My Son Was Murdered, Are You My Other Son? | KARAMO

How did you find out about the 5 different men?

So in my earlier years, going through the adoption process, before they wanted to put me and my sister up for adoption, they wanted to find out if I had a father or not. So what they did is they went to my birth mom and they asked her, basically, give us some names who you think could be his potential father. She listed off a couple of names and went through each one of 'em. No, no, no, no, no.

Yeah. 5 different times.

Yeah, 5 different times. So around that 5th time, I think I was probably around 8, maybe like 8 or 9 years old. And that's when my adoptive mom just decided to just stop it because it was just a lot. Yeah. It was taking a toll on me.

I mean, yeah, an 8-year-old, Being tested multiple times, getting your hopes up, and then quickly realizing, okay, this is not. It must have triggered you a lot in a different, hurt you in a lot of different ways.

Oh yeah, it definitely did. Self-esteem-wise, just, I've always connected with like my coaches, male teachers, things like that. Just looking for like, kind of like a positive male figure just to tell me, hey man, What you're doing is good.

You know what I'm saying?

You're doing good. Just things like that.

Yeah, makes sense.

My mom would tell me, but it's just different coming from a man.

Yeah, of course, I hear you. So when was the first time you heard about Corey?

Probably like a couple months ago, I wanna say.

Months, couple months ago? Yeah, yeah. So this is recent.

Yeah, yeah, fresh.

Okay, and what was your reaction when you heard about Corey?

Very standoffish, 'cause like I said, I'm a man now. I'm 28 years old. I'm a married man, I have my own family, I have my own kids. Just, you know.

Thank you.

How did you hear about Corey?

I submitted my DNA through 23andMe because I only know half of my family, obviously, you know, going through the adoption process and everything like that. So I wanted to know if there were, you know, anybody related to me on, the Black side of my family. So my wife saw that there was a match in the system. So she started doing some research and started reaching out to other people and then she found somebody and then that's when the snowball started rolling.

So it kind of snowballed. So it wasn't that like you were connected to him, it was just like somebody in the family.

Yeah, somebody in the family, yeah.

Got it, okay then. But I gotta back up. Did you grow up with your mom? Your biological mother, do you know her at all?

Not really. Like I said, I was taken away from her when I was probably like 4. So it's just probably when I was like 13, she moved up to Tallahassee, which is in Florida. She was maybe like 15, 20 minutes away from me and she still wouldn't come by, you know? So.

Got it. Yeah. Got it. And what was that like for you?

It hurt.

Hurt. Yeah. Have you seen her or connected with her since that moment when you were 13? Let me give you this, brother.

Appreciate you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, I reconnected with her probably maybe like 3 years ago.

And what was that moment like?

Emotional. Yeah. She was on a deathbed, so.

Got it. Did you get any closure from that interaction?

No.

No.

Nah.

Got it, got it. Did she mention Corey's name to you before she passed? No. She didn't?

She mentioned several names, but never Corey.

This will be the first time, right?

Yeah, I've never seen him before, ever.

Well, I think it's time to hear your potential dad's side of the story. So everyone, please welcome Corey to the show. How you doing, sir?

Hey, how you doing?

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you too. Yeah.

Well, how do you feel about what he just said?

I wish I could have been there. I wish your mom would've told me that she was pregnant with you at the time. I didn't know nothing about you at all. If I'd known you was there, you was my son, I'd have been there for you from day one. I would never let you down. I'm a good, I got kids myself. My son, he was murdered. He was 17, he got killed. It really hurt me a lot. If I know that you were my son, I'd have been there for you from day one.

Do you remember what your relationship was like with his mother? Do you remember?

Yeah, me and his mama, we had a good time. We had a good relationship.

Yeah.

But you know, I wish she had told me at the time that she was pregnant. That way I could have been there.

Yeah.

He wouldn't have to go through the problem he going through right now.

Yeah. Do you think you're his dad?

Yes.

You do?

I'm pretty sure. Ah, yes. Yes.

You do?

And I sent that picture to my mama and my mom said, "Yeah, he look just like you." And plus he like, I wouldn't mind having a picture of my son. He look just like my son when my son was little.

Devonte, what are you thinking right now? What's going through your mind? 'Cause it's a lot to process, to take in.

Yeah, it is a lot to process. I'm just listening to what he, everything he has to say.

Just trying to process it.

Process slowly. Yeah.

And it's gonna take time. But I'm gonna be honest, if the test say that I'm not your daddy, I'm gonna let you know I'm still gonna be there regardless. I'm gonna love you.

You both mentioned to my producers that you had questions for each other. And so I wanna make sure you each get that. I wanna know, Devonte, what would you like to ask Corey?

So like you were saying, you had no idea she was pregnant at all.

Right.

If you guys were as close as, You know, you say you were, you hung out every day. What happened with that?

To be honest with you, your momma cheated on me. That's what caused us to go separate ways.

Mm-hmm, yeah. But she stayed around the same parts and you didn't get word from anybody that, you know, she was pregnant?

Nobody never reached out to me. Nobody never called me anything at all.

Like it had to be family, like anybody in the streets?

No.

Like anybody like? Nothing.

Nobody. She never told you she was pregnant at all?

I never wanted you to feel like I'm blaming you. It's just, you know, I'm appreciative for everything I've been through in my life because it's made me a better man. It's made me to the man that I am today. You know what I'm saying? Like I said, I am a father. I am a married man. I do have kids of my own and I've stepped up in ways that I've never been shown. You know what I'm saying? So just to be there for my kids and for every step of the way is just, I appreciate everything I've been through.

