Hours later, Ruth Bejerano found Daniel wedged between his father and a sofa cushion. He had asphyxiated.
DCF's files said the elder Daniel Bejerano was a recovering drug addict and his wife an alcoholic, and that there had been violence not only between them but against Daniel. On Nov. 8, 2007, less than a month after Daniel's birth, DCF received a report that Ruth Bejerano had hung him out of a window as part of a threat to her husband: "If you leave me," she said, "I'm going to kill the baby." On another occasion, according to the report, she "put a knife to his body."
The report said that for the previous week and a half, the baby had been "screaming and crying as if he is not being fed," and that "mom and dad have been arguing and screaming." The DCF report said also that "mom walks around outside of the home drunk at 3 a.m." Nonetheless, the agency declared that there were "no indicators as to family violence threatens child, substance abuse and threatened harm."
A final assessment of the case acknowledged "challenge areas in completing a thorough, timely investigation" of the Bejerano family, and that "service provision should also have included drug screening for the parents." The document asserted that staff members involved in the investigations had been "appropriately prepared to assess the need for services" for the family, and recognized a need for "performance improvement plans for all child-protective investigation service centers." ","perpfirstname":"Ruth","perpmiddlename":"Noemi","perplastname":"Gonzalez","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Daniel","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Bejerano","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":2,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Shawna","middlename":"","lastname":"Masterson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 13, 2007","deathdate":"January 1, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"stjohns","county":"St. Johns","deathcausereport":"Blunt force injuries to the head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Shawna Masterson, whose family had a long history of drug abuse, inadequate care and domestic violence allegations, was crawling in the street, unsupervised, when she was run over by a car and killed.
The tragedy added a bizarre twist to the family's interactions with child welfare officials: Eight months earlier, a case manager had run over Shawna's 7-year-old half-sister in front of the house while responding to a report of abuse or neglect. That child survived with a broken rib and a punctured lung. During a probe into the incident, the child's stepfather was described as reeking of alcohol.
On the occasion of Shawna's death, her mother had gone to the back yard to monitor the towing of her car, which had broken down. She left the house's front door and gate open, and Shawna crawled through the door and a gate and onto the road. She was struck by a white van driven by the man who had just been helping her mother with her car.
A police detective investigated and concluded that there was "no neglect or any intent by any of the parties in the incident." ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":3,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Allison","middlename":"","lastname":"Bellamy","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 4, 2007","deathdate":"January 12, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Allison Bellamy's mother went on a "crack binge" on a January night in 2008 and stayed out until the early hours. She eventually passed out on a couch at a friend's house, a crack pipe and her 5-week-old daughter by her side.
Also on the couch was Allison's 1-year-old brother, who was later discovered sitting on his little sister, both children wearing dirty diapers. Someone noticed that Allison wasn't breathing and summoned paramedics, who found the girl in cardiac arrest and her mother still asleep. Allison was taken to a hospital and declared dead.
An autopsy found traces of cocaine in the infant's heart and liver, and a medical examiner attributed the traces to "continued environmental exposure to cocaine." Allison's death was ascribed to inadequate supervision and substance misuse, although her mother appeared to blame the boy for having sat on his sister. He "didn't mean to do it," the woman told an investigator. "He is only a baby."
The boy was removed from his mother's care the day after Allison's death and placed with his grandparents, since the father of at least one of the two children — the redacted report is unclear — was in prison at the time. A prior DCF report refers to the boy but not to his sister, and a separate report on the mother in 2001 "had no bearing on this review."
DCF's final report on Allison's death said it was "not predictable, but clearly preventable by her parent." The report said there had been "indicators the mother had a substance-abuse problem" when her son was born. "Appropriate referrals were made for services," the document concluded, "and no further reports were received." ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"yes","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":4,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Zoey","middlename":"","lastname":"Walters","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 27, 2002","deathdate":"January 13, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"5","countycode":"putnam","county":"Putnam","deathcausereport":"Asphyxiation due to smoke inhalation","deathcause":"smoke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Zoey Walters, one of three sisters, died in a house fire sparked by a pot left on a stove. Neighbors helped break a window to save the youngest, a 6-month-old, and firefighters rescued Zoey and her 3-year-old sister, but Zoey died later of smoke inhalation.The home did not have smoke detectors.
Zoey, a kindergartner, loved Cinderella, Hannah Montana and playing dress-up. Before her death, the family had been investigated three times for issues involving drug use and inadequate supervision. In a 2005 case, in which the parents were accused of using crack, marijuana and other drugs, the children were sheltered. At one point during the case, the father told a relative that he had a gun and was going to retrieve his child, although it was not clear which girl he meant.
The parents were to attend parenting classes and anger management counseling and submit to random drug tests. By the time Zoey died, her mother had completed her case plan and the children had been returned to her custody. The father had not completed his case plan and there did not appear to be a safety plan in place. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":5,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Angeliyah","middlename":"","lastname":"Robles","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 24, 2007","deathdate":"January 14, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Blunt impact to head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Angeliyah Robles died of a head injury when she was 3 months old. Her 15-year-old mother said she had accidentally hit the baby's head against a wall while leaving a bathroom in a restaurant.
Angeliyah's mother was homeless, lived in a shelter, had medical problems and was anxious about caring for the child. She once showed up at a hospital saying she was afraid she might hurt the baby. An investigation into that incident was open at the time of Angeliyah's death.
After banging the baby's head, the teenager handed Angeliyah off to the baby's father, who lived in a motel, rather than call 911. Caseworkers attributed the odd behavior to the pressures the teen faced in raising a child, and a medical examiner ruled Angeliyah's death accidental. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":6,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Marieann","middlename":"","lastname":"Boucicaut","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 14, 2003","deathdate":"January 16, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"4","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"For seven years before Marieanne Boucicaut's death from drowning in January 2008, her family had been on DCF's radar, primarily because of allegations of abuse, violence, drug use, exposing the children to guns and knives and missteps in the supervision of minors. At one point, a court order placed Marieanne and a sibling in the custody of their father.
Less than a month before Marieanne's death, an allegation that her father had sexually abused her was being investigated by the police, although he was later cleared. In the meantime, her family signed a safety plan and the children were returned to their mother.
On the day Marieanne died, she and another little girl, Taniya Humes, were under the supervision of Marieanne's aunt and Taniya's mother, at the latter's home. While the two women were otherwise engaged — one told police that she was sleeping, the other that she was watching television — the girls went outside and got into the swimming pool. Both drowned. Autopsies determined that their bodies had been in the pool for at least three hours before being discovered.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":7,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ivan","middlename":"","lastname":"Arroliga","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 4, 2008","deathdate":"January 22, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2 weeks","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Ivan Arroliga was 19 days old on a January night in 2008 when, sick and crying, he was brought into his parents' bed.
His father, Carlos Arroliga, remembered later that he placed the child on his chest. About three hours later, Arroliga awoke to find Ivan lying partially under the baby's mother, Mary Carmen Morales. The child was not breathing, and all efforts to revive him proved fruitless.
Questioned by authorities, Morales said she had taken sleeping pills, and Arroliga, a tattoo artist, admitted that he "smoked, drank and occasionally indulged in the use of illegal drugs," specifically marijuana. But the investigation "did not address any of these issues with either parent," an assessment of the DCF's actions deduced later. The probe was closed without the parents having been tested for drugs and with no follow-up interviews with the couple.
DCF's legal department concluded that there was "no legal sufficiency to warrant judicial intervention" on behalf of the surviving children — Ivan's twin sister and two older brothers. Morales and her older children had been offered services in 2002 as a result of prior investigations, but the details were redacted.
Morales gave birth to another child, a girl, 11 months after Ivan died. ","perpfirstname":"Mary","perpmiddlename":"Carmen","perplastname":"Morales","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Carlos","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Arroliga","perp2relation":"Father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":8,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kristin","middlename":"Love","lastname":"Adams","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 16, 2006","deathdate":"January 25, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"nassau","county":"Nassau","deathcausereport":"Methadone intoxication","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Kristin Adams died of a lethal dose of methadone in the bed she shared with her parents, who had a history of drug abuse and had previously lost custody of other children after demonstrating an "inability to provide a safe living environment" for their family, a DCF report said.
An autopsy conducted on Jan. 26, 2008, showed that Kristin had died of pulmonary vascular congestion and a lack of oxygen to the brain. Since it could not be determined how the methadone got into her body, her mother, Brandy Love Edwards, was charged with child neglect and not with the more serious charge of child abuse. Edwards served three years imprisonment at Lowell Correctional Institution, and after her release was placed under community supervision.
Edwards' prior criminal history included arrests on charges such as burglary, grand theft, possession of marijuana, leaving the scene of an accident and violating probation. Kristin's father, Mark Eric Adams, was not charged in Kristin's death.
Her parents had been the subject of about a dozen prior reports to the DCF abuse-and-neglect hotline; many of the reports contained allegations of drug abuse. From 2004 until Kristin's death four years later, the girl's mother reportedly had used marijuana and cocaine; Kristin's father allegedly abused marijuana, LSD, and cocaine. Among the allegations, one of the parents was selling marijuana and giving the drug "as payment for babysitting."
Kristin's father allegedly had beaten one of the children with a belt, and Kristin reportedly was living with a young man accused of of sexual abuse.
When found, Kristin had a bruise on her forehead and several roach bites. A detective reported that the home was a mess, with no food in the refrigerator. ","perpfirstname":"Brandy","perpmiddlename":"Love","perplastname":"Edwards","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"Convicted of child neglect.","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":9,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Malachi","middlename":"James","lastname":"Jackson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 31, 2004","deathdate":"January 30, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"3","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Malachi Jackson had been sick all day, nursing a fever and refusing liquids. While his mother, Sierra Freeman, was at work, the boy vomited and soiled his clothing. His stepfather, a registered sex offender named John Edward Bradford who had been arrested 28 times in Florida, gave him a bath. Bradford said later that he had left the bathroom for 30 seconds to change Malachi's half-sister's diaper and fix her a bottle. That was all the time it took, Bradford claimed, for Malachi to drown on the day before his fourth birthday.
But a medical review of his death said that it "would have taken several minutesʺ for the drowning to have occurred, and that "a sick child Malachi's age should not have been left unattended in a bathtub for a period sufficiently long for him to drown.ʺ
Four times in Malachi's short life, DCF had opened investigations into his welfare after receiving allegations that Bradford was sexually and physically abusing him, that he was withholding food from the boy and was forcing him to sleep on the floor or out on the porch.
Case files described Bradford's alleged abuse, including reports that he had kicked, punched and thrown him across the room. In 2007, Malachi's half-sister told a child-abuse investigator that she had watched Bradford "hang Malachi on a doorknob by his shirt, while he punched him,ʺ according to a file entry. On another occasion, the girl said, Bradford "took Malachi's pool floats offʺ while the boy was swimming and "watched him sink and cry while laughing at him.ʺ
But the child's death review noted later that despite a pattern of suspected abuse, collaborated by relatives, none of the prior investigations had verified the accusations. The probe into the boy's death ascribed it to neglect and inadequate supervision, and said the drowning "was clearly preventable by the stepfather.ʺ No charges were filed.
Bradford's prior arrest record includes charges of sexual assault, sexual battery, lewd and lascivious behavior toward a minor, aggravated assault with a weapon, criminal mischief, domestic violence, making harassing phone calls, fraud, burglary, drug possession, and several offenses related to exploiting elderly people.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Stepfather","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":10,"docindex":72,"firstname":"Jean","middlename":"Pierre","lastname":"Tillman","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 11, 2007","deathdate":"February 3, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"6 mos.","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Jean-Pierre Tillman was 3 months old, his father, Gregory Tillman, was arrested and charged with beating the boy's mother. In the wake of that incident, the woman, Sonia Lugo, signed a "safety plan" promising to avoid domestic violence and to protect her infant son from his father.
But on Feb. 3, 2008, the family's DCF file says, Tillman called Lugo and threatened to "send the baby to the hospital" if she did not return home from her job at a flea market. Lugo did not come back immediately, and Jean-Pierre paid the price.
Enraged by the boy's cries, Tillman shook and beat his son to death, leaving knuckle marks on the infant's cheeks, the documents show.
DCF investigators later said that Jean-Pierre most likely was crying because someone had burned him with a hot object such as a curling iron.
Tillman, whose street name is "Bad News," is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.","perpfirstname":"Gregory","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Tillman","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":11,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Thalia","middlename":"","lastname":"Ortiz","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 20, 1996","deathdate":"February 6, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"11","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Heart rejection","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Thalia Ortiz had a heart transplant in May 2004, when she was almost 8 years old. At first, her mother, Jennifer Martinez, was diligent about taking Thalia to a doctor who checked regularly for signs that her body might be rejecting the new organ, as well as for other potential complications.
In January 2008, however, DCF was informed that Martinez had missed taking her daughter to at least three appointments in the previous two months — on one occasion because she was sleeping — and had not rescheduled any of them. Nor had Martinez refilled prescriptions for Thalia's medications. The report noted that Martinez, 31, had a history of drug abuse and emotional problems and had "previous DCF involvement."
A week after that report was logged, Thalia was taken to a hospital complaining of abdominal pain. She later suffered a seizure and died despite "aggressive resuscitative measures." It was later determined that the girl's immune system had rejected the heart that had been in her body for four years.
A Child Protection Team doctor said later that there were "indicators of medical neglect" and "non-compliance" with doctors' recommendations in Martinez's care of Thalia.
Martinez had three surviving children, the eldest of whom had never lived with her. As far back as 2000, a DCF report said that she "had problems with the responsibility of taking the children to the doctor," she "slept most of the time" because of heavy marijuana use and that, "due to her immaturity, she needed help from the department." She did not get much, even after repeated reports that she was violent and careless.
A 2002 report to DCF said that Martinez "physically and mentally abuses the children," and would beat them with belts and pull their hair "when she gets frustrated with them." Martinez was described as having "a history of hitting Thalia" in particular, and because of the physical abuse Thalia told a DCF investigator in 2001 that she was "very afraid" of her mother.
One of Thalia's sisters was observed with bruises and abrasions on her face, injuries that her mother explained by saying the girl had fallen down a staircase. Even so, investigations were typically concluded with little or no "indicators" of mental injury, medical neglect or drug exposure.
In 2002, Thalia — who had not yet received her new heart — was said to have chronic asthma, a problem she'd had for a year, but a report said her mother "hasn't taken her to the doctor."
An assessment of the department's handling of the family said there was "very limited justification documented on the closure of the maltreatments" — meaning that the abuse cases were closed without solid reasoning — and that very few people close to the family had been interviewed to verify the allegations about how the children were being treated. ","perpfirstname":"Jennifer","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Martinez","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":12,"docindex":134,"firstname":"Kenneth","middlename":"","lastname":"Paulk","suffix":"III","gender":"male","birthdate":"May 29, 1991","deathdate":"February 8, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"16","countycode":"desoto","county":"DeSoto","deathcausereport":"Intoxication with alprazolam and methadone","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"DCF's history with the Paulk family began in 1999, and continued until Kenneth's death. His younger brother had overdosed on his parents' drugs four times, and almost died.
The day before Kenneth's fatal overdose of methadone and an anti-anxiety drug, a caseworker noticed that his "eyes were barely open and bloodshot." The caseworker did not take action.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":13,"docindex":8,"firstname":"Tameah","middlename":"","lastname":"Bines","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"redacted","deathdate":"February 14, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"less than 1","countycode":"leon","county":"Leon","deathcausereport":"Multiple blunt traumatic injuries","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Darren Bines was serving time in a prison for juveniles while he awaited the birth of his daughter, Tameah. Although the case files do not specify why Bines had been incarcerated, they are clear about this: Bines had "anger problems."
DCF caseworkers were told that Bines had "a baby on the way," indicating that they might have surmised the newborn would be in danger, but a report said the agency's investigators took no action to protect Tameah from her father once he was released from confinement. A review of her death said simply that it was "not known" whether the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice typically provided counseling or other services to prospective fathers who might pose a threat to their infants.
On Feb. 14, 2008, Bines attacked his infant daughter, authorities said, leaving traumatic injuries to her head and brain, lip, nose, five ribs, upper and lower legs, and back. She died from "multiple blunt traumatic injuries."
Bines was returned to prison, this time to the Holmes Correctional Institution, where he is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. ","perpfirstname":"Darren","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bines","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"aggravated child abuse, first degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":14,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Sabrina","middlename":"","lastname":"Henderson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 12, 2007","deathdate":"February 16, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"6 mos.","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia due to wedging between mattress and wall","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Six-month-old Sabrina Henderson suffocated when she became wedged between an adult mattress and a wall.
Sabrina's mother, Katrina Henderson, said later that she had placed the infant on the mattress in a room away from the adults because friends had come over to play cards, and she was afraid that "loud talking" would awaken the baby.
An investigator observed "several beer cans in the trash and on the kitchen counter." Neither Henderson nor Michael Branthoover, the girl's father, agreed to submit to a drug test, and friends who were at the home that night declined to speak with an investigator.
The family had been the subject of seven reports to DCF's hotline. The details of all of those investigations were redacted from a review of Sabrina's death.","perpfirstname":"Katrina","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Henderson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":15,"docindex":20,"firstname":"Joshua","middlename":"","lastname":"Jenkins","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 19, 2001","deathdate":"February 18, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"6","countycode":"lee","county":"Lee","deathcausereport":"Lacerations of liver due to blunt force trauma to abdomen","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"On more than one occasion, Joshua Jenkins showed up at school with broken bones, gashes and bruising. His parents, Rebecca and Phillipe Gayle, had explanations for every injury: He broke his arm jumping on a bed. He bruised his face and chest at the dentist's office. He gashed his head when he ran into a wall.
Through three separate investigations sparked by the expressed fears of Joshua's teachers, DCF investigators accepted every explanation. They believed his parents even as Joshua disclosed to child-abuse experts on the Department of Health's Child Protection Team that his stepfather, Phillipe Gayle, was the one hurting him.
In the fall of 2006, when Joshua arrived at school with purple bruises on his arm, ear, chin, neck and head, he told authorities that "Daddy did it." Joshua's teachers told DCF that the boy, who had a severe speech impairment and was considered developmentally disabled, appeared to be afraid of his mother and stepfather, and that he did not want to go home after school.
"There is no suspected abuse of any kind toward Joshua," an investigator wrote in October 2006 as the agency closed an investigation without taking action to protect the boy. DCF encouraged the Gayles to complain to their local school board that Joshua's teachers were harassing them. Meanwhile, the abuse continued.
On Feb. 18, 2008, Gayle woke up to find Joshua had wet the bed the two were sharing. The boy ended up bleeding to death from the beating that ensued, with multiple bruises and marks on his face, head and rib cage, bite marks on his feet, and blunt-force trauma to the abdomen, diaphragm, lungs, and liver.
Gayle insisted during a long interrogation by police that he had not been bothered by Joshua's accident. He said the boy had been injured during horseplay, and had fallen into Gayle's closed fist after being tossed into the air.
"I assure you I've never lost my temper with Josh," said Gayle, who is serving a 30-year sentence for aggravated manslaughter at Calhoun Correctional Institution.","perpfirstname":"Phillipe","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Gayle","perprelation":"StepFather","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":16,"docindex":null,"firstname":"David","middlename":"","lastname":"Carter","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 12, 2006","deathdate":"February 20, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Two-year-old David Carter drowned in a swimming pool one week after a prior report of inadequate supervision was closed. He apparently wandered through an unsecured sliding glass door while his parents were asleep.
The prior episode involved a similar allegation, that the children had the run of the home while the adults slept. The parents were warned to take better steps to supervise and protect their children, but no services were provided. ","perpfirstname":"A","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ramirez","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"neglect resulting in great bodily harm","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":17,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Zane","middlename":"Aaron","lastname":"Stubbs","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 4, 2004","deathdate":"February 23, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"3","countycode":"highlands","county":"Highlands","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Zane Stubbs drowned in a pool so filthy that the water was black. A sheriff's department diver swam through the muck, finding his body face down in the deep end of the pool.
The 3-year-old had last been seen by family members on his tricycle in the carport. His siblings rode off on their bikes, leaving him alone, as his parents discussed their recent separation on the front porch. There was no fence around the pool.
A year earlier, DCF had received a report that the children in the double-wide trailer had been dirty and unsupervised for months, and that one of them, a 7-year-old, had ridden a bike into traffic and almost been killed.
That investigation was closed two months later with "no indicators of inadequate supervision and environmental hazards," and with no recommendation for family assistance. The parents, however, signed a safety plan in which they promised to better supervise the children.","perpfirstname":"Devin","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Stubbs","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Jonathan","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Stubbs","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":18,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Tyler","middlename":"","lastname":"Rodgers","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 17, 2006","deathdate":"March 9, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound to face","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"After being robbed, Dontavious Rodgers bought a handgun and placed it between the mattress and the box spring of his bed. That was where his son, Tyler, who was almost 2, found it on March 9, 2008.
Rodgers had fallen asleep while the two were lying in bed watching television, according to a report. Rodgers awoke to find Tyler holding the gun. "All I'm thinking is to get this gun from my son," he told police. As Rodgers tried to grab the weapon, it went off, and Tyler was shot in the face, the bullet piercing his brain.
Police later found an "unknown white residue," as well as a "green leafy substance," among Rodgers' possessions, items they believed to be cocaine and marijuana. Rodgers was a crack dealer, the medical examiner wrote, and the boy's autopsy showed he had cocaine in his system.
Rodgers pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter of a child and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and he is serving a 13-year sentence at the Liberty South prison.
In 2006, DCF was told that Tyler was living with his mother in a home with other children, along with an unidentified male, who babysat the children frequently. The report said the male attempted suicide, took alcohol and drugs and "had sex with little boys." The male was undergoing counseling, report said. DCF determined the children were "being properly supervised" by the family.","perpfirstname":"Dontavious","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Rodgers","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter of a child, and possession of a firearm by a felon — received 13.5 years","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":19,"docindex":36,"firstname":"Krystal","middlename":"","lastname":"Cain","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 27, 2004","deathdate":"March 16, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"4","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Smoke inhalation","deathcause":"smoke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Krystal Cain's charred body was found in a closet, where she had evidently taken refuge from the fire that was consuming her mother's home. The 4-year-old girl burned to death after her mother, reeking of alcohol, had escaped the advancing flames without first trying to save Krystal and two of her siblings, according to witnesses' statements to police. The siblings survived, although Krystal's twin sister suffered burns over 50 percent of her body.
Caseworkers said the children's mother, Robin Cain, was a longtime drug user with a history of neglecting her children. Documents in the family's DCF files assert that she used drugs and alcohol while pregnant with Krystal and her twin sister. A vodka drinker with a fondness for cocaine, the files say, Cain maintained a filthy house, allowed her children to stink of urine, and would lock the kids in their bedrooms at night with a deadbolt to keep them from wandering. At one point, Krystal's teenage half-sister moved out of the apartment "because of her mother's drinking," a hotline report said.
The children had been the subject of 10 abuse and neglect reports before Krystal's death, and at one point DCF caseworkers had Cain sign a safety plan stipulating that she clean the apartment, but it did not address her drug and alcohol use and frequent relapses. Eventually, Cain's substance-abuse issues resulted in the children being placed with their father, Robert Cain.
One weekend, he allowed the three younger ones to stay with their mother, unsupervised, and that was when the apartment burst into flames. Cain's 5-year-old son told investigators that as the fire took hold he found his mother passed out in a bathroom and could not rouse her. Neighbors told police that when Cain got out of the dwelling she called for someone to summon firefighters, but made no effort herself to retrieve the children. A neighbor reportedly rescued one child from the inferno. Firefighters found the other two, but Krystal was already dead.
The cause of Krystal's death, an autopsy concluded, was smoke inhalation with "near-total body charring."
A Daytona Beach police officer who went to the hospital after Krystal was taken there said Cain smelled strongly of alcohol and appeared to be intoxicated. Cain told police she had been drinking that night. Four days later, Cain was given a drug test after a court hearing and tested positive for marijuana.
DCF administrators blamed Krystal's death on neglect, inadequate supervision and Cain's alcohol abuse, but she was not charged criminally because of "insufficient evidence." Fire investigators determined that the fire had been sparked by a child playing with a lighter.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":20,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ivoryana","middlename":"","lastname":"Bivins","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 17, 2007","deathdate":"March 18, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"unknown","county":"Unknown","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Titiana Kincade was 15 years old when she gave birth to her first child. Four years later, she had Ivoryana, who lived only three months.
On March 18, 2008, Kincade lay down on a couch with the newborn and fell asleep. About an hour later, a neighbor arrived, took in the scene, and yelled, "Wake up! Wake up! There's something wrong with the baby!" Ivoryana Bivins had died of positional asphyxia — smothered by her mother's weight — despite the fact that Kincade had received instruction on safe-sleeping practices from a social worker.
The family's extensive prior history with DCF was redacted from files provided to the Herald. The father of the two children was incarcerated at the time of Ivoryana's death. ","perpfirstname":"Titiana","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Kincade","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":21,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Aliya","middlename":"","lastname":"Towell","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 28, 2008","deathdate":"March 18, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"7 weeks","countycode":"unknown","county":"Unknown","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Aliya Towell suffocated in her playpen when she was almost 6 weeks old. She had been in the care of her 21-year-old father, Craig Towell, during the day while her mother was working.
Towell told authorities that he had checked on the baby three times over the course of nine hours, without touching her or picking her up to feed her, and assumed that she was asleep. He said she had not moved in all that time. Finally, when he went to change Aliya's diaper, he noticed that she was not breathing. Half an hour later, he dialed 911.
A report on the matter said only that there was "no explanation" for the half-hour delay. Aliya had been dead for several hours when paramedics got to her, since lividity had already set in.
Aliya was born premature. Her mother, Amber Lacey — who noted that the baby was normally fed every two to three hours — acknowledged she had missed follow-up doctors' appointments, on one occasion because she had gotten into a fight with her parents, with whom they were living.
The family's prior history with the department — specifically a 2006 report involving an older child — was redacted, and no services were provided at the time. ","perpfirstname":"Craig","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Towell","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":22,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jose","middlename":"","lastname":"Cabrera","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 10, 2007","deathdate":"March 22, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Smothering","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On the night Jose Cabrera died, he was lying on a bed with his 26-year-old mother, a 6-year-old sister and his great-grandmother, who was 62. They all fell asleep while watching a movie on television. Jose's mother, who told authorities she had taken prescription drugs that night, awoke some seven hours later to find Jose with a pillow over his face. He was pale, and his lips and tongue had turned purple. He could not be resuscitated.
The older woman told authorities that the family "used to have a crib for Jose" but that it had been dismantled because the boy "preferred to sleep with his mother and sister." Jose's death was declared accidental.
A report to DCF's abuse hotline in 2006, the year before Jose was born, said his mother used drugs, including Xanax bars, cocaine and marijuana, "on an ongoing basis." The hotline report said there was concern for the safety of her daughter, then 4, who "had access to her mother's drugs" and who was sometimes driven around by her mother — her name was redacted — while she was "stoned out of her mind."
At the time of Jose's birth in November 2007, his mother was found to have no drugs in her system, and she explained to a caseworker that she had tested positive on previous occasions only because she had been "bagging and packaging cocaine for her boyfriend, who was a drug dealer," a DCF document said.
On two occasions in 2007, the agency's files show, investigators attempted to file dependency petitions, but an agency lawyer told them there was insufficient cause to take such action. The case file that had been opened for Jose's birth was closed 10 weeks before his death with "verified findings of threatened harm and substance misuse." ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Cabrera","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":23,"docindex":28,"firstname":"Hailie","middlename":"Francine","lastname":"Caples","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 20, 2006","deathdate":"March 23, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"osceola","county":"Osceola","deathcausereport":"Head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Hailie Caples was 16 months old, she and her two brothers were removed by DCF from the care of their mother, Hettie Caples, after she had been arrested for child abuse and neglect. The children were sent to live with their father, Edward Caples, despite earlier allegations to DCF that he had hit at least one of the boys countless times with a belt, causing bleeding, welts and bruises.
Three days after they had been placed with their father, the children were moved again, into foster care, after caseworkers noticed that Caples had been implicated in prior allegations of sexual abuse. Three months later, the children were back with their father, who had also been arrested for domestic violence after an incident involving his girlfriend, Terri Fiorino.
On March 21, 2008, while Caples was at work, Fiorino was watching Hailie when, she said, the child fell out of her crib. Neighbors said the thud was so loud that it could be heard from outside. Hailie died two days later from severe head trauma, and had sustained retinal hemorrhaging and other injuries.
An autopsy found that Hallie's injuries were not the result of a fall from a crib and that the wounds were days or weeks old, suggesting sustained abuse over a period of time. Her death was declared a homicide, but an investigation failed to determine who had inflicted the fatal blows. An investigative report said that Fiorino had "provided four different stories" about how Hailie came to be injured.","perpfirstname":"Terri","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Fiorino","perprelation":"StepMother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Edward","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Caples","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":24,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kerri","middlename":"Anne-Marie","lastname":"Newton","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 11, 2008","deathdate":"March 29, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2 weeks","countycode":"santarosa","county":"Santa Rosa","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia due to overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Kerri Anne-Marie Newton lived 18 days. On March 29, 2008, her mother awoke to find the newborn "blue, limp and not breathing," the DCF report said. Kerri's parents had placed her in a bed between them, and her mother, Kimberly Ann Montford, told investigators she "laid the baby on her chest and arm." An autopsy concluded the couple accidentally smothered the newborn. Both parents, a report said, had been using drugs: Montford and the girl's father, Samuel Dean Newton, tested positive for marijuana, opiates and benzodiazepines.
Montford had been the subject of four prior reports to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline, a report said, mostly involving allegations of substance abuse and domestic violence by her boyfriends. Records obtained by the Herald in court showed that, before the girl was born, Newton had been arrested for hitting Montford in the mouth and for kicking out a car's "entire windshield." Newton told police he could not remember the domestic violence incident because "he had consumed 20 beers that night."
The last report was received while Montford was pregnant with Kerri, and, at the time, Newton "refused to take a drug test and admitted he would test positive for marijuana," according to a review of Kerri's death.
The document concluded that, despite DCF's six-year history with the family, and the agency's knowledge of the couple's extensive abuse of drugs and alcohol, Kerri's death could have been prevented only by her parents, if they had "not slept with the infant while taking drugs."","perpfirstname":"Kimberly ","perpmiddlename":"Ann","perplastname":"Montford","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Samuel","perp2middlename":"Dean","perp2lastname":"Newton","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":25,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jada","middlename":"","lastname":"Cruz","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 23, 2005","deathdate":"April 2, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"osceola","county":"Osceola","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Everyone at Jada Cruz's grandparents' home thought someone else was keeping track of the girl when she wandered through a sliding-glass door and into the backyard pool. She was not quite 3 years old when she drowned.
The family had been the subject of one prior abuse report to DCF, the previous year. It was prompted by a fight between Jada's parents, during which the girl's mother, Carolina Cruz, crashed into her ex's car while their children were in his car.
She was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, but DCF files show that she refused to meet with a child-welfare investigator without a lawyer present. No such meeting occurred and no services were provided. ","perpfirstname":"Susanna","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Moor","perprelation":"Grandmother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":26,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Veda","middlename":"Jade","lastname":"Van Cleave","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 14, 2007","deathdate":"April 8, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"One-year-old Veda Van Cleave was rushed to a hospital with injuries she had sustained in a fall on a bathroom floor, according to her mother's boyfriend, Shane George, who was babysitting her.
Veda's injuries included a fracture on the back of her head, blood clots in the skull and bleeding in the brain, along with blunt-force wounds to her abdomen and extremities — none of them consistent with a fall, her autopsy showed. Veda remained on life-support for several days before she died on April 8, 2008. Her death was ruled a homicide. George, who had a long criminal history, was arrested and charged with her murder. A jury acquitted him in December 2009.
The first time Veda came to DCF's attention was the previous year, when she was 7 months old. The agency was told that the child's 18-year-old mother smoked marijuana and that her 21-year-old father drank alcohol, both in front of the baby, and that they had put beer in her bottle for her to drink. The parents tested negative for drugs and the investigation was closed. "The baby has suffered no known harm from the actions of the parents, but is at risk," a DCF investigator wrote.
A review of the child's death, and of the agency's own handling of the family, said it was unclear whether a "more thorough investigation" in 2007, Veda's first year of life, "might have revealed better insight into the dynamics of the mother's home and who was in a caregiving role for Veda."","perpfirstname":"Shane","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"George","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"no","perpcharges":"murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":27,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Antoine","middlename":"","lastname":"Powell","suffix":"Jr.","gender":"male","birthdate":"November 10, 2007","deathdate":"April 15, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Complications of blunt trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Antoine Powell's two older sisters were "extremely aggressive children" who "abused and tortured their infant brother," a police report said after his death.
Both girls acknowledged that one of them had dropped the 5-month-old boy on the floor, an act "done on purpose because Antoine would not stop crying," the document said. The other girl, a report said, then "dragged him across the floor by his left arm."
Investigators concluded that the abuse often took place after their 30-year-old mother, Cynthia Calleia, who, according to a report to DCF, "ignored the children on a regular basis," had left their filthy, "hazardous" motel room and was outside smoking, chatting or "doing other activities."
The investigation revealed that Calleia's eldest girl, who was 9 years old at the time, had long-standing mental health problems and had shown repeated displays of cruelty, including abusive behavior toward another sibling, also a boy, whom she once admitted trying to kill.
Calleia was said to leave her children with various caregivers whom she had known only a short time, and to sometimes allow "complete strangers to move into her home."
Interviews by the St. Petersburg police showed that Calleia was likely aware of some of Antoine's injuries at least four days before she sought help for him. "It wasn't until Ms. Calleia observed a lump on Antoine's motionless left arm that she decided to seek medical attention," the child-abuse report said, noting that Antoine "would have been in severe pain given the extent of his injuries."
On March 17, 2008, the boy was hospitalized and treated for two broken arms, two broken legs, five fractured ribs and other wounds. Doctors determined that some of the fractures were at least 10 days old. Antoine developed a staph infection from the injuries and it later turned into sepsis. He died on April 15, 2008, his mother at his side.
Calleia's three other children were removed from her care, and five months after Antoine's death she was arrested and charged with the aggravated manslaughter of a child. She faced 30 years in prison, but was able to plead to the lesser charge of child abuse, which made her subject to a term of two years.
The family's history with DCF was lengthy, with seven reports filed, the first in 2002. Although most of the details were redacted, it appears there were efforts to deal with mental health issues at least twice. There was also a physical-abuse allegation in 2005 against a boyfriend of Calleia's, although DCF's legal staff determined there was "no legal sufficiency" for a court's intervention.
Prison records say Calleia's right arm displays a tattoo: "In loving memory of Antoine."","perpfirstname":"Cynthia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Calleia","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child. Calleia pleaded guilty to simple child abuse, and was released after serving a two-year sentence.","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":28,"docindex":127,"firstname":"Darius","middlename":"","lastname":"Clark","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 18, 2006","deathdate":"April 18, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Oxycodone and cocaine overdose","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Darius Clark, who was not yet 2, died with enough oxycodone and cocaine in his system to kill an adult. That is the conclusion a medical examiner reached during an autopsy after the toddler was found stiff and unresponsive by his mother on the morning of April 18, 2008.
But there was trouble in the family well before then. DCF records show the boy's father, Vincent Clark, was a violent felon who beat the boy's mother, Toccara Nobles, and once inflicted a pistol-whipping on her that required emergency hospital care. Another beating required stitches. She agreed to attend domestic violence counseling but did not. She also signed a safety plan agreeing to have no contact with Clark and get a restaining order. Despite that promise, Clark spent the night with Nobles on the night Darius died.
More than once, Nobles had begun the process of seeking restraining orders against Clark, but never followed through.
Although the family had been declared high-risk, DCF lawyers determined in March — about a month before the toddler's death — there was no justification to take legal action.
The death review urged that a process be set up to resolve differences when staff and lawyers disagree on the threat to a child. Neither parent could explain how Darius was exposed to or ingested the drugs, and both were charged with neglecting a child causing great bodily harm.","perpfirstname":"Toccara","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Nobles","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"child neglect causing great harm.","perp2firstname":"Vincent","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Clark","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":"child neglect causing great harm."}, {"dataid":29,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jesse","middlename":"","lastname":"Harper","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 30, 1994","deathdate":"April 18, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"13","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Massive head injuries (auto accident)","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"On March 12, 2008, DCF received a report that Jesse's mother, Angela Harper, was "drinking to excess," using drugs, and risking her children's safety.
Harper denied that she had a drinking problem, and tested negative for illegal drugs. She told an investigator she was receiving counseling for her drinking, and that she drank only after her children were in bed. DCF closed that investigation — along with five others since 2000 that involved allegations of domestic violence, child abuse and drug and alcohol abuse — without taking action.
On April 18, 2008, Harper went for a drive in her Saturn hatchback at about 1 a.m. with her boyfriend and five children. One of the seven passengers was her son, 13-year-old Jesse.
Harper was traveling 100 miles per hour, swerving in traffic, drinking beer and snorting "white stuff" while taking her hands off the wheel, the surviving children later said. She was the only occupant wearing a seatbelt. When she slammed into a guardrail on Interstate 295, most of the children were ejected. Jesse suffered massive head trauma and died at the scene.
Harper, one of the children said later, had given the children beer to drink too. She was charged with a list of offenses, including DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was given a nine-year prison sentence. ","perpfirstname":"Angela","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Harper","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, 3 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, five counts of violating seatbelt law, and one count of open container","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":30,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Keegan","middlename":"Andrew","lastname":"Beasley","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 6, 2005","deathdate":"April 22, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"walton","county":"Walton","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Keegan Beasley was just 5 weeks old, social workers began noticing that he lacked the most basic care. "The child is always dirty and he smells," a hotline report said. "His clothes are not washed and he has black spots on his legs because he is not clean." There were roaches in his diaper bag and in the car seat in which he spent most of his time. Roaches were so prevalent that an investigator suggested the trailer home be torn down.
When Keegan was about 8 months old, his mother, Brittney Beasley, tested positive for cocaine, and her boyfriend, Marvin Nelson, was described as "smoking crack in the home in the presence of the child," according to allegations presented to DCF. The mother would continue to use drugs even though she always denied it, according to those allegations. But a DCF assessment "could not say that the mother's usage has had any negative impact on the care the child receives," and risk to Keegan was assessed as "low" when the case was closed on July 22, 2007.
Nine months later, Keegan drowned in a clay pit behind his home. No one had been watching him. His birth father, Joshua Brase, who lived elsewhere but moved in the same circles, told police that Nelson had purchased $40 worth of crack two hours before the boy's body was found in the pit. ","perpfirstname":"Brittney","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Beasley","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Mavin","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Nelson","perp2relation":"paramour","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":31,"docindex":47,"firstname":"Kaylie","middlename":"","lastname":"McDonald","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 7, 2006","deathdate":"April 23, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Sudden unexpected death","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Two months before Kaylie McDonald died, her parents were under the influence of narcotics when they turned up at a Broward County pain clinic, according to police who questioned them there.
An officer wrote in a report that Kaylie's father, whose name was redacted, "had been driving with the child in the car in this condition." A report about the incident was closed with "some indication" of substance misuse but "no indication" that Kaylie was being inadequately supervised. The family was referred to and accepted services from Kids in Distress.
Five days later, Kaylie was found dead in her mother's bed of undetermined causes.
Four months before her death, Kaylie had been in a car with her parents when it was involved in an accident. Both parents were injured, but the girl was unscathed. Her father said he was not under the influence of drugs on that occasion, but there is no record that he was tested. ","perpfirstname":"Amanda","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Murphy","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":32,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Deriona","middlename":"","lastname":"Nichols","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 20, 2007","deathdate":"April 24, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"7 mos.","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Probable Dextromethorphan toxicity","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The Nichols family first came to DCF's attention in January 2008, as the first of three child abuse reports. On Jan. 15, the agency learned that Deriona Nichols and her twin sister, then three months old, had bruises on their necks and faces and bleeding in the whites of their eyes.
Their mother, Sadina Day, claimed Deriona's injuries were caused by sleeping on her pacifier. But DCF found the injuries inconsistent with Day's explanation, and the babies were placed with their maternal grandmother.
During court-ordered supervision, the family was "uncooperative," DCF said. Despite that, they were returned to their parents' custody in March. On April 14, Day's car crashed. Deriona, who was strapped in her car seat in the front passenger seat, was smacked in the forehead when the airbag deployed.
While the crash was still under investigation and despite verified reports of prior child abuse, a Miami-Dade judge, over DCF's objections, terminated court-ordered supervision. The charges were dismissed against the family, and the babies were allowed to remain with their mother and father, Derrick Nichols.
Three days later, on April 24, Deroina was found dead in her crib.
The medical examiner ruled she died from a fatal dose of an over-the-counter cough medicine. DCF said her father admitted he gave it to the infant for a cold, despite warnings on the label that the medicine was harmful to children under five years old. Her sister was removed from her parents custody after the death.
DCF concluded that the agency made "a concerted effort to maintain and stabilize the family," but the judge took the case out of their hands.","perpfirstname":"Sadina","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Day","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Derrick","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Nichols","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":33,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Lexi","middlename":"","lastname":"McDougall","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 5, 2008","deathdate":"May 3, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"SIDS","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Lexi McDougall's mother had a big problem with alcohol and drugs. Lexi's father — the parents' names were redacted from DCF files — admitted after the girl's death that he knew the mother was an alcoholic and a drug user and had seen her drink heavily around Lexi and her sister, who was 28 months older.
DCF had twice written reports detailing the woman's abuse of substances before Lexi died at 2 months of age, apparently smothered under her mother's sleeping body. The first was in 2005, when drugs were found in her system at the time she gave birth to her first daughter. She agreed to take part in a Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies program and a parenting class, but no one noted whether she followed through.
The second was in 2007, when she was pregnant with Lexi and was reported to have been smoking marijuana and drinking "until intoxicated." She denied using drugs but did admit to "drinking a couple of beers." An investigator made arrangements for her to take a drug test but she missed an appointment and there was no word on whether it was ever conducted. Nevertheless, that report was closed with "no indicators" for substance abuse.
On May 3, 2008, a friend of the family arrived at the house in which they were staying and saw Lexi's mother, who was sleeping on a couch with a boyfriend, lying on top of the child. The friend immediately roused the woman. "When the mother was awoken, she lit a cigarette rather than attend to the baby," a DCF account of the incident said. The mother "then went to get something to drink and returned to the living room," the report went on. "It was only then that the mother turned around and attended to her child, who was apparently wedged into and facing the couch." Lexi was "light blue and cold to the touch."
The report said there were "36 beers, vodka and tequila on the table" next to where she had been sleeping. Lexi's father, who had been at the house the previous evening, "knew that the mother was drinking excessively and did nothing to protect the minor children," the report said.
Lexi was taken to Broward General Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Later that day, when the mother was interviewed by a child-abuse investigator, she was "visibly impaired," walked unsteadily, slurred her words and reeked of alcohol. She "spoke incoherently and could not give an explanation as to what had happened," and was then informed that her older child had been removed from her care.
The woman was scheduled to appear in court the following day. She did not show up. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":34,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Cortez","middlename":"","lastname":"Williams","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 27, 2005","deathdate":"May 3, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Closed head injury","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Cortez Williams was almost 2 1/2 years old when his mother, Shantez Williams, "lost it" and beat him with a belt and a shoe for 15 minutes "because he would not sit down" and behave, she told investigators. During the assault, Cortez "fell twice and hit his head," Williams said in an attempt at explaining the bleeding in his brain.
A physician who tried to save the boy at Wolfson Children's Hospital in Jacksonville said it was the "worst case of child abuse" he had seen. A DCF investigator observed "marks and bruises throughout" Cortez's body, as well as a hand print on his face, a knot on the back of his head, marks on his back that appeared to have been caused by a belt, and "several open wounds on his buttocks." Cortez, who was placed on a life-support system, also had severe eczema on his legs, indicating neglect.
He never recovered consciousness, and died three days after being admitted to the hospital. As it turned out, an investigation determined that the head injuries that had killed Cortez were inflicted not by his 17-year-old mother but by her boyfriend, Jerel Q. Mitchell, in whose care the boy had been for two days before medical help was summoned. Although Williams had indeed beaten her son — reportedly a regular occurrence — it was Mitchell who delivered the fatal blows several days later, police said.
Interviewed by investigators, Mitchell suggested that Cortez had simply become ill in his custody, saying the boy "had a funny look on his face, as if something was wrong with him." Even as Cortez "grew more and more unresponsive" over the course of a few hours, Mitchell failed to seek medical assistance for him. Asked why he had not summoned medical help, he said he "did not think to do that."
He eventually got on the phone with the boy's mother and asked her whether Cortez ever "played dead when he was sick," and Williams said he did not. Even so, it took her about four hours to show up to check on her son, and another 45 minutes or so for someone to call an ambulance.
A few weeks after the boy's death, Mitchell was questioned by a detective and he explained that Cortez had fallen and "hit the back of his head on the edge of a metal tub" while he was washing the boy. A deeper investigation yielded enough evidence to arrest Mitchell almost a year later. He was ultimately convicted of the aggravated manslaughter of a child and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
An older boy was permanently removed from Williams' custody, and she was sentenced to a year in prison after being convicted of aggravated child abuse in her treatment of Cortez.
Williams had an extensive DCF history as a victim when she was a child, and there was a report — partially redacted — that suggests her older son had been sexually abused by a boyfriend. An assessment of the agency's performance said no services were offered to the family and that no one had contacted DCF to report concern about Williams' treatment of Cortez. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"paramour","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":35,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Heather","middlename":"Savanna","lastname":"Freiberg","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 1, 2005","deathdate":"May 11, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"3","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Cut wound of neck","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"No one knows why Edward Allen Covington, a former prison guard, slaughtered and mutilated Zachary Freiberg, 7, his sister Heather, 3, their mother, Lisa Freiberg, and their dog on Mother's Day in 2008. Covington had met 26-year-old Lisa Freiberg only a few months earlier on the Internet, and he moved in with her soon after.
Freiberg had appeared on DCF's radar in 2005, when the agency received a report that she sometimes left her children alone while she drove around the neighborhood looking for her boyfriend at the time. DCF learned that Freiberg allegedly sold her food stamps to support his crack cocaine habit. The inside of the home was ʺdisgustingʺ and infested with roaches, but Freiberg and her boyfriend tested negative for drugs, the report said. DCF concluded there was no concern for the children's safety.
Covington, who had a history of mental illness, was an admitted crack user who had been arrested in 2005 on animal cruelty charges after Tampa police found three mutilated cats in his home. Covington resigned from the Department of Corrections that same year after he was accused of physically abusing inmates and cited for excessive absenteeism.
In 2007, he was arrested for DUI and drug possession and placed on probation. The Tampa Tribune reported that one day before the murders, a probation officer visited the family's mobile home and found it messy, but there were ʺno problems or concerns," the officer wrote in his report.
Covington was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of abuse of a dead human body and cruelty to animals. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. ","perpfirstname":"Edward","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Covington","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":36,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Zachary","middlename":"","lastname":"Freiberg","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 13, 2001","deathdate":"May 11, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"7","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Stab wounds of neck and back","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"No one knows why Edward Allen Covington, a former prison guard, slaughtered and mutilated Zachary Freiberg, 7, his sister Heather, 3, their mother, Lisa Freiberg, and their dog on Mother's Day in 2008. Covington had met 26-year-old Lisa Freiberg only a few months earlier on the Internet, and he moved in with her soon after.
Freiberg had appeared on DCF's radar in 2005, when the agency received a report that she sometimes left her children alone while she drove around the neighborhood looking for her boyfriend at the time. DCF learned that Freiberg allegedly sold her food stamps to support his crack cocaine habit. The inside of the home was "disgusting" and infested with roaches, but Freiberg and her boyfriend tested negative for drugs, the report said. DCF concluded there was no concern for the children's safety.
Covington, who had a history of mental illness, was an admitted crack user who had been arrested in 2005 on animal cruelty charges after Tampa police found three mutilated cats in his home. Covington resigned from the Department of Corrections that same year after he was accused of physically abusing inmates and cited for excessive absenteeism.
In 2007, he was arrested for DUI and drug possession and placed on probation. The Tampa Tribune reported that one day before the murders, a probation officer visited the family's mobile home and found it messy, but there were "no problems or concerns," the officer wrote in his report.
Covington was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of abuse of a dead human body and cruelty to animals.","perpfirstname":"Edward","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Covington","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"three counts first degree murder, three counts of abuse of a dead body","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":37,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Keirsten","middlename":"Leigh","lastname":"Davis","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 6, 2004","deathdate":"May 17, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"3","countycode":"dixie","county":"Dixie","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Three-year-old Keirsten Davis drowned in a pool in May 2008 when left unsupervised by her grandparents.
Her mother, who had a long history of drug abuse, was in jail on drug charges, and Keirsten's father, a corrections officer, had custody of the toddler. He had left her in the care of his parents for the afternoon and went to work. The grandparents were in the house when another child came running in to tell them that Keirsten was floating in the pool, the report said. The grandfather jumped in, pulled her out and began CPR. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
DCF had investigated the family on four previous occasions, all of them prompted by complaints that the mother, whose name was redacted in the reports by DCF, was using drugs and neglecting her children, including one allegation that she was using crack cocaine while pregnant. The children were placed into protective custody at various times between 2002 and 2007.
Before Keirsten's death, her family's most recent contact with DCF was in January 2007, after complaints that one of the children had been left on the side of a road, and that the mother was suspected of being under the influence of methamphetamines. The woman told an investigator she was not using drugs, but there was no indication in the file that DCF gave her a drug test. She said she had been arrested on drug charges a year earlier and had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. Keirsten was 3 at the time, and DCF noted "no visible signs of abuse or neglect." That investigation was closed with "no indicators of substance misuse." ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":38,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ashante","middlename":"","lastname":"Lawson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 21, 2005","deathdate":"May 21, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"3","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Sepsis","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Ashante Lawson's mother was mentally ill, with frequent episodes of paranoia, unstable behavior and verbal aggressiveness, as well as abundant evidence that she lacked even the most fundamental child-rearing skills, according to her DCF file. Sheila Lawson had been the subject of two DCF reports before Ashante's death; both focused on mental health problems.
In the 2006 case, when Lawson's two children were removed from her care, she refused to cooperate with service providers or attend court hearings, and yet a judge four months later ordered that Ashante and her sibling be returned to their mother, against DCF's wishes. About six weeks after that, in March 2007, a second report referred again to Lawson's "paranoid tendencies," poor-quality childcare abilities and instances of conflict with family members, but DCF closed that investigation with "no findings of inadequate supervision."
The department conceded that there were "child-safety implications due to the mother's mental health," but asserted that the children's grandparents were "meeting the needs of the children."
On May 21, 2008, 3-year-old Ashante was brought to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in great distress, and her mother revealed to doctors that the child had been extremely sick and unresponsive for four days but that no one had sought medical attention for her until that moment. When doctors began treating her, Ashante was suffering from advanced dehydration and had renal and liver failure. She was in hypoglycemic shock and had severe sepsis, jaundice, an enlarged heart and a "declined mental status," and her fingers were clubbing — an indication of a chronic illness. Doctors also determined that she was malnourished and underweight.
That same day, when interviewed by a DCF investigator, Lawson was confrontational. "There is no abuse or neglect," she said. "You guys are all wrong." But a doctor who examined the child after she died the following day noted the delay in seeking medical attention for Ashante and concluded that she was a "victim of chronic medical neglect." It appeared, he said, that she had been "ill for an extended period of time."","perpfirstname":"Sheila","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Lawson","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":39,"docindex":4,"firstname":"Audrea","middlename":"","lastname":"Rankin","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 7, 1990","deathdate":"May 21, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"17","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Intoxication by combined effects of morphine and methadone","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"suicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"In the months leading up to Audrea Rankin's death in May 2008, DCF received two reports, both alleging that her mother was allowing her 17-year-old daughter to use her pain pills. One of the reports said the mother, Wednesday Schillihahn, gave Audrea pills and both would be "doped up." But the investigation was closed after the girl "denied any substance use," even though there was no way to verify the claim because she was not tested for drugs.
The second report said that Audrea "abuses pain killers that the mother supplies to her," and while the investigation seemed to verify Schillihahn's "continued substance use" and that Audrea's 19-year-old brother was also using drugs, it surmised that there was "no evidence to support that the mother had given Audrea any of her medication."
On May 21, 2008, Audrea died of an overdose of morphine and methadone, and the manner of death was declared to be suicide. An investigation by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office suggested there was a "high probability" that Schillihahn's own substance-abuse issues contributed to her daughter's death. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"Rankin","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":40,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Da'Shanti","middlename":"","lastname":"Howell","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 30, 2002","deathdate":"May 31, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"5","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Da'Shanti Howell and her siblings were placed in the long-term care of their maternal grandmother, Chere Weaver, after it became clear that their mother's abuse of marijuana, cocaine and pills was a danger to the children. Weaver had her own history of crime and drug dependency, however, and DCF officials later acknowledged that the placement had been a "questionable" decision.
Da'Shanti drowned after Weaver, in violation of a court order, left the girl and her siblings alone with their mother, Essie Weaver. On that day, the mother and her boyfriend were watching the kids in a backyard pool, the family's case file says. The couple went to get hot dogs and when they came back, the girl's 7-year-old sister told them that Da'Shanti, who could not swim, was drowning. She was pulled from the pool but could not be revived.
At the hospital where she was taken, a paramedic reported that Da'Shanti's 2-year-old sibling was roaming the parking lot, unsupervised. ","perpfirstname":"Essie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Weaver","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":41,"docindex":105,"firstname":"Renee","middlename":"","lastname":"Fountain","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 4, 2007","deathdate":"June 2, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"9 mos.","countycode":"pasco","county":"Pasco","deathcausereport":"Complications of dehydration","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Swathed in winter clothes in a room with no air-conditioning and a temperature of 91.3 degrees, Renee Fountain died in June 2008 of complications from severe dehydration. Nine months old, she appeared to be "very thin for her age," with protruding ribs. An autopsy noted that she was "poorly nourished" and had a gastrointestinal infection. The medical examiner reported that the baby had been dead for between four and 12 hours when found.
There were four previous DCF reports involving Renee's mother, one of which listed Renee as a victim and her father as a subject. Her father was described as having previously displayed "aggressive and inappropriate behaviors." In 2005, a DCF report said Renee's mother was leaving her children alone with a sexual offender, although the names of the adults were redacted from the reports. A report drafted two years later said the sexual offender was still in the house, even though he "was not supposed to be around children." Nevertheless, the report was closed "with no indicators of child maltreatment."
A report in October 2007, two months after Renee's birth, said that her mother had not been taking her prescribed medication for the previous few years, although the name of the malady it was intended to treat was redacted. The report indicated that the woman's two older children had been removed from her custody because of neglect, and there was concern that she "was now neglecting her third child, Renee." That investigation was closed with "some indicators" of "family violence threatens child," but no services were provided.
An assessment of the family's child welfare history, written after Renee's death, noted a three-week delay in following up on one of the 2007 reports, and questioned why "efforts to engage services" on that occasion were not "more aggressively pursued."","perpfirstname":"redacted","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"redacted","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"D","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"F","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":42,"docindex":74,"firstname":"Jhuavz","middlename":"","lastname":"Neely","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 28, 2008","deathdate":"June 9, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Not reported","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Born prematurely, Jhuavz Dequan Neely suffocated less than a month after his mother had been warned about unsafe sleeping habits.
The mother, 17-year-old Shanquiria Scott, had placed him on his side in a bassinet, propped by two sofa pillows. When found by a neighbor, the baby, almost 10 weeks old, was lying on his stomach and not breathing while his mother slept nearby.
Family members told investigators that Scott had not only propped her son in that manner in the past but had also "frequently co-slept with the infant, despite being cautioned about the dangers of both unsafe sleeping practices," most recently as part of a prior DCF investigation that closed just three weeks before Jhuavz's death.
Scott, who had also been admonished not to put objects such as sofa pillows and large blankets in the child's bassinet, was found to have been negligent in the care of her infant son. The prior investigation was prompted not by unsafe sleeping practices but by a report that on April 28, 2008, the day Jhuavz turned a month old, his father, J'various Neely, had slapped Scott and punched her in the mouth, and that she had slapped him back. The fight took place in the baby's presence, and his mother told an investigator that Neely had been under the influence of drugs.
Scott sustained a swollen lip and Neely fled, the report said. Scott signed a safety plan saying she would obtain a protective injunction, but she did not. It was during the domestic-violence investigation that Scott's home was inspected and the warnings delivered.
Later, an assessment of DCF's handling of the family after the domestic-violence incident faulted the investigator for not ensuring that Scott followed up with a referral to Healthy Families Florida, a home-visiting program that helps parents of newborns learn how to respond to their babies' developmental needs. ","perpfirstname":"Shanquiria","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Scott","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":43,"docindex":null,"firstname":"William","middlename":"","lastname":"Coburn","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 14, 1999","deathdate":"June 23, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"8","countycode":"baker","county":"Baker","deathcausereport":"Head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"William Coburn was 8 years old when he went riding on an all-terrain vehicle with Nathaniel Ryan, a 26-year-old friend of his father's. His father, who was on another ATV, allowed William to ride without a helmet knowing that Ryan had been drinking, DCF said. Ryan, whose blood-alcohol was over the legal limit, crashed into a tree. Ryan died a few hours later of head trauma.
William's father had also been drinking with his two stepchildren on the back of his vehicle without helmets, the report said.
A prior report to DCF said the father had allowed William to drive a sibling to a relative's home. After the fatal accident, DCF staff saw fit to file a dependency case to shelter surviving siblings, but legal staff overruled.
The father, described as despondent, promised to keep his surviving children away from ATVs in the future. Ryan was charged with DUI Manslaughter and sentenced to six years in prison.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"DUI manslaughter. Serving 6 years in prison followed by 11 years probation.","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":44,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Aurelia","middlename":"","lastname":"Juarez","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 14, 2007","deathdate":"June 25, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"seminole","county":"Seminole","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Even before Aurelia Christina Juarez was born in March 2007, her parents had a long history with DCF, primarily involving domestic violence, and their two sons had been removed and then reunited with them on several occasions. In 2004, a neighbor reported seeing one of the parents "covered in blood." That same year, one of the parents struck the other with a PVC pipe.
Fidel Alejandro Juarez, who had been arrested at least four times previously for acts of violence, had sought nine injunctions against his wife, Angela Juarez, over the years. Her parental rights were terminated in March 2006, and she was ordered to have no contact with the boys. She was evidently still in contact with her husband, however, because a year later Aurelia was born.
While he had custody of the children, according to records the Herald obtained by going to court, Fidel Juarez was ordered to place a "panic button" in the bedroom of one of his sons.
At birth, Aurelia tested positive for cocaine, although a DCF report said that "no information about mom's drug use is known." The following day, the newborn was removed from the parents' custody. Five weeks after that, her father, who still had custody of the two boys, was arrested and later charged with committing lewd and lascivious acts on a woman who had been staying in the family's home, as well as battery and kidnapping. A child abuse investigator decided to close that case because the woman was "not a caregiver" to the boys, who the report said "had no knowledge of what happened."
A subsequent DCF assessment said the investigation had been "inappropriately closed" and "should have been investigated with the father as the caregiver." The boys were interviewed as part of a follow-up report, and one of them said he "felt like running away" whenever he was living with his father, and that Juarez "would always hit him in the face and the head when he made a mistake on his homework," the investigator wrote. Another report said Juarez had kicked one of his sons in the stomach "so hard that he couldn't breathe," and would sometimes punch the boys "for no reason."
All three children were in foster care in October 2007 when DCF received news that Juarez had again hit one of his sons on the head during a weekend visit, although their mother, interviewed in the Seminole County jail, said Juarez "would never hurt the children." In any event, all three children were permitted a few months later to live with their father, even though he had been found to have violated court orders by allowing Angela Juarez to be around them when she was out of prison.
In April 2008, two months before Aurelia died, a child abuse investigator noted a bruise on the baby's back, a bite mark on her left hand and a blood blister on her lip, but no one followed up. In May, a case manager noticed that the child had "lost a considerable amount of weight" and appeared to be sick, which she described as "concerning."
On June 9 that year, according to a report, a supervisor visited the Juarez home but "did not follow up on the concerns" expressed by the case manager regarding the baby's condition. On June 26, when Aurelia was 15 months old, she stopped breathing, and Juarez drove the unresponsive child to an emergency room. He explained that she had fallen off a bed and had thrown up. Doctors could not revive her.
An autopsy showed she had multiple blunt-force injuries to her head, face and neck, as well as a lacerated liver and contusions on her right lung. Juarez was again arrested and charged with first-degree felony murder and aggravated child abuse. In March 2010, he was sentenced to 21 years in prison. ","perpfirstname":"Fidel","perpmiddlename":"Alejandro","perplastname":"Juarez, Sr.","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"first degree murder, but pled out to mansalughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":45,"docindex":102,"firstname":"Sebastian","middlename":"","lastname":"Bechard","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 17, 2006","deathdate":"July 2, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"lake","county":"Lake","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On the night of July 1, 2008, Sebastian's mother, Dorthea Bechard, went to a friend's house, drank a fifth of vodka and snorted cocaine, a report to DCF said. The next morning, when her 2-year-old son wandered from Bechard's Lady Lake home and into a nearby community pool, Bechard was so impaired, witnesses told authorities, that it took several minutes for her to awake while neighbors banged on her door. The witnesses said the toddler's mother smelled like alcohol and looked as though she had been sleeping when Sebastian wandered away.
The Bechards had been the subject of three prior reports to DCF, although details of the investigations that resulted were redacted from a review of Sebastian's death. Dorthea's husband, Kevin Bechard, violated his probation in 2005 when he tested positive for cocaine.
After Sebastian died, the Bechards, who had three surviving children, agreed to supervision and services from DCF, but Dorthea Bechard insisted she did not have a drinking problem. A report to DCF said she felt "that she could drink if she wanted to, and that she was causing no harm to anyone." Bechard's case manager "encouraged her to stop drinking, especially around the children." The report does not say whether the agency did anything more.
Police charged Dorthea Bechard with two counts of felony child abuse, based on the observation that she was "feeling the effects of alcohol consumption and recent cocaine use while the children were in her care," a document said. She was allowed free on community release.","perpfirstname":"Dorthea","perpmiddlename":"Wurgler","perplastname":"Bechard","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"felony child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":46,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ashley ","middlename":"","lastname":"Conzo","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 4, 2008","deathdate":"July 4, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Suffocation (co-sleeping with adults on extremely soft bedding)","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Ashley Conzo was smothered to death while sleeping in the same bed with her mother, Sara Theriac, and grandmother. Theriac told DCF that she placed the 4-month old in bed with her, atop "extremely soft bedding." Theriac later told authorities that she knew it was "common sense" that sleeping with infants was risky.
But on the night of July 3, 2008, Theriac — who was described in a report as a recovering alcoholic — drank wine, took medication and then wrapped her arms around the infant in bed, authorities believe. On Independence Day, Theriac got out of bed to smoke a cigarette without noticing that her infant daughter was dead, the DCF report said. Theriac's mother, who was still in bed with the baby, found her dead.
Theriac, 32, had been the subject of one prior report to DCF's hotline, but details of the investigation were redacted from documents provided to the Herald. She is currently on probation for burglary and assault, according to state records.","perpfirstname":"Sara","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Theriac","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":47,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Joshua","middlename":"Eugene","lastname":"Golfe","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 13, 2007","deathdate":"July 8, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"8 mos.","countycode":"indianriver","county":"Indian River","deathcausereport":"Smothering","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Joshua Golfe was born premature at 24 weeks of gestation and required immediate surgery to repair a heart valve. Among other medical issues, he had an eye condition that threatened his sight as well as pulmonary problems that included bouts of pneumonia. He was hospitalized several times in his brief life.
DCF reports drafted in the months before he died claimed that he was medically neglected at home. His mother, Tashae Golfe, who had tested positive for marijuana when Joshua was born, was found with cocaine in her system a few months later, even after caseworkers began working with the family. In March 2008, Golfe was reported to have failed for two months "to follow up with medical care for Joshua's eye." A DCF probe concluded that the "reason for the neglect is unknown."
In April, a report said that Golfe, who also had another child, "continued to abuse substances." A judge deemed the family's activities "high risk" and ordered the intervention of a protective-services program.
On July 8, 2008, Golfe propped up a milk bottle next to her 9-month-old son in his crib, placed a baby blanket and a comforter over him, and went to another room to watch television. When she returned later to check on him, she said, Joshua had "slipped down off the pillow, under the covers." He was not breathing, and efforts to resuscitate him proved futile. Joshua's death was blamed on accidental smothering.
An assessment drafted after his death expressed the concern that Joshua had not been given all the medications he was supposed to take, although it was not stated as a contributing factor. The document cited medical neglect and said there was 'threatened harm" to Joshua's older sibling, who was placed with a relative. ","perpfirstname":"Tashae","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Golfe","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":48,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jesse","middlename":"","lastname":"Lassiter","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 13, 2006","deathdate":"July 8, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Combined acetaminophen and diphenhydramine toxicity","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"By the time someone summoned medical help for Jesse Lassiter, it was much too late: She had already been dead for a couple of days. The 21-month-old child had been in the care of her mother, who told relatives that her daughter was sick and that she was staying home with her while relatives went elsewhere for the July 4 holiday. It was only when the woman's stepsister stopped by a few days later that she noticed Jesse was "pale and blue" and called 911.
Paramedics who went to the house found the child in a state of partial rigor mortis, and surmised that she had died perhaps two days earlier. An autopsy showed that Jesse had succumbed to an overdose of over-the-counter drugs, a death the medical examiner called a homicide. There were also contusions and abrasions on the child's forehead and mouth.
At Jesse's funeral, her mother — whose name was redacted from DCF records — appeared to be "completely psychotic," a report said. "She was talking about the Middle East and about the types of diseases they were exposed to." The mother had been in and out of psychiatric facilities and had long been on DCF's radar. In November 1999, she and her husband were involved in a physical fight that involved punching, hair-pulling and food-throwing, and they were referred to counseling services.
When the couple later divorced, the custody of their son became a huge point of conflict, and the subject of their next DCF report, in 2003. The woman's repeated insistence that the boy live with her, a demand that often devolved into arguments in front of the child, prompted the father to seek a protective injunction, but a judge denied the request because there was "not enough evidence" to sustain it. "The child did say that the mother would hit him when the subject of moving in with his father came up," the report said.
In February 2004, another DCF report said the woman was "essentially homeless," and listed six "maltreatments" in the care of her son: abandonment, mental injury, and inadequate supervision, clothing, food and shelter. On one occasion, according to the report, she simply left the boy at the side of a road, although he was able to call his father to pick him up. The woman was described as fearing that "people were trying to kill her," and of engaging in "irrational" acts. "She borrowed her mother's car and drove it around in circles," the report said. "Another time she drove it until it ran out of gas and left it in the middle of the highway, throwing the keys somewhere, not to be found."
It was after the 2004 report that the boy's father was finally able to gain custody of him and to be granted a domestic-violence injunction against his former wife. However, there was no documentation of any services being offered to the mother at that time.
Jesse was born on Oct. 13, 2006, while her mother was again homeless. The next DCF report was filed in April 2008, when Jesse and her mother had been living in a shelter for some three months and the mother got into a "physical altercation" with another woman. By the time a child-abuse investigator arrived, Jesse and her mother had left, and no follow-up was undertaken because the woman and her daughter could not be located. Three months later, Jesse was dead.","perpfirstname":"redacted","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"redacted","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":49,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jamar","middlename":"Donovan","lastname":"Phillips","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 27, 2006","deathdate":"July 9, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jamar Phillips and his twin sister were born very premature, at 27 weeks of gestation, and he was developmentally disabled.
On Dec. 14, 2006, when Jamar was 3 months old and was still hospitalized, DCF investigated a report that his mother, Linda Perez, "refuses to go to the hospital" to learn how to care for Jamar's ostomy bag because she thought it was "gross." An ostomy is a surgical opening in the body used to remove wastes.
On Feb. 27, 2007, when Jamar was 5 months old, he was removed by DCF from the care of his mother and his father, Henry Phillips III, because they had neglected to attend to his medical needs. In addition to his ostomy bag, Jamar also had a feeding tube, and hospital workers said his parents "were unable or won't learn how to feed Jamar." Jamar was reunited with his parents on May 30, 2008.
Exactly a month later, the department received another report alleging medical neglect: Jamar's therapists said Perez had stopped bringing him to medical and therapy appointments, and case workers' attempts to visit the family were stymied by the family's constantly changing addresses.
On July 3, a social worker found Perez and three of her children in a hotel — the report said she was evading state supervision, and would not cooperate with therapists trying to help Jamar — and determined that Jamar was at high risk because of his recent reunification with the family, its unstable housing situation, and the likelihood that the boy was not receiving his required therapy.
Six days later, Jamar was dead. He had been placed by his mother in a bathtub and left there, she said, while she went to feed another child. He was found face-down in the tub.
A physical therapist who had worked with Jamar before he was reunited with his parents — and who had attempted unsuccessfully to see him again afterward — said the boy "would not have been able to pull himself back up" after toppling over in the tub, and that it was unsafe for a child with his disabilities "to be left in a bathtub by himself."
After Jamar's passing, two of his surviving siblings were placed in foster care, and the third with grandparents. The death was ruled accidental. ","perpfirstname":"Linda","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Perez","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":50,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Essence","middlename":"","lastname":"Young","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 9, 2007","deathdate":"July 28, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"11 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Essence Young's mother, who lived on the Seminole reservation, took an older child to Walt Disney World in Orlando and left 11-month-old Essence and a 3-year-old sibling with their grandfather, who had a long history of alcoholism, according to DCF's report. The grandfather fell asleep about 2 p.m. and Essence wound up in the family's pool, where she drowned. The family's video surveillance camera showed both children in the pool, according to DCF's review. Essence was in the pool about 40 minutes. The grandfather didn't find Essence until he woke up at 6:30 p.m.
There were three prior neglect/abuse complaints regarding the family, all alleging some form of domestic violence. Both parents had a criminal history involving a variety of offenses. DCF concluded that there were some prior indicators of abuse and neglect but it was the responsibility of the Seminole Tribe to monitor the family.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"grandFather","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":51,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jordan","middlename":"","lastname":"Hester","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 21, 2008","deathdate":"July 31, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"lee","county":"Lee","deathcausereport":"Suffocation by bedding","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"A day before Jordan Hester died, a DCF investigator told her 24-year-old mother to remove two thick blankets and clutter from her crib. Jordan, who was three months old, later suffocated while unattended for what investigators said was "a significant amount of time before their roommate found her unresponsive in her crib."
A safety plan was in effect at the time. It specified that Jordan's father was not to be left alone with her, a stipulation that was apparently violated when Jordan's mother went to a gym and left the father at home with the baby. He later went out himself, leaving the roommate as babysitter.
The safety plan had been prompted by facial injuries Jordan had received while in her father's care only four weeks earlier. In that case, Jordan's father said he was working on a computer, heard Jordan cry and figured she had finished her bottle. He allowed her to cry for several minutes without checking on her because, he told authorities, he was unwilling to refill the bottle. When he finally looked in on her, he said, he found that Jordan had fallen out of a "bouncy" seat onto the floor, injuring her face. A probe into that incident remained open at the time of her death. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":52,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Graycee","middlename":"","lastname":"Luff","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 18, 2008","deathdate":"August 3, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Asphyxiation","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"After Graycee Luff died, accidentally smothered in her mother's bed, the 35-year-old woman launched a cover-up. She washed the baby's clothing, removed a blood stain from the linens and placed Graycee's body in her crib, an investigation showed.
Graycee's mother was described in reports to DCF as an alcoholic and a "binge drinker." She had been charged with neglect after she left an infant at home alone to go drinking, a report said, and authorities sheltered the baby. Later, the woman completed a case plan and was reunited with the child. Supervision of the family had ended at around the time Graycee was born.
Graycee died of asphyxiation when her mother accidentally rolled over her. After discovering that the child was dead, the woman, in what police described as a "drunken stupor," began calling relatives, including her long-distance trucker husband, to apologize without explaining why. Once he learned what had occurred, the 50-year-old husband called a stepdaughter, telling her to go to the house and throw out any empty wine bottles, which she did, DCF documents show. In the end, Graycee's mother acknowledged what had happened.
The death review found fault with the agency's case work with the family. No one, for instance, had asked why four children had been removed from the woman's care in Connecticut before she moved to Florida.
