In a Child's Name is a four-hour mini-series televised on CBS in 1991. Baby Andrew's mother was murdered by his father and a custody battle ensues between the father's parents and the mother's sister played by Valerie Bertinelli.
Plot
Ken Taylor (Michael Ontkean) lives in New Jersey and is a dentist in Staten Island, NY. He marries Teresa Silvano. On their honeymoon, Teresa is mysteriously beaten within an inch of her life. At the hospital, she tells her sister Angela that she cannot remember what happened and that Ken did not beat her.
Ken's partners kick him out of his dental office partnership for stealing money from the vault(Ken might have an addiction to cocaine). Teresa gives birth to their boy named Andrew. Ken murders Teresa and puts her body in the trunk of his car. He drives Andrew and the dead body to Indiana to give physical custody of Andrew to his parents. On the way back to New Jersey, Ken abandons the body in Pennsylvania. He calls Teresa's sister Angela Cimarelli (Valerie Bertinelli) and tells her that Teresa is a drug addict and that she is in a drug rehab center.
The police eventually finds the dead body and arrests Ken, who is found guilty of murder. His parents and Angela share custody of Andrew for a while. Ken's parents tried to legally adopt Andrew, but the state of Indiana declares the adoption void. Angela and her husband Jerry Cimarelli (Christopher Meloni) gain full parental custody of Andrew within a four year time span.
The movie was based on a true story.
Cast
Valerie Bertinelli as Angela Silvano-Cimarelli
Christopher Meloni as Jerry Cimarelli
Michael Ontkean as Ken Taylor
Timothy Carhart as Lieutenant Robert Fausak
David Huddleston as Zach Taylor
Louise Fletcher as Jean Taylor
John Karlen as Joe Silvano
Joanna Merlin as Frances Silvano
Karla Tamburrelli as Teresa Silvano-Taylor
Andy Hirsch as Andrew Silvano
Eric Tilley as Tom Taylor
Nancy McLoughlin as Marilyn Taylor
Vincent Guastaferro as Malinouski
Mitchell Ryan as Peter Chappell
Caroline Kava as Janice Miller
Randal Patrick as Ray Engler
Jeff Allin as Edward Lindsay
Dennis Cockrum as Gregg Reid
Lou Criscuolo as Peter Maas
Amy Lord as Karen Oliveria
Rick Warner as Carl Stampler
Caroline Dollar as Astrid
Frank Hoyt Taylor as Reverend John Hickman
Sam Vlahos as Dr. Vargas
C.K. Bibby as Dr. Longwell
Robert C. Treveiler as Dr. Kingston
Bob Tyson as Dr. Hill
Mark Joy as Lawyer Norton
Tom Mason as Judge Shipp
Mert Hatfield as Judge Pendleton
Terry Loughlin as Judge Neuwirth
Linda Pierce as Judge Skinner
John Bennes as Judge Myrick
Susan Rohrer as Judge Langdon
Randell Haynes as Judge Kittleston
Alma Martinez as Sorayda (uncredited) James Cromwell as Official (uncredited)