linda lee

Clark Rockefeller, Child Abductor, in Jail

Story curiouser and curiouser

The man who abducted his seven-year-old daughter in Boston last month was arrested in Baltimore over the weekend, and the girl was returned to her mother. On Tuesday the father was charged in a Boston court with felony parental kidnapping, assault and battery. He was held without bail.

And then the mysteries deepened.

Who is "Clark Rockefeller"? Could he be wanted in California under another name? Is he, as he presented himself, a secret agent? Or is he, as investigators believe, a former German exchange student?

Another question: How could his ex-wife, Sandra Boss, a high-powered executive at the London office of McKinsey & Co., be deceived by such a shady character? Actually, any woman who has ever been wooed by a psychopath will know the answer to that one.

The London papers reported that Boss, who made more than $1 million a year, paid "Rockefeller" $1.5 million last year in exchange for exclusive custody of their daughter, Reigh.

The Rockefeller Child Abduction

It is every divorced mother’s nightmare: that her ex-husband might kidnap their child. That’s exactly what happened on Sunday to Sandra L. Boss, a sophisticated and youthful looking 41-year-old. Her 7-year-old daughter, Reigh (pronounced Ray), was snatched while on a supervised visit with her father in Boston.

Boss had married Clark Rockefeller in the early 90s. It turns out that the Rockefeller name, as with many things about the man, was a ruse.

He was a faker, a well educated con man, and definitely a liar.

Even their wedding date – 1994, 1995 -- and place (Nantucket?) seems hard to verify.

Police say they have his date of birth, February 29, 1960, but the fact that it is Leap Year’s Day makes even that suspicious.

The New York Post, in fact, said the FBI put his age at 58, not 48.

Catholics More Willing to Embrace Divorce?

A recent poll of people who attend Catholic Mass in England and Wales found that, despite their beliefs in the Church, they feel that "separation or divorce is better than an unhappy marriage between incompatible people." The poll also showed that the majority of those interviewed used contraception and cohabited before marriage, despite the Church's teachings.

The Von Hugel Institute at Cambridge University conducted the poll of 1,500 practicing Catholics, which found that more than half of those between 18 and 45 had lived together before marriage.

Francis Davies, of the Institute, said, "What is surprising is the scale of which people in the survey decided not to follow the teaching. The majority cohabited before marriage; the majority use contraception."

As for separation and divorce, 71 percent of the practicing Catholic interviewed felt it was better than an unhappy marriage, while 88 percent said they knew that the Catholic Church considers marriage "a lifelong commitment despite any difficulties."