind all of her loved ones except her daughter. Too bad that would never work though.
I CAN'T in no way BELIEVE anything that man Says ever . He never wanted child Only took Savannah to punish Lee that's it. Don't believe Savannah have healthy happy child hood or be happy adult if him his mama had CONTROL OVER Savannah ANY TIME in her life.
The father sounds so fake and awkward! As the daughter of an abusive and manipulative father who for 3 years wouldn’t let my mom see me (from the time she was forced to ran away from him until the divorce was finalized), I praise this mother for being able to keep her daughter safe and far from this man! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 And it looks like she did an amazing job at raising her to be such a lovely young lady! ❤
I know all too well the corrupt practices that exist in the family court system. My son and I will forever suffer the scars. My custody battle with his father lasted fifteen years. This woman is my hero. She is absolutely correct when she said, “The law was broken when they took my daughter away from her mother.” She did the right thing by fleeing with her precious baby girl. I admire her courage and applaud her for refusing to forfeit her child to a cold, bitter, vindictive “ father”. God bless her beautiful, healthy, happy daughter, thanks to her mothers’ love and protection. ❤
My dear Jacqueline, I am so sorry for your trauma and scars of your experience. As a man, I know how much we like to blame women. It's small and it's wrong.
I think it's obvious that he wanted his daughter because he looked at her as a possession. Not because of his love for her, or because he thought her mom was a danger to her. I'm glad she was successful at being on the run for so many years!! And that she only did 21 months!!
@@cheeriosforhonkies8867 No, he succeeded in twisting the system! We have an Asperger justice system which tends to work better for the autistic psychopath than for the neurotypical person.
I’m sooo happy for her and her child. There are a lot of examples of children being traumatized by manipulative and controlling fathers! A brave mom, a smart woman proved that system is not perfect, but corrupted and incompetent!
This story is incredible! Spoiler alert: What a brave mother leaving behind everyone else she loved. Hats off to the ex husband who didn't rat her out! Too bad she confided in the wrong person. It must be some kind of relief to have the truth come out though and it's good Samantha got to meet her biological father although so strange it was only once. Shows how much he really wanted his daughter back huh? Just because it's the law doesn't mean it's right and I'm glad she's a now free woman. Good one 48 hours 👏
"It" happens consistently and constantly, this is not new! My husband has used contrived mental illnesses against me with police and court of law without having to provide any proof at all, but if the roles are reversed I'd have to provide every shred of proof. All I asked was for him to get a psychiatric evaluation or leave and he's refused, the lawyer has refused to cause him to, but why? If you're fine and healthy, then why wouldn't you just do the exam and move on? It's because he knows and the lawyer knows that he's not ok and he's not safe to be around our children, but they don't want anyone else to know this. Even when he beat our daughter and gave her a concussion, the Illinois States Attorneys office refused to arrest him because he was "within his parental rights." Yeah, it was that he and the daughter he regularly beat that had filed a false DCFS report on me that kept that office from arresting him and doing the right thing. Instead, the child he had just beat and given a concussion and myself had to leave the home with the other 4 children in his care. Every single person involved knew that this was not the best or safe choice, but they did it because it looked good on paper. I have no faith in the "justice" system at all and I have a long paper trail as to why, but noone will ever see it and the truth because of his lies and manipulation of everyone, but especially our children. To be able to make a child fear their mother that has never harmed them takes skill and a special type of manipulation. No father that really loves his children would want them to fear their mother because of their lies. This man only cares for himself.
My mother had disabling headaches for years. Her doctors told her it was “ all in her head” due to living vs with my alcoholic father. She was saved from b death by her eye doctor when her did a retinal b exam b and saw her retinas bulging outward! He called a neurologist at once. Then he called my dad at b work and told him he’d have to take b my mom to Santa Rosa the next day … the neurologist hospitalized her immediately and the next day removed a brain tumor as big as an orange that had been pressing inside her cranium for years! 😅Tell me about gaslighting … and medical indifference to b females complaints of pain. 😢
What a beautiful story. Goes to show there’s no limits when it comes to a mother’s love. I just love how Savannah laughed and stood up for her mom. The meeting with her Dad is proof her mom did right by her & her brother.
Bruh she wrote him a letter pouring out her life (the daughter) and he replied back with “i’m proud you did well on your exams”…. that’s what you have to tell your daughter that you haven’t seen in 20 years….
@@hallesmith9520 well it’s clear he doesn’t actually care about his daughter, he only saw his daughter as an object, a prize to win to show he was the best. Once he had the opportunity to talk to her? He just wasn’t interested, because he just doesn’t care.
I loved how time truly proved the Ex husband wrong about all the lies he seems to have made up. While I dont condone Child abduction, it seems this was the safest option for Lee and her daughter. Wishing them nothing but the best 🙂
Why they say the father was deprived of the daughter for 21 years, he didn't want her in the first place? He divorced her because of it, and then he wants the custody of a daughter he wanted dead? May be because he didn't want to pay money to her mother? He wanted to punish the daughter her imposed him, he was the psychopath! But with his money he bought doctor and judges, in my opinion!
@@snoweewhites9983 It doesn't matter that he didn't initially want to have a child. I didn't want to be a father either time I found out my partner was pregnant, but that didn't change the fact that I loved my children once they came into the world, nor did it matter to the courts when the mother tried to pull the same argument you're making. In the end, the court gave me 50% custody. You have no idea what you're talking about, and seem to ignore that the father searched for his daughter, and this mother denied the father from ever having a relationship with the child. She deserved to go to jail much sooner than she did and lose all custodial rights.
I don't know what that man's problem was besides wanting to be controlling of his wife and child, but I'm glad she left. I'm glad she had the courage and the fortitude to take her baby and leave that crazy man. Just looking at her children and seeing the happiness in their face when they see their mom at the end of the show, let's know that she did everything right. I know the courts called it kidnapping, but I call it saving her baby, and giving her baby a good life without a bad father. I'm glad she took her child and moved from place to place so that her daughter could have a wonderful life. I'm glad that her daughter got to have a brother to grow up with and the father that she loved. Lee Barnett did the right thing, no doubts hands down she was a good mom
He could have made things right by sitting down and explaining everything to his daughter. But he didn’t. Shows how much he truly ‘loved’ her. He didn’t love his family, he loved the power he had over them.
Denied a sick man out of hurting his daughter. He would have manipulated that girl and probably would have ruined her. I’m glad Lee took her baby away. Go mom!
Wow just feel that her precious daughter dodged a bullet here, her father didn't even want her until she became a pawn in his little game to spite her mother, well done Lee, you should never have been sent to prison but so happy for your end story xx
My dad pulled that stuff too. When my mom finally filed to divorce him (after I caught him in bed with a 19 year old, I was 12) he did not want the divorce and filed for custody of us to punish my mom and prolong the divorce. He had no desire to actually raise us. He took us for 1 overnight visit period. Even then he didn’t know how to take care of us.
What an incredible story! One with a happy ending. I can't imagine the dismal life Savannah would've had of she grew up with her father. You can tell what that man values: status, money, power, winning at all costs. What an amazing mother!
I’m floored! This is totally different than the original story! Something didn’t seem right then but it all makes sense now! Momma did the right thing!
She did an incredible job of raising her daughter, as well as her son. Only a psychopath would talk to the psychiatrist ahead of time to convince him to diagnose the mother of his baby as mentally ill, and take that baby away from her, when she wasn’t. When Samantha said that he took her on a two hour tour of his house when she first visited him, I thought how shallow can you get? Samantha has grown up to be one fine young lady. She is very lucky and blessed that Lee got her away from him. This is my opinion, not diagnosing anyone here.
@rudemeister, sorry you obviously have no idea what "dupers delight" actually looks like, that is certainly not it. both her children, especially her daughter are extremely switched on and full of love. I think their opinion on their mother's mental state is far more valid than yours or mine. The fact that her daughter actually went to meet her father is a testament to her parenting. Not father of the year?? The guy is a gaslighting manipulative psychopath
When Lee was obviously pregnant and he kept repeating “there is no baby” that was all I needed to hear. If she had not left the lives of Lee and the baby would have ended tragically
@Andrew Leavitt yeeeeah because it's completely normal and not at all terrifying to act they way he did...yikes He is sick and so is you defending him lmao
That "doctor" decided to medicate her BEFORE he even met her. He let the husband tell him what was wrong with his wife and that is so unethical and just plain wrong. I'm glad she ran away with her daughter and was able to raise her in a loving home.
I got goosebumps listening to this amazing woman's story. What a strong and loving mother. Sam was better off not knowing her narcissistic father growing up. She wouldn't have turned out so well rounded.