A previous report about Graycee's mother said she had left her 1-year-old son alone for at least two hours in a filthy trailer "while she walked down to a bar and had several alcoholic beverages," She was arrested and jailed, and the boy placed in foster care. Another report said that a boyfriend had slapped the woman across the face multiple times. He was arrested, but both he and Graycee's mother denied there was any violence in the home. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Luff","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":53,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Walter","middlename":"","lastname":"Smith","suffix":"III","gender":"male","birthdate":"June 26, 2006","deathdate":"August 7, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Walter Smith III was watching cartoons on Aug. 1, 2008 when his father, with whom he lived, decided to take a nap. At some point, 2-year-old Walter wandered out of the house and found his way to the swimming pool, where he drowned. Family members who were home at the time said they did not know how long he had been floating in the pool.
His father, Walter Smith Jr., had no prior history with DCF. But Walter's mother, Margaree Simpkins, had been the subject of six prior investigations, one involving allegations of violence. Other cases were redacted by DCF. The drowning case was closed with no findings of neglect or evidence of maltreatment.","perpfirstname":"Walter","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Smith","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":54,"docindex":18,"firstname":"Elijah","middlename":"","lastname":"Edwards","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 1, 2008","deathdate":"August 9, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"8 days","countycode":"leon","county":"Leon","deathcausereport":"Compressional asphyxiation","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Elijah Edwards was 8 days old when he died.
At the time of his death, both his parents had been the subject seven reports to DCF's abuse hotline, many of them allegations about his mother, Danielle Edwards, and her history of addition to crack-cocaine, Xanax, alcohol and Klonopin.
During a probe open when Elijah died, an investigator concluded that the risk to Elijah was "low" because the newborn "appeared healthy and free of marks and bruises." At the time, however, Elijah had not even left the hospital. "This was not an accurate indicator of the level of risk to him," a report said.
Following Eliljah's death, Edwards told investigators she had been feeding the newborn, "fell asleep and apparently fell over on him." The cause of Elijah's death was "compressional asphyxiation," meaning the boy's mother had smothered him.
Elijah's father, interviewed by DCF after the infant's death, said "the department should have done something sooner" to protect the boy. ","perpfirstname":"Danielle","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Edwards","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Theo","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Conoly","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":55,"docindex":101,"firstname":"Taylor","middlename":"","lastname":"Whitten","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 28, 2008","deathdate":"August 10, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"bay","county":"Bay","deathcausereport":"Sudden unexpected infant death","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On July 2, 2008, DCF received a report that Taylor Whitten's 2-year-old brother had lodged his head between the iron rails of a banister. "He was screaming and his face was red," the report said. "He was stuck and could not get his head out on his own, and seemed scared to death." Taylor's parents, Amber and Kenneth Whitten, were taking a nap at that moment — it was about 1:30 p.m. — and they "had made a habit of ignoring their children," according to neighbors who reported their observations to DCF.
A month later, while that report was still under investigation, DCF received news that 4-month-old Taylor had been found dead in her bassinet, a pillow over her body and her mother's pain pills scattered about. Her parents gave conflicting stories about who had placed the baby in the bassinet and what time. An autopsy gave the cause as sudden unexpected infant death.
After Taylor's death, Amber Whitten acknowledged taking narcotics and smoking pot, and she tested positive for marijuana, opiates and benzodiazepines, as did her husband. Amber Whitten's probation officer, who was supervising her in the wake of a fraud conviction, told DCF that he "never thought they paid enough attention to the children." Both parents were charged with child neglect causing great harm.
The family had been the subject of three calls to DCF's hotline. One of those reports, logged a month after Taylor's birth, said that Amber Whitten used cocaine and drank to the point of "wobbling and weaving." Both parents failed to show up for a drug evaluation, and DCF closed its investigation by having the Whittens sign a safety plan saying they would not "engage in illegal drug use or drink to the point of intoxication" while the children were in their care.","perpfirstname":"Amber","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Whitten","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"Child neglect and child neglect with great harm","perp2firstname":"Kenneth","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Whitten ","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"yes","perp2charges":"child neglect and child neglect with great harm"}, {"dataid":56,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jason","middlename":"","lastname":"Warren","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 15, 2007","deathdate":"August 15, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"8 mos.","countycode":"madison","county":"Madison","deathcausereport":"Asphyxiation while co-sleeping","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Jason Warren's mother was 14 years old, welfare officials noted that her parents were longtime drug addicts, that she had begun using pot and crystal meth with them, and that she also got into trouble with cocaine. Her father was eventually sentenced to a life term for dealing drugs. Jason's mother, the files attested, later took to ʺbreaking into people's houses and stealing,ʺ apparently even after her two children had been born.
Less than a month before Jason's birth, DCF logged a report that his mother — her name was redacted — was smoking marijuana and taking Xanax, for which she did not have a prescription. The same report said she and her boyfriend got into a physical fight in the woman's house, which was chaotically dirty, had a foul odor and contained several homemade crack pipes. A DCF investigator declared that no counseling was necessary since her children "appeared to be well cared for and healthy.ʺ
A few months before Jason died, smothered accidentally while sleeping with his parents, a DCF investigator had found him napping in a grown-up's bed surrounded by pillows, but the investigator's report makes no mention of her having warned the mother that such arrangements were dangerous.
When she was eight months pregnant with Jason, his mother was described as using crack, smoking marijuana and ʺstrung out on pills.ʺ
Two days before the boy's death, she was arrested on charges of fraud and forgery. Then, 10 days after he died, she was arrested again, for burglary, theft and dealing in stolen property, acts that she had allegedly committed while Jason was alive as a way of funding her purchases of drugs.
During the probe into those charges, investigators learned that the woman sometimes had her two children with her while committing the crimes. ","perpfirstname":"redacted","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"redacted","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":57,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Johnny","middlename":"","lastname":"Gore","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 4, 2008","deathdate":"August 16, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Before Johnny Gore was born in July 2008, his mother had been named in 10 child-abuse reports over the years, and all six of her children had been removed from her home. But Johnny was left in her care, and he lived for six weeks before she smothered him while sleeping. His death was declared an accident.
Johnny's mother — only her first name, Calandra, was left unredacted in DCF reports — had a long history of drug use, and she had been cited for inadequate supervision, medical neglect and exposing her children to illegal substances. In 2006, when Calandra gave birth to another boy, both were found to have illicit drugs in their systems, although the specifics were redacted. That child's father was in jail, and it was not clear from the reports who fathered the other children.
At the time Johnny died, Calandra was on probation for drug possession with intent to sell, a charge levied in 2007 while her children were under protective supervision. Shortly afterward, Calandra lost custody of the children altogether. It was not specified in the reports why Johnny was allowed to remain with her, but a document drafted 10 days before he died said that both he and his mother had tested negative for drugs when he was born, that she was "complying with her case plan tasks" and was "doing well."","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"yes","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":58,"docindex":131,"firstname":"Haley","middlename":"","lastname":"Rowland","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 2, 2007","deathdate":"August 16, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On the night she drowned, Haley Rowland was staying in the apartment of her grandmother, Rose Marchiano, while the child's mother, Linda Rowland, started a new job at McDonald's. A brother and a cousin were also staying with Marchiano.
Haley went missing while her step-grandfather was taking a shower and her grandmother was talking on the phone. When they realized that Haley was gone, a search was launched and she was found by her brother in the apartment complex's pool, floating face down. She had apparently left the apartment through a sliding-glass door, and had been missing for as long as half an hour.
The family had been the subject of an abuse report four months earlier over a mealtime clash. Haley's mother's boyfriend, identified in a DCF document as Landon Overbeck, had made oatmeal and Haley's sister was making noises while eating it. Overbeck objected and bent back the girl's finger, telling her that he would break it if she did not eat more quietly, the document says.
An additional report was called in to DCF three weeks later, saying that Overbeck had gotten drunk and beaten Rowland. When Haley's sibling tried to intervene, Overbeck threw the child against the wall, the report said. He was arrested and charged with battery and child abuse.
Rowland had also been allowing Haley's brother to stay home from school on multiple occasions, and was using him as a baby-sitter for Haley, the death report said. ","perpfirstname":"Rose","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Marchiano","perprelation":"Grandmother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":59,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Lakeicia","middlename":"","lastname":"Jones","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 15, 2006","deathdate":"August 18, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Multiple blunt trauma injuries","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On May 31, 2008, shortly after Lakeicia Jones's second birthday, her mother got into a fight with her 20-year-old husband, the girl's stepfather. According to a report of the incident, Nathaniel Sampson, the stepfather, punched Lakeicia's mother, Diane Jones, who was four months pregnant with her fourth child. She then got a knife and slashed at his arms, the report said. Sampson took off and Jones followed him in her car. When Jones tried to run him over, Sampson threw trash at her, and she lost control of the car and crashed into a house.
A report said Lakeicia was "present for much of this," and although she was not harmed, DCF's legal team determined that the child should be removed from the family for her protection. But a high-ranking DCF administrator overruled the lawyers' decision and said it would be sufficient to refer Jones to a parenting program run by Boys Town South Florida. After six home visits by caseworkers, Jones declined further involvement.
Less than two weeks later, in mid-August, Jones decided to give her marriage another chance and opted to spend a weekend with Sampson, who had moved out after the fight in May. Once the weekend was over, Jones left the girl in Sampson's care while she went to a medical appointment.
"It turned out to be a fatal decision for Lakeicia," an investigative report said. While her mother was gone, the child was beaten so brutally that she ended up with multiple blunt-force injuries, including a fractured skull, scalp contusions, a lacerated lung and numerous broken ribs. The 6-foot-4-inch-tall Sampson, who had a significant criminal history as a juvenile, including a 2003 arrest for battery on a pregnant woman, was convicted of the aggravated manslaughter of a child and in 2010 was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
After Lakeicia's death, the top DCF administrator in Palm Beach County, Perry Borman, defended the agency's actions in the case. "I believe," Borman told The Palm Beach Post, "the decision we made to try to keep Lakeicia with her mother and try to preserve the family was the right decision." ","perpfirstname":"Nathaniel","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Sampson (20)","perprelation":"StepFather","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":60,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Rachael","middlename":"","lastname":"Sutton","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 15, 1991","deathdate":"August 24, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"17","countycode":"nassau","county":"Nassau","deathcausereport":"Complications from blunt force trauma (secondary to being hit by a car)","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"From a young age, Rachael Sutton had lived with parents who abused drugs, including marijuana, cocaine and prescription pills, the family's records show. Beginning in 1997, DCF received five reports about the drug addictions of her parents, James Morris Sutton and Michelle Darlene Sutton. Repeatedly, investigators referred the parents to a drug rehabilitation program, coincidentally named Sutton Place, and just as often the couple refused to cooperate with the treatment.
By 2008, when Rachael — a senior at Yulee High School who played on the girls' softball team — was about 16, she was a drug addict herself. In June 2007, a DCF investigator wrote, Rachael admitted that "with her mother's knowledge, she and her friends drink alcohol, use cocaine, smoke marijuana and take Xanax, Lortab and Soma."
Rachael had a younger sister who suffered from autism and had reportedly left the Sutton home several times, occasionally shedding all her clothes and wandering the neighborhood or playing on a nearby swingset.
On June 21, 2007, Rachael and her two siblings were taken into custody by DCF, but then were quickly returned to their father. Although Michelle Sutton was not permitted to have unsupervised access to her children, her husband allowed it, a fact of which caseworkers were aware, according to DCF documents.
On the night of Aug. 7, 2008, the documents day, Michelle Sutton drove to Georgia with friends to obtain prescriptions for Xanax, Lortab and Soma from a pill mill. She then shared the drugs, along with a bottle of whiskey, with her 17-year-old daughter. Later that night, Sutton was arrested for driving under the influence of all those substances. That same night, Rachael was struck and killed by a car while walking along a Nassau County road.
A report from the Child Protection Team said that Sutton had been negligent when she provided her daughter with alcohol and prescription medication. "It is more likely than not," the report said, "that had the teen not been under the influence of these substances, she would not have been walking on the roadway." ","perpfirstname":"Michelle","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Sutton","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":61,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Damion","middlename":"","lastname":"Flowers","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 30, 2007","deathdate":"August 28, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"unknown","county":"Unknown","deathcausereport":"Global hypoxic/ischemic encephalopathy with focal venous thrombosis and infarction","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Damion Flowers was 3 weeks old, he and his 4-year-old sister were removed from their family after the girl tested positive for a drug — the specifics were redacted from a DCF report — she had ingested while in her father's care. The family was reunited almost a year later, and four months after that Damion was dead.
The 16-month-old boy had been found unresponsive in his crib, and the discovery of a "brain bleed" raised concern that he had been shaken violently, according to a report on the case. The document went on to say, without elaborating, that about a week earlier, the boy "fell and hit his head in the house but he was fine — Damion has fallen before."
An autopsy showed there was no evidence of traumatic injury, but there were traces of an anti-depressant in Damion's system. The examining doctor could not confirm that the drug had contributed to the child's death, even though, he wrote, "tri-cyclic antidepressants represent the third leading cause of death from toxic ingestions in the pediatric population." The manner of death was listed as "undetermined," and DCF ascribed Damion's passing to inadequate supervision, abuse and neglect.
An agency report in May 2007 on the prior case of drug ingestion by Damion's older sister related the details of an interview in which both parents — their names were redacted — denied using drugs, although the father then admitted to having a half-pound of marijuana at home. "When the father found that a home visit would be required he became agitated and after several directives from law enforcement he tried to run," the report said. "He was Tasered and arrested."
Damion's mother had been the subject of four prior DCF reports as a child, but had no criminal history. The children's father was involved in a criminal case in 2004 in which disposition was withheld. Six months after Damion's death, his mother gave birth to another child. When that occurred in January 2009, an investigator and a child advocate attempted to alert the Florida Abuse Hotline but "the report was not accepted," according to a DCF document.
Nevertheless, "there were still concerns" for the two surviving children and in April 2009 drug tests were ordered for them and for their mother, although it is not clear from the report why no testing was ordered for their father. The mother's tests came up negative, but both children were found to have a drug — again redacted from the documents — in their systems. The children were then removed from their mother's care, the older child for the second time, and placed in foster homes. ","perpfirstname":"Latasha","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":62,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Makaila","middlename":"Janesha-Nicole","lastname":"Thompson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 10, 2006","deathdate":"September 6, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Blunt impacts to torso","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Makaila Thompson's lifeless body was brought to an emergency room by her mother's boyfriend, Robert Bradwell, a man with a long, violent history, including a rap sheet that ran for 22 pages. Makaila appeared to have been dead for about an hour. Hospital workers were told the 2-year-old girl had fallen in the bathtub and sustained bruises on her head, face and shoulders. In addition, there were distinct burn scars on her left thigh as well as on her back, clearly injuries that were not likely to have been sustained in a tub.
Makaila's mother, Monique Thompson, who was not at home when the incident occurred, learned of the injuries from a hospital nurse. Thompson insisted that Bradwell was gentle with her kids, even though Makaila's two siblings told an investigator that Bradwell "would often whoop the children whenever he felt that they did something wrong and that he always used a belt."
Thompson did not volunteer that there had been documented instances of violence in the home involving the 6-foot, 3-inch, 200-pound Bradwell. One of them involved his crashing through a chained door.
Makaila's brother pleaded with hospital personnel not to let Bradwell hurt him anymore. During an investigation, the boy described how Bradwell had "stomped" on the baby's stomach.
At trial, Bradwell's lawyer blamed the injuries on rough play by the brother, but Bradwell was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
DCF had received three prior reports about Thompson's children, all involving allegations that she had not supervised them properly. In a 2006 report, DCF was told that a small child was found wandering around her mother's apartment complex, knocking on doors and yelling "Mommy!" A year later, a report to the agency said that another child had sustained blisters and burns on her stomach, chest and lower back. Thompson explained the injuries by saying that the child had gained access to a carpet cleaner.
In December 2007, the agency was told, again, that one of Thompson's children was found wandering around the complex at 3:40 a.m., and that Thompson's apartment door had been "wide open." ","perpfirstname":"Robert","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bradwell","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, battery","perp2firstname":"Monique","perp2middlename":"Antoinette","perp2lastname":"Thompson","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":63,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Candice","middlename":"","lastname":"Stone","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 20, 2005","deathdate":"September 8, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"hernando","county":"Hernando","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Two-year-old Candice Stone was last seen napping with her father, Patrick Stone, in the cluttered home they shared with her her stepmother and two stepsiblings. When her stepmom arrived home from work about 4 p.m., Stone was still sleeping and the toddler was missing. She woke up her husband to ask where the child was.
They first searched the home, which was littered with trash, broken furniture and dirty clothes, and infested with roaches and flies, according to a DCF document.
Candice's father noticed that a screen door to the pool area was open — in fact, it was broken and could not be secured. Candice was found dead in the dirty, algae-filled pool. The departmental review of Candice's death cited both environmental hazards and inadequate supervision.
Candice had been taken from her father and mother, Tammy Buzzie, two days after she was born. DCF was notified that her mother had previously had a 2-year-old removed from her custody. The investigation concluded "verified findings of physical injury" to Candice, who was taken by DCF and sheltered with her grandmother. She was reunited with her parents two months later. DCF recommended it based on "the parents compliance with the...case plan." The agency monitored the family until November 2006 after the couple separated and Patrick moved out with Candice. There were no investigations between Candice's reunification and her death.","perpfirstname":"Patrick","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Stone","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":64,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Nevaeh","middlename":"Loy","lastname":"Ambrose","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 30, 2007","deathdate":"September 17, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"9 mos.","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Nevaeh Loy Ambrose was just starting to move around on her own, and her father described her as "a fast crawler." On Sept. 17, 2008, the child slipped out of her parents' home through a sliding-glass door that had been left ajar and crawled into a children's wading pool that had been filled with water beyond the manufacturer's recommended height. Nevaeh was found by her 7-year-old brother face-up at the bottom of the pool.
A police detective who investigated Nevaeh's death said that his mother, Erica Roach, "frequently allowed the child to roam the home unsupervised." A few days after the baby's death, DCF received a report about the family. It said that Roach smoked crack, that a crack pipe had been found inside her purse, and that she sometimes slurred her words and stumbled.
A DCF review of Nevaeh's death said the family had been the subject of seven prior reports to the agency's hotline, but the document was heavily redacted. The Miami Herald went to court to obtain an unredacted version of the review, but once obtained many details were still blacked out. The document did reveal that Roach had a long history of abusing drugs, including crack cocaine, Xanax, Lortabs, Soma and marijuana, that she had wrecked vehicles three times, and had burned down a kitchen "due to drug use."
Other records show that DCF caseworkers had left Nevaeh with her father, Jason Ambrose, who had a significant history of violence. Ambrose served a 10-year prison sentence for second-degree murder and robbery with a deadly weapon, records show. A 2006 report to DCF said Ambrose had smashed someone's head "into a concrete wall." ","perpfirstname":"Erica","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Roach","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Jason","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Ambrose","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":65,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kayelin","middlename":"","lastname":"Kennedy","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 12, 2008","deathdate":"September 19, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"okeechobee","county":"Okeechobee","deathcausereport":"Complication of prematurity","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Kayelin Kennedy's mother appears to have been hooked on painkillers during her pregnancy, an addiction that evidently persisted after she began breastfeeding her child. Reports indicated that the woman, Kerrie Howard, hid her pregnancy from medical providers so that she could obtain prescriptions for the drugs, and never revealed that she was taking them, let alone that she was using heavy dosages.
When Kayelin was born prematurely on Aug. 12, 2008, a DCF report noted that Howard tested positive for benzodiazaphenes. Five weeks later, Kayelin died during the night in her crib of what an autopsy determined were complications of prematurity, but toxicology tests later showed that Kayelin's body contained what could have been a lethal dose of oxycodone.
It also transpired that the child's apnea monitor — used to monitor heartbeat and breathing rate — had been turned off for almost seven hours before she died, which meant that any distress signals would not have been apparent.
"Mom was neglectful in multiple areas" both before and after Kayelin's birth, a Child Protection Team assessment said after the baby's death. The abuse probe was closed with findings of medical neglect and substance misuse on Howard's part, and inadequate supervision by both Howard and the child's father, Bryan Kennedy.
The team also warned of threatened harm to a surviving sibling. Six pages of prior DCF reports about Kayelin's family before her birth were not made available for perusal.","perpfirstname":"Kerrie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Howard","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Bryan","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Kennedy","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":66,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Olivia","middlename":"","lastname":"Resendez","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 3, 2008","deathdate":"September 21, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"9 mos.","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Choking","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Olivia Resendez choked on a dime while her father, who was watching the child and her 2-year-old sister, was taking a nap that lasted at least three hours. He said that when he awoke he began watching television, and did not notice Olivia lying on her back on the floor, her skin blue.
By the time the 8-month-old girl's mother returned home and found Olivia, her extremities were partially stiffened by rigor mortis, indicating that she had been dead for some considerable time.
A DCF investigation concluded the girl's father "could not account for over three hours of his time when he was solely responsible for Olivia's care, and during the time when the child choked. If the father had attended to the child, he would have noticed the child choking and could have taken action to save" her.
Yet, two months after Olivia's death - when DCF administrators decided to return Olivia's siblings to their father, they changed their minds, noting that "Olivia's death was accidental and not the fault of the father."
Olivia's mother — the parents' names were redacted — had given birth to three children, the first when she was 16. Prior reports received by DCF documented no signs of abuse against the children, but did show a history of violence between Olivia's mother and the two men who had fathered her children.
When Olivia was 4 months old, her mother "broke into the father's home by kicking the door in" and then began "hitting the father and uncle," a report on the matter said. After an investigation, DCF determined that the children were not under threat because they had not been present during the incident, and yet an assessment completed after the girl's death said that the child abuse investigator's "rationale for concluding Olivia was not at risk in the care of her mother was not explored."
At the time Olivia died, her mother was pregnant with another child.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":67,"docindex":null,"firstname":"James","middlename":"","lastname":"Green","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 12, 2000","deathdate":"October 6, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"7","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"James Green, a special-needs child, was adopted by a certified nurse after his birth parents' rights had been terminated. The nurse, a licensed foster parent, was also qualified to look after elderly people in her home.
The woman's care of James first came to the attention of DCF in 2006, after he slipped out of the home while she was cooking and was found by workers wandering around on a construction site. An investigator noted that after the incident the woman improved the locks on the house, and the report was closed with "some indicators of inadequate supervision."
On Oct. 6, 2008, while his adoptive mother was in the kitchen, James again left the house unnoticed and fell into a nearby canal. A neighbor found the boy immobile, tried to resuscitate him and called 911, but it was no use. His death was declared an accident.
Inadequate supervision was cited as a factor, and a report noted that there were no fences around the yard, and that the canal "was quite accessible" from the property. The document said there was no way of knowing how preoccupied the woman was with other duties, including caring for the two elderly people who lived in the house at the time, or how long James had been gone before he was found. The woman was described as "very caring and diligent with the child."","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":68,"docindex":21,"firstname":"Genevieve","middlename":"","lastname":"Perry","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 17, 2008","deathdate":"October 6, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"hernando","county":"Hernando","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Genevieve Perry was born extremely premature, and weighed only 3.5 pounds at birth. When her mother, Tammy Perry, took Genevieve home from the hospital, she signed two important documents: One explained how to use the apnea monitor that would alert Perry if the newborn stopped breathing, and another warned of the dangers of placing the baby on her stomach to sleep, or in an adult bed.
For the two months that preceded Genevieve's death, records show that Perry used the apnea monitor for only two days, and in each case for "less than an hour."
On Oct. 6, 2008, Perry awoke to find the 5-month-old "blue and cold to the touch," a report of the incident said. She had placed the infant to sleep on her stomach, and did not attach the monitor. Perry told authorities that her pediatrician had approved her disconnecting the monitor, but the doctor "denied telling the mother to do this," the death review said.
Perry had been the subject one prior report to the DCF hotline, involving allegations of child neglect and child abuse. The DCF report said Genevieve's father was a convicted sex offender.","perpfirstname":"Tammy","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Perry","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":69,"docindex":14,"firstname":"Jah'ziree","middlename":"","lastname":"Darien","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 13, 2008","deathdate":"October 7, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Blunt trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jah'ziree Darien died after a severe beating. A DCF review of his death contained contradictions, among them his precise age (one month old, or six) and whether his father's identity was known (yes or no, depending on the page).
The review said that a month before Jah'ziree died, DCF caseworkers removed one of his brothers from the home because he had special dietary needs that were not being met. The agency offered parenting classes and subsidized daycare, but the file does not say whether Jah'ziree's mother, Sabrina Darien, accepted the services.
On Oct. 7, 2008, she left Jah'ziree and his remaining brother with her boyfriend, Watson Dorval, who admitted later that he was high when, he claimed, he accidentally dropped Jah'ziree in a water-filled tub while preparing to bathe him. He said he plucked the boy out of the water and, since there was no phone in the house, asked a neighbor to call 911.
Rescuers found Jah'ziree unresponsive, and his injuries did not square with Dorval's story, authorities said. Jah'ziree had multiple skull fractures, a bruise on his chest, blood under his top lip and another trace of blood around his anus. A medical examiner wrote that the beating was so severe that a piece of the child's liver had been torn off. The infant's brother was discovered to have bruises, bite marks, abdominal trauma and a possible head injury.
DCF had received four prior reports on Darien and her family beginning in January 2004, including allegations that one child had been beaten with a belt, and that the children had once been home alone when a school social worker came to check on them. Darien insisted she was there at the time, but in the shower.
The DCF review of the agency's investigations and services identified "no concerns."
Dorval was acquitted of second-degree murder charges on Feb. 14.","perpfirstname":"Watson","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Dorval","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"no","perpcharges":"Watson Dorval was acquitted on Feb. 14, 2014, of second-degree murder charges following a trial in Miami.","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":70,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jarkevis","middlename":"","lastname":"Allen","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 23, 2007","deathdate":"October 10, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"14 months","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Blunt trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In May 2008, DCF received a report that Jarkevis Allen's father had passed out after snorting cocaine and that when he awoke, the boy was chewing on a cable wire. The tipster said the child's father, Jarvis Allen, used cocaine "all the time, everyday," including while caring for his 1-year-old son. The investigation was closed two months later with verified findings of substance abuse, but the document made no mention of the child's welfare. It said that Allen declined to submit to a drug test.
A little more than a month later, Jarkevis stopped breathing while in his father's care. He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors discovered that he had "multiple liver lacerations consistent with blunt abdominal trauma," a condition they ascribed to physical abuse. His parents were unable to give a plausible explanation of the injuries to their only child, although Allen claimed they were a result of his attempts to perform CPR on the boy, the documents show.
An autopsy concluded that Jarkevis had died of blunt trauma, and that the cause was homicide. An asssessment by the agency of its handling of the family said the investigator who had looked into the cocaine allegations did not "adequately identify numerous high risk factors" in the family's surroundings. Allen, who had a record of arrests for drugs offenses and assault, was convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, and in December 2010 was sentenced to two 20-year prison terms, to run concurrently.","perpfirstname":"Jarvis","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Allen","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"Convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":71,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Lil'Jah","middlename":"","lastname":"Crittenton","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 8, 2002","deathdate":"October 10, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"6","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"In May 2008, DCF received a report that Jarkevis Allen's father had passed out after snorting cocaine and that when he awoke, the boy was chewing on a cable wire. The tipster said the child's father, Jarvis Allen, used cocaine "all the time, everyday," including while caring for his 1-year-old son. The investigation was closed two months later with verified findings of substance abuse, but the document made no mention of the child's welfare. It said that Allen declined to submit to a drug test.
A little more than a month later, Jarkevis stopped breathing while in his father's care. He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors discovered that he had "multiple liver lacerations consistent with blunt abdominal trauma," a condition they ascribed to physical abuse. His parents were unable to give a plausible explanation of the injuries to their only child, although Allen claimed they were a result of his attempts to perform CPR on the boy, the documents show.
An autopsy concluded that Jarkevis had died of blunt trauma, and that the cause was homicide. An asssessment by the agency of its handling of the family said the investigator who had looked into the cocaine allegations did not "adequately identify numerous high risk factors" in the family's surroundings. Allen, who had a record of arrests for drugs offenses and assault, was convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, and in December 2010 was sentenced to two 20-year prison terms, to run concurrently.","perpfirstname":"Rose","perpmiddlename":"Lee","perplastname":"Johnson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":72,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Lillyanne","middlename":"","lastname":"Martin","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 1, 2008","deathdate":"October 12, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Asphyxiation by adult overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Two months before Lillyanne Martin died, DCF received a report that her mother, Tiffany Krumme, 19, had sexually abused a child. Investigators also noted that Lillyanne's father, Edward Martin Jr., 22, had been arrested for physically abusing a niece. The agency conducted a cursory investigation, which lay dormant for 58 days until it was closed on Oct. 3, 2008, with a finding that the report was unfounded.
Seven days later, Lillyanne was sleeping in the grownups' bed — they had bought a crib, but it remained unassembled — when her father rolled over and the child became wedged under his knee. Her mother found her that way, face down. Lillyanne was revived at the hospital but died two days later after being taken off life support.
An assessment of DCF's handling of the family said it was not clear whether DCF had checked on an earlier child-abuse complaint that originated in Texas.","perpfirstname":"Edward","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Martin","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":73,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Dakota","middlename":"","lastname":"Herbert","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 8, 2008","deathdate":"October 17, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Probable overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Tim Herbert had been up drinking until 5 a.m., downing a six-pack of beer and two pints of Mad Dog before passing out, DCF said. At around midday on October 17, 2008 he, awoke, fixed himself breakfast and turned on the television.
About two and half hours later, according to an investigative report, he heard a scream: "The baby is blue! The baby is blue!" The mother, Tabetha Van Patten and the father, Herbert, gave authorities conflicting accounts as to whether their 1-month-old child had been sleeping in a playpen or on the bed, and what time Dakota Herbert had last been checked.
Ultimately, the Child Protection Team determined that Van Patten had placed the child in a playpen with a blanket and an adult-size pillow, and the medical examiner ruled the death a "probable overlay." Once in the playpen, Dakota was not attended to for approximately 11 hours, the investigators concluded.
At the time the baby was born, DCF was alerted that the mother had marijuana in her system. Three days later, DCF tested her again and she was negative. The father, who was drug-screened as part of his probation, also tested negative, although four months earlier he violated his probation when he brought in someone else's urine to be tested, the DCF report said. According to state records, Herbert has been arrested 30 times on charges ranging from DUI to battery. DCF closed the case with "no indicators of neglect or abuse." Herbert died in 2011.","perpfirstname":"Tabetha","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Van Patten","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Tim","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Herbert","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":74,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jennifer","middlename":"","lastname":"Tuthill","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 25, 2003","deathdate":"October 18, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"4","countycode":"lee","county":"Lee","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Four-year-old Jennifer Tuthill had the intellect of an 18-month-old and suffered from seizures.
On Sept. 22, 2008, Jennifer and her half-sister were removed from their mother's care after DCF received a report that their mother had been arrested on a cocaine charge. It was the eighth time DCF had received a complaint about the family. Prior investigations included allegations of child abuse, sexual abuse and domestic violence.
A judge gave custody of the girls to Jennifer's father, who was reported to have taken a parenting class in 2005 after DCF said he had used "excessive corporal punishment" against one of the girls and had been violent with their mother. Less than a month later, Jennifer was dead.
Her father told authorities he had left her alone to watch a movie while he went outside to work in the yard. An hour or so later, he went inside to check on her and she was no longer in front of the television. He found his daughter in the pool, where she had drowned. There were no locks on the door leading to the pool, the report said.
DCF concluded that the agency "missed several opportunities" for intervention in a family "marked by violence, conflict and accusation toward each other." Furthermore, DCF admitted that caseworkers had failed to inspect the father's home after he was given custody, and were therefore unaware that the locks of doors leading to the pool were broken. The parents' names were redacted from DCF's report.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Tuthill","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":75,"docindex":34,"firstname":"Keiyahna","middlename":"","lastname":"Walker","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 27, 2007","deathdate":"October 18, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"10 mos.","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Keiyahna Walker was 10 months old when she drowned in a bathtub. Her mother had left her in the care of the baby's maternal grandmother, Floretta Shaw, who placed her and a sibling in five or six inches of water in the tub while she went to a gas station to buy milk. Before she left, Shaw asked Keiyahna's intellectually disabled 16-year-old cousin to oversee the girls' bath, but he left the room to play on his computer, according to a DCF document.
Some 15 minutes later, Keiyahna's mother received a "panicked" phone call telling her to come home because the child was not breathing. Keiyahna was declared dead less than an hour later.
Marion County sheriff's deputies who went to the home were met by Keiyahna's maternal grandfather, who had slept through the children's bath time and the first moments of the ensuing crisis. The grandfather announced that no one in the family would talk to the police, "and rudely told them to get off their property," the DCF's death review said.
Deputies noted that they were well acquainted with the family because several of its members "had a long history of criminal activity." The family had also been the subject of at least eight prior reports to DCF, including allegations of domestic violence, drug abuse, inadequate supervision, and physical child abuse, according to information obtained by the Miami Herald, which went to court to uncover details that had been redacted from the departmental review of Keiyahna's death.
One probe in 2001 verified allegations that a child had been beaten with an extension cord, leaving welts and "whip mark lacerations" on the child's arms and legs and causing bleeding. The child, the report said, was "kept home from school to avoid questions about the injury."","perpfirstname":"Floretta","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Shaw","perprelation":"Grandmother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":76,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Desaun","middlename":"Ocheal","lastname":"Wright","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 29, 2008","deathdate":"October 18, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Desaun Wright asphyxiated while he slept after falling between an air mattress and a wall. The 5-month-old's maternal grandfather, who had three beers, had been caring for him and his three siblings while Desaun's mother was out of town.
Desaun was the second of the mother's children to die in dangerous sleeping conditions. Fifteen months earlier, a 2-month-old sibling had died while sleeping with six other children.
The family had been the subject of multiple prior abuse/neglect complaints, including reports that the home was infested with roaches, rats and spiders and that the mother and her boyfriend "use weed and spend all day smoking drugs and drinking alcohol."
DCF caseworkers had offered counseling and other assistance, but took no other action.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"GrandFather","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":77,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Dezadarious","middlename":"","lastname":"Preston","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 29, 2008","deathdate":"October 24, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"3 weeks","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Complications of prematurity, stemming from maternal abdominal trauma sustained during an incident of domestic violence","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Dezadarious Preston was born at only 26 weeks of gestation, and died three weeks later — while he should still have been in his mother's womb. At the time, his mother was a 16-year-old foster child whom DCF caseworkers had left in the home of her boyfriend's parents after she had become an orphan. The 15-year-old boyfriend was Dezadarious's father.
In September 2008, a report to DCF said, Dezadarious's father had kicked the pregnant teen in the belly, caused her placenta to rupture and prompting Dezadarious' premature birth. At first, both teens offered a variety of explanations for the early delivery, but the girl eventually confirmed that her boyfriend had kicked her.
She asked DCF to remove her from the family, and she was then placed in a licensed foster home.
The newborn's mother had been the subject of seven calls to DCF's hotline as the victim of abuse or neglect.
Dezadarious was declared to have sustained abdominal trauma during an incident of domestic violence, and his prematurity led to complications that resulted in his death.
Records say that the violent episode resulting in Dezadarious's death was not the first incident in which the boy's father had battered a pregnant woman. In May of 2008, a report said, the teen was arrested for abusing his own mother.
The report on Dezadarious's death is heavily redacted, and it is unclear whether DCF was aware that the child's pregnant mother was living in the same home as a youth who already had been charged with beating a pregnant woman.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":78,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Tazarr'ion","middlename":"","lastname":"Armour","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 13, 2006","deathdate":"October 28, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Multiple blunt injuries of head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Dwight Baldwin was determined to teach a lesson to the 2-year-old boy he was watching. He beat Tazzar'ion Armour with his fists and whipped him with a belt, a paint stick and a fly swatter, police said. Baldwin had told his girlfriend that the toddler was "going to learn one way or another" to stop soiling his bed.
When Baldwin was done with the beating, Tazzar'ion had too many bruises to count, doctors said. The boy's skull was full of blood, "evidence of a massive brain injury," according to Tazzar'ion's autopsy.
Earlier that month, Tazzar'ion's mother, Tyisha Fields, had left the toddler with her 25-year-old cousin, Audrey Lawrence, in the midst of a DCF investigation into allegations that Fields had been beating the boy while using crack cocaine and pain pills. DCF caseworkers approved the arrangement, even though Lawrence had been arrested previously on charges of battery and cruelty to a child, and despite the fact that she was living with Baldwin, whose criminal history included arrests for fraud, drug peddling and battery.
A DCF review of Tazzar'ion's death noted that there had been no documentation that Baldwin "was a part of the household," but went on to say that, "even had a more thorough assessment of the household been completed, it is more likely than not that Tazarr'ion's living arrangement with Ms. Lawrence would have continued." The review did not question the decision to place him in Lawrence's custody, and said the boy's mother had spoken "positively of Lawrence and indicated her desire for Tazarr'ion to remain in her care."
After the boy had been moved to the woman's home, Baldwin began beating the boy, and Lawrence did nothing to stop him, a report to DCF said. Tazarr'ion's mother had made a habit of leaving him with various people, and he was once pepper-sprayed and "slammed onto the couch" by another caregiver, Eltheta Hill, the family's DCF file says.
Lawrence's own child told a DCF investigator that her mother agreed to take custody of Tazzar'ion only because she would be paid, and called her "greedy" and lacking in warmth. While Tazzar'ion was living in Lawrence's home, the other child told authorities, "he learned not to cry."
Lawrence is serving a 15-year sentence for child neglect, and Baldwin, who sports a tattoo that says "Life with no regrets," is serving a life term for murder.","perpfirstname":"Dwight","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Baldwin","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend of caregiver","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"murder","perp2firstname":"Audrey","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Lawrence","perp2relation":"paternal cousin, caregiver","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":79,"docindex":89,"firstname":"Thomas","middlename":"Anthony","lastname":"Goldsmith","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 12, 2003","deathdate":"October 30, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"4","countycode":"citrus","county":"citrus","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Alicia Chomic's history with child protection workers dated to 2004, the first time DCF was told the young mother had a drug problem. In that report, Chomic, 23, was said to be smoking crack and snorting Oxycontin in the presence of her young son, Thomas Goldsmith. The agency also was told that the boy's father had been arrested for battery on the woman.
A year later, DCF learned that Chomic was "abusing prescription pills, including Oxycontin." An investigator asked Chomic to take a drug test but she declined, and DCF appears to have done nothing more. In 2007, DCF again was called when Chomic's new boyfriend was arrested for domestic battery. DCF offered Chomic free child care.
By 2008, Chomic had three sons, 4-year-old Thomas, 2-year-old Damien Lietz and 15-month-old Anthony Lietz, Jr., and her drug addiction — as well as the demons it spawned. On October 30, 2008, Chomic loaded her stepfather's handgun and shot her youngest son in his play pen. She then turned the gun on the older boys as they slept, and all three youngsters succumbed to single bullets to the head. Chomic then shot herself. She left no suicide note.
When investigators looked in Chomic's overnight bag, they found about 1,000 prescription painkillers, including Oxycontin and methadone, prescribed by "various doctors," a report said.","perpfirstname":"Alicia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Chomic","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":80,"docindex":89,"firstname":"Damien","middlename":"Michael","lastname":"Lietz","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 9, 2006","deathdate":"October 30, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"citrus","county":"citrus","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Alicia Chomic's history with child protection workers dated to 2004, the first time DCF was told the young mother had a drug problem. In that report, Chomic, 23, was said to be smoking crack and snorting Oxycontin in the presence of her young son, Thomas Goldsmith. The agency also was told that the boy's father had been arrested for battery on the woman.
A year later, DCF learned that Chomic was "abusing prescription pills, including Oxycontin." An investigator asked Chomic to take a drug test but she declined, and DCF appears to have done nothing more. In 2007, DCF again was called when Chomic's new boyfriend was arrested for domestic battery. DCF offered Chomic free child care.
By 2008, Chomic had three sons, 4-year-old Thomas, 2-year-old Damien Lietz and 15-month-old Anthony Lietz, Jr., and her drug addiction — as well as the demons it spawned. On October 30, 2008, Chomic loaded her stepfather's handgun and shot her youngest son in his play pen. She then turned the gun on the older boys as they slept, and all three youngsters succumbed to single bullets to the head. Chomic then shot herself. She left no suicide note.
When investigators looked in Chomic's overnight bag, they found about 1,000 prescription painkillers, including Oxycontin and methadone, prescribed by "various doctors," a report said.","perpfirstname":"Alicia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Chomic","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":81,"docindex":89,"firstname":"Anthony","middlename":"Michael","lastname":"Lietz","suffix":"Jr.","gender":"male","birthdate":"July 27, 2007","deathdate":"October 30, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"citrus","county":"citrus","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Alicia Chomic's history with child protection workers dated to 2004, the first time DCF was told the young mother had a drug problem. In that report, Chomic, 23, was said to be smoking crack and snorting Oxycontin in the presence of her young son, Thomas Goldsmith. The agency also was told that the boy's father had been arrested for battery on the woman.
A year later, DCF learned that Chomic was "abusing prescription pills, including Oxycontin." An investigator asked Chomic to take a drug test but she declined, and DCF appears to have done nothing more. In 2007, DCF again was called when Chomic's new boyfriend was arrested for domestic battery. DCF offered Chomic free child care.
By 2008, Chomic had three sons, 4-year-old Thomas, 2-year-old Damien Lietz and 15-month-old Anthony Lietz, Jr., and her drug addiction — as well as the demons it spawned. On October 30, 2008, Chomic loaded her stepfather's handgun and shot her youngest son in his play pen. She then turned the gun on the older boys as they slept, and all three youngsters succumbed to single bullets to the head. Chomic then shot herself. She left no suicide note.
When investigators looked in Chomic's overnight bag, they found about 1,000 prescription painkillers, including Oxycontin and methadone, prescribed by "various doctors," a report said.","perpfirstname":"Alicia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Chomic","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":82,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Lily","middlename":"","lastname":"Edwards","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 8, 2007","deathdate":"October 31, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"15 mos.","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On the night she died, Lily Edwards' parents had gone out and left their 15-month-old daughter in the care of a family friend, Gordon Dugger, who was 23 and had been staying in their trailer home for about four months. Dugger, who was unemployed, had watched Lily before without a problem, the parents said later.
The way Dugger told the story to a Polk County detective, he consumed about eight beers in the course of the evening and at about 1:30 a.m. Lily began crying. He could not calm her, Dugger said, even after he began bouncing her and "throwing her into the air." On one occasion, he "threw her approximately 5 1/2 feet into the air and she landed on the rear portion of her head, rendering her unconscious," the incident report says.
At that point, Dugger told the detective, he picked her up and shook her for a while and, when she still did not come around, he "began hitting her with an open hand on the back of her head progressively harder for approximately 10 strikes." Dugger then decided to call in the professionals and dialed 911, but nothing could be done for Lily.
In October 2009, Dugger was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the aggravated manslaughter of a child. The Edwards family's prior DCF investigations were redacted, but the file retained a notation that no protective services had been provided.","perpfirstname":"Gordon","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Dugger","perprelation":"Housemate","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":83,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Sy'miya","middlename":"","lastname":"Ross","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 6, 2007","deathdate":"October 31, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"There was an "extensive child welfare history" involving Sylvia Baldwin before she even gave birth to Sy'miya Ross and her twin sibling in 2007. Baldwin and the twins' father, John Ross, had a record of domestic abuse, allegations of drug use and nine prior complaints involving other children in the home.
On Oct. 31, 2008, Baldwin drew the 19-month-old twins a bath and placed them and their 3-year-old brother in the tub about 8:30 a.m. then went into the kitchen to make breakfast. Sometime later, the 3-year-old ran into the kitchen and told Baldwin that Sy'miya was under water. Prosecutors declined to file charges, concluding "the incident was the result of a tragic accident."
Details of DCF's prior investigations involving the family were redacted from a review of Sy'miya's death.","perpfirstname":"Sylvia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Baldwin","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":84,"docindex":136,"firstname":"Kyla","middlename":"Joy","lastname":"Hall","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 3, 2007","deathdate":"November 1, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Blunt force injuries","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Police arrested both of Kyla Joy Hall's parents in March 2007 after doctors found the 8-week-old infant with fractures — some of them old — to her skull, arm, wrists, legs and a foot. The injuries, a doctor wrote, were "diagnostic" of repeated child abuse.
Kyla "needed to be removed" from her parents and taken into state care, wrote Dr. Bruce McIntosh of the Child Protection Team. But because authorities could not determine which of her parents was responsible for the abuse, the criminal charges were dropped.
At first, DCF's plan was to terminate the parental rights of both Kyla's mother, Ashley Saffore, and her father, Josi Hall. Months later, however, Saffore voluntarily surrendered her rights to the little girl. No explanation was offered in a review of Kyla's death as to what happened next: Caseworkers and lawyers changed their goal from an "expedited" termination of Hall's rights to Kyla to a reunification, despite the fact that Hall's own mother and a foster mother had expressed concerns about the child's safety.
On Nov. 1, 2008, Kyla was found with a lacerated heart and "pulpified" liver. Doctors said the toddler's injuries were so severe that it wold have taken a "force greater than that of a horse kick" to have caused the ventricular rupture she suffered. The toddler, two months shy of her second birthday, did not survive the beating.
Hall, a Jacksonville firefighter who had tattooed the first letter of his daughter's name on his leg, is serving a life term for second-degree murder.","perpfirstname":"Josi","perpmiddlename":"Montell","perplastname":"Hall","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"second-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":85,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Gabriel","middlename":"","lastname":"Golden","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 19, 2008","deathdate":"November 3, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"lake","county":"Lake","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Gabriel Golden's parents thought they were doing the right thing. Beset by money troubles after the boy was born, they joined the military as a way of shoring up their finances and turned over temporary custody of Gabriel to a couple with whom they were friends.
The couple, Tammi and Ashley Baker, had wanted a child but had not succeeded in conceiving. The Bakers had been helping with Gabriel's care and the parents were comfortable with them, so on on September 3, 2008, they turned Gabriel over via a notarized letter. One month later, the baby was dead. The medical examiner said he died of blunt force trauma, had two skull fractures and epidural blood in his spine. The manner of death was homicide.
A day before Gabriel died, a family friend said he fell about six inches from a bouncer, but the medical examiner said his injuries were not consistent with a fall from a bouncer. Police later learned that a day before the death, Gabriel's foster father, Ashley Baker, had purchased Xanax, a prescription medication that treats anxiety, panic disorder, insomnia and other maladies.
"One of the symptoms of being on that type of medicine is that lack of sleep can make an individual very short-tempered and irritable," a police report on the case said. It added that Ashley Baker was awake at almost 2 a.m. that night and again at around 4 a.m., and spent most of the night in Gabriel's room. When Tammi Baker went into the room shortly after 6 a.m., Ashley was asleep and the baby was purple, face down in his crib. He could not be revived.
The day after Gabriel's death, the Bakers declined to take drug screens, the DCF report said. Ashley Baker, who had an extensive criminal history, was suspected of killing Gabriel, police reports said. DCF also said the Bakers had been investigated at least 14 times on abuse and neglect allegations. Ashley Baker was identified as a "person of interest" in Gabriel's death during a custody hearing for the two other children in the home, but the assistant prosecutor told a Leesburg newspaper in November 2013 that, although the case remained open, "it's a difficult case to prove."","perpfirstname":"Ashley","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Baker","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":86,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Cadier","middlename":"","lastname":"Jordan","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 17, 2008","deathdate":"November 10, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Cadier Jordan was almost 4 months old on the night he suffocated in the crib he shared with his twin. He was found lying on his belly, his face "embedded" in the mattress, and the cause of death was determined to be positional asphyxia. Cadier had been suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease and bronchopneumonia, and both maladies were thought to be contributing factors.
His 27-year-old mother said she placed him face-down after feeding him, and a child-protection assessment written after Cadier's death said infants should neither be put in that position nor share a crib with another baby. A doctor on the team said the facts of the case indicated a "failure to provide a safe environment" for Cadier. No criminal charges were sought.
In addition to Cadier's twin, there were four other siblings in the Jordan household. A 2006 report drafted by DCF said one of the children broke his arm when he fell from his parents' bed onto the floor. The family's explanation was that the boy was excited that his father had returned home after being incarcerated. DCF recommended parenting classes, but the offer was refused.
In 2008, when the mother was expecting the twins and had to go to a hospital to deal with an issue concerning the pregnancy, the older children were reportedly left in the care of a 13-year-old girl who then left the children alone. It was later determined that an adult had been present.
The children's mother was listed as a victim in a 1997 report, when she was 16 years old, "very defiant" and prone to disappearing. The report named her parents and cited instances of abuse, neglect and "excessive corporal punishment" that resulted in bruises and welts, but no indicators were found for abuse or neglect.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":87,"docindex":9,"firstname":"Brianna","middlename":"","lastname":"Morges-Gress","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 11, 2008","deathdate":"November 16, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Malnutrition/dehydration","deathcause":"other","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In a case that drew considerable public attention, Brianna Morges-Gress starved when she was 4 months old. Her twin brother was almost equally malnourished, but survived.
Their mother, Lauren Gress, who had two other children, was charged with aggravated manslaughter and ultimately convicted of two counts of child neglect with great bodily harm. In October 2010, she was sentenced to just over seven years in prison.
There had been signs that all was not well with the twins, who were born six weeks early: An investigation showed that Gress had not taken them to several scheduled check-ups, and had not followed up on referrals for the twins to be seen by an ophthalmologist, a pulmonologist and an orthopedic doctor.
"There were strong concerns for mother's mental health," a DCF summary said after Brianna's death, "as she reported to have been feeding the twins regularly, 6-8 times a day, which did not correlate with their medical conditions." In fact, the document concluded, Brianna "was only fed or handled every 12 hours or so," and died of "homicide by neglect."
A prior abuse report in 2006 was redacted, although it involved a sibling. No child-protection services were provided in that case.
At the Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, one of the 16 tattoos Gress sports on her body says "Brianna."","perpfirstname":"Lauren","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Gress","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child, child neglect","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":88,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Alexis","middlename":"Marie","lastname":"Scott","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 28, 2008","deathdate":"November 16, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Alexis Scott's parents had drug problems. They used crack cocaine and sold their pills to obtain money for food, taking the children along during the drug deals, the family's DCF file says. Alexis' sister said she saw her parents snorting white powder. What's more, the newborn Alexis would be placed to sleep in her parents' bed, a dangerous practice.
Responding to a report that Alexis' parents were doing crack, DCF investigators found environmental hazards and determined that there was inadequate supervision of the children and substance abuse in the home.
DCF's lawyers said there was sufficient cause to shelter the children, including Alexis, but the agency chose not to shelter the kids, a decision that a subsequent review of the the agency's actions found "concerning." The agency instead referred the family to voluntary services. The parents failed to follow through, and caseworkers did not check.
But social workers did speak extensively to Alexis' parents about not letting the child sleep in their bed, and compelled both of them to sign "a safe-sleep form" to that effect. Eleven days after the previous case was closed, Alexis died in her parents' bed of "positional asphyxiation." Shortly afterward, the child's parents declined to submit to a drug test.
The agency's review noted that expecting drug-addicted parents to comply with "voluntary" services was probably a mistake.","perpfirstname":"Heather","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Young","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Frank","perp2middlename":"J.","perp2lastname":"Scott","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":89,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Deja","middlename":"","lastname":"Jasmine","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 25, 2008","deathdate":"November 23, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Sudden unexplained infant death","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Deja Jasmine was born premature and had a series of serious medical problems.
On the night she died, her mother placed Deja in an adult bed, along with an older sibling, and did not hook the the infant up to her apnea monitor. The mother also laid in the same bed, according to DCF. Deja, who was 6 months old, was found dead the next morning.
The family had been involved in two previous hotline reports, though at the time they were living with other families prone to domestic violence, DCF said.
While an autopsy ascribed Deja's passing to sudden unexplained infant death, DCF said the death was in part due to neglect based on the mother sleeping with her baby and placing her in an unsafe sleeping environment without using the prescribed apnea monitor.","perpfirstname":"all redacted","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"probably the Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":90,"docindex":22,"firstname":"Antoine","middlename":"Lamont","lastname":"Hardiman","suffix":"Jr.","gender":"male","birthdate":"May 18, 2007","deathdate":"December 1, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Abusive head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On Dec. 9, 2008, eight days after Antoine Hardiman Jr. died of head injuries so severe that his brain cavity was filled with blood, his mother, Shantell Serrant, was arrested.
His mother explained the injuries by asserting that an older sibling had dropped Antoine on his head. Had it been true, the child's wounds would not have begun to approach the reality of what doctors faced when Antoine was brought to Wolfson Children's Hospital in Jacksonville.
Nor had Serrant been able to explain how Antoine had ended up with a broken leg 10 months earlier. A child-abuse team concluded on March 25, 2008, that the fracture was "indicative of abuse" and said that "some responsible adult should know when and how this injury occurred."
The team was concerned also that Antoine was failing to thrive — that is, not gaining weight appropriate to his age — and recommended that he be removed from the family "to determine whether his weight would improve in a different environment." But a "failure to thrive" notation was not added to a report on the matter, and a Children's Legal Services lawyer decided that "no legal sufficiency was found" to deny custody to Antoine's family.
It was unclear whether the attorney had checked the family's history with the agency, which included an allegation less than four months after the premature birth of Antoine and his twin that Serrant "was not completing the training to use a trachea tube and medications." It was knowledge she would have needed before the twins, born with respiratory problems, could be safely discharged from the hospital.
In all, five prior DCF reports involved Antoine. Most details from those reports were unavailable, but an investigator noted at one point that Serrant's bad temper "often caused friction" with doctors and staff members at the hospital that was caring for her twins before their discharge on March 27.
The following month, another report said an "unknown male" had kicked down the family's door and fired a gun into the home, although the children were said not to have been present. That report noted three failures in the agency's monitoring of the family, including a lack of "follow-up with the medical providers to ensure appropriate care" for Antoine in the wake of his broken femur and his "failure to thrive."
In October that year, Serrant reportedly "vowed not to seek medical attention" for her daughter, who was "coughing and wheezing." Serrant handled the girl "very roughly," a report to DCF said, and "appeared to be overwhelmed with the children." Still, the investigation documented "no indicators of threatened harm" to the children, the oldest of whom was 3 years old.
Five weeks after that report was made, Antoine was rushed to a hospital with head trauma. He lived for almost three days, and was pronounced dead on Dec. 1, 2008. His three surviving siblings were placed with their maternal grandmother.
Serrant was originally charged with second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. On May 18, 2011, the homicide charge was downgraded to manslaughter, and the child abuse charge was dropped. Adjudication was withheld, and Serrant was sentenced to two years' probation.","perpfirstname":"Shantell","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Serrant","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"Serrant was originally charged with second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. On May 18, 2011, the homicide charge was downgraded to manslaughter, and the child abuse charge was dropped. Adjudication was withheld, and Serrant was sentenced to two years probation. In February 2013, probation was terminated. ","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":91,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Skyler","middlename":"","lastname":"Giovo","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 8, 2008","deathdate":"December 3, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Skyler Blake Giovo had been having seizures for two hours before he was admitted to a hospital in critical condition with swelling and bleeding in his brain and bruises on his neck.
His 28-year-old father, Michael L. Giovo Jr., in whose care the child had been, reported that Skyler had fallen off the couch the day before, Thanksgiving Day, but "seemed to be fine afterwards." Giovo said also that an older child had hit Skyler on the head during a Thanksgiving visit to an uncle's house, but although he was crying, Skyler seemed to be "fine" then too.
When the boy's mother, Jessica L. Hooper, 24, awoke the following morning, she told authorities, she observed Skyler asleep on his father's chest — an assertion Giovo later denied. Hooper retrieved the baby and noticed that he had a small scratch on his left ear and gouge marks and bruises on his neck. Asked about the marks, Giovo said the infant had been "pinching" and "digging" at himself. Hooper described Skyler as looking "dazed."
The day after his admission to the hospital, Skyler suffered a stroke. Four days after that, he was removed from life support and declared dead. An autopsy found blunt head trauma, retinal hemorrhages and other injuries, and Giovo was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. In June 2012, he was given a life sentence.
Throughout the investigation of the case, the family's file says, "Ms. Hooper remained protective of Mr. Giovo and was unwilling to restrict his access to her surviving child" — a 5-year-old who was the product of a previous relationship. Child welfare services were first triggered for Hooper in 2004, although the details were redacted, and again in 2007, when there was a domestic violence incident between Hooper and her first child's father. There were also reports involving substance abuse and failure-to-protect issues, but none involved Michael Giovo.
A DCF report said that "legal intervention was sought in 2007," without explaining why, but it was "not pursued due to Ms. Hooper's level of cooperation." A summary said that because Hooper "continued to be protective" of Giovo after Skyler's death, there was a possibility of additional risk to the surviving child. The file was closed with "no recommendations" for counseling or other assistance.","perpfirstname":"Michael","perpmiddlename":"L.","perplastname":"Giovo","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated child abuse, first degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"yes","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":92,"docindex":113,"firstname":"Hunter","middlename":"","lastname":"Gibson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 14, 2008","deathdate":"December 5, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Respiratory failure, due to bronchitis/contributing cause is failure to thrive due to malnutrition","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Between 1999 and the day of Hunter Gibson's death, his parents had been the subject of at least 24 calls to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline.
Eric Shockley and Jessica Gibson Theel had been offered a wealth of services from the state, including mental health counseling, in-home parenting lessons, family coaching, prenatal care, medical evaluations, domestic violence programs and economic assistance. The children had been removed and reunited with the family.
Although the children had been receiving help from the state as late as April 2008, the family was not under any supervision the following July, when Hunter was born.
On Oct. 8, 2008, when Hunter was 3 months old, DCF was told that he was living in a "filthy" home and that his siblings were infested with lice. A disabled sibling was not being treated, and had been recently bruised, the DCF review said. An investigator became aware of the most serious allegations while looking into that report. Hunter, the agency was told, had been hospitalized for failing to thrive, and nurses told DCF that "the boy's mother was not feeding the child as directed."
While the October 2008 investigation was still under way, Hunter died at 4 months old, of respiratory failure, brought on partly by malnutrition.
Prompt action might have saved Hunter, who reportedly had gained weight while in the hospital, DCF admitted. But DCF lawyers declined to take any action unless a "medical expert" asserted that Hunter was in danger, and the Child Protection Team, which is responsible for evaluating the status of children in such situations, declined repeatedly to see the boy. ","perpfirstname":"Jessica","perpmiddlename":"Gibson","perplastname":"Theel","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":93,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Renaldo","middlename":"","lastname":"Wallace","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 27, 2008","deathdate":"December 6, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"5 weeks","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Renaldo Wallace was a "crack baby," placed after birth in a foster home for his own protection. He was 40 days old when he died of positional asphyxia after being trapped in soft bedding.
His foster mother, who had spent five years caring for children, told investigators that after Renaldo awoke, she fed him, and then noticed that he had spit up on the sheets of his bassinet. She said she swaddled the child because she had been advised that "crack babies" liked to be wrapped tightly and, since his sheets were soiled, placed him on her bed.
DCF investigators determined that Renaldo had been left unattended for about eight hours in an unsafe sleeping environment.
Details of the prior case — which had probably prompted the removal from his mother — were redacted in files provided to the Herald. ","perpfirstname":"Shelley","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Colvin","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":94,"docindex":29,"firstname":"Haleigh","middlename":"Marie","lastname":"Cain","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 28, 2006","deathdate":"December 7, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"bay","county":"Bay","deathcausereport":"Blunt force abdominal trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Haleigh Cain's mother, Jessica Krsul, had two habits that worried child-protection workers.
The first, her use of various narcotics, was solved, they believed, when Krsul signed a safety plan saying she would not use illegal drugs or expose her daughter to them.
The second problem was Krsul's history of domestic relationships that often turned violent. The latter danger proved to be the most serious.
Child welfare workers took action, but a report suggests their solutions fell short. They referred Krsul to daycare services and drug treatment, but did not confirm that she followed through. The caseworkers praised Krsul's "strong family support system," but did not factor in that some relatives were also drug users, a death review said.
In March 2007, DCF was told Haleigh's dad, Terry Cain, hit Krsul with a "ketsup bottle," and nearly hit Haleigh, as well. Cain called Krsul the aggressor. And although Krsul and Cain separated, the threat to their infant daughter was left unresolved.
Five months later, another report arrived, this one claiming Krsul was selling drugs from her home, and had been arrested for cocaine possession. The report added "Mom is a very volatile person." And though Krsul refused to take a drug test, she was allowed to sign another safety plan: "I will refrain from the use of illegal substances that would adversely affect my child. I will ensure my child is adequately supervised while in my care."
Jessica Krsul was referred to a "family preservation" specialist for services, but the counseling never occurred because Krsul was uncooperative, a report said. Days later, neighbors reported, Krsul and someone named Tim got into a fistfight, and Tim left with a "busted head."
When Haleigh was 2 years old, she was taken to a party at the home of a family friend by Krsul and her new boyfriend, Dennis Creamer, according to the file. The couple later told investigators that after the party they went home and put the children to bed. The next morning, they said, Haleigh was cold and stiff — long dead.
She was found face-down on the floor of her bedroom, bruised and with a bloody nose. The autopsy showed Haleigh had suffered multiple internal injuries, including a lacerated spleen and kidney, and her liver was so damaged it was almost severed.
Under questioning, Creamer confessed to pushing Haleigh's head into a wall three times, hitting her in the face several times and kicking her in the stomach. "I beat her," he told police. Creamer was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, and sentenced to life in prison.
"He claimed that he loved Haleigh and never meant to do it," a report said.","perpfirstname":"Dennis","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Creamer","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"first degree murder, aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"Jessica","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Krsul","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":95,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Faith","middlename":"","lastname":"Ray","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 3, 2006","deathdate":"December 8, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Two-year-old Faith Ray was one of six children who were adopted from state care by Violet and Joe Ray. Faith's rescue from her birth parents led to far worse torment.
On Dec. 8, 2008, Faith was beaten to death, apparently because she had been "naughty" and had said "no" to her adoptive mother, Violet Ray, according to one of her new siblings. The boy told a Child Protection Team investigator that Ray had kicked and spanked the toddler "too hard," and that his mother had told him that "Faithy" had "gone to heaven." The boy said his father had also hit Faith when he returned home and learned that she had been "naughty." Faith cried during the beating, the boy said.
Several members of the extended family, including Faith's adoptive grandmother, had seen the child's suffering and realized that her life was in danger after the beating. The grandmother acknowledged failing to seek help for Faith because family members were afraid that doctors would see the bruises all over her body, so they did nothing until it was too late.
The list of injuries she sustained covered three single-spaced pages in Faith's autopsy report. It showed that she died of head injuries, with trauma evident in 20 places, and that she had an additional 40 "points of blunt force trauma" on her torso and extremities. The child also had "vaginal tearing," the autopsy said. Her mother's lawyer argued that the head injuries were the result of an accidental fall.
Violet Ray was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder.","perpfirstname":"Violet","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ray","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"Violet Ray is serving a life sentence for first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and child neglect.","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":96,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Blake","middlename":"","lastname":"Rupe","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 29, 2007","deathdate":"December 17, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1","countycode":"lake","county":"Lake","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Blake Rupe's death came at the tail end of a tragic series of missteps and errors on the part of DCF and other agencies.
A caseworker and her supervisor were fired and two others were suspended after it became clear to what extent the case had been mishandled. In January 2008, almost a year before Blake was fatally injured by his mother's boyfriend, the child had been taken to the Osceola Regional Medical Center bleeding so profusely from the mouth that he had saturated his sheets. He also had multiple bruises on his face that were in different stages of healing. But the boyfriend, David Tatara, who had been in the household a few months, "was not asked about how the child may have sustained the injuries," according to a DCF summary of the case.
Blake's mother, Emmalee Fore, suggested to authorities that her other child, a 2-year-old girl, had caused Blake's injuries by jumping on him. The report indicated that "Emmalee's story is inconsistent with the injuries seen on Blake," and warned that the boy "remains at great risk if left in his current unchanged environment."
Despite the concerns, an investigation into the January incident was closed with recommended services and Blake and his sister remained in the home, often in the care of Tatara. There were two more incidents of apparent abuse in April that year, one involving Blake and the other his sister, and in both cases the explanations given by Fore and Tatara were unconvincing, the agency's summary later concluded.
A case manager employed by Family Services-Metro Orlando did not visit the home until 10 days after bruises had been reported on Blake's face, and by that time the injuries had disappeared. A DCF attorney drafted a document that sought a judge's supervision over the case but the petition was not filed with the court. A safety assessment filed in June 2008 "indicates that the risk to the children is currently low," and a caseworker wrote to Fore saying that "your children have been in a loving and safe environment during your involvement with the Department of Children and Families."
Reality intruded on Dec.15, 2008, when Blake was rushed to an emergency room with a multitiude of injuries, some of them old, including a fractured skull, retinal hemorrhaging, a broken nose, cracks in his ribs, a fractured femur and two broken arms — wounds that Tatara claimed were the result of the baby falling out of his crib. At the hospital, while doctors tried to save the boy's life, Tatara lay on the floor in a waiting room, asleep.
Blake's 21-year-old mother, who had been at work when the baby was taken to the hospital, "did not seem to understand the severity of the trauma that her son Blake had sustained," a DCF report said. Later, Fore asked that Tatara be arrested because he had "killed my son," describing him as "aggressive" and impatient. She then insisted that he "did not hit the children."
A child-abuse investigator working on the case spoke by phone with a woman in whose home the family had lived for three months earlier in the year. She said that Tatara "would drink heavily daily, had a gun, and had anger problems." On their first night in the house, the woman "heard a banging on the wall and the mother screaming for help." On another occasion, the woman said, Tatara held a pillow over Fore's face, "smothering her and punching her."
When the two children were left with the woman one day, she said both were dirty and that when she pulled off Blake's shirt, he screamed. "His right arm was hanging down by his side and he could not move it, he had a black eye, and his ear was red, black and blue," the woman told the investigator. "Blake's right shoulder was out of its socket for approximately a week and a half."
After Blake died on Dec. 17, a DCF official concluded that he and his sister had been victims of "severe medical neglect and physical abuse." Two days later, Blake's sister was examined by a doctor and found to have a laceration on the back of her head and three fractures to her left arm that had healed badly and prevented her from extending it. The girl was removed from her mother's care and placed with her father, Brian Fore, in West Virginia.
Tatara, 27, was arrested and ultimately convicted of second-degree murder, for which he received a life sentence. On the day of Tatara's arrest, the DCF office in Alachua County sent him a letter — later acknowledged to have been written in error — that said there was no evidence that Blake had been injured.","perpfirstname":"David","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Tatara","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"First degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":97,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Charliece","middlename":"","lastname":"Frazier","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 23, 2008","deathdate":"December 19, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia due to overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Charliece Frazier was almost 5 months old when she was sleeping with her parents one night and suffocated. It is not clear from the reports on the case which parent might have been responsible, although the baby's father — his name was redacted — appeared to blame the mother, Tiffany Bryant.
Before the baby died, the family had been receiving help from an organization called Kids in Distress, and were "doing well at the time," a report said. The baby's father had been the subject of several criminal prosecutions over the years, and spent some time in jail. Bryant, who had no criminal offenses on her record, had a history of drug use, and both Charliece and her older sister tested positive for drugs at birth.
An investigator noted after Charliece was born in July 2008 that drug use appeared to impair Bryant's "ability to care for the children." That report was closed with "some indicators of child abuse/neglect with regard to the substance abuse maltreatment." After the girl died, a DCF report said that in many cases of co-sleeping deaths, "caregivers are often incapacitated by various substances, either legal or illegal," and are oblivious to the fact that they have rolled over onto a child.","perpfirstname":"Tiffany","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bryant","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":98,"docindex":3,"firstname":"Amari","middlename":"","lastname":"Copeland","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 10, 2008","deathdate":"December 20, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"unknown","county":"Unknown","deathcausereport":"Multiple blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Amari Copeland was not yet 6 weeks old when his mother left him in the care of her boyfriend while she went out to work as a prostitute, a DCF hotline report said.
The boyfriend, Jonpaul Anthony Harms, later admitted to police that he had become frustrated with Amari's crying and punched him several times in the head. The blows fractured his skull and killed him, a medical examination showed. Harms, who had pleaded no contest the previous year to beating Amari's mother, Phoebe Copeland, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
Copeland, whose four older children had already been removed from her care, had a criminal record of her own, including two child-neglect cases, but Amari was left in her care after she agreed to work with a Voluntary Protective Services program, under which she was ostensibly trying to find gainful employment and pay her bills.
An assessment of DCF's actions with the family, written after Amari's death, lay some blame at Copeland's feet, saying that had she revealed to the agency her relationship with Harms, the "domestic violence between the two could have been assessed and appropriate services provided."
Records provided to the Herald following a lawsuit show that DCF had been told in 2007 that Copeland and her family were living in a car, and that cockroaches were "falling out of it." Her children told investigators they had not "eaten in a couple of days." Nor had they been seen by a doctor or a dentist. A hotline report later that year said that one of Copeland's children showed evidence of "lashings" on her bottom. DCF investigators concluded that the child, described as "non-verbal," had injured herself.
In November 2008, when a DCF investigator was interviewing Copeland at a hospital after Amari's birth, she was with a man the investigator described as "aggressive" and unwilling to provide information. Amari was killed the following month. ","perpfirstname":"Jonpaul","perpmiddlename":"Anthony","perplastname":"Harms","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"Phoebe","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Copeland","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":99,"docindex":65,"firstname":"Ella","middlename":"Moon","lastname":"Martin","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 20, 2008","deathdate":"December 20, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"7 mos.","countycode":"alachua","county":"Alachua","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"While Ella Moon Martin's mother and her boyfriend were having sex outside in a parked car, the 5-month-old baby was napping on an adult-size bed in the house. Alachua County detectives said the baby became wedged between a wall and the mattress. A DCF report said Ella vomited and then suffocated. The cause of her death was asphyxia.
Nina Martin had come to the attention of child-welfare workers four months earlier after a complaint that she and others were smoking so much marijuana that it was creating a foggy cloud in their home. The complaint said also that Martin would drive drunk with the baby in the car, and left Ella unattended for hours at a time. She was already on probation for battery and was required to participate in random drug screens. A child-protective investigator noted that there was little food in the home. The investigator offered Martin "at-risk childcare services," but Martin apparently declined.
Eight days before Ella died, another report was received alleging her parents had a physical altercation in front in the child, resulting in the father's arrest. The report also said Martin used acid, cocaine and marijuana frequently and that drugs were sold from the home. Martin denied the allegations and said she was willing to take a drug test. Perhaps more significantly, the investigator noted that Ella's crib was apparently being used to store toys.
The investigator counseled Martin about safe-sleeping practicies, a report said, "stressed the dangers" of co-sleeping with her infant, and executed a safety plan in which Martin pledged to clean out the crib.
In the end, the investigator determined that there were "no indicators of substance misuse" and concluded the risk to Ella was moderate — a determination with which a supervisor disagreed. The boss upgraded the risk to "high" based on the parents' history of domestic violence, the parents' recent battery charges, and Ella's lack of community visibility.
Days later, lawyers deemed the case legally insufficient to support a court petition to oversee Ella's mom. Five days after that, Ella Moon Martin was dead.","perpfirstname":"Nina","perpmiddlename":"Gwendolyn","perplastname":"Martin","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":100,"docindex":129,"firstname":"Diella","middlename":"Beth","lastname":"Ludwig","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 15, 2008","deathdate":"December 21, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"pasco","county":"Pasco","deathcausereport":"Blunt impact to head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Diella and her twin were born in prison. They were allowed to live with their unemployed father, Thomas Ludwig, a man with 23 tattoos and a history of petty crimes. The twins' grandmother warned that Ludwig "seemed not to care" about the well-being of the twins and possessed no parenting skills, according to DCF file entries on the family. The warning was disregarded and Ludwig became the children's caregiver.
When the twins were just over 2 months old, a friend of Ludwig's saw him "snatch" the crying Diella from her stroller, causing her head to pop backward. She then saw Ludwig forcefully place the child on a bed, calling her a "little bitch" and telling her to shut up. The witness left the room, and heard a loud banging noise. At that point, she said, Diella's crying stopped.
The cause of death was blunt trauma to the head. A review of Diella's death identified a litany of DCF missteps, including a failure to check into Ludwig's background, meet him face-to-face or conduct a home visit before allowing the twins to remain in his care.
