Thaindian News

London, Oct 10 (ANI): An American bride-to-be had the shock of her life when she discovered she was abducted by her own mother 26 years ago.

Melissa Reed aged 32 - whose real name is Eva Fiedler - disappeared with her mother during a bitter child custody battle in New Jersey in 1984. At the time she was just six years old.

Engaged to be married, she discovered she could not obtain a marriage licence - because Melissa Reed is not her real name.

When suspicious authorities began asking questions, her mother - Nancy Dunsavage Fiedler, alias Debbie Reed - came clean.

Fiedler had been granted custody of her daughter after her divorce from Eva’s father, named in reports as New Hampshire resident Greg Fiedler, in 1983.

But in 1984 he took his ex-wife to court, accusing her of denying him visitation rights to their daughter.

He was granted ten days custody of Eva - and Fiedler, who accused her ex of being abusive, panicked.

In Nevada court papers she said she feared for her life, accusing her ex-husband of saying he would “hunt us down” and “end it all for both of us”.

“Day in and day out, fear and violence were part of my life,” the Daily Mail quoted her as writing.

“I fled because i had no money (for a lawyer)… and I wanted to remove my daughter from his life of threats and fear.

“I did not want this to be her future too,” she wrote.

The mother and daughter have lived under a variety of aliases ever since - mostly in Nevada.

When she tried to apply for a marriage licence, however, she was unable to get one without photo ID.

At that point, both she and her mother tried to legally change their names to the aliases they had used so long - Melissa and Debbie Reed.

But authorities began asking questions - and within hours police had confronted Fiedler in their home.

Now she is facing extradition back to New Jersey to face the kidnapping charge. (ANI)