I’m glad nobody died in this story like so many other 48 Hours episodes. I’m happy for this outcome! And this is a lesson never to tell your friends even your most darkest secret. Perhaps it was for the best, since she could be reunited with her own family (albeit after more than a year in jail). Maybe a small price to pay to have been able to raise your family happily and continue to have them in your life into the future. Harris should be investigated for all his lies.
@@JacyMylaRayanna I guess you kind of forgot that it takes 2 people to make a baby. The father has just as much of a God-given right to that child. Mom does not own the child simply because she has a vagina.
Lee’s first husband was gaslighting her, her second husband left her for what it seems to be a younger woman and then he dies. Talking about a very strong intelligent woman! At the end savanna & the judge realized what her dad really cared about, himself!
His complete awkwardness at meeting his daughter, lack of contacting her again speaks volumes! I’m glad she is reconnected with her family again. I hope all works out well for the daughter.
The fact that the dad, after 20 years of not seeing her, or speaking to her, could only speak about himself shows just how narcissistic he truly is!!!!! And I am pretty sure is judge friend sees that as well!!!! So glad she was able to keep her daughter and herself safe. Blessings to them all 💗🙏🙏
Are you unaware that SHE KIDNAPPED HER DAUGHTER and denied a relationship with her Father?..if it had been the Father that kidnapped his daughter he would have been sitting in jail today. She’s a narcissistic self centered psychopath and the real injustice is her getting just two years for committing multiple felonies.
What are you even talking about, He didn't talk about himself after all this time because he didn't do an interview. Yall women just wanna believe this lady so much that you're now making $hit up
@tankthearc9875 What's funny is this lady is saying all he could do was talk about himself after the daughter has been missing for 20 years. She kind of missed the part where he refused to do an interview recently. Just making crap up to paint the narrative
He missed 20 years of life of a child he didn’t want to be in this world to begin with. Eh.. Not a big deal. That’s why, I guess, the conversation after 20 years of her absence wasn’t about her and him, but a tour of the house 😤 Kudos to Lee for her nearly heroic actions and wide as a world motherly ❤️! Thank you family and friends for their support and shame on the corrupt judges and doctors.
This is so sad they did this to this poor woman. She clearly isn't a criminal. She's a mother saving her child from an evil manipulative man that never wanted the baby until he could use her to hurt his wife
It's crazy how closely this resembles what happened with me and my two children. Unfortunately I had faith in a broken system and didn't have the financial means or the opportunity to flee with my kids. They lived through years of abuse at the hands of their father. And my 14 year old son was sentenced to 15 years in prison for shooting and killing his father during an abusive episode that spiraled out of control in 2020 during the lockdowns. Very sad that the system failed them so badly. Our lives have been forever altered. 😔
When a man uses his power and corruption to deceive the justice system then he himself has to be blamed. His relationship with his daughter that suffered. He lost all those years with her because of his own deception. I say serve him right. He lied and used his judge friend to take away a daughter from her mother but he lost so deal with it!
This is the life I lived. I got halfway through this video and realized I didn't have to watch anymore. I couldn't watch anymore. The flashbacks came over me like waves. I am so grateful to Lee and happy for her daughter that she didn't have to live the life that my kids had to live.
I know what it feels like for someone to gaslight you into thinking you’re the crazy one, and that’s why I can recognize it when I see it and that is exactly what her ex-husband was doing to her and I am so glad that she got her self and her daughter away from him!
I could tell way back when he was all over the television. People were condemning Savanna, but I kept telling them that there was much more to the story. Have faced something very similar in my life.
What an amazing real life story!! Thank you 48Hours for covering a story that expanded over many years!! I’m usually not on the lawbreaker’s side but I think Lee did the right thing. I’m so happy with their outcome. I hope Lee gets a movie deal to tell her extraordinary life story.
The proof is in the pudding of Lee's mental health! She raised 2 beautiful children with so much love and affection. I know bipolar disorder, and while I do realize every case and person are different, Lee couldn't have pulled off what she did without medication, and the help of several people over the two decades she and her children were on the run.
Click here to watch more full episodes of "48 Hours": ruclips.net/p/PLcFHkKbd_jTJiRmfUfLX2Ay_hnf5j3cxH
The upload are stellar! Thanks so so much 😊
Yes I look forward to watching these! Long time 48 hours fan!
I was done wrong by attorneys I hired. I was lied to and taken advantage of. Millions of dollars and large amounts of property taken from me. There is no such thing as a conscionable fee because of my case. My attorney did deals with the other party without my knowledge. A judge was paid off. Income earning property was taken from me. Probate case. So much wrong was done to me and I have proof of it all. Ask me. My attorney was the nephew of Billie Sol Estes of Pecos Texas.
@@bluehalo8604 qqqqqq
I’m so sorry that happened to the mother’ & HerFamily’ I’m on their side’
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ 42:18
This man wasn’t sad about his beautiful baby being gone ,he was enraged he wasn’t in control any longer of the situation !!!And he totally under estimated the love and power of a mother who will do anything to protect her children !!this amazing lady raised two of the most compassionate ,intelligent and courageous kids and I know she’s so proud!!!
Cassie Phillips you couldn’t have said it better! I agree with you!
Agreed
Exactly
That's what I said! He's a controlling sociopath
Would you feel the same for a father who saved his children from a terrible mother?
The fact that her kids are both so well adjusted is a testament in itself to the fact she was set up and not crazy 🤷🏻♀️
Was just thinking how intelligent and wholesome the daughter was. She was definitely taken care of by a good mother.
The fact that this man never dropped one tear tells it. And you are absolutely right but in actuality a man who was very upset about his child being taken would have been crying like a baby He didn't want that child.
That’s ridiculous
@@gerrilagrange1290people react in different ways. So you can’t say that someone would be crying. I am more curious about why he and the daughter don’t seem to have a relationship as of the taping of this show. Seems like after all the searching he would be trying a lot harder to develop a bond.
You can be crazy and raise normal kids
The psychiatrist that diagnosed her before he ever met her was unethical
They do this, though, especially male psychiatrists to women. I was married to an adult when I was just 15, and CPS decided I was the one who was mentally unstable. My ex was assaulting my little sister's 11, 12, 13 year old friends, but my ex was the one who could pay for attorneys and what-not, so they immediately sided with him. He also tried to sue for sole custody and claimed I was crazy/abusive and the docs decided it was true without ever talking to me, but that resolved itself once he had to go on the run for assaulting his new wife's child.
The US court system is 100% okay with handing over vulnerable children to predators and abusers, as long as they can pay for the service.
@@NymphaeAvernales I agree the system is so broken and the system makes huge decisions that can make or break people's lives. I'm very sorry you went through that. The truth almost always comes out at the end.
Psychiatrist are crazy that's why they get into the profession in the first place.
He was paid off.
Lawsut
As soon as she met her dad he took her on a 2-hour tour of his house to talk about all his possessions instead of saying "please tell me about your life, I've missed you, I've waited for this moment and I always loved you"! This speaks volumes about him and his true nature!
Exactly. Exactly this.
I came looking for this comment. He's the epitomy of a narcissist. I'm happy Lee ran with her. Imagine the horrible life Samantha would have had with that man raising her?
The ultimate in Creep Factor that he was so proud of preserving the bedroom for years. Ewww.
He was only in it for the fight. He didn't give a crap abt his daughter. He just wanted to cause his X grief.
I'm so glad mum was so successful in her endeavors.
Malignant narcissist
Good for Lee honestly. 20 years and 21 months sacrificed for her child to have a good life. She’s not a good mom, she’s a GREAT mom
Yes she did I would have done the exact same thing for my child!!
She tricked a financially successfully man into having a baby that he didn’t want. What a mother
Oh yes she kidnapped a child and went on the run for years what an amazing mother
@@hirandompeople3983 Her child.
Totally agree!
My dad had my mom's legal medical records state she is schizophrenic, because he was constantly cheating on her and wanted everyone to think she was paranoid and delusional, believing hallucinations. So, I applaud what she did. The system sometimes does fail you in the worst way possible.
What year did this happen? Being diagnosed as schizophrenic isn’t as easy as your spouse saying so.
@@nallacedrak it surely did leave a lot of trauma for her, my siblings and I. We are much better now. Thanks for your support.
@@daCubanaqt It was like 8 or 10 years ago, but I'm from South America
@@Vampirecrisc That is so messed up. What happened in the end? Did your parents stay together?
Bless you for knowing the truth about your Mom.
Interesting how he never wanted a child but fought so hard to get her, then to drop the ball after finally meeting her.