Ludwig is serving a life sentence at the Columbia Annex prison after being convicted of first-degree murder.","perpfirstname":"Thomas","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ludwig","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"serving a life sentence on a first-degree murder conviction","perp2firstname":"Nicholle","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"West","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":101,"docindex":112,"firstname":"Jabrea","middlename":"","lastname":"Stevens","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 16, 2008","deathdate":"December 24, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The night before Christmas Eve in 2008, Angela McFatten, the 36-year-old grandmother of Jabrea Stevens was asked to pick up the baby because her parents were fighting, a report to DCF said. When McFatten arrived, three-month-old Jabrea appeared to be sick, coughing and wheezing, and her grandmother told her 21-year-old daughter, Kabrea Carter, to take the infant to the hospital. Carter said no, so McFatten took the baby home with her.
The next day, when Carter went to retrieve her baby, she found Jabrea in bed, lodged beneath her grandmother's 287-pound body.
McFatten did not believe she had done anything wrong: When questioned about the baby's death, she replied, "I slept with all my kids. Ain't nothing ever happened."
An investigation into Jabrea's death revealed that her grandmother drank that night until she was intoxicated, and took medication as well.
The death of Jabrea prompted the 28th probe by DCF into complaints about members of McFatten's family. Beginning in October 1987, members of the McFatten and Stevens clans were the subjects of at least 27 calls to the agency's abuse and neglect hotline. Details of all the investigations that followed were redacted from a review of Jabrea's death. After she died, DCF leaders took no action to protect the surviving children, three of McFatten's and three of Carter's. Agency lawyers said they lacked "legal sufficiency."","perpfirstname":"Angela","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"McFatten","perprelation":"Grandmother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":102,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Anyla","middlename":"Renee","lastname":"Barfield","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 7, 2008","deathdate":"December 30, 2008","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"seminole","county":"Seminole","deathcausereport":"Bronchopneumonia with sepsis, due to immunodeficiency, due to malnutrition","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Anyla Renee Barfield was a severely disabled, medically complex child who could gain nutrition only through a feeding tube. On Dec. 22, 2008, Anyla was taken to an emergency room after her gastrostomy tube became displaced. A smaller temporary tube was inserted. Her mother, Melissa Barfield, was told to take the 5-month-old to her pediatric surgeon "later that same morning, to have the permanent feeding tube placed," a medical report said. But Barfield did not take her daughter to the surgeon, and Anyla did not live to see the new year.
On Dec. 30, 2008, Barfield found Anyla with her eyes open, but not breathing. An autopsy concluded that she had died from pneumonia and sepsis, with malnutrition as one of the causes. Anyla had lost 30 percent of her body weight in eight days, the autopsy showed. "It is certain that her mother's consistent medical neglect hastened this child's death," a medical report on Anyla's death said.
Barfield was sentenced to five years of probation on a charge of child neglect causing great bodily harm. She had been the subject of at least seven abuse and neglect reports to DCF, largely involving allegations of substance abuse and domestic violence. Barfield's older children had been removed from her care in the past — one of them on three occasions, and another twice.
A review of Anyla's death criticized Barfield's "non-compliance" with a variety of medical tasks for the child, including taking her to therapy sessions and doctors' appointments.","perpfirstname":"Melissa","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Barfield","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"Barfield was given a five-year term of probation on a conviction of child neglect with great bodily harm.","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":103,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Gianfranco","middlename":"","lastname":"Rivoli","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 16, 2002","deathdate":"January 10, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"6","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Gianfranco Rivoli's pediatrician said he was born lifeless and then resuscitated, but because of a lack of oxygen suffered permanent disabilities. Among his afflictions was scoliosis, a curvature of the spine that made it difficult for him to get around.
On the day Gianfranco died, his family was busy preparing to host a social gathering and someone noticed that the boy was missing. They combed the neighborhood, figuring that he could not have gone far. Gianfranco was found dead in a lake behind their house. He had apparently used an open sliding-glass door to slip out and then gone through a gap in the fence that separated the yard and the lake.
Gianfranco had developed a fascination with water, according to his father, James Rivoli, although no one had taught the 6-year-old boy to swim.
His mother, Maria Rivoli, a self-employed masseuse who worked at home and had a nanny watch the kids, had been the subject of three prior abuse/neglect reports. Each referred to her having skipped multiple medical appointments. Two of those cases involved Gianfranco and a third involved a sibling, and all three were closed with ʺno indicatorsʺ of neglect. In one instance services were offered but Maria Rivoli declined. A fourth report alleged that James Rivoli had threatened the child's mother, to whom he was no longer married, over the phone. That too was closed with no action by DCF caseworkers.
Sunrise police investigated Gianfranco's drowning and called it an accident.","perpfirstname":"Maria","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Cabral","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Hector","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Cabral","perp2relation":"stepfather","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":104,"docindex":64,"firstname":"Donavon","middlename":"","lastname":"Devine","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 14, 2005","deathdate":"January 28, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Donavon Devine's parents were already under supervision by state child welfare workers and were being investigated by DCF for drug abuse when Donavon, a 3-year-old who had Down syndrome, suffocated after being left home alone with his 1-year-old sibling.
The toddler's parents had been allowed to maintain custody of the disabled boy despite 10 prior reports of domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness and other problems so serious that their older child was removed from their custody a year earlier, according to the agency's files. During the course of DCF's contacts with the parents, they rarely complied with requests for drug screens and substance abuse treatment, the review said.
On the day Donavon died, his parents returned home to find him hanging, with his head pinned between a wall and the top bunk of a two-tier bed. ","perpfirstname":"Jennifer","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Devine","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Roy","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Devine","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":105,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Zachary","middlename":"Daniel","lastname":"Bass","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 28, 1997","deathdate":"January 30, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"11","countycode":"okaloosa","county":"Okaloosa","deathcausereport":"Shotgun wound","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"On a January morning in 2009, Zachery Bass, the youngest of four children, was playing with his 17-year-old brother. Their siblings, another boy and a girl, were also at home. Their father, Hank Bass, a police officer, had left for work earlier, and an account of what transpired next said the whereabouts of their mother, Mary Bass, were unknown.
The two boys had been "running around the house" and when Zachery sat at the kitchen table to eat something, the older boy went to an unlocked gun closet, pulled out a 12-gauge Remington 870 shotgun and — apparently unaware that it was loaded and eager to "mess around with his brother" — pulled the trigger. It was a fatal act.
The boys' father was summoned and found Zachery "blue," with injuries from lead pellets in his jaw, neck and upper chest, and exit wounds in his upper back. There was "blood all over the place," a report said. Because of the father's status as a Crestview police officer, the investigation into Zachery's death was turned over to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, which elicited from Bass the comment that all four of his children had hunted "since they were little" and that the three boys each owned a hunting gun. None of the children had gone through a firearms safety course, although Bass said he had "plans for all of them to attend one."
The shotgun that killed Zachery was his father's weapon, which he acknowledged having put away loaded after a hunting trip a few weeks earlier. Three of the six other guns in the foyer closet were also found to be loaded, deputies said. Despite criminal statutes that address the proper storage of weapons to which children might have access, Bass was not charged. Neither was his eldest son, who was deemed to have "accidentally and unintentionally" shot his brother.
A DCF report found that the death was due to inadequate supervision by both parents. The family had been the subject of two prior child protective investigations, the report said, adding that had the family received counseling after one of the earlier probes, "it is remotely possible that it might have had an impact on the family dynamics that contributed to this child's death." ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Sibling","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":106,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Tristan","middlename":"Curtis","lastname":"Simmons","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 11, 2004","deathdate":"February 11, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"4","countycode":"santarosa","county":"Santa Rosa","deathcausereport":"Blunt impact to head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Tristan Simmons was tossed from the bed of a pickup truck when his stepfather, John Russell, hit a bump as he drove at high speed over dirt roads in the woods at Elgin Air Force Base, something they had done before. Tristan and another child were not strapped in.
"The two 4-year-olds were sitting in booster seats on a bench in the back of the truck," a child-protective investigator wrote. "The bench seat was not secured to the bed of the truck and the booster seats were not secured to the bench seat." Tristan died on the way to a hospital of blunt impact to the head.
A prior report about the family was called in to DCF after Tristan's mother, Brandi Rae Russell, gave birth in May 2008 to a baby boy who tested positive for benzodiazepines. Russell also tested positive for various drugs. She said she had smoked marijuana twice in the previous month and was taking prescribed medication for lower lumbar pain.
DCF made a referral for a substance-abuse assessment and participation in the Healthy Start program. The DCF review of Tristan's death said it was not clear whether the substance-abuse assessment took place. The agency declared that Tristan had died because of parental negligence.
A background check on John Russell would have revealed that he had a drug-related arrest on his record, as well as child-welfare reports that involved his own children in Louisiana. ","perpfirstname":"John","perpmiddlename":"Randall","perplastname":"Russell","perprelation":"Stepfather","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Brandi","perp2middlename":"Rae","perp2lastname":"Russell","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":107,"docindex":116,"firstname":"Chase","middlename":"","lastname":"Anglemyer","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 17, 2008","deathdate":"February 12, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"clay","county":"Clay","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Amanda Anglemyer gave birth to eight children in 10 years. All but two were permanently removed from her care. The two others — Chase Anglemyer and Rae-Lyn Mahan — both are dead.
The deaths of both infants were directly linked to Anglemyer's life-long drug abuse.
From 2004 through Rae-Lyn's birth in November 2013, Anglemyer had been the subject of 18 reports to DCF's abuse hotline, including allegations of domestic violence, physical abuse, mental illness and inadequate supervision. There was one oft-recurring theme: Amanda Anglemyer's inability to successfully fight her drug problem was a real danger to her children.
Mental illness played a significant role in Anglemyer's struggles, as well, a report said. "There were concerns about the mother's mental health status during two pregnancies when she tried in various ways to cause a premature delivery, and publicly stated she didn't want these or any of her children."
Still, Anglemyer kept getting pregnant. And avoiding treatment.
By the time Chase Anglemyer was born in December 2008, DCF had already investigated seven prior complaints involving his mother. Anglemyer's three older children already had been removed due to her drug and alcohol abuse, a DCF report said. Despite her record with the department, DCF's legal team ruled that there was insufficient evidence to detain the newborn since the mother had no new abuse allegations and no positive drug screens "of concern."
A month later, a DCF report alleged that Chase was heard crying at 1 a.m. and shortly thereafter, Brown had been found "passed out in front of the toilet with her pants down." Meanwhile, Chase's father, Daniel Anglemyer, was similarly passed out from consuming too many pills, the report said. The complaint also alleged that police had been called to the home in connection with a domestic violence incident. DCF, however, took no immediate action.
Eleven days later, on Feb. 12, 2009, Chase was found dead in the bed he shared with his parents. He had lived one month. The cause of his death was undetermined. Police reported that, when they investigated the Anglemyer home, they found it littered with beer cans and bottles of wine and rum, all empty. Both parents tested positive for drugs, according to a DCF document. The agency's doctor ruled the death was "preventable negligence" by both parents, based on their history of drug and alcohol use, inadequate supervision and sleeping with the baby while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The parents were not charged.
Amanda Anglemyer had given birth to three more children — all of them removed from her — when she became pregnant with Rae-Lyn. "The mother had no prenatal care during her pregnancy, and admitted to significant substance abuse throughout her pregnancy, a report said.
Rae-Lyn was born at only 24 weeks gestation. She survived for one hour.
A doctor with the Department of Health's Child Protection Team said Rae-Lyn likely would have survived but for her mother's drug use. "Cocaine use is a well-known and avoidable" cause for severely pre-term delivery, the doctor wrote, adding: "It is more likely than not the mother's decision to use cocaine was the cause of her premature labor, which resulted in the premature delivery and death of her child."","perpfirstname":"Amanda","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Anglemyer","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Daniel","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Anglemyer","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":108,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ryan","middlename":"","lastname":"O'Berry","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 9, 1996","deathdate":"March 4, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"12","countycode":"lake","county":"Lake","deathcausereport":"Acute dehydration due to sepsis","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"On the night that Ryan O'Berry stopped breathing, he and his mother were staying in a motel room littered with drug paraphernalia and "large quantities of hydrocodone and methadone." Also in the room was the boy's 23-year-old sister, Melissa O'Berry, who had pending criminal charges against her for battery and for abuse in a case involving another child, and had recently spent time in jail.
Ryan's 50-year-old mother, Cheryl O'Berry, who admitted after he died that she had been using cocaine that night, appeared to be only half-heartedly concerned with the complex medical needs of Ryan. Born prematurely and with cerebral palsy, Ryan ate through a feeding tube and spent most of his time in a wheelchair. Ryan's mother told police after he died that she had been injured in a car crash and "took methadone daily for the pain," and said she "feared she may have given the 12-year-old boy some of her medication by accident."
As it turned out, an autopsy found that Ryan had died from "acute dehydration due to E.coli sepsis," and despite the drugs that were found in the hotel room, a report said the authorities were "unable to prosecute due to the manner of death being natural."
But it was clear from prior DCF reports that O'Berry had a long history of neglecting her son. Of the six recorded cases involving the family, Ryan was mentioned in four: The allegations included exposure to alcohol and "environmental hazards," inadequate supervision, medical neglect, physical injury and "family violence threatens child."
As far back as 1996, the year the boy was born, a report said the agency "did not fully assess the safety of Ryan in the home." In 1997, another DCF report expressed the concern that O'Berry "drinks a great deal" and that she forced her daughter, then 12 years old, to look after Ryan while their mother "sleeps off her hangover in the morning." O'Berry was also said to be "verbally abusive" and to have grabbed the girl by the face, and she did not bother to use a car seat for Ryan.
In 2008, O'Berry was involved in a domestic violence incident during which she barricaded herself in a room with Ryan, but the investigation was closed without the implications for the child's safety being addressed. ","perpfirstname":"Cheryl","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"O'Berry","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":109,"docindex":16,"firstname":"Aaliyah","middlename":"","lastname":"King","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 21, 2008","deathdate":"March 6, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Sudden unexplained infant death","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Aaliyah King was 14 weeks old when she died. The baby had been taken the previous evening to an emergency room with a 106-degree temperature and suffering from diarrhea; she was given antibiotics and sent home. Early the next morning, her mother, Timeka McCullough, gave Aaliyah a bottle of formula and the child fell asleep again in a king-size bed alongside her father and a 1-year-old sibling.
Later, McCullough woke the baby's 22-year-old father, David King, so that he could attend a court hearing. As he got up, King said later, he checked on Aaliyah and "thought she was still sleeping." When McCullough subsequently went to change the baby's diaper, she noticed that Aaliyah was not breathing, although she was still warm to the touch. Rushed back to the emergency room, the baby was declared dead shortly afterward.
Both parents were tested for drugs: McCullough came up negative, but King tested positive for cocaine, marijuana and painkillers. After an autopsy, the cause of Aaliyah's demise was given as "sudden unexplained infant death," and its manner was undetermined, although the autopsy report noted that she had been found dead while sharing a bed with an adult and another child.
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office blamed the death on neglect and substance abuse, with some indicators of inadequate supervision. Although the medical examiner was unable to determine a definitive cause of death, the law enforcement summary noted what it called the "co-sleeping" issue.
"Given that Mr. King tested positive for illegal substances," the summary said, "investigative staff believe that impairment could have played a part in Aaliyah's death." A review of King's background shortly after his daughter's death revealed that there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest on drug-related charges stemming from a homicide.
Aaliyah's mother had a long DCF history: She was listed as a victim in five reports drafted between 1994 and 1996, and six times as a caretaker between 1999 and 2008. The details of those cases were redacted.","perpfirstname":"David","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"King","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":110,"docindex":145,"firstname":"Ricky","middlename":"Deshon","lastname":"Reynolds","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 15, 2008","deathdate":"March 5, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"7 mos.","countycode":"bay","county":"Bay","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Ricky Reynolds' mother was cognitively impaired and suffered from bipolar disorder, seizures and hallucinations. She worked as a dancer in a club, and had once tried to kill herself, according to DCF file entries. Ricky's father was an alcoholic, the files say.
From 2003 until Ricky's death in March 2009, DCF had received five reports of abuse or neglect regarding Ricky's older siblings, and records show that DCF did very little to protect Ricky and his siblings, despite a family history that the records say was "replete" with serious risks to small children.
In one case, for instance, DCF had Ricky's mother sign a safety plan not to leave her baby alone with a man who had been arrested for child abuse, although she was living in that man's home.
On March 5, 2009, Ricky's father drank at least three quarts of beer, smoked marijuana and took pills, a report to DCF said. He then wrapped Ricky in heavy blankets and left him while he "went to the store to get some beer." Ricky died from accidental asphyxia after being "confined within bedding material" for what the autopsy concluded was a prolonged period of time.
A 20-page review of Ricky's death was all but scathing, calling the agency's decision not to act when Ricky's mother had her first baby, at age 16, "questionable." The report said a thorough investigation at the time, 2003, might have revealed the fact that the boy's mother had tried to kill herself.
Investigators' decisions to implement safety plans in a very troubled family "did not afford real protection" to Ricky and his siblings, the report noted. In 2007, for example, investigators allowed Ricky's siblings to remain with their mother after her pledge to never leave them alone with their father. That decision, a review said, "seemed very questionable."
The review of Ricky's death noted that although both parents appeared to suffer from "possible developmental delays or retardation," neither parent was formally evaluated to determine whether either one was capable or raising five young children. Both parents also had been the victims of child abuse and neglect, with about nine DCF investigations pertaining to their childhoods.
The review of Ricky's death was most critical of DCF lawyers' decisions not to intervene to protect Ricky and his siblings. "The law does allow, in fact mandates, the department to intervene by initiating judicial action in high-risk situations," the report noted. Unfortunately, the document went on, the risk was never rated as "high" in this family's case, even though it met the criteria for a "red flag" situation.
Ricky Reynolds the father is now serving a three-year, nine-month sentence on a child neglect conviction. His son's name is tattooed on his neck. On his right arm: "Life full of tears."","perpfirstname":"Ricky","perpmiddlename":"J.","perplastname":"Reynolds","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"Ricky Reynolds is serving a three-year and nine-month sentence on a chilld neglect conviction.","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":111,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Unnamed","middlename":"","lastname":"baby","suffix":null,"gender":"","birthdate":"March 6, 2009","deathdate":"March 6, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"Minutes","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Unknown","deathcause":"other","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"This child is listed as "unknown" in DCF records because he or she lived for perhaps only a few minutes and was never named. The child was born into a toilet after its maternal grandmother, Tonuya Rainey, induced an abortion in the baby's mother at roughly 20 weeks by giving her a "small white circular pill" once a day for roughly 10 days, according to the family's DCF file. The would-be mother was 17 years old.
A photograph was taken of the newborn child, which was moving and "trying to breathe," a file entry says. A friend of the family came over and cut the cord, and the baby was placed in a box along with a diary that had no entries. The box was then disposed of in a location that remains unknown. Authorities learned of the incident and found the photo of the baby on the family's computer.
Rainey pleaded guilty to seven charges — including unlawful termination of a pregnancy, practicing medicine without a license, and unlawful disposal of fetal remains — and was given seven years of probation.
Although the child was born alive when he or she dropped into the toilet, the medical examiner's office suggested that, based on the photo and the child's 20-month gestation period, he or she would likely not have survived. The family had a lengthy DCF history. ","perpfirstname":"Tonuya","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Rainey","perprelation":"Grandmother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"unlawful termination of a pregnancy, practicing medicine without a license, child abuse, unlawful disposal of fetal remains","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":112,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Zachary","middlename":"","lastname":"Johnson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 25, 2007","deathdate":"March 12, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Cerebral trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Zachary Johnson was beaten to death because he got up from the breakfast table. He was dropped repeatedly and shaken violently, and his head was smashed at least twice into a staircase railing.
Zachary and his older brother had been placed by court order with their maternal uncle and aunt, Matthew and Mysti Wyrosdick, because the children's parents were in jail. But life with the Wyrosdicks was no better. Matthew Wyrosdick was unemployed and the couple made ends meet by seeking handouts from relatives and from caregiver payments doled out by DCF, which had logged six prior reports about the family.
A couple of months before Zachary was killed, Matthew Wyrosdick had received a $10,000 insurance settlement after a car accident but the money was gone, allegedly used to buy drugs. The Wyrosdicks' home was described as putrid and in disarray. There were reports that Wyrosdick had hit his wife, at least once in the mouth, "but she told people it did not happen." The two children were said to be afraid of their uncle because "he was aggressive toward them," according to a DCF report, and that he had used corporal punishment to discipline them. The report said also that Matthew Wyrosdick "always had anger problems."
In March 2008, a year before Zachary's death, neighbors who overheard Wyrosdick "beating the children" — a pounding sound, followed by crying — said they called the DCF abuse hotline, although the agency said it has no record of the call.
On March 12, 2009, Zachary was taken to Tampa General Hospital with massive head injuries that produced so much blood that a piece of skull had to be removed to relieve the pressure on his brain. Both his retinas were detached, with severe hemorrhaging in the eyes, indicating a brutal shaking of the boy. Wyrosdick's initial explanation was that Zachary had "hit his head on a coffee table," although he posited also that the child might have fallen down the stairs.
Later, Wyrosdick's account evolved: He said the boys were sitting around a picnic table while he prepared breakfast, but that "Zachary continued getting up from the table." The six-foot-tall Wyrosdick told an investigator that he shook the boy to force him to sit on the bench, and that moments later Zachary fell onto the floor. Wyrosdick "shook him to revive him," and then "yanked him off the floor," but his explanation of how Zachary's head twice hit the staircase railing sounded as though the collisions had been accidents that occurred while Wyrosdick was walking back and forth with the child held "in the air."
Wyrosdick then admitted to having shaken the child again and dropping him on the floor three times. Wyrosdick was convicted of the aggravated manslaughter of a child and sentenced to a 15-year term in prison.","perpfirstname":"Matthew","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Wyrosdick","perprelation":"Uncle","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter","perp2firstname":"Misti","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Wyrosdick","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":113,"docindex":100,"firstname":"Vincent","middlename":"","lastname":"Bizier","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 31, 2005","deathdate":"March 13, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Soot and smoke inhalation","deathcause":"smoke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"On March 13, 2009, Vincent died in a fire in the family's garage while his mother was asleep inside the home. The three-year-old toddler is believed to have been playing with lighters. He died of soot and smoke inhalation and was found with his teddy bear and his pet dog, Missy.
Vincent's mother had a history with DCF that included allegations of drug use and inadequate supervision.
In one prior case, Vincent — usually addressed at home by his nickname Aidan — was reported to have been found unattended near a canal. Other allegations were that his mother, Autumn Bizier, drove while under the influence of drugs with the children in the car, and that she took Vincent with her when she went shoplifting, claims she denied.
Vincent's grandmother, Cindy Bizier, had called DCF asking that the agency take custody of the boy, and at another point she threatened to shut off her own electricity "if that is what needs to happen" to compel DCF to take Vincent from his mother to ensure his safety, the family's file says. But on neither occasion did DCF's legal department take the case to court for a ruling that would have ordered supervision or removal of the child from the home. ","perpfirstname":"Autumn","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bizier","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":114,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Genisis","middlename":"","lastname":"Page","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 18, 2008","deathdate":"March 14, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Methadone overdose","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Four times before Genisis was born, DCF had referred her mother, Tommashoun Page, to drug treatment programs to help cure her addiction to cocaine. When she was pregnant, Page entered and completed a rehabilitation program that allowed her to care for her baby after she was born.
At 13 months, Genesis died of a methadone overdose, and authorities believe the toddler got the drugs from inside her mother's dresser while wandering the house as her mother slept. The mother admitted to having "a few illegally obtained methadone pills," but didn't think Genisis would get to them, DCF said. The agency concluded the death was due to maltreatment and inadequate supervision. However, DCF found "no indicator" findings of threatened harm to her other two children, who were allowed to stay in the home with their mother.","perpfirstname":"Tommashoun","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Page","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"perpnotcharged","perp2firstname":"Harold","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Posey","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":115,"docindex":70,"firstname":"James","middlename":"","lastname":"Sorgaard","suffix":"Jr.","gender":"male","birthdate":"October 31, 2006","deathdate":"March 16, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"pasco","county":"Pasco","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Between 2006 and 2008, DCF received five reports about the Sorgaard family, all of them focused on the mother's mental illness. The agency was told she had bipolar disorder and depression, heard voices, had suffered what she called a "nervous breakdown," and had been seen "confused," as well as "incoherent and shaking." Nurses once described her as "paranoid," a DCF report said. She also acknowledged she had stopped taking her medications.
In January 2008, James' father signed a safety plan promising to "not leave the children in their mother's care unsupervised." He eventually did, however, because, he said, he "needed to work in order to support the family."
On March 16, 2009, while James' father was at work, his 2-year-old son was found floating face-down in the family's pool. A review of the case concluded that the agency was blameless because "there was no way that child welfare workers could have, or should have" known the severity of the woman's mental illness. ","perpfirstname":"Caron","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Brill-Sorgaard","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"James","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Sorgaard, Sr.","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":116,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jesus","middlename":"Enrique","lastname":"Mojica-Rivera","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 13, 2007","deathdate":"March 17, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jesus Mojica-Rivera was staying with relatives in a house described in a report to DCF as "horrendous and nasty" and crawling with bugs. Because there was no working bathroom, the family dug a hole in the yard and stuck a toilet in it. They had a pool but it was "as green as green gets," the report said.
Jesus' great-grandmother, Maria Molina, was supervising him when, she says, she left him in his crib. Twenty minutes later, she realized Jesus was missing. Police were called. Because the pool was so filthy, a dive team was sent into the water and found the boy.
Jesus' mother, Jennifer Rivera, had her own problems even before his death. She had signed over temporary custody of her two children to her parents because of her "history of substance-abuse issues," her file says. Rivera admitted that she had abused cocaine during her pregnancy, but it appears from DCF documents that the agency did not take action.
There is at least one prior DCF filing about the family, but it was redacted from reports provided to the Herald. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":117,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Tia","middlename":"","lastname":"Green","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 23, 2004","deathdate":"March 22, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"4","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Tia Green drowned in a swimming pool at a time when her family was under protective supervision by DCF. Her father's girlfriend, Jacqueline Powell, had fallen asleep while caring for Tia and a sibling and apparently was unaware that the 5-year-old girl and her brother had left the motel room in which they were staying by climbing onto a chair, unlocking a bolted door and unhooking a door-frame chain. A hotel maintenance worker found Tia in the pool.
The children had been known to leave the room before while under Powell's supervision. Their father, Timothy Green, was working elsewhere when the drowning occurred, and their mother, Teresa Gordon, who had a history of cocaine and alcohol abuse, was in jail after violating probation.
The family, which included six children, was the subject of eight prior abuse reports to DCF, including several instances of "direct risk to child safety" because of drug use by both Green and Gordon. In 2004, shortly after Tia was born prematurely, a DCF probe found evidence of medical neglect and that she had been exposed to substance abuse by her elders, and a case the following year resulted in similar allegations. As part of that 2005 case, Green was ordered to undergo drug treatment, although the children were placed in his care because their mother was permitted only supervised contact with them. Her access to the children was later prohibited entirely.
In 2006, a DCF report said Green had abused crack cocaine "for an unknown period of time," and while four of the children were removed from the home, the two youngest remained in Green's care, even while he was under house arrest. A notation in that 2006 report said Green provided money and crack to the children's mother so that she would stay in the house, despite a court order that she stay away. And yet the report was closed with "no indicators of substance misuse" and only "some indicators of inadequate supervision." Powell, who had been watching Tia and her brother when the girl drowned, did not have a prior history with DCF, but had a criminal record. ","perpfirstname":"Jacqueline","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Powell","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":118,"docindex":146,"firstname":"Ryan","middlename":"","lastname":"Wagner","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 15, 2006","deathdate":"March 22, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"walton","county":"Walton","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In a prior DCF investigation, Ryan Wagner's father was accused of using crack for more than a year. He denied it, but refused to take a drug screen. A DCF investigator accepted their word and took no action, noting that the couple had not consumed drugs in his presence.
On March 22, 2009, Ryan went missing while his mother was hosting a yard sale in the front yard. His body was found in the deep end of a swimming pool next door that was full of dark green water.
After Ryan drowned, a DCF review blasted caseworkers for naïveté in their handling of the drug allegations. The 2-year-old's boy death was blamed on parental neglect.
"The father's refusal to take a drug test certainly did not disprove the allegation," a death review stated. The investigator pointed to the notation that the investigator didn't witness them using drugs on the previous visit: "It is very unlikely that the parents would do drugs in the presence of the [investigator]," the report said.","perpfirstname":"Dana","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Wagner","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Patrick","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Wagner","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":119,"docindex":96,"firstname":"Marcus","middlename":"","lastname":"Cole","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 12, 2008","deathdate":"March 25, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Closed head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"A year before Marcus Cole was born, someone abused his older brother so severely that he suffered brain bleeds, retinal hemorrhages and broken bones in his thighs and shins. His parents, Marshall D. Cole IV and Dioscora Nuñez Cole, could not explain the injuries.
DCF files show that although the Coles had not completed a program designed to make them better parents and appeared to be lying during psychological evaluations, and although authorities did not know who had hurt the boy, he was returned to the couple.
A year later, Marcus was born and lived only for three months. On March 25, 2009, Marcus, who had a heart murmur, suffered three broken ribs and a possible skull fracture, and there were signs that he might have come close to suffocating. His death was ascribed to head trauma.
After Marcus died, his uncle said that Marshall Cole "was not tolerant of child behaviors such as running around the house, and wanted the child to be sitting still," DCF documents show. The uncle blamed Cole for Marcus' death, the files said.
The boy's mother, according to the documents, reported that she too was concerned about the children's safety, but had not shared her concerns with investigators because "she did not want to hear her family say 'I told you so'."
In April 2011, after being convicted of second-degree murder, Marshall Cole was sentenced to 35 years in prison.","perpfirstname":"Marshall","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Cole","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"Marshall Cole was sentenced to 35 years' imprisonment on a second-degree murder conviction.","perp2firstname":"Dioscora","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Nuñez Cole","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":120,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Dyllan","middlename":"","lastname":"Michalski","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 27, 2008","deathdate":"March 31, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"pasco","county":"Pasco","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Dyllan Michalski had young parents with "extremely marginal parenting skills," a DCF file said. They were both drug addicts, the document said, and his father had a problem with anger.
Twice in 2008, the parents, Bernard Michalski and Lauren Roe, were the subject of DCF reports alleging neglect or abuse. Both times they tested positive for drugs, and both times they kept the kids. Child-welfare services were offered but not provided.
The following March, Dyllan drowned when he and his 2-year-old brother were left in the bathtub unattended for as long as 10 minutes, Dyllan was found face-down in the water. Michalski explained later that something on television had "caught his eye." He said also that he had gone to get their mother a soda, but that in any event the boys "were routinely left alone whenever they took baths as they would play in the water with their toys."
The death review said the child's situation had been "high risk" and that both children should have been considered for court-ordered intervention. A day after Dullan's death, child-welfare officials concluded that the surviving boy be placed in protective custody because of his parents' poor supervisory skills "and the fact that they still didn't really understand the hazardous environment they placed their children in by leaving them alone."
When informed that his child might be removed from the home, Michalski "began punching stuff and threatened to commit suicide," and later threatened to kill a DCF investigator and a supervisor, according to entries in the family's file. He was charged with aggravated manslaughter and child neglect.","perpfirstname":"Lauren","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Roe","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Bernard","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Michalski","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":"aggravated manslaughter and child neglect"}, {"dataid":121,"docindex":51,"firstname":"Camden","middlename":"","lastname":"Paul","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 23, 2005","deathdate":"April 3, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Smoke inhalation","deathcause":"smoke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"In June 2007, DCF received a report that 3-year-old Camden Paul's mother, Brittany Paul, and her parents were heroin addicts. Camden's grandfather, Jimmy, was so impaired, DCF was told, that he needed one of his daughters to feed him.
DCF caseworkers, however, did not follow through with drug screening on the mother, and closed the investigation with "no indicators" that substance misuse was a danger to Camden. Instead, an investigator asked Camden's great-grandmother to sign a "community support agreement" pledging to "maintain daily contact with the family."
On April 3, 2009, Brittany Paul left Camden alone in their mobile home and authorities theorize the little girl may have accidentally started a fire that led to her death.
Two days after Camden died, the girl's mother tested positive for opiates, oxycodone and marijuana. Jimmy Paul then told DCF investigators that his daughter had left the girl unsupervised in the past and had once set a pair of bedsheets on fire when she passed out while clutching a lit cigarette.
The agency's review did not question the caseworkers' prior decision not to act in the wake of the mother's reluctance to be drug tested.","perpfirstname":"Brittany","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Paul","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":122,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Travis","middlename":"Jeramiah","lastname":"Palmer Shaneyfelt","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 4, 2008","deathdate":"April 4, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"osceola","county":"Osceola","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"If child protection caseworkers had taken the trouble to check into Michael J. Reid's background, Travis Palmer Shaneyfelt might still be alive.
On May 18, 2008, Reid was home alone with his 17-year-old girlfriend's baby son when the infant began to cry. Reid, then 24, told police he tried to comfort the fussy child, and when that didn't work, he took him for a walk, and tripped and fell with the baby. But the 6-month-old's injuries were too severe: he was rushed to the hospital with bruises to his face, eyes, neck and ears. He had scratches and bite marks on his legs, and blood in and around his eyes.
Finally, after lying repeatedly about what happened, Reid admitted to Polk County authorities that he shook the baby, slammed him into his shoulder, covered his mouth and head-butted the baby so hard that he hurt his own head. The baby survived, and Reid was arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse.
A few months later, while out on bail on those charges, Reid became involved with another woman in Osceola County, Michelle Shaneyfelt, who had a 4-month-old son, Travis. Travis would not be so lucky. This time, despite DCF involvement with the family, the agency let Reid's criminal past go unchecked. Had they checked, they would have learned that in addition to the prior child abuse charges, he had nine other arrests, including cruelty to animals and sexual assault upon a minor.
The agency, which had been investigating an abuse complaint against the mother's ex-boyfriend, Travis Palmer — the baby's father — failed to examine the family's current living arrangements, including the background of her current boyfriend (Reid) to ensure the safety of her baby.
On April 3, 2009, while Reid was babysitting Travis, the boy suffered a cracked skull and a "severe brain injury," as well as retinal hemorrhages that pointed a violent shaking — just like the other boy.
Reid was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 30 years, which he is serving in the Okaloosa Correctional Institution. For the earlier case of child abuse, reduced to felony battery, he got five years. ","perpfirstname":"Michael","perpmiddlename":"J.","perplastname":"Reid","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree felony murder","perp2firstname":"Michelle","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Shaneyfelt","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":123,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Trenton","middlename":"","lastname":"Giachetti","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 17, 2008","deathdate":"April 6, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Trenton Giachetti drowned alone in a bathtub, the taps running and water pouring onto the floor and into other rooms. His mother, Christal Giachetti, 30 years old and addicted to painkillers, had left him there and walked away. She was observed "staggering down the road" nearby just before her lifeless infant son was discovered in the tub.
Giachetti, who also had a son age 13 at the time of Trenton's death, had a lengthy history with DCF involving repeated allegations of drug use, and had on several occasions refused the help she was offered. There were a total of seven protective investigations involving Giachetti's family, two of them focused on adults and the rest on children. One of the reports said that Giachetti had "initially agreed to participate in Healthy Start services, but there was no documented follow-up."
Nor was there any DCF contact with Giachetti's prescribing doctor, nor with the pain management clinic where she supposedly received treatment for a back injury. "No follow-up assessment or screening was completed to confirm the mother was not abusing prescription medications," a DCF document concluded after the child's death.
Giachetti mother tested positive for opiates at the time of Trenton's birth, and yet risk to the newborn Trenton was deemed to be "low." A day after the boy died, an investigator spoke with his half-brother, who confirmed that Giachetti was still abusing prescription drugs and had "got worse" since a previous investigation 11 months earlier. The boy said he was "unhappy in the home," the investigator wrote.
Giachetti was charged with aggravated manslaughter and ultimately sentenced to 14 years in prison. ","perpfirstname":"Cristal","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Giachetti","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":124,"docindex":79,"firstname":"Logan","middlename":"Mann","lastname":"Johnson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 2, 2009","deathdate":"April 9, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"baker","county":"Baker","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"While Logan Johnson's older sister was in a hospital, losing a battle with cancer, his mother left Logan with Daisy Stewart, a second cousin. Stewart and her husband, Mark, placed him in bed between them, and the baby probably suffocated, although the cause of his death was officially declared undetermined.
Because the Stewarts were known to have had longtime problems with drugs and had been the subject of numerous prior reports to DCF, the agency's review of Logan's death questioned why they had not been tested for drugs after Logan's death. Their own children had been removed from their care for a time.
Logan's mother, Joannie Johnson, had been provided services by DCF on four occasions, primarily to address domestic violence, substance-abuse and parenting issues. It appears that Johnson signed a voluntary services agreement shortly after he was born in which she consented to counseling on child care and parenting, among other things.
Logan died a week later, and his 4-year-old sister a day after that. DCF's records show 24 abuse-and-neglect cases involving Logan's mother and her extended family.","perpfirstname":"Daisy","perpmiddlename":"Anne","perplastname":"Stewart","perprelation":"maternal second cousin","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Mark","perp2middlename":"Marion","perp2lastname":"Stewart","perp2relation":"husband of maternal second cousin","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":125,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Gavin","middlename":"","lastname":"McCloud","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 20, 2009","deathdate":"April 10, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Probably overlay with asphyxia","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Gavin McCloud suffocated when his 26-year-old mother, Marlaina Gut, feel asleep with him on a couch after she had taken Ambien and consumed alcohol.
His family had a history of domestic violence, mental illness and drug abuse. Of eight previous child-protective investigations, one resulted from a neighbor having witnessed Gavin's father, Dennis "LaVaughn" McCloud, forcing a child to perform oral sex. McCloud was later convicted of sex abuse on a minor.
A report to the DCF hotline on the day Gavin died cited a litany of allegations against the 29-year-old McCloud: That he used cocaine daily; had fired a gun at his wife while she was pregnant with Gavin; had hit the children with belts until they were black and blue; and owned pit bulls that he encouraged to fight.
Gavin's mother, who after his death was committed to an institution under provisions of the Baker Act, confirmed that a weapon had been discharged in the home, but that it was accidental. McCloud agreed, saying that his gun had gone off after he had come home from drinking with friends. He admitted to whipping the three children with a belt but "never hard enough" to leave marks, and denied that he made his pit bulls fight.
Interviewed by investigators, one of Gavin's siblings confirmed that she had seen violence between her parents, which she said made her "sad." ","perpfirstname":"Marlaina","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Gut","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Dennis","perp2middlename":'LaVaughn',"perp2lastname":"McCloud","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":126,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Gabriel","middlename":"","lastname":"Myers","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 30, 2002","deathdate":"April 16, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"7","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Asphyxiation due to hanging","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Gabriel Myers hanged himself with a shower cord at a foster home in Margate, where he had been sent to live because of his mother's addiction to drugs. The suicide of the 7-year-old boy sparked an intense inquiry by a DCF task force into the use of psychiatric medications not approved by the FDA to treat children.
The investigations into Gabriel's death concluded that, although caseworkers and therapists had been aware that the boy was molested while living with family in Ohio, and had become increasingly depressed and unstable, the agency did little to help him.
On the day Gabriel died, he had been left with an unapproved caregiver, the 19-year-old son of his foster parents, who had a diminished intellectual capacity. A report by the FBI's behavioral analysis unit concluded that the teen had "acted as best he could given his limited capabilities." He was "simply overwhelmed by circumstances and unable to appropriately intervene in the suicide of Gabriel Myers."","perpfirstname":"Miguel","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Gould","perprelation":"son of foster parents","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":127,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Cory","middlename":"James","lastname":"Becvar-Taylor","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 14, 2008","deathdate":"April 18, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"okaloosa","county":"Okaloosa","deathcausereport":"Abusive head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"At first glance, Cory Becvar-Taylor's death by drowning appeared to be a relatively straightforward case of tragic inattentiveness on the part of his 19-year-old father, Steven Taylor. He told authorities he had been giving the baby a bath when he left him for "a couple of seconds" to place a tape in his video-game machine. When he returned, Taylor said, Cory was underwater, and did not respond to attempts to resuscitate him.
After the baby was rushed to an emergency room, doctors who placed him on life support found that he had a skull fracture, acute bleeding on the right side of the brain, and retinal hemorrhages. They also found three fractured ribs and two broken femurs, all of which were healing and had evidently been broken earlier. Doctors predicted that if Cory were to survive, he would be in a vegetative state as a result of oxygen deprivation to the brain.
Cory's mother, Brittney Becvar-Wiley, was summoned to the hospital and appeared to be shocked by what had happened "but seemed very concerned about her boyfriend." A child-protective investigator who spoke with Becvar-Wiley in the hospital said she was "angry about DCF involvement" and was uncooperative. In an interview with Cory's maternal grandparents and a great-uncle, the investigator learned that "Steven did lose his temper" on occasion and that he and Becvar-Wiley "had some physical altercations in the past and Brittney had sustained some bruises as a result." The great-uncle said he feared that Cory "got thrown around and that was how he sustained the injuries."
In another interview, Cory's paternal grandmother said she had seen a bruise under the boy's eye at Christmas and that Becvar-Wiley had explained it by saying that "their little dog might have jumped on the baby." The older woman described the couple as "very immature," and said Cory's mother was "overwhelmed with her parenting responsibilities."
On April 18, 2009, three months after he had been admitted to the hospital, Cory died. His father, who had earlier been charged with aggravated child abuse, was booked for first-degree murder and later sentenced to life in prison.
An investigative report determined that Cory had been a victim of severe child abuse, and suggested that his mother might also have played a role. A sibling was removed from Becvar-Wiley's care after Cory's death. DCF had received three previous reports involving the family, all of them redacted, but there appeared to be no entries that referred specifically to Cory. A summary of the cases said that, as a result, the department "did not have an opportunity to provide intervention services prior to this tragedy." ","perpfirstname":"Steven","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Taylor","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"Brittney","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Becvar-Wiley","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":128,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ryan","middlename":"","lastname":"Twiddy","suffix":"Jr.","gender":"male","birthdate":"October 28, 2008","deathdate":"April 20, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"6 mos.","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Suffocation","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Ryan Twiddy Jr. was almost 6 months old when his parents accidentally smothered him in bed, according to records of the case. Ryan's mother, Melissa Gilbert, had been warned during prenatal visits not to sleep with her newborn.
Both parents tested positive for benzodiazepines, and authorities found "empty alcohol bottles and an empty case of beer" in the couple's home after Ryan died. The previous night, a report to DCF said, his father — after whom Ryan was named — had "sounded intoxicated" during a telephone conversation with Ryan's aunt, and the woman said after the boy was found that Twiddy "smelled like he had been drinking."
Ryan's family had been the subject of five prior reports to DCF's hotline. A report about his death did not provide details of that history.","perpfirstname":"Melissa","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Gilbert","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Ryan","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Twiddy Sr.","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":129,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Serenity","middlename":"","lastname":"Marshall","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 24, 2006","deathdate":"April 21, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"","deathcause":"","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"In the weeks before Serenity Marshall's death, her father had talked with his brother about securing the family home's sliding-glass doors to prevent Serenity from getting out of the house and into the pool. They never got around to it. In addition, the baby gate that would have prevented the toddler's egress from her bedroom had been removed.
On April 21, 2009, the toddler left her room, walked out of the house and drowned in the pool. Both of Serenity's parents, Royel and Michael Marshall, were sleeping at the time — approximately 10:30 a.m.
After Serenity's death, the Marshalls both tested positive for marijuana; Royel Marshall also tested positive for methamphetamines, and her husband was found to have taken benzodiazepines.
The Marshalls had been the subject of at least four prior hotline reports, and the records suggest that they mostly involved allegations of drug abuse. In October 2006, DCF received a report that Royel Marshall tested positive for cocaine when she gave birth to Serenity. At the time, Michael Marshall refused to be tested.
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office recommended that both parents be charged with manslaughter in the girl's death, but prosecutors declined to file charges. ","perpfirstname":"Royel","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Marshall","perprelation":"mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"state attorney declined to prosecute","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter","perp2firstname":"Michael","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Marshall","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"state attorney declined to prosecute","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":130,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Naomi","middlename":"","lastname":"Petit-Homme","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 2, 2008","deathdate":"April 23, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"8 mos.","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Skull fracture","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Naomi Petit-Homme's 19-year-old mother, Takiera Jackson, had already had a child removed from her care during what DCF called her "extensive" history with the agency, all of it redacted until Naomi's death. The file does say that the older child's removal had been prompted by Jackson's lack of a job and a home, and because the child was medically neglected.
When Naomi was born in August 2008, the agency said Jackson had "matured a great deal" and was "doing very well overall," and the agency did not, apparently, offer additional services to Jackson beyond those she had already used.
The case file that was opened at Naomi's birth was closed in October 2008, a month before Jackson met Alfredo Hudson Jr., a 20-year-old semi-pro football player who weighed 300 pounds.
On April 22, 2009, Hudson was taking a shower with the baby when, he said, she suddenly began "choking and gasping for air" and vomited. When he picked Naomi up, he said, she wasn't breathing. "Nothing sounds right" about that explanation, someone noted in the child's file after she had been rushed to a hospital. Naomi had a fractured skull and blunt impact wounds to her torso.
After much prevaricating, Hudson admitted to having shaken the child "back and forth about seven times" while demanding that she stop crying. He said also that he had dropped the baby in the shower at least twice. Hudson, who is serving an 18-year term for second-degree murder, bears several tattoos in prison, among them "R.I.P. Naomi" and "Only God Can Judge Me."
An assessment of DCF's actions conceded that, in retrospect, Naomi's mother "may have benefited from ongoing child-welfare services," but that, either way, "they would not have prevented the child's death." ","perpfirstname":"Alfredo","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Hudson","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":131,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Billy","middlename":"Jean","lastname":"Wallace","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 18, 2009","deathdate":"April 26, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"5 weeks","countycode":"suwannee","county":"Suwannee","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Billy Jean Wallace was born, her mother, Jenni Henderson, was clearly having problems. State records show that she was bipolar and refused to take her medication, and was threatening to leave the hospital against medical advice. Henderson also tested positive for marijuana, generating the first DCF report with the baby as the victim.
There were two prior reports to DCF involving Billy Jean's siblings, but her parents did not follow up on offers of daycare. Investigators noted after Billy Jean's birth that her parents' relationship was deteriorating, prompting a referral for assistance with conflict resolution.
A month later, the allegations became more serious: The children's father, John Miller Wallace, was abusing prescription drugs, had trouble keeping a job and was regularly whipping two of the children with a belt. Henderson still was not taking her medication, the children were missing medical appointments and were being fed only pizza and doughnuts, according to reports that were reaching DCF.
Three days after the last of those reports, and nine days after Henderson had completed a nurturing-parenting program, the girl's parents discovered her unresponsive in a reclining chair in the living room.
Henderson and Wallace told investigators that after the children had gone to sleep the previous night, the couple "smoked a bowl of marijuana" on the front porch. Henderson then fed Billy Jean at around 1 a.m. and placed her in the recliner to rock her. That was the last time anyone saw the baby alive. Her body was discovered 11 hours later. The cause and manner of death could not be undetermined.
The state's Child Protection Team concluded that Billy Jean's death had been preventable. A member of the team wrote that a "reasonable and prudent caregiver would not leave a newborn infant unattended for almost 11 hours in a reclining chair, or care for the child while out partying late and under the influence of substances." ","perpfirstname":"Jenni","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Henderson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"John","perp2middlename":"Miller","perp2lastname":"Henderson","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":132,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kristina","middlename":"Nicole","lastname":"Hepp","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 21, 2004","deathdate":"April 27, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"4","countycode":"gilchrist","county":"Gilchrist","deathcausereport":"Multiple blunt injuries","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Kristina Hepp was 2 days old when DCF received its first report about her. After giving birth, her 16-year-old mother had bolted from the hospital, skipping Kristina's afternoon feeding.
There would be many more complaints over the years, for environmental hazards (three times), inadequate supervision (three times), and threatened harm (twice), as well as physical injury and burns. After one such incident, DCF caseworkers decided there was no basis to shelter the child, a conclusion that came into question in the child's death review. "The record does not adequately explain the basis for this decision," the document says.
Much about Kristina's life was inexplicable, not least that she was still wearing a diaper at age 4. Her mother explained that she did not have time to potty-train Kristina. Also when she was 4, a judge ordered Kristina to be placed in the care of her father, Matthew G. Roland, a man with a long criminal history.
Two months later, a couple of months shy of her fifth birthday, she was dead. Roland said she became lethargic during the evening and quit breathing overnight. Later he acknowledged that he had "whooped her and she hit her head on the bathtub."
Signs of physical abuse were plentiful. There was tearing of the membrane that attached Kristina's upper lip to her gums, and bruises on her leg matched the shape of an electric hair-straightening iron in the home. In the bathroom drain, investigators found a patch of Kristina's scalp with her hair still attached. Roland was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. A negligence lawsuit was filed against DCF on behalf of Kristina's estate. ","perpfirstname":"Matthew","perpmiddlename":"G.","perplastname":"Roland","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"Chelci","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Folds","perp2relation":"father's paramour","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":"neglect of a child involving great bodily harm"}, {"dataid":133,"docindex":6,"firstname":"Emily","middlename":"","lastname":"Cook","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 27, 2007","deathdate":"May 5, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Asphyxiation","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Emily Cook was hospitalized after swallowing a thumbtack, her mother signed a safety plan promising to "decrease the risk of harm through supervising the children at all times," a DCF report said. Emily also had an unexplained bruise on her forehead. A month later, when mother Daphne Marie Cook signed the pledge, Emily was observed with what appeared to be a rug burn on her face.
Cook, and her boyfriend, Donald Lance Crawford, were referred to community services, such as parenting and child development classes. A report says there is no documentation to show Cook completed such services. A review of Emily's death does not say why DCF chose not to ask a judge to order Cook's compliance.
When Emily was almost 1 1/2, she was found lifeless in her crib. A child-abuse investigator who witnessed her autopsy observed several telltale signs of abuse, including a large bruise on her forehead, bruises under her jaw, cuts behind her ears, a puncture wound on the top of her head and bruises to her back and right shin. Someone had bitten the toddler under her neck.
"I didn't do this," Crawford told police almost immediately afterward. Cause of death: strangulation. Crawford was sentenced in October 2011 to two concurrent 30-year terms, one for second-degree murder and the other for aggravated child abuse.","perpfirstname":"Daphne","perpmiddlename":"Marie","perplastname":"Cook","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Donald","perp2middlename":"Lance","perp2lastname":"Crawford","perp2relation":"paramour","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"yes","perp2charges":"second degree murder"}, {"dataid":134,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Emanuel","middlename":"","lastname":"Murray","suffix":"Jr.","gender":"male","birthdate":"January 25, 2009","deathdate":"May 5, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Blunt impact to head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On the last day of Emanuel Murray's life, he was thrown onto a concrete floor and later hurled from a moving car by his mother's boyfriend, according to authorities who investigated the case.
The body of the 3-month-old baby was found on the side of Interstate 275 in Tampa in the early hours of March 5, 2009. His death was the last chapter in a violent relationship between Emanuel's mother, Jasmine Bedwell, and Richard McTear Jr.
At the time of Emanuel's death, 17-year-old Bedwell was receiving parenting assistance from Hillsborough Kids Inc., a child-care agency that came to have its own issues with effectiveness. Bedwell had been in foster care herself and was a past victim of domestic violence. Once out of the foster care system, she should not have been allowed to live alone with a newborn, the agency suggested in a review of the boy's death.
Some time after she became pregnant with Emanuel, Bedwell began a relationship with McTear, who had a long history of violence and arrests, including one after an incident in which he was accused of choking and punching the mother of his child and setting fire to her car.
DCF's review of the circumstances surrounding Emanuel's death said that despite the agency's knowledge of Bedwell's history, no help was offered to improve the family's lot. At one point, a caseworker who was unaware of McTear's abusive ways encouraged Bedwell's relationship with him, a clear indication that a background check had not been conducted on McTear at the time.
In April 2009, the agency received a report alleging that McTear had beaten Bedwell so badly that she was taken to a hospital for treatment. Three weeks before Emanuel's death, an investigator implemented a safety plan in which Bedwell agreed to cease contact with McTear and to seek a permanent injunction. McTear was not served with the injunction because his whereabouts were unknown at the time. That case was closed on April 28, 2009, with a verified finding that the child's safety was threatened by violence. Emanuel was killed a week later.
McTear was charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping, although a mistrial was declared in August 2013 after Bedwell testified that McTear had threatened to shoot her son in the face and urinate on him, testimony that had previously been ruled inadmissible. McTear remains in custody pending a new trial.","perpfirstname":"Richard","perpmiddlename":"Anthony","perplastname":"McTear Jr.","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"1st degree murder, kidnapping, felony battery, aggravated child abuse, burglary of a dwelling with assault or battery","perp2firstname":"Jasmine","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Bedwell","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":135,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ismina","middlename":"Carolina","lastname":"Caldwell","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 6, 2007","deathdate":"May 11, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Twin sisters Yasmine and Ismina Caldwell drowned together in a pond near their home. The girls had walked off a dock and tumbled into a pond while their parents, Robert and Tiffany Caldwell, and other adults in the home were asleep after "doing crack the night before," a report to DCF's hotline said.
The report said that Yasmine and Ismina had been underwater for about 30 minutes when their bodies were retrieved by their grandfather, Douglas Caldwell. He told investigators that he had found the two lying side by side, face down in the water.
Deputies who investigated the drownings told DCF investigators that there were "at least a hundred other ways these children could have died." Inside the home, electrical sockets were exposed, switch plates were missing, and motor oil, knives, tools and pill bottles appeared to have been within easy reach of the children's hands.
A report called in to DCF in 2007 referred to the twins' exposure to violence in the home. In that case, the twins' father was arrested for battery and their mother was referred to a domestic violence shelter, but the investigation was closed without the agency ensuring that she accept the services.","perpfirstname":"Tiffany","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Caldwell","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Robert","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Caldwell","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":136,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Yasmine","middlename":"Veronica","lastname":"Caldwell","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 6, 2007","deathdate":"May 11, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Twin sisters Yasmine and Ismina Caldwell drowned together in a pond near their home. The girls had walked off a dock and tumbled into a pond while their parents and other adults in the home were asleep after "doing crack the night before," a report to DCF's hotline said.
The report said that Yasmine and Ismina had been underwater for about 30 minutes when their bodies were retrieved by their grandfather. He told investigators that he had found the two lying side by side, face down in the water.
Deputies who investigated the drownings told DCF investigators that there were "at least a hundred other ways these children could have died." Inside the home, electrical sockets were exposed, switch plates were missing, and motor oil, knives, tools and pill bottles appeared to have been within easy reach of the children's hands.
A report called in to DCF in 2007 referred to the twins' exposure to violence in the home. In that case, the twins' father was arrested for battery and their mother was referred to a domestic violence shelter, but the investigation was closed without the agency ensuring that she accept the services.","perpfirstname":"Tiffany","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Caldwell","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Robert","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Caldwell","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":137,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Daniela","middlename":"","lastname":"Cubilla","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 29, 2008","deathdate":"May 14, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The parents of 1-year-old Daniela Cubilla were already under voluntary protective supervision with a Polk County child welfare agency when the child was found floating in a Jacuzzi in the family's home, into which they had moved three weeks earlier.
Both Daniela's father, David Cubilla, and an adult sister were in the house when Daniela gained access to the Jacuzzi through a gate that had been left open. The details of the Cubilla family's history with DCF were redacted in files provided to the Miami Herald.","perpfirstname":"David","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Cubilla","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":138,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Marquis","middlename":"","lastname":"Jackson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 24, 2006","deathdate":"May 17, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"alachua","county":"Alachua","deathcausereport":"Blunt head injury","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Marquis Jackson's father, Corey Dallas, had three children by three mothers. On the day Marquis died, he was staying with his father and a girlfriend when the woman went to work. When she returned, Marquis was in "timeout," she was told, and when she checked on the child, his eyes rolled back and he fell onto the floor, she said later.
Doctors who examined the boy found that Marquis had a swollen brain, severely burned buttocks, a cut forehead, a swollen lip, and an abrasion under his chin. The cause of death was blunt injury to the head.
Even after Marquis died, DCF and a judge continued to allow Dallas to have access to two surviving children. One of those children later described Dallas beating the child's mother with a closed fist. Neither Marquis' mother, Salita Jackson, nor the baby had been on DCF's radar before he died.
Dallas was charged with killing the boy. ","perpfirstname":"Corey","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Dallas","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"homicide","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":139,"docindex":137,"firstname":"Malachi","middlename":"Todd","lastname":"Wilson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 13, 2005","deathdate":"May 17, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3","countycode":"columbia","county":"Columbia","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"On a May afternoon in 2009, Malachi's mother, Shauna Wilson, took him to his grandmother's house, where there was an above-ground pool. When they arrived, everyone was getting dressed to go swimming, and several minutes passed before someone noticed that Malachi was missing. A search was launched and Malachi, who did not know how to swim, was found at the bottom of the pool.
The family had been the subject of nine prior abuse/neglect reports, seven of which involved "safety and protection issues," but all were redacted in the file provided to the Herald. DCF's files did reveal that Malachi's grandmother, Linda Hawkins Feagle, had a long history of substance abuse and domestic violence.
The review of Malachi's death said that one of the prior cases rated a "high" risk rating, although Feagle declined an offer of counseling. ","perpfirstname":"Linda","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Hawkins Feagle","perprelation":"maternal grandMother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":140,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jananiah","middlename":"","lastname":"Williams","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 13, 2009","deathdate":"May 18, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"5 days","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Probably overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Hope Williams, Jananiah's mother, was a child herself when she gave birth to her first baby. Her own childhood had been a mess, punctuated by repeated episodes of violence between her parents, one or both of whom were alcoholics, a DCF file revealed. Williams spent much of her youth "bouncing between her mother's home and relatives," the file says.
A review of the death of 5-day-old Jananiah suggests that Williams had tried to be a better parent to her children than her parents had been to her. She readily accepted help from DCF after a host of abuse and neglect investigations, although the number of allegations and their nature were all redacted from the family's file. A report said Williams appeared to be "avoiding the pitfalls of her mother."
Nevertheless, on May 18, 2009, while Williams was recovering from giving birth to Jananiah, the newborn was placed in a full-size bed alongside both her parents. Her father, George Martin, found her in the early hours of the morning, limp. Her death by smothering was declared an accident. ","perpfirstname":"George","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Martin","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":141,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Devyn","middlename":"Oscar","lastname":"Costanzo","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 29, 2006","deathdate":"May 20, 2009","deathyear":2008,"deathage":"2","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"One day in April 2009, Nicole Cook left her two youngest children in the family's pool under the supervision of their 12-year-old brother while she went inside. Cook said later that she had been gone only a moment or two, but the older boy said it was more like 10 minutes.
In any case, Cook's 2-year-old son, Devyn Costanzo, appears to have taken off the flotation device that had been protecting him from harm, and he was found lifeless in the spa portion of the pool.
Cook had been the subject of two prior reports to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline, but the details of those investigations were redacted from the agency's review of Devyn's death.","perpfirstname":"Nicole","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Cook","perprelation":"mother/stepMother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":142,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Destiny","middlename":"","lastname":"Lawson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 12, 2009","deathdate":"May 21, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"5 weeks","countycode":"putnam","county":"Putnam","deathcausereport":"Suffocation","deathcause":"asphyxia","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Shovan Lawson showed up one day at the Palatka Police Department and said she wanted to get something off her chest. She had "killed her baby, and could not live with it," according to a report of the incident. Lawson pleaded guilty to manslaughter after admitting she had suffocated Destiny with a pillow because she would not stop crying. "She stated she was yelling and shouting at Destiny just prior to her placing the pillow over her head," the report said.
Destiny had lived only about five weeks before she died, and had spent almost all that time as the subject of a report to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline. Two days after the child's birth, DCF had been told that her mother had already lost one child, her 5-month-old son, Bernard Ash Jr., who died in November 2008 of what was determined to be sudden infant death syndrome. A report from the hospital said Destiny's pediatrician was concerned about her mother's "ability to care for the child," and had similar concerns about Lawson's "home environment." No specifics were documented.
Destiny's father, Bernard Ash, later told investigators that he thought Lawson "was starting to like" her baby, and had remarked positively that Destiny was "not crying much anymore." But a review of Destiny's death said that an investigator believed Lawson was intellectually impaired, and hospital staff members were reluctant to release Destiny to her mother until they were assured that the home was safe.
A DCF investigator said he was referring Lawson to Healthy Start for help with parenting, but the referral was not made, a report said, until May 21, 2009, the day Destiny was smothered to death. Lawson served five years at Lowell Correctional Institution, and was released to community supervision.","perpfirstname":"Shovan","perpmiddlename":"Dawnise","perplastname":"Lawson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":143,"docindex":80,"firstname":"Mariah","middlename":"","lastname":"Kras","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 10, 2006","deathdate":"May 26, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"hernando","county":"Hernando","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Mariah Kras loved water, but no one had taught her how to swim. One morning in May 2009, while her mother was napping after being up most of the night with one of the family's three other children, Mariah walked into the back yard and got into the swimming pool.
Her 34-year-old mother, Carole Kras, found her there, face-down in the water. The girl's flip-flops and sun dress lay on the deck, where she had evidently left them before plunging into the putrid water, which had not been cleaned in more than a year.
The Herald went to court to obtain information that had been redacted from a review of Mariah's death. It showed that the Kras family had been the subject of at least seven reports to the agency's abuse and neglect hotline, including allegations that someone had beaten Mariah's older siblings "with bricks and other objects," that one child had injured his face when he ran into either a brick wall or nails that were "sticking out" all over the home, and that another child needed stitches in his ear after he had injured himself with a knife he had found.
In 2008, one of the children had been found submerged in a bathtub, with only his nose and lips visible above the surface of the water, after his caregiver had "passed out due to alcohol," a file entry says. That same year, DCF was told that the family home had a small pool with "dirty green water" and mosquito larvae, while "trash, broken glass and junk" lay strewn all over the front yard.","perpfirstname":"Carole","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Kras","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":144,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kimora","middlename":"Unity","lastname":"Russ","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 20, 2009","deathdate":"May 28, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"jackson","county":"Jackson","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"DCF received 12 prior reports involving Kimora Russ' family, and an older sibling was previously removed from the home for protection before Kimora and her twin sister were born in March 2009.
When Kimora and her sister were just 3 weeks old, their mother, who had a long, documented history of alcoholic rages, became "aggressive" toward their 8-year-old sibling, according to a report DCF received on the abuse hotline on April 9, 2009.
Over the next month, DCF caseworkers tried without success to obtain the mother's cooperation to ensure the safety of the twin girls, whose low weight was of increasing concern, an agency report said. The caseworker documented reports of domestic violence between the mother, Angeline Russ, and her mother, and how both the grandmother and Russ evaded their visits, as well as the visits of other service providers.
Russ had been described to them as an intellectually impaired prostitute, an admitted alcoholic who could consume a dozen beers in one sitting and who had become aggressive toward her children. One hotline caller said that when drunk, Russ became "angry and mean and yelled and hollered."
Finally, one last attempt was made to visit the home on May 27, 2009. No one answered the door. DCF called a meeting with its lawyers that day, and the mother finally responded, agreeing — again — to cooperate even though she had failed to do so many times previously. DCF lawyers said there were no grounds to remove the children and closed the case. Kimora died the following day.
The family's file says that Russ, while intoxicated, apparently rolled over on 2-month-old Kimora while sleeping in her bed, smothering her. ","perpfirstname":"Angeline","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Russ","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":145,"docindex":135,"firstname":"Keyon","middlename":"Devante","lastname":"Jones","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 7, 2008","deathdate":"May 29, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"10 mos.","countycode":"escambia","county":"Escambia","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"There were at least 10 reports to DCF about problems in Keyon Jones' family before he was born. Eight of those involved his mother, Rebecca Soriano, and her siblings as victims when they were children, and two pertained to Keyon's older half-sister. A dependency petition filed for the girl had been dismissed by the department because the parents would not cooperate, a situation observed also in other DCF cases.
Although none of the prior reports dealt with Keyon, a summary of his case noted that any prior contacts with caregivers were relevant "because efforts to prevent child deaths really begin with the department's earliest involvement" with a family.
An assessment of the department's handling of a 2004 case involving the older sibling — the details were redacted — determined that although a child-abuse investigator visited Soriano's home after she had moved in with the baby's father, "the investigation did not go far enough." The assessment said Soriano's mother should have been consulted because her daughter had yet to turn 18 and was still legally a minor. In addition, the investigator did not include in a summary all the prior reports on Soriano, and it was therefore unclear whether the investigator "was aware of her extensive history with the department, which should have raised red flags in regard to her being a teen mother on her own."
The other case involving Keyon's older sister, in 2006, resulted in a finding of inadequate supervision, but was similarly rife with investigative shortcomings. "Necessary follow-up questions were not asked during subject interviews," which, a summary concluded, "left a lot of questions unanswered." It noted that prior investigations of Soriano's family had not been given sufficient weight in determining whether her older child and, ultimately, Keyon, were at risk. A 2007 filing said that a safety plan for the girl was ineffective because it merely "consisted of a written pledge not to live at a certain residence."
Keyon was born in July 2008 and died 10 months later after Soriano, who had a history of drug use, placed him in a bathtub and went to chat with a couple of men at the front door. "Mom forgot about Keyon," a report said.
Interviewed by an investigator, Keyon's sister said her brother was "in heaven," but that she could not discuss what had happened because she would get a "whoppin'." Assured that it would be alright to talk about it, she whispered, "he drowned."
A report on the child's death said that Soriano had begged the boy's father, Marcus Jones, who had been sleeping, to help revive the child after he was found in the tub, but that Jones had "walked out" of the home instead, according to Keyon's maternal grandmother. When asked why he would do that, she said it was probably because he was "mad" that Soriano had "woke him up." No charges were filed. ","perpfirstname":"Rebecca","perpmiddlename":"Marie","perplastname":"Soriano","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":146,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ryan","middlename":"","lastname":"Gerken","suffix":"Jr.","gender":"male","birthdate":"June 8, 2008","deathdate":"June 2, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"11 mos.","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Ryan Gerken Jr. was found face-down in a bathtub after being left alone by his 19-year-old mother, Jessica Barnes. Although she had initially given police an explanation that turned out not to be true, Barnes later clarified that she had placed Ryan in the tub, turned on the water and "then went to do other things around the house and admitted that she lost track of time." A police report said she had lied "because she was scared." The Manatee County Sheriff's Office closed its investigation with a finding of death due to neglect and inadequate supervision, but did not charge Barnes with a crime.
There were two DCF reports involving Ryan earlier in 2009, one of them resulting in a finding of inadequate supervision just two months before the boy drowned. That report said Barnes would leave the baby unattended on a couch and that he sometimes fell off, causing bruises on his head. Barnes was referred to parenting classes but there was no record of her accepting the help, and the report was closed with "no indicators of threatened harm" to the child.
The other 2009 report alleged that Barnes and Ryan's paternal uncle were involved in an altercation while the child was in the home. The report said that the uncle and his younger brother — the infant's father, also named Ryan Gerken and on probation at the time for criminal mischief — "drink excessively and smoke marijuana, and that when Ms. Barnes tries to remove herself and the baby from the situation, they won't allow her to take the baby with her."
Between 1998 and 2003, Barnes was listed as the victim in six DCF cases involving her parents, and the girl was placed for a time under court-ordered supervision. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":147,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Matthew","middlename":"","lastname":"Mannix","suffix":"III","gender":"male","birthdate":"May 20, 2008","deathdate":"June 11, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The state became involved with the Mannix family after Matthew's mother, Jenna Ramsey, tested positive for marijuana on the day of his birth. She explained that she used pot to control the nausea she felt from being pregnant.
During a visit to the home Matthew's parents shared with his maternal grandparents, child welfare officials noted that the swimming pool lacked appropriate fencing. Although there is no indication that the lack of a fence was brought to the family's attention, the officials' observation would prove tragically prophetic.
When Matthew was a year old, he got out of his crib some time during the early morning hours and ended up in the pool, where he was found later that morning floating face-down.
When authorities arrived, they found a cluttered home — food and utensils scattered about the floor, ash trays overflowing with cigarette butts, cat and dog feces on the floor, and 10 empty beer bottles in the parents' bedroom.
Matthew's father, who bore the same name as his son, said that neither he nor Ramsey had been using drugs that night. After the drowning, the couple vanished for a time, a report on the incident said, and the child's grandmother refused to provide information about their whereabouts to police and child-welfare officials. ","perpfirstname":"Jenna","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ramsey","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Matthew","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Mannix","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":148,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Arianna","middlename":"","lastname":"Long","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 11, 2007","deathdate":"July 11, 2007","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"stjohns","county":"St. Johns","deathcausereport":"Hyperthermia","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Almost 2 years old, Arianna Long died in a hot, closed car, its engine left running by her father, who was sleeping in the family's home a few feet away, a DCF report said. The child, whose mother was at work, had spent about six hours in the vehicle before being found by her aunt. When Arianna was taken to an emergency room, her temperature was measured at 109.8 degrees.
A sheriff's deputy who questioned Arianna's father, Omar Long, was "overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol" emanating from his breath. "All he does is sit around and drink," the child's aunt, Seritia Montgomery, told the deputies, and suggested that they test Long's blood for alcohol content. Her advice was ignored, although Long was later convicted of second-degree manslaughter and ordered to spend 12 years in prison, a sentence running concurrently with a term of equal length for an earlier aggravated-battery conviction.
Three months before Arianna's death, she was the subject of a DCF abuse report that noted she had sustained an injury on her nose while in her father's care, but there was no record of Long being questioned about the matter. DCF closed the case with a child-care referral, although no one checked to see whether the family had made use of the services.
The agency later acknowledged not having conducted so-called "collateral" interviews that might have tipped off caseworkers to Long's drinking. "A more thorough investigation could have identified preventative measures and whether or not service needs were appropriately identified and engaged," an assessment of the agency's actions said. DCF did not intervene with regard to Arianna's two siblings. ","perpfirstname":"Omar","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Long","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"second-degree manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"yes","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":150,"docindex":35,"firstname":"Kevin","middlename":"","lastname":"Walker","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 6, 2007","deathdate":"December 6, 2007","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"16 mos.","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Kevin Walker's 24-year-old mother, Fabia Clark, was raising nine children: a 17-year-old niece and nephew, both diagnosed with developmental disabilities, who were given to her upon their mother's death, and seven of Clark's own youngsters, including a 4-year-old with Down Syndrome, and another child with developmental disabilities.
Clark had been the subject of at least four reports to DCF suggesting that she was not supervising the children properly. A 2006 report said Clark "whooped the children," and she admitted that she whipped two of the boys with a belt. During the probe into that case, an investigator noticed the odor of marijuana in the family's home.
In 2009, three of Clark's small children were found "running in the street" in their neighborhood, with no adult present. They were almost struck by a car, a report to DCF said. An investigator helped Clark install safety locks and told her to use them. Nevertheless, a file entry said later, there was no evidence that the investigator checked the family's pool area, addressed pool-safety measures or discussed the need for supervision "to prevent entry to the pool area."
Two weeks after the last neglect investigation was closed, Kevin was found at the bottom of the dark green pool, a virtual sewer brimming with dirty diapers, shoes and other debris. Clark had not installed locks or alarms on five doors that led directly to the pool.","perpfirstname":"Fabia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Clark","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":151,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Nicholas","middlename":"","lastname":"Block","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 16, 1993","deathdate":"June 19, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"15","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Drug overdose","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Nicholas Block's mother and stepfather were longtime drug users, reports to DCF said, and they were said to share their stash with the 15-year-old boy. During a long session of drug-taking with the adults in a motel room, Nicholas collapsed and died of an overdose of narcotics, according to an investigation into his death.
The boy's mother, Linda Kay Courtright, overdosed at the same time but survived after emergency treatment in a hospital. The stepfather, Billy Jack Courtright, who had been arrested on many occasions for selling drugs and for violent behavior, had also brought to the motel room his three children — ages 7, 9 and 10 — from an earlier relationship, and they told police that they had seen the two grown-ups, Nicholas and other teenagers repeatedly going in and out of the bathroom, the investigation report said. Nicholas was "extra wobbly" after emerging a final time, and he was discovered prone, unresponsive and "ice cold," according to his 10-year-old sibling.
An autopsy found the cause of death to be intoxication from an excess of oxycodone, cocaine and alprazolam, a prescription drug that treats anxiety, panic disorder and insomnia. When she had recovered sufficiently to talk with police, Linda Courtright acknowledged that her husband and her son had each chopped up four oxycodone pills and "snorted the substance in front of her." The day before Nicholas died, his stepfather had filled an oxycodone prescription for 210 pills, only 10 of which remained after the tragedy had unfolded.