I'll tell you this. I agree, your resiliency and your experiences and learning from your experiences has made you a great man. But there is a child in you that I saw, especially when talking about your mother and the rejection you have from the fathers, that this moment is critical in your life.

Oh yeah.

Because even though we are able to grow and push things down, like you said, doesn't mean that they're not there to erupt. Right. And this moment is pivotal. I mean, like, I usually keep my opinions to myself, but I really am praying that you you are his father, especially with the accountability you took. What you modeled on this stage is healthy vulnerability, kindness, empathy, and I believe you deserve that. Thank you. Corey, your wife Amy is joining us in the audience today. Thank you for being here.

Thank you.

I just wanna say I've been a part of all of this and we didn't know. And if we had known, you would've been a part of our family. We would've taken care of you, we would've taken you in, we would've loved you. And we wanna love you now.

So.

So Amy, can I ask you this? Were you dating Corey when he was with Devonte's mom or after he got with Devonte's mom?

It was before, during, and after.

Oh, got it.

Okay. We were kind of like, off and on, but we've been married for 30 years. So it's been a long time.

Got it. So you remember this situation. So you were around all this time. Did anyone ever call you, tell you?

No, we never heard anything about this, but we moved. See, we didn't stay in the state.

Yeah.

In '95, we moved to South Carolina. So we didn't hear anything. And then when his other child came about, we didn't hear about her for 10 years. So we went through the same thing with her. We didn't hear anything about her until the DNA papers came from the state for her. So it was the same situation. So we got hit with the same thing.

And when y'all found out about what would be your potential sister, You're saying that immediately y'all stepped up?

Immediately.

Got it.

But it would've been the same thing.

So you knew Devonte?

If you had known, if we had known that DCF had stepped in and taken you, we would've taken you. I mean, it wouldn't have been a situation where you would've had to have been in foster care. You would've been with us.

Can I ask you one more question, Amy? Did he ask? So you knew Devonte's mom?

Yes.

Oh, yes, yes, yes. And what was your relationship like with her?

I mean, we were standoffish.

Oh, got it. Because y'all were both talking to the same man.

Right.

Got it.

Exactly.

Makes sense. And that does give a little more context as well why she would not come back and tell him. If she had cheated, you were also in an on and off again relationship. Of course, you know, we all understand what that is to be young and be in that situation. We're not doubling back for information. We're not talking. So that makes a little bit more sense. Thank you so much, by the way, for being here, Amy. Let's hear what your wife's gonna say. Zakiyah has to say. So welcome Zakiyah to the show. Hi Zakiyah, how you doing? Nice to meet you.

Same to you.

Yes. How has the search for his dad affected Da'Fonte?

I think he's been a little bit of kind of like standoffish initially. Seeing him a little bit emotional up here today kind of got to me just 'cause I haven't seen that yet. But it definitely let me know that this is important to him.

Yeah.

So.

Do you think that Corey is his dad?

Absolutely.

You do?

I do.

From your conversations?

Yeah, from everything. It just all makes sense to me, you know?

What do you think this will mean to him?

I don't know. I mean, just to know where you come from, like your traits, like your everything about you. I just think, I think that'll mean the world to him, honestly.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, I think it's time to unlock the DNA truth.

All right, I got one more thing to say. Like I said before, no matter what the test says, I'm always gonna be your dad and I love you with the bottom of my heart.

Well, Devonte, 28 years you have waited for answers, 28 years you have searched, and 28 years you've had to figure out how to deal with your own emotions and figure out where to place them so that way you could still thrive and provide for yourself and for your family. But today, the sixth chance, for you to find your truth. This is your truth to open up mine. So here you go. Says, "Devonte, Corey is your biological father." Hold on, let me come and have y'all sit closer. I know, Vicky, if you don't mind, I know, I'll have you sit in the middle, DePonte. Here you go. I had to get one as well. How's this feel? All the years of wondering and questioning and the years of feeling abandoned. In this moment before you even knew, this man told you he would've been there and loved you. And I believe him when he says he's gonna be there for you and answer anything and heal any wounds. How do you feel in this moment? You know who your father is.

I feel, I feel like kind of like a piece has returned like to me.

And I feel better. A whole lot better. And I love you.

Love you too.

And I love you.

You got some grandkids to meet.

Yeah. And you got their brothers and sisters, you got sisters I want you to meet also.

Okay.

My son got killed. He was 17. He died the day after Father's Day. And every possible day, it really hurts 'cause he's not there. His birthday, Christmas, everything's gone. You know, I wish he could be here today. I know right now he's looking and he's probably happy. Now, we can put all this behind us and we can move forward in our life. And like I said, no matter what time it is, it can be 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning, Whatever I'm doing, I'll stop what I'm doing to come to see if you, take you what I gotta do.

No matter what it is.

I don't care. If I gotta take the shirt off my back to give it to you, I'll make sure you have everything you can have.

How do you feel knowing you have grandkids?

This is my first set.

This is your first set of grandkids? Yes.

Oh yeah.

Yes. And my wife right there. You're grandma now.

I get to buy baby clothes.

I'll tell you this, Devonte, you deserve these answers. You deserve this love and support. You deserve it so much. Every bit of things that you've been through in your life, you deserve all of this, this attention, this love and support. And I will tell you something, this is not going to give full closure to this, but knowing that you didn't get full closure from your mother, I want you to understand one decision she did make. She had a child with a man who she knew would love you. Know that that one action did lead you to have somebody who's gonna love you and be there for you. Know that. Know that.

Now you can go home and get a picture frame.

Put it on the wall.