He was like my dad. All he cared about was winning.
Isn’t this the absolute and final truth! First meeting with his lost daughter and he takes her on a tour of his home and prized possessions. So thankful she did not end up as one of his possessions!!!!!!
Goes to show you what he was up to if he got that baby. I don't think it would've turned out well, I just feel it.
Because he is a narcist.
@@thepitpatrol Yep! Abso right there, my baby girls dad is the same unfortunately
What a heartwarming story of a brave and loving woman who outsmarted a narcissist. Her children's characters are testimony to her good character. Well done Lee👏👏👏👏👏👏
How the f$#% u know was u Thier
@@paullee3996 there
@@paullee3996speak English
Yeah stealing a kid because you do not wanna follow the law is the right thing. Y'all are goofs. She is the bad guy, not him.
She should be in prison for kidnapping. If a father did this he would be
The daughter is the greatest example of who the mother truly is. There is no greater proof of her innocence.
Yes, she's so kind and generous. I would have not wanted to meet a man who'd been the reason for my mother's hardships. She not only met him, she also didn't judge him. As she said, she was very lenient.
exactly right and she’s be much different and worse off of raised by that ego maniac father of hers
Annoyd American-Yes, u exactly have right.
This man was never want his doughter.
He just was jalous his ex ,how the Baby makes her happy, and not cryn after him.
He just wanted to take revange on his ex, that why he was pretending
in him all life down,
he is a poor daddy and his violence mentally sick ex kidnapp his child.
She is a very good mother,
a nice and good person.
She not have anything,
what she have to regret.
I wish every mother be like her.
God with this Lady.
And the Familien Court System
is very wrong working.
And other thinks,she was never judge him.
God bless her in the Allmighty Jesus Name Amen
That’s just ignorant.
That’s an idiotic statement. That’s like saying Dahmer’s parents are evil because he is
Lee raised two kind, happy and intelligent children who love their mother dearly. That is testament to the fact that she is indeed a good mother. I hope the rest of her life finds her happy and with plenty of grandchildren to love.
I do not disagree with you. There is always the chance that these could be external personas.
Her doing this alone causes potential trauma down the line and bleeds into so many areas of a child’s life that can affect them later as well in future relationships (whether they see it/realize it or not).
Edit: no idea if this man was abuse or not etc as I’m not there yet…however, whether he was or not, her actions will affect a child for the longevity psychologically and play into their relationships (like I said), as well as their own children’s and grand children’s)
@@natalie9884 lol I doubt it. She raised 2 decent humans, I would think if she or the environment were toxic, that ONE of them would speak out at the very least. I'm proud of her for doing what she had to do for herself and own family to do what was the best for her child.
This woman went on the International run for like 20 years. How Is that being a good parent 👀
@@justmissjamey Proud of her for kidnapping the child from the father.
Are you absolutely insane?
Absolutely insane that "experts" can diagnose a person with such a serious medical condition after 1 meeting... and the fact the ex husband was able to meet one of the experts beforehand to have her medicated is crazy to me!
I fully believe she was set up to look crazy
Highly unethical on the part of the medical provider diagnosing her.
It's obvious he paid them back-handers, stock brokers are hardly hard up for money. He clearly viewed his daughter as a possession, as he did his ex wife and hated it when he could no longer control either. A mother's intuition is always right and I'm glad she had the courage to get away.
What is this ,"alternative" crap? Witchcraft, basically? ONLY SCHOOL MEDICINE/SCIENCE WORKS!!! Jeez!
It still happens to women all the time. Hysterical. Crazy. Emotional. Etc.
And also, she was pregnant at the time. I don't think you can reliably diagnose someone with bipolar when they're pregnant, given that mood swings are a big symptom. It just seems odd.
The way the father conducted himself when reunited with his daughter coupled with his refusal to be interviewed once he was no longer in full control of the narrative tells me everything I need to know. He is the villain.
I think this story is proof that Lee did the right thing. It took a lot of courage and unconditional love to do what she did for her daughter.
His daughter was of no use to him after she grew up. He couldn’t use her to hurt her mother.
Plus, she got a divorce from her second husband who cheated on her and she NEVER took either of the kids from him. This was always about protecting her daughter at all cost. Lee didn’t even care to have a relationship with his daughter. It always seems he is disappointed to lose the spot light since she was found.
@@BlackJack-sx1jw Exactly!
It really shows how much the father DIDNT love his daughter by not trying to maintain a relationship with her after she was found…
In addition if he truly loved her, he would have told the truth to why he did what he did to his ex-wife.
I would have been immensely proud of my mother for protecting me.
She obviously did a good job of that, and raised you and your brother as a credit to your mother.God bless you
Ikr …now that’s a mother!
“Protect”? From what? She broke the law and deprived the father of 20 years with his daughter. She should have been imprisoned for much longer.
@@ridinwithjakeTook her from her manipulative father? The man who made lies after lies about her to make her life miserable and pit people against her so he could have the child he wanted to have aborted…?
Sound like Mom did the right thing!
That guy is a narcissist.....I'm not one for breaking laws but I totally support that mother.....it's obvious this guy is a control freak and would have made that mother and daughter lives a living hell.......I'm happy how everything turned out.....the best for all of you and God's blessings, guidance and protection 🙏🙏🙏🙏
@@ridinwithjake exactly my thought. Even with just her side of the story, there's no evidence that the baby was in any danger (other than a manipulative dishonest mother)
When she said ‘legal right be damned’ I felt that! What an amazing mother! I take my hat off to her, she did what any SANE mother would want to do, protect their babies. I have 3 children and I would do anything for them, they are our world. We protect them with all we have.
Ugh YES
Agree ❤
Period
Yep!
I Kno thts right
Man, the way her daughter speaks about her mom is EVERYTHING + some.
He had no interest in the daughter when they first met. I believe the mother knew what she was talking about. Very brave of her
She chose her side , and it is not his . Very much her mother, phoney camera face .
I’m not buying her story at all, but I’m not easily swayed.
@@hadrianwall-r7h
TNT is a troll
@@TNT-km2eg you see it too.
The daughter was lying when she said her mother never hurt her.
That so few people see the crazy in this woman is staggering.
@@Lola-AreaCode212 Yep.
There is something SO not right with that woman.
So much respect for Lee and how she chose to protect her Daughter from what is very clearly a malignant narcissist
What a wonderful mother !
This is heartbreaking
My first thought. He is a malignant narcissist. The only thing he cared about was winning. The mom in this case did the illegal thing but the right thing and gave her daughter an amazing life.
@@realsugar7056 If it were a man who did this to a woman you would be outraged.
@@glennfarris305 No I wouldn’t. There are women who are malignant narcissists and unfit and if the story was the same and just a gender switch, my opinion is the same. You have obviously (thank God) have never spent time with that kind of monster.
@@realsugar7056 I have, that is most single mothers. This woman was just selfish and didn't care about her ex-husband.
Her book should be called "I Married a Narcissist." He didn't want his daughter. He just wanted to make sure his ex-wife, who dared to challenge him, couldn't have her.
She's at fault and very selfish putting her daughter in danger. Her husband Literally told her over and OVER he did NOT want kids and dared put an innocent kid in that !! She should've married a man who would love kids!!!
@@professionaltrollgirl2682She didn’t put her daughter in danger she may have saved her daughter from cold calculating man. To pretend his wife had a severe mental illness to get custody is evil.
@@professionaltrollgirl2682 once she realized her husband was never going to accept the child she attempted to get a divorce and leave but his ego couldn’t let her and HE put his daughter in danger by falsely trying to label his ex wife as mentally unstable for the crime of wanting to keep her child with her
@@blackpuppy5645 to make an innocent baby with a man who DID NOT WANT THE BABY is SELFISH. The mom should have married a man who loved kids . Look how the mom had to leave her whole family and kidnap her own kid !!!
@@danielle739 SHE SHOULDNT HAVE MARRIED A MAN WHO DID NOT WANT KIDS IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! I WOULD NEVER PUT AN INNOCENT BABY IN THAT POSITION TAKING A GAMBLE. NEVER PUT A BABY IN THAT POSITION OF BEING UNWANTED BY A PARENT!!!!
Look at the children she raised. Nothing further is required as evidence of how much the mum was wronged. Appalling 🤬🤬 but it’s a story of immense love 💖💖
Lee is a hero! It’s so crystal clear from her children’s behaviors that she is an amazing mother. Praying the best for Lee, Sabannah and reece.
WTF are you talking about? There's zero evidence that he did anything wrong, there is evidence that she has a mental health issue and that she committed felony kidnapping. The judge even said she was acting out in court. You all just ignore the facts and just go off a biased one sided drama show.
