Noah Clare reunited with family 1 year ago
By Courtney Allen
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GALLATIN, Tennessee (WSMV) — Saturday marks one year since Noah Clare landed at BNA. Right after, he had a welcome home parade in Gallatin. The then four-year-old had been at the center of a nationwide manhunt after his father allegedly kidnapped him and fled the state.
The case led to Noah’s Law getting passed which lets custodial parents get a court order for the non-custodial parent, in this case, Noah’s father, to return the child. Since it has been a year, WSMV 4 sat down again with Noah and his mother to see how they are doing.
It was a typical night at the Ennis household. Amanda Ennis and her son Noah were playing with toys and talking about his Christmas list. Life for them is normal until it’s not. “We will still go to Target, and someone will recognize us,” Amanda said.
Photos of Noah were flooding social media this time last year after his father, Jacob Clare, allegedly kidnapped Noah and fled to California. “It almost just seems like it was a nightmare, and we actually didn’t live it even though we did,” Amanda said.
After a nationwide manhunt, a woman spotted Noah outside of San Clemente, California and called police. The photo of Noah reuniting with his mom at a hotel in California now hangs on the wall in their home. “My hair is a mess,” Amanda said. “I have no makeup on. Noah is just out of the bath. It is my favorite picture.”
The two then spent six months in therapy. “I was with daddy for 20,000 years,” Noah said.
They still talk openly about what happened. “He knows his daddy loves him very much, and we talk about it,” Amanda said. “It is okay to be sad sometimes.”
Lawyers told Amanda that Noah’s dad remains behind bars in California and is facing a pretrial hearing later this month.
Clare’s accused accomplice, Marisa Henson, will also soon be appearing in court in Sumner County.
It is a story they wish never happened but are thankful for its ending. “He has grown so much,” Amanda said. “I feel like he has grown a whole foot in the past year. His little personality and imagination are amazing. We are so thankful.”
“Noah is happy,” Amanda’s mom, Edie Wainwright, added. “Noah is the same Noah that left a year ago that we got back.”
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