Reigh Storrow Mills Boss became famous through an uncontrollable event. daughter father snatched daughter during a supervised visit in Boston in 2008 when she was seven. The case led to a nationwide search and revealed Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter’s clever disguise as “Clark Rockefeller.”
Today, Reigh is understood to live under the name Rose Alexander. Unlike her father, she has not pursued publicity. Her adult life remains deliberately private, and that privacy has become one of the most important facts about her story.
Early Life and Family Background
Reigh was born on May 24, 2001. She was reportedly nicknamed “Snooks” by her parents. During her early childhood, she lived in affluent surroundings, including homes in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood and Cornish, New Hampshire.
Mother Sandra Lynne Boss was a prominent management consultant. A Stanford graduate with a Harvard Business School MBA, Boss earned a lot at McKinsey & Company. While Gerhartsreiter portrayed himself as the more involved parent, her career required long hours.
Gerhartsreiter claimed Rockefeller ties and took on several identities. He identified as a physicist, art collector, and American upper class. Even if his personal past was mostly fictitious, his assertions gave the family a wealthy, exclusive atmosphere.
The family’s lifestyle looked polished from the outside, but behind the scenery was a complicated and unstable household. Gerhartsreiter controlled many domestic decisions and finances, despite Boss being the primary earner. Over time, doubts about his identity and behavior grew.
Divorce and Custody Dispute
Sandra Boss filed for divorce in January 2007. The divorce proceedings eventually gave her sole custody of Reigh. Gerhartsreiter received a settlement of approximately $800,000 and was permitted only three supervised visits each year.
The arrangements reflected the court’s concerns about the family situation. Gerhartsreiter’s contact with his daughter was limited and monitored. He nevertheless continued to insist that he had a special relationship with Reigh and portrayed himself as an essential figure in her life.
In November 2007, Reigh’s legal name was changed to Reigh Storrow Mills Boss. The change removed the Rockefeller name, which had been connected to her father’s false identity. In later years, she took another legal step to separate herself from the public story surrounding her childhood.
The July 2008 Kidnapping
On July 27, 2008, Gerhartsreiter took Reigh during a supervised visit in Boston’s Back Bay. The visit was being monitored by social worker Howard Yaffe.
According to the trial evidence, Gerhartsreiter pushed Yaffe aside and forced Reigh into a waiting black SUV. Yaffe attempted to hold onto the vehicle and was dragged before falling away. The incident was sudden, forceful, and carefully organized.
Gerhartsreiter had made arrangements before the visit. He had contacted people in Baltimore under the alias “Chip Smith” and obtained a residence there. After the abduction, he and Reigh traveled out of Massachusetts, setting off a multi-state manhunt.
For six days, investigators searched for the pair. On August 2, 2008, they were found in a Baltimore apartment. Reigh was unharmed and was returned to her mother. The rescue ended the immediate danger, but the event permanently altered the family’s life.
The Kidnapping Trial
Gerhartsreiter’s trial took place in Suffolk Superior Court in Boston in 2009. He did not deny that he had taken Reigh. Instead, the defense argued that he was not criminally responsible because of a mental disorder.
The defence claimed he had delusional and narcissistic personality disorder. His attorneys said that he felt truly attached to the Rockefeller family and saw his daughter’s thoughts as a plea for rescue. They blamed the kidnapping on a mental breakdown after the divorce and custody loss.
The prosecution presented a different picture. Prosecutors emphasized planning, aliases, the purchase of a Baltimore property, the physical confrontation with Yaffe, and Gerhartsreiter’s attempts to hide his location. Their central argument was that he had acted deliberately rather than irrationally.
Sandra Boss’ marriage testimony was crucial. She found Gerhartsreiter fascinating and smart when they met. She said he claimed elite connections, education, and family fortune. His behaviour got domineering over time. She testified regarding his household money management, criticism, and exclusion from financial authority.
Boss also described her decision to investigate his background. The investigation helped reveal that his claims about being a Rockefeller were false. Her testimony offered the jury a window into how his deception had operated for years.
