Thomas Jugarthy Hicks, died in 1972 but he left behind a legacy that has divided many residents in the town of McCaysville. Seeking family links 'Hicks babies' hope DNA will uncover histories 2014-06-22 - By Joan McClane Staff Writer . My sister was listening to me, Im hearing things from her that I wasnt privy to about the case. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. A couple of the women jurors were crying.. Required fields are marked *. He was moved to another prison. 3. We are your neighbors. There is no evidence that any of the babies that were adopted through the actions of Dr. Hicks are related to him. I knew early on that to find my information, I would have to find out who Hicks was. Mobile App|Weather App | WDEF Email Sign Up. She had spent the night at her grandmothers house, Judy. There, on the front page, was the neighbour whom Brooke had run to all those years ago. Hicks babies: The hunt for mom goes on with DNA collection set for today in Ducktown. More to the point, he also facilitated over 200 illegal adoptions. Trisha Faulkner has been a freelance writer for a decade with a focus on news/reporting for the last three years. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. .css-g0owdm{display:block;font-family:Memphis,Georgia,Times,Serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.625rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-g0owdm:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 40.625rem){.css-g0owdm{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-g0owdm{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 61.25rem){.css-g0owdm{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}Carrie Underwood Shares Hilarious Fashion Fail, See Jamie Lee Curtis Jaw-Dropping SAG Awards Look. Once the babies were born, Hicks contacted prospective adoptive parents and told them he had a baby. The townspeople believed he encouraged pregnant women who came to him to carry their babies to term instead. Required fields are marked *, function evvntDiscoveryInit() { It was like I could breathe again, Melinda said. John Stapleton, 55, knew since he was a kid that he was adopted. The Real Story Behind TLC's 'Taken at Birth', Carrie Underwood Shares Hilarious Fashion Fail, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. On the heels of a TLC series Taken at Birth, that began airing in 2019, Blasio, 56, has released a memoir of the same name that shares the story of her journey to uncover her past and the questionable practices of a small town doctor in North Georgia. The catalyst came when Melinda visited Clarence in prison one day. June 23, 2014 CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF-TV) About 30 people showed up this weekend to give cheek-swab DNA samples. From 1924 to 1950, Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children's Home Society stole and sold an estimated 5,000 children. virtual: false, It wouldnt be until 30 years later that Melinda and Judy would realise they were part of a devastating black market plot by Dr Hicks to illegally sell newborn babies to couples in six states in America from 1951 to 1964. At that point they took him, and he never came back home.. And, he meets his sister. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The DNA was tested against the crime scene DNA. Hicks was forced to give up his medical license in 1964 after being charged with performing illegal abortions, and he died in 1972 at the age of 83. publisher_id: "7057", That surprised me. MCCAYSVILLE, GA (WDEF-TV) - The "Hicks Babies" will be back in McCaysville tomorrow. discovery: { At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18; more than a dozen missing, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case, A family physician who performed illegal abortions in the 50s and 60s in McCaysville, Georgia, also delivered babies and sold them to couples in off-the-books adoptions, Georgias Hicks Babies adoptees search for answers, 7 hospitalized after plane makes emergency landing, Millions of Americans nearing retirement age with no savings. She ultimately became an expert in illegal adoptions and went public with the story in 1997. Sadly, Melinda and Clarence divorced after his 2005 exoneration. Richard Wagner, a city councilman and retired engineer, lives right across the street. He died in 1972 at age 83, having never been held accountable for these black market babies. June 12, 2021 News, TLC Shows Dr. Thomas J. Hicks is the "bad guy" featured in a three-part docuseries titled Taken At Birth. Id even send him envelopes so he would send me a letter back, the envelope type that you had to lick it on the back and seal it, just to get his saliva. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. For nearly three decades, Hicks sold as many as 200 babies to local and out-of-state couples who didn't have the time or money for legal adoptions, for prices ranging from $100 to thousands of dollars. widget: true, As for Hicks, Stapleton knows the story isnt cut and dried. What's additionally staggering is it's believed that more than 200 infants, known as the "Hicks Babies," were victims of the doctor's scheme during the '50s and '60s. We are the most trusted source for local news. At the time, both Judy and Melinda had received strange phone calls calling for punishment after going public with the Hicks Baby controversy and Melinda was terrified she was next. However, it was eventually revealed that the health professional would sell the babies for $800 to $1,000 and provide the "parents" with a forged birth certificate. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The Hicks Babies will take part in DNA testing tomorrow as they continue their search for parents and siblings. Self died in a car accident in 1987). MCCAYSVILLE, GA (WDEF-TV) The "Hicks Babies" will be back in McCaysville tomorrow. I did however run a nationwide search and found her name linked to a birth and a death of a child (no name) Death in my county, birth in state of Georgia. In the early 1950s, Hicks reportedly began advertising illegal abortion services to unwed pregnant women in phone booths, bus stations and bridges. Margaret was very controlled emotionally, until she began talking about her father. In the early 1950s, Hicks reportedly began advertising illegal abortion and adoption services on phone booths, bus stations, and bridges. }, His adoptive father, a physician who died 20 years ago, had moved his medical . Others learn they are related to someone who was pretty high up in the police department at the time as well. evvnt_require("evvnt/discovery_plugin").init({ I found what I wanted to find and that has put some closure on that for me, but I will never stop thinking about everyone else who came out of the Hicks Clinic, said Blasio during a 2021 interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But this strange coincidence turned out to be a life-changing opportunity for Clarence. }); [On my fathers side], my newly found cousin Donna was a DNA match, and she quickly directed me to her cousin Tommy because she had a hunch I was his sister Tommys DNA confirmed that I was Herbert Claud Cruces daughter. After the DNA tests this summer failed to turn up more matches, she's calling for another round soon. She became Falcone's sister, was diagnosed with mental developmental delays and has the cognition of a 5-year-old at 56, Falcone said. Brooke, who was sleeping in the bedroom, had heard the attack taking place and cowered underneath the bed covers. Mocs Jake Stephens Returns and Throws Down a Double-Double in Win Over VMI, EPB Working to Restore Thousands of Power Outages, Mocs OL McClendon Curtis Gets a Shot to Shine at NFL Combine, Georgia's Stegeman Coliseum Closed After Piece of Concrete Falls From Ceiling. That he was stillborn. I contacted my states vital records department and no records of her stillbirths are recorded. 423-785-1200 | news@wdef.com3300 Broad Street, Chattanooga TN 37408. Her sister and niece refused to speak to her. We now serve nearly 200 children through our Children's Program and home . TLC's "Taken at Birth" will explore Thomas J. Hicks. Together we were trying to figure this out.. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement unless specified. One reason that our program is so strong is that our . Jane Blasio is a Hicks Baby, sold at birth and passed through the back door of a clinic in North Georgia. But sometimes, when women came to him for an abortion, he instead coaxed them to carry their babies to term then took the infants off their hands and sold them for anywhere between $100 and $1,000. She couldnt prove it yet, but she was sure she had her killer. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. But Dr. Hicks had a not-so-secret dark secret. Honestly, I am grateful for the life I have had. The neighbour, Tonia Brasiel, was cooking breakfast for her children at the time and made Brooke wait for 45-minutes on the front porch. For nearly three decades, Hicks sold as many as 200 babies to local and out-of-state couples who didnt have the time or money for legal adoptions, for prices ranging from $100 to thousands of dollars. And in most cases,it seems, it made little difference as to happiness or quality of life for the child. She disdains the notion that the doctor sold black market babies. Never has been black market babies, she said. That was my main objective, to take care of my children. Is Sally biologically