In a Child's Name

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In a Child's Name is a four-hour mini-series televised on CBS in 1991. Baby Andrew's mother was murdered by his father and a custody battle ensues between the father's parents and the mother's sister played by Valerie Bertinelli. [1]

Contents

Plot

Ken Taylor (Michael Ontkean) lives in New Jersey and is a dentist in Staten Island, NY. He marries Teresa Silvano. On their honeymoon, Teresa is mysteriously beaten within an inch of her life. At the hospital, she tells her sister Angela that she cannot remember what happened and that Ken did not beat her.

Ken's partners kick him out of his dental office partnership for stealing money from the vault (Ken might have an addiction to cocaine). Teresa gives birth to their son, named Andrew. Ken murders Teresa and puts her body in the trunk of his car. He drives Andrew and his wife’s dead body to Indiana to give physical custody of Andrew to his parents. On the way back to New Jersey, Ken abandons the body in Pennsylvania. He calls Teresa's sister Angela Cimarelli (Valerie Bertinelli) and tells her that Teresa is a drug addict and that she is in a drug rehab center.

The police eventually find the dead body and arrest Ken, who is later found guilty of murder. His parents and Angela share custody of Andrew for a while. Ken's parents tried to legally adopt Andrew, but the state of Indiana declares the adoption void. Angela and her husband Jerry Cimarelli (Christopher Meloni) gain full parental custody of Andrew within a four year time span.

The movie was based on a true story. [2]

Cast

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References

  1. Maas, Peter (1991). In a Child's Name: The Legacy of a Mother's Murder. ISBN   9780671746193.
  2. "'In a Child's Name' becomes more than just a murder story". Baltimore Sun.