The fact that the dad took his "beloved, long lost daughter" on a two hour tour of his stuff in his house is proof enough that he never really cared about Lee or the daughter, but getting revenge.
@@kellyngrey4950 Spot on !!!!!!!
a hero who illegally kidnapped her daughter and fled the country. Yeah idk about that. Maybe besides the whole kidnapping thing she was a good mother. but nontheless she commited multiple felonies and set a bad example to her children. her father may not have been an amazing person, but there's no evidence to suggest he was a threat to his daughters saftey. if anything the mother does seem like a little bit of a threat due to her emotional outburst(throwing heavy objects out of frustration, slapping, etc..).
if a man were to kidnapp his daughter and flee the country for 20 years, you know damn well he'd be punished to the fullest extent of the law. feminist double standards at it's finest.
@@secretsauce4530 he didn't want his child until it was about getting revenge. so how would he be a good parent?
you're right, if a man were to kidnap his daughter and flee, it wouldn't be the same, because children especially daughters need their mothers more than they need their fathers. my father was abusive, my mother saved my life. i wish she had taken me from him and his crazy family.
I don't blame her one bit. You can easily tell just from the clips that he's narcissist. It was never about his daughter. It was about him and what this did to HIM and him getting back at his ex. I'd say it was absolutely worth the 21 month sentence.
Riiiiiiight. You can tell from the clips. Is that how YOU would want to be judged? Based on a some clips on a tv show? Good grief.
@@TheVeek192 - The clips are more to go on than what was used in court to judge her fitness as a parent. Lol
She did the right thing. The judge was a dolt.
Agree 💯,
@@blacknosugarnocream And, uh, let's see. . . so you READ the court transcripts? Get over yourself.
dont be a simp , any woman can twist things and make a man seem like the monster
As someone with a vindictive ex who lied in court to gain custody and favor im so happy for this woman to have successfully raised her daughter.
Same thing happened to me its horrible ur just broken forever inside .I feel the same as u do about this story
I'm very sorry that you lost precious time with your child/children!
Same happened to me and my daughters.
I couldn't run
I'm so glad to see Leigh did and had a wonderful life away from him.
He looks like my ex, a bitter hollowed out man who has no interaction with his children.
And I did or do, my girls grew up and saw the truth of who I am and what type of mother I am. I did get married again and had 3 more children and was the mother I always wanted to be including my older girls!
Same thing here. I didn’t have the means to leave and my ex was an expert liar.
Both my exes swore to take their son, fight me in court blah blah blah..both ended up deadbeats..had ones parental rights terminated n the other just didnt bother..
I am so glad she did not get found until the daughter had a chance to grow up with her mom♥️
Me tooo 👋👋👋👋so proud of you Lee .. you must to have a Brazilian soul 😂somehow, because that is exactly what I would do !! ❤
She was a kidnapper and a head case
@@gregpettis1113 I would do the same thing if i had a baby and someone tried to take her away from me, you would too!
@@gregpettis1113notice how it's only males in the comments angry and hating on her for being a good mother
Hypothetical: I wonder if the roles were reversed and she was the one who didn't want kids (told him before marriage), then he got her pregnant (saying I thought I could change her mind) and made her keep the child even tho she didn't want it. He was the one screaming at her, crying, breaking tables and slapping her! Then after she gets custody of the child in court because courts ruled him unstable, he abducted the child and went on the run across multiple countries for 20 years on fake passports, getting married and having more children living his best life. Then after 20 years the authorities give him 20 months + time served! F-ing INSANE! THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN IN A MILLION YEARS!!!!!
The fact he spoke about himself the first time he met his daughter in 20 years tells me everything
There is no doubt she would have lived a neglected, lonely life with that scumbag.
And then never pursue any further relationship!! He didn't give a rip about his daughter!!
I’ve been around a narcissist once who did that same thing…..took me around on a huge, long, detailed tour of his town home. Having to explain the history of every item or thing on the wall. It was excruciating!
My ex-husband tried to do this to me. Thankfully I prevailed in court. But the courts gave him unsupervised visits. He used his time to interrogate and emotionally abuse our child. In hindsight I should have run. Eventually he offered to disappear from our lives if I didn't ask for child support. We gladly accepted. He didn't care about his child, he only wanted to use them as a pawn to further control me. Imagine, walking away from your child for a few hundred bucks a month? Not a father. We have happily not heard from him in almost a decade.
Me too but what he did was worse also physical abuse
I bet he has another family and kids becuase that how they are
I traded my car to my ex husband for custody of my two daughters. Best trade I ever made.
I’m so happy for you ❤️❤️
So you don’t know who he was before you had a child with him
That man has spent years maligning the mother of a baby he didn’t want, and it’s all been hateful and controlling. He was gaslighting her from the start, and I do not believe his story one tiny bit. The fact that she went on to raise her daughter with no temper problems, no abuse, no anger. That man has manipulated public opinion and the media, and I believe that he was cold and abusive to his wife, and I believe that judge was either biased, or bought.
I would’ve loved to see his face when his daughter fought his corrupt campaign, expressing the dishonesty of her father’s lies about Lee’s ‘diagnosis”.
I praise Lee’s resilience because so many cases, including that of my own grandchild, are settled to the detriment of the child. In the end, I see the this as a triumphant battle against a narcissist who tried to manipulate the family court system and almost won.
Agree.
Yes!
100%
Definitely Agree!
Correct 👍
Thank you 48 hours!!! this is truly a remarkable heroic story of a mother’s love for her child.
This is a testimony to what a mother will do for her children. Good for you Lee!
Lee Barnett is a HERO and protected her daughter the way a mother should. Savannah's biological father never really cared about having a relationship with her. It was about punishing Lee, period.
Say what !
How do YOU now? You don't, regardless of the "period" you finish with. That word doesn't carry any weight. And unless you actually know these people more than what you watched here in this one hour ENTERTAINMENT, you know zero.
There is another hero in this case - her 2nd husband Juan Geldenhuys. He knew her past but never let anybody know even when he knew he was dying with cancer. He married Lee & accepted her along with her daughter and was a good husband & father till it lasted
She took the law in her own hands because *he* did it first when he won custody with lies. Anybody who’s ever been in a relationship with a narcissist can see this for what it is.
The doctors diagnosed her. Her own mother felt she was bipolar. He could not control that. She herself admitted she threw flower pots, etc.
She had no right to kidnap her daughter.
0ll
@@mountainman4859 throwing pots dorlslnt mean ur.
@@nikkirodriguez8207 …For a grown woman? Lol. Really? It indicates she couldn’t control her rages. Either way, mother’s are not the law and she had no right kidnapping her.
She should have gotten as many years as she deprived her husband of having his daughter in his life. My only exception to wanting that is it would deprive her daughter and son (and any grandchildren born during that time) of having her in their lives, so for their sakes it was probably best it wasn’t that long. But it was a mighty shameful thing to do.
@@mountainman4859 easy explanation. When you are with a narcissist they will push you/gaslight you to do these things. Convince you that you are crazy even though you aren’t. As a mother I would also do whatever is necessary to keep from being separated from my child.
She did a great job with her children, they are georgeous!
It's sad when someone paints a picture about you that's not true and everyone believes the accuser. Glad she won!
nobody won uninformed commentator
everyone lies. maybe when you child was stolen you would have some idea
@@pieterduplessis6906 I dont have to have a child stolen to understand. Hope all is well with you. ❤❤❤
I totally feel for her. My ex-husband was a military doctor and he "diagnosed" me with bipolar and tried making me take medicine for it. I went to my doctor, who oversaw him at the Army medical clinic, and she said I showed no signs of mental illness. He kept insisting I had mental illness and personality disorders, trying to get me to believe there was something wrong with me. My kids were taken from me for four horrible months after he filed an emergency motion in Georgia claiming I was a "sexual deviant". I moved from Georgia to Michigan, where my kids were, and the case was transferred to Michigan. Luckily the court system in MI wasn't corrupt and I got my kids back. During the divorce he had my medical records pulled, but luckily, his overseeing doctor had repeatedly written that I showed no signs of mental illness. I'm almost sure he paid off the GA judge because the MI judge had to call him to see why my kids were taken away in the first place. The system can be terribly corrupt and I don't fault Lee one bit. She was doing what she had to do to protect her child and if Michigan hadn't given my kids back, I would have done the same. Good for you, mom.
I’m so sorry you went through all that! But thankfully you got your kids! That’s the worst. I had a military psyop ex who destroyed my children and did very similar things. The system can be so corrupt!
