Grady Memorial Hospital is a major hospital located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Grady opened in 1892 and has one of the busiest Level 1 trauma centers in the nation. According to the Becker Hospital review 2023, Grady is the 26th largest hospital in the US and ranks #4 for most ED visits.
Grady Memorial also holds another record. The National center for Missing and Exploited Children conducted a 20-year study that revealed Grady as the #1 hospital for infant abductions from 1983-1996.
Between the late 70s and the early 80s, the abduction of eight black babies were related to Grady Hospital. Seven babies were stolen directly from the hospital and one baby, Raymond Green, was stolen after his mother was followed home from the Grady delivery ward. Raymond and another child, Tavish Sutton, have never been found.
Raymond Green - November 6, 1978
Donna Green was a young 16-year-old mother in 1978. She had a daughter named Raymonda and gave birth to a son, Raymond Green, on November 1, 1978, at Grady Hospital.
According to the Charley Project, a few hours after giving birth to Raymond, Donna went to the nursery to see her newborn son. It was there she met a woman named “Lisa Morris”. “Lisa” said she was visiting her sister and he newborn niece. She pointed to a baby girl through the glass and told Donna the baby was her niece, as she asked which baby was hers. Donna pointed to Raymond, and the two had conversation from there. The next day, “Lisa” was back and asking Donna more questions like, what was her baby’s name? Who was the baby’s father? Where was he?
On day 3, Donna and Raymond were discharged. “Lisa” asked if she could get a ride from the hospital with them. The person who picked Donna and her baby up, dropped them off first in the Carver Homes in Southeast Atlanta. Donna realizes this is how “Lisa” found out where she lived.
On November 6, 1978,” Lisa” showed up at Donna’s house uninvited. Donna, her brother Tony Thompson, Raymond, and her baby nephew Mike were at the house. Donna let “Lisa” into the house, and they all sat and talked. Donna went upstairs to take a shower and left Tony and “Lisa” downstairs with the kids. Tony said he was holding Mike on his shoulder, and he and the baby dozed off.
When Donna came back downstairs, “Lisa” and Raymond were gone. She has never seen her son again.
Donna said “Lisa” was in her early twenties, about 5’5” tall, light skinned with full lips and a mole on her face.
Donna has never given up her search for her son.
Shanta Yvette Alexander - August 4, 1981
On August 4, 1981, a woman later identified as Louise Lett, stole newborn Shanta Alexander from her crib on the maternity ward of Grady hospital when her mother left the room briefly to get a gown. Authorities launched an investigation and search, and a tip led them to the home of Louise Lett in Decatur, Georgia. Shanta was found six weeks later and reunited with her family on September 18, 1981.
Tavish Sutton - March 9, 1993
Wanda Sutton lived in Atlanta, Georgia with her four children. During March of 1993, she was institutionalized for schizophrenia. At this time, her children were in the custody of Family and Children Services and placed in foster care.
On March 9, 1993, her 1-month-old son, Tavish Sutton, was in Hughes Spalding Pediatric Unit of Grady Memorial Hospital recovering from a minor surgery. A nurse checked on Tavish at 6:45 am. Tavish was fine. According to the Charley Project, Tavish had another infant as roommate. When the nurse checked on Tavish, his roommate was there, the roommate's mother and sister were asleep on a couch in the room.
His room was checked again at 7:00 am. Tavish was gone. He has never been seen again.
Authorities conducted a thorough investigation and ruled out the infant roommate’s family members as well as Wanda and her family members as suspects and determined they had nothing to do with the abduction.
In March of 1995, Wanda sued Grady Memorial Hospital and settled with them out of court for $600,000.
Tavish Sutton has never been found.
The podcast, The Fall Line, has an informative three-part series, The Grady Baby Kidnappings, that dives into these abductions, with the help of Donna Green.
If you have any information on the whereabouts of Raymond Green or Tavish Sutton, please contact 1-800-THE-LOST or 1-404-658-6666.
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