related to Dr Hicks? submission: { I am only human.. Like other adoptees, all he's uncovered is a birth certificate he believes Dr. Hicks falsified. After a decades-long personal investigation to discover the shocking truth about her birth, Blasio also began to identify and reunite other victims of the Hicks Clinic human trafficking scheme. It has been a very long journey and its not over.. She has since reconnected with extended family members. } Melinda knew he had to somehow get a sample of Earl Manns DNA. Please help direct me as my siblings were not sold, not given up for adoption but were taken. AMCs Sentai Filmworks Snags A Major Anime Deal, Pokmon Detective Pikachu Sequel Finally Gets Its Director. Thomas Hicks, who sold babies illegally from his clinic in the 1950s and 1960s, as the Hicks Babies begin to reunite to search for answers. Difficult economy and loneliness forces some retirees to move in with family, Cemetery takes out ad for goose whose mate died. Wed love to hear from you. Without any known medical records, they have their work cut out for them. Catalog; For You; Chattanooga Times Free Press. Essentially, my birth search is what spurred my start in investigation and research work. Being a private investigator, she admits that shes spent decades trying to uncover the truth. Clarence was sceptical, but Melinda insisted and convinced Clarence to steal one of his cigarette butts. He also secretly placed infants with out-of-state parents in off-the-books adoptions. We had a little reunion, my niece was now 10 years old. Which led Judy and Melinda to Maury in April 1998. He knows he lucked out by landing with his loving parents, the late Jean and Robert Stapleton. 1 season available (3 episodes) In 1997 a shocking story surfaced. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a14a2128e9871943f9c126926bd3ae94" );document.getElementById("eedd789636").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Copyright 2023 by TV Shows Ace. Doc Hicks died in 1972 so there is mystery to this day. Taken at Birth airs Oct. 9 through Oct. 11 from 9-11 p.m. The black market adoptions were discovered in 1997 and a community of Hicks babies has been in contact since that time. And in 1972, Hicks died at age 83. This lucrative . Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks was a beloved local doctor the worked in the 50s and 60s in Copperhill, TN. With the advent of commercially available DNA testing, about 30 Hicks babies descended on the town in 2014 hoping to find their birth families. He wouldnt have anything to do with him. He charged adoptive parents $800 to $1,000 for a child, according to a 1997 report in the New . I was shocked by what I found. She joined the group a few years ago after searching for siblings on-line. We are your neighbors. Hicks' granddaughter defended the doctor to CBS News. When she answered the door, her sister turned away. Im so happy for ancestry and changing lives. The series tells the story of a man that stole over 200 babies and sold them on the black market. ", First published on October 12, 2014 / 8:16 PM. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. All I could think to do was smile at him, because I didnt want him to think I was onto him., CLARENCES MOMENT TO CATCH THE REAL KILLER. It turns out, Diane was a Hicks Babyone of many who were adopted by parents in Ohio,Illinois and other northern states. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The Hicks babies were babies sold by Dr. Thomas J. Hicks to different families. The adolescent protagonists of the sequence, Enrique and Rosa, are Arturos son and , The payout that goes with the Nobel Prize is worth $1.2 million, and its often split two or three ways. He would sell the babies to parents who wanted to adopt but couldn't afford to do so legally. They were. 2014 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Former baseball player and wealthy business owner John Kennish and his stay-at-home wife Kathryn have been raising Bay in their Kansas City mansion. June 12, 2021 by Trisha Faulkner 2 Comments. He hid it in his bible for two weeks, wrapped it in paper and sent it to his lawyer. On the one hand, Hicks was the well-respected town doctor who offered medical services to poor copper mining families. Christopher and his sister Lillie says there is no official record of the their sister whos name was Linda. Looking back, it was best because it further framed the dynamics of Doc Hicks and the clinic. What famous people adopted children from Georgia Tann? Oftentimes, he encouraged mothers to have the babies and let him help adopt them out. He knew he adopted us. Hicks' beliefs did not fully mesh with abortions, and he would . [Jane] has been fighting