That's horrible. I feel for you
I'm so sorry.
Military+doctor= worst combination imaginable. Sociopaths always seek to portray their victims as mentally ill to have control over them in case they want to report them for abuse, call the cops or in case of divorce and custody battle. So glad you got out of that situation, had the strength to fight and won.
@@thecommonchumps3937 It's a toxic combination and perfect for narcissists to feel they have power. Over their patients, over their subordinates, over their family--everything. Fun fact: I meant nothing more than the enlisted men and women he oversaw.
The us government endangered savanna. Mom did what was needed to protect her child
Yep. Sounds about right for the US government
Agreed
Exactly.
Yeah! I think especially these days we see just how corrupt the three letter agencies are. Corrupt to the core
Well the government is certainly not here to helps. They prive that everyday.
He couldn't believe the women he tried to defame and destroy could possibly outsmart him. Don't mess with a Mother's love!
This woman is a hero. She's got all my respect. And the system is flawed - it's scary.
The Savanna diary that her mother wrote for her was just beautiful, thoughtful, insightful and endearing. No matter what.
I spent 16 years running from my ex here on US soil. He wasn't even here legally and they didn't bat an eyelash at all the times he tried to run me off the road with the kids in the car, shot at my vehicle with the kids in the car, cut my brake lines, tried to sneak into my home. When I left him; he told me he was going to unalive me and chop me up and toss my body parts in dumpsters from Idaho to the Mexico border and then take our kids into Mexico where he would traffick our daughter and teach our son to be a kingpin. I got my own name tattooed on my abdomen for identification purposes back in 2004. Now that our kids are grown and have an adult understanding of why I was running scared with them all those years (And I also trained them in MMA and Krav Maga); I DARE him to show his face.
Family Courts are rarely about the kids. It's usually about the money. And who's going to have more money to feed into the system? A mother running scared or a dude who trafficks dope and humans?
Lee did the right thing.
You have a very powerful testimony. May God bless you and your family 🙏
I am so very proud of you that you ran with your kids and gave your kids a chance to live without an abusive crazy father. Your kids were better off with you, and now that they have adult understanding, I'm pretty sure that they are glad that you are their mom and that they did not have to stay with their dad. Kudos to you
Proud of you !? You related ?
@@TNT-km2eg it's a figure of speech. Take it easy. Wow.
GOOD FOR YOU HEIDI. And YES Lee sure did.
Savannah/Sam seems like such an awesome young woman 💜
She was raised right and given a chance at a real life with unconditional love.
Had she been left with Harris Todd, I don’t think she would’ve turned out so wonderful.
The father (or anyone else) can't really proove that. Same as mother couldn't proove she wasn't crazy. Both of them are vindictive and tried to get the child away from another. Mother succeeded and even lied to the girl about her real father. Savanna was is shock after finding out and now has to cope with vindictive parents who blame each other in the media. Poor girl. :(
@@kvacka B/S Harris Todd and the ilk he probably paid off to LIE will answer to God for that. Harris TODD didn't even want CHILDREN. And that was from all that KNEW HIM.. and the fact that HE took 2 hours showing Sam HIS prized POSSESSIONS just cements that is a NARCISSIST.
@@nunya2954 @nunya2954 Do you know him personally? Because I don't, but I know many that didn't want children and still fell in love with them when they got them. And the baby was stolen from the biological father and that's a crime. The mother will have to answer in front of God for that too. No bad behaviour excuses another bad behaviour. If she was really so afraid, she still had legal options, but didn't even try. I don't argue he is not a bad person, but I think she is equally as bad. Washing dirty loundry from both parties in front of everybody doesn't help to clear either of them. Showing prize possesions? He could be narcissist, true, but he could also be awkward because he didnt get a chance to see his daughter in 20+ years and couldn't form a connection with her because of the actions of the mother. Even both could be going on at the same time. But still the mother is no better for stealing the child. She did to him the same thing he tried to do to her. The only difference is that she succeeded.
@@kvacka Exactly! I've been around couples like that a few times and they try to hurt each other and don't care who they hurt in doing so. My younger sister is like that and she always seems to find men that are the same. It's ridiculous and over the top, but she has a temper to meet theirs and it's so bad i won't have anything to do with her.
@@kvacka Oh yeah, the legal system always does the right thing, eh? The baby belonged with mother, he didn't want the pregnancy anyway but fought her to be vindictive CLEARLY. She took a risk but it worked out. I would have done the same thing.
That friend who told on her should be ashamed of himself.
YES! Shame, shame, shame on that guy! He was probably paid off with BIG BUCKS!
weasel bros gotta stick together
@@l-b284😂😂😂 I agree.
Yes, he’s not a good friend, but in a sense he did her a favor. She no longer has to live in fear, and she has her life and friends back. Her kids still adore her. She just keeps winning!
You know he got some scrilla for that phone call. That's why secrets should stay secret.
I’m happy she got to have a great life with her daughter, I doubt that child would have grown up in a loving environment with that man
The fact this father hasn’t had more contact with his daughter after meeting with her is proof he was indifferent to her all along. This man was only out to hurt his ex wife. Now that his daughter is over 18, he can’t hurt her so, he’s done with wanting more of a relationship. This man is the one who should have gone to prison for trying to make his wife look like something she’s not.
^ this
The man wanted custody; he won it. You're siding with the mother who stole their daughter.
@macahdahma7382 agreed, but he didn't want the child he wanted control. I disliked your comment after hearing he, the father, once reunited spent hours talking about himself . That's narcissistic in the extreme . No love, just control . Male or female that's just wrong , he also won custody on pure lies .
@@SaviorCrosshe didn't want. Custody For him he just wants selfish desires ifc were gonna side with the mother
A healthy loving mother dont steal her child, she protects. Thats what she did. She did what is best for her daughter and not what the ones who framed her.
I’m so proud of her , she really stepped up for her babies and importantly herself!
She raised her children so well❤
I understand she may have broken laws, I totally get that but I do not blame her AT ALL for what she did. That man tried to make her out to be crazy, it really warms my heart to know everyone else KNEW that was lie. Now the world knows, and I am so happy she had all that time with her daughter and son. This lady is totally badass and I hope she's a best seller with the book! :)
Amber Heard.
She did break the law, and as such when you break the law you have to pay, that’s why we have laws.
Lee is a heroine for rescuing her daughter from that possessive & narcissistic man! 🏆 I wish more women in similar situations were equally fortunate
💯
Patty, I agree 100%. She may have broken the law, but as she said, they broke the law by claiming she was mentally ill and taking her baby away from her to hand over to her father. I think he only wanted her in order to punish Lee. The end result proves to me that she did the right thing. Look at what a smart, happy and fine young lady that Samantha has become.
That first judge, psychiatrist, and lawyers should all be in prison for this. What she did very well could’ve saved her child’s life and is well worth the time. That man is disgusting. He wanted his daughter because she was his possession, not because she was his daughter.
My exact thoughts!
Exactly! The law was used as a weapon to get back at her. I’m glad in the end she has too kids that grew up to be grounded and clearly great living. They definitely should be looking at how they were able to weaponise the law
Now imagine this beaming, gorgeous girl, was raised as a Trump supporting "Christian" by this guy.....go Mom!
So cruel for anyone who took away the babies from their mom. I can feel the pain bc I have two kids
@@oanhvu7886 So it's cruel to take away children from their mother, but its totally fine to take them away from their father. That is totally backwards thinking. A mother has absolutely no more right to a child than the father has. I am a single father, and I can not imagine for one second if my child was taken from me. Men have just as much rights as the mothers do.
Our Justice system failed her. I don’t blame her for doing what she did. She looks like a great mother. She has amazing kids.
Those men should be in prison to be fair
I did not expect this story to end like this. Very happy for the happy ending. Moms life -overall- seems to be awesome, and she raised two awesome kids. Sam seems remarkably put together and mature. Nice.
Lee did exactly what any great mom would and should have done. Well done lee.
lol
LOL!! Parental kidnapping and escaping justice for 20 yrs and getting 21 months in jail is a JOKE!!
@@ejp99 you are the joke...for not getting a mother trying to protect her young!
@@lisawentworth6831 How do you know this woman isn't lying about absolutely everything. I don't buy this c*** for 1 second that she was trying to protect anything
@@ejp99 they dont care the dad missed out on the child growing up
This guy has creep written all over his face. Not only that you can tell by the photos that he’s the one with the temper and the one that’s unstable. Look how she is when she’s interviewed. She’s very calm and balanced and of course has a good relationship with their children which reveals that she’s quite the opposite of what he says.
