Donna Hylton is a 55-year-old Jamaican-American author and a criminal justice activist. However, she is known as a convicted murderer in the second degree and two counts of kidnapping in the first degree.
Donna was criminally charged in 1985 after her role in the incident where Thomas Vigliarolo, a New York businessman was kidnaped, raped, tortured, and murdered. Hylton was sentenced 25 years to life and was paroled in 2012 after serving more than 26 years.
Donna Hylton recently made an appearance in the DNC and her talks have raised some questions as well as positive reactions from all the communities. She is a Christian minister and has graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from Mercy College, and a Master’s Degree in Women’s Studies and English Literature from Marymount Manhattan College.
Quick Facts and Information on Donna Hylton
| Birthname | Donna Patricia Walden |
| Birthday / Date of Birth | October 29, 1964 |
| Age | 55 |
| Birth Sign | Scorpio |
| Born Country | Jamaica |
| Nationality | American |
| Hometown | Port Antonio, Jamaica |
| Ethnicity | Jamaican |
| Profession | Activist |
| Education (High School / College / University) | Marymount Manhattan College |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Ex-Husband | George Belton |
| Children (Son, Daughter) | Adrienne Hylton |
| Social Media | Twitter / Instagram |
| Net Worth & Salary | ~$100,000 – $1 million |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in |
Donna Hylton’s Early Life And Family
Donna Hylton was born on October 29, 1964, in Port Antonio, Jamaica. Hylton claims that her mother believed in the spiritual practices of the West Indies. Hylton has disclosed no personal information on her parents. However, Hylton claims that she was sent off to the US. Hylton’s mother ‘sold’ her off to the Hylton family when she was 7 years of age. Then, Donna ended up in the Bronx, a borough in New York City.
Donna Hylton’s life didn’t get any easier, even though she ended up in a better country. Her adopting father, after a year of having Donna under his care, started raping her and persuading her to keep it between themselves. Again, she was only 8 years of age during this. Her adopting mother couldn’t do anything about it as well, since Mrs. Hylton didn’t know anything and Donna was just a child.
Donna’s life continued like this until she was 14 when she moved out after receiving a scholarship to St Andrews, a renowned private school. Furthermore, it kept getting worse. Soon Donna would be raped again by her math tutor. After this, she escaped with a friend to Philadelphia. Unfortunately, her friend turned out to be no different and Donna went through the same struggles again.
Donna Hylton’s Daughter
Eventually, Donna returned to her original ‘home’ in the Bronx and moved to Harlem afterward. By the age of 15, Donna was pregnant and her educational history stops here. At the age of 16, Donna had a daughter and she says that her daughter was the only thing she could love and be loved by.
“After that incident, I basically just tried to take care of my daughter. I was a kid raising a kid, I didn’t know what she needed beyond diapers, food, and clothing. But I did give her lots of love, of course, she was like a doll who I loved and who loved me back.”
Hylton left her daughter behind after being sentenced to life. At the time, her daughter, Adrienne, was 4 years of age. Hylton says that her daughter also suffered a similar fate. According to her, Adrienne was also abused when she barely was in her teens. Eventually, Hylton came out of prison but she says that her relationship with her daughter is still a ‘work in progress’ even if they love each other deeply.
Donna Hylton Husband / Married
After having a rough childhood, Donna was in quest of somebody who could love her. And in 1982, she felt like she found- what she was searching for. So, at the age of 18, Donna got married to a 19-year-old boy, George Belton, who was a rapper at that time.
But sadly, Donna’s married life too headed south- as when she learned that she was pregnant again, her husband and his mother talked her into terminating the pregnancy. After being forced for abortion, Donna was also asked for the divorce by her then-husband.
Donna Hylton Prison Life / Conviction
In 1985, Donna Hylton came to meet a man named Louis Miranda. Miranda persuaded Hylton to join him in a ‘blackmailing’ attempt to recover money from a ‘business partner’. Then after a few months, Hylton and three other female accomplices drugged and kidnapped Thomas Vigliarolo as per the instructions of Miranda.
The group held Vigliarolo for 15-20 days and he was abused throughout this time. Soon after, Vigliarolo died from asphyxiation and three days later his body was found in a locked trunk in Manhattan. Soon, Hylton was captured because someone had spotted her number plate.
Donna began her court trial in 1986, and she was convicted of murder and kidnapping by the jury on March 12, 1986. Hylton did appeal for her convictions to be voided, but this did not work out for her and she ended up staying in prison. While she was a prisoner, Hylton managed to earn a Bachelors’ Degree and a Masters’ Degree. In 2011, she was ordained as a Christian minister and in 2012, she was paroled.
Donna Hylton’s Net Worth And Appearance in The DNC
Donna Hylton hasn’t had a typical working life. But she’s found opportunities as an activist and somewhat of a celebrity. Putting her net worth somewhere around $100,000, and $1 million at most.
After her release, Donna has spent her time as a women’s rights activist and criminal justice reform advocate. She also released a memoir titled “A Little Piece of Light”, in which she opens up about her childhood and her prison life. Besides this, Donna took part in other public events, and in 2017, she participated in the Women’s March in Washington. She also spoke at the Global Citizen Week in New York in 2018.
In August 2020, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) hailed Hylton as one of the most impactful community leaders in America. Donna was asked to participate in the DNC in a video reading of the Preamble to the Constitution during a televised portion of the convention. Many weren’t happy that an ex-convict spoke at the event, but some people are empathetic towards Hylton.
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