for me and for all of us for years, says Stapleton, who retired from the Army a few years ago. In a gobsmacking move, the court agreed, and decided there was no grounds for a retrial. Is Daisy Jones & The Six Based on a True Story? TLCs Taken at Birth Is Based on the Devastating True Story of the Hicks Babies Adoption Scandal. Dilbeck is the oldest of the Hicks Babies at age 69, according to TLC's Taken At Birth. He doesnt talk to any of them but just to have a name made a big difference in our life. Hicks, a family physician who performed illegal abortions in the 50s and 60s in McCaysville, Ga., also delivered babies and sold them to couples in off-the-books adoptions. As DNA technology and the ease of testing grew, the numbers grewin the hundreds. Police descended upon Melindas home where she would learn her mother had just been brutally murdered and her husband was the prime suspect. It was the same prison where her husband Clarence was being held for Judys murder. Just hateful. A&E True Crime spoke with Blasio about her new memoir, Taken at Birth: Stolen Babies, Hidden Lies, and My Journey to Finding Home in which she details how she uncovered her birth story. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. According to ABC News, he also reportedly lied to some of his patients, telling them their baby had died and then selling the newborn from the back steps of his clinic. But he has found solace in the large network of Hicks babies who share resources, dejection and hope. Hicks surrendered his medical license in 1964 for performing an illegal abortion. Paul Payne was at Chattanooga airport to welcome Diane Warner from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Babies born and sold out of McCaysville Ga. Dr Hicks clinic As Taken At Birthprogresses, we learn that Dr. Hicks helped some pretty prominent people get rid of a baby that was a mistake. Judy, along with her daughter Melinda, were appearing on the infamous American talk show regarding their involvement in the Hicks Baby saga where couples in the 1960s unknowingly adopted children from the black market. Today, these babies are referred to as Hicks babies. To date, no one knows the exact number of babies he stole and sold on the black market. Are there more Hicks Babies out there? widget: true, The $1,000 in 1964 he charged the average couple is the equivalent to approximately $30,000 to $45,000 today. Twelve in total. When Signal Centers opened its doors in 1957, our program consisted of nine children with cerebral palsy, one small classroom, and a common goal to help individuals with disabilities achieve a life of self-sufficiency. "This is our last shot. Posted on . I said, Im going to get a Coke. Did Dr Hicks father any of the Hicks babies? The shocking truth broke in 1997 after several Hicks Babies began to uncover the dark secret of their origin stories. But falsifying the birth certificates was, and still is the big stumbling block for the Hicks babies. The statistics surrounding the Tennessee Childrens Home Society (TCHS) are staggering: it operated in Memphis for more than 25 years, from 1924 to 1950; about 5,000 children passed through its doors; an estimated 500 children died while in its care. Now please, would you get a hold of me as soon as you can? The first, titled Arturo Xuncax, is set in an Indian village in Guatemala. Earl Mann had tried to buddy up to Clarence in jail. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He reportedly performed abortions, which were illegal at the time, for $100. The story is the stuff of nightmares. The hardest thing is, emotionally, I dont show a lot. "We're in our 50s and 60s now and this is it," said Dawson. Richard L Hicks of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee was born on April 23, 1927, and died at age 67 years old on September 8, 1994. And that's where the beloved town doctor sold over 200 black-market babies for $1,000 each between 1950 and somewhere in the mid-60s. said Payne. Jane Blasio is the youngest of the known Hicks Babies. The documentary originally aired in 2019 on TLC, but has since migrated to Hulu. Some were children of women Hicks convinced not to have abortions. Others may have been from mothers who . Blasio enlists TLCs Long Lost Family co-hosts Lisa Joyner and Chris Jacobs to solve a decades-old mystery, reunite birth families and ultimately help them find closure. They remain friends, but Melinda said its a lot to come back from. TLCs 2019 special consists of three episodes. Since the undercover operation was exposed, many Hicks Babies have desperately searched for their biological families, yet decades later, are still looking for their birth parents. Melinda wasnt sure how she was going to get the specimens tested, or how long it would take, so her freezer became a laboratory of DNA samples. All times AEDT (GMT +11). 