Billy Courtright admitted to snorting cocaine in the motel room, but denied that he had ever given oxycodone to the teenager. The authorities did not believe him and charged him with delivery of a controlled substance to a child and neglect of a child causing great bodily harm. The latter charge was also levied against Linda Courtright. The Drug Enforcement Administration then weighed in with federal charges, which ultimately resulted in sentences of 27 years in prison for Billy Courtright and 15 years for his wife.
In 2007, two years before Nicholas' death, the family had been the subject of two child abuse investigations: The first one, which indicated that the children were often sent to school sick and that there were instances of domestic violence and substance abuse on the part of the parents, was closed after investigators found "no evidence to support the allegations."
The second probe, a few months later, looked into new allegations of drug use in the house by the couple, specifically of marijuana, methamphetamines and cocaine. That investigation too was closed with "no indicators of substance misuse," and as a result "no ongoing services were provided."
Since that report, "parental substance issues most likely resumed and continued to increase in severity," a DCF summary asserted after the teenager's death, but that without a "reported incident of concern, there was no way that child welfare workers could have or should have been aware of what was occurring" in the family's home. Therefore, the report concluded, there was no "opportunity to intervene on the children's behalf."","perpfirstname":"Linda","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Courtright","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"felony child neglect","perp2firstname":"Billy","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Courtright","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":"child neglect and giving a controlled substance to a minor"}, {"dataid":152,"docindex":150,"firstname":"William","middlename":"","lastname":"Sloan","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 5, 2008","deathdate":"June 28, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"6 mos.","countycode":"bay","county":"Bay","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"William Osburn Sloan came to DCF's attention when he was 2 days old. An internal notation in the investigation that followed said: "This is a red flag case." Two of William's siblings already were in foster care as a result of their parents' severe drug abuse, and mother Tonya Osburn's mental illness.
Eager to keep custody of William — and to regain custody of the older children — Osburn signed a safety plan promising to stop taking drugs and provide adequate care for William. Even though the father, John Sloan Sr., continued to test positive for marijuana, DCF's lawyers said they did have the legal power to take William away from the parents because "no harm could be shown from his use of the drug."
The next few months and weeks leading up to William's death, conditions in the Sloan home worsened: Caseworkers documented that the home had no electricity for three weeks; the parents were using cocaine; there was dog feces all over the home; the mother stopped taking her medication and was kicked out of a mental health treatment program. Osburn and her baby were sleeping on a mattress on the floor, and goes out partying, leaving William with his father.
On June 25, 2009, the caseworker noted that the mother was "going downhill" but the father was doing "OK" — even though he hadn't been tested for drugs in two weeks and had a history of being unable to care for the children. No one had apparently visited the home — since Sloan later told police Osburn had left him.
Three days later, Sloan walked William to a friend's house in his stroller, where he drank an entire fifth of Lord Calvert whiskey, played video games, then passed out on the couch, a DCF report said. William smothered to death. Sloan was arrested and charged with manslaughter, but the charges were dropped in February 2011 because there was no evidence that he was drunk when he rolled over on the baby as prosecutors alleged. Osburn pleaded with the judge on Sloan's behalf at the hearing. ","perpfirstname":"John","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Sloan Sr.","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"charges dropped","perpcharges":"manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":153,"docindex":83,"firstname":"Skye","middlename":"","lastname":"Kennedy","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 22, 2008","deathdate":"June 29, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Skye Kennedy was only 4 months old when DCF received its first abuse report on her behalf. A 2-year-old sibling had taken her mother's "muscle relaxers" from a purse and fed them to Skye, and the baby had to be hospitalized for treatment.
Three months after that, DCF was told that Skye's mother, Gina Kennedy, was beating and otherwise mistreating her children, including the infant. Kennedy, who according to a DCF file was an 8-to-10-pill-a-day codeine addict, did not get medical attention for Skye when the child got sick, DCF was told.
In January 2009, DCF received another report, and it alleged that Skye's parents had gotten into a "physical altercation" over the woman's alcohol abuse, and her decision to drive while taking medication and drinking. Gina and Thomas Kennedy signed a safety plan in February 2009 in which the couple agreed to accept help from the state, and acknowledged they understood "that continuing incidents of domestic violence could result in the department taking legal action to ensure the safety of the children." The plan failed to address Kennedy's alleged drug problem, however.
The following June, DCF received two reports that Gina Kennedy, who had five children after having just given birth again, had abused narcotics during her latest pregnancy and that she and her husband were leaving their children with adult cousins who failed to watch them. Two days after the last report, on June 30, 2009, the Kennedys left Skye with those cousins, and Skye drowned in a kiddy pool. DCF was told that a 20-year-old boyfriend of one of the cousins had left Skye unattended in the water while he reportedly consumed drugs.","perpfirstname":"Alex","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Gibbs","perprelation":"cousin's boyfriend","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":154,"docindex":103,"firstname":"Shaiunna","middlename":"","lastname":"Hare","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 20, 2007","deathdate":"July 1, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"sumter","county":"Sumter","deathcausereport":"Asphyxiation due to constriction by snake","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Shaiunna Hare was killed in her crib by an eight-and-a-half-foot-long Burmese python. The reptile, named Gypsy had escaped its cage — the lid secured only by a blanket and safety pins — in the family's home, according to investigators.
Two months earlier, a report to DCF said that her mother, Jaren Hare, and a boyfriend, Charles Darnell, were using and selling meth, cocaine, marijuana, Ecstasy and Xanax in the presence of the baby and his children. The report said the infant was not properly cared for and that the home was filthy. DCF investigators went to the home, where they noted that the snake appeared to be properly secured at the time, according to agency documents.
Both Hare and Darnell acknowledged that they abused drugs but refused to stop outright, so a caseworker asked them to promise in writing to consume their drugs outside the presence of the children. A second hotline caller alleged that Darnell had recently been arrested for drug possession, was mentally ill, and had a violent history. The caller expressed a concern that Darnell might hurt Hare, who had moved out of their home and later returned, with Shaiunna.
The agency assessed the baby's risk as moderate when the case was closed on June 12, 2009. Two weeks later, the girl was dead. Hare and Darnell were later found guilty of third-degree murder, manslaughter and child abuse. They are serving 12-year sentences.","perpfirstname":"Charles","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Darnell","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"third-degree murder, manslaughter, child abuse","perp2firstname":"Jaren","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Hare","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"yes","perp2charges":"third-degree murder, manslaughter, child abuse"}, {"dataid":155,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Benny","middlename":"","lastname":"Strozier","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 21, 2009","deathdate":"July 2, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"9 weeks","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Probable overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Benny Strozier's mother smoked cigarettes during her pregnancy — she claimed not to have known she was pregnant until the seventh month — and the boy was born with respiratory difficulties. On the evening of July 1, 2009, his mother, Lashawdy Strozier, and her boyfriend, Winslow Grimmage, were entertaining friends, playing cards and drinking beer and liquor.
Benny's two older siblings were staying with their grandmother at the time. Benny, not quite 3 months old, was placed on the bed in the master bedroom because Benny was said not to like his crib. Grimmage's adult cousin was also sleeping in the bed.
Some time after midnight, Grimmage checked on Benny and discovered that he was not breathing. A medical examiner concluded that his death had been caused by "probable overlay."
DCF called it death by neglect, and cited not only the sleeping arrangement but the fact that Benny had not been seen by a pediatrician since his birth. The family had five prior abuse reports, all redacted by the agency. ","perpfirstname":"Lashawdy","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Strozier","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":156,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Bryce","middlename":"","lastname":"Barros","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 26, 2007","deathdate":"July 3, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Three times in February and March of 2009, a judge in Broward County's domestic violence division ordered DCF to investigate the battling parents of 1-year-old Bryce Barros. "The court is deeply concerned about the welfare of the minor child," the judge wrote. DCF's hotline also received a phone report that Bryce had received unexplained injuries, but the phone call and all three court orders were ignored — "screened out" by the state's abuse hotline as unworthy of investigation.
The fifth hotline report said that on July 3, 2009, Bryce's mother had found him dead.
His body was found one day after he began to show signs of either a serious illness or injury. Ignoring her own mother's advice, mother Jocelyn Barros failed to take her toddler to the doctor or hospital. An autopsy showed someone had beaten the toddler to death. A DCF report on the case concluded that Jocelyn Barros probably did not physically abuse her son, but may have been able to save him had she obtained medical attention.
As to who did kill the boy, a police investigation remains unresolved four years later. DCF's review of Bryce's death — three pages long — omitted any reference to DCF's decision to disregard four reports that Bryce was in danger, noting only that "there are no prior child abuse [or] neglect reports for the Barros family." ","perpfirstname":"Jocelyn","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Barros","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":149,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Angeliah","middlename":"","lastname":"Duncan","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 15, 2009","deathdate":"July 4, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3 weeks","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Shaken baby`","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Twice before she died, Angeliah Duncan had been taken to emergency rooms suffering from head injuries. Each time the family had an explanation — the child dozed off on her mom's chest and fell onto the floor; she banged her head on a dresser by accident. Child welfare investigators heard the explanations and figured they made sense. "No signs of present danger," one of them wrote after the second incident.
Parenting classes were recommended but there was a waiting list and it is not known whether any such services were provided.
The fourth trip to the ER was Angeliah's last. On June 11, 2009, she was brought in with a bleeding brain. Four days later — less than a month before her first birthday — she was dead.
An investigation determined that her mother's boyfriend, Cecil Weekes, had been beating both of them. When Angeliah's mother chose to return a DVD to a friend, she left the child with Weekes, who was trying to get some sleep. While the mother was gone, Weekes admitted later, he shook Angeliah violently to force her to "just stop [expletive] crying."
The investigation also showed that the two prior investigations were less than thorough, and included no documented interviews with friends or neighbors who knew the couple. After Angeliah's death, one friend said she had seen Weekes injure the baby.
Weekes is serving a 23-year sentence for second-degree murder. ","perpfirstname":"Cecil","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Weekes","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"Second-degree murder","perp2firstname":"Rosemary","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Rodriguez","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":157,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Zaryeiah","middlename":"","lastname":"Sanders","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 11, 2008","deathdate":"July 8, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"8 mos.","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Thermal burns, smoke inhalation","deathcause":"smoke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"There were seven DCF investigations into Zaryeiah Sanders' family before her death, all redacted, although a documented summary indicates that they involved evictions, inadequate housing, poor supervision and drug use by a caregiver.
On the day Zaryeiah died, her mother, Lacherika Turner, had gone to a library. Turner's boyfriend, Ronald McNeal, left the home for a while to get a tool for a repair project and said later that he had alerted Turner's half-brother, Byron Motley, and his girlfriend, Roslyn Dyer, who were dozing on a couch, that they had to watch the five children in the house. Motley told an investigator that no one had told him any such thing.
One of the children apparently got hold of a lighter and set the house ablaze. Everyone escaped except Zaryeiah, who was less than a year old.
Turner had previously been referred to Healthy Start to shore up her parenting skills, but "did not engage" in the services, her file says. ","perpfirstname":"Byron","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Motley","perprelation":"maternal uncle","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":158,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Leeahzhia","middlename":"","lastname":"Booth","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 2, 2009","deathdate":"July 16, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"escambia","county":"Escambia","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Tracy Ann Booth had a drinking problem, anger issues, no job and a violent boyfriend, according to her DCF files. Three of her children — one of whom was born while Booth was in jail — had been removed from her care. She retained custody of a fourth child and her fifth, Leeahzhia, born in June 2009.
Her father, Larry Jackson, whose tattoos and "colors" indicated that he was a gang member, had been arrested numerous times for offenses that included drug use and battery, his criminal record shows.
One evening in July 2009, Booth drank "four or five" Keystone beers and, she told investigators, got into a fight with another woman in a bar, acquiring a black eye and bruises on her forehead and chin, although a nurse overhead her say later that it was Jackson who had struck her. That night, Booth, who weighed 200 pounds, fell asleep on the couch in Jackson's apartment with Leeahzhia lying on her chest, according to a report on the incident. At some point, the 6-week-old baby ended up between Booth's legs, under a blanket. In the morning, the baby was "cold to the touch and had blue lips," a report on the incident said.
Her mother attempted to breathe into Leeahzhia's mouth, but "didn't know how to perform CPR," the report said. The child had died of positional asphyxia and "had probably been deceased for a while" when found. Her death was ascribed to neglect.
Booth was said to have "expressed remorse and acknowledged her responsibility for the child's death," but she appeared to ignore case plan tasks that were set up for her, and there is no record of the agency following up.
An assessment by the agency of the family's child-welfare history said the mother "had a history of engaging in services quickly after an abuse/neglect report, and then disengaging as the case progressed." The assessment said that, given the fact that Booth's parental rights had been terminated in three prior cases, news that she was pregnant with a fourth child in 2004 should have prompted her counselor to consider whether the newborn might come to harm. Instead, Booth was allowed to keep not only that child but Leeahzhia as well. ","perpfirstname":"Tracy","perpmiddlename":"Ann","perplastname":"Booth","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":159,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Steven","middlename":"","lastname":"Walton","suffix":"p","gender":"male","birthdate":"May 22, 2009","deathdate":"July 17, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"7 weeks","countycode":"okeechobee","county":"Okeechobee","deathcausereport":"Probable asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Steven Walton was born a month prematurely and required an apnea monitoring device. It was not in use on the night the 7-week-old infant died.
He was asleep on a baby's mattress on a pallet, with wedges to keep him in place. His maternal grandmother, Sinda Shanks, in whose care he was, awoke at around 1 a.m. and noticed that he was not breathing. Cause of death: probable asphyxia.
Steven died nine days after the last recorded use of the apnea monitor, and Shanks told investigators that she had not been using it because Steven was not having breathing problems. Records show the monitor was supposed to be used "at all times except for when being bathed."
The child was also supposed to be on medication but there did not appear to be any in his system at the time of his death. Those factors led the agency to concluded that there had been medical neglect by both Steven's mother, Lacora Shanks, and grandmother.
The family had a long history with DCF, with nine prior reports, from which most details were redacted.","perpfirstname":"Sinda","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Shanks","perprelation":"Grandmother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Lacora","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Shanks","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":160,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Zander","middlename":"","lastname":"Burkett","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 7, 2007","deathdate":"July 19, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Zander Burkett's family had been the subject of 10 reports to DCF before the boy was born, and his mother, Jennifer Burkett, had already had two children taken from her by the agency. Among other allegations, she tested positive for cocaine, her DCF file says, when she gave birth to Zander. Nonetheless, the investigation into that finding was closed 10 days later with "no indicators of substance misuse."
Later, Burkett went to prison for violating a community control order, and his father, Terry Mills, took over his care. Zander was 19 months old when Mills took him to visit a friend who had a backyard "kiddie" pool.
At one point, Mills and two other adults went to the front yard to watch a police stop down the street and Mills "lost track of time and the younger kids," a witness told police. Meanwhile, the children got into the pool and Zander was later found face-down in the water. By the time he was plucked out of the water, he had already turned "blue and cold," according to an investigator's notes.
Mills was intoxicated at the time of the drowning, a DCF review of the child's death says. ","perpfirstname":"John","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Mills","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":161,"docindex":86,"firstname":"Seth","middlename":"","lastname":"Garrard","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 12, 1999","deathdate":"July 21, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"10","countycode":"lake","county":"Lake","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia, blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"In the 10 years that Seth Garrard lived, his family had been the subject of at least nine reports to DCF's abuse hotline, most of them involving his mother, Lori Garrard. Among the allegations: She bit Seth, a toddler at the time, after he had bitten his sister; she pushed Seth's brother to the ground; she threatened her ex-husband's girlfriend; she drove drunk with her children in the car; she drank until she "passed out" and was unable to supervise the children, who sometimes ran "free" in the neighborhood; she got into violent fights with her boyfriend.
On one occasion, according to the reports, Seth sustained a "tennis ball-sized knot" on his head after his grandfather slapped his brother, pushing him into Seth. The brother suffered a black eye. Seth was also expelled from a charter school for too many absences. In addressing the reports, DCF placed crisis response team services and other court-ordered supervision in the home. In April 2008, the agency also had Seth's grandparents sign a safety plan to intervene "if mom passes out and they cannot wake her."
On July 12, 2009, while under their grandmother's supervision, Seth, his older brother and younger sister, were allowed to drive an all-terrain-type vehicle known as a mule. The two boys were not wearing safety belts, and the mule's driver, the 12-year-old, reportedly was doing "donuts" with the vehicle when it rolled over and landed on Seth. He died of traumatic asphyxia and blunt-force trauma.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":162,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Veronica","middlename":"","lastname":"Arias-Ysabel","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 11, 2006","deathdate":"August 1, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On a summer morning in 2009, while their mother was asleep and their father was working in the garage, Veronica Arias-Ysabel, almost 3 years old, and her 19-month-old sister, Gloria, wandered out of the house their family had just moved into and drowned in the swimming pool. Their father, Rafael Arias Figuereo, said afterward that he had planned on having a fence installed around the pool in a matter of days.
The family had prior contact with social service agencies in New York and Louisiana, and two previous reports in Florida. One of the Florida reports was redacted, and the other addresses an incident in which Veronica accidentally tipped over an infant in his walker. "Minimal supervision," a DCF report said in March 2010, "appears to be an emerging problem." ","perpfirstname":"Elizabeth","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ysabel","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Rafael","perp2middlename":"Arias","perp2lastname":"Figuereo","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":163,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Gloria","middlename":"","lastname":"Arias-Ysabel","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 31, 2008","deathdate":"August 1, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On a summer morning in 2009, while their mother was asleep and their father was working in the garage, Veronica Arias-Ysabel, almost 3 years old, and her 19-month-old sister, Gloria, wandered out of the house their family had just moved into and drowned in the swimming pool.
Their father, Rafael Arias Figuereo, said afterward that he had planned on having a fence installed around the pool in a matter of days.
The family had prior contact with social service agencies in New York and Louisiana, and two previous reports in Florida. One of the Florida reports was redacted, and the other addresses an incident in which Veronica accidentally tipped over an infant in his walker. "Minimal supervision," a DCF report said in March 2010, "appears to be an emerging problem."","perpfirstname":"Elizabeth","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ysabel","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Rafael","perp2middlename":"Arias","perp2lastname":"Figuereo","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":164,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Shailyn","middlename":"","lastname":"Shaw","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 5, 2007","deathdate":"August 1, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"hernando","county":"Hernando","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"There were about 15 adults and an equal number of children at the birthday party Shailyn Shaw attended on the day she drowned, and yet no one but her 8-year-old half-brother noticed the girl wandering over to an adjacent property, where she got into the pool. A neighbor found her in the water, lying at the bottom.
When she was retrieved, Shailyn still had a pulse but it was too late to save her. The 2-year-old girl's pacifier was found on the deck of the pool. Shailyn's mother, Carissa Carlton, 22, blamed only herself. "I let my daughter down," she told a DCF investigator. "I let my daughter die. I wasn't there for her."
Carlton, who tested positive for marijuana, acknowledged that neither of her children had been taught to swim but she said they had never shown any interest. The investigation was closed with a finding of inadequate supervision and substance misuse.
The children's father, Kenneth Shaw, had 17 arrests on his record, all but one for the possession and sale of cocaine, dating back to 1999. He was incarcerated at the time of his daughter's death and was later imprisoned again, with a release date scheduled in 2017. The family's prior history with DCF was redacted, but appears to include an incident in 2008 that involved the boy.","perpfirstname":"Carissa","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Carlton","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":165,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Laysha","middlename":"Marie","lastname":"Haslem","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 8, 2007","deathdate":"August 7, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Blunt impact to head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Laysha Haslem's family had quite a few "risk factors," among them drug and alcohol use, domestic violence and frequent clashes between the parents, and their home was in foreclosure. There was even an allegation of sexual abuse. But DCF had never provided services to the couple and their four children before Laysha died.
The 2-year-old's death came on Aug. 7, 2009, while her parents, Daphne Ann Rhea and Donald Haslem, were in the midst of an argument over finances and how much time they spent together. As Haslem got into his Jeep in the driveway, his wife followed him and continued arguing, a report on the incident said. Neither noticed Laysha in front of the car, and when Haslem pulled forward to leave, he ran over her. She was declared dead later at Winter Haven Hospital.
No charges were filed in the case, although Haslem's driver license was under suspension at the time of his daughter's death and he was also on probation, and he was arrested for violating it.
The family had been the subject of five prior abuse reports and one so-called "special condition" referral, but the details of those cases were unavailable. Some years previously, Haslem's son with another woman was removed from her care and placed with his maternal grandmother. In that case, the boy was not placed with Haslem because he had recently been arrested on a drug charge.","perpfirstname":"Daphne","perpmiddlename":"Ann","perplastname":"Rhea","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Donald","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Haslem","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":166,"docindex":106,"firstname":"Roosevelt","middlename":"","lastname":"Bradley","suffix":"III","gender":"male","birthdate":"December 11, 2008","deathdate":"August 7, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"7 mos.","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Severe blunt-head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On the day Roosevelt Bradley III and his twin were born, his parents gained two children but lost two others. Custody of the older children of Roosevelt Bradley II and Elizabeth Timpson-Bradley was transferred to their maternal grandmother by a judge in Orange County.
The siblings' removal had been prompted by a long string of allegations against the Bradleys, who were the subject of 12 reports to DCF's abuse hotline before the boy's death. Since 2004, the allegations had included one of "excessive bruising" to a child that was "indicative of inflicted non-accidental injury."
Another report said a child had sustained injuries to her legs from being beaten with a belt, and a third said that there had been repeated episodes of drug use and domestic violence in front of the children, including an incident in which Bradley was said to have slapped his wife while she was holding one of the children. On another occasion, he kicked her in the back so hard that she required hospital treatment, the files say.
When the twins were born, Timpson-Bradley told an investigator that she and the children's father would agree to relinquish custody of their older children because, their lawyer suggested, it would allow them to keep the twins. The lawyer was right, and DCF did not seek shelter the two newborns. Instead, caseworkers asked the Bradleys to agree to counseling that would make them better parents.
Five months later, a DCF file entry said, Timpson-Bradley and her children were living in a domestic-violence shelter because, she said, her husband's anger was "beginning to escalate." The woman had a gash on her head and a bruise on her arm and there was concern for the children, although Timpson-Bradley refused to seek a domestic-violence injunction against her husband.
A review of the agency's actions over the years said that caseworkers would have had "legal sufficiency to take action" to protect the twins before Roosevelt's death in August 2009 "if an injunction or dependency petition had been filed," but none was, despite a documented fear that the children "were at imminent risk of harm."
While DCF was still looking into the twins' safety in light of the injuries to their mother, Roosevelt was shaken to death by his 26-year-old father, police said, after the twins had been dropped off at his home for a visit. The boy's skull was fractured, and he had retinal hemorrhages.
Bradley, who had 10 arrests on his Florida record before his son's death, was sentenced to life in prison in January 2012 after being convicted of second-degree murder and child abuse.","perpfirstname":"Roosevelt","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bradley II","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"second-degree murder, child abuse. ","perp2firstname":"Elizabeth","perp2middlename":"Timpson","perp2lastname":"Bradley","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":167,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Michael ","middlename":"","lastname":"Trifu","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 6, 2009","deathdate":"August 7, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"7 mos.","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Cerebral edema and pulmonary congestion, secondary to plastic bag asphyxia","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Michael Trifu was born with club feet, and wore a brace and casts for all his brief life.
On Aug. 7, 2009, his paternal grandmother, Tana Trifu, placed the infant in a crib near a "diaper caddy" that contained diapers, cream and a box of plastic disposal bags for soiled diapers, according to the family's file. A cloth doll was also nearby. Later, Trifu found Michael unresponsive, with "four to five diaper bags underneath his face," a report said. The cause of Michael's death was "plastic bag asphyxia," a report said.
The Trifu family's history with DCF was redacted in a review of the boy's death.","perpfirstname":"Tana ","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Trifu","perprelation":"Paternal grandmother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Robert","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Trifu","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":168,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ja'vion","middlename":"","lastname":"Porter","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 27, 2007","deathdate":"August 8, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"levy","county":"Levy","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Ja'vion Porter drowned during a cookout on a summer day while his mother sat with other adults in the shade of a carport 75 feet away.
The woman, Jakarra Quarterman, had been warned "six or seven times" by the pool's owner not to let the child climb the ladder to the pool, according to several accounts provided to investigators.
Ja'vion was found face-down in the water by a 10-year-old girl and later declared dead, and Quarterman suggested to investigators that "another child may have knocked him into the water," although no one corroborated that theory.
The family's previous child-welfare history included allegations presented in May 2007, when Ja'vion was almost 5 months old, that Quarterman "did not provide sufficient clothing and blankets for the boy" and that she did not keep him clean. Their home was "disgusting, with roaches everywhere," the report to DCF said.
In March 2009, Quarterman and the child's father, Nathaniel Porter, got into a fight over how to discipline the boy. A report of the incident said Porter "slapped and pushed" Quarterman while she held Ja'vion, and that the child fell onto a couch. At that point, Quarterman "punched the father in the mouth," the document said. A similar imbroglio took place, again in Ja'vion's presence, in May that year, three months before the boy died.
Another case involving Quarterman was redacted, but DCF recorded 15 investigations into Porter and his family members. Porter was in prison on an aggravated assault charge when his son drowned.
An assessment of the agency's prior probes into Quarterman and other relatives, written after Ja'vion's death, said there was no indication that "inadequate supervision was an ongoing concern in this family." ","perpfirstname":"Jakarra","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Quarterman","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":169,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Zionna","middlename":"","lastname":"Ervin","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 18, 2008","deathdate":"August 12, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"18 mos.","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Hyperthermia","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Zionna Ervin and her little half-brother, Kaden Warren, died in the stifling heat of a car, left there far too long by the girl's father, Michael J. Ervin Jr., who authorities said was so stoned when he eventually took the children to a hospital that he waited patiently in line behind other people before approaching a counter with the lifeless kids. He seemed confused and barely able to speak, and fell asleep while medics worked to revive the children, hospital staff members told police. Zionna's core body temperature was 109, her brother's four degrees less.
Ervin, who had been asked to watch the children while their mother was at work, could not explain the delay of about two-and-a-half hours between the time he said he found them unresponsive and when he showed up at the hospital with their bodies. The children's mother, Enidlin Warren, told a co-worker that Ervin had been "out all night doing cocaine," a police report said. A search of Ervin's car and home uncovered marijuana and several kinds of pills, and neighbors told officers they were concerned that, with all the vehicles coming and going from the residence, Ervin might have been selling drugs.
In February 2008, shortly after Zionna's birth, a child-abuse report noted concerns about Ervin because he had appeared "very high or intoxicated" during two visits to the hospital where his daughter, born prematurely, was being treated for respiratory problems and a bacterial infection. The report noted that both parents "had extensive mental health and substance-abuse histories," that Warren also had "a history of self-mutilation," and that an older boy had been removed from their care in 2005.
But an overview of DCF's actions with the family, written after the children's deaths, said there was no evidence that an investigator had looked further into those issues or pondered "what the implications might have been regarding child safety." There was also concern about a "lack of thoroughness" in the investigations of two abuse reports received by DCF in 2008 — one of which said Warren had abused someone in an assisted-living facility where she worked — although the assessment claims the reports "had no direct bearing on the preventability" of the two children's deaths.
Ervin was arrested and charged with two counts of the aggravated manslaughter of a child, and in October 2012 was sentenced to two 10-year terms, to run concurrently. According to his prison fact sheet, Ervin wears a tattoo on his left arm that says, "Zionna, my miracle," and his left leg bears the image of a pot leaf.","perpfirstname":"Michael","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ervin","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":170,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kaden","middlename":"","lastname":"Warren","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 10, 2009","deathdate":"August 12, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Hyperthermia","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Zionna Ervin and her little half-brother, Kaden Warren, died in the stifling heat of a car, left there far too long by the girl's father, Michael J. Ervin Jr., who authorities said was so stoned when he eventually took the children to a hospital that he waited patiently in line behind other people before approaching a counter with the lifeless kids. He seemed confused and barely able to speak, and fell asleep while medics worked to revive the children, hospital staff members told police.
Zionna's core body temperature was 109, her brother's four degrees less. Ervin, who had been asked to watch the children while their mother was at work, could not explain the delay of about 2 1/2 hours between the time he said he found them unresponsive and when he showed up at the hospital.
The children's mother, Enidlin Warren, told a co-worker that Ervin had been "out all night doing cocaine," a police report said. A search of Ervin's car and home uncovered marijuana and several kinds of pills, and neighbors told officers they were concerned that, with all the vehicles coming and going from the residence, Ervin might have been selling drugs.
In February 2008, shortly after Zionna's birth, a child abuse report noted concerns about Ervin because he had appeared "very high or intoxicated" during two visits to the hospital where his daughter, born prematurely, was being treated for respiratory problems and a bacterial infection. The report noted that both parents "had extensive mental health and substance-abuse histories," that Warren also had "a history of self-mutilation," and that an older boy had been removed from their care in 2005. But an overview of DCF's actions with the family, written after the children's deaths, said there was no evidence that an investigator had looked further into those issues or pondered "what the implications might have been regarding child safety."
There was also concern about a "lack of thoroughness" in the investigations of two abuse reports received by DCF in 2008 — one of which said Warren had abused someone in an assisted-living facility where she worked — although the assessment claims the reports "had no direct bearing on the preventability" of the two children's deaths. Ervin was arrested and charged with two counts of the aggravated manslaughter of a child, and in October 2012 was sentenced to two 10-year terms, to run concurrently.
According to his prison fact sheet, Ervin wears a tattoo on his left arm that says, "Zionna, my miracle," and his left leg bears the image of a pot leaf.","perpfirstname":"Michael","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ervin","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":171,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jaden","middlename":"","lastname":"Gudger","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 3, 2002","deathdate":"August 13, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"7","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Jaden Gudger was severely disabled: He had Down syndrome and heart disease, and both his hearing and sight were impaired. But he was capable of leaving his family's house and taking a walk on his own. He had done it before.
But on Aug. 13, 2009, shortly after he had celebrated his seventh birthday, one such excursion led to his death. Jaden fell into a retention pond 200 feet from his home and drowned. A DCF assessment declared Jaden's death to have been the result of negligent supervision, and said the drowning was preventable.
A Child Protection Team medical director suggested grief counseling for the family, particularly for Jaden's 14-year-old brother, "in case his parents blamed him" for not keeping a closer eye on his sibling. It was not established in interviews with Jaden's parents, Joseph and Emma Gudger, whether anyone had left the front door unlocked, although his brother had reported seeing Jaden open that door on several occasions.
There were four prior DCF reports involving the Gudger family, one of them focused on Jaden. The three other reports involved his older siblings and were drafted before Jaden was born. Although the details of those reports were not made available, a summary noted that the older siblings "experienced exposure to some physical abuse and domestic violence prior to Jaden's birth." The summary said that "ongoing supervision services were never initiated for the family." ","perpfirstname":"Emma","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Gudger","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Joseph","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Gudger","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":172,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kelis","middlename":"","lastname":"Rucker","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 22, 2004","deathdate":"August 14, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"4","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia including neck compression","deathcause":"asphyxia","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Four-year-old Kelis was found lifeless in a closet, with ligature marks around her neck. Her jaw was stiff, her body was cold and blue, with swollen vaginal and anal openings, and blood around her anal area, a DCF report said. Her mother, Dominique Brewer, 28, had a long history with DCF, including seven abuse reports between 1996 and 2009 — involving drug abuse, child neglect and domestic violence. Each time, the agency offered her services, she declined and DCF closed the case.
After Kelis' death, Brewer told law enforcement authorities that on that evening, August 14, 2009, Kelis was wearing her favorite pink and purple scarf and was pretending to be a ballerina in her room. Brewer was on the phone, talking to her 13-year-old son, and when she hung up, she discovered Kelis.
Brewer, who tested positive of marijuana, told Manatee County Sheriffs detectives different stories about how the little girl was found: first, she was on the floor with nothing around her neck; then, she was on the floor with the scarf around her neck; then, she was on the floor with the scarf next to her; and, then she found Kelis hanging in the closet by her chin with the scarf around her head, not her neck, a DCF report said. Several times, during the interview with authorities, Brewer asked if she could "go out and get high." She also failed a polygraph test.
An autopsy concluded that it was likely that Kelis was either hanged or strangled, but the medical examiner could not rule out suffocation.
The mother "played a more active role in the child's death, the medical examiner said according to a DCF report. No criminal charges have been brought in the case.
DCF's death review said the agency mishandled prior abuse/neglect reports that showed a clear, continued pattern of abuse that may have prompted legal action to place the children in protective services.","perpfirstname":"Dominique","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Brewer","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":173,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Draven","middlename":"","lastname":"Ramos","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 7, 2009","deathdate":"August 31, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Suffocation","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Even though Draven Ramos' mother was a licensed practical nurse whose training might have taught her to do otherwise, she placed her 7-week-old son on his tummy for a nap one summer morning in 2009. When the woman, Gold Beck, checked on him five hours later after watching a movie and falling asleep herself, Draven had suffocated.
Beck was tested for drugs and came up positive for opiates, but said that she had been prescribed painkillers after being hurt in an accident. At the time, child protection investigators were looking into a report filed two weeks earlier that the family's four children were being neglected by their father, Eric Ramos, and that he and Beck had a history of domestic violence. It was one of three reports filed about the family before Draven's death.
Ramos, who looked after the children while their mother worked 12-hour shifts three times a week, was described to DCF as a less than assiduous caretaker. "He would not change their diapers, would not bathe them and would not brush their hair and teeth," the report to DCF said. It added that Ramos had stolen his wife's pain medication because "he likes the way it makes him feel," but did not give Draven medicine for his thrush and did not take action when another of his children had a fever of 104.
Ramos was said also to have "busted the mother's nose" in an earlier incident. The case was closed in September 2009 with "no indicator findings" that family violence threatened the children or that there was substance misuse or medical neglect.","perpfirstname":"Golda","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Beck","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Margaret","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Beck","perp2relation":"maternal grandmother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":174,"docindex":97,"firstname":"Ma'kaylia","middlename":"","lastname":"Houston","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 17, 2009","deathdate":"September 5, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Sudden unexplained infant death","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When DCF placed 2-month-old Ma'Kaylia Houston in the custody of her aunt, Shirlene Houston, the agency asked the 21-year-old woman to sign an agreement promising never to allow the baby to sleep in an adult bed with other people, a practice known as co-sleeping. Houston signed the pledge.
On Sept. 5, 2009, Houston allowed her friend Kellie Bowens to put Ma'Kaylia in bed with her for the night. Bowens, 20, placed the baby face-down on a pillow and covered her with blankets. The next morning, Ma'Kaylia was found dead, her body purple.
At first, everyone who was in the home that night insisted that Ma'Kaylia had slept in her bassinet, a report to DCF said. But Bowens admitted to what had occurred after a detective pointed out that the bassinet was filled with baby supplies. Bowens said that Houston told her to lie because of the agreement she had signed not to co-sleep. Bowens later tested positive for marijuana, meaning she may have been impaired that night.
Houston's boyfriend told investigators Ma'Kaylia generally slept with adults "because she would cry too much if left alone in the bassinet." Ma'Kaylia and her three siblings had been removed from the care of their mother, Rose Houston, three months before the newborn's death. Details of Houston's history with DCF were redacted from her file, other than allegations that Houston had a habit of abandoning her children with relatives and not coming back to retrieve them. She also had a drug habit and failed to provide adequate food, clothing or shelter to her children, the file said.","perpfirstname":"Shirlene","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Houston","perprelation":"maternal aunt/relative caregiver","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":175,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Laurynn","middlename":"Claire","lastname":"Riley","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 15, 2009","deathdate":"September 10, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Blunt force injuries","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Laurynn Riley was born premature. At birth, her mother, Heather Dawn Riley, tested positive for marijuana and admitted she received no prenatal care. Laurynn was released from the hospital after two months with an apnea monitor that the family stopped using, DCF files show. She lived for almost six months.
Her mother told DCF investigators that she had been feeding Laurynn a bottle in an adult bed when she dozed off with Laurynn beside her. Riley awoke 10 minutes later to hear Laurynn "making gurgling noises" and turning blue. Alarmed, she picked up the baby and ran to the living room, only to trip and fall on the way with Laurynn in her arms, she said, according to the family's file. The girl's father, William D. Riley, called 911.
Laurynn died in a hospital four days later. An autopsy attributed her injuries to blunt-force trauma and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. No criminal charges were filed.
The family had been the subject of a prior report involving an older sibling, and there were allegations of drug abuse. Family members were referred at the time to a variety of services — parenting and drug counseling, Healthy Start and Neighborhood Partnership, among others — but there is no record that they availed themselves of the services.
The death review faulted caseworkers for not following up with the family after Riley's positive drug test at the time of Laurynn's birth and the case involving the sibling. ","perpfirstname":"Heather","perpmiddlename":"Dawn","perplastname":"Riley","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"William","perp2middlename":"David","perp2lastname":"Riley","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":176,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Zachary","middlename":"","lastname":"Taggart","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 20, 1993","deathdate":"September 10, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"16","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Pending at time of death review","deathcause":"pending","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Zachary Taggart died after his mother, Stacy Stewart, neglected to acquire the 16-year-old boy's iron pills, which had been prescribed for his life-threatening anemia, according to the family's DCF file. Instead, she gave him "Flintstones" vitamins, and Zachary — disabled, with cerebral palsy and significant medical problems — died the same day, the file says.
Stewart had a long history of neglect allegations, in both Iowa and Florida, involving Zachary and his medical needs. ","perpfirstname":"Stacy","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Stewart","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":177,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Corey","middlename":"Joseph","lastname":"Ward","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 31, 2008","deathdate":"September 11, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"19 mos.","countycode":"flagler","county":"Flagler","deathcausereport":"Traumatic brain injury","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In the course of a year, Corey Ward had been to the hospital twice for treatment of skull fractures after having "fallen" from a table and a high chair. The third time was fatal.
In September 2009, Corey was taken again to an emergency room after his mother, Nancy Girard, told authorities he had fallen backward from a bench at the kitchen table and hit his head on a marble windowsill and a tile floor. He died two days later.
Corey's death was ruled a homicide but police did not pursue charges because they could not prove whether it was Girard or her boyfriend, James Tortora, who had killed the child. Tortora had a long criminal history, pages of charges ranging from brawling to battery to burglary to resisting arrest.
A report to DCF three months before Corey died said Girard had left him with his 12-year-old sibling and that the younger boy had fallen off a coffee table and fractured his skull. The state's Child Protection Team noted its concerns about the severity of Corey's injury and his mother's delay of 48 hours in seeking medical treatment for him. It also noted Tortora's violent past. The case was closed with the risk assessed at intermediate, with no indicators of bone breakage — despite the skull fracture — and some indicators of inadequate supervision. Girard refused additional services.
A death review later questioned why the inadequate supervision was not verified, particularly since Girard was unable to explain her delay in getting a doctor to examine the boy's injuries. Corey was back in the hospital with his second head injury a month before the investigation into his first head injury was completed.","perpfirstname":"Nancy","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Girard","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"James","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Tortora","perp2relation":"paramour","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":178,"docindex":62,"firstname":"Destiny","middlename":"","lastname":"Patterson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 28, 2008","deathdate":"September 18, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"clay","county":"Clay","deathcausereport":"Abusive head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Hope Williams had heard stories about women's boyfriends killing their children, but she thought she was being "careful" when she left her 16-month-old daughter with the new man in her life. His name was Torey Jenkins, and Williams had met him four months earlier after an introduction online.
On Sept. 17, 2009, while the child, Destiny Patterson, was in his care, Jenkins beat up the toddler until she stopped breathing, an investigation showed. Later, when Destiny was taken to a hospital, the doctor who treated her said she was ʺthe worst case of shaken baby he'd ever seen.ʺ
Destiny was declared dead the following day and a manhunt was launched for Jenkins, who had dropped the unresponsive child and her mother at a fire station, said he was going to park the car, and took off. He was found in Tennessee, staying with another woman he had met online, along with her children.
Jenkins admitted to causing the injuries that had killed Destiny, police said. After administering the beating, he "cleaned her up, put her in bed, left the home to smoke marijuana with a friend, and when he returned he realized she was not breathing right," an investigative report said. What Jenkins did not mention was that, before going back to the house where Destiny lay unconscious, he went to a Target store and "shoplifted a pair of sneakers." He was in the store for 55 minutes, according to a review of the surveillance cameras that tracked him.
A child-abuse investigator who interviewed one of Williams' three other children learned that Destiny had returned from a visit to a park with Jenkins earlier in the week with a mark on her leg, an injury he blamed on a fall. The boy said Jenkins "drank a lot," and his brother said the man smoked "something funny sometimes that smells."
A check of Florida birth certificates showed Jenkins had six children by four women, and DCF had noted on previous occasions that he had "a pattern of domestic violence and physical abuse." Jenkins was convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in Destiny's death and in August 2013, when he was 37, was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
A DCF report on Williams before Destiny was killed said she had been a victim of domestic violence, although the details were redacted. At the time of Destiny's death, her father was serving a federal prison term on weapons charges. Despite the prior reports, there was no history of services being offered to the Patterson or Williams families, a DCF review said.","perpfirstname":"Torey","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Jenkins","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Hope","perp2middlename":"S.","perp2lastname":"Jenkins","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":179,"docindex":93,"firstname":"Angelina","middlename":"Faye","lastname":"Roseboro","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 4, 2008","deathdate":"September 19, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"9 mos.","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Suffocation, due to compression of head and torso","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Two months before Angelina Roseboro died, DCF received a report that the infant's mother had a severe drinking problem. In July 2009, police were called to Jessica Jordan's home after receiving a report that she had been raped. Jordan said she had been drinking all day and taking pain pills and could recall nothing. Police observed Jordan to be "highly intoxicated," stumbling, slurring her words and having "trouble keeping her balance while standing and holding" Angelina.
A police officer warned DCF that Jordan might "pass out while caring for her child." Jordan, the officer said, "even attempted to go back inside to get another beer while she was talking to the officer," the family's DCF file says. Both Jordan and her baby were dirty and their home was "filthy," the file says. Jordan was referred to an agency for a drug and alcohol assessment. Jordan denied she had a drinking problem, and the group did not recommend the she be given any help or treatment.
Two weeks after DCF closed its investigation into that incident, Jordan accidentally smothered her baby while sleeping with her on the floor. When police arrived to investigate Angelina's death, they found Jordan so "passed out" that even efforts to revive her baby did not rouse her, the file says.
Two months after Angelina's death, Jordan was charged with driving under the influence after she crashed her car into a fence.","perpfirstname":"Jessica","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Jordan","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":180,"docindex":117,"firstname":"Marven","middlename":"","lastname":"Damas","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 28, 2004","deathdate":"September 19, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"5","countycode":"collier","county":"Collier","deathcausereport":"Slashed throat","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"In January 2009, Mesac Damas beat his wife, choking and striking her, ripping her clothes — while she was holding their infant daughter, Morgan. A DCF investigation revealed an almost decades-long violent history between the couple.
When DCF investigators interviewed their oldest child, Meshack Demas, he told them his parents fight "every day" and the children's mother, Guerline Damas, "gets hurt a lot." He also said that he was often afraid of his father, and when he tried to call 9-1-1 or run to neighbors for help, his father would hit him or lock him in a room. On the worst days, his mother would sleep in the car, leaving her children alone with their father, the mother told DCF.
Police investigated the domestic battery case, and a no-contact order was issued, which DCF noted was violated repeatedly by both the mother and father. In February, the couple's children told DCF that they were seeing their father every day. The next month, DCF referred the family to private child welfare services as the agency continued in-home monitoring of the family. In early April, the no-contact order was lifted and DCF also reduced its monitoring of the family.
Six months later, Damas took a knife to the throats of each of his five children: Meshack, 9; Maven, 6; Marven, 5; Megan, 3; and Morgan, 1 — and then slashed his wife's throat and placed a garbage bag over her head. He fled to Haiti, but was extradited back to Collier County, where he now faces six counts of first-degree murder. The case, considered one of the most gruesome in the county's history, is expected to begin later this year. If convicted, Damas could face the death penalty.","perpfirstname":"Mesac","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Damas","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"six counts first-degree capital murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":181,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Maven","middlename":"","lastname":"Damas","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 15, 2003","deathdate":"September 19, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"6","countycode":"collier","county":"Collier","deathcausereport":"Slashed throat","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Five Januarys ago, Mesac Damas beat his wife — not for the first time — choking and striking her and ripping her clothes, all while she was holding their infant daughter, Morgan. A DCF investigation revealed an almost decades-long violent history between the pair. And when investigators interviewed their oldest child, Meshack Demas, he said his parents fight "every day" and the mother, Guerline Damas, "gets hurt a lot." He also said his father would strike him when he tried to call police or lock the doors when he tried to run to a neighbors for help. On the worst days, Guerline said she slept in the car.
As police investigated the criminal case, a judge issued a no-contact order, which was violated repeatedly. The next month, DCF referred the family to services through a private child welfare agency. It also verified findings of family violence threatens child and some indicators of continued threatened harm. Six months later — after the family completed intensive in-home intervention services and Mesac Damas completed parenting classes — he killed his entire family.
Police found the bodies of Guerline, 32, and the children in their North Naples townhouse after she did not show up for work at Publix. All the throats had been slit. The children were Meshack, 9; Maven, 6; Marven, 5; Megan, 3; and Morgan, 1. Demas, who initially fled to Haiti but was extradited back, was charged with six counts of first-degree murder. ","perpfirstname":"Mesac","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Damas","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":182,"docindex":117,"firstname":"Megan","middlename":"","lastname":"Damas","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 21, 2006","deathdate":"September 19, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3","countycode":"collier","county":"Collier","deathcausereport":"Slashed throat","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Five Januarys ago, Mesac Damas beat his wife — not for the first time — choking and striking her and ripping her clothes, all while she was holding their infant daughter, Morgan. A DCF investigation revealed an almost decades-long violent history between the pair. And when investigators interviewed their oldest child, Meshack Demas, he said his parents fight "every day" and the mother, Guerline Damas, "gets hurt a lot." He also said his father would strike him when he tried to call police or lock the doors when he tried to run to a neighbors for help. On the worst days, Guerline said she slept in the car.
As police investigated the criminal case, a judge issued a no-contact order, which was violated repeatedly. The next month, DCF referred the family to services through a private child welfare agency. It also verified findings of family violence threatens child and some indicators of continued threatened harm. Six months later — after the family completed intensive in-home intervention services and Mesac Damas completed parenting classes — he killed his entire family.
Police found the bodies of Guerline, 32, and the children in their North Naples townhouse after she did not show up for work at Publix. All the throats had been slit. The children were Meshack, 9; Maven, 6; Marven, 5; Megan, 3; and Morgan, 1. Demas, who initially fled to Haiti but was extradited back, was charged with six counts of first-degree murder. ","perpfirstname":"Mesac","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Damas","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":183,"docindex":117,"firstname":"Meshack","middlename":"Zach'","lastname":"Damas","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 9, 2000","deathdate":"September 19, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"9","countycode":"collier","county":"Collier","deathcausereport":"Slashed throat","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Five Januarys ago, Mesac Damas beat his wife — not for the first time — choking and striking her and ripping her clothes, all while she was holding their infant daughter, Morgan. A DCF investigation revealed an almost decades-long violent history between the pair. And when investigators interviewed their oldest child, Meshack Demas, he said his parents fight "every day" and the mother, Guerline Damas, "gets hurt a lot." He also said his father would strike him when he tried to call police or lock the doors when he tried to run to a neighbors for help. On the worst days, Guerline said she slept in the car.
As police investigated the criminal case, a judge issued a no-contact order, which was violated repeatedly. The next month, DCF referred the family to services through a private child welfare agency. It also verified findings of family violence threatens child and some indicators of continued threatened harm. Six months later – after the family completed intensive in-home intervention services and Mesac Damas completed parenting classes — he killed his entire family.
Police found the bodies of Guerline, 32, and the children in their North Naples townhouse after she did not show up for work at Publix. All the throats had been slit. The children were Meshack, 9; Maven, 6; Marven, 5; Megan, 3; and Morgan, 1. Demas, who initially fled to Haiti but was extradited back, was charged with six counts of first-degree murder. ","perpfirstname":"Mesac","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Damas","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":184,"docindex":117,"firstname":"Morgan","middlename":"","lastname":"Damas","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 9, 2008","deathdate":"September 19, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"collier","county":"Collier","deathcausereport":"Slashed throat","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Five Januarys ago, Mesac Damas beat his wife – again – choking and striking her and ripping her clothes, all while she was holding their infant daughter, Morgan. A DCF investigation revealed an almost decades-long violent history between the pair. And when investigators interviewed their oldest child, Meshack Demas, he said his parents fight "every day" and the mother, Guerline Damas, "gets hurt a lot." He also said his father would strike him when he tried to call police or lock the doors when he tried to run to a neighbors for help. On the worst days, Guerline said she slept in the car.
As police investigated the criminal case, a judge issued a no-contact order, which was violated repeatedly. The next month, DCF referred the family to services through a private child welfare agency. It also verified findings of family violence threatens child and some indicators of continued threatened harm. Six months later – after the family completed intensive in-home intervention services and Mesac Damas completed parenting classes, he killed his entire family.
Police found the bodies of Guerline, 32, and the children in their North Naples townhouse after she did not show up for work at Publix. All the throats had been slit. The children were Meshack, 9; Maven, 6; Marven, 5; Megan, 3; and Morgan, 1. Demas, who initially fled to Haiti but was extradited back, was charged with six counts of first-degree murder. ","perpfirstname":"Mesac","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Damas","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":185,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jeremiah","middlename":"","lastname":"Reese","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 28, 1994","deathdate":"September 26, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"14","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Morphine intoxication","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Jeremiah Reese died two days before his 15th birthday of an overdose of his father's drugs, investigators concluded.
The teenager had been living with his 52-year-old father, Michael Reese, in a "filthy" house filled with "drug paraphernalia and pills and pill bottles lying all over," a report to DCF said. It added that investigators believed the elder Reese "gave Jeremiah his pills to take to school and sell."
An autopsy gave morphine intoxication as the cause of death, and said it was accidental. When a detective interviewed the boy's father, he appeared to be under the influence of drugs, and "seemed indifferent to his son's death, and was primarily concerned his feet were cold and he wanted to sleep."
Reese, who had previously served time in prison and had 50 arrests on his record, was charged with aggravated child neglect, and in October 2010 was sentenced to a five-year term on the neglect charge, to run concurrently with three other five-year terms for fraud and driving with a suspended license.
Over the years, DCF files showed six allegations of child abuse, drug use, weapons possession and domestic violence involving Jeremiah, his father and another man, the earliest in 1999, when the boy was 4 years old and allegedly was being physically abused.
Two reports to DCF in 2002 said that the elder Reese, who was gay, was living with a boyfriend and that both were touching and kissing the boy. The report said the two men "smoke crack like crazy," that Reese "sold drugs from the house," and that his boyfriend "stole drugs from the nursing home" in which he worked.
Once the investigation was completed, however, the agency "documented no indicators of sexual molestation and noted no concerns about the child's safety." By 2005, the criminal histories of both Reese and his boyfriend were regarded by DCF as establishing a "pattern with implications for child safety," although the boy remained with the two men. An assessment of DCF's history with the Reeses said the earlier investigations were conducted "reasonably enough, given the period of time in which they occurred," and said that "investigation practices and mandates have changed significantly from 1999." ","perpfirstname":"Michael","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Reese","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated child neglect","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":186,"docindex":125,"firstname":"Avelyn","middlename":"","lastname":"Gaston-Rodriguez","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 14, 2007","deathdate":"October 6, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Blunt impact to head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Avelyn Gaston-Rodriguez's short but tramautic journey through Florida's child welfare system began at birth. Avelyn's mother had already given up custody of two older children, and Avelyn, who was developmentally disabled, was removed from her care as well.
The turning point for Avelyn occurred on Aug. 17, 2009, when authorities sent her to live with her father, Carlos Gaston, and his girlfriend, Katherine Fernandez. The signs were ominous: Avelyn began to lose weight, and was described by a child-welfare case manager as "listless." A review of the case says she was "withdrawn and disengaged."
She also began to exhibit disturbing signs of trauma, including "a cut on her ear, bruising across her forehead, a bald spot on her head and broken blood vessels in the eye," her file says.
"When viewed as a pattern," a report said, "they become red flags of concern."
Despite the concerns, the file says, "no one drew the conclusion that Avelyn's condition was the result of abuse or neglect."
That statement was not precisely true. A relative of Gaston's later told investigators she had seen Fernandez "handle Avelyn roughly," and reported observing "bruises all over the child's body." But the relative did not come forward at the time, because she "didn't want to get anyone in trouble." Fernandez's own children later referred to Gaston as "the monster," and said they were afraid of him.
"The foster mother reported the child's behavior regressed significantly after unsupervised visits with the father, becoming angry, violent and crying for hours after a visitation," report said. After she was given to her father, "Avelyn's physical health deteriorated," the report said.
"As issues including hair loss, refusing to eat, weight loss, excessive sleepiness, listlessness, unresponsiveness and lack of engagement in daily activities became increasingly more pronounced," a report said, case workers concluded she simply had not bonded with Gaston and his girlfriend.
Gaston's ability to parent a disabled child was questionable to begin with: He had a habit of fighting with his girlfriends, told investigators he suffered from schizophrenia and sometimes hallucinated, was addicted to pills and had a criminal history that included aggravated battery, a fact that a death review described as "disqualifying" for a caregiver. A hands-on parenting program was recommended, but then case managers changed their minds.
A year after Avelyn was sent to live with her father, someone beat her, with blows to her head, neck, torso, back and upper and lower extremities. The cause of death was blunt impact to her head.
No one has been charged in the Oct. 6, 2009, death of Avelyn, who was just about a week shy of her second birthday when she died.","perpfirstname":"Katherine","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Fernandez","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"Michael L. Reese received a five-year prison term on a charge of child neglect. He is expected to be released from Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in May 2015.","perp2firstname":"Carlos","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Gaston","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":187,"docindex":88,"firstname":"Jaiden","middlename":"David","lastname":"Washpun","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 26, 2009","deathdate":"October 7, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"bay","county":"Bay","deathcausereport":"Probable positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The day before Jaiden David Washpun was born, his mother was arrested for "doctor shopping" in an obsessive quest for prescription pills. Jaiden was born at 26 weeks of gestation, weighing only 2 pounds and 4 ounces. Both he and his mother, Carrie Leah West, tested positive for opiates and marijuana.
Nurses wondered whether West wanted her baby. When Jaiden was born, nurses asked West if she wished to see him, a file entry said. West declined, but she did ask for a cigarette.
A DCF investigator was told that West tried to give the newborn away to another couple "as a wedding present."
Although West had lost custody of two older children because of her long-standing addiction, and had once been charged criminally with child neglect, DCF lawyers decided that Jaiden should be given to his mother once she finished treatment and the baby was released from the hospital. The treatment failed.
On Oct. 7, 2009, Jaiden was accidentally smothered in a motel room bed he shared with his mother and her boyfriend, a report to DCF said. The couple had been staying in the motel, the report went on, while peddling oxycodone pills in Panama City.
When police searched the room after Jaiden's death, they found West "scooping" pills off a nightstand in an attempt to hide them. West was charged with trafficking in pills but not with mistreating her son. DCF's investigation concluded that West had not used an apnea monitor doctors said could have alerted his mother when the boy stopped breathing, and saved his life. ","perpfirstname":"Carrie","perpmiddlename":"Leah","perplastname":"West","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":188,"docindex":54,"firstname":"Adrick","middlename":"Dante","lastname":"Sannino","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 24, 2009","deathdate":"October 10, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"okaloosa","county":"Okaloosa","deathcausereport":"Interstitial pneumonitis","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The day Adrick Dante Sannino was born, DCF received information that three generations of his maternal family had serious substance abuse problems: his mother, Shayanne Gildner, tested positive for marijuana during her pregnancy with Adrick; his grandmother, Earlene Gildner, used crack cocaine and meth, and his great-grandmother, Sonya Gildner, was an alcoholic. Adrick's father, Thomas Sannino, also tested positive for marijuana, and called his mother-in-law "a druggie."
DCF caseworkers suggested that Adrick's parents accept parenting assistance, but after only three contacts with social workers, the parents walked away, according to the family's file.
After 4-month-old Adrick died of interstitial pneumonitis, a host of family friends and relatives all said his parents were extreme drug addicts who considered their baby a nuisance and put their own needs first. One relative said she saw Adrick's father "yelling and cursing" in the infant's face. One friend told DCF the parents may have loved their son, "but they loved drugs more." ","perpfirstname":"Thomas","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Sannino","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":189,"docindex":140,"firstname":"Myleahya","middlename":"","lastname":"Woods","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 15, 2008","deathdate":"October 13, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"18 mos.","countycode":"escambia","county":"Escambia","deathcausereport":"Dehydration and malnutrition","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"After Myleahya Woods died from starvation, her body was dumped in a trash can outside her mother's home. It remained there, authorities say, for at least a day or two, long enough for insects to begin feeding on the corpse.
Myleahya's body might never have been found, but on Oct. 12, 2009, the DCF hotline received a report that her 2-year-old brother had been found alone at home, emaciated, dirty and reeking of urine. The boy was immediately hospitalized, and police then found Myleahya's twin, comatose, trapped beneath a bed in the family's Escambia County home. The home was doubling as a marijuana growhouse, a report to DCF said.
The children's mother, Christian Woods, had told friends and family members she had "given" Myleahya to a woman named Tiffany, who had then lost the toddler at a local Winn-Dixie. Woods acknowledged to investigators that she often left her small children at home alone, sometimes for days.
Just before Myleahya died, in fact, Woods had left the three children at home — with no electricity or running water — for three days with nothing but "a full bag of Cheerios," a report to DCF said. When Woods returned, she fed the two siblings pudding, she told DCF, before discovering Myleahya lifeless.
Woods, who relatives said had a history of mental illness, was convicted of aggravated manslaughter, and is serving a 15-year sentence at Gadsden Correctional Institution.
A review of Myleahya's death said a number of Woods' friends and relatives "seemed to have serious concerns or suspicions" about the welfare of Myleahya and her siblings, but none alerted authorities.
Two years before Myleahya died, DCF investigated Woods' care of Myleahya's older brother. All details of that investigation were redacted in the agency's review of Myleahya's death.","perpfirstname":"Christian","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Woods","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":190,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Carson","middlename":"","lastname":"Phillips","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 4, 2008","deathdate":"October 16, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"columbia","county":"Columbia","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In December 2008, when Carson Phillips was 3 months old, a DCF investigator noted that the boy and his sibling were being left alone at home by their 22-year-old mother, Jamie Phillips.
The children were dirty and so was their house, and they were not eating regularly, according to the investigator's notes. Sometimes, the kids were left in the care of their maternal grandfather, Frederick MacLean, or an uncle, who "let the children run around outside unattended."
It was on one of those unsupervised excursions 10 months later that Carson drowned after falling into an improvised pool his grandfather had dug in the backyard, 50 yards from the house. His mother had been napping at the time, and said later that she assumed that MacLean or one of the other two adults in the house had been watching the boy.
When MacLean was interviewed that same day, he was holding a beer can, smelled strongly of alcohol and was "unable to stand or speak properly," a report said. (MacLean died in a car accident five months later.)
The family's prior history with the department documented a long pattern of substance abuse, but none of the reports contained "a thorough assessment of the service needs or a consideration of child-care services" that would have improved the supervision of the children, the agency conceded after Carson's death.","perpfirstname":"Frederick","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"MacLean","perprelation":"maternal grandFather","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Ashley","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Phillips","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":191,"docindex":11,"firstname":"Amanda","middlename":"","lastname":"Nipper","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 24, 1995","deathdate":"October 19, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"14","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Hanging","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"suicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Fourteen-year-old Amanda Nipper hanged herself from a tree near her mother's house. Neighbors walked by her corpse for at least a day, mistaking it for a Halloween decoration.
Since 1998, DCF had received six reports about the girl's family. One of the allegations was that Amanda's mother slept so much that she often forgot to feed her children, who, a report said, ate "a lot of cereal and soup, but nothing else."","perpfirstname":"Heidi","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Dente","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":192,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ryan","middlename":"","lastname":"Blake-Mulkins","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 12, 2007","deathdate":"October 20, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"osceola","county":"Osceola","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Four reports to the DCF hotline before Ryan Blake-Mulkins' death claimed that his mother, Shani Blake, was a drug addict and that the child was in danger.
In January 2008, when Ryan was 4 months old, his mother was reported to be almost obsessively in pursuit of painkillers, making at least 30 trips to hospitals and other medical providers in a six-week period to obtain the drugs, usually with Ryan in tow. "It is unknown what effect this is having on the child," a DCF analysis said. Although the agency ultimately concluded that Ryan was "at risk," it made no recommendation for action.
In March that year, a second report to DCF's hotline said that Blake "over-medicates to the point of not being able to care of her baby," but the investigation into that claim was closed two months later because there was "no evidence to support the allegation" of substance misuse. DCF attempted to engage services, including a substance abuse evaluation and daycare, but the family relocated.
On May 30, 2008, the same day that the second investigation was closed, a third was opened, based on information that Blake "abuses pills and methadone" that she bought "off the street" or during so-called "hospital hops." The hotline report said that when Blake used drugs she was happy, but that when she did not she was "very mean" and slept a lot. "Mom screams and yells at Ryan," the report said. "She recently told him 'I hope you fall down and bust your head open.' " At this, Ryan "started crying hysterically," the report went on, adding that the mother's behavior "has been going on ever since Ryan was born."
As a result of that investigation, DCF concluded that Blake was abusing narcotics. In July that year, she was described as undergoing drug counseling at a treatment center, and the family — including the boy's father, Jason Mulkins — was receiving help from Youth and Family Alternatives. And yet a fourth report, in September, alleged that Ryan and other children in the house — previously unmentioned in DCF assessments — sometimes were unable to wake their elders. The agency found "some indicators of substance misuse."
That same hotline report said the children "go without food until after lunch when the father wakes up or the mother returns to the residence from a clinic she goes to for abuse of drugs." The report said Blake would bring narcotics for Mulkins, "which makes him sleep all day and he can't watch over the children." The investigation into those claims was closed on Oct. 20, 2008.
On that date a year later, Ryan was pronounced dead after falling into the swimming pool while his mother slept. Ryan, who could not swim, had evidently opened French doors that were not properly locked. A sheriff's deputy noticed a toy motorcycle at the bottom of the algae-filled pool.","perpfirstname":"Shani","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Blake","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":193,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Chauntashia","middlename":"","lastname":"Gardner","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 11, 2009","deathdate":"November 1, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Non-organic failure to thrive due to underfeeing","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Chauntashia Gardner was tiny when she was born at just over 29 weeks of gestation. She weighed less than 3 pounds and, as with many premature babies, no one could be sure whether she would make it. But Chauntashia rallied in the care of her doctors and nurses, and by the time she was released from the hospital almost three months later, she weighed in at a relatively bountiful 6.87 pounds.
Once in her family's care, however, the baby's health appeared to be less of a concern. Her mother, Tivasha Logan, who had five other children, never took Chauntashia to follow-up medical appointments, and appeared to have a casual attitude toward feeding her. By the time she died three months after leaving the hospital, Chauntashia had shriveled. She had lost 13 percent of her body weight and her ribs and spine protruded from her skin. Her face appeared sunken.
Detectives uncovered an allegation that Logan had been diluting the baby's formula, which would have contributed greatly to the malnutrition that ended Chauntashia's life. Her father, Chauncey Gardner, told a Polk County detective that he "did not know what was going on as he left all medical care in the control of the mother."
Follow-up medical checks were deemed crucial by healthcare providers because Chauntashia's premature birth meant she was still considered a high-risk patient, but Logan told a detective that she had not taken the baby back to the hospital because she was afraid that DCF would again become involved with the family, which had been the subject of four prior abuse or neglect reports.
The allegations in the previous reports were serious: DCF had been told the Gardners locked one of their children out of the house, and repeatedly had beaten their children — once so severely that the child suffered a seizure. In 2005, DCF was told Tivasha Logan punched a child in the stomach and beat a child in the face with a belt. The next year, DCF was told one of the kids "sustained six bruises, the largest the size of a baseball."
No protective services were offered in any of those cases. None of the previous incidents involved allegations of malnutrition or "failure to thrive," as in Chauntashia's case.
The surviving children were removed from the home after Chauntashia's death. Her parents were found guilty of starving her: Logan is serving a life term in prison, and Gardner was sentenced to 30 years.","perpfirstname":"Tivasha","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Logan","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"homicide and aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"Chauncey","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Gardner","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":"homicide and aggravated child abuse"}, {"dataid":194,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Nathan","middlename":"","lastname":"Cook","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 27, 2008","deathdate":"November 5, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"1","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Nathan Cook's mother, Jannette Ramos, had a history of substance abuse and of poorly supervising her three kids, all of whom were under 5 when Nathan died. DCF caseworkers knew the children were in a troubled household, but no services appear to have been offered to the family.
Neighbors, friends and relatives had all reported that Ramos left her children unattended in the garbage-filled apartment, a situation that sometimes resulted in injuries. One prior report to DCF's hotline, received in 2003, alleged that a parent had punched the children, pulled their hair and slapped them "hard on the face" when they cried.
Although only a year old, Nathan was occasionally seen toddling around in the apartment complex's pool area unsupervised. On the day Nathan died, while Ramos was talking on a cell phone with the apartment door open, the boy slipped outside "as he had done on multiple occasions," an incident report said, and he ended up in a nearby retention pond, where he drowned. ","perpfirstname":"Jannette","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ramos","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Robert","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Cook","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":195,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kataryn","middlename":"Anahlysse","lastname":"Johnson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 18, 2006","deathdate":"November 6, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Blunt force injuries of head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Joseph Wente, the boyfriend of Kataryn Johnson's mother, belonged to a violent gang and dealt narcotics for a living, police said. He had a history of using corporal punishment on Kataryn, once leaving bruises on her buttocks. On that occasion, Kataryn's mother, Shannon Elizabeth Johnson, was not at home and was consuming cocaine elsewhere, her DCF files say. A deputy had tried to file an abuse report with DCF, but the agency's hotline operators decided it did not merit action.
Soon after that, Wente beat Kataryn, sank his teeth into her and raped her while Johnson was at work, police said. Wente was charged with first-degree murder.
The death review found numerous flaws in DCF's handling of the case. A report the Herald sued to obtain shows the family had been the subject of five prior calls that involved allegations of physical child abuse, domestic violence, drug abuse and inadequate supervision, although none of the calls pertained to Kataryn.
A 2001 report alleged that Kataryn's mother tried to suffocate a child with a pillow, and had told someone that the Houston woman who had drowned her five children in 2001 was "stupid" for doing so in a bathtub. "It would be better if you take them to the river and put a stone around their ankles," Johnson was reported to have said.
The children's grandmother told DCF that Johnson believed her 4-year-old son "should be able to get up, feed and take care of himself." In 2003, a caseworker recommended that Johnson's children be removed from her custody, citing, among other things, her "chaotic behavior" and "deprecating, resentful and angry manner" toward her children.
Two weeks before Kataryn's death, DCF received a report of environmental hazards and substance abuse at an apartment where Wente was living. A DCF investigator and a police officer went to the apartment to check out the report. The officer knew precisely which apartment was Wente's, and what his van looked like. The DCF investigator did not ask how the officer had come to know Wente so well. The answer was that Wente had an extensive and violent criminal history, but DCF caseworkers had never looked it up. They were thus unaware of a restraining order in place against him from a prior relationship. ","perpfirstname":"Joseph","perpmiddlename":"Charles","perplastname":"Wente","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"First-degree murder","perp2firstname":"Shannon","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Johnson","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":196,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Namona","middlename":"","lastname":"Johnson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 2, 2009","deathdate":"November 14, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Namona Johnson's mother placed the 3-month-old infant on her stomach on a mattress with an "egg crate foam topper," the family's DCF file says. Namona's two siblings were on the mattress with her. An autopsy said Namona died of asphyxia as a result of co-sleeping with her siblings.
A review of Namona's death said the child's mother, Martysha Johnson, had been the subject of two prior reports to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline, but details of those investigations were redacted. The report did say that Johnson was "low functioning," and was living with a boyfriend who exhibited "controlling behavior." The boyfriend also was "financially exploiting" Johnson, the report said.
After Namona died, DCF obtained a judge's order to intervene on behalf of Namona's siblings, who were found to be "dirty with matted hair." One of the girls had gone to school on a cold day wearing a dress with a "spaghetti strap." ","perpfirstname":"Martysha","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Johnson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":197,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Bryce","middlename":"","lastname":"Atkeson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 13, 2003","deathdate":"November 16, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"6","countycode":"pasco","county":"Pasco","deathcausereport":"Inhalation of smoke (and thermal injuries)","deathcause":"smoke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"On Nov. 15, 2009, one of Danielle Hopkins' children was playing with a lighter and accidentally set a couch on fire. Six-year-old Bryce Atkeson died of smoke inhalation from the blaze that followed. The home became "engulfed in flames, and there was almost constant ammunition going off in the house due to the fire," a report said, making it difficult for rescuers to enter.
Hopkins had a history of drug abuse and some of her five children had been removed from her custody in the past, although they later rejoined the family. On the night Bryce died, DCF files say, Hopkins was "incoherent and apparently under the influence of some kind of substance," became "verbally hostile" to police officers at the scene and was unable to answer whether any children remained in the burning house. Bryce was found inside.
Both Hopkins and the children's father, Michael Hatalski, were tested later at a hospital and found to have drugs in their systems, including opiates and methamphetamines. Hatalski sustained injuries while trying to fight the fire, and accidentally blocked the house's front door when he tried to drag a burning couch outside.
Bryce had been the subject of four prior DCF investigations, the most recent of which involved allegations that Hopkins had allowed Bryce, then 5 years old, to babysit his younger siblings.
Two of the siblings had been staying elsewhere on the fatal night, and one of them, a 9-year-old boy, was "visibly upset and crying over the loss of his brother" when he was interviewed by an investigator. "I'm the guardian of this house," the boy said, "and this would not have happened if I'd been there." ","perpfirstname":"Danielle","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Hopkins","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Michael","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Hatalski","perp2relation":"father/paramour","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":198,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jaidyn","middlename":"","lastname":"Lawrence","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 31, 2009","deathdate":"November 19, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"7 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia due to overlay by adult","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Jaidyn Lawrence stopped breathing as she slept, her father had an explanation: He had put her down in her crib and she had been "swallowed" by her blanket.
The following day, after a medical examiner determined that Jaidyn had died of "asphyxia due to overlay by adult," her father, Emanuel Lawrence, elaborated: He said he had smoked marijuana and played video games until 5 a.m., and said he then took Jaidyn from her crib and brought her to bed with him. When he awoke later, she was lying under his back.
"When he realized the child was dead, he left the home to take his drugs out of the house and then subsequently returned to deal with this situation," a police report said. "He then called 911 emergency services."
Jaidyn's mother, Inez Gonzales, who had been working elsewhere when the girl died, told authorities she was aware of Lawrence's drug use but still left Jaidyn and two other children in his care and "did not wish for the father to be punished." Police thought differently and charged Lawrence with aggravated manslaughter of a child.
There was one DCF report involving the family prior to Jaidyn's death. It referred to an abuse incident in 2006, before Jaidyn was born, and the details were not made available. The only unredacted notation about the case says "charges were filed and the mother left the household with her son," and that "appropriate services were offered to the mother at the time." ","perpfirstname":"Emanuel","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Lawrence","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"homicide, negligent manslaughter, aggravated manslaughter of a child","perp2firstname":"Inez","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Gonzales","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":199,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jasper","middlename":"Michael","lastname":"Sawyer","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 17, 2007","deathdate":"November 19, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Oxycodone toxicity","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jasper Sawyer's family had been the subject of one hotline call, about a domestic dispute, two years before the boy's death.
His father, Jason Sawyer, had come home to get some tools and found Jasper's mother, Tiffany Baker, in bed with their roommate, the family's DCF file says. Sawyer grabbed the 2-month-old and started to leave, and Baker tried to stop Sawyer by slapping him, according to the file. The investigation into that incident was closed with "no indicators family violence threatens child."
Two years later, Baker, pregnant again, and her boyfriend were entertaining guests in their home. One of the guests sold some drugs, including oxycodone at $8 a pill, to the boyfriend, Kalin Halchak, an investigation showed. Some time during the evening, Baker laid out some of the pills on a coffee table — two Tylenol 3s, one Lortab, and one oxycodone — and left them there.
