Biological Dad Gives Up on 'Baby Veronica'

After nearly four years of legal battles that went all the way to the Supreme Court—and then kept going—the "Baby Veronica" saga came to an end today, as the girl's biological father announced that he was ending all litigation in the case. "I cannot bear to continue it any longer," Dusten Brown said at a press conference in Oklahoma, according to Tulsa World. "I love her too much to continue to have her in the spotlight." Brown returned the girl to the Capobiancos family of South Carolina 17 days ago.

The Capobiancos raised Veronica from birth to age 2. Brown, a Cherokee, had fought to reclaim her under the Indian Child Welfare Act, but the Supreme Court ruled against him. Brown refused to return Veronica anyway, and now faces felony charges for that refusal. A Cherokee nation lawyer today urged the Capobiancos to use their influence to get those charges dropped—and to drop lawsuits of their own. "We're asking you to listen to your heart and do the right thing," the lawyer said. (More Baby Veronica stories.)