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September 8, 1994. evvnt_require("evvnt/discovery_plugin").init({ I know abortion was illegal at the time, and then I think he was running into people who couldnt afford adoptions, he says. 7 talking about this. When he walked away, Clarence got his sample. category_id: null, For more information, visit missamericamovie.com. A new TLC special will share the untold stories of the "Hicks Babies," more than 200 newborn babies illegally sold or given away from the back steps of a small-town Georgia clinic run by Dr.. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Estimated reading time: 5 minutes From 1951 to 1965 Dr. Thomas Jugarthy Hicks began to quietly offer babies for adoption from his Hicks Community Clinic in McCaysville, GA. He also shares personal stories and insights from his own journey as a scientist and researcher. Season 1. element: "#evvnt-calendar-widget", These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. This story has been shared 169,608 times. She was unemployed and separated from . They add it how people in this region had to do things. After you went public with your story in 1997, you were contacted by a woman who thought you might be the daughter of her good friend, Kitty Self, because of your striking resemblance to both Self and her son. Providing a child without concern for the birth parents or the babys safety, without providing recourse for anyone in this situation, is human traffickinga meretransaction. What I hoped and expected when I walked into her house was the best-case scenario of finding birth information, the possibility of records. TLC recently aired a very long 3 part documentary series on the Hicks Babies who were adopted out. Once a DNA registry was set up, the first round of DNA in 1997 brought eight direct connections, and over the years that compounded as family members united and began acquainting themselves. Bye.. (Silver Spring, MD) - Over three nights this October, TLC's TAKEN AT BIRTH will share the untold stories of the "Hicks Babies," the name given to more than 200 newborn babies illegally sold or given away from the back steps of a small-town Georgia clinic run by Dr. Thomas J. Hicks during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1997, the shocking news story broke, revealing that Hicks was alleged to have . A DNA test led Raymann to his biological father, Paul Jack. When ancestry finally gave him a name it changed his life. Some wanted to search but didnt know where to start, and others had made initial phone calls but stopped there. She is close with the group, however, and is considered part of the family. For the so-called "Hicks Babies" of McCaysville, Georgia thats become a major challenge. Born and raised in the city of London, Alexander Johnson studied biology and chemistry in college and went on to earn a PhD in biochemistry. I couldnt have lived with myself if I hadnt tried to find out who did this to my mum, Melinda said. From the beginning of the journey, I had days of anger, days of understanding and days of absolute confusion when it came to Doc Hicks. Talk to News 12 anchors, reporters and meteorologists. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. One corrupt doctor saw the perfect commercial opportunity - to deliver babies and sell them illegally for large sums of money. It makes you start to wonder what really did happen," said Payne. All three parts of theTaken At Birthdocuseries air next week on TLC. Then, he would turn around and sell it out the backdoor of his clinic. It was discovered that Dr. Thomas J. Hicks had been selling newborns from the small-town facility's backdoor for $1000. After many, many years, you will have some intuition for the physics you studied. The judge said the case never hinged on DNA but eyewitness testimony. Dr. Hicks would then sell the babies for $800 to $1,000 each and would provide a forged birth certificate with the adoptive parents on the documents. When you see news happening, share it! The doctor persuaded some of the women who came to him for abortions to carry their pregnancies to term, and then sold the infants to couples for $800 to $1,000. Everyones DNA was preserved, either from a discarded beer bottle, cigarette butt or hair root. After she was killed, "I called them and they did a little tribute to her at the end," Melinda told news.com.au. He died in 1972 at age 83, which was 25 years before the shocking story of his black market baby ring came to light. It turned into a business. But he never wrote me back.. Did Joan Crawford adopt from Georgia Tann?