Chicago man kidnapped 55 years ago shares how he found out he was returned to the wrong parents
Just the day after being born, Paul Fronczak was kidnapped from a Chicago hospital by a woman who had pretended to be a nurse and took him away from his mother's arms.
Two years later, the desolated parents received a letter from the FBI telling them that they found a baby who had been abandoned in a New Jersey supermarket and could match the description of the child stolen from them. Dora and Chester Fronczak felt hopeful.
It was around 1966 and, at that time, the police did not have the DNA technology that could corroborate that it was Fronczak’s biological son; so the marriage welcomed the baby. "Suddenly, they said: 'This is your son', the FBI, whom you admire as an authority," Paul explained.
Paul Fronczak is not the man he thought he was. More in today's paper and online: https://t.co/unL5He3085
— Jessie Bekker (@jessiebekks) July 22, 2018
Paul’s mother said that she felt the world was watching her, "she could either say, 'I'm not sure,' and put this child back into the system, or say, 'Yes, that's my son,' - and even if it was not, save this child from what could be a horrible life."
So she agreed that the baby was her son, and Fronczak grew up as, well, a Fronczak. When he found articles detailing the kidnapping in the basement of the family home when he was 10 years old, his parents forbade him to mention it again.
His mother said at the time: "Yes, you were kidnapped, we found you, we love you, and that's all you need to know." No one talked about the subject for over 40 years.
The results raised two urgent questions. Who were Paul's parents, if not Dora and Chester Fronczak? And what had happened to the real Paul?
— BBC Stories (@bbcstories) June 27, 2018
This way for the rest of this amazing story: https://t.co/3pn6FlDG8t
It was not until 2012 when his doubts returned, so he decided to perform some DNA tests, even though his parents refused to participate in them. A whole year passed until they spoke again.
But Paul did not stop his search for identity and hired an expert genealogist, Cece More, to investigate his case. After collating Paul's genetic data with a huge database and analyzing the family tree of those who shared genes with him, they discovered that the Fronczak were not their biological parents.
When Paul Fronczak was 10 years old, he found boxes full of newspaper clippings with headlines like: "200 search for stolen baby" in his parents' basement.
— BBC Stories (@bbcstories) June 27, 2018
Reading that his parents’ baby son, Paul Joseph, had been kidnapped from hospital in 1964, he thought "Wow, that's me!" pic.twitter.com/nQEepFHA2L
This is how he discovered that his real name is Jack Rosenthal and that his parents could have left him in that supermarket when he was just a baby. But one of the news that has most disturbed Rosenthal was knowing that he had a twin sister, Jill, who disappeared and whose search still continues.
However, Fronczak feels "grateful" for having been abandoned by his real family, since, according to his statements to the media, "they were not good people".
Have you ever felt like you don't fit in? Paul Fronczak spent years untangling a web of secrets to discover his true identity. His incredible story started with the kidnap of a baby from a Chicago hospital. 📻 https://t.co/K4WO4iI79n pic.twitter.com/5Hx2l8Uv68
— BBC World Service (@bbcworldservice) May 27, 2018
Now, the man who was abandoned more than five decades ago feels at peace with the parents who welcomed him and who saved his life. "I will continue to be Paul until they find the real Paul," he said.
Since DNA test has been extended to anyone curious enough to spend their money on knowing a bit more about their ancestors, there have been many family secrets coming to light that can cause devastating effects on the life of the people that never expected to uncover them.
Who is Paul Fronczak?
— Paul Joseph Fronczak (@pjfronczak) March 29, 2018
Published by Paul Joseph Fronczak · 1 hr ·
Hello all,
I want to thank Jeremy Vine and his producer Priya Shah for having me as a guest on "The Jeremy Vine Show" this morning . It was a live segment that aire…https://t.co/EZ4g6bGqy0 https://t.co/BIEwuy9L8c
Like Michele, who found out that her father was not her biological parent after she took the DNA test. Knowing the truth hit her really hard; she remembers having her first panic attack that night.
The body of a two-year-old boy has been found five days after his mom reported his kidnapping by a strange man. The mother is now being charged for her son’s murder.
This is a picture of 21-year-old Charisse Stinson from a prior arrest. Largo police say she killed her own son, 2 y/o Jordan Belliveau. An amber alert was issued Sunday for the boy. He was found dead today in a wooded area east of Lake Avenue. pic.twitter.com/inWj1SALrj
— VeronicaCintron (@VeronicaCintron) September 5, 2018
Jordan Belliveau’s body was found on Tuesday in a wooded area of Largo, Florida. In a surprising twist, authorities have charged their mother, Charisse Stinson, with first-degree murder even though they didn't say what led to their decision.
