Arnette Fenady is the kidnapper of Wendy Sylvester.
History[]
Arnette had an infant daughter named Crystal, who died after 9 months of her birth. Arnette’s grief was directed to working with children to care for them, as if they were her family, so she became a volunteer teacher. Seeing families brutalize and endanger their children, she kept a girl named Molly overnight in 1990 because she was malnourished. She as arrested for endangering a minor, but then released and returned to work.
One of her students, Wendy, gave her letters revealing her mother had a drinking problem and her new guardian’s boyfriend beat her and kept her just for the support checks. Annette snapped and disappeared Wendy, imprisoning her in a secret compartment in her house and saying they were throwing a birthday party for Crystal so she’d feel safe. Wendy’s friend reported her missing, and tracing Wendy’s abuse led to Arnette because of the letters.
Arnette was arrested, when Wendy was recovered from the cell she was found in. Stone prosecuted her against his better judgment that she was traumatized and deserve a hospital instead of prison, but even Wendy defended her by perjuring herself on the stand because she loved Arnette back like a mother she never had.
In the end, Arnette was acquitted, and she filed for custody of Wendy, which delighted the girl. (L&O: “Nurture”)