Rowan Mauer is a woman who kidnapped a boy named Kevin Brown and raised him as her own.
History[]
Rowan was in an abusive relationship with her husband Zach. One night, Zach pushed Rowan, who then bumped into her son Emerson, sending him tumbling down the stairs and subsequently killing him. Due to Zach's criminal record, Rowan feared the police would suspect Zach and her of murdering Emerson, so she buried Emerson in the backyard. Rowan then kidnapped Brown while he was at the playground with his sister Diane and raised him as her own child under Emerson's name. Eventually, Brown grew up to become a pedophile and kidnapped a girl named Bailey Shaw.
The Special Victims Unit find Emerson's body in the backyard, suspecting it to be Kevin's, and tell Rowan she will be given immunity if she testifies against Kevin. However, when the detectives find out that the body was Emerson's and not Kevin's, and that Kevin is posing as Emerson, they tell Rowan that she is looking at a kidnapping and murder charge. Rowan tells the detectives about the night of Emerson's death and how she kidnapped Kevin, saying she had no choice. Rowan is imprisoned for kidnapping and conspiracy. (SVU: "Missing")