This woman is " I will do any and everything for my kids" in real life and I love that. The system isn't always right and we know that.
Including kidnapping and going on the run internationally.. Apparently
@@superRobertoist True. I really don't know what truly happened. But the court isn't always what's best
@@jazzy5975 I agree with both of those statements.
@@superRobertoist Yeah, she “kidnapped”her own child from her abusive ex husband that wanted to use them to harm / control her. Such a bad woman! How dare she? *sarcasm*
I don't usually leave comments, but I can see so clearly that Harris Todd fought for Chattel, not for Savanah. Emotions and compassion seem alien to him. I've had a loosely similar experience, so it all feels very familiar. All I can say is that LEE saved Savanah and herself when she took things into her own hands. The court system is incredibly fallible, because human biases, ego's and alliances can trump simple truths. This was lovely and powerful! I'm so glad it turned out so well. It is beyond obvious Lee did the right thing and that Harris doesn't seem to know much about love.
not at all unususl for people like hou to know exactly wha happens and know all facets just by looking at 45 min of edited footage
that is the problem. none of us know anything, just one word against another. nobody won here.
and how we decide what the law should be. but always remember to always be considtent when people decide to take the law into their own hands
When someone doesn't want to have children, they should be believed.Thinking you can change someone with a strong conviction just because you are their spouse, is magical thinking. "When someone tells you who they are, listen to them".
Yes, I have a friend who has a current partner who doesn’t want any kids even though he really does. It’s one of those disagreements that can really ruin people’s lives
I find it bizarre that he said he didn’t want kids, she figured he’d come around, and then she just got pregnant “by accident”?
@@c.2538 she thought she could change his mind which never works. He also didn’t care to use protection because “just get an abortion”
What I find annoying is that he didn't want kids but fought tooth and nail to keep the same child away from their mother.
@@MikaelaKMajorHistoryI don't have much a thing for this man because what he did was horrible and in the end I think she made the best decision she could with where they were at that moment. But I would like to know whether he refused to use birth control and expected her to go through an abortion for his convenience. Agreeing not to have children and agreeing to go through an abortion are two different things. Even if you don't want a child or don't feel you can have a child and must get an abortion it can be quite traumatic and no woman wants to go through it nor considers that a minor matter I don't care what anyone says. So a man that would refuse to use birth control while insisting that he did not want children and just offhandedly telling her to have an abortion would at the least V misogynist with stone narcissistic and sociopathic traits. If on the other hand they agreed of a particular type of birth control that was highly reliable and they used it faithfully and she got pregnant by accident it is fair for them to have a discussion again about whether or not to keep the child and to go their separate ways if they could not agree. He should not try to force her to have an abortion and she should not force him to have a child if they felt differently. She could ask for child support because of course they both brought the child into the world knowing it could happen but she should not be surprised if he divorced her. It's on the other hand he was abusive toward her because she changed her mind he was wrong and she should have left at that point. She was naive and she was wrong and trying to forced him to get used to the pregnancy and hopes he would become happy about it. But if any part of it was a genuine accident then all after that was just the Fallout that occurs when neither one feels the same about having children and a pregnancy happens anyway. It would not give him the right to abuse her and if he really didn't want children there is absolutely no way that he would have been a good father or husband to the woman who forced Parenthood on him.
Let's just admit the law isn't always right. Family court is not somewhere you want to be. Having some stranger make core decisions for your family is horrifying. The judge and doctor in this case should be dismissed immediately.
Right. The system should just allow a judge to "be dismissed immediately." That'd be justice. That'd be a very good thing for the law to allow. What a hypocrit you are--and you don't even realize it.
I found out in law school that Family Law wasn’t for me. Every trial - criminal or civil - has so much at stake.Yet, the litigants in Family Court are especially vicious. And if you are malicious you have zero problem lying in order to prevail. The best interest of the child/children be damned.
@@ailleananaithnid2566 That’s for sure. My “mother” made me go to Family Court and testify in her completely fabricated, insane allegation my father wasn’t sending child support. He sent it every. single. week. I know because I had to endorse the checks as well as fight with her every weekend to spend a few hours with my father-my sanity check. I refused to lie in court and her retribution towards me lasted the rest of her ugly, miserable, evil life-even after I terminated my relationship with her completely when I was 30. *We need to re-examine the default physical custody arrangement of giving us helpless kids to mommy dearest.* I have never, ever regretted being truthful or refusing to have any further relationship with this cruel, abusive, manipulative, lying thief with the label “mother.” Too many of ‘em are monsters.
@@TheVeek192 if you still believe in 'justice' & 'laws' you're living in lala land. It depends on who's meting out the 'justice' & what 'laws' have been broken, especially by whom & the ideology on both sides as well as their financial status, standing, etc.. We live in a two tiered justice system where laws only apply to certain ppl. Unfortunately our Lady Justice is NOT blind & hasn't been for yrs! Good luck to you VK in life.
Plus they settle custody battles on the basis of income. He who earns the most is the most capable of raising their children better. Are they actually saying that if your parents are poor then they are going to be lousy parents? Really? Well Lee's life is a proof of how wrong they are. Love is the key factor and that mother did everything in her power to protect her daughter whereas he with all his money did everything in his power to destroy both of them.
I believe her. Men used to have women put away for an entire list of reasons 5 feet long. Things like reading to much, talking back to your husband, being too emotional. If men wanted rid of you, it wasn’t hard to make it happen, and everyone went along with it.
Yup. Yet it seems like gaslighting was almost purposly kept out of the conversation back then.
Still happening, sadly.
Know your history or repeat it! Could all be true tomorrow again!
Dog does not eat dog
Amber Heard. Lee seems very much Cluster B. She screams it.
That "marriage counselor" should lose his license and go to prison!
My goodness lee’s story rang bells,I too lost my country to get away from a mad man, I ran in the dead of night with the most important part of our “ relationship” my beautiful son who was two,it took me a long time to understand why he went from loving father to a man who hit his child so hard I thought he’d killed him. He was jealous of the attention I was giving my son over him.
My beautiful son is 39. I would do it all again in a heartbeat!! Much respect to lee and her beautiful children ♥️
♥️🙏🏻♥️🙏🏻So proud of you!
These psychotic narcissists are something else and something we just can't understand or grasp
I applaud you Lady!!!! Bravo!!!!
Good on you hun!❤❤❤
The husband is the victim. She's a pos kidnapper
I believe a completely sane person can be pushed by a bad person to act out in violent ways that they normally wouldn't, and that's probably what was happening to Lee at that time. When she wasn't faced with someone tormenting her she lived a healthy, normal life!!!
Yea reactive abuse ugh I’ve been through it too. Lee was a good person and mother.
That’s so very true. As someone who lived through an abusive relationship, I can testify to how accurate your statement is. I’ve never been violent, or prone to anger and rage. I got to a point where, I knew what was coming, and it’s hard to put into words, but I guess I just refused to “cower”. I’d “stand up to him”, and do my best to maintain some semblance of strength. As he’d come toward me, with those hate filled eyes, and hands that repeatedly were used to hit, push, and choke me, I’d stand there and let him get right in my face. I wouldn’t cry. I didn’t want him to get that satisfaction. Instead, I got angry. I said some things that I’d never say to anyone else, because I wasn’t physically able to overpower him. What I could do, was use my words to “fight back”. I probably made the violence escalate, because of my refusal to quietly accept his cruelty. At the time, I felt “crazy”, too. Living life just waiting for the next bruises can truly bring out parts of you that would never have existed in a healthy relationship. Thank God I found a way out from it. And, God bless this mama for her strength and courage in doing what she had to for her child. ❤
It’s called reactive abuse. I recently had experiences with this and a narcissistic person. Like they literally have a name for what happened to Lee. The narcissist will manipulate and gaslight and abuse until the other person snaps….. and then the victim looks like the crazy person. Reactive abuse.
I felt crazy, insane. I had to do research to even figure out what had happened to me.
That’s what psychopaths do best … gaslight , isolate their partner, abuse in private, condemn in public …he was a controlling narcissistic psychopath.😢
It’s called Gaslighting.
Having been through a very abusive relationship, my heart goes out to Lee. I pray she gets to spend the rest of her life in joy and happiness. And that her ex pays for the damaging lies he's done to her and Sam.
Yeah they didn't know as much about narcisstic gsslighting then! Hope you stay in healthy relationships good for you that you got out of a bad one.
I was thinking the same, seems like she could sue him for the fact she had to run and leave behind all of her loved ones except her daughter. Too bad that would never work though.
@rvlifeinpnw8714 -Thank you. I've chosen to stay single and enjoy a very healthy life.
