I just saw this on the Today show, and it definitely looks like him. The resemblance is amazing. They interviewed the father that raised him, and he denies it. It seems like there is a little bit of hostility between the father and son by the way they were talking. The son doesn't look a thing like the father either. However, he does bear a striking resemblance to the father of the toddler. I hope this has a wonderful outcome so the family can finally have answers and their son back.
NY NY - Steven Damman, 2, East Meadow, 31 Oct 1955
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oh_gal
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I saw the Today segment, too. I hope it's him, and not just wishful thinking on his part. The only reason I say that is before the segment (in the "upcoming story" announcements) they said something to the effect of, "..and this guys mother told him on her deathbed that she wasn't his real mother".
When they got to that point in the actual interview, he said, "No, that's not what she said, but I think that's what she was trying to say."
I don't know much about DNA results, but they also said (in the interview) the DNA results said they "could be" related, not that they "were."
Oh, but I hope it's true!
FishingFunnyFrog
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This article has a picture of Richard Barnes (the man who raised John). It's a profile shot...so it's really hard to tell...but to me it looks like there could be a resemblance between John and Richard also. :waitasec: I'm no good at comparing pics though!
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_...as_kidnapped_in_1955_is_delusional_says_.html
Does anyone have experience with at home DNA tests? How accurate are they?
It does seem odd that Richard says John was born at a Navy hospital in FL and then took him to live in MI two weeks later. That story paired with neither John or Richard having a birth certificate for John seems fishy. Jerry Damman was at Mitchell Airforce Base on Long Island...so both men were in the military. I hate to jump to conclusions especially if John really is delusional...but could Richard have really been in the Airforce and stationed at Mitchel AFB as well? Then left for MI 2 weeks after kidnapping Stephen Damman?
Richard was about 21 years old when Stephen was kidnapped. It appears John grew up the eldest child with one (Cheryl) or two (K.B. per an Intelius search) younger sisters.
SleuthyMama
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John Barnes says his mother made a deathbed "confession" but refuses to detail what was said. What if the mother thought she couldn't have children or was having trouble conceiving and unbeknownst to the husband/father she somehow faked the pregnancy and "adopted" Steven/John not knowing he'd been abducted? It could explain why the dad believes this child is his.
Ok...my brain is going down the path of a bad novel, but....
Both men are in the military, and even though they are different branches, military lives often cross. What if Mr. Damman's wife had a fling with John's father? She has Stephan but later John's father finds out --and it's not kidnapping to take your own child. She may have enven helped set it up, and it would also explain why his sister wasn't taken. Wacky, but it would explain why everything fits. John said he resembles Mrs. Damman, has the right scars, etc, and the DNA with his possible 1/2 sister would fit. John's dad could say he's my biological son with complete conviction.
I know this post is really far fetched, but had to throw it out there.
Both men are in the military, and even though they are different branches, military lives often cross. What if Mr. Damman's wife had a fling with John's father? She has Stephan but later John's father finds out --and it's not kidnapping to take your own child. She may have enven helped set it up, and it would also explain why his sister wasn't taken. Wacky, but it would explain why everything fits. John said he resembles Mrs. Damman, has the right scars, etc, and the DNA with his possible 1/2 sister would fit. John's dad could say he's my biological son with complete conviction.
I know this post is really far fetched, but had to throw it out there.
cleo612
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That would make a little bit of sense if she had adopted Stephen/John as an infant, but this was an almost 3-year old child.
It might have worked IF Richard had been overseas for that period of time from "birth" till Stephen/John was brought home.
gaia227
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I see what you are saying but how could she explain the baby being almost 3 yrs old then? If she swiped a newborn baby then I could see that as a possibility but not one that is so old.
I am starting to think this guy might just be delusional.
Did anyone else think it was weird that in the interview he did with the Daily News he was only wearing a bathrobe?
Tranaice
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I thought about that, but if Steven/John was already 3 years old when they got him, wouldn't the father have known it wasn't his son? Unless something happened to his real son and the mother got this one to replace him, but surely the Father would have seen the difference in the way the little boy looked.
I don't know since he was born in a navy hospital in FL I think the dad was most likely in the Navy. Those guys leave for long periods of time. Suppose, the real son was killed and the mom decided to kidnap another boy to pass off has him.
I just figure they must be more to it than what we are hearing because most people who look for proof such as certified BC, or baby photos. If I couldn't find my BC and I had no baby photos of myself I might wonder also.
I just watched a Today Show interview with John Barnes and he said that his mother never said that she wasn't his biological mother. But he said that she was trying to say that, but she was too frail to get it out. To me, John seems like a very unhappy (and possibly delusional) person. I truly hope that this is not the case and that Steven Damman has been alive all these years, but I suspect this will not be the case.
Today show interview: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31423336#31423336
Maybe not. I have a friend whose husband was stationed in Iraq. She was 6 months pregnant when he left. He never saw his child until 18 months later. Just think back then they didn't have the WebCams so it would have been harder to keep in touch, plus I think the Dad was in the Navy so he might have been gone a long time.
Either she couldn't have her own kids....which I doubt becuase a sister came along at a later date or something happened to the real son.
SleuthyMama
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Yeah, you guys are right. I completely spaced on the fact that this child was 3 years old. BUT, as some of you have pointed out...perhaps the dad was stationed elsewhere for a period of time and some sort of baby switch took place then.
passionflower
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What a wonderful blessing!
gaia227
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Yeah, I thought about the fact that the father could have been stationed elsewhere and she was able to pull it off that he didn't actually physically see the kid until he was 3 but I am pretty sure the Barnes said he was with his wife in the military hospital when the baby was born.
I just watched the good morning america clip. I feel so sorry for him and his family. I mean if the dad who raised him didn't know any better then think about how horrible it would be to find out the son you thought was your wasn't. I think it is him. He doesn't seem anything like his dad. The dad looks like of greek and but the son looks more dutch.
You are right he did say that but just because he was their when his son was born doesn't necessarly mean when he returned from duty the boy was the same boy? Am I making any sense?
Example: couple has baby, brings home baby, dad leave for deployment and is gone for 2 years oversees, dad comes home to son and doesn't realize he is a different boy.
PattyCake
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I agree, I put a dual screen up and I cannot see a resemblance between John & Richard (the current father who's denying this claim). I do see a resemblance between John & Jerry (missing son's dad).
I still can't get past the preliminary private test they say they took to a private lab. That is very different from a home test imo. If there's potential match, it's hard not to believe this is the real deal. Patiently awaiting answers.
gaia227
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does anyone have an online subscription to any ancestry or records websites? It would be pretty simple to look up his birth record since we have the city, state and year we was supposedly born