The prosecution also called Yaffe, real estate witnesses, and mental health professionals. One prosecution psychiatrist diagnosed Gerhartsreiter with personality disorders but concluded that he understood the wrongfulness of his actions. The defense experts disagreed.
Gerhartsreiter did not testify in his own defense.
Verdict and Sentence
On June 12, 2009, after approximately 26 and a half hours of deliberation over five days, the jury returned its verdict.
| Charge | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Parental kidnapping | Guilty |
| Assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon | Guilty |
| Lesser assault and battery charge | Not guilty |
| Giving a false name to police | Not guilty |
Judge Frank M. Gaziano sentenced Gerhartsreiter to 4 to 5 years in state prison for parental kidnapping. He received a concurrent sentence of 2 to 3 years for assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. Credit for time already served reduced the remaining period.
The judge recognized that Gerhartsreiter had a strong attachment to his daughter but stressed that the crime had been planned and had violated a custody order. The jury rejected the insanity defense.
Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter
Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter was born in Bavaria, West Germany, on February 21, 1961. He grew up near Bergen in modest circumstances. His father, Simon Gerhartsreiter, was a landscape and graphic artist who suffered lasting effects from a lung injury connected to World War II.
His mother, Irmgard Gerhartsreiter, worked as a seamstress and homemaker. She remained in the family home for many years. Gerhartsreiter also had a younger brother, Alexander, who helped identify him during the 2008 search.
Gerhartsreiter left Germany as a teenager and lived under fictitious names in the US. His most famous alias, Clark Rockefeller, enabling him to associate with the wealthy. He was charged with murdering Jonathan Sohus in 1985 in California after the kidnapping conviction. The 2013 conviction carried a 27-year to life term.
Sandra Lynne Boss and the Later Family
After the kidnapping, Sandra Boss moved with Reigh to London. She remarried Ian Lazarus in 2011, and the marriage brought two younger half-sisters into Reigh’s family.
Boss continued to work in senior positions in finance and investment. She later held important roles at BlackRock, including Global Head of Investment Stewardship and a senior leadership position in the United Kingdom.
For Boss, protecting Reigh became a central priority. The family withdrew from public attention, and Reigh’s schooling, friendships, employment, and adult relationships have not been publicly documented in reliable detail.
Reigh’s Name Change and Private Life
In 2019, a United Kingdom deed poll notice recorded a legal name change from Reigh Storrow Mills Boss to Rose Alexander. The change marked another clear boundary between her present life and the traumatic events of her childhood.
No career, marriage, children, social media account, or commercial activity is listed for either name. Her privacy seems planned. After years of being part of a dramatic crime story, she has stayed anonymous.
FAQ
Who is Reigh Storrow Mills Boss?
Reigh Storrow Mills Boss is the daughter of Sandra Lynne Boss and Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, the convicted impostor better known for using the name Clark Rockefeller. She became widely known after her father abducted her during a supervised visit in Boston in 2008.
What happened to Reigh in 2008?
On July 27, 2008, Gerhartsreiter took Reigh and fled in a waiting vehicle. They were found six days later in Baltimore. Reigh was unharmed and returned to her mother.
What name does Reigh use today?
A 2019 United Kingdom deed poll notice recorded her change of name to Rose Alexander. She has maintained a very low public profile since then.
Who is Sandra Boss?
Sandra Boss is Reigh’s mother. She is a Stanford and Harvard Business School graduate who held senior positions at McKinsey & Company and BlackRock. After the divorce, she received sole custody of Reigh and moved with her to London.
Where is Christian Gerhartsreiter now?
Gerhartsreiter is incarcerated in California. He was convicted in Massachusetts for kidnapping Reigh and was later convicted in California for the murder of Jonathan Sohus.
Does Reigh have a public career or social media presence?
No verified public career or social media presence has been reliably linked to Reigh Storrow Mills Boss or Rose Alexander. Her adult education, employment, finances, and personal relationships remain private.
