Adoption Couple Ambushed After Oprah

Feb. 2, 2001 -- The British couple involved in a trans-Atlantic fight over twins adopted via the Internet paid the price of appearing on an American talk show — after appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, they were served with papers to appear in court.

Alan and Judith Kilshaw of Buckley, Wales, were served by a representative of Richard and Vickie Allen, the California couple contesting the adoption, a lawyer for the Allens said today.

"The Kilshaws had to be served with the legal papers that the Allens had filed," said the Allens' attorney Lynn Lisk on BBC Radio.

"It was either [an] attempt to obtain service on them in Britain or Wales in some way, or when we learned that they would be in the United States we contacted a private processor and made arrangements for them to be served in Chicago."

The lawsuit, according to Lisk, accuses the Welsh couple of abducting the children, taking them to Wales and deceiving U.S. and British authorities.

A Newsworthy Appearance

Thursday's taping of the syndicated talk show was the first time the two couples had confronted each other in person. The show was not broadcast live.

Both couples said they would continue pressing their claims, but the Allens added they must do what was best for the girls, even if they did not get them back.

"We love the girls so much, it's hard to describe," said Richard Allen. But, he said, "the bottom line is we must all get together and do what's best for the girls."

The two couples also both criticized the person they'd gone through to facilitate the now-tangled arrangements.

"We have been through hell the last two weeks in Britain," said Alan Kilshaw. He demanded that Tina Johnson, the adoption broker in question, "explain her actions."

Richard Allen added: "I hope she finds another business because this is not one she's going to be able to operate in for a long time."

Kilshaw further vilified Johnson this morning on an American morning show. "At the end of the day, she's responsible for this problem," he said.

Winfrey said she attempted without success to get Johnson to appear on the show.

On Oprah the Kilshaws revealed they knew the babies had been taken from the Allens — but adopted them anyway.

The Kilshaws say they adopted the girls because their birth mother, Tranda Wecker, made it clear she did not want the Allens to have the babies and that Wecker also feared the babies would be given to someone else.

History of the Dispute

The Allens, of San Diego, say they had been caring for the girls for two months after paying broker Tina Johnson $6,000 late last year, but that in early January, Wecker began to reconsider.

The Allens say they turned the girls over to Wecker for a brief visit, but Wecker took the girls and handed them to the Kilshaws, without telling them the children would not be returned.

The Kilshaws say they had also paid Johnson $12,500 for a previous adoption, but that fell through.

They continued working with her and were unaware that another couple — the Allens — had first tried to adopt the girls until they arrived in California to pick them up.

The Kilshaws then took the twins back to Britain, but last month British social services took custody of the twins until the courts resolve the case.

Wecker, who lives in Missouri, now says she also wants the twins, but the Missouri Department of Social Services said Wednesday the agency was investigating her for welfare fraud.

A court in St. Louis meanwhile has awarded custody of the girls to their biological father, Aaron Wecker. A behind-doors progress hearing on the case at the High Court in Birmingham, central England, was also expected today.