After the guests left, Baker noticed that the oxycodone pill was missing and the Lortab was on the floor. She realized Jasper must have swallowed the pill and became alarmed, but Halchak, she said, convinced her not to summon help, saying the 2-year-old boy could sleep it off.
During the night, Jasper became noticeably ill. His breathing was labored and he was limp and hot to the touch. Halchak still did not call 911, and it emerged at trial later that his reluctance was prompted by fear of violating a term of probation imposed after a felony conviction. The couple tried home remedies, such as ice chips, cold compresses and a rag saturated with vinegar.
At 5:27 a.m., Baker finally called 911. The child was rushed to the hospital and died at 6:26 a.m. Doctors said Jasper could have been saved had they called 911 sooner. Both Baker and Halchak were charged with aggravated manslaughter. ","perpfirstname":"Tiffany","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Baker","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child","perp2firstname":"Kalin","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Halchak","perp2relation":"paramour","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child"}, {"dataid":200,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kymani","middlename":"","lastname":"Billie","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 4, 2009","deathdate":"November 21, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Asphyxiation due to overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Kymani Billie's life lasted less than four months. Not only did he have Down syndrome, kidney problems and a hole in his heart, but life at home was anything but stable. An older sibling had been removed by court order from the care of his 21-year-old mother, Heather Billie, who had drug abuse issues.
Although she had kept medical appointments for her infant son, Billie was in a residential drug treatment program when the child died while in the care of his 16-year-old father, Emnelahikiyo Anderson. The death was ruled an accident, the result of Anderson having apparently rolled over on top of him while they slept on a couch. There was no crib or bassinet in the one-room efficiency Anderson called home.
Anderson had a history of substance abuse and arrests for drug possession, as well as a habit of missing court hearings, and told a detective that earlier on the night his son suffocated he had consumed a 40-ounce Olde English malt liquor.
There were three child-protective investigations of the family prior to Kymani's death. Despite that and his parents' drug problems there was "no legal sufficiency" to file a dependency petition on Kymani's behalf. "Due to Kymani not being under any formal supervision," a DCF report said after his death, "there were no controls over who was allowed to care for the infant."","perpfirstname":"Emnelahikiyo","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Anderson","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":201,"docindex":55,"firstname":"Alana","middlename":"","lastname":"Williamson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 1, 2009","deathdate":"November 24, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"11 weeks","countycode":"hernando","county":"Hernando","deathcausereport":"Overlaying","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Alana Williamson tested positive for marijuana at birth, as did her mother. Alana, born prematurely, weighed less than 3 pounds. When she was not yet 3 months old, her 21-year-old mother, Jessica Williamson, rolled over her while they slept in the same bed and suffocated her.
In the home in which they lived — Alana's grandmother's — there was a bassinet but it was filled with clothing, investigators noted. A child-protective investigator asked Williamson to take a drug test but she refused. Williamson "began crying, indicating that she did not need it and that 'smoking weed' had nothing to do with Alana's death," according to the child's DCF file.
Alana's grandmother, Della Williamson, admitted smoking marijuana but could not remember the last time she had done so. A bag of marijuana was found in the older woman's desk drawer, and there were "several empty beer bottles and cans" in the kitchen trash, the file says. No charges were filed in the case.","perpfirstname":"Jessica","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Williamson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":202,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Bernard","middlename":"","lastname":"Latimore","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 4, 1999","deathdate":"November 27, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"10","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Bernard Latimore was diagnosed as "extremely autistic." By the time he was 10, his parents had been the subject of at least one report to DCF's abuse hotline for every year of his life.
Many of the reports involved allegations that Bernard, who was intellectually impaired and unable to care for himself, was being beaten and abused: A complaint in 2004 said that his mother, Katese Richardson, had slapped and pushed the boy, and a caller in 2005 alleged that Richardson "whips Bernard with a belt."
A 2003 report said that Bernard was in his mother's care while she was drunk, and that his father smoked crack cocaine.
A report to DCF in 2009 said, "Sometimes, Bernard runs down the road," but the agency closed as unfounded an investigation into allegations that Bernard and his siblings were not being properly supervised.
Five months later, Richardson went to work and left a 16-year-old in charge of Bernard and his siblings. The teen fell asleep and did not notice when Bernard slipped out of the home and got into neighbor's pool, where he drowned.
Another neighbor told a sheriff's deputy that someone who might have been Bernard had knocked on his door at 8:30 that morning, clutching a pink pillow case. The neighbor recounted that he initially thought Bernard was a sales person, "and told him to go away." ","perpfirstname":"Katese","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Richardson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":203,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Elijah","middlename":"","lastname":"Clement","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 10, 2009","deathdate":"December 6, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"26 days","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Sudden unexplained infant death","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Elijah Clement was 26 days old when he died. An autopsy attributed it to sudden unexplained infant death, but a medical examiner suggested after performing an autopsy that sleeping with his mother and two siblings on a queen-size bed had played a role.
Although his mother, Renada McGee, had a crib available for Elijah, she chose instead to place him in her bed and used the crib to store laundry, a DCF file entry said.
A review of Elijah's death showed that his family had what appeared to be a lengthy history with DCF, and that prior reports demonstrated a "pattern of domestic-violence activity" on the part of McGee and Elijah's father, Henry Clement. Little else can be reported because the file was heavily redacted.
There were no charges filed in the death of Elijah, who was survived by five siblings.","perpfirstname":"Renada","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"McGee","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":204,"docindex":82,"firstname":"Valentina","middlename":"","lastname":"Orlova","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 17, 1996","deathdate":"December 9, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"13","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Hanging","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"suicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Thirteen-year-old Valentina Orlova was an extremely troubled girl who cut herself with blades and spoke often of death and killing herself. Two weeks before Christmas in 2009, Valentina looped a two-inch black cloth belt around her neck and hanged herself. An autopsy documented evidence that she had cut her forearms many times. DCF had made contact with Valentina's family on three prior occasions, including a 2008 investigation into allegations that the then-pre-teen wrote "graphically about blood, death, dying and killing."
Valentina was involuntarily committed for psychiatric treatment, but was soon released. DCF completed its investigation without ensuring that Valentina was given any ongoing treatment or services. The agency had been told that Valentina's mother, Tatyana Grinchenko, had arranged for Valentina to receive mental health treatment, but in fact a review of Valentina's death said Grinchenko "failed to utilize any recommended service" and that she refused to allow mental health providers and school personnel to communicate with each other in order to properly attend to her daughter's needs.
School officials tried repeatedly to help Valentina, the report said, but were unable to intervene effectively. Before killing herself, Valentina wrote by a nine-page suicide note that she then posted on the social media site MySpace. Valentina described in great detail a home life filled with alcohol abuse, mental abuse and violence. The review of Valentina's death included dark poetry she had written in a school journal, which included multiple references to killing herself. Among the stanzas: "Life; Means nothing to you. So why not; Cut; Away; Your; Life."","perpfirstname":"Tatyana","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Grinchenko","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":205,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Morgan","middlename":"","lastname":"Vandusen","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 20, 2009","deathdate":"December 14, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"8 mos.","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Environmental hyperhtermia and dehydration","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Before Morgan's Vandusen's death, her mother, Charlotte Chestene, had children removed from her care in Mississippi after her boyfriend at the time taped pacifiers to their faces.
On the morning of Dec. 14, 2009, Morgan was found lifeless by her mother, lying on her side with one arm through the slats of her crib. She had been put to bed around 7 p.m. the previous night and then fed by her father, Quincy Vandusen, at about 5:30 a.m., the family's DCF file says.
By the time Chestene checked on Morgan later in the morning, rigor mortis had set in. "The room was really hot," a file entry says. The cause of death was environmental hyperthermia and dehydration.
During the investigation, Morgan's parents admitted to having "sex parties" with visitors in the home, while the children were in their rooms. The most recent such party took place two weeks before Morgan's death.
There were two other reports to DCF involving Morgan's siblings. One case resulted in a child-care referral.
In the wake of Morgan's death, Chestene admitted to smoking marijuana daily and tested positive for THC, amphetamines and benzodiapines. No charges were filed.","perpfirstname":"Charlotte","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Chestene","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Qunicy","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Vandusen","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":206,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Tanto","middlename":"","lastname":"Brown","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 16, 2009","deathdate":"December 17, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Complications of respiratory tract infection","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On the evening of Dec. 16, 2009, Tanto Brown's mother took the infant to a hospital. Tanto had been having trouble breathing for two weeks, and his mother, Georgianna Steible, had been treating him with over-the-counter cold medicine intended only for older children.
At the hospital, a report to DCF said, Steible was prescribed medication and a nebulizer for her son, but Steible did not fill the prescription. Instead, she took sedatives and went to bed, and did not check on her baby for more than 12 hours, according to the report.
An autopsy said Tanto died of complications from a respiratory infection. DCF called it medical neglect and removed her two other children.
The home in which Tanto and his siblings lived, the family's file says, was "deplorable," with dog feces in every room, pill bottles and drug paraphernalia scattered throughout, and broken glass, cockroaches and dirty diapers littering the residence, which had an "undescribable odor."
A review of Tanto's death said his parents had a well-documented DCF history of drug abuse, but all of the couple's prior contacts with the agency were redacted from the family's file. ","perpfirstname":"Georgianna","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Steible","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"David ","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Brown","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":207,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Christiano","middlename":"Alexander","lastname":"Dos Santos Belle-Felix","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 21, 2008","deathdate":"December 20, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"11 mos.","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"As doctors worked to save Christiano Dos Santos Belle-Felix, his mother told authorities he had fallen out of chair. His injuries told another story.
The boy was in critical condition with a skull fracture, a broken arm, bruising to the abdomen, cuts on his lip and chin, his body covered in bruises and retinal bleeding — a strong sign of having been shaken violently. Some of the injuries were in various stages of healing, indicating that the child had been abused over an extended period of time. He died on Dec. 20, 2009, a day before his first birthday.
DCF had first learned about Christiano in a report it received eight months earlier that said his mother, Jessica Belle-Felix, was a consumer of "oxycut" and Vicodin, that she drank alcohol and partied on weekends and that she was known to shake Christiano to get him to stop crying. The report also documented a physical fight between Belle-Felix and the child's father, Victor Felix. After that fight, Felix was arrested and jailed, and a restraining order was issued against him when he was released. DCF offered services, including a Healthy Start program, for both Belle-Felix and her son.
After the boy's father left Florida, Belle-Felix began dating another man, Carlos Rivera, who police said was a gang member. Later, authorities learned that Rivera had repeatedly beaten the child.
On Dec. 19, 2009, Rivera said he found Christiano unresponsive in his playpen. Rivera, who had been alone with the child, explained that Christiano had fallen off a chair two days earlier but had not exhibited any adverse symptoms, and as a result no medical help was sought for him. Rivera was convicted in June 2013 of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. ","perpfirstname":"Carlos","perpmiddlename":"Jose","perplastname":"Rivera","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"Convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"Jessica","perp2middlename":"Jewel","perp2lastname":"Belle-Chaves","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":208,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Dominic","middlename":"","lastname":"Meyer","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 19, 2009","deathdate":"December 26, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"hernando","county":"Hernando","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia/entrapment in soft bedding","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Dominic Meyer's parents had a violent relationship, abused drugs and had no jobs, according to the family's DCF records. The mother's drug of choice was heroin, and the father's crystal meth, the file says. Jason Meyer and Melissa Kincade had met in rehab.
Despite criminal histories and the fact that Kincade had lost custody of an older child, DCF did not take action to shelter the child, even after Meyer was sent to prison for grabbing his wife's hair and yanking it while she was holding Dominic.
The boy and his mother were living with paternal relatives when Dominic died on the day after Christmas in 2009. Kincade said later that she had nursed him and put him to sleep with a comforter pulled up to his shoulders. Then she left to get coffee and cigarettes. When she returned, Dominic was black and blue and cold to the touch. The child had been sleeping in an adult's bed even though relatives had bought a $300 crib for him.
After Dominic's death, Kincade tested positive for barbiturates. Her 30-tablet bottle of Fioricet, a medicine used to treat tension headaches, was empty, although the prescription had been filled only three days earlier. She blamed Meyer, even though he was in prison at the time. She also blamed him for the matches and burned tin foil, detritus from drug use, found in the bedroom trash can. ","perpfirstname":"Melissa","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Kinkade","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":209,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Lauralye","middlename":"","lastname":"Presgrove","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 11, 2009","deathdate":"December 26, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"6 weeks","countycode":"citrus","county":"Citrus","deathcausereport":"Overlaying","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On a bedside table, Lauralye Presgrove's mother kept a pill bottle, its label peeled off. It contained oxycodone, one of the "numerous medications" Shannon Sumlin was in the habit of taking, an investigator wrote as part of his probe into the death of the 6-week-old child. The previous year, Sumlin had tried to commit suicide by overdosing on drugs, according to DCF files.
Records the Herald sued to obtain show that Sumlin had a long history of alleged drug use, and that she smoked drugs "in a glass pipe." The agency later was told that a caregiver for Sumlin's children had "a violent criminal history." A 2007 report said that caregivers smoked marijuana from a bong in front of the children, and that a dog was being treated badly.
On the night Lauralye died, an investigator said, Sumlin and the girl's father, Kenneth Presgrove, visited a friend's place, smoked marijuana and later, at home, put on a movie. At around midnight, Sumlin took Ibuprofen and began nursing the child, placing her in the middle of a king-size bed. Sumlin said that during the night she nursed the baby two or three more times, and that was how the child was found, in a position that suggested she died with her mother's breast in her mouth.
Lauralye had suffocated, and her parents were apparently unaware of her passing until hours later. Neither parent claimed to know of the dangers of sleeping with babies, and Sumlin said that all five of her children had "slept better in bed with her."
Both parents tested positive for marijuana after Lauralye's death, and benzodiazepines were also found in Sumlin's system. Her other children had been removed from her care in May 2008, after the suicide attempt, and were reunited with her in April 2009, nine months before Lauralye's birth. Other than that, the family's extensive DCF history was redacted. ","perpfirstname":"Shannon","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Sumlin","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":210,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Cavares","middlename":"","lastname":"Polk","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 10, 2007","deathdate":"December 27, 2009","deathyear":2009,"deathage":"2","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"physical abuse","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Antoine Lawrence, the boyfriend of Cavares' mother, beat the boy to death three weeks after DCF had received an abuse report about the family, DCF files say.
The earlier report alleged that Crystal Banks, the boy's mother, and Lawrence sometimes left the children alone, and that for two weeks there was no electrical power or food in the home. The investigation ruled the allegations to be false, possibly "lies" emanating from the father of one of Banks' children.
An investigator who visited the home observed a gash on the 2-year-old boy's head that had recently been stitched. Banks explained that he had fallen out of his bed some days earlier. The investigator deemed that to be a "reasonable explanation," a report said. Banks and Lawrence agreed to a drug evaluation. although there is no indication as to whether they were actually tested.
After Cavares died on Dec. 27, 2009, Banks told investigators that the boy had fallen off his bike the day before. An autopsy showed that Cavares had been battered. He had a torn liver, at least eight "purple" contusions, a belt mark and various bruises. Lawrence was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.
Cavares' grandmother later told investigators she had seen a bruise on Cavares' jaw after Lawrence had moved in with Banks, but she never told anyone because she had not actually seen Lawrence beat the boy. "Crystal always stuck up for Antoine," a report said.
"The maternal grandparents fear [Lawrence] was taking Crystal's money and her food stamps," the report added.
Lawrence, state records show, had an extensive criminal arrest record, including a 2002 arrest for kidnapping, and the sexual assault of a child. A review of Cavares' death does not say whether investigators had ever obtained records on Lawrence's background or criminal history before completing the prior investigation.","perpfirstname":"Antoine","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Lawrence","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":211,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jaxson","middlename":"","lastname":"Spencer-Wills","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 14, 2009","deathdate":"January 8, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"7 mos.","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Listed as "probable': complications of thermal burns due to kerosene space heater fire","deathcause":"smoke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jaxson Spencer-Wills' family had a long history with DCF including reports of drug abuse, child neglect and environmental hazards. The 7-month-old was killed by burns caused in an explosion from a kerosene heater that his father had filled with gasoline. Jaxson was in a stroller near the heater when his father picked up the heater to take it outside the home, then dropped it because it was hot, a DCF report said. The gasoline spilled on Jaxson and the stroller. Then someone — it's unclear who because the person's name is redacted from DCF's report — put a cigarette in it, and it sparked and then exploded. Present were his father, maternal aunt and siblings. His mother was out grocery shopping.
Jaxson suffered fatal burns, and his 2-month-old sister suffered smoke inhalation. His parents both tested positive for drugs. Jaxson died a month and a half later.
Jaxson's parents had been the subject of five prior reports to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline, including repeated complaints that their children had been left alone and unsupervised, that the parents were using drugs, causing bruises and welts on the children and using "excessive" corporal punishment.","perpfirstname":"Roise","perpmiddlename":"R.","perplastname":"Spencer","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"George","perp2middlename":"C.","perp2lastname":"Wills","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":212,"docindex":null,"firstname":"D'Angelo","middlename":"","lastname":"Jackson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 2, 2009","deathdate":"January 9, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"6 mos.","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Mechanical obstruction of airway by foreign body (inhaled balloon)","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The parents of 6-month-old D'angelo Jackson left the infant unsupervised in a room with four siblings, the oldest of whom was 7.
At some point, according to investigators, his 3-year-old brother poked a pen into D'angelo's right nostril, causing it to bleed. The children described him as "shaking his head back and forth violently and then his head hitting the floor." He appeared to be unconscious. His parents were summoned and, in short order, so were paramedics, who discovered that the problem was not the pen in the nose but an orange balloon in his throat, and that he had choked to death.
The parents said they believed the 7-year-old was an appropriate caregiver because they had taught her "how to be good with the children."
DCF had investigated one report of improper supervision a year before D'angelo was born, but dismissed the allegation.
After D'angelo died, DCF placed his surviving siblings with a grandmother who shared her home with a registered sex offender. The siblings were then returned to their parents.","perpfirstname":"Angelia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Jackson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Willie","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Jackson","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":213,"docindex":69,"firstname":"Isaiah","middlename":"","lastname":"Wenrich","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 5, 2009","deathdate":"January 19, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Suffocation","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Isaiah spent a little more than three months alive — all of them as a drug addict. The day after he was born, the DCF hotline was told that his mother's multiple drug addictions rendered her unfit to care for him.
Throughout his short life, both Isaiah and his mother, Beth Wenrich, were being treated with therapeutic methadone. He suffocated in his mother's bed, untethered to the apnea monitor his doctors said could have saved his life.","perpfirstname":"Beth","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Wenrich","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":214,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Victoria","middlename":"","lastname":"Mans","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 9, 2009","deathdate":"February 4, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"7 weeks","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Suffocation in bedding","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Victoria Mans' parents "went out to party" in Miami Beach one night in February 2010, leaving the 7-week-old baby and her 1-year-old brother in the care of their 11-year-old sister in a motel room, a DCF file says.
While the boy slept in a playpen, the older girl placed Victoria next to her in a bed and both went to sleep. When the 11-year-old awoke a few hours later, she noticed there was something wrong with the baby, who felt "cool to the touch." A report said the girl did not call for help "because she could not operate the telephone in the room and she was afraid to leave the room for assistance."
After the parents, Connell Mans and Danielle Bolton, returned, Victoria was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital and pronounced dead at 4:30 a.m., a report said.
When interviewed by a child-abuse investigator, Mans and Bolton claimed they had been at the motel all along and described being awakened by the older girl's screams. Mans said that in the confusion that followed his discovery of "blood coming from Victoria's mouth," he could not find his cell phone, while Bolton recounted that she had "grabbed Victoria and run downstairs to the front desk to seek help." None of it was true.
They ultimately acknowledged they had been out of the motel, sampling the Miami Beach nightlife, and had not returned to the motel in northwest Miami until after 3 a.m., which was apparently some time after the baby had suffocated under her sister's body. The older girl told a detective that her mother had asked her to lie "about who was in the room when Victoria died, as she would be arrested if the authorities knew the children were left alone."
There is no record that the parents were arrested, but DCF filed a dependency petition to remove the surviving children from their care. In July that year, their children's maternal grandmother, who lived in Mesa, Ariz., was granted permanent guardianship.
Child-welfare records showed three prior reports involving the family, with "three different maltreatment types and two different perpetrators," a summary said. Although the prior reports were "not indicative of a pattern of neglect that was relevant" to Victoria's death, the investigation into the incident suggested that leaving the smaller children in the care of their older sister had been "a regular occurrence." ","perpfirstname":"Daniele","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bolton","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Connell","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Mans, Sr.","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":215,"docindex":63,"firstname":"Dennis","middlename":"Franklin","lastname":"Farmer","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 13, 2010","deathdate":"February 6, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"24 days","countycode":"bay","county":"Bay","deathcausereport":"Positional/compressional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Dennis Farmer was just a day old, DCF was told that his mother was a cocaine addict, and that the baby was in withdrawal from his mother's drugs.
During the investigation that followed, his mother, Stephanie Paul, told the agency that she knew it was dangerous to sleep in the same bed with a newborn, and she signed a safety plan promising to either avoid drugs or to find a "responsible, sober" caregiver to watch her baby while she was impaired.
DCF was still investigating Dennis' welfare when the newborn was found smothered to death on a couch with his mother. He had been alive for less than a month. ","perpfirstname":"Stephanie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Paul","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":216,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Antonio","middlename":"","lastname":"Wiles","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 4, 2009","deathdate":"February 7, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"lake","county":"Lake","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In January 2010, less than a month before Antonio Wiles died face-down on an under-inflated air mattress next to his mother, DCF had investigated allegations that the 25-year-old woman, Marsha Wiles, was an inattentive mother who often did not feed or bathe her two children. In the report to DCF, Wiles was also said to spank her daughter, yank her by the arm and yell at her. As part of that investigation, Wiles was tested for drugs and came up positive for benzodiazepines.
Wiles had a considerable DCF history as a child victim, going back to 1998, none of it deemed relevant to Antonio's death. After the boy was found unresponsive, it was not Wiles who tried to revive him but a woman who lived with them, a report about the incident said.
As her son lay dying, the report said, Wiles walked outside and smoked a cigarette. ","perpfirstname":"Marsha","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Wiles","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":217,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Shelby","middlename":"","lastname":"Maddox","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 14, 2010","deathdate":"February 11, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"4 weeks","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Shelby Maddox's mother, Sarah Kirkbride, was in jail when the child was born, so DCF released the girl to her 23-year-old father, Nathan Maddox, without first conducting a home study, records show. Less than a month later, Maddox called a relative and yelled, "She won't eat! She won't stop crying!" He sent texts to a friend saying the same thing. Two others would later recall that he had screamed at Shelby to "shut up and go to sleep!"
When the child's grandmother, Tamara Maddox, picked up the child, it was obvious to her that something was wrong. At a hospital, doctors discovered that Shelby had swelling of the brain and bleeding behind her eyes. Three days later, she was taken off life support. The cause of death was determined to be blunt-force trauma.
Nathan Maddox was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. A review of Shelby's death reiterated that a criminal background check should always be completed before a child placement is approved, suggesting that such a check was not done in this case. It would have uncovered Maddox's long rap sheet for drug crimes, larceny, theft and identity theft. ","perpfirstname":"Nathan","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Maddox","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"second-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":218,"docindex":25,"firstname":"Seth","middlename":"","lastname":"Mixon","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 26, 1996","deathdate":"February 12, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"13","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Intoxication by the combined effects of Methadone and Alprozolam","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"DCF first became involved with Seth Mixon's family when he was 2 years old. Over the next 11 years, the agency received 16 reports of abuse or neglect, most of them involving allegations that Seth's mother was too high on prescription drugs or meth to care for Seth and his younger sister. Both of the children were seen wandering their neighborhood unsupervised, sometimes in search of food.
In 2005, his mother, Michelle Windham, was charged with robbing a pharmacy at gunpoint, which she later admitted she did because she needed the money for drugs. In the ensuing years, the agency received multiple reports that the children were being neglected and abused. Each time, the case was closed with no or "some" indicators of child maltreatment, with the mother being referred for counseling.
Windham continued to use drugs, and in 2009, the agency, while investigating whether Seth's sister had been sexually abused, learned that Seth had been suspended from school for possession of Xanax. Windham's drug screen at the time tested positive for an array of medications. Despite those findings, DCF closed the case with no indicators of neglect.
A year later, his sister told Windham that Seth was still in bed sleeping, and that she saw her brother ingest a handful of Xanax pills the previous evening. Seth, who had been suspended from school that day, had taken the pills from his mother, then fallen asleep the night before.
When Windham returned after dropping her daughter off at school that morning, instead of checking on her son, she decided to go back to sleep. At 11 a.m., she went to wake Seth, but he was dead of a drug overdose.","perpfirstname":"Michelle","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Windham","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":219,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Megan","middlename":"","lastname":"Kilburne","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 19, 1994","deathdate":"February 13, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"15","countycode":"dixie","county":"Dixie","deathcausereport":"Mixed drug intoxication to Alprazolam and Oxycodone","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Before Megan Kilburne died of a drug overdose when she was 15, she and her siblings had been listed as victims in nine child abuse reports beginning in 1995. That year, their mother, Julie Summerall, had twice been accused of leaving her three young children alone in a camper home that was described as "nasty" and "filthy." Megan lost part of a finger when she was 8 months old, although the reports do not say how.
In 1996, Summerall's then-boyfriend was alleged in a report to DCF to have touched Megan's 5-year-old sister improperly. Also in 1996, Summerall was alleged to have beaten the children, causing bruises and burns, and smoked crack in front of her kids. That same year, after Summerall was arrested on an armed robbery charge, her children were sent to live with their father, Sheldon Kilburne. He was then flagged by DCF for failing to seek medical attention for one of the two girls, who had a badly infected eye and a face covered in flea bites, thought to have been acquired by her sleeping with a flea-ridden dog that had "bloody mange."
Four years later, the children were returned to their mother. In 2003, Phillip Fowler, Summerall's boyfriend at the time, "drove while intoxicated with the children in the back of his truck," a report said. The document further alleged that there was no food in the home and that the family was being evicted, although the report was closed with no finding of inadequate food and "some" indication of that the children had been exposed to alcohol abuse.
A 2006 report said that, several years earlier, Sheldon Kilburne had "physically abused" his son and beaten Megan, and that she had sustained bruises and welts. Only two of the nine DCF reports resulted in any determination that members of the family required counseling or other assistance: The first was in 2000, after Kilburne had been accused of sexual molestation, when the children were offered "play therapy'; and the second, after the 2006 allegation that Kilburne had beaten Megan and her brother, resulted in a referral for counseling.
On the evening of Feb. 12, 2010, Megan began taking a cocktail of drugs mixed by friends who had a known history of possessing and misusing prescription medications. She was later observed unable to walk or stand without assistance. She went to sleep at her friends' home and the following afternoon, after someone noticed that her arm was blue, Megan was turned over and found to be lifeless. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.
Megan was determined to have died from "mixed-drug intoxication to alprazolam and oxycodone," and the manner of death was declared to have been suicide. Nine months later, because a criminal investigation was still taking place, the medical examiner revised the death certificate to say that the manner of death was "undetermined."","perpfirstname":"Kimberly","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Willoughby","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":220,"docindex":17,"firstname":"Dominic","middlename":"","lastname":"Beninati","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 6, 2008","deathdate":"February 14, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Anoxic brain damage due to paradrowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Dominic's parents, Michael and Nicole Beninati, were playing video games on their cell phones and did not notice the 1-year-old toppling into the family's swimming pool, according to a call to DCF's abuse hotline about the boy's drowning. There was no fence around the pool.
A heavily redacted DCF file shows that Dominic's family had been the subject of five prior reports to the hotline, including at least one that involved Dominic. One of his four siblings had been removed from the family's custody, and Dominic's father had been to prison for drug offenses.
A four-page report on the boy's death describes the agency's actions with the family as "appropriate," but virtually every detail is redacted, including those that involved Dominic, contrary to state law that dictates public disclosure of such matters.","perpfirstname":"Nicole","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Beninati","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"Michael","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Beninati","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":221,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Dorean","middlename":"","lastname":"Eustache","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 30, 2008","deathdate":"February 17, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"18 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Multiple blunt force injuries sustained as a pedestrian struck by a car","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Maurice Walker, a friend of Dorean's family, had been asked by the child's mother to watch her kids while they played outside the house. Walker went inside — briefly, he said — to get drinks for the children. While he was gone, 1-year-old Dorean darted into the street and was hit by a truck.
"My mistake, my bad," Walker told a police officer. "I should have been watching him." Walker explained that he had asked a 5-year-old playing outside to watch the toddler.
The details of Dorean's family's history with DCF were redacted from a four-page review of his death.","perpfirstname":"Maurice","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Walker","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":222,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jordan","middlename":"","lastname":"Freytes","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 18, 2010","deathdate":"February 28, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"highlands","county":"Highlands","deathcausereport":"Suffocation","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jordan Freytes was 5 weeks old when he suffocated in the crook of his father's arm while they slept. His father, Ryon Bland, tried to revive him but it was no use. "I think it's my fault for sleeping with him," Bland told paramedics.
Both Bland and the boy's mother, Lindsay Freytes, who had been in the same bed that night, had a history of drug abuse, particularly painkillers, and although drug tests were requested for both parents, they were not completed, according to DCF documents. Bland was said to have been intoxicated while caring for Jordan's half-sibling, and sometimes "drinks and drives" with the child in the car, a report to the agency said.
On the night Jordan died, Bland told investigators later, he "wasn't sure" if he was using drugs, although he admitted that a few days earlier he and the boy's mother had been "using Roxies she had stolen from her father." Jordan's death was ruled accidental.
The family had been the subject of five abuse/neglect reports — all redacted — prior to Jordan's passing, but none resulted in orders for protective services. ","perpfirstname":"Ryon","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bland","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Lindsay","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Freytes","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":223,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Esteban","middlename":"","lastname":"Reina","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 3, 2000","deathdate":"March 11, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"10","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound of the head","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"There were no vital signs in Milla Barbieri's body when paramedics rushed to examine her. She had fallen into the swimming pool when no one was watching and got tangled in the hose of the underwater vacuum cleaner. Paramedics reported that her father, Michael Barbieri, "had no recollection of where the child was for approximately one hour prior to finding her in the backyard pool."
Milla and her 1-year-old brother were living at the time with their father in his girlfriend Ashley Lightner's home. When they had moved in two months earlier, the children's maternal grandmother, Margaret Ryals, expressed concern about the pool, and Barbieri replied that he would keep an eye on the kids and that in any case they "didn't go into the back yard." Ryals told others she was worried about the kids because her son-in-law and his girlfriend 'stayed up all night and slept during the day," and that they were using "chemical enhancements."
Shortly after Milla's death, the children's father tested positive for oxycodone, marijuana and cocaine. When Ryals and her husband picked up Milla's little brother from Lightner's home following the drowning, they found him dirty, with a full diaper and a bruise on his forehead. The children's mother, Melissa Ryals, who had tested positive for cocaine when Milla was born, was no longer caring for her children "because she could not handle the stress" and "wanted some time to try and get herself together," an investigative report said.
A day after Milla's death, her mother seemed unaffected, "laughing and chatting online" when the investigator arrived to interview her. Child welfare workers unearthed several reports that dealt with members of the Barbieri, Ryals and Lightner families over the previous decade, with three of the Barbieri cases "relevant to the documented concerns of substance abuse, medical neglect and inadequate supervision."","perpfirstname":"Erasmo","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Reina","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":224,"docindex":52,"firstname":"Ben","middlename":"","lastname":"Powell","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 12, 2010","deathdate":"March 29, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"bronchopneumonia","deathcause":"other","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Members of Ben Powell's family had been reported to DCF's abuse hotline on about 10 occasions. Children in the Powell home frequently were injured, according to a review of Ben's death that was heavily redacted until the Miami Herald sued to obtain the complete document.
One report in 2008 alleged that a child had "cracked his head" when he fell off a toilet. Another 2008 report noted that a child had a broken arm, and that another "has a history of going to the emergency room with injuries."
A 2009 report said that one of the children had suffered a head injury and a broken leg, injuries that caregivers said occured when someone had "tripped" and fallen while carrying the child. In the same report, a boy in the family was said to have "big fist-sized bruises on his arms and face." Another 2009 report noted a child had a "broken leg and is in a body cast."
The most recent hotline call before Ben's death was received by the agency in February 2010, when the Powell family already was being supervised by a private child welfare agency for a host of risks, including the father's drug use, domestic violence, anger problems and mental illness. The report alleged a child had been beaten with a metal brush, leaving bruises and welts, an incident for which father Benjamin Powell, Sr., later pleaded guilty.
On Feb. 19, 2010, Ben's mother, Charmane Ziegler, signed a safety plan in which she claimed "we do not expose are children to drugs or alchol," and promised to "find another way of disciplining" them.
A little over five weeks later, at a time when the family was ostensibly under social workers' supervision, Ben's father passed out from drinking, a DCF document says, adding that he "admitted to being an alcoholic and would drink to intoxication daily." The report goes on to say that Ziegler, also drunk, placed Ben on a couch and covered him with an adult-size comforter.
At some point, Ben stopped breathing. An autopsy concluded Ben died of pneumonia. His parents told police the boy had been prescribed a nebulizer breathing treatment, but they had forgotten it on the way to a friend's house where they were staying, and decided against turning back to get the medication.
No one was charged as a result of Ben's death. But five months later, after the children's mother regained custody of them, Titusville police arrested Ziegler on child-neglect charges after she failed to provide life-saving medication for another child who had pneumonia. That child survived.","perpfirstname":"Charmane","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ziegler","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Benjamin","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Powell","perp2relation":"father to Ben, paramour to other children","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":225,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Milla","middlename":"","lastname":"Barbieri","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 17, 2007","deathdate":"March 30, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"2","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"There were no vital signs in Milla Barbieri's body when paramedics rushed to examine her. She had fallen into the swimming pool when no one was watching and got tangled in the hose of the underwater vacuum cleaner. Paramedics reported that her father, Michael Barbieri, "had no recollection of where the child was for approximately one hour prior to finding her in the backyard pool."
Milla and her 1-year-old brother were living at the time with their father in his girlfriend Ashley Lightner's home. When they had moved in two months earlier, the children's maternal grandmother, Margaret Ryals, expressed concern about the pool, and Barbieri replied that he would keep an eye on the kids and that in any case they "didn't go into the back yard." Ryals told others she was worried about the kids because her son-in-law and his girlfriend 'stayed up all night and slept during the day," and that they were using "chemical enhancements."
Shortly after Milla's death, the children's father tested positive for oxycodone, marijuana and cocaine. When Ryals and her husband picked up Milla's little brother from Lightner's home following the drowning, they found him dirty, with a full diaper and a bruise on his forehead. The children's mother, Melissa Ryals, who had tested positive for cocaine when Milla was born, was no longer caring for her children "because she could not handle the stress" and "wanted some time to try and get herself together," an investigative report said.
A day after Milla's death, her mother seemed unaffected, "laughing and chatting online" when the investigator arrived to interview her. Child welfare workers unearthed several reports that dealt with members of the Barbieri, Ryals and Lightner families over the previous decade, with three of the Barbieri cases "relevant to the documented concerns of substance abuse, medical neglect and inadequate supervision."","perpfirstname":"Michael","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Barbieri","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"yes","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":226,"docindex":132,"firstname":"Kaleb","middlename":"","lastname":"Cronk","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 16, 2009","deathdate":"April 1, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"putnam","county":"Putnam","deathcausereport":"Craniocerebral injury due to blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Members of Kaleb Cronk's family and the "paramours" with whom his parents were involved accounted for 26 reports to DCF's abuse and neglect hotine from 1988 until the day Kaleb was run over by a tricked-out red pickup truck in the driveway of his mother's trailer. His mother, Amy Michelle Sowell, a report said, had left him unattended while she went into her home.
Kaleb and his siblings, a DCF report said, had "experienced long-term exposure to substance misuse by their mother," including both "prescribed and illegal drugs." In reports beginning at least as early as 2000, Sowell was alleged to be using Soma, Lortab, Klonopin, crack and powder cocaine, marijuana, and "alcohol excessively."
One report said Sowell's boyfriend was selling drugs out of her home. Another report alleged Sowell's children were living in "a crack house."
In 2006, Sowell was arrested when she allowed her 15-year-old daughter to drive a car while both mother and daughter were "intoxicated." The next year, Sowell was arrested when she tried to flee police during a traffic stop with her daughter in the car. In her purse: crack cocaine.
Another report alleged Sowell had pushed her 69-year-old mother, who later died from her injuries. The woman, who lived with Sowell, "had old bruises covering her body." An investigation into that report concluded the woman fell after she tried to beat Sowell with an extension cord because Sowell allegedly "took her prescription medications."
One report said Martin Cronk, Kaleb's father, was leaving children with a baby-sitter who "was using methadone and pills," and alleged he had touched a child inappropriately.
Despite Sowell's lengthy history with police and child abuse investigators, a review of Kaleb's death shows the agency took few actions over many years to protect her children. Virtually every investigation involving Sowell ended with this notation in a review of Kaleb's death: "No further services were determined to be needed."
At the time of Kaleb's death, two of his older siblings had been placed in Cronk's custody, and Sowell was to be given only supervised visitation under a court order, a report said. The two parents violated that order, as the child was with Sowell unsupervised when Kaleb died. DCF's solution to the violated court order: The agency had Martin Cronk sign a "safety plan" in which he promised to do the very thing a judge already had ordered him to do, restrict Sowell's access to the girl.
And though the older siblings had been taken from Sowell for their protection, "Kaleb Cronk was never removed from his mother's care or placed under court-ordered or voluntary services," a review of the infant's death said. ","perpfirstname":"Amy","perpmiddlename":"Michelle","perplastname":"Sowell","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Martin","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Cronk","perp2relation":"Father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":227,"docindex":0,"firstname":"Aaden","middlename":"Lee","lastname":"Batista","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 2, 2008","deathdate":"April 8, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"23 months","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Blunt force injuries of head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Aaden Batista died during an open DCF probe into allegations that he was the victim of neglect. During that investigation, both his father, Jeffrey Batista, and his paternal grandparents told investigators that they were concerned about his care and specifically about Jason Padgett Sr., the boyfriend of Whitney Flower, the child's mother. Padgett had a considerable criminal history comprising 22 arrests on charges that included domestic violence, aggravated battery and drug possession.
A report called in to DCF in March 2010 said Flower and Padgett had both been under the influence of drugs while driving with Aaden, and that Flower had taken the child outside in cold weather wearing only shorts and a shirt with short sleeves. The report also noted that Flower had a history of using cocaine. Flower denied using cocaine but tested positive for marijuana. No drugs were found in Padgett's system.
DCF had Flower sign a safety plan agreeing ʺthat no substances will ever be around my son and no one under the influence will care for him.ʺ Eight days after that report was filed, Padgett shook Aaden violently and slammed him on the floor while Flower was working, police said. Padgett told police later that the toddler had fallen off a toilet.
Aaden died the next day, April 8, 2010, about a month before his second birthday. Cause of death: blunt force trauma. Padgett is serving a life term for the crime.","perpfirstname":"Jason","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Padgett","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, torture, felony child abuse, neglect and child sexual battery","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":228,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Cameron","middlename":"","lastname":"Kroot","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 24, 2009","deathdate":"April 9, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Blunt force craniocerebral trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Cameron's parents had been arguing for days over the father's alleged infidelity. The last altercation ended with Roderick Kroot leaving the home about 3:30 a.m. on April, 9, 2010. Cameron, 4 months old, was killed when his mother, Thida Sou, dropped him during the argument and he was run over by a car driven by Kroot, his father.
Both parents, 39, had been drinking alcohol, according to the DCF report. In the moments leading up to the accident, Kroot told investigators, Sou at various points, charged Kroot with knives, a sledgehammer and a crowbar while holding the baby. He jumped in his car to escape the attack, police said, and Sou dropped Cameron as she swung the crowbar at Kroot's vehicle. As he tried to leave the scene, the front tire of the vehicle rolled over the child.
Cameron died of blunt force craniocerebral trauma. As the aggressor, Sou was charged with child neglect with great harm.
Shortly after Cameron was born, a report was received alleging Kroot was growing and selling marijuana from the home. Neither parent was ever asked by the agency to do a drug screen. The report also alleged Sou had taken the baby from the hospital against medical advice and that she had been beaten by Kroot. The agency concluded there was no evidence to support the allegations.","perpfirstname":"Thida","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Sou","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"downgraded from aggravated assault and manslaughter to child neglect","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":229,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Madison","middlename":"Marie","lastname":"Flores","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 8, 2010","deathdate":"April 16, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"8 days","countycode":"santarosa","county":"Santa Rosa","deathcausereport":"Probable asphyxia","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Madison Flores was just 8 days old when, police say, she was killed by her mother, Michelle Vasquez, who suffocated the newborn in the woods near her home. Vasquez would later tell police that Madison did not fit into her street lifestyle.
A review of her death shows there were four prior investigations involving the family. Vasquez had told DCF that that she had anger issues and needed help. The agency responded by offering drug treatment, mental health care and parenting classes, most of which Vasquez failed to complete, according to a DCF death review.
There also was no effort to remove Madison from Vasquez's custody, although there had been signs of trouble: Vasquez's documented mental instability, a prior history involving her toddler son, domestic violence accusations and her own mother's past. Vasquez's mother had been incarcerated for her role in the death of her own son – Vasquez's brother.
As part of a previous DCF investigation, Madison's maternal grandfather said a caseworker told him that an older sibling "had to get hurt before anything could be done." The boy was not harmed.
Five weeks before Madison died, a private child welfare agency had asked Vasquez to leave a parenting and drug treatment program because she refused to cooperate. Despite Madison's older brother being at "high" risk in Vasquez's care, DCF did not file a petition asking a judge to protect her children. At the time, Florida law required such a petition.
Vasquez, charged with the murder of her daughter, is serving a life sentence. A departmental review of the death concluded that "a number of red flags and risk factors were noted during the investigation, but not given sufficient weight or consideration in risk assessment or decision making."
Madison's death "was probably preventable, since it appears that it might have been a homicide," the DCF's review concluded. "The mother was quite candid about her history of domestic violence, substance abuse, chronic depression, anger management issues and unresolved resentment about her own abuse/neglect and placement in foster care with relatives. It appeared at times she was actually reaching out for help." ","perpfirstname":"Michelle","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Vasquez","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":230,"docindex":38,"firstname":"Makeda","middlename":"","lastname":"Arthur","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 8, 2007","deathdate":"April 24, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"3","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Strangulation","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"A motorist who saw a woman walking with a child in her arms on the shoulder of southbound Interstate 95 in Broward County stopped and offered them a ride. Then came the shock: The 3-year-old girl, Makeda Arthur, was not breathing. The motorist drove to the nearest fire station, where paramedics determined that she was dead.
An autopsy showed she had been strangled, with "significant compression of the veins of the neck." Makeda's mother, Cheryl Arthur, admitted that she had been angry with the child and had throttled her. Arthur, 39 at the time and the mother of two sons who lived elsewhere, was charged with first-degree murder.
A DCF investigation the previous year said Arthur had a history of drug use and that she and her husband, Damian Arthur, had been involved in domestic violence incidents. The couple separated and there was a restraining order in place against Damian Arthur. The mother was offered DCF services and accepted a daycare referral for Makeda, but declined any other help.
The investigation into domestic violence before Makeda's death was closed with "some indicators of child abuse/neglect for the maltreatment of family violence." ","perpfirstname":"Cheryl","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Arthur","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":231,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jayden","middlename":"Michael","lastname":"Rothermel","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 24, 2008","deathdate":"April 24, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia/drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"One-year-old Jayden Michael Rothermel spent a considerable and undetermined amount of time wandering around his grandparents home on a weekend visitation with his 18-year-old biological father, Timothy Cowell. Cowell thought Jayden's great grandmother and grandfather were watching the child while he took a shower and nap; They thought his father was watching Jayden. Sometime thereafter, Jayden wandered outside and into the pool and drowned.There were two prior reports involving the family, only one involving Jayden. The report alleged that Jayden's legal father, Justin Rothermel, was distraught because he found Jayden's mother, Samantha Sprouse, in bed not supervising Jayden. DCF concluded that neither report was relevant to Jayden's drowning.","perpfirstname":"Timothy","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Cowell","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":232,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Donte","middlename":"","lastname":"Dawson","suffix":"Jr.","gender":"male","birthdate":"December 16, 2008","deathdate":"April 27, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Multiple blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Donte Dawson's father, after whom he was named, had been the subject of three prior DCF reports, all involving allegations of violence, before the 16-month-old boy died of multiple-force trauma in April 2010. He had a skull fracture and multiple contusions and abrasions, as well as damage to his neck, chest, back, ribs, liver, spleen and right kidney. Donte's father provided "multiple false accounts of how the victim sustained his injuries," finally conceding that he was to blame.
"He stated he threw the child on the bed multiple times, with the victim bouncing off the bed on the last occasion, striking a table and wall," a detective wrote. Dawson, who had previously served time in prison on weapons charges, was convicted of second-degree murder in his son's death and sentenced to 25 years.
His wife, Kendra Rach Dawson, told investigators after the infant's death that her husband's punishment of the child had never amounted to more than "popping" him on the hand, and occasionally a "time out," although a maintenance man reported seeing a wound on the boy's face two weeks before he died. His father had been provided with referrals to anger management counseling after three prior investigations of violence against women he was involved with, but he never took advantage of the services.
Since DCF had no prior involvement with Donte or his mother, the agency said it "could not have intervened in such a way that would have predicted or prevented this child's death." ","perpfirstname":"Donte","perpmiddlename":"Lorenzo","perplastname":"Dawson","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"second-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":233,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ariel","middlename":"","lastname":"Wells","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 25, 2009","deathdate":"April 28, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Long before 4-month-old Ariel Wells died of positional asphyxia in a king-size bed, her mother, Veronica Renta, had been named in five DCF reports as a victim when she was a child and two reports in which she was listed as the caregiver for Ariel's two older siblings. The latter reports, in 2008 and 2009, were closed with some indicators of child abuse and neglect.
Despite evidence at the time that Renta and the children's father, Gary Wells, were "struggling with several issues, including physical violence," an assessment of the family's child welfare history said the pair were apparently offered day-care referrals but nothing more.
DCF's self-assessment said Renta might have "benefited from parenting classes as early as 2006, when it was known that she was pregnant at 16 years old."","perpfirstname":"Veronica","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Renta","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":234,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Cyonie","middlename":"","lastname":"Buxton","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 5, 2008","deathdate":"May 15, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"2","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Before Cyonie Buxton died, DCF had received a report alleging that her mother, Shannon Buxton, had a history of cocaine use and that she also probably smoked marijuana. She denied it, but later tested positive "for all substances," a DCF document said. The case was closed with "some indicators of substance abuse," but the agency appears not to have offered to help Buxton with her problem.
A year later, Buxton was watching Cyonie and her two other children when she went outside for a smoke. After coming back inside, an incident report said, Buxton lost track of Cyonie, and later found the child face-down in the swimming pool. She had gotten out of the house through a sliding-glass door. The death review found that the prior investigation had no relevance to Cyonie's death. ","perpfirstname":"Shannon","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Buxton","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":319,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Tyler","middlename":"","lastname":"Drummond","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 6, 2008","deathdate":"May 15, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"osceola","county":"Osceola","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Tyler Drummond was born addicted to his mother's methadone, and had been "going through withdrawal since birth," a DCF document said. In August 2008, six weeks after Tyler was born and was still in a hospital, nurses said they found the baby choking, with his parents passed out nearby and "extremely difficult to awaken." When his mother, Toni Crain, finally awoke, she did not seem to realize where she was or who the nurses were.
"This does raise some concerns as to their ability to adequately care for the child upon discharge," the report said, mentioning also an incident in which Crain had placed Tyler in a "bouncy" chair that she had then put atop another chair, an act considered unsafe. And yet the report was closed with "no indicators" of parental substance abuse or inadequate supervision. Two previous reports involving the family were redacted.
Back at home, Tyler's father, Terry Drummond, installed an above-ground pool and the toddler began learning to swim, using "floaties." On May 12, 2010, when he was 22 months old, Tyler left the house through an unsecured back door, walked about 90 feet to the pool, crawled up the steps and fell in.
His mother was in the house, talking with relatives, when she realized she had not seen the boy in some five minutes. He was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition and died three days later.","perpfirstname":"Toni","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Crain","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":235,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kiania","middlename":"","lastname":"Meus","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 17, 2009","deathdate":"May 17, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"At the time of her death, Kiania Meus and her four siblings were not in the custody of their mother, Lancy Meus, because of allegations of beatings inflicted by Meus' boyfriend on at least two of the children.
Even before Kiania was born in 2009, her siblings had twice been taken into DCF custody, for similar reasons, though the agency abandoned plans to terminate Meus' rights to her children, and returned them to her care, instead.
Among at least six calls to DCF's abuse hotline, according to records the Herald sued to obtain, the agency had been told that one child had suffered "multiple fractures" over an extended period that were believed to result from abuse, that Lancy Meus had threatened to kill her children, and that a child had been bruised and marked from a beating.
An allegation of family violence was declared "not substantiated" despite the verified presence of bruises and marks on one of the children in a December 2009 incident. When Meus was asked about evidence of injuries on her 4-year-old son's body, she explained that the boy had fallen, although a DCF investigator observed that "something else may have happened to have caused the marks on the child."
Earlier that year, in June, two months after Kiania's birth, a DCF report noted that her father, who did not live with the family, threatened to kill Meus "if she did not allow him to see his child."
In May 2010, while Kiania and her siblings were in the custody of their aunt, Lisa Meus, they were taken to visit their mother for the weekend, in violation of a court order. The visit allegedly took place because Lisa Meus' live-in boyfriend, Timothy Bodden, was feeling unwell. A day later, Bodden retrieved the children and took them home.
The next morning, Bodden called Kiania's mother to say that the toddler had hit her head while holding onto a chest of drawers as she tried to walk. Bodden then took Kiania back to her mother's home, where she became unresponsive and was ultimately declared dead.
When he was interviewed by police, Bodden had a different story, that Kiania had fallen off a chair on which he had placed her while he did laundry. In any event, the girl had scratches on her face and hemorrhaging in the eyes, and the official cause of death was determined to be blunt head injury.
Bodden was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, and Kiania's siblings were once again sent to new homes. ","perpfirstname":"Timothy","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bodden","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend to paternal aunt","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"2nd degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":236,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Josue","middlename":"","lastname":"Rosales","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 27, 2010","deathdate":"May 21, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"lee","county":"Lee","deathcausereport":"Incised wounds of neck with cut of trachea","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Josue Rosales was killed by his maternal grandfather, Manuel Rosales, who also slashed his daughter's throat during the same fit of rage and jealousy. According to the death review, Rosales had raped his daughter repeatedly while she was growing up and was the father of her first child.
When she had her second child, Josue, by another man, Rosales was furious. After he learned of a phone call between his daughter and Josue's father, Rosales went on the attack, a report of the incident said. His daughter managed to lock him out of the house but he broke back in. Rosales slashed her throat multiple times and lopped off a finger, cursing her as she bled. Then he grabbed 7-month-old Josue, slashed his throat and, the report said, laid him down beside her in the driveway, saying, "Here is your bastard child." When police arrived, Rosales was holding his other grandchild, his own offspring.
There was one prior child welfare report involving Josue's mother. It is redacted, but it appears to have involved abuse by Rosales, which prompted her to leave the country for her native Guatemala to get away from him. Returning to Florida later, she reunited with him. The consequences would be fatal for Josue, but not for his mother, who survived the throat cutting. Rosales pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, and was sentenced in September 2012 to life in prison.","perpfirstname":"Manuel","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Rosales","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":237,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Vito","middlename":"","lastname":"McQuaig","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 3, 2010","deathdate":"May 22, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Occlusive asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Vito McQuaig's mother consumed prescription drugs and marijuana throughout her pregnancy, a DCF report said at the time of the boy's birth in January 2010.
The woman, 23-year-old Tiffany McQuaig, had prescriptions for Xanax, which treats anxiety, panic disorder and insomnia, and Paxil, intended for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. She also was taking the painkiller oxycodone, which "she would obtain on the street," the report said, adding that the child's father, Vito Hoffman Jr., was similarly engaged in the regular consumption of narcotics.
Little Vito began to exhibit withdrawal symptoms, including seizures, shortly after his birth and had to remain in the hospital for treatment. As a result, Vito and a sibling were removed from their parents' care and, when he felt better, Vito was placed in a foster home run by Victoria and Cecil King. The child lived only four months.
He was found one morning lying on his back in an adult bed, his face covered by a comforter. He had suffocated, and his death was declared accidental. Vito had only recently been weaned off Methadone, but was still taking anti-seizure medication.
Two visits by DCF caseworkers to the Kings' home in the month before Vito's death showed that he was being well cared for and seemed "very happy," a report noted. But the agency said the Kings had failed to heed advice that children of Vito's age be put to sleep only in cribs and not in adult beds, and that safe-sleeping practices had been reviewed with the couple twice, the last time only 11 days before Vito died. ","perpfirstname":"Victoria","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"King","perprelation":"foster Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":238,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Victor","middlename":"","lastname":"Hill","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 25, 2010","deathdate":"May 25, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"mere minutes","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Complications of maternal cocaine intoxication","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Victor Hill, also known in DCF documents as Baby Boy Hill, was born without a discernible heartbeat at only four months of gestation, and was declared dead soon after. The cause of Victor's death was complications of maternal cocaine intoxication, and it was deemed accidental.
Victor was the second of April Hill's children to die shortly after birth as a result of her severe addiction to cocaine, the DCF death review said. In 2007, another of Hill's children, Brian, was alive for only 30 minutes after his premature birth before he succumbed to the effects of the drug. During the investigation into Brian's death, it became clear that Hill had "never obtained prenatal care" and had been "bleeding for two days before she sought medical assistance," a DCF document says.
In 2001, Hill had tested positive for cocaine at the birth of another child, and both that child and another she had at the time were removed from her care. She never regained custody of them, but there was evidently nothing to stop her from having more babies. ","perpfirstname":"April","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Hill","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":239,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Eithan","middlename":"","lastname":"Williams","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 4, 2009","deathdate":"June 9, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"7 mos.","countycode":"lake","county":"Lake","deathcausereport":"Overlaying","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Eithan Williams was the second child in his family to die.
Seven years earlier, a boy named Jonathan had passed away only a few hours after his excessively premature birth, which his father suggested was the fault of his mother's abuse of crystal meth. Buster Williams said his wife had been using drugs throughout her pregnancy with Jonathan. That same year, the woman, Laura Williams, was committed for a time to a psychiatric institution.
Three other abuse reports — one of them in Alabama — followed before Eithan's death on June 9, 2010, in a dirty apartment with holes in the ceiling, steak knives on the floor of the children's bedroom and "a lot of empty beer cans." One of Williams' daughters told an investigator that her mother would "drink a couple of beers when she gets up because they are cold and it wakes her up."
When Williams was asked how her son had come to die in her bed, she said she had placed the 7-month-old baby face-down on her chest and that some three hours later she awoke to find Eithan "not moving and cold." When paramedics arrived they found rigor mortis in the boy's extremities and jaw, indicating that he had been dead for quite some time.
The death was ruled an accident and Williams was not accused of a crime, but six weeks after Eithan's death she was arrested and charged with fraud. A week later she was arrested again and charged with several additional counts, including dealing in stolen property. At about the same time, a report said, she was smoking crack and taking Xanax and Klonopin, both unprescribed.
The following month, DCF removed Williams' three surviving children and placed them in the custody of their father, who had been incarcerated at the time of Eithan's death. But the move had its own risks, since Buster Williams' own family had described him as alcoholic and suicidal, with a history of arrests and wrecked cars.
The department's death review suggests that the prior reports involving Laura Williams' drug use were not relevant to what happened to Eithan. ","perpfirstname":"Laura","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Williams","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":240,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Shiloh","middlename":"","lastname":"Casey","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 17, 2006","deathdate":"June 10, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"3","countycode":"lake","county":"Lake","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma assault","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Shiloh Casey had been playing outside the family's trailer home when he fell down, according to his mother's boyfriend, Matthew Byrd. Bleeding profusely from the head, Shiloh was airlifted to a hospital and ended up on life support. He died a week later.
Doctors who examined Shiloh's injuries said he had been abused, and a medical examiner called the case a homicide. Byrd, who was charged with second-degree murder, had a history of domestic violence and a penchant for drugs and alcohol, DCF files show.
Byrd and Shiloh's mother, Marlena Lindsey, had a record of fighting with each other. Ten months earlier, the boy's father, Aaron Casey, reported that Byrd had left a $25 bag of marijuana in the trailer and that Shiloh's sibling had ingested it. The report was closed two months later with "no indicators of substance misuse and inadequate supervision."
A month after Shiloh's death, police searched the trailer and found marijuana stashed in the children's bedroom. ","perpfirstname":"Matthew","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Byrd","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"second-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":241,"docindex":15,"firstname":"Deondray","middlename":"Dooley","lastname":"Ashe","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 10, 2007","deathdate":"June 14, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"2","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Blunt force injury","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Born at 27 weeks and weighed only 1 pound and 15 ounces, Deondray Ashe breathed with the aid of a tube and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. He spent the first 15 months of his life in a nursing home, but was then placed in the care of his mother, a licensed practical nurse. At first, Deondray's family was given 24-hour in-home nursing care, but the hours available for that care were later reduced by the state.
Twice during his short life, Deondray was hospitalized with suspicious injuries. On March 26, 2010, DCF was told that Deondray — nicknamed Dooley by his family — had two rib fractures of unexplained origin, as well as post-cranial bleeding. The toddler, who was by then able to walk, was described as crying and stumbling, with "loss of motor control and crossed eyes." Deondray's mother, Ina M. Brown, and the boy's stepfather, Marcus Brown, denied injuring the boy, and blamed his injuries on the family dog, who had allegedly knocked Deondray over two weeks earlier. But Deondray's father, Marcus Smith Jr., told the Miami Herald that the dog weighed a mere 10 pounds. Ina Brown also told authorities that Deondray had fallen between the headboard and the mattress of a bed.
There was another troubling sign: A worker at the medical daycare center that Deondray attended later told authorities that the boy "would cry when family came to pick him up, and did not want to go home." And yet investigators said they were impressed by the Browns, concluded the couple had not abused the boy, and closed their investigation without taking any significant action to improve his safety.
On June 14, 2010, Deondray was found dead, and was already in rigor mortis when he was taken to a hospital. His injuries were as severe as they were extensive: He had suffered 28 bruises to his head and face; his brain was bloody and swollen; his ribs were cracked on both sides of his body; and he had injuries both inside and outside his mouth.
The child's mother told investigators she had watched her husband hit the toddler "five to 10 times in frustration" as Deondray failed to follow orders while sitting on a potty training chair. A report to DCF said Marcus Brown hit the little boy with a belt on his face, head and upper back. Deondray's brother told authorities he would get a "whooping" with a belt or a stick whenever he misbehaved, and Deondray's sister led police to the stick, taped at one of the ends to make a handle, that Marcus Brown used to beat Deondray and the other children. After he died, Deondray's siblings were adopted by their maternal grandfather.
Ina Brown is serving a 10-year-sentence for her role in the boy's death, while Marcus Brown was sentenced to 12 years.","perpfirstname":"Marcus","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Brown","perprelation":"StepFather","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"manslaughter, sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.","perp2firstname":"Ina","perp2middlename":"M. ","perp2lastname":"Brown","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"yes","perp2charges":"aggravated manslaughter and neglect of a child with great bodily harm."}, {"dataid":242,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Naymari","middlename":"","lastname":"Vazquez","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 2, 2009","deathdate":"June 19, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Naymari Vazquez and her sister were left in the bathtub while their mother was meeting with an attorney to fill out legal documents in the living room. A short time later, she checked on the siblings and found 14-month-month-old Naymari face-down in the water. She died three days later.
DCF records show that there were seven prior complaints to DCF about the family, of which five were redacted. Naymari's mother, Vanessa Vazquez, had an extensive criminal history, with 24 arrests and at least one period of incarceration, and her father, Lazario Fernandez, was a registered sex offender.
About six weeks after Naymari was born, DCF received a report that Vazquez was not taking her medication for schizophrenia. The report also noted that the two eldest of her four children were not in her custody. Vazquez was referred to an in-home parenting program.
The second report alleged that Fernandez had "kidnapped the mom in her own home" and had previously stabbed her when she was pregnant. He also allegedly "took a machete and went after the mother," and was said to have "murder instincts."
About three weeks after that incident, Vazquez was staying in a domestic-violence facility. No other details were available and there is no documentation that Vazquez participated in any services recommended by the agency. ","perpfirstname":"Vanessa","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Vazquez","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":243,"docindex":null,"firstname":"DeWayne","middlename":"","lastname":"Page","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 9, 2007","deathdate":"June 21, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"2","countycode":"franklin","county":"Franklin","deathcausereport":"Delayed complications of near-drowning","deathcause":"other","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"DeWayne Page's family had a long history with DCF that included allegations of drug abuse and violence. Both his parents had served time behind bars.
His mother, Jasmen Yon, was said to have been neglected as a child, and her case file said she was running away and doing drugs by the age of 14. A year later, she was pregnant with the first of three children.
DeWayne was her youngest, born in December 2007, and Yon tested positive for cocaine at the time of his birth, DCF's report said. As a result, the children were sheltered with relatives, and shortly afterward, Yon was arrested on drug charges in an unrelated case.
In July 2008, she was sent to prison, and her relatives were given permanent guardianship of DeWayne and his two siblings.
However, after Yon was released from jail in March 2010, she was granted unsupervised weekend visits with her children. It was during one of those visits three months later that DeWayne fell into a swimming pool while his mother "went into the house for a few minutes." DeWayne died three days after the incident.
An analysis of DCF's records said that "the mother's ability to care for the children was not documented and the agency failed to take into account Yon's "lengthy abuse history" and her time served in prison as part of a thorough assessment to determine appropriate safety factors, especially at the initiation of unsupervised visitation. ","perpfirstname":"Jasmen","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Yon","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":244,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Evan","middlename":"","lastname":"Henry","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 7, 2006","deathdate":"June 29, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"3","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Evan Henry lived a short, tumultuous life. His mother, Amy Hari, was diagnosed as bipolar, and would yell and scream and once kicked a hole in the wall, according to DCF documents. She held a pillow over the face of Evan's infant sister to make her stop crying, and would hit her, leaving bruises, the documents say.
Evan was referred to counseling after his father was suspected of improperly touching him, one of five abuse reports that DCF received over a three-year period. Despite the referral, the death review says no counseling or other services were provided to Evan or the rest of the family.
After Evan's parents divorced, his mother remarried. One day when Evan was 3, he got into their apartment complex's swimming pool while his stepfather, Jason Hari, spoke with a neighbor nearby. When last seen, Evan was playing on the stairs in the shallow end. During their conversation, the neighbor asked Hari what the child was doing. When Hari looked at the pool, Evan was floating face-down in the water. He had drowned. Hari said later that the child had not wearing "floaties" because the family "could not afford such items." ","perpfirstname":"Jason","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Hari","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":245,"docindex":148,"firstname":"Taylor","middlename":"","lastname":"Jacobs","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 3, 1997","deathdate":"June 30, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"12","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Hypoxic/ischemic encephalopathy due to hanging","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"suicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"On the day Taylor Jacobs committed suicide, she was at her mother's house, where she had spent the night despite a court order prohibiting unsupervised contact between the two. At the time, Taylor was in the custody of her maternal grandmother while her mother, Connie Jacobs, dealt with substance-abuse issues.
Taylor's maternal grandparents had signed a safety plan promising not to leave the child unsupervised with her mother, but the grandmother relented and took Taylor to spend the night with Jacobs after the 12-year-old girl pleaded to visit.
The following day, Taylor hanged herself with a dog leash in a doorway. She was found by her mother, and would linger for six days before dying on June 30, 2010.
There had been two prior reports involving Taylor and her brother, who was four years older. The first report, in October 2009, alleged that Jacobs had been abusing Oxycontin and other pain medications. The report said Jacobs had given her son pills that had fueled his own addiction. Taylor, then 11, was "also looking for pills around the house" and "claimed she wanted to commit suicide," the report said. Her brother entered a residential treatment program and the case was closed on Nov. 19, 2009, with "no indicators of child maltreatment" and no service needs were identified.
That same day, a second report was received claiming that Jacobs had attempted suicide by overdosing on Oxycontin and Xanax. Again, the report noted that there was concern over Taylor's mental health as she had reportedly attempted suicide two months earlier by cutting her arm.
On a visit to the home, DCF investigators said it was messy and dirty, and that Jacobs tested positive for a series of prescription medications, none of which had been prescribed. She also admitted to "snuffing" the meds to increase their effects. The siblings were removed from Jacobs' legal custody and placed in the temporary care of their maternal grandmother — Taylor's brother remained in the residential treatment program. About three weeks before she died, Taylor had been committed under the Baker Act after a suspected overdose on a Xanax bar. A DCF review two months after Taylor's death noted glaring gaps in the agency's handling of the case ranging from failing to assess the girl's mental health needs to little follow-up on services.","perpfirstname":"Connie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Jacobs","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Dolores","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Vorona","perp2relation":"maternal grandmother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":246,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Bryden","middlename":"","lastname":"Rideaux","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 9, 2010","deathdate":"July 14, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Blunt force head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Bryden was alive for just five months when he was killed. His mother, Courtney Lombardo, had been the subject of five prior DCF reports, though details of the reports were redacted by the agency. Lombardo and her sister, Jaime Lombardo, often left their children with Jaime's ex-boyfriend, Gary Sipek, when they ran errands, a DCR report said.
On July 14, 2010, Bryden and his twin brother had a slight cough and were congested, but the Lombardos left their children in Sipek's care, as he had watched them previously.
Sipek at first said he had been rocking his own child to sleep and returned to check on Bryden after 15 minutes or so and found him unresponsive. He did not know how it had happened, he said. Later, in a recorded interview, he admitted that he had "lost control" and shaken the child violently because he would not stop crying. The cause of death was blunt-force head trauma.
Sipek was convicted of aggravated manslaughter and is serving 15 years.
The review of Bryden's death said that even after the child's death, DCF has continued to receive reports about the family, noting that the agency needed to make sure that his surviving siblings were safe.","perpfirstname":"Gary","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Sipek","perprelation":"babysitter - former boyfriend to mom's sister","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"homicide/aggravated manslaughter of a child","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":247,"docindex":109,"firstname":"Lennon","middlename":"","lastname":"Crepeau","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 24, 2006","deathdate":"July 23, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"4","countycode":"santarosa","county":"Santa Rosa","deathcausereport":"Acute methadone intoxication","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"The parents of 4-year-old Lennon Crepeau had a long, well-documented history of abusing narcotics, particularly methadone. Mother Lisa Bardwell also had been accused of physically abusing the boy, though records suggest DCF did not intervene even when the abuse allegation was confirmed. Father Jason Bardwell had drug prescriptions from at least three states, and had been prescribed methadone from a doctor in Louisiana who had lost his license to prescribe narcotics due to his efforts on behalf of drug addicts. In all, DCF had investigated members of the family four times.
On July 23, 2010, Lennon Crepeau ingested a large dose of methadone and died. His parents said they did not know where the youngster obtained the narcotic, though both parents acknowledged that Jason Bardwell kept a "bag of prescriptions" in the house, and Lennon had gotten ahold of the drugs in the past.","perpfirstname":"Lisa","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bardwell","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Jason","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Bardwell","perp2relation":"stepfather","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":248,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Willie","middlename":"","lastname":"Alexander","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 11, 2003","deathdate":"July 27, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"6","countycode":"okeechobee","county":"Okeechobee","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Seven-year-old Willie Alexander, who had been left with brain damage as a toddler after eating some of his father's medications, liked to play by the pond near his home. On July 27, 2010, he went into the pond to retrieve a water pistol and drowned.
His 18-year-old brother, who was also mentally disabled, said he did not try to save Willie because he was afraid of the water. Willie's mother, Margaret Alexander, who was home at the time with her husband, said she had resisted teaching the boys how to swim because her adult daughter had almost drowned during a swimming lesson.
A Child Protection Team report found "overall neglect" of Willie, and said the lack of supervision by his parents contributed to his death. The family had been the subject of five prior child abuse reports and two allegations of physical abuse of the mother by the children's father. ","perpfirstname":"Willie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Alexander, Sr.","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Margaret","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Alexander","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":249,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Janiyah","middlename":"","lastname":"Simmons","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 15, 2008","deathdate":"July 28, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"2","countycode":"columbia","county":"Columbia","deathcausereport":"Abusive blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Janiyah Simmons was rushed to a hospital in July 2010 after what her family said was a near drowning. She died the following day. But that was no drowning.
Janiyah and her 16-month-old brother had been viciously abused, investigators concluded. Although they lived in Fort Lauderdale with their mother, Carina McKever, Janiyah and her brother were in Lake City for the summer, in the care of April Worthy, their mother's girlfriend.
Three days before the purported drowning, a visitor to the house was warned to "cover her ears" because Worthy was going to take Janiyah into her room and beat "the air out of her," a DCF document says. Worthy was then observed pummeling Janiyah with a belt, a belt buckle, a shoe and another object that punctured her skin, according to a police account. Janiyah's brother also was "repeatedly beaten throughout the day" and forced to stand in a corner for seven hours. The boy's hands were duct-taped behind his head as punishment for moving them, the police report said.
At one point that day, Worthy told her brother, Sammie Worthy, and his girlfriend, Britani Davis — who had lost custody of their own child because of abuse allegations — that she might have beaten Janiyah to death. The child appeared to revive somewhat, and Sammie Worthy was heard to say about half an hour later that he thought the toddler was alright "because she was able to walk."
Three days later, Janiyah died. Her injuries included abusive head trauma and retinal hemorrhages, and there was evidence that she had been sodomized. She had bruises "too many to count," an autopsy report said, as well as marks and puncture wounds all over her body that were "consistent with being struck multiple times with objects." The medical examiner wrote that Janiyah's injuries suggested that she had been "likely terrorized from being subjected to continued physical abuse during her visit with her mother's paramour" for a period of 18 days.
April Worthy was convicted of aggravated manslaughter and child abuse and is serving a 17-year prison sentence. Davis, known by the Department of Corrections as Britani Worthy, was convicted of two counts of child abuse and one count of being an accessory after the fact, and was given a five-year sentence. Sammie Worthy likewise received a five-year prison term after being convicted of child abuse and with being an accessory.
A medical examination of Janiyah's brother showed that he too had what appeared to be shoe impressions on his body, as well as puncture marks on his right leg and bruises on his face, abdomen, back and penis. He was anemic and his language skills were delayed. His mother's parental rights were terminated in January 2011, and an adoption process was initiated, DCF files say.
The family had nine prior investigations, one of which involved inadequate supervision of Janiyah and her brother by McKever, their mother. Most of the probes involved McKever as a victim, when she was a child. Nevertheless, the family was supposedly under protective supervision at the time of Janiyah's death.","perpfirstname":"April","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Worthy","perprelation":"Mother's girlfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated child abuse and first-degree felony murder","perp2firstname":"Britani","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Davis","perp2relation":"family friend","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":"aggravated child abuse and first degree felony murder"}, {"dataid":250,"docindex":76,"firstname":"Melinda","middlename":"","lastname":"Harr","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 12, 1993","deathdate":"July 29, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"16","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Oxymorphone intoxication","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Melinda Harr had been dead in her bedroom for as long as two days before her mother decided to check on her and discovered the 16-year-old girl's body. She had overdosed on the pain reliever Oxymorphone and other drugs.
The teen's death should have surprised no one: A report to DCF said she had talked about killing herself often, and that she had attempted to do so on several occasions.
Police said they believed the teenager's mother, Debra Harr, was herself under the influence of drugs when they arrived to investigate Melinda's death, and they seized "multiple items related to drug use" from the Harr home, an incident report said.
Beginning in September 2008, DCF received six abuse reports about the family, predominantly allegations of drug abuse and domestic violence, and in most cases called in to the hotline by professionals such as teachers. As part of one 2009 investigation, three of Harr's children were questioned and admitted to "stealing and using" their mother's drugs. Investigators also obtained statements from 11 students to the effect that one of Harr's daughters was either handing out or selling her mother's pills at school. The investigation was closed with "some indicators" that Harr's drug use imperiled her children. A DCF lawyer said there was no evidence of "abuse, abandonment or neglect."
Later that year, the agency received another report about the family's drug use. When the investigator arrived, Melinda admitted that she had taken two of her mother's pills, and the girl's eyes were reported to be glassy and her speech slurred, and she could barely stay awake. Harr also appeared to be impaired. The investigation was closed with no action, other than Harr's signature on a safety plan promising to "not abuse any prescription drugs" or provide them to the children. Once again, DCF lawyers determined that the agency lacked authority to do anything.
