A woman is claiming she is “Brittany Renee Williams” after alleged DNA evidence proved she was the same little girl that disappeared in 2000.
Williams went missing at just 7-years-old in Henrico, Virginia. For a total of 21 years, there had been no trace of Brittany. She was treated for AIDS and lived with Kim Parker — who ran an independent foster home out of her house.
Brittany disappeared from the home in 2000. She hadn’t shown up to school and Parker did not produce Brittany for court hearings. When police got involved, local authorities began digging up Parker’s backyard. Detectives have since believed Brittany Williams to be dead, as she went without her AIDS medication.
But Kaylynn Stevenson, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, claims she, in fact, is Brittany Renee Williams. Stevenson also states she has a certified, in-lab DNA test to prove it, taken at Labcorp.
“You all weren’t looking in the right state,” she said to herself when speaking to NBC12. The state Stevenson is referring to is Ohio, where she had lived much of her life with her adoptive parents, who gave her that name. Stevenson just recently began researching her biological family, while also grasping at her limited memories.
“A lot of going back and forth to Richmond, Virginia to Columbus, Ohio,” recalled Stevenson. “Back and forth all the time.” Stevenson says she doesn’t have a clear picture of her childhood. “The room I used to be in was like a pastel-pink type room,” said Stevenson. “I will always remember this one little boy who was in a wheelchair. He was non-verbal. He was a sweetheart.”
The charity or foster home that Parker ran during the 1990′s was called Rainbow Kids. Attorneys say Parker took in up to 50 kids over the years, all with serious medical issues or developmental disabilities.
“Her Rainbow Kids operation was her entire existence,” said Henrico Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Mike Feinmel in a 2019 interview with NBC12. Feinmel prosecuted the fraud case ultimately brought against Parker.
“The money coming in was how (Parker) was living,” Feinmel said.
Henrico Police cold case detective Lt. Kevin Howdyshell says multiple people who knew Kim Parker at the time, contacted Henrico’s child protective services.
“Concern of potential neglect, concern of potential maltreatment of some of the children,” Howdyshell said.
Parker alleged to the police she sent Brittany to live with the two women in California. But the Henrico police say that wasn’t true. Parker was indicted on 73 counts of fraud, accused of taking $24,000 in government benefits intended for Brittany, according to court documents. Parker ultimately took a plea deal to spend 10 years behind bars.
“I don’t remember a lot because so much was going on that… especially when you’re young…you can’t understand,” said Stevenson. “I do remember a feeding tube. I do remember that,” Stevenson added.
A large, round scar is present on Stevenson’s upper abdomen. She also has multiple other scars on her stomach from surgeries she said she underwent as a child. But she doesn’t remember what those surgeries were, or for what reason.
“(A large linear scar on Stevenson’s stomach) went down here… all the way up to my chest,” motioned Stevenson, tracing the scar. “So there is no telling what was actually removed.”
In addition, she also has multiple other smaller scars on her upper left chest. She says they were left by catheters. Catheter scars were listed in the description on many missing child posters for Brittany.
“I did remember the last name ‘Williams.’ For some reason, it’s implanted in the back of my mind,” she said. So when she googled ‘missing children’ and the name ‘Williams,’ Stevenson said her life was revealed to her.
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“And Brittany Renee Williams’ photo popped up,” said Stevenson, excited. “I woke my wife up out of her sleep and was like, ‘This is me! I know me when I see me. This is me!’”
“From the hairline to the ears, to the smile, to the chin,” said Ladajah Kelly, Stevenson’s wife. ‘Even the mole on her neck… I started putting the pieces together that that was really her.”
All that being said, Stevenson says she didn’t get answers from her adoptive parents about her adoption. Stevenson’s birth certificate does not match the birthdate of Brittany Williams and Stevenson claims she has not yet been able to get hold of adoption documents.
“This case is active, and we are working with our federal partners,” said Lt. Pecka, a spokesperson for Henrico Police.
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