For nearly two decades, the pair lived under new identities across the world — first in Europe, then South Africa, then Australia — as authorities searched for clues. In 2013, an international investigation finally uncovered the truth. Dorothy had been living as Alexandria Maria Canton, and Savannah, now a young woman, had grown up unaware of her past.
The case became one of the most remarkable parental abduction stories in modern history — a tale of love, fear, deception, and the long reach of justice.
Listen now to hear the full story of the mother who fled across the world — and the daughter who never knew.
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Resources
Documentaries
NBC Dateline: "Finding Savanna" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4930894/)
CBS 48 Hours: "Dear Savanna" (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dear-savanna-lee-barnett-mother-at-center-of-international-manhunt-breaks-silence-to-48-hours/)
Web
Family Abduction Watch (https://underwatch.wordpress.com/2015/08/08/breaking-dateline-now-airing-dorothy-lee-barnett-story/)
Articles
Dorothy Lee Barnett: Where is the Kidnapper Today? (https://thecinemaholic.com/savanna-todd-now/)
Savanna Todd: Where is Dorothy Lee Barnett's Daughter Today? (https://thecinemaholic.com/savanna-todd-now/)
Woman who kidnapped her own daughter during bitter divorce shares tales of nearly 20 years on the run (https://www.crimeonline.com/2018/12/09/woman-who-kidnapped-her-own-daughter-during-bitter-divorce-shares-tales-of-nearly-20-years-on-the-run/)
48 Hours' to feature baby Savanna abduction from Isle of Palms (https://www.postandcourier.com/archives/hours-to-feature-baby-savanna-abduction-from-isle-of-palms/article_06aee3e0-d0dc-5c47-ad2f-7c7d4cd92d80.html)
Unsolved Mysteries Wiki: Dorothy Barnett Case (https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Dorothy_Barnett)
Created & Produced by Sonya Lowe
Narrated by Noel Vinson
Music: "Nordic Medieval" by Marcus Bressler
Background track: Doblado Studios: https://www.youtube.com/c/DobladoStudios
This True Crime Podcast was researched using open-source or archive materials.