A 2010 hotline report, claiming that Melinda was abusing narcotics again, was still being investigated when Melinda overdosed. That investigation too was closed with a finding that the allegation of drug abuse was "not substantiated." ","perpfirstname":"Debra","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Harr","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":251,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Willie","middlename":"Nehemiah","lastname":"Brown","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 11, 2008","deathdate":"August 3, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"2","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Lee Willie DeJesus thought it would be a good idea to teach his two-year-old son how to box, but instead inflicted such a beating on the boy that he collapsed and died, an investigation showed.
At first, DeJesus had a variety of explanations for Willie's poor condition when the child was airlifted to a hospital. He said he had opened a door swiftly, striking Willie on the head. He also blamed an unnamed babysitter.
Later, DeJesus explained that he had put on 16-ounce boxing gloves and struck Willie about 15 times in the face, head and torso with such force that he knocked him into a wall, prompting a seizure and bleeding in the boy's brain, according to a report of the incident. After the blows, Willie had trouble breathing. DeJesus waited some 30 minutes before summoning medical assistance, but was too late to save his son.
Willie's mother, Zipporah Brown, who was pregnant with a second child at the time, told authorities that DeJesus would strike Willie often, what she called giving him a "whoopin'." Whenever that happened, she would leave the room, she said, because she did not like to hear Willie cry. DeJesus was arrested for the crime and later killed himself in jail.
The family had been the subject of two prior hotline reports, once when Willie's mother got into a brawl with his father's relatives, and on another occasion when Brown's electricity was shut off for lack of payment and she was evicted. ","perpfirstname":"Lee","perpmiddlename":"Willie","perplastname":"DeJesus","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"second-degree felony murder","perp2firstname":"Zipporah","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Brown","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":252,"docindex":null,"firstname":"James","middlename":"","lastname":"Weir","suffix":"IV","gender":"male","birthdate":"December 19, 2008","deathdate":"August 4, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"citrus","county":"Citrus","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Years before James Weir IV was born, three other children had been removed from his mother's care by authorities in Maryland and adopted, the first when she was 17 years old. The mother, Crystal Martin, subsequently had three more children, two girls and James. The boy drowned in a swimming pool after Martin walked away to deliver a cellphone to the child's father, James Weir, who was expecting a call.
Martin, 30 years old at the time, explained to investigators that she had only been gone "a second," though she had traveled some 125 feet each way before discovering her son, who had been in an inflatable penguin, floating face-down in the pool. Martin's story later evolved, and she conceded that she might have been gone for as long as 15 minutes, roughly the amount of time an autopsy showed James had been in the water.
Throughout her interview with a child abuse investigator, Martin showed "a distinct absence of guilt, shame, fear, grief, and all emotions involved with such a horrible incident," and "interjected the conversation with inconsequential details, laughed, and smiled," the DCF report said. Weir, the father, said his wife was "not the brightest tool in the shed," and then proceeded to insult the investigator, telling her she was "a lying, deceptive, vicious bitch" and instructed her to contact his attorney if she wished to speak with him further.
Prior reports involving the family's members included a 1998 report that the children were living in "dangerous, life-threatening, unsanitary conditions," as the home was "roach-infested [with] garbage, spoiled food, feces, and used sanitary napkins on the floors, beds and in" a child's crib. An allegation in 2006 said that an older sibling had been exposed to drugs. In that case, an investigator failed to ask about other children or prior abuse history.
Before James died, the family was homeless for a time, and a report said they fixed the problem by breaking into an elderly relative's house while she was away, and it was there that the boy drowned.","perpfirstname":"Crystal","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Martin","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"James","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Weir","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":253,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Peyton","middlename":"","lastname":"Brown","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 30, 2008","deathdate":"August 7, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"bay","county":"Bay","deathcausereport":"Blunt abdominal injury","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Peyton Brown's mother, Brittney Porchia, was pregnant with him, the boy's father was charged with beating her. On another occasion, the man, Thomas Brown IV, tossed Peyton's mother out of a car, breaking her arm, according to DCF's file on the family.
The documents said that Porchia tried to kill herself after one violent incident, and yet both a judge and DCF gave custody of the boy to Brown despite several questionable factors — his violent history, the fact that he frequently moved from home to home, that he lacked beds for the kids, and that he left the children in the care of a man with a criminal background. Brown was not given an anger management assessment.
On Aug. 7, 2010, Brown left 15-month-old Peyton and a sibling at home alone while he went to a Kmart. Later that day, Peyton was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he was dead on arrival.
Brown's claim that the boy had fallen off a couch did not adequately explain his extensive injuries, including a bruise and a knot on the left side of his forehead and a distended abdomen, suggesting broken ribs. Peyton's 7-month-old sister was checked too and was found to have a bruised cheek and a bruised abdomen.
An autopsy of Peyton's body revealed even more injuries: eight internal lacerations; contusions to his head, chest and abdomen; a scar on his leg; a swollen left wrist; and a laceration on his liver. Brown was subsequently convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse and is serving a life sentence. ","perpfirstname":"Thomas","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Brown","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"Convicted of first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":254,"docindex":81,"firstname":"Marisela","middlename":"","lastname":"Tillman-Lopez","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 1, 2010","deathdate":"August 10, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"9 days","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Suffocation (co-sleeping)","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Marisela Tillman-Lopez's 23-year-old mother had given birth to five children — and lost parental rights to all five — when she had Marisela in August 2010. Kendra Tillman had been charged with an "egregious" act involving one of the children, for which she had been found guilty of aggravated child abuse, according to the family's DCF file.
The birth of Marisela while her mother was still on probation should have prompted immediate action by child welfare officials, but it did not. Tillman's family-care manager was aware of the birth but said later that she had forgotten to call it in to the DCF child-abuse hotline.
When Marisela was 10 days old, her mother took a sleeping pill and fell asleep with the infant in her bed, despite having received admonitions at the hospital about the dangers of sleeping with babies. In the morning, Marisela was cold and unmoving. Paramedics were summoned and pronounced the child dead.
An autopsy found the cause of death to be suffocation, but that was later changed to sudden unexplained infant death syndrome. According to the DCF death review, the amended cause of death meant that while child welfare officials had probably erred in not removing Marisela from the home, she might have died anyway. Nonetheless, a "quality assurance review" by the agency cited a litany of failures in handling the family, which had been the subject of 16 prior investigations by DCF. ","perpfirstname":"Kendra","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Tillman","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Juan","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Lopez","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":255,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Adielana","middlename":"","lastname":"Martinez","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 11, 2008","deathdate":"August 14, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Adielana Martinez was a month shy of 2 years old when she drowned in her family's swimming pool in Broward County. Her mother, Stacy Martinez-Chaabani, was recovering from surgery and was sleeping when her daughter drowned, a DCF document said.
An emergency-room doctor who examined Adielana posited that an anal tear meant she might have been sexually assaulted, but a medical examiner found no evidence of sexual abuse.
The Department of Health's Child Protection Team wrote that "pools in residential homes should have fences, and toddlers this age should never be left alone." No charges were filed in the case, although Martinez-Chaabani, the mother of three other children, had previously been charged with larceny and a probation violation. The family had been the subject of a previous abuse/neglect investigation by DCF, in 2008, but the agency concluded that there were "no indicators for family violence and threatened harm." ","perpfirstname":"Rodrigo","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Maldonado","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Stacy","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Martinez-Chaabani","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":256,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jadah","middlename":"","lastname":"Anderson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 18, 2010","deathdate":"August 16, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"escambia","county":"Escambia","deathcausereport":"Interstitial pneumonitis","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jadah Anderson was found face-down in her crib alongside a doll and a plastic bag smeared with blood.
Her mother, Proscia Anderson, had been the subject of multiple DCF reports in Texas and Florida, the most recent of which had closed only six days before Jadah died. Four of the 12 cases in Texas, before the family moved to Florida, directly involved Jadah, including a call from a domestic violence shelter saying the mother had shaken the child, cursed at her and told her to shut up. Jadah was briefly removed from her mother's custody after that incident. Two older children had earlier been placed with their maternal grandmother.
Child welfare officials attempted to help Anderson improve her parenting skills, but during a home visit by a Healthy Start nurse a month before the child died, Anderson was "uncooperative," "irritable" and "angry." She tested positive for cocaine and benzodiazepines — sometimes used to treat anxiety and sleeping problems — a day after her daughter's death.
Anderson, who suffered from epilepsy and had once been arrested for domestic violence, had herself been a victim of such violence from Jadah's father. Although an autopsy determined that Jadah had died from pneumonia, the DCF concluded that there were "certainly valid questions as to whether this child should have been left in the care of her mother." ","perpfirstname":"Proscia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Anderson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":257,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kyli","middlename":"Grace","lastname":"Haynes","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 19, 2009","deathdate":"August 25, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"okaloosa","county":"Okaloosa","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"If child-welfare officials in Florida had heeded their counterparts in Alabama, Kyli Grace Haynes might have been getting ready to start first grade.
When Kyli was born in Alabama, tests determined that her mother was positive for anti-depressants, painkillers, methadone and tetrahydrocannabinol, the main intoxicant in marijuana, and that the latter two drugs were also present in her daughter. As a result, the Alabama Department of Human Resources flagged the mother, Tara Haynes, who said when interviewed that she had back pain but admitted she had no prescription for the methadone she took for it.
"Someone told her that taking methadone during pregnancy wouldn't harm the baby, so she started buying it on the streets," a social worker wrote in a report. Haynes expressed her intent to move to Florida, where her mother "was working on a plan to get her into a methadone clinic." Officials in Alabama then contacted their colleagues in Florida to hand over the case and "so that DCF could further assess the situation to determine what, if any, services were needed by the family" once they were settled in their new home, according to a summary written after Kyli's death. But other than an initial interview with the baby's father, who tested negative for drugs at the time, there appears to have been little contact between DCF and the family.
An internal analysis of DCF's actions said the agency had "offered the family services, which were denied," but asserted that nothing else was done because the transfer of the case from Alabama did not "go through the hotline" and because the case file was lost. The DCF summary blamed the out-of-state officials. "The agency in Alabama really should have requested courtesy supervision in this case in order to drug-test the mother for a period of time," the summary said. A death review concluded that the case "fell through the cracks" between the agencies in the two states.
On Aug. 24, 2010, less than a week after Kyli turned a year old, she drowned in a bathtub while her mother stood outside the house, talking on a phone and with two men in a truck for at least 20 minutes, according a police report. It was another half-hour before an ambulance was summoned to the house, the report said. There were inconsistencies in Haynes' accounts of how long she had been out of the house and what she had been doing, and she appeared to blame Kyli's 3-year-old sibling for turning on the taps in the bathtub.
"I can't believe this," Haynes told a neighbor. "The first time I ever leave them in the tub and this happens." When police searched the home, they found a cigar box with marijuana, a pipe, rolling papers, partially smoked joints, an empty bottle of hydrocodone and three methadone pills.
Kyli's death was ruled an accident and no charges were filed. "No one can determine with any accuracy," the DCF summary said, "whether or not the department's continued involvement with the family after they moved to Florida would have had any impact on the events leading to this child's death." ","perpfirstname":"Tara","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Haynes","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":258,"docindex":23,"firstname":"Jossue","middlename":"","lastname":"Caderno","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 6, 2007","deathdate":"August 28, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"3","countycode":"miami-dade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Environmental hyperthermia","deathcause":"other","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Jossue Caderno's mother, Maytee Martinez, had been the subject of 10 investigations for neglect and abuse, including allegations of physical abuse and sexual exploitation, before the boy's death in August 2010. Twice before Jossue was born, Martinez's children had been taken from her for their protection, and twice they were returned a short time later.
After Martinez fell asleep and left him in the family's car for as long as four hours, in temperatures that could have exceeded 130 degrees, her four surviving children were taken from her again. Martinez — referred to in DCF files by the surname Leiva — was charged with manslaughter and aggravated child abuse. Less than a year later, while Martinez was still on probation, the surviving children were returned to her once more.
A hotline report about the family in May 2010, three months before Jossue died, said the five children were sleeping on the floor of a trailer "that has very poor hygiene," but the investigation was closed with no indications of "maltreatment" or environmental hazards. An assessment of the agency's handling of the family said that three of the investigations into hotline reports "reflected a lack of thorough documentation." ","perpfirstname":"Maytee","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Martinez","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"manslaughter and aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":259,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Hayden","middlename":"Jean","lastname":"Price Morgan","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 23, 2010","deathdate":"September 3, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"santarosa","county":"Santa Rosa","deathcausereport":"Probable asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Hayden Price Morgan was 2 months old, DCF received two hotline calls saying that his mother, Kristin Cook, admitted not wanting him, and that she was abusive and neglectful. "She was always yelling at the child," one report said. "Mom seems to be on something because she is nice one minute, then she will go off the next minute."
Hayden's grandmother, Cynthia Price, acknowledged that Cook had wanted to give the boy up for adoption. The second report was still open when Hayden died, most likely smothered accidentally by his sleeping father, David Cook.
The boy had been living with extended family members in a house that was described by investigators as being "in deplorable condition with drug paraphernalia throughout." Hayden's grandfather, for instance, admitted that he urinated in cups so he did not have to walk to the bathroom.
After Hayden died, his mother posted comments on websites blaming the child's death on his father. Before Hayden's birth, DCF had received six reports about the family going back to 1995. ","perpfirstname":"David","perpmiddlename":"Alexander Hamilton","perplastname":"Cook","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Kristin","perp2middlename":"L.","perp2lastname":"Cook","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":260,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jamisa","middlename":"","lastname":"Poitier","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 8, 2008","deathdate":"September 4, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Massive internal bleeding/thoraco-abdominal blunt force inuries/blunt impacts to torso","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Shari Morris went to a party and left her children with her boyfriend, Ronald Deliard. She later received a call from Deliard saying that Morris' 1-year-old daughter, Jamisa Poitier, was "crying just like her."
The Broward Sheriff's Office said Deliard also sent a text message to Morris urging her to return home to deal with her fussy baby because, he wrote, "I ain't her daddy."
The next morning, Morris' relatives found a terrible scene. Jamisa had been found lying "in a pool of blood, unresponsive." Four of Jamisa's teeth were "strewn around the sofa bed where she had slept, and her mouth was full of blood," a BSO release said.
The cause of Jamisa's death was massive internal bleeding, the result of abdominal blunt-force injuries. At first, police arrested Deliard for Jamisa's killing, but prosecutors declined to press charges.
A review of Jamisa's death documented at least one contact between DCF and Morris in 2005, and what appear to be two contacts between DCF and Deliard, but details of those investigations are redacted.","perpfirstname":"Ronald","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Deliard","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":261,"docindex":149,"firstname":"Triumph","middlename":"Alexander","lastname":"Skinner","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 10, 2010","deathdate":"September 12, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"7 mos.","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Blunt abdominal trauma, blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Keith Skinner insisted he had paid his debt to society. He wanted a second chance to help raise his long-time partner's new baby, Triumph Skinner, and DCF administrators agreed. It was a decision that turned deadly.
In February 2004, DCF learned that Brittany Ford, then just 2, after visiting her father, had been found to have welts and bruises on her back and bottom consistent with being beaten with a coat hanger. Her mother, Michelle Ford, and father, Keith Skinner, were both homeless, but living apart. Ford was in a shelter with Brittany, and Skinner was staying with a friend. They both said they had no idea who may have harmed the toddler.
Five days later, DCF received a second report: This time, Skinner confessed that he had whipped Brittany with a belt, and punched Ford in the face as she was holding Brittany because she didn't have any clean diapers when she brought him the child. That case was closed a little more than a month later with verified findings of family violence, and beatings toward the child. Skinner was arrested and jailed for three years on charges of child abuse and neglect.
While Skinner was in jail, DCF received yet another abuse complaint, in March 2007, alleging that Ford was screaming threats at Brittany, vowing to "bash in" her head. "Brittany is at grave risk of being abused," the report said. Nevertheless, DCF closed the case just seven days later as unfounded and offered the mother no services.
Upon his release from prison a year later, Skinner returned home, saying he was a changed man. Ford had a new baby on the way, from a different man, but Skinner agreed to raise the child as his own, even though he was prohibited from having contact with Brittany.
When Triumph was born in February 2010, DCF received another abuse report stating that Skinner was living with Ford and there was concern he would be a danger to Ford's newborn, given his history of violence. DCF investigated, took their word for it that he was not living there, then gave the couple a "resource packet" and closed the probe in April.
In the months that followed, Skinner was in and out of the home, babysitting the children. There's no record that DCF checked on the children's welfare. Brittany, then 8, would later tell DCF investigators that her father was scary, that he had choked Triumph almost daily by placing his hands over her brother's mouth and whispering: "Hush the noise boy; hush the noise."
Ford was often present when Skinner was harming the baby, but was too frightened to intervene, she later told DCF investigators.
On Sept. 12, 2010, Skinner's torture went too far. The 7-month-old stopped breathing, and his battered body was brought to this hospital. Brittany would later tell DCF that he looked like "he got run over by a bus." The medical examiner ruled he died of blunt abdominal and head trauma and a perforation of his bowel. Skinner tried to persuade Ford to say that the baby fell off the bed. However, he was charged with aggravated manslaughter upon a child and is currently serving a 21-year prison sentence. ","perpfirstname":"Keith","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Skinner","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"sentenced to 21 years in prison","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter against a child","perp2firstname":"Michelle","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Ford","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":262,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Benjamin","middlename":"","lastname":"Ortiz","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 19, 2009","deathdate":"September 12, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"8 mos.","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Probable asphyxiation caused by overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Eight-month-old Benjamin Ortiz died of "probable asphyxiation caused by overlay," according to the Palm Beach Medical Examiner, meaning authorities believe one of Benjamin's parents smothered him to death accidentally while he was sleeping next to them in an adult bed.
Benjamin's mother told police that the infant's father was drunk at a barbecue the family attended the night before, and a detective wrote that, when he met the boy's father the morning Benjamin died, he "smelled a strong odor of alcohol on his person." DCF had investigated the family twice before. ","perpfirstname":"Cynthia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Chajon","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Benjamin","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Ortiz","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":263,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Peyton","middlename":"","lastname":"Joshua","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 17, 2010","deathdate":"September 17, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"leon","county":"Leon","deathcausereport":"Blunt-force head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"At least seven times since 1998, DCF had been told that bad things were happening at the Kids Club Preschool in Tallahassee.
A 1-year-old boy sustained scratches and bite marks on his face. Another 1-year-old reportedly was "slung" around by a caregiver. One child claimed to have been spanked by an employee, who shouted, "If you don't shut up, I'm going to give you some more." A 3-year-old boy told authorities he'd been beaten seven or eight times with a belt. One 7-month-old was hospitalized after she choked on the bark of a tree and required surgery on her lungs. A 7-month-old baby sustained a "busted" nose.
On Sept. 10, 2010, another report to DCF said that children were being hit by staff members at the daycare center. That investigation was still under way when one of the employees, Barbara Jean Knight, beat 5-month-old Peyton Joshua to death.
Although a child-care licensing official with DCF had written in 2006 that Kids Club had "too many issues for too long without strong action being taken," a review of Peyton's death does not indicate that any such action ever occurred. The review suggests that Kids Club's long history of alleged child abuse — and the state's failure to police the facility — "were not considered directly relevant" to Peyton's subsequent death.
Knight is serving a 13-year prison sentence at the Lowell Annex prison after being convicted of aggravated manslaughter of a child.","perpfirstname":"Barbara","perpmiddlename":"Jean","perplastname":"Knight","perprelation":"day care worker","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"Knight was given a 13-year sentence on a conviction for aggravated manslaughter of a child","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":264,"docindex":10,"firstname":"Bryan","middlename":"","lastname":"Barnett","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 4, 1996","deathdate":"September 27, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"14","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound to head","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"For three years, Patrick Dell's jealousy and rage had prompted violence, restraining orders and fear, according to relatives and people in the periphery of their Riviera Beach home. More than once, he had threatened to kill his wife, Natasha Whyte-Dell, and her many children, with dire pronouncements like "your family is going to cry today," and "you will be going to the morgue."
In December 2009, Dell was arrested for domestic violence and aggravated assault with a knife, but his wife refused to press charges. DCF closed its investigation with no verified findings of domestic violence. Dell's wife took steps to divorce him on three occasions, only to relent each time. She eventually turned him out of the house, and Dell was said to have been living in his car outside.
Finally, in the early hours of Sept. 27, 2010, after someone overheard him saying he was going to kill his family, he did just that. Police said he forced himself into the house and fatally shot his wife in the head, along with four of her children from previous relationships — Bryan Barnett, 14; Daniel Barnett, 10; Diane Barnett, 13; and Javon Nelson, 11. Another Barnett boy was injured but survived. Dell spared the two children his wife had borne him, a 3-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy. As police arrived at the scene of the carnage, Dell put the gun to his head and fired the final fatal shot. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":265,"docindex":10,"firstname":"Diane","middlename":"","lastname":"Barnett","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 27, 1997","deathdate":"September 27, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"13","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound to head","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"For three years, Patrick Dell's jealousy and rage had prompted violence, restraining orders and fear, according to relatives and people in the periphery of their Riviera Beach home. More than once, he had threatened to kill his wife, Natasha Whyte-Dell, and her many children, with dire pronouncements like "your family is going to cry today," and "you will be going to the morgue."
In December 2009, Dell was arrested for domestic violence and aggravated assault with a knife, but his wife refused to press charges. DCF closed its investigation with no verified findings of domestic violence. Dell's wife took steps to divorce him on three occasions, only to relent each time. She eventually turned him out of the house, and Dell was said to have been living in his car outside.
Finally, in the early hours of Sept. 27, 2010, after someone overheard him saying he was going to kill his family, he did just that. Police said he forced himself into the house and fatally shot his wife in the head, along with four of her children from previous relationships — Bryan Barnett, 14; Daniel Barnett, 10; Diane Barnett, 13; and Javon Nelson, 11. Another Barnett boy was injured but survived. Dell spared the two children his wife had borne him, a 3-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy. As police arrived at the scene of the carnage, Dell put the gun to his head and fired the final fatal shot. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":266,"docindex":10,"firstname":"Daniel","middlename":"","lastname":"Barnett","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 7, 2000","deathdate":"September 27, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"10","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound to head","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"For three years, Patrick Dell's jealousy and rage had prompted violence, restraining orders and fear, according to relatives and people in the periphery of their Riviera Beach home. More than once, he had threatened to kill his wife, Natasha Whyte-Dell, and her many children, with dire pronouncements like "your family is going to cry today," and "you will be going to the morgue."
In December 2009, Dell was arrested for domestic violence and aggravated assault with a knife, but his wife refused to press charges. DCF closed its investigation with no verified findings of domestic violence. Dell's wife took steps to divorce him on three occasions, only to relent each time. She eventually turned him out of the house, and Dell was said to have been living in his car outside.
Finally, in the early hours of Sept. 27, 2010, after someone overheard him saying he was going to kill his family, he did just that. Police said he forced himself into the house and fatally shot his wife in the head, along with four of her children from previous relationships — Bryan Barnett, 14; Daniel Barnett, 10; Diane Barnett, 13; and Javon Nelson, 11. Another Barnett boy was injured but survived. Dell spared the two children his wife had borne him, a 3-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy. As police arrived at the scene of the carnage, Dell put the gun to his head and fired the final fatal shot. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":267,"docindex":10,"firstname":"Javon","middlename":"","lastname":"Nelson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 8, 1999","deathdate":"September 27, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"11","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound to head","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"For three years, Patrick Dell's jealousy and rage had prompted violence, restraining orders and fear, according to relatives and people in the periphery of their Riviera Beach home. More than once, he had threatened to kill his wife, Natasha Whyte-Dell, and her many children, with dire pronouncements like "your family is going to cry today," and "you will be going to the morgue."
In December 2009, Dell was arrested for domestic violence and aggravated assault with a knife, but his wife refused to press charges. DCF closed its investigation with no verified findings of domestic violence. Dell's wife took steps to divorce him on three occasions, only to relent each time. She eventually turned him out of the house, and Dell was said to have been living in his car outside.
Finally, in the early hours of Sept. 27, 2010, after someone overheard him saying he was going to kill his family, he did just that. Police said he forced himself into the house and fatally shot his wife in the head, along with four of her children from previous relationships — Bryan Barnett, 14; Daniel Barnett, 10; Diane Barnett, 13; and Javon Nelson, 11. Another Barnett boy was wounded but survived. Dell spared the two children his wife had borne him, a 3-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy. As police arrived at the scene of the carnage, Dell put the gun to his head and fired the final fatal shot. ","perpfirstname":"Patrick","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Dell","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":268,"docindex":39,"firstname":"Mar'quan","middlename":"","lastname":"Montero","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 2, 2010","deathdate":"October 1, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Positional axphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"unknown","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Mar'quan Montero was living with his 22-year-old mother, Tiffany Holston, and two young siblings under the supervision of a Broward County child-welfare service provider when he died.
The placement had been ordered despite the fact that there were not enough beds and cribs for the children in the house. The night Mar'quan died, DCF files say, Holston had put him face-down in her bed with two older siblings, and he suffocated.
A DCF investigation in 2007 had verified a report of violence in the family, although details of the incident were redacted. ","perpfirstname":"Tiffany","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Holston","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":269,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Morgan","middlename":"","lastname":"Bell","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 2, 1996","deathdate":"October 1, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"14","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Acute oxycodone intoxication, plus alprazolam","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Fourteen-year-old Morgan Bell was gone from her parents' home for two days before they discovered what had happened to her. "During that time," an investigator's report said, "she was sexually assaulted and died from a drug overdose."
Police said that Morgan had been at the home a 48-year-old man who provided Oxycodone and lprazolam to the girl and a 17-year-old friend. The man was Richard Bailey, police said, and a file entry by a DCF child-protection team member said it was "likely that Mr. Bailey provided drugs to Morgan in exchange for sex."
Bailey was charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a minor. He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
DCF had investigated Morgan's family twice before, in 2006, after receiving allegations of drug abuse, environmental hazards and "exploitation," although the file that was made available to the Herald does not explain the term. ","perpfirstname":"Richard","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bailey","perprelation":"other person responsible (older guy who gave her drugs for sex)","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"lewd and lascivious battery on a minor","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":270,"docindex":46,"firstname":"Maiya","middlename":"","lastname":"Nelson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 28, 2001","deathdate":"October 3, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"9","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound to the head","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Maiya Nelson was shot to death by her mother's boyfriend, Jody Gordon, when he sprayed the family's minivan with bullets, according to police. Gordon, who had an extensive criminal history, including at least four complaints of violence against women, was charged with one count of first-degree murder and four counts of attempted murder.
Maiya's mother, Shawana Newson, had broken up with Gordon in 2009 but reunited with him later that year. On the day of the shooting, Sept. 3, 2010, the couple had a fight and she kicked him out of the home. He returned in a car driven by another woman and fired at least six bullets toward the van, police said. One struck Maiya in the head.
There had been three prior reports to DCF involving Gordon, Newson and her four children, two of whom — including Maiya — had been fathered by a man named Glynn Nelson. The conclusions drawn in cases investigated by DCF got progressively worse, with "no indicators" in 2005, "some indicators" in 2006 and a "verified" in 2009.
The 2006 report said that Gordon had rammed Newson's car with his own while three of the children were riding with their mother. DCF's legal office found insufficient grounds to pursue a court's intervention, although the family accepted crisis assistance that included counseling about parenting, anger management and domestic violence.
The 2009 report describes Newson asking Gordon to leave the house because she believed he was seeing other women. He reportedly became angry and used a golf club to smash a television and ripped a telephone from a wall when Newson tried to dial 911. She obtained an injunction against him but declined an offer of additional assistance from DCF.
The injunction was in place for just two weeks, and Gordon returned to Newson's home the following month. Ten months later, Maiya was dead.","perpfirstname":"Jody","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Gordon","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend/Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":271,"docindex":78,"firstname":"Kobe","middlename":"","lastname":"Bachellor","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 10, 2010","deathdate":"October 7, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"pasco","county":"Pasco","deathcausereport":"Closed head injury","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Before Kobe Bachellor was born, his older brother had sustained two head injuries, one of them severe. A psychologist recommended that Kobe's father, Curtis Bachellor, not be reunited with the family until he had completed anger management and parenting classes. Case managers expressed concern that Bachellor had abused the child, and a psychologist concluded that he was lying when he blamed the boy's brain bleed on a short fall to a carpeted floor.
"I don't feel I can trust the patient," the psychologist warned. Case managers were likewise concerned about Bachellor's behavior. He did not complete the classes, but a Pasco Circuit Court judge, William R. Webb, permitted Bachellor to return to the home in which both boys were living. A review of Kobe's death suggested that DCF should have considered appealing Webb's order.
Kobe, described in a report as "very fussy," was never brought under court supervision, and social workers failed to visit the family every week as planned.
On Oct. 7, 2010, when Kobe was less than 2 months old, someone shook or beat him to death. No one appears to have been charged in the case. ","perpfirstname":"Heather","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bachellor","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Curtis","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Bachellor","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":272,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Mark","middlename":"","lastname":"Moore","suffix":"Jr.","gender":"male","birthdate":"February 8, 2007","deathdate":"October 10, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"3","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Mark Moore's mother, Christine Duross, had a drug problem, according to the family's DCF files. One afternoon, she took a nap with 3-year-old Mark lying beside her. Three hours later, Duross awoke to find Mark missing and the front door open.
A police canine unit was deployed and the dog tracked a scent that led from the apartment's front door, down a stairwell, through a walkway and directly to a pond about 60 feet behind the apartment. A small child's sandal lay next to the pond, in which a diver found Mark dead.
Two days later, Duross was tested and came up positive for cocaine. She said she had gone out with a friend to buy a gram of cocaine after Mark's drowning, to alleviate her grief, and insisted she used cocaine only on weekends. Duross also admitted to smoking marijuana, and a previous hotline report to DCF said the smell of marijuana was wafting from the house. Mark's father was in jail on a drug charge when the boy died.
The report said the parents fought a lot, and that a couple of days earlier Duross had slammed the child against the floor. Because of a lack of corroborating evidence, the case was closed with "no indicators of maltreatment." Risk to the child was determined to be "low."
Duross was referred to a 12-week drug-counseling class as a result of the investigation, but a subsequent search of DCF's records found no evidence that she attended. ","perpfirstname":"Christine","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Duross","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":273,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Amanda","middlename":"","lastname":"Lowery","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 9, 2010","deathdate":"October 21, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"escambia","county":"Escambia","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"At the time of Amanda Nicole Lowery's death, an abuse case remained open on the family because the baby's mother, also named Amanda Lowery, had tested positive for methadone when the child was born on Sept. 9, 2010.
Lowery had also tested positive for Xanax and Loratab during her pregnancy, although she denied abusing prescription drugs. But other than requesting medical records for the child's mother and her husband, Johnny Lowery, and informing the police, there was "no investigative activity" into the case by DCF between Sept. 14 and Oct. 21, when Amanda died while sleeping in a recliner with her mother. After an autopsy, the death of the 6-week-old girl was given as "probable positional asphyxia."
A file entry a few days after Amanda's birth said that a child protection investigator had met with Lowery and her husband and discussed, among other things, the fact that both were in a methadone program, but there was no notation that the subject of safe sleeping came up.
Later, after Amanda's death, a report said DCF caseworkers should make parents aware that drugs such as methadone can cause drowsiness and induce heavy sleep, and are likely to impair judgment and the ability to function. ","perpfirstname":"Amanda","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Lowery","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":274,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Briana","middlename":"","lastname":"Sykes","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 23, 2009","deathdate":"October 23, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"14 mos.","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"DCF had received five reports of abuse or neglect, including allegations of physical abuse, about family members of Briana Sykes before the toddler drowned in a family swimming pool.
Because an older half-sibling had almost drowned previously, the family had installed screens around the pool. Authorities believe Briana "was able to squeeze through" a hole in one of the screens. ","perpfirstname":"James","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Sykes","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":275,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ulysses","middlename":"","lastname":"Franklin","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 25, 2009","deathdate":"November 8, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Blunt impact to head (run over by car)","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Ulysses Franklin was removed from his mother's care in November 2009 when, during a drug raid of his parents' home, Hillsborough sheriff's deputies found the infant sleeping on a pillow — directly atop a loaded semi-automatic handgun. Police also found cocaine in a desk drawer and they believed the boy's parents were peddling the drugs from their home.
Ulysses' mother, Shanita Claritt, was arrested that day. On March 25, 2010, Ulysses was reunited with his mother, as he remained under protective services with a private child welfare agency. Eight months later, Ulysses' mother left him unattended in an apartment complex parking lot when he wandered off and was struck and killed by a driver who didn't see him. The police investigation concluded that the responsibility for the accident lies with the mother for leaving her child "unattended next to a motor vehicle that was parked next to her with its engine running." No charges were filed against the driver or the mother.","perpfirstname":"Shanita","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Claritt","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":276,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ka'mia","middlename":"","lastname":"Strawder","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 20, 2009","deathdate":"November 19, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"1","countycode":"alachua","county":"Alachua","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Christopher Strawder was not Ka'mia's biological father but treated her like his daughter, according to the child's mother.
On Nov. 19, 2010, he was making breakfast for the 1-year-old child when he realized her sippy cup was in the bedroom, he told investigators later. He said he left Ka'mia sitting on the kitchen counter while he went to retrieve the cup. He heard a thud and found her on the floor. She seemed O.K. at the time, Strawder said, but she later became unresponsive. Ka'Mia was rushed to a hospital, where she died.
Doctors said the injuries to Ka'mia were inconsistent with Strawder's story. She had blood behind her eyes, hemorrhaging on the brain and trauma to her abdomen, the result of physical abuse, the death review said. A check of the home found several holes in the wall, including one directly over the playpen. Ka'mia's maternal grandfather explained that when Strawder and Ka'mia's mother argued they "took it out on the walls," the review said.
Strawder, described in DCF documents as Ka'mia's "egal father," had been the subject of abuse reports both as a child and as an adult. He was charged with first-degree manslaughter, aggravated child abuse and third-degree murder. ","perpfirstname":"Christopher","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Strawder","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree manslaughter, aggravated child abuse, and third-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":277,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Tamiyah","middlename":"Jashaye","lastname":"Peters","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 2, 2004","deathdate":"November 20, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"6","countycode":"leon","county":"Leon","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound to the head","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"On Nov. 20, 2010, Henry Segura entered the Tallahassee home of the mother of his 3-year-old son and killed them both, as well as two children the woman had borne with another man, according to law enforcement officials.
He allegedly shot the children's mother, Brandi Peters, and 6-year-old Tamiyah Jashaye Peters, and drowned Tamiyah's twin, Taniyah Janaya Peters, and his son, Jovante Segura. The bodies were discovered when police were called to perform a welfare check. Segura was arrested 10 months later in Minnesota, where he had fled. He faces the death penalty on four charges of first-degree murder.
An obituary described the identical twins as "inseparable," said they often dressed alike, and enjoyed styling the hair of their dolls.
DCF had investigated two prior reports involving the family. One involved alleged drug use by the children's mother, and the other said that Segura had beaten his own sister.","perpfirstname":"Henry","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Segura","perprelation":"Father/Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":278,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Taniyah","middlename":"Janaya ","lastname":"Peters","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 2, 2004","deathdate":"November 20, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"6","countycode":"leon","county":"Leon","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound to the head","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"On Nov. 20, 2010, Henry Segura entered the Tallahassee home of the mother of his 3-year-old son and killed them both, as well as two children the woman had borne with another man, according to law enforcement officials.
He allegedly shot the children's mother, Brandi Peters, and 6-year-old Tamiyah Jashaye Peters, and drowned Tamiyah's twin, Taniyah Janaya Peters, and his son, Jovante Segura. The bodies were discovered when police were called to perform a welfare check. Segura was arrested 10 months later in Minnesota, where he had fled. He faces the death penalty on four charges of first-degree murder.
An obituary described the identical twins as "inseparable," said they often dressed alike, and enjoyed styling the hair of their dolls.
DCF had investigated two prior reports involving the family. One involved alleged drug use by the children's mother, and the other said that Segura had beaten his own sister.","perpfirstname":"Henry","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Segura","perprelation":"drowning","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":279,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jovante","middlename":"","lastname":"Segura","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 26, 2007","deathdate":"November 20, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"3","countycode":"leon","county":"Leon","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound to the head","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"On Nov. 20, 2010, Henry Segura entered the Tallahassee home of the mother of his 3-year-old son and killed them both, as well as two children the woman had borne with another man, according to law enforcement officials.
He allegedly shot the children's mother, Brandi Peters, and 6-year-old Tamiyah Jashaye Peters, and drowned Tamiyah's twin, Taniyah Janaya Peters, and his son, Jovante Segura. The bodies were discovered when police were called to perform a welfare check. Segura was arrested 10 months later in Minnesota, where he had fled. He faces the death penalty on four charges of first-degree murder.
An obituary described the identical twins as "inseparable," said they often dressed alike, and enjoyed styling the hair of their dolls.
DCF had investigated two prior reports involving the family. One involved alleged drug use by the children's mother, and the other said that Segura had beaten his own sister.","perpfirstname":"Henry","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Segura","perprelation":"drowning","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":280,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Patryce","middlename":"","lastname":"Battle","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 23, 1999","deathdate":"November 22, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"11","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Diabetic ketoacidosis","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Patryce Battle had severe diabetes, and documents show that her mother's apparent failure to properly care for the 11-year-old girl rendered the disease life-threatening. In May of 2009, DCF's abuse hotline received a report that Patryce was reusing syringes, lacked proper medical supplies at school, missed medical appointments and was not receiving adequate care from her mother, Elizabeth Johnson.
The Department of Health's Child Protection Team reviewed Patryce's medical records and concluded that the youngster was a victim of medical neglect. The records included documentation that Patryce's blood-sugar levels sometimes were well over acceptable levels and that a school nurse had repeatedly complained to Johnson that Patryce lacked necessary medical supplies, including insulin, glucose test strips and syringes.
Although DCF verified the medical neglect allegation, an abuse investigator with the Broward Sheriff's Office, which handled investigations in Broward, wrote that she "had no concerns for the child." The investigator appears not to have adopted recommendations submitted by the Child Protection Team.
On Nov. 22, 2010, Patryce died from complications of diabetes. The medical examiner concluded that her death was natural, but because Patryce's family declined to allow an autopsy, the girl's doctor did not certify her death. The Child Protection Team ruled that Patryce was the victim of "chronic and persistent medical neglect."","perpfirstname":"Elizabeth","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Johnson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":281,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Mario","middlename":"","lastname":"Lopez","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 8, 2010","deathdate":"November 28, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"7 weeks","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Cerebral trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"A private child-welfare agency began supervising Mario Lopez's family after his older sister was severely injured in an October 2009 incident that authorities assumed to have been abuse. The child, only 26 days old, was hospitalized with a skull fracture, a broken thigh bone and bruising to her left arm and abdomen. The parents, Melodie and Mario Lopez Sr., were reported to have waited almost two weeks before taking the girl to the hospital for treatment.
Mario was born a year later, on Oct. 8, 2010, and his two siblings were given back to his parents 18 days after that, on a judge's order.
Mario was killed when he was 7 weeks old. An autopsy said he succumbed to "inflicted trauma" to his head, and he also sustained three broken ribs, a brain bleed and trauma to his spine. Mario's killer has never been charged.
Mario was one of eight children to die while under the supervision of Hillsborough Kids Inc., a private child-welfare group whose contract with DCF has since been terminated. A review of Mario's case said there was no record that the boy's parents had been offered help to improve their parenting skills when Mario was born. ","perpfirstname":"Mario","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Lopez Sr.","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Melodie","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Lopez","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":282,"docindex":138,"firstname":"Markela","middlename":"","lastname":"Thompson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 22, 2010","deathdate":"December 14, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Markela Thompson's mother was the subject of numerous orders to stay away from her children, except on supervised visits. Among Eboni Thompson's many issues: using marijuana while pregnant, failure to get prenatal care during at least some of her six pregnancies, and medical neglect.
Thompson's removal from the home was part of a safety plan, and yet she had an unsupervised visit with Markela when the infant was 4 months old. During that visit, and while the man believed to be Markela's father went to a store, Thompson became frustrated when the girl would not stop crying, an investigation found. Thompson said she put her hand around Markela's neck to quiet her down, and killed her.
A medical examiner found that Markela had an arm injury, three broken ribs and injuries to the clavicle, elbow and rib that were in various stages of healing. She also had pneumonia. Thompson was charged with first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated child abuse.
DCF files show eight prior child-protective investigations into the family's activities, seven of which involved Thompson as the perpetrator. Among the allegations were that Thompson's children had been exposed to illegal drugs.","perpfirstname":"Eboni","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Thompson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":283,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jayshawn","middlename":"","lastname":"Underwood","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 5, 2010","deathdate":"December 31, 2010","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"7 weeks","countycode":"escambia","county":"Escambia","deathcausereport":"Co-sleeping","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jayshawn Underwood's mother had a history of drug abuse and four children by the time she was 19. The fathers ended up in jail and at least some other relatives — the subjects of prior reports to DCF — were of little help, Jayshawn's death review said. There were at least two abuse/neglect complaints regarding Jayshawn's siblings.
When Jayshawn and his twin were almost 2 months old, they were put to bed alongside their mother, Tiffany Underwood. She had been counseled about the dangers of co-sleeping but did not heed the warning. That night, Jayshawn suffocated.
After Jayshawn's death, his mother continued to test positive for opiates and to sleep with the surviving twin. As a result, that child and Underwood's other children were removed from her care and placed with relatives.","perpfirstname":"Tiffany","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Underwood","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":284,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Luna","middlename":"","lastname":"Wolanin","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 6, 2010","deathdate":"January 1, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"7 weeks","countycode":"escambia","county":"Escambia","deathcausereport":"Probable asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Luna Wolanin lived for 55 days. She died on New Year's Day after her 21-year-old mother, Kristina Elliott, who had been up late ringing in 2011, passed out on top of her while breastfeeding her, according to DCF's findings.
Elliott, who twice tested positive for marijuana during her pregnancy, had already lost custody of Luna's half-sibling. Elliott had been the subject of previous allegations of sexual abuse, neglect and inadequate supervision, including leaving her 3-year-old child alone while she went out partying.
Child welfare officials had initiated shelter proceedings with regard to Luna. The case, initially set for a Dec. 20, 2010, hearing, was continued until Jan. 27, 2011, but Luna did not live that long.","perpfirstname":"Kristina","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Elliott","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":285,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jason","middlename":"","lastname":"Bickmore","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 4, 2010","deathdate":"January 9, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia due to overlaying","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Gerald Bickmore had six children. The two eldest were sent by a judge to live with their grandmother, and Bickmore had no rights to three of the children. That left only Jason in his care, while the boy's mother, Kim Brooks, served time on a federal charge of violating probation.
On Jan. 9, 2011, authorities said, Bickmore apparently rolled onto his 3-month-old son in bed, smothering him.
Police found "some type of pill sprinkled" on Bickmore's bed, and the mother of two of his children, Cheree Moree, told a DCF investigator that more than 20 Xanax tablets were missing from a pill bottle she had, and suggested that Bickmore might have taken them from her the night before Jason died. Bickmore tested positive for opiates, marijuana and benzodiazepines — a medication in Xanax pills — after his son's death.
In 2008, DCF had investigated Bickmore after receiving an allegation that he abused drugs, but the agency did not document whether he received treatment. After Jason died, Bickmore declined to accept treatment for drug abuse, telling DCF that "he would continue his recreational use of drugs and would not be completing counseling," according to a file entry. With Jason dead, the document said, Bickmore no longer had "parental responsibilities."","perpfirstname":"Gerald","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bickmore","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":286,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Sandra","middlename":"Grace","lastname":"Sulier","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 25, 2010","deathdate":"January 10, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"Duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Sudden unexplained death in infant born with congenital abnormalities","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Sandra Sulier's mother, Tara Carter Warner, first came to the attention of DCF when she was 6 years old, and she remained on the agency's radar screen her whole life, documents show. Warner delivered her first child when she was 14, and over the course of the next 12 years gave birth to eight more, with Sandra her last. Warner retained custody of four of those children, while the rest were permanently removed from her care.
Sandra had fragile lungs, a result of extreme prematurity, and nurses told police and DCF investigators that Warner had been advised repeatedly to give Sandra oxygen "all the time" or she would die, the family's file says. Apparently ignoring that advice, Warner was "rationing" the oxygen, and was not using the apnea monitor that could have saved Sandra's life, DCF investigators said.
The child's congenital abnormalities were deemed to have been a factor in her death, although the manner was declared to be undetermined. Warner pleaded not guilty to aggravated manslaughter and child neglect.","perpfirstname":"Tara","perpmiddlename":"Carter","perplastname":"Warner","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter and child neglect","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":287,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ashton","middlename":"","lastname":"Enclarde","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 10, 2009","deathdate":"January 13, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"1","countycode":"alachua","county":"Alachua","deathcausereport":"Probable traumatic asphyxia","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Given the horrendous abuse attributed to Ashton Enclarde's parents in their behavior with an older sibling, the toddler's accidental death by smothering as he slept with his father might not have been considered an anomaly. Several years earlier, the older child had been so badly beaten that doctors found 24 fractures in his arms, legs and ribs.
In Ashton's case, his father's actions immediately after discovering that the boy had no heartbeat or pulse spoke volumes: Anthony Enclarde told authorities that he placed the unresponsive child in his toddler bed and "went to the bathroom, turned on the television and did other things" before returning to check whether Ashton had revived. It was only then that he attempted to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on the boy. Later, one of Enclarde's roommates summoned an ambulance, but Enclarde could not explain to investigators the one-hour delay in dialing 911.
The boy's death triggered a review of the family's history, which showed that Ashton's parents had been convicted of child abuse and neglect in South Carolina and placed on probation, facts of which DCF was aware. One of their two children at the time, a boy just 2 months old, had been examined in an emergency room at his grandparents' insistence and the multiple fractures were found, the result, doctors said, of "very forceful" beatings, "crushing" or the application of "extreme pressure." Hemorrhaging in the child's eyes pointed to strangulation or suffocation, the report said.
The boy survived, and both children were removed from their parents' care in 2007 and subsequently adopted.
While in jail in South Carolina, the children's mother, Morgana Massey, who had given birth to her first baby when she was 15, said she understood that Enclarde had injured her infant son, but once out of jail the two reunited and had another child. That child was Ashton, although his parents later separated and shared custody of the boy.
He began to lose weight rapidly not long before he died and had unexplained injuries, including one to his eye as well as a circular bruise on his forehead. The family had received services from DCF, though with no judicial oversight, for several months. Ashton died five days after the last case was closed. Since the boy was in his father's care at the time, Enclarde was charged with manslaughter. The case has apparently not gone to trial. ","perpfirstname":"Anthony","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Enclarde","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":288,"docindex":56,"firstname":"Alyssa","middlename":"","lastname":"Almodovar","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 10, 2006","deathdate":"January 19, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"4","countycode":"okaloosa","county":"Okaloosa","deathcausereport":"Craniofacial trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Two years before Alyssa Almodovar died, her father told a DCF investigator that Alyssa's mother, Sally Melissa Willage, routinely failed to buckle her and her twin sister into car seats, but the agency did not follow up on his concern.
On Jan. 19, 2011, Alyssa fell out of the open doorway of a moving car driven by Willage, and the 4-year-old child's head was crushed when the vehicle ran over her.
After Alyssa's death, DCF asked her mother to sign a safety plan pledging to always put the surviving twin in a car seat, but such plans, a death review said, "must go beyond written pledges by the caregivers or parents not to abuse [or] neglect the children again." An analysis of the agency's history with the family said Willage, who was receiving psychiatric help, denied "that her actions resulted in the death of the child."
Abuse reports from 2003 and 2004 involved an older sibling and were redacted, while another report, in 2009, said the child's father, Kevin Almodovar, was "under duress" and "acting out of character" and that it was "not safe for him to be watching the children." ","perpfirstname":"Sally","perpmiddlename":"Melissa","perplastname":"Willage","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"culpable negligence","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"yes","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":289,"docindex":95,"firstname":"Ronnie","middlename":"Ellet","lastname":"Bias","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 20, 2000","deathdate":"January 19, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"10","countycode":"columbia","county":"Columbia","deathcausereport":"Severe blunt head trauma due to automobile crash","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Ten-year-old Ronnie Bias died after the car in which he was riding, driven by his 15-year-old stepbrother, flipped over several times and crashed into an oak tree. The accident also killed 26-year-old Jennifer Grant, who had initially been seen at the wheel but later allowed the teen to take over, authorities said. He and Grant's 6-year-old son, who was found crying in the road, were hospitalized with critical injuries. A Florida Highway Patrol report said that no one in the 1994 Ford Mustang had been wearing seat belts.
Ronnie was a fourth-grader at Columbia City Elementary, and an obituary said he loved animals and soccer. The day before he died, Ronnie had played in a soccer match "and outshone just about everybody," according to an article in the Suwannee Democrat.
Since Ronnie's birth in 2000, his family had been the subject of at least five reports to DCF's hotline. He was placed in the custody of his paternal grandparents at birth, but in 2002 Circuit Judge E. Vernon Douglas returned him to his father, Everett Clayton Bias, a registered sex offender who had been convicted of lewd and lascivious acts on a child.
In the ensuing years, DCF continued to receive reports about the family, mainly involving allegations of substance abuse and domestic violence, but the agency provided no documented services to the family. A report to DCF in 2009 said that Ronnie's mother, Shannon Gaskins, "showed up beaten and intoxicated" for a supervised visit with the child. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":290,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Frederick","middlename":"","lastname":"Stevens","suffix":"III","gender":"male","birthdate":"July 11, 2010","deathdate":"January 21, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"6 mos.","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Complications of respiratory infection","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Frederick Stevens died when he was not yet a year old. His death review says he had been quite ill, perhaps for weeks, but his parents had not sought medical attention for him, according to the family's DCF file. The cause of death was deemed to be complications from a respiratory infection.
One of his siblings had health issues too. Frederick's grandfather could not say whether any of the children had ever been to a doctor.
Frederick was the second child born to his mother, Jeanie Yarrington, to test positive for marijuana at birth. Yarrington herself tested positive at that time, although a hotline complaint to that effect was closed as "not substantiated." DCF lawyers said the agency lacked legal sufficiency to take action. ","perpfirstname":"Jeanie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Yarrington","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Frederick","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Stevens","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":291,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ja'veon","middlename":"","lastname":"Mitchell","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 11, 2010","deathdate":"January 24, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"7 mos.","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Ja'veon Mitchell was 6 months old when he was found stuffed into a red cooler behind the home of his babysitter's boyfriend.
The boy's mother, Janelle Richardson, had a history of leaving her baby with people of questionable reliability. In this instance, she had left Ja'veon with a sitter and vanished for three days, according to DCF files. The 55-year-old babysitter, Caroline Miller, was not a typical sitter: She accepted payment in crack cocaine, police said, and had a criminal history that included arrests for theft, disorderly conduct and possession of cocaine and marijuana.
On the day Ja'veon died, Miller went to smoke crack at a neighborhood crackhouse, with the child in tow, the files say. She placed Ja'veon on a couch face-down so he could take a nap while she went into another room. When she returned, she found him wedged between the couch's cushions, dead. Miller recounted later that she wrapped Ja'veon's body in a blanket and walked with him in her arms for two miles, high on crack, to her boyfriend's house. Once there, Miller changed the child's clothing and diaper, swaddled him in a blanket and a cushion cover and placed him in the cooler behind the house.
When Richardson returned from her three-day sojourn elsewhere, she could not find Ja'veon's sitter, and two days later she contacted the police. Miller was located and initially insisted that she had returned Ja'veon to his mother. Later, Miller changed her story, admitting she had taken him to the crackhouse in which he died. She was charged with manslaughter, neglect, and improper disposal of a dead body, and is serving a 13-year sentence.
The family had four prior DCF complaints, including one in which Richardson admitted taking Ja'veon along on a shoplifting jaunt to a Target store and then driving away from the crime scene with the boy unsecured in the car. At that time, Richardson said she did not need assistance from DCF, and no services were offered.","perpfirstname":"Carolyn","perpmiddlename":"Renee","perplastname":"Miller","perprelation":"babysitter","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"child neglect, aggravated manslaughter of a child and improper disposal or transport of dead human body.","perp2firstname":"Janelle","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Richardson","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":292,"docindex":61,"firstname":"Daquan","middlename":"","lastname":"Davis","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 9, 2008","deathdate":"January 27, 2011","deathyear":2010,"deathage":"2","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Blunt force abdominal injuries","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Daquan's mother, Cherelle Davis, who had been investigated previously by DCF as both victim and alleged child abuser, gave the little boy to a friend, Roseline Louidor.
On Jan. 27, 2011, while he was living with Louidor and her boyfriend, Cameo Walkin, Daquan was beaten to death. He sustained a ruptured liver and torn intestines, and the cause of his death was blunt-force abdominal injuries.
Louidor, whom DCF identified as Daquan's guardian, was charged with first-degree murder, and Walkin with child neglect resulting in great harm. Louidor, convicted of manslaughter and other charges, is serving a 25-year sentence.
One of the investigations into Daquan's mother took place only two months before the boy died, but the agency's documents do not disclose any details of the probe other than to say that she and Daquan received no child-protection services from the state.","perpfirstname":"Roseline","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Louidor","perprelation":"guardian","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"Cameo","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Walkin","perp2relation":" (paramour of guardian)","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"first degree murder"}, {"dataid":293,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Powers","middlename":""Beau"","lastname":"Schenecker","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 29, 1997","deathdate":"January 28, 2011","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"13","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound to the head","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Powers Schenecker, known to all as Beau, and his sister, Calyx, were each shot in the head by their mother, Julie Schenecker, who later told police that they had been argumentative toward her.
Although Schenecker had written a note explaining her decision to kill her children and then herself, police found her alive in the home the next morning, covered with her children's blood. She was charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
DCF had investigated one prior report in which Schenecker was said to have of struck Calyx in the face with both fists and open hands, leaving bruises that Calyx covered with makeup. Family members confirmed that the incident had occurred, but DCF concluded that the allegations were ʺnot substantiated.ʺ
The children's father, Parker Schenecker, a U.S. Army colonel, was on deployment in the Middle East at the time of his children's deaths.","perpfirstname":"Julie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Schenecker","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":294,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Calyx","middlename":"","lastname":"Schenecker","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 12, 1994","deathdate":"January 28, 2011","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"16","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound to the head","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Powers Schenecker, known to all as Beau, and his sister, Calyx, were each shot in the head by their mother, Julie Schenecker, who later told police that they had been argumentative toward her.
Although Schenecker had written a note explaining her decision to kill her children and then herself, police found her alive in the home the next morning, covered with her children's blood. She was charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
DCF had investigated one prior report in which Schenecker was said to have of struck Calyx in the face with both fists and open hands, leaving bruises that Calyx covered with makeup. Family members confirmed that the incident had occurred, but DCF concluded that the allegations were "not substantiated."
The children's father, Parker Schenecker, a U.S. Army colonel, was on deployment in the Middle East at the time of his children's deaths.","perpfirstname":"Julie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Schenecker","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":295,"docindex":77,"firstname":"Kaylynn","middlename":"","lastname":"Mitchell","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 8, 2008","deathdate":"January 31, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"2","countycode":"hernando","county":"Hernando","deathcausereport":"Oxycodone toxicity","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The DCF abuse hotline received a report on Jan. 19, 2011, saying that Tiffany Lynn Mitchell, Kaylynn's mother, "smokes marijuana and snorts pills in the presence of the children." A child-welfare worker investigated and noted an odor of marijuana in Mitchell's bedroom. She denied using drugs but refused to be tested. Her boyfriend, Joseph Albarella, backed her up, saying she was a good mother.
Six days later, Mitchell again declined a substance abuse evaluation, saying it would be useless because she did not use drugs, even though DCF caseworkers were aware that Kaylynn had been born with marijuana and other drugs in her system.
Flash forward five days: Kaylynn was put to bed for the night and never woke up. An autopsy found massive amounts of oxycodone in her system, and both Mitchell and Albarella tested positive for opiates and marijuana.
Skip forward another six weeks: On March 11, 2011, Mitchell dropped in on a police detective and, against her attorney's advice, confessed that on the night before her daughter's death, she had left an oxycodone pill on the nightstand. When she returned from taking a shower, the pill was gone, evidently swallowed by the child. Mitchell said she had bought the pill from the paternal grandmother of Kaylynn's surviving sibling, a regular source for the drug.
DCF caseworkers said that as long as Mitchell underwent drug treatment, she could maintain custody of the sibling. Mitchell was later convicted of manslaughter and in November 2013 received a 30-month prison sentence. ","perpfirstname":"Tiffany","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Mitchell","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":296,"docindex":49,"firstname":"Ronderique","middlename":"","lastname":"Anderson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 6, 2009","deathdate":"February 5, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"1","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Craniocerebral trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Between them, the parents of Ronderique Anderson had been the subject of 35 abuse or neglect investigations when they were youngsters, including allegations of physical abuse, excessive corporal punishment, insufficient food, domestic violence and drug abuse.
The dysfunction spanned generations. Ronderique was born two days after his mother's boyfriend had beaten her. He was removed from the care of his mother, Fredreda Scott, at 2 months of age after two calls to the state's abuse hotline.
Like his mother, Ronderique ended up in foster care until case workers placed him in the care of his father, Dwayne Poole, who had a criminal history that included battery and domestic violence, and Poole's girlfriend, Tonya Myers, who had a documented history of abusing her own children.
On Feb. 1, 2011, Ronderique was hospitalized with a skull fracture, bleeding in the brain, an injured spleen, a swollen face and jaw, and lacerations to both his legs.Two of his front teeth had been knocked out. Ronderique, who was 16 months old, died four days later.
Poole at first suggested that the toddler had fallen down a flight of stairs. He later admitted that he had thrown the little boy into a wall. Poole, who was 23 at the time, was charged with first-degree murder.","perpfirstname":"Dwayne","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Poole","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"Tonya ","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Myers","perp2relation":"father's paramour","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"l","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":297,"docindex":24,"firstname":"Xavier","middlename":"","lastname":"Boyd","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 6, 2010","deathdate":"February 10, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"6 mos.","countycode":"okaloosa","county":"Okaloosa","deathcausereport":"Blunt impact of head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Twice in 2010, caseworkers at DCF were told that Xavier's mother, Adrienne Crowder, was abusing drugs and getting into violent arguments with family members. Both times, DCF asked Crowder to sign safety plans promising to avoid drugs and violence.
After the second hotline report, Crowder was encouraged to accept "family preservation" services from the state, such as drug treatment and parenting classes. But Crowder, a DCF assessment said, did not appear to be interested in help. She waited weeks before signing up, a report said, and even then was uncooperative.
DCF lawyers said they lacked the authority to act on Xavier's behalf, and failed to file a petition on his behalf. The inaction proved to be fatal.
On Feb. 10, 2011, Crowder's boyfriend, Charles Colvin, who allegedly had a history of violence and drug abuse, beat and shook Xavier to death, police said. Colvin then became a fugitive. He ultimately was arrested in Alabama and charged with homicide by the Fort Walton Police Department. A DCF summary of the case said Crowder's ability to protect her child was "questionable given her history of using drugs and getting involved with men who also have drug and domestic-violence histories."","perpfirstname":"Charles","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Colvin","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"homicide","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":298,"docindex":152,"firstname":"Nubia","middlename":"","lastname":"Barahona","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 26, 2000","deathdate":"February 11, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"10","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"The death of Nubia Barahona was the most infamous child abuse case of the past decade in Florida — infamous because of the cruelty of the abuse she endured and because of the bumbling by DCF, which disregarded many warning signs that she was being tormented.
The 10-year-old Miami-Dade girl was found decomposing in the bed of her father's pest-control truck along Interstate 95, stuffed in a garbage bag filled with chemicals. In the cab of the truck was her twin brother Victor, alive but suffering seizures from the toxins that had soaked him.
Nubia had been the subject of years of abuse at the hands of her adoptive parents, Jorge and Carmen Barahona. The couple, initially the children's foster parents, were allowed to adopt them despite the concerns of a guardian ad litem who felt they were unfit.
The child welfare agency ignored or downplayed years of complaints that Nubia had shown up at school bruised, famished, foul smelling or with disturbing signs of hair loss, according to reports that reached DCF. Callers to the agency said the bathroom of the Barahona home served as a torture chamber for the twins, who would be bound hand and foot and ordered to stand for hours.
Four days before the discovery of Nubia's corpse, a DCF worker showed up at the Barahonas' house to investigate a child abuse complaint involving the twins. The caseworker reported later that the children were safe, despite never actually seeing Nubia. The next day, Nubia was murdered. Beaten for an extended time, she screamed and cried as her twin listened from another room.
Carmen and Jorge Barahona await trial on a series of charges, including first-degree murder, and face the death penalty.
Nubia's death spawned new child protection laws and a special task force, whose final report called DCF's handling of the case "a failure of common sense."","perpfirstname":"Jorge","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Barahona","perprelation":"Adoptive father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"Carmen","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Barahona","perp2relation":"Adoptive mother","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"first degree murder"}, {"dataid":299,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Navaeh","middlename":"","lastname":"Brown","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 28, 2010","deathdate":"February 13, 2011","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"9 mos.","countycode":"jackson","county":"Jackson","deathcausereport":"Polysubstance toxicity","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Navaeh Brown's family had been the subject of at least five calls to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline, including allegations of family violence, drug abuse, physical abuse and medical neglect.
But after Navaeh died from an overdose of C-Phen DM, a cold medicine, the report on Navaeh's death contained no details about her family's extensive history with the department, including a 2010 report of medical neglect.
Navaeh was living with her 24-year-old father, Hendrick Brown, when she died, along with a 2-year-old sibling and two other adults. Brown acknowledged in a sworn statement that he had "knowingly administered Navaeh more of the medication than she was prescribed" on the day of her death.
The child's mother, Ashley Brown, 23, was in prison at the time. ","perpfirstname":"Hendrick","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Brown","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"unknown","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":300,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ava","middlename":"Grace","lastname":"Slaby","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 3, 2009","deathdate":"February 15, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"1","countycode":"collier","county":"Collier","deathcausereport":"Probable drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In January 2011, DCF already was investigating Randi McLeod for using drugs, driving under the influence with her baby, Ava, in the car and being involved in a car crash that killed the baby's father. Though Ava was in the car at the time of the accident, she was unhamed.
After the father's funeral, family members told DCF that McLeod abused drugs, snorted pills and once fell asleep with a lit cigarette and passed out in her own drool on her computer.
McLeod denied the allegations, producing prescriptions for Xanax and Oxycodone. DCF noted she couldn't produce a urine sample because she had just used the bathroom. The investigator closed the case as unfounded. There's no documentation that the agency took any other action.
Twenty-two days later, Ava was found floating in a bathtub.
McLeod, who had taken pills that morning, placed Ava in the tub, then passed out, only to wake up and find her drowned, authorities said. After the baby's death, police discovered McLeod had multiple prescriptions for pills from different doctors in different states. McLeod had to be involuntarily committed, due to both her "hysterical" behavior at the hospital and because of her addiction, a report said.","perpfirstname":"Randi","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"McLeod","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"unknown","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":301,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Cano","middlename":"","lastname":"Coy","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 26, 2008","deathdate":"February 16, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"2","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Respiratory failure","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Even before he was born, Cano Coy had a couple of strikes against him. He was exposed in utero to cocaine and marijuana, and was born prematurely and with cerebral palsy. He was frail, had to be fed through a tube, and required an apnea monitor.
Doctors suspected but could not confirm that cocaine use by Cano's mother, Katherine Evett Wess, had contributed to his premature birth. Wess had been the subject of four DCF reports before Cano's death, one of them still open at the time. In at least one case, there were "some indicators of substance abuse" and alcohol consumption but, the investigator said, no evidence of inadequate supervision.
In another report, logged a month before Cano died, the boy appeared to be malnourished and lived in a room with "dirty clothes all over the place" and dirty walls and floors, with electrical cables dangling from the ceiling. That same report, dated Jan. 26, 1011, described Cano's grandmother taking him to Shands Hospital in Gainesville because he had a fever of 102 degrees. Both Cano's tracheotomy and feeding tube sites were "disgusting and filthy," a report said. There was also no sign that Cano had been given any appreciable amount of an antibiotic he was supposed to have been taking for the previous 10 days.
After Cano was discharged from the hospital, an employee of a pediatric care agency who went to service Cano's apnea monitor on Feb. 10 reported that roaches were living in the machine. That same employee noted after Cano's death from respiratory failure six days later that there was no evidence that the monitor had been switched on after she had serviced it.
There was a finding of medical neglect and inadequate supervision in Cano's death, and a documented concern that a sibling might be similarly at risk.","perpfirstname":"Bobbie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Harrington","perprelation":"non-relative caregiver (fake grandmother)","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Katherine","perp2middlename":"Evett","perp2lastname":"Wess","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":302,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Denajah","middlename":"","lastname":"Neal","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 12, 2010","deathdate":"February 20, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Sudden unexplained infant death","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On the night Denajah Neal died in her parents' bed, the adults had been out drinking until the early hours, a review of the case said. One of the baby's older sisters had been watching 10-week-old Denajah while their parents, Carol Hayes and Donte Neal, were gone, and when they returned at about 4 a.m. they placed Denajah in their bed with them.
Hours later, they awoke to find the child not breathing. She was pronounced dead later that morning.
Hayes, who had a history of alcohol abuse, told an investigator that her parenting practices with her children had never included using a crib, and that she had co-slept with them all when they were infants. Hayes had 11 children from different fathers. Six lived at the time with her and Neal, who was the father of three; two lived with relatives; another's custody was signed over to a "godsister" and two were grown and lived elsewhere.
There were 10 abuse or neglect reports filed on Hayes and her children before Denajah's death. As part of the death review, a child-abuse caseworker spoke with another of Hayes' daughters, who said her mother and Neal "argue a lot." The girl said "mom spanks with belts, combs, hangers and cords," and that "when they drink liquor they become very hyper."
In January 2011, six weeks before Denajah died, her father was arrested in connection with a domestic-violence incident, although the details were not made clear in a DCF account. A police report said Neal asked an officer why he was being picked up "when the mother was the one who regularly drinks," and that she had probably fallen and hurt herself. When Hayes was interviewed about the incident, an officer noted that she was intoxicated and emitted a strong odor of alcohol.
A subsequent DCF analysis concluded that after the domestic-violence incident an investigator failed to personally ascertain the condition of four of the six children in the home, as required, and had not determined that an infant — Denajah — was now part of the family. Eighteen days after that incident, another DCF report was generated when one of Hayes' older daughters was reported missing. Neighbors told police that it was common for Hayes to give the girl permission "to go somewhere, but forgot once she started drinking." As it turned out, the child had been visiting a relative.
An "initial safety assessment" drafted shortly after those two reports in the month before Denajah's death concluded there were "no signs of present danger," even though some of the children had not been interviewed and there were "no observations" noted in the relationships between the adults and those children. The assessment declared also that the couple's relationship appeared to "protect and nurture" the children, despite the family's history of domestic violence, including an incident between Neal and Hayes's oldest son.
Hayes, who previously used the surnames Warren and Salley, had participated in a drug treatment program while incarcerated in 1991, but there was no indication that she had subsequently made an effort to rid herself of addictions. After Denajah's death, Hayes' drug tests came up negative, although her blood-alcohol level appears not to have been measured, and Neal tested positive for cocaine and marijuana.
A medical examiner concluded that Denajah's death was "unexplained," but that an "unsafe sleep environment" was a contributing factor. ","perpfirstname":"Carol","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Hayes/Warren","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Donte","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Neal","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":303,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ju'Tyra","middlename":"R.","lastname":"Allen","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 14, 2004","deathdate":"February 22, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"6","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Pending at time of death review","deathcause":"pending","deathmanner":"pending","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"The bodies of Ju'Tyra Allen and her half-brother, Jermaine McNeil, whose families had been the subject of multiple DCF contacts over the years, were discovered floating in separate suitcases in a canal near Delray Beach on March 2, 2011. The children had not been to school for almost two weeks.
Their mother, Felicia Brown, was missing, although a body discovered elsewhere the previous summer was subsequently identified as Brown's. A former boyfriend of hers, Clem Beauchamp, with whom the two children had been living, was later charged with murder in all three deaths.
Brown, who bore the first of several children when she was 14, had a history of violence against her mother, and as early as 2001 was described by DCF as "ungovernable and a risk to others." She gave up Jermaine and one of his sisters for adoption after several reports of domestic trouble, but was permitted to regain custody of Jermaine three years later.
Although a precise date for the children's deaths could not be determined, officials logged them as having occurred "on or about Feb. 22, 2011."","perpfirstname":"Clem","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Beauchamp","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":304,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jermaine","middlename":"H.","lastname":"McNeil","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 18, 2000","deathdate":"February 22, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"10","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Pending at time of death review","deathcause":"pending","deathmanner":"pending","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"The bodies of Ju'Tyra Allen and her half-brother, Jermaine McNeil, whose families had been the subject of multiple DCF contacts over the years, were discovered floating in separate suitcases in a canal near Delray Beach on March 2, 2011. The children had not been to school for almost two weeks.
Their mother, Felicia Brown, was missing, although a body discovered elsewhere the previous summer was subsequently identified as Brown's. A former boyfriend of hers, Clem Beauchamp, with whom the two children had been living, was later charged with murder in all three deaths.
Brown, who bore the first of several children when she was 14, had a history of violence against her mother, and as early as 2001 was described by DCF as "ungovernable and a risk to others." She gave up Jermaine and one of his sisters for adoption after several reports of domestic trouble, but was permitted to regain custody of Jermaine three years later.
Although a precise date for the children's deaths could not be determined, officials logged them as having occurred "on or about Feb. 22, 2011."","perpfirstname":"Clem","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Beauchamp","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":305,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jerry","middlename":"Anthony","lastname":"Correa","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 13, 2010","deathdate":"March 12, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia -probably overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jerry Correa's family had been the subject of three prior complaints to DCF, including one that was generated a month before he was born. On that day, a DCF account says, Jerry's pregnant mother, Jhanine Jordan, who had a long history of drug use, got into a fight with Jerry's father, who was to give his son the same name as he.
The elder Correa, a similarly habitual drug offender, had been arrested almost 20 times, but DCF did not perform the requisite background checks on him. Nor did caseworkers intervene when Jordan skipped drug tests and counseling. When she moved elsewhere, apparently to avoid further DCF monitoring, the agency did not appear to have tried to find her.
On the night of Jerry's death, Jordan and the elder Correa had "a few drinks" and consumed a drug called Red Magic, an incident report said. Then they placed the boy in a crib filled with so much clothing and trash that investigators wondered "where Jerry's mother could have laid him." The cause of death was asphyxia.
A judge in Miami ordered Jordan's surviving child, a 3-year-old girl who had been exposed to marijuana at birth, to be placed in state care.","perpfirstname":"Jhanine","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Jordan","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Jerry","perp2middlename":"Anthony","perp2lastname":"Correa Sr.","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":306,"docindex":null,"firstname":"David ","middlename":"","lastname":"Galarraga","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 14, 2008","deathdate":"March 16, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"2","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"A year before David Galarraga died, his stepfather, Luis Galarraga, had punched the boy's older brother in the face and then killed himself during a standoff with police. David's mother, Biannela Susana, then relocated her four young children to Jacksonville from Miami, but the family's troubles continued.
In January 2011, David broke his leg in two places, and DCF was told that David had fallen off a set of monkey bars in a playground. While David's leg was still in a cast, he was taken to a hospital again on March 14, 2011, after his family said he fell off a bunk bed to the floor. He died two days later.
Two of David's siblings later disclosed that the stories about his injuries were untrue and that they had been caused by their own 14-year-old brother, who had tortured David for months, according to the DCF death review.
The older boy, who had killed a kitten when he was 3 and had experienced severe abuse at Luis Galarraga's hands, told police that "he was angry because of what his stepfather did to him in the past, and took it out on David," on one occasion by slamming his head into a bookshelf three times, the DCF documents say. Susana had coached the children to lie about the abuse, and then did not seek help for David while his condition worsened, DCF files say.
The review said that investigators had failed to understand the complex psychological dynamics of the boy's family in investigations conducted before David was killed. ","perpfirstname":"Biannela","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Susanna","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child","perp2firstname":"David's older half-brother","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"-1","perp2charges":"first degree murder, pleaded to manslaughter and agg battery as a juvenile"}, {"dataid":307,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Zhydrick","middlename":"","lastname":"Brown","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 12, 2008","deathdate":"March 19, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"2","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Zhydrick Brown drowned in a pool so dirty that firefighters found the boy in the deep end only by using a pole. A stuffed animal floated on the surface.