@@cynthiaschmidt2726 I agree 💯 % with you. On everything.
I CAN'T in no way BELIEVE anything that man Says ever . He never wanted child Only took Savannah to punish Lee that's it. Don't believe Savannah have healthy happy child hood or be happy adult if him his mama had CONTROL OVER Savannah ANY TIME in her life.
What’s crazy is her second ex husband knew all about it but didn’t out her but some random friend did.
At least her daughter was 18 at that point.
Second husband was a good guy ! 😅
@@ThanaBrunges-mx7jiHow?
The father sounds so fake and awkward! As the daughter of an abusive and manipulative father who for 3 years wouldn’t let my mom see me (from the time she was forced to ran away from him until the divorce was finalized), I praise this mother for being able to keep her daughter safe and far from this man! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 And it looks like she did an amazing job at raising her to be such a lovely young lady! ❤
I hope you're doing ok now. Your mother as well.
Yes, he was a psychopath who wasn't interested in his own child. He doesn't know what love is. No abuser/narcissist does.
I know all too well the corrupt practices that exist in the family court system. My son and I will forever suffer the scars. My custody battle with his father lasted fifteen years. This woman is my hero. She is absolutely correct when she said, “The law was broken when they took my daughter away from her mother.” She did the right thing by fleeing with her precious baby girl. I admire her courage and applaud her for refusing to forfeit her child to a cold, bitter, vindictive “ father”. God bless her beautiful, healthy, happy daughter, thanks to her mothers’ love and protection. ❤
OMG I'm so sorry 😔😔😔 people can be so selfish
I totally agree, and also think Lee was and IS brilliant.
I totally agree. So many people unfortunately go through this, as I did.
My dear Jacqueline, I am so sorry for your trauma and scars of your experience. As a man, I know how much we like to blame women. It's small and it's wrong.
@@kelsiegale I'm so sorry. People can be awful
I think it's obvious that he wanted his daughter because he looked at her as a possession. Not because of his love for her, or because he thought her mom was a danger to her. I'm glad she was successful at being on the run for so many years!! And that she only did 21 months!!
I agree!
100% agree! She’s a HERO. Todd twisted and used the system to his advantage to vilify her. He failed.
Yep. Also, the mother disappearing made it seem as though she had "win" the game they were playing
@@cheeriosforhonkies8867 No, he succeeded in twisting the system! We have an Asperger justice system which tends to work better for the autistic psychopath than for the neurotypical person.
I’m sooo happy for her and her child. There are a lot of examples of children being traumatized by manipulative and controlling fathers! A brave mom, a smart woman proved that system is not perfect, but corrupted and incompetent!
This story is incredible! Spoiler alert: What a brave mother leaving behind everyone else she loved. Hats off to the ex husband who didn't rat her out! Too bad she confided in the wrong person. It must be some kind of relief to have the truth come out though and it's good Samantha got to meet her biological father although so strange it was only once. Shows how much he really wanted his daughter back huh? Just because it's the law doesn't mean it's right and I'm glad she's a now free woman. Good one 48 hours 👏
Unbelievable that a man can mentally abuse a woman and when she gets upsets she’s called crazy.. happens more then we know or talk about.
"It" happens consistently and constantly, this is not new! My husband has used contrived mental illnesses against me with police and court of law without having to provide any proof at all, but if the roles are reversed I'd have to provide every shred of proof. All I asked was for him to get a psychiatric evaluation or leave and he's refused, the lawyer has refused to cause him to, but why? If you're fine and healthy, then why wouldn't you just do the exam and move on? It's because he knows and the lawyer knows that he's not ok and he's not safe to be around our children, but they don't want anyone else to know this.
Even when he beat our daughter and gave her a concussion, the Illinois States Attorneys office refused to arrest him because he was "within his parental rights." Yeah, it was that he and the daughter he regularly beat that had filed a false DCFS report on me that kept that office from arresting him and doing the right thing. Instead, the child he had just beat and given a concussion and myself had to leave the home with the other 4 children in his care. Every single person involved knew that this was not the best or safe choice, but they did it because it looked good on paper. I have no faith in the "justice" system at all and I have a long paper trail as to why, but noone will ever see it and the truth because of his lies and manipulation of everyone, but especially our children. To be able to make a child fear their mother that has never harmed them takes skill and a special type of manipulation. No father that really loves his children would want them to fear their mother because of their lies. This man only cares for himself.
My mother had disabling headaches for years. Her doctors told her it was “ all in her head” due to living vs with my alcoholic father. She was saved from b death by her eye doctor when her did a retinal b exam b and saw her retinas bulging outward! He called a neurologist at once. Then he called my dad at b work and told him he’d have to take b my mom to Santa Rosa the next day … the neurologist hospitalized her immediately and the next day removed a brain tumor as big as an orange that had been pressing inside her cranium for years! 😅Tell me about gaslighting … and medical indifference to b females complaints of pain. 😢
lol that happens literally all the time
Just another day in sexist America lmao
It happens the other way, too. A lot of women make false claims against their husband to get what they want. I've experienced this first hand ...
What a beautiful story. Goes to show there’s no limits when it comes to a mother’s love. I just love how Savannah laughed and stood up for her mom. The meeting with her Dad is proof her mom did right by her & her brother.
you can see just by the way she talks , just by her eyes that she is a good person and not violent at all .
She is such an amazing Mom and her kids turned out amazing because she went above and beyond to protect them.
Bruh she wrote him a letter pouring out her life (the daughter) and he replied back with “i’m proud you did well on your exams”….
that’s what you have to tell your daughter that you haven’t seen in 20 years….
@@hallesmith9520 well it’s clear he doesn’t actually care about his daughter, he only saw his daughter as an object, a prize to win to show he was the best. Once he had the opportunity to talk to her? He just wasn’t interested, because he just doesn’t care.
@@מאמין-ג6נ not really
I loved how time truly proved the Ex husband wrong about all the lies he seems to have made up.
While I dont condone Child abduction, it seems this was the safest option for Lee and her daughter.
Wishing them nothing but the best 🙂
It's not child abduction.. it's child protection..
Why they say the father was deprived of the daughter for 21 years, he didn't want her in the first place? He divorced her because of it, and then he wants the custody of a daughter he wanted dead? May be because he didn't want to pay money to her mother? He wanted to punish the daughter her imposed him, he was the psychopath! But with his money he bought doctor and judges, in my opinion!
It was never about the child to him. It was about control and revenge. He wants nothing to do with her now. He did offer a handshake thou.
@@snoweewhites9983 your absolutely right!
@@snoweewhites9983 It doesn't matter that he didn't initially want to have a child. I didn't want to be a father either time I found out my partner was pregnant, but that didn't change the fact that I loved my children once they came into the world, nor did it matter to the courts when the mother tried to pull the same argument you're making. In the end, the court gave me 50% custody. You have no idea what you're talking about, and seem to ignore that the father searched for his daughter, and this mother denied the father from ever having a relationship with the child. She deserved to go to jail much sooner than she did and lose all custodial rights.
What a Woman! What a Mother ! Bravo!
I don't know what that man's problem was besides wanting to be controlling of his wife and child, but I'm glad she left. I'm glad she had the courage and the fortitude to take her baby and leave that crazy man. Just looking at her children and seeing the happiness in their face when they see their mom at the end of the show, let's know that she did everything right. I know the courts called it kidnapping, but I call it saving her baby, and giving her baby a good life without a bad father. I'm glad she took her child and moved from place to place so that her daughter could have a wonderful life. I'm glad that her daughter got to have a brother to grow up with and the father that she loved. Lee Barnett did the right thing, no doubts hands down she was a good mom
He was the one with the mental illness.
The dad not participating in this episode of 48 hours tells me everything I need to know about him and his STORY!
He could have made things right by sitting down and explaining everything to his daughter. But he didn’t. Shows how much he truly ‘loved’ her. He didn’t love his family, he loved the power he had over them.
🥰😛
Yup, seeing his daughter grow up happy and safe is one big narcissistic injury for that man.
Just the way he walks says it all
Why should he participate? No one would believe him. He is automatically not believed because he is a man... remember?
Denied a sick man out of hurting his daughter. He would have manipulated that girl and probably would have ruined her. I’m glad Lee took her baby away. Go mom!
Not just a story of love, but one of immense courage and strength. What a woman ❤
Wow just feel that her precious daughter dodged a bullet here, her father didn't even want her until she became a pawn in his little game to spite her mother, well done Lee, you should never have been sent to prison but so happy for your end story xx
My dad pulled that stuff too. When my mom finally filed to divorce him (after I caught him in bed with a 19 year old, I was 12) he did not want the divorce and filed for custody of us to punish my mom and prolong the divorce. He had no desire to actually raise us. He took us for 1 overnight visit period. Even then he didn’t know how to take care of us.