Prior DCF investigations had concluded that Zhydrick's mother, Tonshika Tucker, who had a "significant history with substance abuse" and arrests for drug possession and sale, did not properly supervise her four children, letting them roam freely in the neighborhood and sometimes locking them outside.
There were five prior abuse reports involving members of the family, none of which mentioned a pool. Prior to closing one of the cases just two months before Zhydrick's death, a DCF supervisor asked pertinent questions — including "What about the pool?" — but none of the supervisor's concerns appeared to have been addressed.
After the boy died, a child-protective investigator "made no efforts to locate or see" the three other children who lived in the home, a DCF summary of the case said. The dwelling was filthy, with remains of marijuana joints "all over the floor," and filled with such a strong odor of urine and feces from cats and dogs that it could "knock you out," a call to the hotline said.
Nevertheless, the investigator "documented no hazards," an assessment with which a supervisor disagreed. "Based on the environmental hazards outlined in the narrative," a DCF summary noted, "the CPI's documentation of the home should have been descriptive to address each allegation." ","perpfirstname":"Tonshika","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Tucker","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":308,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Lily","middlename":"","lastname":"Naumoff","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 1, 2009","deathdate":"March 19, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"1","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Complications of blunt force head injuries 10 months prior (shaken baby)","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Lily Naumoff's 42-year-old father had a long history of domestic violence, mostly with his first wife as the victim.
Before Lily was born in December 2009, her father's two children from his first marriage were removed by DCF from his care because of a violent incident, and because their mother, a heavy drug user who subsequently died, was in a substance-abuse program. Regardless of his record, Paul Naumoff regained custody of the two children in September 2009, after he had remarried, and a review of the case later said it was unclear "why more significant action was not taken" to ensure their protection.
In May 2010, when Lily, Naumoff's third child, was 6 months old, she was taken to a hospital with a traumatic brain injury that caused intense internal bleeding. She also had retinal hemorrhages that indicated she had been shaken violently, and Naumoff admitted to shaking Lily "in an attempt to revive her."
Her injuries caused permanent neurological damage and blindness, and she remained hospitalized for months, during which time the two other children were placed by court order in their maternal grandparents' home, and Naumoff's second wife, Christine, filed for divorce.
No action was taken to restrict Naumoff's visits to his daughter in the hospital, according to a review of the case, which noted that he had voluntarily sought treatment in a psychiatric institution. In addition, the review said, "no legal action was taken as to the minor child Lily Naumoff and no services were put into place."
When Christine Naumoff, Lily's mother, sought a restraining order against her husband, a judge declined to issue one because the request was not part of a dependency proceeding.
On March 19, 2011, Lily finally succumbed to the blunt-force head injuries she had suffered 10 months earlier, and the manner of death was declared to be homicide.","perpfirstname":"Paul","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Naumoff","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":309,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kimberly","middlename":"","lastname":"Hayward","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 5, 2006","deathdate":"March 20, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"4","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Life in Kimberly Hayward's family was anything but healthy. "All the adults in the home, including the parents and the grandmother, use drugs and drink alcohol in the home and in Kimberly's presence," a report to DCF said in August 2008, when Kimberly was almost 2 years old. "The adults in the home always fight, arguing and yelling all the time. They sometimes hit each other when they fight."
The girl's mother, Dana Meagher, was described as an alcoholic whose drugs of choice were crack and pot. Citing both parents' drug use and a history of domestic violence, Kimberly was removed from the couple's care in 2006, shortly after she was born. After a period of time in another home, the girl was placed with her paternal grandparents, Linda and Dale Miller. The placement took place despite a DCF finding that Linda Miller was not an "appropriate" caregiver because she had "interfered with the investigation" by lying to a child-abuse investigator and by minimizing the violence between the girl's parents.
In any case, the arrangement to have Kimberly live with the Millers was easily circumvented: Meagher and Kimberly's father, William Hayward, moved into the grandparents' home and began sleeping in Kimberly's room. That 2008 investigation was closed with no findings of substance abuse or that family violence threatened the child. A report submitted in February 2011, five weeks before the girl's death, said that her father "uses crack and is not supposed to be around Kimberly unsupervised," and yet it was clear that he was very much present. The document recounted an anecdote in which Kimberly picked up a crack pipe, put it to her mouth and said, "Smoke, daddy, smoke."
The report also said the girl had been "knocked into" the Millers' swimming pool on four occasions, and that her grandmother had been responsible for doing so at least once because she was "so high" on marijuana.
On March 19, 2011, Kimberly drowned in the pool. The two family members who were home at the time, Linda Miller and Kimberly's father, were busy arguing inside the house, a DCF document says, "and five to 10 minutes passed before the child was found in the pool." ","perpfirstname":"William","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Hayward","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Linda","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Miller","perp2relation":"paternal grandmother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":310,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Laela","middlename":"","lastname":"McGlothren","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 24, 2007","deathdate":"March 25, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"3","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Laela McGlothren was taken into DCF's care after the agency received three reports that her mother, Maegan McGlothren, was a drug addict. The most recent report had alleged that McGlothren was "abusing intravenous drugs in the streets." She also had been accused previously of slapping her infant daughter across the face.
DCF placed Laela with her maternal grandmother, Gennelle Mack, where she remained until her death on March 25, 2011.
Mack said she had gone to check on another child and watched the news on television "for just a minute" before noticing Laela face-down in a fetid, unfenced swimming pool. Mack acknowledged that Laela had almost fallen into the pool twice before while riding her bike around it. Police described the pool as "standing, stagnant, greenish-brown water with debris floating at the surface."
Laela's drowning was declared an accident.","perpfirstname":"Gennelle","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Mack","perprelation":"Grandmother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":311,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Isis","middlename":"","lastname":"Molette","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 17, 2011","deathdate":"April 7, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"3 weeks","countycode":"escambia","county":"Escambia","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Isis Molette was 3 weeks old when she was accidentally smothered while sleeping with her mother and siblings in a home reeking of "poop," discarded diapers and other debris, according to an account provided to DCF.
Her mother, Khrista Molette, a woman with five children and limited resources who was also responsible for her own sickly mother, had a long history of neglecting her children, the agency's files say. The documents described her as mentally disabled, but a departmental review says that her disability was never adequately addressed over the course of many investigations.
Less that two months before Isis died, DCF closed its investigation into a report that said Isis' brother was being sent to school unbathed, in ill-fitting clothes and sometimes wearing two left shoes. The boy's teacher tried calling Isis' mother but she did not have a working phone. The teacher bought new shoes for the boy.
In its memo closing that case, DCF said there were "no indicators" of maltreatment, and that the risk level was low. Services were offered but refused. Two days later, Isis was dead. ","perpfirstname":"Khrista","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Molette","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":312,"docindex":45,"firstname":"Marvin","middlename":"","lastname":"Pouncey","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 31, 2011","deathdate":"April 8, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Sudden unexpected infant death","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Marvin Pouncey was born addicted to a cocktail of drugs, including methadone, benzodiazepines, opiates and marijuana, and endured withdrawal.
His mother, Virginia Pouncey, insisted that she did not have a drug problem, but had suffered only a minor relapse by smoking a "joint." And although Pouncey had a long, documented history of abusing opiates, DCF caseworkers allowed her to write her own safety plan: "I will continue to take care of my children the way that I have been."
She kept that promise.
On April 8, 2011, Pouncey placed 2-month-old Marvin in a twin bed with her and her older children, authorities said. and smothered him accidentally.
Following Marvin's death, Virginia Pouncey once again tested positive for drugs, this time marijuana, benzodiazepines, and opiates. Police found marijuana inside a pack of cigarettes on Pouncey's nightstand, a report said.
Pouncey claimed she tested positive for pot because she had smoked it before her last report to DCF — upon the birth of Marvin, her fifth child — but that report had been received 67 days earlier, well beyond the period when marijuana would be detected in a drug screen. The last investigation, which appears to have been at least the family's 17th overall, had documented that Pouncey was "doctor shopping" for pills.
An autopsy attributed Marvin's death to sudden unexpected infant death; the manner of death was undetermined.
The Child Protection Team's review of Marvin's death, however, concluded it resulted from the neglect of his mother, who slept in bed with him despite "having been counseled regarding appropriate sleep environment."
"The sleep environment," a report said, "was made more hazardous by Virginia Pouncey's use of narcotics."","perpfirstname":"Virginia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Pouncey","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"James","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Pouncey","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":313,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jalecia","middlename":"","lastname":"Whaley","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 3, 2001","deathdate":"April 21, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"10","countycode":"gadsden","county":"Gadsden","deathcausereport":"Head trauma/blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Ten-year-old Jalecia Whaley was killed when she was thrown from a car that crashed while driven by her aunt, Jessie Frieson, who was found to have a blood-alcohol level of .116 when tested afterward.
Jalecia's four siblings, who survived the wreck, told investigators that their aunt had either been drinking just before taking to the road or was drinking while she was driving. The children said that Frieson was "messing" with the radio when the car went off the road, struck several trees and overturned, ejecting Jalecia.
Frieson was subsequently convicted of DUI-manslaughter and is expected to be released from prison in 2017.
Jalecia and her siblings had been the subject of two prior reports to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline, at least one of them involving allegations of domestic violence against a caregiver.","perpfirstname":"Jessie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Frieson","perprelation":"aunt","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"DUI-manslaughter and DUI-personal injury","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":314,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Brianna","middlename":"","lastname":"Johnson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 16, 2007","deathdate":"April 24, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"4","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Abdominal blunt trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Brianna Johnson's mother, Ebony Lawson, often felt overwhelmed by the pressures of motherhood, she told DCF, and she sometimes received help from her boyfriend, Calvin Lewis. But things went terribly awry one night.
According to Lewis, 4-year-old Brianna vomited in the bathtub, and he assisted her. He then looked in on her throughout the evening, he said, but when he checked at 10:30 p.m., she had stopped breathing. Lewis, who had an extensive record of crimes that included battery and drug offenses, said he thought Brianna had gotten sick from eating too much at a barbecue at her grandmother's house earlier in the day.
But a postmortem examination revealed extensive trauma to the liver and other organs. When authorities again interviewed Lewis, he claimed he had been "rough playing" with the child. Police did not consider it play. Lewis, charged with felony murder and aggravated child abuse, is serving a 15-year prison sentence.
Dozens of pages were redacted from DCF files supplied to the Herald, making it difficult to determine the extent of the agency's involvement with the family. ","perpfirstname":"Calvin","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Lewis","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"convicted of felony murder, aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":315,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Marie","middlename":"","lastname":"Freyre","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 30, 1996","deathdate":"April 27, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"14","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Heart attack","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"For 14 years, Doris Freyre cared for her very disabled daughter, Marie, in their modest home in Tampa, administering medications and pureeing fresh fruits and vegetables for the girl to eat.
The lives of Freyre and her daughter collapsed in 2011, when DCF investigators took the child into state custody following allegations that Freyre was unable to adequately care for her.
At a court hearing on March 30, 2011, a Tampa child-welfare judge praised Freyre for her devotion to her child: "I was moved by how hard you've worked to take care of your daughter," Judge Vivian Corvo said. The judge ordered that Marie be returned to her mother with additional nursing care through the night — in-home nursing hours for which the state Agency for Health Care Administration had refused to pay.
But even after Corvo signed the order, state health and child welfare authorities would not pay for round-the-clock nursing in Freyre's home. Instead, DCF had Marie strapped to a stretcher in a private ambulance — as her mother and grandfather begged them to stop — and drove her 250 miles to a nursing home in Miami.
Marie survived only 12 hours in the nursing home, and detailed records say she spent most of that time screaming for help.
Just before dawn on March 27, 2011, Marie stopped screaming. An autopsy concluded that she died of a heart attack.
An investigation by AHCA concluded that the child had been given none of her life-sustaining anti-seizure drugs, required to be taken three times a day. The nursing home, now called Golden Glades Nursing and Rehabilitation, was fined $300,000 by federal regulators as a result of Marie's death. The facility later shut down its pediatric wing. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":316,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kalacia","middlename":"","lastname":"Watts","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 22, 2009","deathdate":"May 13, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"2","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"One-year-old Kalacia Watts drowned in a bathtub after her mother, Alisha Lowe, left her "splashing and playing in the water" for about five minutes, the family's DCF file says. When Lowe returned, Kalacia was lying face-up in the water. Her mother thought the child had "passed out," and when she could not be woken Lowe called 911.
An autopsy showed that the toddler had seven ounces of water in her lungs, suggesting her death probably occurred very quickly.
DCF had received one prior report involving Kalacia's two older siblings in 2008, before Kalacia was born. The person who called the agency expressed concern about Lowe's "ability to provide appropriate care as she was reportedly drunk all of the time," and that there were roaches and feces on the floor of her home. The investigation into that report "revealed no evidence to support the allegations."","perpfirstname":"Alisha","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Lowe","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":317,"docindex":153,"firstname":"Tavont'ae","middlename":"","lastname":"Gordon","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 6, 2011","deathdate":"May 13, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"seminole","county":"Seminole","deathcausereport":"Asphyxiation","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Police found Tariji Gordon in a shallow grave some 50 miles from home, her shoe resting on the earth as the only hint of her life and death, an unintended grave marker. Tariji's mother, Rachel Fryer, had carried the toddler in a leopard-pattern suitcase and buried her in the yard of a house in Crescent City, authorities said.
Fryer — a mother of seven who had already given up rights to her two oldest children after she was accused of selling drugs out of her home - had killed a child before, according to police records. Two years earlier, Fryer accidentally suffocated Tariji's 2-month-old twin, Tavont'ae, as she and the twins slept together. Tariji barely survived.
Armed with the details of the co-sleeping death and a positive cocaine test for Fryer, DCF removed Tariji and her three surviving siblings from the home and placed them in foster care. No criminal charges resulted from the cocaine test, and the children were later returned to their mother in November.
Three months later, Tariji was dead.
In a Sanford police interrogation room, she told an investigator that this time, she had not killed her child, but had found her unresponsive. Fryer said she tried to perform CPR and gave the girl some asthma medicine, but the toddler's only reaction was to gasp one or two last breaths. Fryer said she then dressed her lifeless daughter in a purple shirt, jeans and jacket, wrapped her in a black blanket and placed her body in the suitcase. A friend drove her to Crescent City, where she dug what she believed would be Tariji's final resting place.
Days later, police found the grave under a layer of dirt, plywood and a sheet of tin, along with one of Tariji's shoes and the suitcase nearby.
But an autopsy told a different story about Tariji's last days, during which the child had been abused repeatedly by her mother, authorities said. A medical examiner concluded that the child had died of blunt-force trauma to the head. She also had several injuries in various stages of healing, including a bite mark.
During the investigation that followed, the children's father, Tim Gordon, told police that he had spent the night at Fryer's home shortly before Tariji died. He said the toddler had soiled her pull-up and that Fryer made her stand in the corner for an hour or so as punishment. At one point during the night, Gordon awoke and found Tariji standing against a wall with her arms "ace bandaged" over her head. He said he made Fryer remove the bandages.
Fryer's 7-year-old daughter told child welfare authorities that her mother had repeatedly beaten Tariji with a stick, a broom handle, a mop and flip-flops because she was "bad." Tariji's last beating, the girl said, was the day before she died.
A week earlier, Fryer had told someone in a text message that she had beaten one of her children with a hanger and that she was about to have a nervous breakdown. "I need my depression medicine asap this too much I'm bout to loose it," she wrote, according to the warrant issued for her arrest. Fryer was charged with murder, aggravated child abuse, evidence tampering and mishandling human remains.
With Tariji's death came intense scrutiny into DCF and its community partner's handling of Fryer and her children over a stretch of almost three years. The case manager who was supervising Fryer told investigators that he had seen Tariji on Feb. 6, 2014, believed to be the day she died. He said he examined the girl's legs, arms and face and did not see any marks or injuries, despite the subsequent autopsy findings. Sanford police also reopened their investigation into TaVont'ae's death.
The fraternal twins had been born premature, and Tavont'ae had a heart condition. Doctors told Fryer to connect Tavont'ae to an apnea monitor at all times to ensure that she would be aware if Tavont'ae stopped breathing.
The monitor was in the garage the night Fryer placed the twins on a pillow near her on a couch. When Tavont'ae's aunt awoke the next morning, the boy was dead, his mother's feet inches away on the couch. The cause of Tavont'ae's death was declared to be accidental asphyxiation, and an autopsy concluded that his mother most likely smothered him with her feet, because doctors found "linear depressions" across the boy's forehead and upper chest "from a large amount of pressure." The marks appeared to be from a shoe or foot.
Fryer had been the subject of at least four prior reports to DCF's abuse-and-neglect hotline, although details of those investigations were redacted from a file made available by the agency. A report added that Fryer had "an extensive history of drug use."","perpfirstname":"Rachel","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Fryer","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":318,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kassidie","middlename":"","lastname":"McMillin","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 12, 2000","deathdate":"May 14, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"10","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Gunshot to the head","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Kassidie McMillin's 40-year-old mother, Tina Foster, had hit a rough patch: She was facing charges of trafficking in hydrocodone and of stealing "a significant amount of money" from her employer, her DCF file says. Her marriage to Kassidie's stepfather was crumbling.
On the night of May 12, 2011, the man, William Foster, 42, left their Pinellas County home to attend a Bible class at church. He returned to a hideous scene. His wife had shot her 10-year-old daughter in the head and then placed the gun to her own temple. Foster left a note saying that she could not go on any more and that she was "taking Kassidie with her," an investigator's report said.
The girl survived for a time, but the damage was too severe. Her father, Derrick McMillin, 36, who was in a court-ordered drug treatment program at the time, was permitted by his probation officer to go to his daughter's side, and he ultimately asked that life support systems be disconnected and that her organs be donated.
Kassidie's parents had been the subject of a prior report to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline, in 2009, involving allegations that McMillin, with whom she did not live, had a drug problem and had been arrested. ","perpfirstname":"Tina","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Foster","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":320,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Demontra","middlename":"","lastname":"Wilford","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 23, 2010","deathdate":"May 16, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"1","countycode":"putnam","county":"Putnam","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Demontra Wilford drowned in a bathtub after her 22-year-old mother, Shantrevia Tyler, left her unattended, even though she knew the infant wanted to try to swim, the family's DCF file says. Three other adults in the home, including the girl's father, Bobby Wilford, were alseep at the time.
At the time of Demontra's death, DCF had been investigating a report that Wilford had hit and choked Tyler and thrown a chair at her in front of the children. The chair instead hit one of Demontra's two siblings, the agency's file said.
Four months after Demontra's death, Tyler gave birth to twins. ","perpfirstname":"Shantrevia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Tyler","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":321,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Marina","middlename":"","lastname":"Mikos","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 1, 2010","deathdate":"May 18, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"9 mos.","countycode":"seminole","county":"Seminole","deathcausereport":"Diffuse brain injury/blunt impact to head and neck","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"unknown","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"After 9-month-old Marina Mikos stopped breathing on May 18, 2011, her parents, Ronald and Shalini Mikos, suggested that she had choked on pieces of chicken they had fed her. But an autopsy determined she had died of "diffuse brain injury" that resulted from "blunt impact to head and neck."
The Mikoses' 16-year-old daughter then signed a notarized "letter of confession" in which she claimed she had dropped her baby sister while posing her in a "cheerleading stunt" and that Marina had died as a result. But the Department of Health's Child Protection Team, which studied the baby's death in detail, concluded that Marina had been the victim of "fatal child abuse." The team wrote that neither the teen's letter nor a video re-enactment the family provided of the cheerleading stunt accounted for "the multiple injuries that led to the child's death," a file entry said.
The medical examiner ruled Marina's death a homicide, which he said might have resulted from either a beating or a shaking.
To this day, no one has been charged in Marina's killing, and DCF took no action of behalf of the infant's four older siblings. DCF had investigated the family three times before Marina's death, but the details of those investigations were withheld by the agency.","perpfirstname":"Shalini","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Mikos","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"Ronald","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Mikos","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":322,"docindex":66,"firstname":"Ezekiel","middlename":"","lastname":"Mathis","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 14, 2010","deathdate":"May 18, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"1","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Blunt impact to head and torso with lacerations of liver and spleen","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On April 27, 2011, the boyfriend of Ezekiel Mathis' mother physically abused the boy's sister in a public park, within view of a surveillance camera. A week later, DCF received a report that the 2-year-old girl had sustained bruises, marks, swollen feet and a blood blister from an unknown source.
Medical authorities concluded the injuries were "suspicious" for child abuse and the girl was removed from her mother's care. Ezekiel remained, however, because lawyers with the Attorney General's Office, who handle child welfare cases in Tampa, said there was no evidence that he had been abused.
Ezekiel's mother, Swazikki Davis, signed a safety plan vowing to keep her boyfriend, Damascus Kirkland-Williams, away from the boy, but she did not keep her promise. Case workers repeatedly found Kirkland-Williams in the home. A Tampa judge presiding over the girl's case asked why DCF had not intervened on behalf of her brother Ezekiel, as well. But the matter was not in the judge's jurisdiction because the agency had not requested that the court intervene on his behalf.
On May 18, 2011 Ezekiel was hospitalized with injuries to his stomach, hips, forehead and back. He died of blunt impact to his head and torso, with lacerations to his liver and spleen.
Kirkland-Williams told police he had "tossed" the infant into a dresser to make him stop crying. He was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.","perpfirstname":"Damascus","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Kirkland-Williams","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"Swazikki","perp2middlename":'Chadia',"perp2lastname":"Davis","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":323,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jace","middlename":"","lastname":"Shaw","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 10, 2010","deathdate":"May 21, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"6 mos,","countycode":"hamilton","county":"Hamilton","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia due to drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jace Shaw's mother had a long history of drug- and alcohol-related problems and a prior history of battery, domestic violence, disorderly intoxication and trespassing. Melissa Westberry had been referred for counseling but sometimes failed to go, saying it took up too much of her time and that she did not think it was doing her any good.
In one incident, one of her children burned himself on a space heater. DCF closed the case as "low risk" because Westberry had gotten a new heater — although she still had a drug problem.
On May 21, 2011, Westberry borrowed her father's truck and took her three children to the Alapaha River, stopping for a 12-pack of Bud Light on the way. She says she then drank seven or eight cans of the beer. At the river, while the older kids played in and around the water, 6-month-old Jace was sitting on the bank in his car seat, but was not buckled in. After a few minutes, his mother looked over at the bank and noticed that Jace was not in his car seat. He was in the water, submerged, and could not be revived.
Westberry was sentenced in October 2012 to two years in prison for aggravated manslaughter of a child. ","perpfirstname":"Melissa","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Westberry","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child, neglect","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":324,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Joshua","middlename":"","lastname":"Moran","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 3, 2011","deathdate":"May 22, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Blunt force injuries, unknown","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Joshua Moran was born while his mother and other members of her family already being investigated by DCF. The details of that investigation are unknown, however, because a short review of Joshua's death says only that the baby himself was not listed as a potential victim.
While that investigation was still open, Joshua and his 18-year-old mother, Jackelyne Adriana Moran, went for a car ride with Florentino Chavarria, Moran's boyfriend.
Chavarria tested positive for marijuana after he allegedly ran a red light and crashed. Two-month-old Joshua did not survive the collision.
Although Moran denied using drugs or being aware that Chavarria used drugs, she also tested positive for marijuana. Chavarria was charged with driving while his license was suspended and causing death and bodily injury.","perpfirstname":"Jackelyne","perpmiddlename":"Adriana","perplastname":"Moran","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Florentino","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Chavarria","perp2relation":"mother's paramour","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"driving without license/suspended/death, bodily injury"}, {"dataid":325,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Marta","middlename":"","lastname":"Negron","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 29, 1996","deathdate":"June 4, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"15","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Gunshot","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Marta Negron's brutish father treated her as though she were Cinderella, making her cook and clean for him and her brothers, and slapped her around when she did not adequately comply, according to a DCF account of the family's history.
Jose Antonio Negron punctuated his instructions with insults, telling Marta she was a "whoreʺ like her mother, who had left the home and was living with someone else. Only 20 days before she died, the 15-year-old girl told a DCF investigator that she had "feelings of despair" and was "often terrified of dad."
Three years earlier, one of Marta's brothers — there were eight children in all — had committed suicide in his room when he was 17, and Marta said she later tried to do the same, halting the hanging attempt only when she began to choke.
Marta kept telling Negron that she wanted to live with her mother, Olga Gonzales, and he would respond by saying that if she left he would die.
Finally, on June 4, 2011, while Marta was staying at her mother's house in Lakeland, Negron showed up with a gun and shot his daughter to death, along with her mother's boyfriend, Luis Fernandez, police said. He also repeatedly shot his estranged wife, although she survived.
In January 2013, Negron was sentenced to life in prison without parole after striking a deal with prosecutors that staved off a death penalty.
The family had logged nine DCF reports prior to Marta's death, the first in 1996, when Negron fired a gun because, he said, the family was receiving threatening letters, although the document did not make clear whether the weapon was pointed at anyone. Some of the accounts were redacted, but a report in 2005 referred to Gonzales hitting the children with belts and shoes, and said one of the boys played with a loaded gun and put a burning lighter to the skin on his arms. It said also that one of the girls — not Marta — "cuts herself intentionally and has attempted suicide," and that while their father used cocaine, the children smoked marijuana.
In 2009, a DCF report said Gonzales was "always screaming at the children and saying mean things to them, like she does not love them or care what happens to them." The report noted that Negron had obtained custody of the surviving children, who were described as having been "emotionally affected" by their home environment.
Most of the reports indicate that Negron and his wife — and, sometimes, the children themselves — simply denied whatever the allegations were, and almost nothing was done to protect Marta and her siblings. ","perpfirstname":"Jose","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Negron","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":326,"docindex":104,"firstname":"Rigel","middlename":"","lastname":"Locke","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 13, 2008","deathdate":"June 4, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"2","countycode":"desoto","county":"Desoto","deathcausereport":"Undetermined (found dead in pool)","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Rigel Locke's death remains a mystery. On June 4, 2011, Rigel's parents, Ruth and Matthew Locke, called police to report that their 2-year-old son was missing. Arcadia police officers arrived at the Locke home and immediately began a search for the youngster. Four officers checked the swimming pool, a DCF review said, but did not find the boy.
Although the pool was cloudy, the document said, the bottom was visible. Almost 90 minutes later, Rigel was spotted face-down at the bottom of the pool's deep end. A medical examiner ruled that both the cause and manner of Rigel's death were undetermined.
"No clear determination could be made with regard to how the child actually died," the DCF review said. It went on to reiterate that Rigel's body had not been observed in the pool by "multiple law enforcement officers" during the first hour-and-a-half that they had spent searching for the child. "It is unknown what really happened to Rigel and what, if any, direct involvement the parents may have had," the document noted.
Based on that uncertainty, DCF investigators asked the agency's lawyers on "multiple occasions" for permission to take action to protect Rigel's two surviving siblings. Each time the lawyers said the agency had no authority to act.
The Lockes had been the subject of one prior report to the agency's hotline, an allegation in 2010 that the family home had a roof leak, mold, bacteria and garbage throughout. The report was deemed not verified. ","perpfirstname":"Matthew","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Locke","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Ruth","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Locke","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":327,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Zha'heem","middlename":"","lastname":"White","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 13, 2011","deathdate":"June 5, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"3 weeks","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia due to overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Zha'heem White lived only 23 days. His mother was 17, suffered from bipolar disorder, and was a chronic runaway.
Zha'heem's extended family had been referred to a privately run child welfare agency, and his grandmother, La Chen Ingram-White, was seeking a guardianship so that she had the authority to take care of him.
Before any services could be brought to bear on his behalf, Zha'heem was smothered to death on a couch while sleeping with Ingram-White. She told authorities that she knew the couch was not a safe place for a newborn to sleep and that she had intended to move him, but fell asleep before she could.
Ingram-White had only recently been charged with driving under the influence, the family's DCF file says. She also took medication to treat diabetes, which sometimes made her "disoriented" and affected her ability to concentrate. ","perpfirstname":"Le","perpmiddlename":"Chen","perplastname":"Ingram-White","perprelation":"Grandmother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":328,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Derek","middlename":"","lastname":"Thomas","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 26, 2000","deathdate":"June 21, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"10","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Cardiac arrest due to asthma attack","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Ten-year-old Derek Thomas died of an asthma attack two years after DCF had been told that his mother, Syteria Amos, was not providing him with his prescribed medications. That investigation into possible medical neglect was closed as unverified after an investigator learned that Amos had filled the proper prescriptions.
But in June 2011, Derek suffered an asthma attack and died at his aunt's house after she was unable to find his medication. Nor could she "get it together" to make his nebulizer work, the family's DCF file says. The document also blames Amos, saying it appeared that she had not been giving Derek his medications "as she was supposed to."
Two months after Derek died, DCF received a report that his mother was not meeting the medical needs of a surviving sibling who also had asthma. The outcome of that investigation is not known.
In 2004, when Derek was about four years old, a report to DCF said that a man had been seen outside a grocery store beating the boy with a belt on his head, neck and back. When an investigator tracked the family down, Derek's parents admitted that he had been beaten for writing on the seats of their car, but the investigator closed the case because "no marks were found on Derek." ","perpfirstname":"Syteria","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Amos","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":329,"docindex":null,"firstname":"De'Angelo","middlename":"","lastname":"Crowley","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 9, 2011","deathdate":"June 27, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"18 days","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia due to overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"De'Angelo Crowley was 18 days old when he died. A report from the medical examiner said that De'Angelo's mother went to sleep with the newborn and his 1-year-old sibling in a full-size bed. Although a crib was available, it was not put to use.
De'Angelo's family had been the subject of five prior child abuse/neglect reports to DCF's hotline, and file entries show that most of them involved allegations of domestic violence between the boy's parents. De'Angelo's father had a lengthy criminal history, including two arrests for battery on a pregnant woman, and arrests for brandishing a gun. A review of De'Angelo's death said none of that was relevant because De'Angelo did not die a violent death. ","perpfirstname":"Lola","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Gayle","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":330,"docindex":90,"firstname":"Romana","middlename":"","lastname":"Bones","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 2, 1998","deathdate":"June 30, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"13","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Septic shock with hemorrhagic infarctions of heart and adrenal glands, due to acute/subacute pancreatitis with peritonitis and pneumonia.","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Severely disabled and unable to speak, Romana Bones had the intellect of a small child.
Calls to DCF's abuse hotline had included allegations that Romana had been found wandering a Putnam County neighborhood naked and smeared with feces; that her mother, Jessica Rivera, had ignored an open wound on Romana's chin; that Rivera did not supervise her children and sometimes left them alone at home; that one of Romana's siblings had been seen playing with a hypodermic needle and complaining that he had to see a doctor; that Rivera was untruthful about taking her kids to see doctors; and that her trailer was so messy — with holes in the walls, broken windows, exposed wires and prevalent garbage — that it needed to be condemned. "All of the children were filthy," a DCF investigator wrote.
On June 24, 2011, Romana was taken to Wolfson Children's Hospital in respiratory distress. Doctors found Romana severely anemic and malnourished, and infested with ants, lice and crabs. "The bugs may have also been feeding from her blood, decreasing her intake of nutrients," a medical report said. "The bug infestation was worse than the physicians had ever seen." Six days later, Romana succumbed to septic shock and a heart attack, with malnutrition as a contributing factor.
Rivera's older children had been taken from her in Puerto Rico to ensure their safety, a report to DCF said. Some of her behavior toward the four remaining children was occurring at the same time that private child-welfare caseworkers were visiting the home, according to the family's file. DCF lawyers said the agency lacked "legal sufficiency" to do anything further to protect 13-year-old Romana and her siblings. Even when Rivera stopped cooperating with caseworkers, the agency appears not to have taken action.
Rivera was convicted of two counts of child neglect with great bodily harm, and in June 2013 she was given an 18-year prison term. ","perpfirstname":"Jessica","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Rivera","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"Convicted of two counts of child neglect with great bodily harm and sentenced to 18 years.","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":331,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Sha'mon","middlename":"","lastname":"Simpson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 13, 2011","deathdate":"July 3, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"20 days","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Sudden unidentified infant death/co-sleeping","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"DCF was still investigating a report that one of Sha'mon Simpson's siblings was failing to thrive when 20-day-old Sha'mon died.
Social workers had given Sha'mon's parents a crib so that the newborn could sleep safely, but it was evidently not put to use. Sha'mon's parents, Saquonta Street and Aaron Simpson, admitted that they had smoked marijuana and then placed the newborn in their bed. They awoke to find him not breathing, and bleeding through his nose.
Although Sha'mon's parents had a history of drug use — Simpson had been arrested for cocaine possession — the agency closed its investigation with "not substantiated" findings that drug use was a threat to the children.
The parents, a DCF caseworker wrote, "were providing for their health, safety and well being."","perpfirstname":"Saquonta","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Street","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"0","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"Aaron","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Simpson","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":332,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jayden","middlename":"","lastname":"Jordan","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 2, 2011","deathdate":"July 11, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"1 week","countycode":"hendry","county":"Hendry","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jayden Jordan was born with drugs in his bloodstream and lived only a week.
His mother, Leslie Deleon, tested positive for opiates when she was admitted to a hospital to give birth to the boy. The newborn child showed signs of withdrawal, and doctors said they wanted him to remain under their care while they treated him. But Deleon left the hospital with the infant, against medical advice, and said later that the boy's father, Robert Jordan, had "threatened to kill her if she didn't leave the hospital."
While the parents' drug use was still under investigation, Jayden was found dead in his parents' bed. Police believe the boy's parents lied about how Jayden died. Although they claimed the newborn was placed in the bed on his back, lividity showed he had been sleeping on his stomach, which is considered far less safe. Both the cause and manner of Jayden's death were listed as undetermined.","perpfirstname":"Leslie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Deleon","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Robert","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Jordan","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":333,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Seth","middlename":"","lastname":"Lasater","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 23, 1999","deathdate":"July 12, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"11","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Penetrating gunshot wound to head","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Seth Lasater was 11 years old when he was shot in the head by his older brother. It was an accident, and it happened when the boys were playing around with a .22-caliber rifle they apparently did not know was loaded.
But an atmosphere of conflict and substance abuse had long permeated the family, and the boys' father, Forrest Lasater, had an extensive criminal history that involved violence and drugs. In February 2012, seven months after Seth's death, his father was sentenced to 15 months in prison for aggravated child abuse stemming from a 2011 incident in which Lasater had "incited and encouraged his sons to beat up another child."
Amid the family's lengthy prior history with DCF was a report in 2001, when Seth was 2, that Lasater had kicked in the front door of their home, grabbed his wife by the throat, slapped her, and threatened to kill her and the rest of the family. The boys were removed from the home because of that episode but were returned a short time later.
In all, there were six prior DCF investigations involving Seth and his brother as victims, some of them describing episodes of family violence and substance misuse. Lasater was not the only one at fault: His wife, Kristen, was blamed in a 2004 case for inadequate supervision, medical neglect, physical injury and exposing a child to illegal substances.
The records showed also that Forrest and Kristen Lasater were reliably uncooperative with DCF, and remained so after Seth's death. The agency's child-protection team ascribed the tragedy to negligence, and blamed the adults for failing to store the rifle in a place where Seth and his 13-year-old brother could not get to it.","perpfirstname":"Forrest","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Lasater","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Kristen","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Lasater","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":334,"docindex":43,"firstname":"Kaylee","middlename":"Ann","lastname":"Rice","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 10, 1999","deathdate":"July 13, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"12","countycode":"bay","county":"Bay","deathcausereport":"Blunt impact of head (car accident)","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Kaylee Rice was 6 months old when DCF received the first of 15 reports about the family. The callers claimed a host of failings on the part of Kaylee's mother, Courtney Coughlin, including physical abuse, repeated domestic violence and inadequate supervision. There was a common theme to almost every report: Coughlin's consistent abuse of drugs, which began when she was 12. Coughlin's menu of narcotics was reported to include oxycodone, Ecstasy, Xanax, Klonopin, and Lortabs, which a relative once formally accused her of stealing.
Coughlin had a long arrest record and had been to prison twice. She was investigated by DCF when Kaylee almost drowned in a pool, and on another occasion for allegedly shoving Kaylee off a bed after being woken by the child. Kaylee had been in and out of state care at least three times and lived a "chaotic, unstable life," a report to DCF said.
In August 2009, Kaylee was returned to her mother after a long period in which the girl had lived with relatives while Coughlin was in prison or had been deemed unfit to raise her. But less than a year after Kaylee was back at home, DCF was told that Coughlin was again abusing drugs and that she had tried to kill herself, for a second time. Coughlin refused to take a drug test or to cooperate with the agency's investigation, and DCF appears to have taken no action.
On July 13, 2011, Coughlin got into her car, with her 12-year-old daughter as a passenger, and tried to evade police who were attempting to arrest her for using a stolen check. During a high-speed chase, Coughlin crashed the car and Kaylee was killed.
Coughlin was sentenced to 25 years in prison on several charges, including homicide and negligent manslaughter.
Despite the agency's long history with the woman, investigators concluded in a four-page review of Kaylee's death that the agency's many dealings with Coughlin were "not relevant" to what happened to Kaylee.","perpfirstname":"Courtney","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Coughlin","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"homicide, negligent manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"yes","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":335,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Rocio","middlename":"Genesis","lastname":"Naranjo","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 3, 2009","deathdate":"July 18, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"1","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Upon the birth of Rocio Genesis Naranjo, DCF received a report that her mother smoked marijuana throughout her pregnancy, an allegation the mother admitted was true. DCF referred Rocio's mother to a drug treatment program, but her mother declined. Nineteen months later, Rocio drowned in the family swimming pool.
When Rocio died, police reported finding drug paraphernalia in the home as well as a room that appeared to be set up for the sole purpose of smoking drugs. DCF did not document requesting a drug screen of the parents, but they did ask their 11-year-old child, who denied any use of drugs in the home. The parents agreed to a home safety plan and to not use use drugs.","perpfirstname":"Rocio","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Naranjo","perprelation":"mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":336,"docindex":68,"firstname":"Isaiah","middlename":"","lastname":"Shade","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 27, 2008","deathdate":"July 29, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"2","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Blunt trauma to the abdomen","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Isaiah's mother, Liketa Robertson, had a boyfriend who was violent and domineering and who consumed cocaine and marijuana, which he also sold from the home, authorities said.
Isaiah had just turned 3 and was having difficulty with potty training. When the child wet his bed, his mother's boyfriend, Bosichell Radford, would "pop" him as punishment, an attempt "to train him to be a man," he told investigators. When Robertson objected, Radford told her to be quiet or "she would get the same treatment," according to DCF files.
On the day Isaiah died, Radford told Isaiah's mother to go to a store and get him cigarettes and soda. Robertson did as she was told. When she returned, she saw Isaiah lying on an air mattress crying out for "momma," but Radford would not allow her to pick him up. Radford told the woman to go out again to buy him a comb. Again, Robertson did as she was told. Upon returning a second time, she noticed that the child was lying face-up on the bed, playing.
Radford sent her out a third time, this time on a bicycle, to get clothing and shoes, the files say. When she came back, Isaiah was face-up on the floor. Radford explained that he had "popped" Isaiah and that the child could not breathe. Radford then put Isaiah in bed, at which time the child's eyes rolled back. Radford kissed him, instructed Robertson not to touch him, and went to bed himself. When Robertson could not wake him, she asked a neighbor to call 911. He could not be saved.
Among the causes of death: blunt trauma to the chest and abdomen, blunt trauma to the head and neck and cerebral edema. Less than a month before Isaiah was killed, DCF had closed an investigation into physical-abuse allegations by having Robertson and Radford sign a safety plan.
Radford had a lengthy criminal history, mostly involving drugs, and could not work because, he said, he had been shot twice. He ultimately was convicted of aggravated manslaughter and in August 2013 was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison. ","perpfirstname":"Bosichell","perpmiddlename":"S.","perplastname":"Radford","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":337,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Marquel","middlename":"Michael","lastname":"Clark","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 10, 2010","deathdate":"July 31, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"1","countycode":"lee","county":"Lee","deathcausereport":"Hyperthermia, due to environmental heat exposure","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Marquel Clark's parents told police they had been "driving around" for a couple of hours in a car with a broken air-conditioning system when they noticed him unresponsive in the back seat. The couple's surviving children had a different story: Their parents "forgot to take Marquel out of the car" when they returned from their grandmother's house earlier that morning.
Marquel, who was unusually small for his age, died from hyperthermia, with evidence of prolonged heat exposure, including "skin slippage" and extensive blistering.
Both parents, Kathleen Jennings and Michael Clark Jr., tested positive for drugs at the time, including methamphetamines. Jennings denied using drugs, and said she "didn't know why she would test positive." Clark was more forthcoming: "I use drugs," he noted in a document.
The couple's three other children, aged 3, 4 and 6, disclosed that their parents "often hit them with objects, including belts and shoes," an investigator wrote. One of the children had a "loop-type scar" on his hip that doctors said appeared to have been caused by a belt.
Marquel's parents had been the subject of two prior investigations by DCF, although the details were redacted by the agency in a review of Marquan's death. Both parents were charged with child neglect causing great bodily harm.","perpfirstname":"Kathleen","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Jennings","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"child neglect causing great bodily harm","perp2firstname":"Michael","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Clark","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"child neglect causing great bodily harm"}, {"dataid":338,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Nolee","middlename":"Elizabeth","lastname":"Wilkinson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 9, 2010","deathdate":"August 7, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"11 mos.","countycode":"citrus","county":"Citrus","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"One-year-old Nolee Wilkinson left her home through an unlocked sliding-glass door and drowned in the family pool. Her mother and grandmother told authorities that the toddler could not have been missing for more than a few minutes, and they said the door most likely had been opened by the family's dog, a large German Shepherd.
The family had been reported to DCF twice previously. One of the documents was redacted, but a 2010 report alleged that Nolee's father was smoking crack regularly, and had threatened to kill his wife if she left him. Other children in the home confirmed that their father had "temper tantrums and would throw and break things in the home."","perpfirstname":"Kayla","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Wilkinson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":339,"docindex":31,"firstname":"Ja'Kobe","middlename":"","lastname":"Woods","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 21, 2006","deathdate":"August 16, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"5","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Five-year-old Ja'Kobe Woods drowned in a fetid above-ground pool just one day after he had been returned to his mother, Brianna Woods. DCF files show that Ja'Kobe had been removed from her care after he and his two siblings had been repeatedly beaten by his mother's boyfriend, Eddie Thomas, to whom Woods returned despite signing a safety plan saying that Thomas would have no contact with the children. DCF's history with Woods went back 10 years. The complaints involved a bone fracture, a "blistered" backside and unexplained scratches.
The children, whose fathers were in jail and not involved in their lives, said they were frightened of Thomas. Ja'Kobe told an investigator in 2009 that Thomas had hit him with a belt and with his hand, and he was deemed to have been abused.
It was after that incident that Woods signed the safety plan, although child-welfare officials were not optimistic that she would follow through, given her "compromised insight into her inappropriate parenting skills." ","perpfirstname":"Briana","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Woods","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":340,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jason","middlename":"","lastname":"Howell","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 3, 2005","deathdate":"August 17, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"6","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Jason Howell's mother had cerebral palsy and was in a wheelchair. In 2010, two reports were phoned in to the hotline alleging that Jennifer Howell could not care for herself or her children, and that their home was infested with roaches and overflowing with dirty diapers, dishes and trash.
In 2011, there were reports that Howell was verbally abusing the children and that she had slapped one of them, an 8-year-old, on the face hard enough to leave a mark. Another hotline report said that Jason had taken his 2-year-old sibling on a bicycle ride down the road, but that no one had noticed until police showed up with the children. That report was closed with "no indicators of inadequate supervision."
In light of those reports, the family was scheduled to receive in-home help, but those services had not started by the time Jason drowned.
On the night of Jason's death, the family fell asleep while watching a movie. An older sister said that when she woke up, Jason was gone. Her mother told her to find him. All his usual hiding places around the house were checked, to no avail. Finally, someone found Jason's inflatable "floatie" in a neighbor's yard. It led them to the swimming pool, where his body was found. ","perpfirstname":"Jennifer","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Howell","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":341,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Destiny","middlename":"","lastname":"Taylor","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 15, 2009","deathdate":"August 17, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"2","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Post-immersion syndrome/secondary drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Two-year-old Destiny Taylor had never been taught to swim, her mother told a detective after the girl drowned. And yet she was "repeatedly" tossed into the deep end of a swimming pool, police said, by her aunt's boyfriend, who had been put in charge of watching her on an August day in 2011.
Witnesses said Destiny "was seen gulping water at times," according to the detective's notes, which say that the child later "vomited a large amount of clear liquid." After Destiny lost consciousness — an autopsy suggested she may already have been dead — her aunt, Tiarra Taylor, and the boyfriend, Centwane Williams, "put Destiny in bed, pretending she was still alive," DCF's file says. The documentation makes clear, based on several interviews, that neither Taylor nor Williams sought medical help for the toddler when it became clear that she was in distress.
Details of the family's history with DCF are not available because the agency removed them from a copy of the file. ","perpfirstname":"Centwane","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Williams","perprelation":"aunt's boyfriend","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":342,"docindex":null,"firstname":"John","middlename":"Gideon","lastname":"Suggs","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 29, 2011","deathdate":"September 2, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"suwannee","county":"Suwannee","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Two-month-old John Suggs was found face-down between a wall and the foam mattress of his mother's bed.
The boy, his sister and their mother, Monica McCrary, had shared the bed in a 20-foot camper that lacked running water, the family's DCF file says. McCrary and her boyfriend were known to fight and scream at each other, the file goes on, including an incident on June 29, 2011, when he was arrested after she had tumbled down a staircase. McCrary was taken to a hospital and gave birth to John.
After the delivery, McCrary tested positive for a sedative and marijuana and the baby tested positive for a sedative. McCrary was offered domestic-violence counseling through a shelter called Another Way, but declined.
The DCF investigation into the incident was approved for closure on Aug. 29, 2011. Four nights later, McCrary took three Excedrin PM pills because she was having trouble sleeping, the file says. That was the night John died. ","perpfirstname":"Monica","perpmiddlename":"Brianne","perplastname":"McCrary","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":343,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Nataley","middlename":"Jayde","lastname":"Agee","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 6, 2011","deathdate":"September 26, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Blunt force head and neck trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Nataley Agee was 3 months old when police said she was beaten to death by her mother, Kylee Copeland, in a trailer home infested with roaches and filled with the smell of urine and cigarettes. Police said Copeland, who was 21 at the time, provided five different explanations for the child's injuries.
The home was supposed to have received weekly visits from a social worker, but the worker did not show up for two months and had done nothing to prompt a resolution of the roach problem. A report to DCF's hotline that was still pending at the time of Nataley's death contained allegations of alcoholism, domestic violence and neglect.
On Sept. 26, 2011, Nataley was found lifeless in her crib, with red marks all over her body. An autopsy revealed she died of blunt force trauma to her head and neck. Copeland was charged with aggravated manslaughter.","perpfirstname":"Kylee","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Copeland","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"Aggravated manslaughter of a child","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":344,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Evan","middlename":"Hayden","lastname":"Watkins","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 9, 2007","deathdate":"September 30, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"4","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Sequelae of blunt impact to abdomen","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Evan Watkins showed up at daycare with bruises over much of his body, sparking a child-abuse case 17 days before his death.
A report to DCF said that in addition to the bruises, Evan had what appeared to be a hand mark on his left cheek. His mother's boyfriend, Marton Sandor Pal, initially told police that the boy had fallen on a playground. The state's Child Protection Team determined that the injuries were not consistent with a fall, although the case was still being investigated when Evan died on Sept. 30, 2011.
For a few days before, the 4-year-old boy had not been feeling well, and was not responding to over-the-counter medications. When his mother, Susan Soligny, tried a liquid fever suppressant, Evan began to tremble and his eyes rolled into his head. He was dead within the hour.
Pal later confessed that the week before the boy's death, he had punched him in the stomach and knocked him into a bed while babysitting, punishment for not going to sleep. It was not the first time. Pal said he had grown frustrated that Soligny was not disciplining Evan, so in her absence he repeatedly struck him in the stomach and head.
The autopsy revealed that Evan's injuries were consistent with 20 to 25 blows to the head. They also noted that Evan was developmentally delayed, possibly autistic. Soligny was scheduled to have him tested the following month.
A summary in the family's file acknowledged DCF's role: "After commencing the case, and hearing the verbal results of the CPT assessment, the department did not take any safety actions on behalf of the child."
Pal is serving a life sentence for the crime.","perpfirstname":"Marton","perpmiddlename":"Sandor","perplastname":"Pal","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"first degree murder, child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":345,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Christian","middlename":"","lastname":"Rodriguez-Herrera","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 4, 2008","deathdate":"September 30, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"3","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Blunt force head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"When 3-year-old Christian Rodriguez-Herrera ran in front of a moving pickup truck, his mother, Heidi Rodriguez,, was no where to be found for some time, a DCF report said. Christian was airlifted to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
DCF concluded it was not necessary to complete a "comprehensive review" of Christian's death because the incident was "purely a supervision issue" involving Rodriguez not watching her son. Her history with DCF had "no bearing" on the incident, DCF said.
But there were at least five prior abuse allegations, including one where the family was under court-ordered supervision for inadequate supervision of the children, records show. Other cases describe incidents involving a father who lunged toward Rodriguez, then stabbed another man during the fight — and a landlord who hit one of the children so hard in the mouth that it gave the girl a swollen lip. In another report, when Rodriguez was pregnant, DCF was told "Dad got tired of arguing and punched mom in the nose ... and hit mom on the back with a belt." DCF concluded that because the children were in the other room, "There are no known effects to them."
Rodriguez was arrested for aggravated child abuse and negligent manslaughter in connection with Christian's death, but the charges were later dropped. The driver was never charged.","perpfirstname":"Heidi","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Rodriguez","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"no","perpcharges":"aggravated child abuse and negligent manslaughter; charges later dropped","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":346,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Aaliyah","middlename":"","lastname":"Siler","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 5, 2011","deathdate":"October 5, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"9 mos.","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Fractures of skull and subdural hemorrhage due to blunt head impacts","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Aaliyah Siler was 9 months old when her mother's 22-year-old boyfriend, Joseph Oliver, killed the infant by repeatedly dropping her onto a floor, police said.
The child, her two siblings and their mother, Kayla Karcher, were visiting Oliver and his three children in Clearwater for the weekend when the incident occurred. Afterward, one of the children told an investigator that Oliver would beat Aaliyah's 2-year-old sibling because the child would get on "dad's nerves."
Oliver was described as regularly hitting both his children and those of Karcher, with whom he had been in a relationship for a mere two months. One of the other children had suffered a skull fracture. Police said that Karcher did not stop Oliver from administering the beatings.
Earlier, Karcher had sought protection in a shelter for battered women after "significant domestic-violence" incidents with her children's father, Brandon Siler, according to DCF's report on Aaliyah's death.
Several prior reports apparently referred to Oliver and his children, but the details were redacted from documents provided to the Herald.
Oliver, convicted of second-degree murder, is serving a 40-year prison sentence. ","perpfirstname":"Joseph","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Oliver","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"second-degree murder","perp2firstname":"Kayla","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Karcher","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":347,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Lillian","middlename":"","lastname":"Vaughn","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 25, 2010","deathdate":"October 12, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"20 mos.","countycode":"putnam","county":"Putnam","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Lillian Vaughn was born, DCF was told that her mother, Amanda Vaughn, tested positive for opiates.
Less than a year later, the agency received another report, that Vaughn was a junkie who "shoots up and has track marks," sometimes "cannot stand up," and was known to be incapacitated by drugs in the presence of her children. The report said that Vaughn, who bore three children, earned a living as a prostitute, and that on one occasion she told her children she would be back in a few minutes but disappeared for a month.
One of Lillian's siblings, the report said, had a "comprehension problem because the mother used drugs with him." While DCF was investigating that report, Lillian managed to get out of her grandparents' house through a "doggie door" and drowned in an algae-filled pool. ","perpfirstname":"Sheryl","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Flatt","perprelation":"Grandmother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"0","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"Tim","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Flatt","perp2relation":"grandfather","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":348,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Christopher","middlename":"","lastname":"Bourassa","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 13, 1998","deathdate":"October 15, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"13","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, intracraniel hemorrhage","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"DCF had received four prior reports on Christopher Bourassa's family, most of them involving allegations that his mother, Sonja Bourassa, failed to provide the necessary care for the boy's kidney disease. DCF also had been told that Bourassa and other relatives abused drugs or alcohol.
In the fall of 2011, Christopher ran out of blood-pressure medicine and his mother did not refill the prescription, according to DCF documents. Bourassa admitted to investigators that she had not taken Christopher to his doctors for more than a year because it was "inconvenient," the agency's death review said.
On Oct. 2, 2011, Christopher suffered a stroke and did not regain consciousness. He was pronounced dead 13 days later.
Bourassa also had a daughter who was 11 at the time, but the girl was not in her mother's custody. ","perpfirstname":"Sonja","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bourassa","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":349,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Evan","middlename":"","lastname":"Longanecker","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 28, 2011","deathdate":"October 19, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"citrus","county":"Citrus","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia - infant co-sleeping with adult","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Born addicted to his mother's methadone, Evan Longanecker was prone to shaking, tremors, jitters and sucking on his fingers — all signs of withdrawal from drugs. Although born full-term, Evan weighed only 4 pounds.
His mother, Abbey Jaros, acknowledged during one investigation that she had used methadone without a prescription throughout her pregnancy, taking the drug "unsupervised and illegally," a file entry said. Jaros indicated she had used the methadone as a pain medication for endometriosis, a disorder that occurs when cells from the lining of the uterus grow in other parts of the body.
DCF offered treatment and mental health counseling, although Jaros declined the latter. A week later, a child-protective investigations supervisor sent an email to Children's Legal Services requesting staffing for a dependency action because the baby was "significantly addicted to methadone and was still receiving methadone via breast milk." No petition was filed.
Evan, who was 7 weeks old, died the following night. He suffocated after his mother fell asleep while breast-feeding him on a couch. She said she had been asleep for only about five minutes. "The mother is using methadone without a prescription and tested positive for it on the scene," a DCF report said. ","perpfirstname":"Abbey","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Jaros","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":350,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Lesther","middlename":"","lastname":"Rocha","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 3, 2011","deathdate":"October 20, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Axphyxia due to overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"One month before Lesther Rocha died, the Children's Home Society closed its involvement with the boy's family. The private agency had been working with Lesther's parents after he was born addicted to his mother's methadone and required six weeks to withdraw from the drug, which his mother was using in order to kick her oxycodone addiction.
On Oct. 20, 2011, Lesther died in his parents' adult bed, where they placed him face-down, contrary to the way to protect infants from suffocation. The Broward medical examiner ruled Lesther was accidentally smothered.
DCF's very short review of Lesther's death, which offers few details, does not indicate whether the newborn's parents were told to avoid sleeping in the same bed as their infant.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":351,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Elyssa","middlename":"","lastname":"Thompson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 14, 2011","deathdate":"October 24, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"5 weeks","countycode":"okaloosa","county":"Okaloosa","deathcausereport":"Pneumonia due to chest wall infection due to rib fractures","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Elyssa Thompson was 5 weeks old when she died. The medical examiner in Okaloosa County determined the newborn died from pneumonia as the result of multiple rib fractures that caused an infection of the chest wall. Elyssa had also been failing to thrive, or not growing at a healthy rate.
After her death, Elyssa's 4-year-old sibling told child-abuse investigators that Elyssa had been "choked" by her mother's boyfriend, Jason Davis, with whom they had been living for less than two months and who according to DCF files had "a criminal history that affected child safety."
DCF had received three abuse or neglect reports about the family, which had been under voluntary supervision a few years earlier, in 2007, but details of the cases were not provided in a cursory review of the newborn's death. Elyssa died even as DCF was investigating the family for unspecified allegations abuse or neglect. ","perpfirstname":"Jason","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Davis","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Ashley","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Thompson","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":352,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Derrick","middlename":"","lastname":"Billie","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 13, 2010","deathdate":"October 28, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"1","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"After she had spent "a good amount of time" being homeless with her three children, Bernice Desmangles was invited to move into the home of a member of her church. About three months later, on Oct. 28, 2011, Desmangles instructed her children to sit on a couch and watch television while she helped her host clean a carpet. Desmangles's 1-year-old son, Derrick Billie, did not obey, and he slipped out of the house unnoticed. He was found about half an hour later by her host's teenage son in a pool that had no fence around it.
Desmangles had been investigated by DCF six times in the past, but the agency provided no details of those investigations. A review of Derrick's drowning concluded that none of the agency's previous dealings with the family were relevant to the toddler's death.","perpfirstname":"Bernice","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Desmangles","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":353,"docindex":37,"firstname":"Logan","middlename":"Lanier","lastname":"Suber","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 10, 2011","deathdate":"November 5, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"leon","county":"Leon","deathcausereport":"Positional axphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Logan Lanier Suber was born on his mother's birthday, and lived for two months. Logan's mother, Kortney Suber, was reported to have been popping pills throughout her pregnancy, and to continue abusing drugs after her son was born, according to the family's DCF file.
Police found Xanax, Valium, marijuana and a pipe in her purse after she had fallen asleep on a couch with Logan on top of her, a DCF death review said. Suber told police she often slept with Logan resting on her chest.
At Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, doctors and police noticed a pattern to the blue and red marks on the infant's face. The markings were found to match the fabric on the couch where Logan — dressed in a tan-and-white onesie — and his mother had been sleeping.
At the time, Suber was living with her newborn in a barn that she shared with three horses and several large bales of hay, a police report said. Logan died at a time when his mother was on a waiting list for counseling. ","perpfirstname":"Kortney","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Suber","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":354,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Damien","middlename":"","lastname":"Landry","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 21, 2010","deathdate":"November 17, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"18 mos.","countycode":"charlotte","county":"Charlotte","deathcausereport":"Oxycodone intoxication","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Between 2003 and 2011, Amber and Scott Landry had been the subject of nine reports to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline. Though details of most of that history are redacted from an account of their son Damien's death, a departmental review says that, by 2008, "there appeared to be a reasonable concern" that the Landrys had significant problems with drugs, largely involving prescription painkillers.
The review said that 2009 might have been "the most opportune time to initiate an intervention, given the multiple risk factors identified," but that intervention did not occur.
By 2011, it was "clear that the parents were well into their addiction," the document said. That year, DCF asked the Landrys to agree to voluntary drug treatment, but it appeared to be largely unsuccessful because the Landrys were only "marginally cooperative" with supervision and mostly unwilling "to participate in treatment," according to the document.
On Nov. 2, 2012, the agency filed a petition asking a judge to order the couple to comply with drug treatment. Just two weeks later, Damien died of an oxycodone overdose, and the surviving two Landry children tested positive for opiates.
DCF investigators wrote that they believed the couple was giving narcotic drugs to their small children to make them sleep. Both Scott and Amber Landry were charged with aggravated negligent homicide of a child.","perpfirstname":"Amber","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Landry","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated negligent homicide of a child","perp2firstname":"Scott","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Landry","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":"aggravated negligent homicide of a child"}, {"dataid":355,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Gabrielle","middlename":"","lastname":"Crawford","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 11, 2010","deathdate":"December 2, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"21 months","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Homicidal violence of unspecified type","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Gabrielle Crawford's mother had six children, four of whom were living with relatives or in foster care as a result of the woman's long history of abusing and neglecting her children, DCF records show.
Beginning in 1999, the agency had received at least 10 reports that Rosielee Crawford was an unfit mother, including allegations of drug abuse, lack of supervision, domestic violence, untreated mental illness and physical abuse. Crawford was being supervised by a private child welfare agency when Gabrielle and his twin were born.
Gabrielle suffered from hydrocephalus, a condition in which fluid builds up in the brain. He had complex medical needs and was extremely frail, and was not expected to ever be capable of eating or sitting up by himself. Though DCF was aware that Gabrielle and his twin had been born, and considered the pair to be at high risk of harm, the agency appears not to have told a child welfare judge about the twins, or to have insisted that Crawford accept supervision with their care.
A review of Gabrielle's death concluded that social workers were so eager to return Crawford's older children to her that they failed to protect the twins. Crawford signed a safety plan promising to ensure that all of the newborn babies' needs would be met, but she evidently reneged on her promise.
She admitted to Tampa police that she had used excessive force with Gabrielle on Dec. 1, 2011, breaking an arm and a leg, and that she had not sought medical attention for him. She found Gabrielle dead the next morning, and was charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse.","perpfirstname":"Rosielee","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Crawford","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated child abuse, child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":356,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Vincent","middlename":"","lastname":"Vitagliano","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 11, 2011","deathdate":"December 16, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"collier","county":"Collier","deathcausereport":"Sudden death of an infant while co-sleeping on couch with an adult","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Kristina Lydon tested positive for benzodiazepines and oxycodone upon the birth of her son, Vincent Vitagliano Jr., and both she and the baby tested positive for cocaine. At first, Lydon agreed to participate in voluntary services designed to mitigate the risk to Vincent's life, but as soon as DCF closed its investigation, on October 27, 2011, Lydon began missing appointments and group meetings.
One month later, Vincent was dead. An autopsy concluded he died of sudden infant death while co-sleeping with his father on a couch. A review of Vincent's death said DCF was never made aware — at least, according to records — by service providers that Lydon had walked away from her drug treatment program and other services as soon as DCF closed its investigation. Following Vincent's death, both of his parents tested positive for a variety of drugs, including benzodiazepines, oxycodone and methadone. ","perpfirstname":"Vincent","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Vitagliano","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":357,"docindex":13,"firstname":"Destinee","middlename":"","lastname":"Webber","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 26, 2009","deathdate":"December 25, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"1","countycode":"hendry","county":"Hendry","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Destinee Webber was a year old, she was in the center of a violent fight between her mentally ill mother, Shaterah Woodson, and Jarrell Johnson, her mother's boyfriend.
On Feb. 9, 2011, DCF received a report that Johnson had punched Woodson in the face, "slammed her to the ground and battered her some more." When Destinee awoke to the commotion, Johnson "slammed" the crying baby as well, a report said. Woodson, who had spent time in a psychiatric hospital and had lost custody of an older child, agreed to submit to better parenting services. But records show that Woodson missed appointments regularly, once because she was in jail after a bar fight. DCF, however, closed its investigation into the domestic violence incident with an internal warning that Woodson's failure to comply with DCF oversight "would be taken into account" if the family was again reported to the agency's hotline. But there was no next time.
Eight months later, Woodson left her daughter in Johnson's care while she was in jail, and on Christmas Day 2011, Destinee was beaten to death. Johnson was convicted of aggravated manslaughter of a child and sentenced to 13 years in prison. ","perpfirstname":"Jarrell","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Johnson, Sr.","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":358,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Josalin","middlename":"","lastname":"Libby","suffix":null,"gender":" female","birthdate":"December 20, 2011","deathdate":"January 30, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Suffocation","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Josalin died nine days after she was released to her mother from a Tampa hospital, where the child had been treated with methadone to detox from her mother's use of oxycodone during pregnancy. Her mother, who was also in a methadone program, admitted she had "relapsed" and was abusing narcotics again. Josaline suffocated while sleeping in bed with her mother.","perpfirstname":"Katelyn","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Abney","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":359,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Zyunna","middlename":"","lastname":"Gipson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 6, 2011","deathdate":"February 9, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"SUID","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Zyunna Gipson, a twin, died the way many babies do, of "sudden unexpected infant death," a mysterious event that often leaves parents and doctors baffled.
In Zyunna's case, contributing factors included respiratory congestion and the fact that she was lying face-down on a couch on which her mother was also sleeping. The position was deemed unsafe, but the child's mother, Taveyal Ross, was not held responsible.
There appear to have been eight prior DCF reports involving the family, including a 2010 child-abuse case involving three other children, but its details were redacted. Ross also had another set of twins, but it was unclear from the reports how many children she had altogether.","perpfirstname":"Taveyal","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ross","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":360,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Sean","middlename":"","lastname":"Graham","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 20, 2008","deathdate":"February 9, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"3","countycode":"bradford","county":"Bradford","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"The last time anyone saw Sean Graham alive, he was playing with his puppy. At some point that afternoon, apparently, the 3-year-old boy and the little dog went outside. When Sean's grandmother went looking for them later, she found the dog wet and shaking, but there was no sign of Sean. He was finally found at the bottom of the swimming pool, lifeless, and his relatives surmised to investigators that Sean might have "fallen into the pool in an attempt to prevent his puppy from drowning."
On the day he died, Sean — who had been born a week before his mother turned 16 — was in the care of his maternal grandfather, Warren Graham, but it was only when his grandmother, Maria Graham, returned from an errand that the boy's whereabouts became a concern.
There were seven prior reports linked to the family, including three that pertained to Sean. In 2011, he was identified as a victim of medical neglect, and his mother, Nicole E. Graham, agreed to accept at-risk childcare, a report said, but declined a substance-abuse assessment and counseling on parenting. A 2010 report noted "family violence" on the part of Sean's putative father, Roshon Graham, but said that it had not occurred in the boy's presence.
No one was charged in connection with Sean's death, although DCF's child-protection team ascribed it to supervisory neglect.","perpfirstname":"Warren","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Graham","perprelation":"Grandfather","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":361,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jeshiah","middlename":"","lastname":"DeJesus","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 28, 2002","deathdate":"February 10, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"9","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Stabbing","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"William De Jesus commandeered a motor home on Feb. 10, 2011, in Deerfield Beach, where he stabbed every member of his immediate family before killing himself. He and his family had been subject to child-welfare investigations in Florida since 2007, and in New York for at least three years before that.
Police found De Jesus' eldest son, Jeshiah, 9, who was autistic, bloodied and dying on a mattress; a 7-year-old boy with a knife blade lodged in his head; and the boys' mother, Deanna Lynn Beauchamp, also injured and, investigators said, partly responsible for the rampage.
Before attacking his family, De Jesus shot and killed the Canadian owner of the motor home, apparently while trying to steal it, police said.
Beauchamp, 37 at the time, and the younger boy survived their injuries. The woman was later convicted of aggravated manslaughter and child neglect in the knife attack and was sentenced to a 10-year prison term.
The bloodshed unfolded a year after DCF reunited De Jesus with his boys, and after the agency had verified allegations that De Jesus was both violent and abusive. The younger boy had told child-welfare authorities of his relentless nightmares and his name for his dad: "Monster Jackson."
Over a two-year stretch, De Jesus had repeatedly been accused of beating, stabbing and raping Beauchamp, and she told authorities that De Jesus had frequently molested the boys. Several years earlier, New York state authorities had permanently severed De Jesus' parental rights over his children from a previous marriage after being accused of abusing his ex-wife and the children.
Florida caseworkers first became involved with De Jesus in September, 2007, when a child-abuse hotline report said he had choked Beauchamp during a drinking binge. She told DCF investigators that the incident was just the latest of many assaults over an eight-year period and that De Jesus would kill her if she left with the children. DCF responded by filing a dependency petition that asked a judge to order the family to accept the agency's help and supervision but left the boys in the home. The case was closed with verified findings of "family violence threatens children" and some indicators of substance misuse.
Five months later, in February 2008, Beauchamp fled from De Jesus and moved into a domestic-violence shelter. She told authorities they both had molested their sons. "She stated that he had told her that his family has shown their love by touching the children's privates," a report to DCF said. "He had made her believe that this was the way to show the children their love."
The boys were sheltered immediately. While they were in foster care, De Jesus and Beauchamp reunited and she recanted her molestation allegations against him. In May 2009, another report to DCF alleged that De Jesus roughhoused with the boys and inappropriately touched their private areas during supervised visitation. The Child Protection Team's forensic review was inconclusive and the investigation was closed with no indicators of sexual abuse or threatened harm.
The agency reunited the family in June, 2010, saying it lacked "clear and convincing evidence" that the parents were unfit. As they transitioned back into their home, the boys' behavior showed they were afraid of their father, according to a therapist, a court-ordered guardian, and the boys' foster mother. DCF closed its case, and its involvement, on Dec. 10, 2010. Jeshiah was killed 14 months later.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Deanna ","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":362,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kevin","middlename":"","lastname":"Jackson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 7, 2011","deathdate":"February 14, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"clay","county":"Clay","deathcausereport":"Malnutrition and dehydration","deathcause":"other","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Kevin died of malnutrition and dehydration in a case that the Medical Examiner's Office described as "severe neglect." His death occurred after his mother had placed the 4-month-old infant face-down in his crib and then failed to check on him for more than 14 hours, DCF documents say. By the time he was found, Kevin's body was in full rigor mortis.
The boy's mother, Laquita Pryor, was charged with second-degree murder, child abuse, and neglect. A medical examiner reported that Kevin had no body fat and "minimal to non-existent" muscles. The infant's body could not be tested for dehydration, the doctor wrote, because he "lacked sufficient fluids to perform the test."
DCF's files show five reports about Kevin's three older siblings, including the eldest, who had been removed from his mother's custody in 2004. The family's file says that caseworkers offered Kevin's parents referrals to community services, "but follow-through did not occur."","perpfirstname":"Laquita","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Pryer","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"second-degree murder, child abuse, child neglect","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":363,"docindex":119,"firstname":"Torey","middlename":"Vincent","lastname":"Dymond","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 15, 2010","deathdate":"February 15, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Traumatic brain injury","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Torey Dymond 's life took a dreadful turn for the worse when his mother, Rosalia Poirier, by all accounts already a troubled soul, began seeing Clifton Alexander Frazier. At 30 years of age, his rap sheet included 28 arrests, including charges of drug possession, aggravated battery, DUI, carrying a concealed weapon by a felon, and a sex offense against a child.
Poirier was using drugs and tended to disappear for days on end, a relative told Davie police and DCF. She also appeared to have a propensity to get into fights, often over money, and she tended to take things from people, including wallets and, in one case, a 14-year-old boy's bike, police were told.
Five weeks before he died, Torey was rushed to a hospital unconscious after he was said to have fallen off a chair. A few days after that incident and back at home, Torey was bruised on his face when Frazier got into a fight with Poirier, DCF was told. The report said Frazier "grabbed the mother by the arms and pushed her to the ground," and that he then grabbed her by the throat and kicked her. The child was injured during the incident, the report said.
Torey's maternal grandmother had pleaded with DCF to remove Torey from his mother's care, but lawyers said the agency lacked authority to take action. DCF believed Torey was safe so long as his grandmother was watching him, but the grandma insisted that Poirier would leave with him. She did.
On Feb. 3, 2012, Poirier left Broward County with the 1-year-old boy and moved in with Frazier in Orlando. On Feb. 7, 2012, investigators at the Broward Sheriff's Office, which conducts abuse investigations for DCF in Broward County, asked that investigators in Orange County visit Frazier's home and check on Torey's welfare, but that visit did not until the day he died.
On Feb. 14, 2012, DCF received one last report about the toddler: "Torey was limp and had passed out," allegedly after twice falling and hitting his head while in Frazier's care. The boy was placed on life support at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and died the following day of severe head injuries that authorities said had been inflicted by Frazier. He was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving a 35-year sentence at Hamilton Correctional Institution. ","perpfirstname":"Clifton","perpmiddlename":"Alexander","perplastname":"Frazier","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"Rosalia","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Poirer","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":364,"docindex":null,"firstname":"William","middlename":"","lastname":"Rashley","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 10, 2004","deathdate":"February 23, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"7","countycode":"stjohns","county":"St. Johns","deathcausereport":"Gunshot","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"The Rashley boys' mother, Donna Gayle McCulloch, had been abused by her parents and her husband, according to DCF files, and used a wheelchair. She had a history of depression and had spent time in a psychiatric institution, and her marriage to Daniel Rashley II, riven by violence, had ended in divorce.
One night as the boys slept, something finally snapped: McCulloch grabbed a gun and shot Daniel, 8, and William, 7, multiple times before killing herself.
The family's DCF files were replete with warnings, including a 2007 allegation that Daniel and William, then aged 3 and 4, had been found wandering in the street 200 yards from their home, hungry, and that their father had not noticed they were gone.
A report in 2010 said Rashley was "verbally and physically abusive," had "a history of being arrested for DUI," and drank alcohol every day. He had not been employed in six years but "did odd jobs to pay for alcohol." Rashley was referred to a substance-abuse program but did not comply.
Another 2010 report said that Rashley had been arrested and charged with child abuse after he had seized a neighborhood boy by the collar and struck him. Of the three abuse reports filed in 2011, the worst claimed that Rashley had run over his wife with a car a year earlier, paralyzing her. Another account of that incident said Rashley had been chasing her in another car and that she had crashed into a tree and a pole. In any case, McCulloch had no memory of how she had arrived at her paralysis.