Thank you for sharing so many full episodes lately!! Happy holidays 48hrs friends!
Yes! Thanks
Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays to you too, God bless.
What an incredible story! One with a happy ending. I can't imagine the dismal life Savannah would've had of she grew up with her father. You can tell what that man values: status, money, power, winning at all costs. What an amazing mother!
I’m floored! This is totally different than the original story! Something didn’t seem right then but it all makes sense now! Momma did the right thing!
She did an incredible job of raising her daughter, as well as her son. Only a psychopath would talk to the psychiatrist ahead of time to convince him to diagnose the mother of his baby as mentally ill, and take that baby away from her, when she wasn’t. When Samantha said that he took her on a two hour tour of his house when she first visited him, I thought how shallow can you get? Samantha has grown up to be one fine young lady. She is very lucky and blessed that Lee got her away from him. This is my opinion, not diagnosing anyone here.
@rudemeister, sorry you obviously have no idea what "dupers delight" actually looks like, that is certainly not it.
both her children, especially her daughter are extremely switched on and full of love. I think their opinion on their mother's mental state is far more valid than yours or mine. The fact that her daughter actually went to meet her father is a testament to her parenting.
Not father of the year?? The guy is a gaslighting manipulative psychopath
@@muddydog6605 thank for this. You hit the nail on the head! 💯👏👏👏
I thought it was strange that her mother was supporting the son in law rather than her daughter and she wasn't interviewed either.
That psychiatrist is a quack!
@@n0tofthisw0rld Maybe a criminal, also! LOL
When Lee was obviously pregnant and he kept repeating “there is no baby” that was all I needed to hear. If she had not left the lives of Lee and the baby would have ended tragically
There is zero proof he ever said that. In a divorce both sides make up terrible things that they attribute to each other
@@drdrew3 i agree. It’s always she said, he said and there is always two sides to a story. I’m just glad Savannah is doing well.
He would have messed that kid up so bad
@Andrew Leavitt yeeeeah because it's completely normal and not at all terrifying to act they way he did...yikes
He is sick and so is you defending him lmao
I’m suspicious of both him and the judge.
I hate how “doctors” think they should medicate people for possible mental issues after only 1 appointment.
yea wtf
SOME PEOPLE NEED MEDICATING THAT QUICKLY.
That "doctor" decided to medicate her BEFORE he even met her. He let the husband tell him what was wrong with his wife and that is so unethical and just plain wrong. I'm glad she ran away with her daughter and was able to raise her in a loving home.
@@cheryl5994 clearly she didn't though.
They're doing it to children all the time these days for the transgender craze. It's insane.
I got goosebumps listening to this amazing woman's story. What a strong and loving mother. Sam was better off not knowing her narcissistic father growing up. She wouldn't have turned out so well rounded.
❤❤❤❤
The way he reacted when she contacted him says it all.
I’m glad nobody died in this story like so many other 48 Hours episodes. I’m happy for this outcome! And this is a lesson never to tell your friends even your most darkest secret. Perhaps it was for the best, since she could be reunited with her own family (albeit after more than a year in jail). Maybe a small price to pay to have been able to raise your family happily and continue to have them in your life into the future. Harris should be investigated for all his lies.
Probably someone who mistakenly believed Harris actually missed his daughter
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"Legal right be damned" YES! AMAZING Mother and I don't care what the courts said she did, she did the right thing!!!
Yep when she said that I was like 👏🏼👏🏼😆
What's more important, legal right or God given right?
@@JacyMylaRayanna 💯
Kidnapping and going on the lamb is not the right thing
@@JacyMylaRayanna I guess you kind of forgot that it takes 2 people to make a baby.
The father has just as much of a God-given right to that child. Mom does not own the child simply because she has a vagina.
Lee’s first husband was gaslighting her, her second husband left her for what it seems to be a younger woman and then he dies. Talking about a very strong intelligent woman! At the end savanna & the judge realized what her dad really cared about, himself!
His complete awkwardness at meeting his daughter, lack of contacting her again speaks volumes!
I’m glad she is reconnected with her family again.
I hope all works out well for the daughter.
The fact that the dad, after 20 years of not seeing her, or speaking to her, could only speak about himself shows just how narcissistic he truly is!!!!! And I am pretty sure is judge friend sees that as well!!!! So glad she was able to keep her daughter and herself safe. Blessings to them all 💗🙏🙏
Are you unaware that SHE KIDNAPPED HER DAUGHTER and denied a relationship with her Father?..if it had been the Father that kidnapped his daughter he would have been sitting in jail today.
She’s a narcissistic self centered psychopath and the real injustice is her getting just two years for committing multiple felonies.
just like a woman to protect a criminal one with a bad temper
@@tankthearc9875 😂😂😂 bless your heart ❤️
What are you even talking about, He didn't talk about himself after all this time because he didn't do an interview.
Yall women just wanna believe this lady so much that you're now making $hit up
@tankthearc9875 What's funny is this lady is saying all he could do was talk about himself after the daughter has been missing for 20 years. She kind of missed the part where he refused to do an interview recently.
Just making crap up to paint the narrative
He missed 20 years of life of a child he didn’t want to be in this world to begin with. Eh.. Not a big deal.
That’s why, I guess, the conversation after 20 years of her absence wasn’t about her and him, but a tour of the house 😤
Kudos to Lee for her nearly heroic actions and wide as a world motherly ❤️!
Thank you family and friends for their support and shame on the corrupt judges and doctors.
Comments like this are proof there’s no cure for stupid.
@@KB-ql8cxthe proof is there
@@KB-ql8cxget triggered more with your hate.
Right he likely enjoyed his freedom. But was seething that Lee got the better of him. And that would be the extent of it.
This is so sad they did this to this poor woman. She clearly isn't a criminal. She's a mother saving her child from an evil manipulative man that never wanted the baby until he could use her to hurt his wife
She is a hero. Her children should be proud of her.
It's crazy how closely this resembles what happened with me and my two children. Unfortunately I had faith in a broken system and didn't have the financial means or the opportunity to flee with my kids. They lived through years of abuse at the hands of their father. And my 14 year old son was sentenced to 15 years in prison for shooting and killing his father during an abusive episode that spiraled out of control in 2020 during the lockdowns. Very sad that the system failed them so badly. Our lives have been forever altered. 😔
It costs a sh@t ton of cash, it’s what the entire family court system is based on. It tears families apart.
I’m so sorry 😞
I hope you can get your son out of jail...ask people to help you to raise the money to fight..
I am so sorry that this happened to you and your 2 children. I hope your son will get out sooner.
im just so sad that happened to you and your family and your son xx
When a man uses his power and corruption to deceive the justice system then he himself has to be blamed. His relationship with his daughter that suffered. He lost all those years with her because of his own deception. I say serve him right. He lied and used his judge friend to take away a daughter from her mother but he lost so deal with it!
After not seeing your daughter for 19 years you have nothing to say to her except taking her for a tour of your house? 🙄The mom is great 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This is the life I lived. I got halfway through this video and realized I didn't have to watch anymore. I couldn't watch anymore. The flashbacks came over me like waves. I am so grateful to Lee and happy for her daughter that she didn't have to live the life that my kids had to live.
I'm so sorry the laws didn't protect you or your kids!
💔💔
so you kidnapped your kids?
What an amazing mother! She went through the impossible for her daughter and children!
I know what it feels like for someone to gaslight you into thinking you’re the crazy one, and that’s why I can recognize it when I see it and that is exactly what her ex-husband was doing to her and I am so glad that she got her self and her daughter away from him!
I could tell way back when he was all over the television. People were condemning Savanna, but I kept telling them that there was much more to the story. Have faced something very similar in my life.
Me too! My ex-husband is a huge narcissist and pathological liar.
Wow! What an incredible story! I'm in tears right now! Way to go Lee!👏👏👏
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Lee showed her daughter the most genuine demonstration of Love one ever could.
What an amazing real life story!!
Thank you 48Hours for covering a story that expanded over many years!!
I’m usually not on the lawbreaker’s side but I think Lee did the right thing. I’m so happy with their outcome. I hope Lee gets a movie deal to tell her extraordinary life story.
The proof is in the pudding of Lee's mental health! She raised 2 beautiful children with so much love and affection. I know bipolar disorder, and while I do realize every case and person are different, Lee couldn't have pulled off what she did without medication, and the help of several people over the two decades she and her children were on the run.