A review of DCF's actions over the years said there was "no evidence in the record that anyone was aware the mother was contemplating killing the children and herself." As a result, the document concludes, "the deaths did not appear to have been avoidable by anyone other than the mother, who could have availed herself of counseling and other services if she had asked for help." ","perpfirstname":"Donna","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"McCulloch","perprelation":" Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":365,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Daniel","middlename":"","lastname":"Rashley","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 6, 2003","deathdate":"February 23, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"8","countycode":"stjohns","county":"St. Johns","deathcausereport":"Gunshot","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"The Rashley boys' mother, Donna Gayle McCulloch, had been abused by her parents and her husband, according to DCF files, and was confined to a wheelchair. She had a history of depression and had spent time in a psychiatric institution, and her marriage to Daniel Rashley II, riven by violence, had ended in divorce.
One night as the boys slept, something finally snapped: McCulloch grabbed a gun and shot Daniel, 8, and William, 7, multiple times before killing herself.
The family's DCF files were replete with material, including a 2007 allegation that Daniel and William, then aged 3 and 4, had been found wandering in the street 200 yards from their home, hungry and wearing dirty diapers, and that their father had not noticed they were gone.
A report in 2010 said Rashley was "verbally and physically abusive," had "a history of being arrested for DUI," and drank alcohol every day. He had not been employed in six years but "did odd jobs to pay for alcohol." Rashley was referred to a substance-abuse program but did not comply.
Another 2010 report said that Rashley had been arrested and charged with child abuse after he had seized a neighborhood boy by the collar and struck him. Of the three abuse reports filed in 2011, the worst claimed that Rashley had run over his wife with a car a year earlier, paralyzing her. Another account of that incident said Rashley had been chasing her in another car and that she had crashed into a tree and a pole. In any case, McCulloch had no memory of how she had arrived at her paralysis.
A review of DCF's actions over the years said there was "no evidence in the record that anyone was aware the mother was contemplating killing the children and herself." As a result, the document concludes, "the deaths did not appear to have been avoidable by anyone other than the mother, who could have availed herself of counseling and other services if she had asked for help." ","perpfirstname":"Donna","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"McCulloch","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":366,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Sean","middlename":"","lastname":"McKee","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 2, 2011","deathdate":"February 25, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Sean McKee, who had been removed from the care of his mother because of her abuse of drugs, a DCF file said, was living in a Sarasota foster home run by Cathy and Edmund Power.
There were six other adopted or foster children in the house, along with the Powers' own child, even though it was a medical foster home — for children with health problems or disabilities — and therefore licensed only for the care of two children. DCF said the overcrowding came to play a role in 1-year-old Sean's death.
On the morning he drowned, his foster parents left a set of sliding-glass doors open and a swimming-pool fence unsecured, and then lost track of Sean, a DCF review of his death said. The 1-year-old toddler crawled out of the house and into the pool, where he later was found.
Sean's death, a review said, was "compounded by the number of children that were placed in the home at the time that the incident occurred, a total of eight." DCF had given the home a waiver that allowed it to exceed the two-children limit, a decision it later admitted contributed to its conclusion of inadequate supervision. Moreover, children in the home later told the area's Child Protection Team that the couple was in their bedroom at the time Sean drowned and that they sometimes failed to supervise them. The couple's foster children were removed from the home and their license was not renewed. ","perpfirstname":"Cathy ","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Power","perprelation":"foster Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Edmund","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Power","perp2relation":"foster father","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":367,"docindex":58,"firstname":"Ayanna","middlename":"","lastname":"Ross","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 16, 2011","deathdate":"March 2, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On the day Ayanna Ross died, she and her 2-year-old brother were in temporary foster care. They had been placed there because their mother, Kimberly Finnegan, was behind bars for credit-card fraud and their father, James Ross, just released from jail for beating their mother, had no means to care for them. The children were in the home of Shawna Parker, whose boyfriend, Jesus Mata, was ultimately charged with aggravated manslaughter in Ayanna's death. The girl and her brother had been removed from their parents' care following the domestic-violence incident. When a temporary home for the children was being sought, authorities failed to look thoroughly into Parker's suitability as a caregiver, and made no investigation at all into Mata, who, it later emerged, had been committed to a mental institution for evaluation less than two years before Ayanna died at his hands. When Marion County sheriff's deputies went to Parker's home on that occasion, Mata was "in severe distress" and threatened to kill himself, and 500 rounds of rifle ammunition were found in his possession. A summary of the Ayanna Ross case said the "lack of previous child-care experience" on the part of Parker and Mata "should have been addressed" as a potential risk factor. On Feb. 29, 2012, two weeks after her first birthday, Ayanna was rushed to a hospital, foaming at the mouth and vomiting. She had "extreme head trauma," including swelling of the brain, as well as bruises on her face and abdomen. When investigators spoke with her little brother, he insisted that it was he who had caused Ayanna's injuries by hitting her with a helmet. Since that seemed unlikely, an investigator finally elicited from the boy the explanation that Mata had told him to claim responsibility. Subsequently, Mata told a detective that he had been watching the children while Parker was working and that he was trying to stop Ayanna from crying by throwing her into the air. "The last time he did not catch her," a report said, "and Ayanna hit her head on the wooden bed frame." An assessment of the girl's injuries concluded that hitting the bed would have caused fractures, not brain swelling, and that Ayanna was a victim of shaken-baby syndrome. Later, Mata changed his story to say that he had dropped the child "and then shaken her to revive her." In any case, it took almost two hours for medical help to be summoned for Ayanna, a delay that "likely resulted in further clinical deterioration" before she died. ","perpfirstname":"Jesus","perpmiddlename":"Chino'","perplastname":"Mata","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend of non-relative caregiver","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":368,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jason","middlename":"","lastname":"Ward","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 23, 2008","deathdate":"March 4, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"3","countycode":"pasco","county":"Pasco","deathcausereport":"Oxycodone toxicity","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"One day in March 2012, Jason Ward's parents, who had a long history with DCF and repeated allegations of drug use, left the 3-year-old boy at home with his 13-year-old sister. At some point, the girl used a cellphone to send her mother, Kristin Shrader, a video that showed Jason struggling to breathe. When Shrader and the boy's father — after whom the boy was named — returned home, they found Jason sleeping but did not seek medical attention for him, DCF files say.
The next morning, Jason was found unresponsive in bed by a sibling and was subsequently declared dead. The cause was oxycodone toxicity, with contributing factors such as tonsillitis and asthma.
Investigators found oxycodone pills around the house. Both parents and the boy's paternal grandfather denied that they used drugs but declined to be tested.
Shrader and Ward were accused of drug use on three previous other occasions, and each time they denied it and refused to take drug tests. When Jason was born, both he and his mother tested positive for marijuana, cocaine and oxycodone, and an investigation was closed with some indicators of substance misuse. DCF placed the family under protective supervision, with no further action as long as the parents remained compliant with their case plan tasks.
Two DCF probes were open when Jason died. One was prompted by a report on March 2, 2012, that alleged the parents were using oxycodone and driving the children in a van while under the influence of the drug. That same report alleged that the children's grandmother abused alcohol daily. The parents denied the allegations. DCF caseworkers agreed to recommend in-home services, but 24 hours later the agency received a new report, this one alerting caseworkers to Jason's death. ","perpfirstname":"Kristin","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Shrader","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Jason","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Ward, Sr.","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":369,"docindex":48,"firstname":"Russell","middlename":"","lastname":"Fox","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 16, 2003","deathdate":"March 4, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"8","countycode":"suwannee","county":"Suwannee","deathcausereport":"Cardiopulmonary failure, pneumonia and cystic fibrosis, end stage lung disease","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"natural","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Russell Fox was born with cystic fibrosis and "complex" medical needs. Later, he was diagnosed as failing to thrive, meaning he could not gain enough weight and was not growing at an appropriate rate. He spent virtually all his short life with abusive and neglectful caregivers, according to the family's DCF file.
Shortly after Russell was born, he and his siblings were taken from their mother's care because they were being subjected to physical abuse. When he was 1 year old, he was adopted by Lesa Rose Fox.
For the next few years, DCF received report after report — 20 in all during his lifetime — about improper care, many of them verified. They included allegations that Russell was the victim of repeated medical neglect; that Fox was living with a convicted sex offender who was being permitted to care for the children alone; that while Russell was enduring both malnutrition and dehydration, Fox was suffering from mental illness and was abusing drugs; that she had been jailed after assaulting Russell's father; and that she had been involved in other episodes of domestic violence. DCF caseworkers learned also that Russell's mother had "burned him with a spatula."
At least twice, DCF sought to remove Russell from his adoptive mother's home, but a judge refused to intervene. Russell died on March 4, 2012, of complications of cystic fibrosis. The agency's records say that a contributing factor was his mother's neglect, which "resulted in his premature death."
The review suggests that Fox outsmarted the DCF lawyers with whom she regularly fought. She "took copious notes throughout Russell's treatment," was "very knowledgeable about his illness" and was "readily able to access this information during the court hearings," the family's file says. Fox "offered what the court considered a credible response to every allegation of neglect," the file goes on. Without persuasive evidence to the contrary, the court concluded that Fox "was doing the best she could to provide for her son."
An obituary said Russell had "enjoyed playing outside and watching 'SpongeBob SquarePants'." ","perpfirstname":"Lisa","perpmiddlename":"Rose","perplastname":"Fox","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":370,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Maliyah","middlename":"","lastname":"Gartrell","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 4, 2012","deathdate":"March 8, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1 mos.","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Evolving anoxic encephalopathy of unspecified etiology with acute skull fractures and subarachnois hematomas","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Born premature, Maliyah Gartrell spent the first two weeks of her life in a hospital, and had been home for only two weeks before she was found unresponsive in her bassinet by her mother, Jessica Scott.
Rushed back to hospital by paramedics, Maliyah could not be revived, and was later found to have two skull fractures that Scott and the girl's father, Michael Gartrell, were unable to explain. They admitted that for a few days their daughter had exhibited labored breathing, rattling in her chest and seizure-like symptoms. Although neither parent had taken the child to see a doctor, Scott and Gartrell denied hurting Maliyah and asked that they be allowed to take a polygraph test.
Despite the couple's insistence that they had not hurt the child, DCF's review of the case said that "medical evidence obtained during the course of the case suggests otherwise." The state's Child Protection Team determined that Maliyah's injuries were the result of significant trauma on at least two occasions.
But a medical examiner declared the cause of death to be undetermined, saying the fractures could have occurred at birth.
There were no prior reports involving Maliyah but there was one that referred to a sibling who was in the care of someone else. No other details about that case were provided. ","perpfirstname":"Jessica","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Scott","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Michael","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Gartrell","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":371,"docindex":114,"firstname":"Dylan","middlename":"Winslow","lastname":"Andres","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 10, 2010","deathdate":"March 9, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Multiple sharp force injuries","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Of Destiny Keisler's six children, five had been either permanently removed from her care or surrendered to other caregivers. Only her son Dylan Andres remained with her, and she told an investigator that "Dylan was the reason she changed her life and stopped selling drugs."
For the most part, records show, Keisler's long-standing addiction to drugs had left her unable to care for her children properly and unwilling, apparently, to submit to drug treatment or better-parenting classes.
When Dylan was born in August 2010, DCF received an allegation that the boy would not be safe with his mother. Keisler tested negative for drugs at the time, and DCF caseworkers said they wanted to give her another chance, without counseling or supervision.
On March 9, 2012, Keisler lost track of the toddler while she was unloading groceries, she said later. Dylan left the house and walked over to a neighbor's yard, where a Rottweiler was tied to pole, and the dog "grabbed Dylan by the throat," a witness said. By the time Keisler realized her son was missing, the dog was "chewing on Dylan," she told an investigator. An autopsy said the boy had sustained 16 dog bites to his face and neck.
Several neighbors said after the boy's death that they had been concerned about Keisler's parenting, and noted several examples of "Dylan not being adequately supervised."
In a review of Dylan's death, DCF noted that a doctor with the state's Child Protection Team blamed Dylan's death largely on DCF: "The child would not have died if the mother had not neglected to keep track of where he was. The child would not have died if he had not been left in the care of the mother who had previous children removed from her care and had failed to complete the case plan intended to make her a more safe and nurturing parent. This was a preventable death. It could have been prevented by the mother, and it could have been prevented by the child protection system." ","perpfirstname":"Destiny","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Keisler","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":372,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Janelle","middlename":"","lastname":"Lucero","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 27, 2006","deathdate":"March 18, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"5","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Multiple trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Janelle Lucero was struck and killed by a speeding car in front of her home. The 5-year-old child had hopped onto her bicycle to fetch her little sister from another street in the trailer park in which they lived. "The driver fled the scene on foot," a report of the incident said.
The girls' mother, Katherine Diaz, 33, was so distraught that she threatened to kill both her surviving child and herself so that they could "be with Janelle," according to the family's DCF file.
The agency's records show an investigation into the family six months earlier that was closed with "no indicators for physical injury." ","perpfirstname":"Katherine","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Diaz","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":373,"docindex":67,"firstname":"Hayden","middlename":"","lastname":"Melton","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 10, 2009","deathdate":"March 18, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"2","countycode":"pasco","county":"Pasco","deathcausereport":"Cranio-cerebral trauma due to blunt impact to head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In April 2011, Melissa Scott's boyfriend, Justin Bauer, inflicted a severe beating on her 7-month-old toddler, Hayden Melton, that resulted in bruising all over his body and on his face, DCF files show. A couple of months later, Scott found a new boyfriend, Jason Collier, and he moved in.
Hayden's mother had been reported to DCF's hotline three times, including two reports alleging that she abused drugs and had been on a "drug binge" with marijuana and pills. The second report was dismissed as unfounded after Scott refused to take a drug test, according to her file. The third report referred to the beating by Bauer, who was kicked out of the home before being arrested for the crime.
Almost a year later, Scott and Collier placed Hayden, near death and with bruises around his eyes and on his head, into a car and were headed to a hospital when they encountered a Pasco County sheriff's deputy at a gas station. They handed the boy over and the deputy initiated cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. The child was then airlifted to a hospital but was pronounced dead the following day.
An autopsy showed that Hayden had sustained skull fractures and other injuries from "blunt impacts" and that he had gone into a coma as a result. The manner of death was declared to be homicide. Police suspected that Hayden had been abused for days before he died.
After the boy's death, Collier told police that he would sometimes swat the child on the bottom if he misbehaved, or give him a "quick pop on the mouth" for "back-talking." Although Collier was considered the main suspect in Hayden's death, no one has been charged. ","perpfirstname":"Jason","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Collier","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Melissa","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Scott","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":374,"docindex":32,"firstname":"Jada","middlename":"","lastname":"Cantrell","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 29, 2012","deathdate":"March 23, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"lee","county":"Lee","deathcausereport":"Possibly blunt head trauma; autopsy report not released at time of death review","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Two weeks before Jada Cantrell died of injuries that included multiple skull fractures and a broken clavicle, DCF received a report that the girl's father, Steven A. Cantrell Jr., a gang member with a long history of violent crimes, had killed the family's cat in a fit of rage. It later turned out that the report was untrue. Cantrell and Jada's mother, Faith Boyki, told investigators they did not need counseling or other services at that time.
Jada died while the investigation into the alleged cat killing was still going on, only one week after she had been left in the custody of her father. Cantrell said after the girl's death that she had fallen off a couch onto a tiled floor. Her injuries indicated far more grievous violence.
In June 2013, Cantrell received a 34-year prison sentence after being convicted of second-degree murder. He has Jada's name tattooed on his neck and his face bears a teardrop tattoo.","perpfirstname":"Steve","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Cantrell","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"34-year sentence for second-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":375,"docindex":85,"firstname":"Trevon","middlename":"","lastname":"Richardson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 26, 2012","deathdate":"March 26, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Probable overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When the mother of Trevon Richardson called 911 to report her baby was not breathing, she wanted to make one thing immediately clear: The 1-month-old was not sleeping in bed with her. Evidence obtained by police indicated otherwise.
Though the baby's blood was on Molly Olson's bed, it was not detected anywhere on Trevon's bassinet. The medical examiner concluded Trevon was likely smothered accidentally while sharing a bed with his mother.
Olson had a long-standing substance abuse problem. Trevon's father had a significant mental illness, DCF files said. Trevon's parents had been reported to DCF's hotline six times, including a report, received at the boy's birth, that his mother had used crack cocaine before he was born.
During an investigation into that report, several family members and others described both Olson and the boy's father as drug addicts, and the father of Olson's other child said he had forbidden her to see the child after she had tried to take the child "while appearing to be under the influence of substances."
Although Olson had declined services from DCF during past investigations, she agreed to accept drug treatment, then missed appointments. She agreed in a safety plan to accept drug treatment and to give up friends who continued to smoke and snort. ","perpfirstname":"Molly","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Olson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":376,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Alexis","middlename":"","lastname":"Petrow","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 19, 2010","deathdate":"March 27, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On March 3, 2012, Alexis Petrow slipped out of the family home and drowned in the swimming pool while her mother was taking a nap. Her mom had been out late at a Tampa club "to earn money by dancing," along with drinking alcohol and snorting cocaine, according to a DCF review of her death.
Alexis's older brother, who had left the house earlier in the day but returned before 1-year-old Alexis drowned, "most likely witnessed as his sister fell into the swimming pool," the review said. The boy, who was then 5 years old, began to experience "night terrors" afterward, and asked his parents for a picture of his little sister "to hold when he would go to sleep."
DCF records show one report about the family in 2010, before to Alexis' birth. Details of that investigation were redacted.","perpfirstname":"Daniella","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ormsby","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":377,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Riley","middlename":"","lastname":"Ryon","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 23, 2011","deathdate":"March 27, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma to head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On the day of Riley's death, her mother, Kristina Bardell, came home from work and began to prepare lunch. Riley's father, Christopher Ryon, was sprawled on the couch. Riley's mom asked the dad to check on the 3-month old. He looked into the bedroom and said Riley was fine. But moments later, when Riley's mother looked in to check for herself, she found the little girl was not fine, but in fact cold to the touch, blue and not breathing. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The injuries included a fractured skull. Unraveling what happened wasn't difficult. At the hospital, Riley's father admitted to Winter Haven police he may have dropped her on the bed from a height of three inches or so, which would not explain the death. Questioned further, he admitted becoming frustrated after Riley cried for 30 to 40 minutes straight. He described the wails as "screams that go through me like bullets." When he could not take it any more, he whacked her on the back of the head with his hand. He could not remember if the hand had been open or balled into a fist.On a scale of one to 10, he rated the strike a six or seven.
Throughout the interview he referred to the victim as "it" and never mentioned her name. Christopher Ryon was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.
Months earlier, Ryon had come to DCF's attention for an unusual parenting method. As a way of regulating his children's sleep patterns, he would "place the infant's head or butt in the freezer." This was so they would stay awake during the day and sleep through the night. He would also place frozen strawberry packages on the kids to achieve the same goal. Ryon told investigator he would place the child in front of the freezer, not in the freezer and wave the cold air on this back to "alert" him. Parenting classes were recommended. ","perpfirstname":"Christopher","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ryon","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":378,"docindex":98,"firstname":"Phoenix","middlename":"","lastname":"Gallagher","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 1, 2011","deathdate":"March 29, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Eight days before Phoenix Gallagher died, DCF received a report alleging that his mother, Janelle Dunbar, was addicted to Xanax, a sedative, and had dropped her baby twice. Dunbar was also reported to have left the baby unattended in a car for an unknown period of time.
Phoenix's father, Glenn Gallagher, was on probation for possession of oxycodone. The family was living with Gallagher's parents at the time, but "they had to kick the mom out of the home due to her Xanax abuse," investigators found. Gallagher's parents had also asked him to leave, the investigators noted, "because he is not working or contributing to the household." The couple and the newborn were due to move out and find a place of their own, and caseworkers noted their "concern given mom's inability to supervise the baby due to the drug use."
On March 29, 2012, Phoenix's parents placed her in bed with them and fell asleep. An autopsy concluded that the 3-month-old suffocated under a thick blanket. After Phoenix died, her parents acknowledged smoking both marijuana and Spice, a synthetic form of marijuana that is considered more dangerous.","perpfirstname":"Janelle","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Dunbar","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Glenn","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Gallagher","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":379,"docindex":27,"firstname":"Zayonna","middlename":"","lastname":"Moss","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 1, 2011","deathdate":"April 2, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Blunt force injury of the head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"One-year-old Zayonna Moss was accidentally run over and killed in the driveway of her home by a Dodge Durango driven by her grandmother, Lisa Gordon, according to DCF files.
Zayonna had wandered out of the house unnoticed. Her 22-year-old mother, Porsha Clubb, who had moved to Florida after living in Oklahoma and Georgia, was described in DCF documents as "overwhelmed" by having to take care of four children. Her history with DCF was largely redacted from a probe into Zayonna's death, although a report from 2011 — the year the child was born — noted a concern that Clubb and her children were "bouncing from place to place and did not have a permanent residence." ","perpfirstname":"Porsha","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Clubb","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":380,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Lucas","middlename":"Daniel","lastname":"Machin-Torres","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 9, 2009","deathdate":"April 15, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"3","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Jocelynn Torres-Machin, Lucas' mother, suffered from bipolar disorder, often failed to take her medication, and was described in reports to DCF as violent and unstable.
Shortly after his birth, DCF caseworkers placed Lucas in the home of his paternal grandparents. Later, when he was a year old, the agency gave custody of Lucas to his father, Gregorio Machin, but only on the condition that Lucas and his two siblings "not have any unsupervised contact" with their mentally ill mother, a DCF document said. That was a tall order, since Machin was living with his wife in the same apartment. The Machins violated that order again and again, and authorities were well aware.
Following Lucas' move to his father's custody, DCF's hotline received three new reports, all of which contained allegations that the boy was being left with his unstable mother. One said that Torres-Machin had left Lucas alone at home, while another said that she had punched his half-brother in the eye because he had been "disrespectful."
When DCF's legal office reviewed the family's situation in March 2011, one of the lawyers suggested that an investigator remind Lucas' father that a court had decreed the woman was not to be left alone with the boys.
On April 15, 2012, Lucas drowned in a swimming pool after Torres-Machin had left him alone so that she could use cocaine in a bathroom, a report about the incident says. When Lucas' half-brother was interviewed by investigators, he confirmed that his mother used drugs and that he had "caught" her snorting cocaine in a bathroom two weeks earlier.
Asked if he thought his mother had used drugs on the day Lucas died, the boy replied, "Yes, I do," according to the document. "My mother was going to the playground bathroom every five to 10 minutes." Her parental rights were terminated.
A DCF review of the agency's actions "did not discover any egregious findings in the investigative and case management process that may have prevented the child's death." ","perpfirstname":"Jocelynn","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Torres-Machin","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Gregorio","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Machin","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":381,"docindex":99,"firstname":"Xavion","middlename":"","lastname":"O'Neal","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 13, 2012","deathdate":"April 19, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Eboni Reed was the mother of six children and the subject of eight prior child abuse allegations to DCF. She had a long history of drug abuse, and reports of of child abuse and neglect.
Reed had been warned about the dangers of sleeping with her young children, and, when she gave birth to Xavion on March 13, 2012, DCF had offered to give her a crib, but she declined. Both Reed and Xavion tested positive for drugs at his birth, DCF's report said.
A little more than a month later, Xavion was found dead with a pillow over his head and blood flowing from his mouth after he fell asleep on the sofa next to his mother.
DCF's review notes that Reed tested positive for drugs after giving birth to several of her children and despite continued reports of child abuse, "there was not enough evidence to take judicial action." This was partially blamed on hard copies of documents about the case not being transferred to a computer database.","perpfirstname":"Eboni","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Reed","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":382,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Braden ","middlename":"","lastname":"Register","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 14, 2010","deathdate":"April 25, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"2","countycode":"hamilton","county":"Hamilton","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"DCF was told twice that Braden Register's mother had a drug problem. When Braden was born, his mother tested positive for marijuana and opiates. And although his mother acknowledged smoking marijuana and taking Lortabs, a narcotic, DCF closed the case as unfounded.
The second report contained an allegation that both Braden's mother and grandparents were abusing drugs. Braden's mother was living in a domestic violence shelter at the time. The report noted "some concerns" that Braden's father was failing to supervise the child, who allegedly had been seen eating pizza while naked and in the rain. That report was dismissed by the agency as false and possibly malicious.
After Braden drowned in the family's pool on April 25, 2012, authorities concluded that "lack of supervision appeared to be a chronic concern." A review of the toddler's drowning concluded that DCF's history with the family was "not relevant to Braden's death."
It appears that DCF took no action on behalf of Braden's surviving sibling. A report filed after Braden's death said that the 3-year-old child, who had been diagnosed with autism and had "limited communication skills," was found crossing a major roadway unattended. "No steps were taken to put locks on the door and child-proof the home," a report said. His mother was found asleep at home, and she tested positive for marijuana and benzodiazepines, a file entry says.","perpfirstname":"Ashley","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Smith","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":383,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Izabella","middlename":"","lastname":"Whitson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 28, 2011","deathdate":"April 27, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Izabella Whitson, whose parents had criminal records and a history of heavy drug use, was born prematurely and with withdrawal symptoms from methadone, a DCF report said at the time, although the investigation concluded Izabella's mother's drug use was benign.
In January 2012, three months before Izabella died, her parents were reported to be using marijuana, cocaine and other "street drugs," and there was concern that the infant was not being cared for properly. Izabella had a diaper rash from not being cleaned often enough and was frequently left in the care of friends and relatives so that her parents "could go use drugs," a report to DCF alleged. After both parents agreed to speak with drug counselors, the case was closed with no "substantiated findings of substance abuse."
On April 27, 2012, when the 6-month-old baby was sleeping with her mother, Cherie Matthews, Izabella fell off the bed and into a laundry basket, where she suffocated in a pile of clothes. Matthews, who had been briefed on safe-sleeping practices, admitted later that she told the baby's father, Robert Whitson, to say that Izabella had been found unresponsive in her playpen so that Matthews "wouldn't go to jail for child neglect."
For his part, Whitson insisted he had told Matthews "not to sleep with the baby in the bed because when she takes her Klonipin and methadone she wasn't all there," a report said.
When interviewed by authorities shortly after the girl's death, Matthews had track marks on her arms and Whitson appeared to be "under the influence of some kind of substance."
A review of DCF's actions, with particular regard to the January 2012 allegations of heavy drug use by the couple, said the issue "should have been thoroughly addressed" to ensure Izabella's safety. An older child of Matthews' from a previous relationship had been placed earlier in the legal custody of a relative.
On March 14, Izabella Whitson, who had been charged with manslaughter, pleaded guilty to lesser charges. As a condition of her probation, Whitson, who was pregnant, must complete parenting classes.","perpfirstname":"Cherie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Mathews","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"was charged with manslalughter, but pled guilty to lesser charges. As a condition of her probation, the pregnant Whitson was ordered to take parenting classes.","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"no","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":384,"docindex":91,"firstname":"Achilles","middlename":"","lastname":"Daniels","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 20, 2012","deathdate":"May 4, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Closed head injuries with fractured left femur","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In the days before Achilles Daniels died, several members of his family had seen his father, Eddie Lee Daniels, repeatedly beat the baby, according to witnesses who reported their observations to DCF.
A cousin of Achilles' told police that Daniels kept "whooping Achilles because he was crying." Another cousin said that Daniels, 24, beat the baby with a belt. Daniels' sister — who did not know her nephew's name — acknowledged after failing a polygraph test that she had heard Daniels beating the newborn, but did not intervene.
Achilles' mother, Tyumbi Howard, who lived elsewhere, knew Achilles was in danger because his father had sent texts saying he wanted to "get rid" of the baby, file entries say. Daniels also said in a text that he was going to "pop" the infant.
No one stepped in and Achilles was left with fatal injuries, including a head injury, cracked ribs and a broken left femur. Daniels was convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse and in January 2014 was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
Achilles' extended family had been the subject of many calls to DCF's abuse hotline — including several allegations of domestic violence — although most details of the investigations were redacted from a death review by the agency.
Daniels' sister, Tenajis Davis, told authorities that she had offered to help him become a better parent. His response: "I don't need no mother f——-g help."","perpfirstname":"Eddie","perpmiddlename":"Lee","perplastname":"Daniels","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder and violation of probation","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":385,"docindex":115,"firstname":"Jaymelynn","middlename":"","lastname":"Cypress","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 1, 2010","deathdate":"May 6, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"18 months","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When a DCF child-abuse investigator arrived at the home of Jaymelynn Cypress' parents shortly after the girl's death, there was "a very strong odor of marijuana" coming from the house, according to the investigator's notes. The agency was trying to determine how 18-month-old Jaymelynn had escaped undetected from her parents' home with a young cousin earlier that day and drowned in a lake 70 yards away.
Jaymelynn's parents tested positive for marijuana and Xanax after the infant died. Her father, James Cypress, violated his probation after failing the drug test, a DCF file says.
The agency had received two prior reports about the family, both involving Jaymelynn's older brother. In 2011, Jaymelynn's mother, Sharon Osceola, mistakenly left the 5-year-old boy at a convenience store and drove away, only to return later to find him in the custody of police. The following year, the boy took a bullet with him to school, an act that resulted in another report to DCF's hotline. Investigators found several bullets in a drawer in his parents' bedroom. During that 2012 probe, an investigator asked Jaymelynn's mother whether there were any drugs in the house. She said there were none.
A month later, Jaymelynn was found in the lake by a neighbor. ","perpfirstname":"Sharon","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Osceola","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"James","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Cypress","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":386,"docindex":73,"firstname":"Jeffrey","middlename":"","lastname":"Lentz","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 18, 2012","deathdate":"May 12, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"3 weeks","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Head injury","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jeffrey Lentz was born 12 weeks premature, and was 28 days old when he was found dead in a bassinet with his blanket and a toy. His death, from head injuries that produced bleeding in his brain, occurred after DCF had already launched a probe into allegations that his parents abused drugs.
His mother, Jessica Lentz, who had two other children, had been arrested for assaulting his father, and had tested positive tor drugs both before and at the time of Jeffrey's birth, DCF's review said.
Following Jeffrey's death, one of his mother's cousins told an investigator that Jessica Lentz had been seen "popping pills," and that various members of the family, including Jeffrey's father, were "all using each other's pills."
Jeffrey's death was ruled a homicide, the result of someone forcibly shaking him or dropping him or throwing him onto a soft surface such as a bed.
Jeffrey's mother, then 32, was charged with aggravated manslaughter. Her two surviving children were removed from the Lentz home and ultimately placed with another family.","perpfirstname":"Jessica","perpmiddlename":"Michelle","perplastname":"Lentz","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":387,"docindex":44,"firstname":"Aaron","middlename":"","lastname":"Jerrell","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 26, 2011","deathdate":"May 15, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"9 mos.","countycode":"nassau","county":"Nassau","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Shortly before Aaron Jerrell drowned while in his father's care, DCF was informed that Richard Jerrell was so impaired by drugs that he was sometimes found "nodding off" when he was driving or watching his children.The substances he allegedly abused included the sedative Xanax as well as methadone and unspecified pain pills, and he was hospitalized at least once after overdosing.
An older relative told an investigator that Jerrell had "cocaine problems" and had been addicted to drugs for the previous eight years, and that he had a DUI charge on his record from 2006. He was arrested again in November 2011, seven months before Aaron's death, for driving while under the influence of Xanax.
At about that same time, Aaron's older brother was reported to have a "visible thumb print" on his neck that suggested he had been choked. Although Jerrell had a "history of drug and violence-related" criminal charges, and tested positive for methadone — DCF blacked out the rest of the findings in the Jerrell file — investigators concluded that there was no merit to the allegations about his dozing off from drug use or that he might have tried to strangle his older son.
On May 15, 2012, Jerrell left the two boys in a bathtub and walked away. Jerrell, who admitted to investigators later that it was "possible he fell asleep" while Aaron and his 2-year-old brother were bathing, said that after finding his son face-down in the water he attempted to perform CPR for 30 minutes before calling for emergency assistance. The boys' mother, Simone Jerrell, who had been institutionalized under the Baker Act after trying to kill herself when pregnant with the older boy, was at work at the time of Aaron's drowning.
Police said Richard Jerrell was "almost asleep" in the emergency room to which Aaron had been taken, and nodded off when officers tried to interview him. They found a variety of prescription drugs in half-a-dozen pill bottles he was carrying.
Jerrell was charged with the aggravated manslaughter of a child and in January 2014 was sentenced to eight years in prison. His criminal record in Florida shows 18 arrests on charges that included aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, domestic battery, cocaine possession, fleeing from a police officer, and committing fraud to obtain prescription medicines. ","perpfirstname":"Robert","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Jerrell","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":388,"docindex":75,"firstname":"Jaxs","middlename":"","lastname":"Johnson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 8, 1997","deathdate":"May 15, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"15","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Multiple gunshot wounds","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"In the early hours of May 15, 2012, Tonya Thomas shot her four children to death and then put a bullet in her head.
Before the fatal deeds, Thomas apparently telegraphed her intentions by sending text messages — one of them with a picture of a gun — to a friend and to her mother. Thomas, 33, then walked into the living room, where her 15-year-old son, Jaxs, had bedded down in a sleeping bag, and shot him three times at close range in the chest.
Jaxs' shooting was the tragic culmination of a difficult relationship. The teen had only recently spent time in a juvenile lockup, where he was sent after punching Thomas in the stomach. On the day he was released, DCF was called when Thomas failed to pick up the teen from the detention center, although she arrived later. The subsequent investigation turned up no evidence of trouble in the home.
After shooting Jaxs, Thomas killed his three siblings: Joel, 12, was shot five times, with wounds to his heart, lung, liver and spine; Jazlyn,13, was hit seven times, in the chest, torso and forearm; and Pebbles, 17, was shot three times, with a fatal wound to the neck.
At the start of the rampage, after Thomas had killed Jaxs, the other three children — two of them already wounded — ran across the street, knocked on a neighbor's door and asked for help, but the man, despite having grabbed his own gun, refused to let them in because "he was afraid for his safety," a police report said. The man told officers he then heard Thomas call the children back into the house, "sounding to the neighbor as if everything was OK," and the three obediently began walking back.
Pebbles collapsed and died before she could make it to the front door, according to a police reconstruction of the incident. Joel and Jazlyn went inside and their mother followed, slamming the door behind her. Moments later, the neighbor told police, he heard six more gunshots from inside the house. Joel and Jazlyn's bodies were found side by side in the foyer. Having finished the job of killing her children, Thomas went to the garage and shot herself before police were able to enter the home.
DCF had received four reports about the family since 2000. Police believe that Thomas had planned the killings for months, although a DCF report on the children's deaths offers no insight into her motivation.","perpfirstname":"Tonya","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Thomas","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":389,"docindex":75,"firstname":"Pebbles","middlename":"","lastname":"Johnson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 1, 1995","deathdate":"May 15, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"17","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Multiple gunshot wounds","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"In the early hours of May 15, 2012, Tonya Thomas shot her four children to death and then put a bullet in her head.
Before the fatal deeds, Thomas apparently telegraphed her intentions by sending text messages — one of them with a picture of a gun — to a friend and to her mother. Thomas, 33, then walked into the living room, where her 15-year-old son, Jaxs, had bedded down in a sleeping bag, and shot him three times at close range in the chest.
Jaxs' shooting was the tragic culmination of a difficult relationship. The teen had only recently spent time in a juvenile lockup, where he was sent after punching Thomas in the stomach. On the day he was released, DCF was called when Thomas failed to pick up the teen from the detention center, although she arrived later. The subsequent investigation turned up no evidence of trouble in the home.
After shooting Jaxs, Thomas killed his three siblings: Joel, 12, was shot five times, with wounds to his heart, lung, liver and spine; Jazlyn,13, was hit seven times, in the chest, torso and forearm; and Pebbles, 17, was shot three times, with a fatal wound to the neck.
At the start of the rampage, after Thomas had killed Jaxs, the other three children — two of them already wounded — ran across the street, knocked on a neighbor's door and asked for help, but the man, despite having grabbed his own gun, refused to let them in because "he was afraid for his safety," a police report said. The man told officers he then heard Thomas call the children back into the house, "sounding to the neighbor as if everything was OK," and the three obediently began walking back.
Pebbles collapsed and died before she could make it to the front door, according to a police reconstruction of the incident. Joel and Jazlyn went inside and their mother followed, slamming the door behind her. Moments later, the neighbor told police, he heard six more gunshots from inside the house. Joel and Jazlyn's bodies were found side by side in the foyer. Having finished the job of killing her children, Thomas went to the garage and shot herself before police were able to enter the home.
DCF had received four reports about the family since 2000. Police believe that Thomas had planned the killings for months, although a DCF report on the children's deaths offers no insight into her motivation.","perpfirstname":"Tonya","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Thomas","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":390,"docindex":75,"firstname":"Jazlyn","middlename":"","lastname":"Johnson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 30, 1998","deathdate":"May 15, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"13","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Multiple gunshot wounds","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"In the early hours of May 15, 2012, Tonya Thomas shot her four children to death and then put a bullet in her head.
Before the fatal deeds, Thomas apparently telegraphed her intentions by sending text messages — one of them with a picture of a gun — to a friend and to her mother. Thomas, 33, then walked into the living room, where her 15-year-old son, Jaxs, had bedded down in a sleeping bag, and shot him three times at close range in the chest.
Jaxs' shooting was the tragic culmination of a difficult relationship. The teen had only recently spent time in a juvenile lockup, where he was sent after punching Thomas in the stomach. On the day he was released, DCF was called when Thomas failed to pick up the teen from the detention center, although she arrived later. The subsequent investigation turned up no evidence of trouble in the home.
After shooting Jaxs, Thomas killed his three siblings: Joel, 12, was shot five times, with wounds to his heart, lung, liver and spine; Jazlyn,13, was hit seven times, in the chest, torso and forearm; and Pebbles, 17, was shot three times, with a fatal wound to the neck.
At the start of the rampage, after Thomas had killed Jaxs, the other three children — two of them already wounded — ran across the street, knocked on a neighbor's door and asked for help, but the man, despite having grabbed his own gun, refused to let them in because "he was afraid for his safety," a police report said. The man told officers he then heard Thomas call the children back into the house, "sounding to the neighbor as if everything was OK," and the three obediently began walking back.
Pebbles collapsed and died before she could make it to the front door, according to a police reconstruction of the incident. Joel and Jazlyn went inside and their mother followed, slamming the door behind her. Moments later, the neighbor told police, he heard six more gunshots from inside the house. Joel and Jazlyn's bodies were found side by side in the foyer. Having finished the job of killing her children, Thomas went to the garage and shot herself before police were able to enter the home.
DCF had received four reports about the family since 2000. Police believe that Thomas had planned the killings for months, although a DCF report on the children's deaths offers no insight into her motivation.","perpfirstname":"Tonya","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Thomas","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":391,"docindex":75,"firstname":"Joel","middlename":"","lastname":"Johnson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 11, 1999","deathdate":"May 15, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"12","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Multiple gunshot wounds","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"In the early hours of May 15, 2012, Tonya Thomas shot her four children to death and then put a bullet in her head.
Before the fatal deeds, Thomas apparently telegraphed her intentions by sending text messages — one of them with a picture of a gun — to a friend and to her mother. Thomas, 33, then walked into the living room, where her 15-year-old son, Jaxs, had bedded down in a sleeping bag, and shot him three times at close range in the chest.
Jaxs' shooting was the tragic culmination of a difficult relationship. The teen had only recently spent time in a juvenile lockup, where he was sent after punching Thomas in the stomach. On the day he was released, DCF was called when Thomas failed to pick up the teen from the detention center, although she arrived later. The subsequent investigation turned up no evidence of trouble in the home.
After shooting Jaxs, Thomas killed his three siblings: Joel, 12, was shot five times, with wounds to his heart, lung, liver and spine; Jazlyn,13, was hit seven times, in the chest, torso and forearm; and Pebbles, 17, was shot three times, with a fatal wound to the neck.
At the start of the rampage, after Thomas had killed Jaxs, the other three children — two of them already wounded — ran across the street, knocked on a neighbor's door and asked for help, but the man, despite having grabbed his own gun, refused to let them in because "he was afraid for his safety," a police report said. The man told officers he then heard Thomas call the children back into the house, "sounding to the neighbor as if everything was OK," and the three obediently began walking back.
Pebbles collapsed and died before she could make it to the front door, according to a police reconstruction of the incident. Joel and Jazlyn went inside and their mother followed, slamming the door behind her. Moments later, the neighbor told police, he heard six more gunshots from inside the house. Joel and Jazlyn's bodies were found side by side in the foyer. Having finished the job of killing her children, Thomas went to the garage and shot herself before police were able to enter the home.
DCF had received four reports about the family since 2000. Police believe that Thomas had planned the killings for months, although a DCF report on the children's deaths offers no insight into her motivation.","perpfirstname":"Tonya","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Thomas","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":392,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Alex","middlename":"","lastname":"Perez-Ramirez","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 8, 2009","deathdate":"May 19, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"2","countycode":"hendry","county":"Hendry","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Alex Perez-Ramirez drowned after a car driven by his mother, who police said was drunk, flipped over and landed in a canal.
Hermelinda Ramirez suffered minor injuries, and hours later still had a blood-alcohol level of .174, more than twice the legal limit.
The accident took place two weeks after DCF received a report that Ramirez had left Alex's 7-year-old sister outside all night because she "was angry at her." It rained that night and the child got wet, the report said.
There were four previous investigations between 2008 and 2011 involving Ramirez and her children. In one, less than a year before Alex died, Ramirez's boyfriend was said to have been arrested after assaulting her. The same report said that Ramirez "drinks on a daily basis, to the point of almost falling," and that "she leaves the children home to go to the store to get alcohol." That investigation was closed with "no indicators of substance misuse or inadequate supervision."
Ramirez is serving an eight-year prison sentence for DUI manslaughter. ","perpfirstname":"Hermelinda","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ramirez","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"DUI manslaughter; driving with no driver's license causing death","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":393,"docindex":5,"firstname":"Joseph","middlename":"","lastname":"Cosmillo","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 29, 2005","deathdate":"May 20, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"6","countycode":"seminole","county":"Seminole","deathcausereport":"Complications of near drowning with anoxic encephalopathy","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"DCF had two opportunities, years apart, to intervene on behalf of Joseph "Joey" Cosmillo, who became severely disabled after an incident in which he almost drowned. He required 24-hour care, but his family seemed increasingly unable to provide it.
In January 2007, the family's DCF file says, Joey's mother, Angela Reese, grabbed a knife from the kitchen and ran through the house yelling, "I'm going to kill myself." She was involuntarily committed for psychiatric treatment, and told people at the hospital that she "did not want to be alive."
DCF appears to have taken no action, and it was about two weeks later that Joey's near-drowning occurred. He was left almost comatose, with tubes for breathing and eating.
Joey was living with his maternal grandfather, Richard Cosmillo, when DCF received new reports that the man's own failing health made him a poor choice to watch over Joey, who was then 6 years old. Reese, who was seeking to regain custody, later said she had told many people, including child-protection caseworkers, that her father had become too frail to care for a sickly child. Records show that DCF considered the concerns of Joey's mother and others, but did not act on them.
The day Joey died, on May 20, 2012, his grandfather did not hear the boy's respirator beeping to alert him that something was wrong, and Joey stopped breathing. The official cause of death was complications from the near-drowning incident five years earlier.","perpfirstname":"Angela","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Reese","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":394,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kearra","middlename":"","lastname":"Lewis","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 14, 2010","deathdate":"May 23, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Shaken impact syndrome","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Kearra Lewis' family had been investigated by DCF about a dozen times before she died, and yet the beating that killed her was allegedly administered not by a relative but by a babysitter who had been watching her for a year.
None of the previous DCF cases were deemed to be relevant to the girl's death, although they included allegations of drug misuse by her mother, Samantha Lewis, when her daughter was born in June 2010.
The babysitter, Charles Foster, who was almost 24 at the time and lived with Lewis' brother, told police that Kearra had been crying and that she had "fallen out of his arms and hit her head," although he did not specify what object she had struck. Later, Kearra was "screaming in his face," the report went on, so he "threw her on the bed, she slid off onto the floor, she hit her head, and he heard a bang."
That was the extent of his story. Foster said he called Kearra's grandmother, Pamela Lewis, to say that the girl was "breathing but not responding," and when the grandmother arrived at the house she found Kearra "gurgling blood." No one called 911 until Kearra's uncle, Andrew Lewis, arrived.
When Kearra was taken to a hospital, doctors found multiple red and blue bruises and abrasions on her head and face; retinal hemorrhages; a laceration under her tongue; contusions to her hands, left knee, left ankle and right buttock; and bruises around the opening of her private parts. An autopsy determined that Kearra, who was almost 2 years old, had been shaken to death. Foster was later indicted on a charge of felony murder. ","perpfirstname":"Charles","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Foster","perprelation":"uncle's roommate","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"homicide","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":395,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Christian","middlename":"","lastname":"Love","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 23, 2010","deathdate":"May 30, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"2","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Cranio-cerebral trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Seventeen-month-old Christian Love died of severe head injuries less than two weeks after DCF had received a report that there were bruises on his body and cuts on his torso and the top of his head.
Christian's mother, Candace Mitchell, blamed the earlier injuries on the child's father, Messiah Love, who she said had "yanked him up" — an accusation he denied. A Child Protection Team examined Christian's injuries and deduced that they were "indeterminate for child abuse or neglect," though it was noted that the boy appeared to be "failing to thrive."
On May 26, 2012, when Christian was taken to a hospital with a fractured skull, his mother's explanation was that the boy had slipped and fallen while running on a tile floor. Christian underwent an emergency craniotomy to relieve bleeding in his brain and remained in critical condition.
Meanwhile, Tampa police launched a criminal investigation, and Mitchell was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse after she admitted that she had in fact left Christian with her boyfriend, Javaurian Saffold, for some 20 minutes and that she had neglected to seek medical help for the unconscious boy for at least five hours.
Four days after being admitted to the hospital, Christian was removed from life-support systems and pronounced dead. Saffold was later charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. At the time of his arrest, he was still on probation for abusing a 2-month-old girl, and his record also showed arrests for domestic violence and battery on a pregnant woman. ","perpfirstname":"Candace","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Mitchell","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":396,"docindex":null,"firstname":"La'Darius","middlename":"","lastname":"Drayton","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 21, 2001","deathdate":"June 7, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"10","countycode":"escambia","county":"Escambia","deathcausereport":"Head trauma/blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"La'Darius Drayton was killed, police said, when a Chevrolet Suburban driven by his mother, who had a history of drug abuse, barreled across an interstate highway, overturned several times and landed in the woods. The boy was partially ejected from the vehicle as it flipped, and his skull was crushed.
His 28-year-old mother, Niela Johnson, who tested positive for cocaine and marijuana shortly afterward, had been arguing with her boyfriend, Talacius Campbell, as she drove. As the argument escalated so did the speed of the truck, until she lost control and crashed, a report of the incident said.
Both Johnson and Campbell were injured, as was La'Darius' half-sibling and a fifth person in the Chevy. Johnson was charged with driving without a license and with causing death with a vehicle. Despite the positive drug tests, Johnson denied using any on the day of the accident.
La'Darius and his sibling had been living with their paternal grandmother and were visiting their mother at the time. There were at least three prior DCF investigations into La'Darius and his siblings, including one prompted by Johnson having tested positive for drugs when La'Darius was born in 2001. The details of another investigation were redacted, although a note that survived the redaction said La'Darius' father had been incarcerated. ","perpfirstname":"Niela","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Johnson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"driving without license, causing death/serious injury with a vehicle","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":397,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Kesia","middlename":"","lastname":"Kearse","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 12, 2007","deathdate":"June 11, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"5","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Kesia Kearse was fascinated by water, so much so that her family "couldn't go near water without her wanting to be in it," a report to DCF said. But what most interested the 5-year-old autistic girl turned out to be the greatest threat to her life — not just once but twice.
Kesia was staying with her father, Norman Kearse Sr., on June 11, 2012, when she was found dead in seven feet of water in a retention pond behind Kearse's house. Kearse, who was working on his computer at the time, had failed to notice Kesia leaving the house, and there were no child-proof locks on the door.
Earlier in the year, the girl had almost died in four feet of water in a community swimming pool while her mother, Sylvia Jackson, was unloading groceries from her car. It was one of nine reports to DCF about the Kearse family, many of them involving allegations that Jackson did not properly supervise her children.
In 2003, police deployed a helicopter to find two of her children, who had vanished after she left them alone at home, according to a DCF report. Police described Kearse at the time as "unemotional and unconcerned" about her children's disappearance.
Other reports included allegations that Kearse insulted her kids and that she failed to feed them, and that a man had pistol-whipped Kearse and beaten the children with a belt, leaving scars and welts. ","perpfirstname":"Norman","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Kearse Sr.","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":398,"docindex":87,"firstname":"Milo","middlename":"Aray","lastname":"Rupert","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 28, 2011","deathdate":"July 7, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"9 mos.","countycode":"highlands","county":"Highlands","deathcausereport":"Non-organic failure to thrive (underfeeding, neglect)","deathcause":"other","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In the course of three investigations in 2010 and 2011, DCF learned that one or more of Sandra Jackson's children were malnourished, left alone and unsupervised, and that the home was so infested with cockroaches that the children's diapers were filled with them.
Police notified DCF in September 2011 that the girls, ages 2, 3 and 4, were found wearing only dirty diapers, were skinny and that, as reported by DCF after numerous visits, their house was filthy. DCF closed the case a month later by concluding that the children, who now included a newborn boy, Milo, were adequately supervised and that the roach problem had decreased. The file said that the parents had declined an offer of daycare services.
Ten months later, Milo was found dead in his playpen. A police report said that he was covered in cockroaches, that his armpits and the creases of his neck were caked with dirt and that his body was covered in sores. He weighed just 11 pounds and his stomach had ruptured from lack of food. An autopsy showed that he had starved.
At the time of his death, Jackson was at work and the children were being watched by their father, Kyle Rupert, who had been diagnosed with mental problems. A DCF review acknowledged later that caseworkers had failed to assess Rupert's ability to supervise the children. Despite numerous complaints about unsanitary conditions, and that the children were being confined to their bedrooms, no action was taken to remove the children from the home.
Jackson and Rupert were charged with manslaughter and child neglect. Rupert pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 24 years in prison. Jackson is awaiting trial. The girls were adopted by a relative.","perpfirstname":"Sandra","perpmiddlename":"Michelle","perplastname":"Jackson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"child neglect and aggravated manslaughter. She is awaiting trial.","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"child neglect and aggravated manslaughter. She is awaiting trial.","perp2firstname":"Kyle","perp2middlename":"Lee","perp2lastname":"Marsh Rupert","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"yes","perp2charges":"three counts child neglect and aggravated manslaughter. Plead guilty and was sentenced to 24 years in prison."}, {"dataid":399,"docindex":94,"firstname":"Taariq","middlename":"","lastname":"Cross","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 12, 2005","deathdate":"July 11, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"7","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Multiple traumatic injuries (hit and run over by cars)","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Taariq Cross' mother, Latasha Kendrick, had a child abuse and neglect history that spanned 11 years and included at least 27 investigations. Her children were taken from her custody in 2009 and later returned. Kendrick had a criminal history, including two arrests for battery, and one each for child abuse and child neglect.
Allegations in the numerous reports to DCF included drug use, domestic violence, physical abuse, and profoundly unsanitary conditions. One allegation was made numerous times, that Kendrick would not, or could not, properly supervise her children, especially Taariq, who was believed to be autistic, suffered from severe attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and sometimes became aggressive. Social workers gave Kendrick a "harness" to manage the difficult child, but she rejected it, saying it embarrassed her, a report to the agency said.
Taariq was described as virtually feral, running around his neighborhood naked, urinating and defecating in the middle of roadways, in gutters or on mailboxes. More than once, neighbors complained that Taariq had walked into their homes naked, or was almost hit by cars.
On July 5, 2012, DCF was told that Taariq was nearly hit by a car. He was rescued by a person who jumped into the street to save him. The 7-year-old was described as "crying and hysterical." A week passed, and DCF took no action.
On July 12, 2012, Taariq was struck by a car, which fled, and then run over by another after he had run into Silver Star Road outside the family's apartment. He died of multiple traumatic injuries. A witness said it took his mother about 15 minutes to show up as her son lay on the ground, fatally injured.
Petitions on Facebook and on the website change.org urged the Polk County sheriff to charge Kendrick with culpability in her son's death. ","perpfirstname":"Latasha","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Kendrick","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":400,"docindex":33,"firstname":"Jaxon","middlename":"","lastname":"Buchner-Henriquez","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 17, 2012","deathdate":"July 12, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Blunt impact head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Ashley Henriquez, who had a history of drug abuse and other offenses, had already lost custody of three children by the time her son Jaxon was born at 30 weeks of gestation on April 17, 2012, according to a DCF file.
Her criminal history showed arrests for domestic battery in 2006 and 2007, drug possession in 2010 and repeated probation violations in cases involving possession of narcotics. Henriquez and her family had been the subject of 10 previous complaints to DCF dating to 2003, but when DCF caseworkers reviewed Henriquez's ability to care for Jaxon when he was born, it noted that she was undergoing methadone treatment and concluded that there were no concerns for the baby's safety.
Two months after Jaxon's birth, DCF received a report that Henriquez was again misusing pain medications and had allowed a friend to "shoot up" in her bathroom. The agency immediately dismissed the complaint, because, its report said, it had been received on the same day that the prior investigation was closed. Henriquez's prescription medications were accounted for, the agency said.
Three weeks later, on July 12, 2012, Jaxon was found unconscious in his crib. Paramedics rushed him to a hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The autopsy showed that Jaxon had died of blunt trauma to his head, and that he had suffered a five-inch skull fracture. Henriquez tested positive for painkillers and fell asleep during questioning by police, DCF said.
Authorities surmised that Jaxon's mother had either dropped him or battered him "while trying to shut him up," DCF's review said. She was not charged with a crime.","perpfirstname":"Ashley","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Henriquez","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"mother not charged even though she was under the influence of drugs","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"mother not charged even though she was under the influence of drugs","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":401,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Latrovious","middlename":"","lastname":"Jackson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 27, 2012","deathdate":"July 17, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Eric Jackson called his ex-girlfriend in a panic: Their 5-month-old son, Latrovious, was bleeding from his nose and showed no signs of breathing.
Earlier, Jackson explained, he had found the child unresponsive and had put his hands on the baby's chest and shaken him. The boy's mother, Eugenia Crane, who was working at a Wendy's restaurant, urged Jackson to call 911. He did not, and took the baby to a neighbor's home. Once there, Jackson, 29, was told the same thing — get help for the baby — but he said there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest in another matter and he would not be calling the authorities, the child's death report says. He then "tossed" the baby to the neighbor and fled, according to the file.
Doctors found a large human bite mark on Latrovious' abdomen, which Jackson admitted to causing while "blowing" on the baby's stomach a few days earlier. Two witnesses told police that they had seen Jackson "shake and slap the baby several times."
Records show that Latrovious died of sudden cardio-respiratory arrest, but because his organs were donated for transplantation, the manner of death could not be determined, although the "pattern of inflicted traumatic injury and neglect," the documents say, "must have contributed to the infant's demise to a reasonable degree of medical certainty."
Police arrested Jackson and held him on the outstanding warrant — for a burglary in Georgia — while they investigated the boy's death.
Six months earlier, an investigation had been opened after Crane tested positive for marijuana while pregnant with the boy. Caseworkers offered help that she initially accepted and later declined.","perpfirstname":"Eric","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Jackson","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Eugenia","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Crane","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":402,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Byron","middlename":"","lastname":"Rios-Molina","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 17, 2011","deathdate":"July 20, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"9 mos.","countycode":"seminole","county":"Seminole","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Byron Rios-Molina, 9 months old, was born to a family torn by violence when he drowned in a bathtub in July 2012. His mother, Erika Zaccour, left Byron and his 2-year-old sibling with a babysitter, who was playing games on Facebook while the baby was in the tub for about an hour. Byron was found submerged in the tub.
The family was the subject of at least seven reports of abuse or neglect, including allegations of domestic violence and physical abuse against the mother. From 2008 to 2012, DCF received numerous reports of violence against Zaccour and threats against her children. Several reports said an unidentified man threatened to kill Zaccour, and once put a gun to her head and pointed his finger at the children as if it was a gun. The report does not indicate what, if anything, DCF did as a result of that complaint.
Zaccour met the babysitter, Mariah Berry, 18, four months before Byron's death at a women's shelter. She was learning disabled with the reading level of a sixth-grader, DCF's review said. She also had a history with the department, having been shot by her father, abused by her adoptive father and and had three miscarriages, one when she was 16, according to DCF.
A DCF investigator previously involved with Berry said the teenager was not an appropriate babysitter, though the agency said there was no documentation to indicate the investigator informed Zaccour. Berry was charged with aggravated manslaughter and child neglect and is awaiting trial. ","perpfirstname":"Mariah","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Berry","perprelation":"mother's roomate","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter and child neglect","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":403,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Trent","middlename":"","lastname":"Sailers","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 17, 2010","deathdate":"July 25, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1","countycode":"pasco","county":"Pasco","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Child welfare authorities offered free daycare to Trent Sailers' mother, Toni Wayman, after a domestic-violence incident involving a boyfriend who lived with her at the time. She declined, although her own mother had kicked her out for sleeping much of the day while 2-year-old Trent was "most active," the family's DCF file says.
Wayman moved in with another family. Managing Trent remained a problem, however. On one occasion, a child-proof lock was installed on the front door after Trent had left the house and wandered the neighborhood while Wayman was sleeping. Two months later, Trent sneaked out of the house again — apparently through the back door this time — while his mother and other adults in the home were napping in mid-afternoon. A neighbor found Trent in a pond, drowned.","perpfirstname":"Toni","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Wayman","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":404,"docindex":57,"firstname":"Ashley","middlename":"Marie","lastname":"Hancock","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 17, 1994","deathdate":"July 27, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"17","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Multi-drug intoxication, including diazepam, heroin and carisoprodol","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Ashley Hancock was a graduate of Sarasota High School, and was enrolled to attend the University of South Florida the following fall. Her obituary said she intended to study forensic science. She played tennis, and was on the weightlifting team in high school. But Ashley lived in a chaotic home beset by drug abuse and violence.
During the last three years of Ashley's life, DCF received three reports about her parents, Gregory and Tara Hancock. In every report, DCF was told that Gregory Hancock had beaten Ashley's younger sister. In 2011, Hancock was arrested for child cruelty.
Among the allegations in the reports: Hancock had restrained the girl by her hands and ankles and beaten on the head; the girl displayed "multiple bruises on her body that were inflicted by her father during multiple physical attacks; he also punched her in the shoulder with his fists and got into a knife fight with her."
On the other hand, the Hancocks got along so well with Ashley, a report to DCF said, that they shared their narcotics with her.
Both parents also were alleged to abuse large quantities of pain pills, and Gregory Hancock was reported to drink to excess.
August 2011 could have been a turning point for Ashley: Both girls were removed from the Hancocks' care. The younger girl went to live with relatives in Nevada, where she remained. But a judge ordered that Ashley be reunited with her parents, despite DCF's strong objections.
In the ensuing months, a report said, investigators believe the Hancocks allowed their daughter to take whatever pain pills she wanted — although doctors insisted the drugs were not an appropriate treatment for the headaches she claimed she had. Believing Ashley to be a drug addict, case workers referred her to a drug treatment program, but her "parents refused to participate in the program," a report said.
Ashley tested positive for oxycodone only weeks after she was returned to her parents. A month after that, she tested positive for benzodiazepines and methadone — results that both Ashley and her father attributed to cough medicine. Later, a volunteer lay guardian documented having seen Ashley dazed and with "dilated pupils." She also was arrested for trespassing and stealing.
A detailed review does not document DCF caseworkers ever telling the judge who ordered her return that Ashley was descending into drug abuse and criminality.
On July 27, 2012, when she was 17 years old, Ashley overdosed on a cocktail of Diazepam, heroin and Carisprodol. When investigators visited the Hancock home after Ashley's death, her parents were watching a comedy show on TV and laughing out loud, the investigators' report said. Tara Hancock said that, with Ashley gone, "she would not be taking a drug screen ever again." ","perpfirstname":"Tara","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Hancock","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Gregory ","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Hancock","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":405,"docindex":41,"firstname":"Jordan","middlename":"","lastname":"Coleman","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 24, 2008","deathdate":"August 1, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"4","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Heat stroke","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Four-year-old Jordan Coleman was left alone inside a van by the daughter of a daycare operator in Tamarac. Cecily Roberts, the owner of Three C's Daycare, had been warned repeatedly by both DCF investigators and licensing authorities to stop leaving the center's pre-school-age children under the supervision of her daughter, Camille Gordon who, at 20, was legally considered too young to supervise children.
Roberts had also been cited three times for running over-capacity and the center had been the subject of two prior DCF investigations. On Aug. 12, 2012, when Roberts again left her daughter in charge of the daycare facility, Gordon took eight children — 7 months to 5 years old — in a van to a friend's apartment in order to evade the scrutiny of licensing authorities, who were expected to visit the daycare center to check whether it had corrected previous violations, records say.
The children, a file entry said, were transported without proper restraints for infants and toddlers. The van also was carrying more occupants than was legally permissible. Gordon then left Jordan in the van when she carted the other youngsters into the apartment, where she intended to keep them that day. Jordan was discovered a little over two hours later, dead from the excessive heat.
A review of his death said DCF and licensing authorities had been told at least twice that Roberts was allowing her daughter to run the daycare, including one in 2010 — when Gordon was 18 — alleging that she hit a child. The call was "screened out" — meaning that DCF declined to investigate it.
Gordon and Roberts were charged with aggravated manslaughter, and Roberts was also charged with felony childcare misrepresentation. They are awaiting trial. ","perpfirstname":"Camille","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Gordon","perprelation":"daughter of day care owner","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter","perp2firstname":"Cecily ","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Roberts","perp2relation":"child care center owner","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"aggravated manslaughter and felony childcare misrepresentation"}, {"dataid":406,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Josiah","middlename":"","lastname":"Figueroa","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 8, 2011","deathdate":"August 4, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"10 mos.","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Josiah Figueroa's stepfather had been in the family for only a few months. A war veteran, Edwin Cruz-Vargas had come back from Iraq with lung cancer that he decided not to treat. His first wife told authorities he was "not OK in the head," that he had been unfaithful to her, was a "habitual liar," and would hit her, choke her and force himself on her.
When they divorced, Cruz-Vargas gave up his rights to the child they had. He later married Josiah's mother, Rebekah Figueroa, who had another child, 3 years old, at the time of the younger boy's death.
On Aug. 4, 2012, Josiah was left in the care of his stepfather, who said the boy had "choked on vomit and become unresponsive" after Cruz-Vargas had tried to feed him from a bottle. When paramedics arrived they could not find a pulse. While there were no obvious signs of severe injuries to Josiah, an autopsy showed that he had suffered a broken back, a swollen brain, a lacerated diaphragm, and contusions to his torso and limbs.
Cruz-Vargas conceded that he had "squeezed the baby while trying to help him walk" and had hit Josiah in the face "to get him to come to." Once the results of the autopsy became known, Cruz-Vargas was arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse.
The Figueroa family had previously come to the attention of DCF in February 2010, after an incident involving the older child, but the details were redacted. ","perpfirstname":"Edwin","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Cruz-Vargas","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder, cruelty toward child, aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":407,"docindex":84,"firstname":"Rashaud","middlename":"","lastname":"Robinson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 11, 2011","deathdate":"August 7, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1","countycode":"madison","county":"Madison","deathcausereport":"Blunt force injury of the abdomen","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Rashaud Robinson was taken from his mother at birth. Born on Feb. 11, 2011, with a cleft lip and palate, as well as heart problems, Rashaud had significant medical needs, DCF caseworkers noted.
His mother, Charlette Edwards, was a drug user who had already lost custody of a 9-month-old son after the agency learned that the baby had suffered a skull fracture. Caseworkers suspected that the child had been abused by Edwards' boyfriend, Henry Johnson, who had a history of domestic violence.
A year later, in March 2012, caseworkers returned 1-year-old Rashaud to his mother, noting that she had agreed to drug treatment and to have no contact with Johnson. There were signs, however, that Edwards was not keeping her promise. A judge held a hearing to determine whether she was in contempt of court for repeatedly refusing to admit a court-appointed guardian into her home. "There were a number of red flags in this case," a report to DCF said, including a wrist injury to Rashaud's brother.
On Aug. 7, 2012, a month after DCF was told that Rashaud's sibling had broken his wrist, Rashaud was beaten to death. Under questioning by police, Johnson confessed that he had killed the boy because he was angry that Edwards had left him with the child, and angrier still when Rashaud began to cry. Johnson beat Rashaud with his fists, pulled his hair and flung him around, he told police.
DCF noted in its review that Johnson was charged with first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty, but there is no record of the case in the Madison County database, and Johnson was released from jail and is on probation in an unrelated crime. Edwards was convicted in January of child neglect and sentenced to a year in jail. ","perpfirstname":"Henry","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Johnson","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"no","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"Charlette","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Edwards","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"yes","perp2charges":"child neglect with great bodily harm"}, {"dataid":408,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ja'Quez","middlename":"","lastname":"Baker","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 11, 2010","deathdate":"August 8, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"2","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Blunt abdominal trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Ja'Quez Baker was born in a toilet bowl, a fact that prompted the first call to DCF's abuse hotline on his behalf. His mother, Bethany Myers, had not sought pre-natal care, and Ja'Quez was severely premature, weighing 2.4 pounds.
When the little boy's name next appeared on the hotline, he was 3 months old and hospitalized with a broken arm. Myers gave conflicting stories about the injury. At the time, the child was living with his mother and father, Freddie Myers, who had a criminal history involving aggravated assault, according to reports. A doctor with the state's Child Protection Team said the boy was a victim of child abuse, and Ja'Quez was removed from his mother's care and sent to live with his grandmother.
A year later, he was returned to his mother. It was not clear from DCF's report whether they continued to monitor the family.
Some 10 months later, Ja'Quez fell ill, family members told DCF. For more than a month, he appeared so lethargic that he slumped in his car seat. He was vomiting, had diarrhea, could not swallow or speak. His grandmother described him as a "zombie." Yet the mother declined to take him to the doctor, DCF said. On Aug. 8, 2012, Myers awoke to find the boy unconscious and drove him to the hospital. It was too late.
The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. He suffered blunt abdominal trauma and medical neglect, the autopsy concluded. The day after the death, Myers confessed to a police detective that she had punched the baby in the stomach a few weeks earlier, then changed her story, saying the father had beaten Ja'Quez. She took a lie detector test and passed.
The police detective later wrote: "Most likely there will not be an arrest...since at this time there is no evidence" to charge either parent with the death, even though, he said, most likely one of them was the perpetrator.","perpfirstname":"Bethany","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Myers","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Freddie","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Baker","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":409,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Janese","middlename":"","lastname":"Johnson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 29, 2012","deathdate":"August 24, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Asphyxiation/suffocation","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Janese Johnson was almost 3 months old when she was smothered accidentally on a queen-size bed. Her parents, Naomi Hammond, who was 31 years old at the time, and Joseph Johnson, 35, had placed her in a prone position with pillows and bed linens. She had always slept that way.
Her parents, who had four other children, had not bought a crib because it would have taken up "too much room" in the apartment, they explained. The pillows had been arranged on the bed to keep Janese, who had been treated for acid reflux, from rolling onto the floor. An autopsy concluded that the baby had suffocated in the pillows and linens.
DCF had received three prior reports about the infant's parents, although the details were unavailable. In addition, Johnson had a criminal history.","perpfirstname":"Naomi","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Hammond","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Joseph","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Johnson","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":410,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Johnny","middlename":"","lastname":"Davober","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 2, 2010","deathdate":"September 1, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jeanette Pagan dropped her 14-year-old son at Sawgrass Mills mall and, rather than driving home and having to drive back to pick him up, she stopped at her niece's home in Tamarac. Her 1-year-old, Johnny Davober, and a sibling were playing by the pool, and Pagan told him to move away from the water, according to a call to the DCF hotline.
At one point, Johnny's mother went inside to mix screwdrivers while her niece left the pool to take a phone call and smoke a cigarette. The niece's 16-year-old sister later asked about Johnny, and he was found at the bottom of the pool. His drowning was ruled an accident.
The family had been the subject of one prior complaint to DCF, but it was redacted by the agency. ","perpfirstname":"Jeanette","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Pagan","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":411,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Arianne","middlename":"","lastname":"Rosso","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 24, 2012","deathdate":"September 3, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"7 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When Anthony Rosso woke up on Sept. 3, 2012, he found his infant daughter, Arianne Rosso, wedged between the mattress and headboard of his adult bed. Rosso told investigators that "the child has always slept in the bed with him," a report said. Rosso had been separated from Arianne's mother, who had retained the family's crib, which, she acknowledged, she often did not use either.
The family had been the subject of two prior calls to DCF's hotline. Details of both investigations were redacted by DCF. "The father allowed for the infant to be in a situation that was in fact dangerous, without intent," a review concluded, adding that the co-sleeping "was a contributing factor in the child's death." ","perpfirstname":"Anthony ","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Rosso","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":412,"docindex":92,"firstname":"Amelia","middlename":"Jewel","lastname":"King","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 24, 2010","deathdate":"September 7, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1","countycode":"highlands","county":"Highlands","deathcausereport":"Heat stroke","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"One-year-old Amelia King died of a heatstroke when her father left her locked in the cab of his truck and went inside his home to take a nap. The autopsy showed that Amelia had been inside the truck — with temperatures that day in the low 90s — for at least four hours. She was believed to have been screaming for an extended period of time.
In the months prior to Amelia's death, DCF had received numerous reports that the father, Christopher King, had been taking meth and had locked his children in his vehicle. One report alleged that King locked Amelia and her older brother in a closet, then turned the lights off and on as he stood outside the closet laughing. Despite all the complaints, DCF allowed the children to remain in his custody, closing the cases as "unsubstantiated." King repeatedly refused assistance and also declined to be drug tested.
On the evening before Amelia died, King and a friend were driving around in the middle of the night, drinking "a new Budweiser Margarita drink" and getting high on meth with Amelia and her brother in the back seat, the friend later told police.
King was arrested and pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter. He was sentenced in December to 20 years in prison.","perpfirstname":"Christopher","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"King","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years in prison.","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":413,"docindex":71,"firstname":"Jaydin","middlename":"","lastname":"Sarria","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 11, 2011","deathdate":"October 1, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"1","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On July 24, 2012, Jaydin Sarria suffered burns to his back, arm and one of his toes. The 1-year-old boy also had bruising and an abrasion on his left ear. Jaydin's mother had explanations for some of the injuries. The burns, she said, resulted from accidental contact with both a clothes iron and a hair-curling iron.
But specialists with the state's Child Protection Team believed the rest of the injuries were the result of abuse. The ear injuries, team members concluded, were "classic for squeezing and pinching of the ear." The burns to Jaydin's back were deemed "suspicious."
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, which conducts abuse investigations for DCF in Tampa, closed the case without verifying the injuries as child abuse, a decision that a death review later called erroneous. Anjenette Lopez, Jaydin's mother, was referred to a private case management and counseling group.
The group made 18 visits to members of the family but did not evaluate Lopez's boyfriend, Viviano Pinto, a man with a violent criminal history. Although Lopez's children had previously been removed from her custody because of domestic violence, a DCF file entry said, Lopez's therapist viewed Pinto as an asset. After the child's death, the agency's review of the case said that Lopez's "relationship with Mr. Pinto was confoundedly viewed as a strength, despite his potential involvement in inflicted injuries to an infant, and a reported violent criminal history."
The case management agency closed its case on Sept. 11, 2012, despite caseworkers' awareness that Pinto was to be released soon from prison and was expected to return to Lopez's home.
Less than a month later, on Oct. 1, 2012, Jaydin was hospitalized with a "depressed skull fracture" and a bleeding brain. He died of blunt head trauma. Lopez and Pinto were charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child. Jaydin's organs were donated so that another child could benefit. ","perpfirstname":"Viviano ","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Pinto","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child","perp2firstname":"Anjenette","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Lopez","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child"}, {"dataid":414,"docindex":53,"firstname":"Camron","middlename":"Deon","lastname":"Willis","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 12, 2008","deathdate":"October 5, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"4","countycode":"brevard","county":"Brevard","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Camron's mother, Alisha Rudd, had a long history of abusing narcotics. Records say she had taken "roxies," amphetamines, opiates, cocaine, Adderall and other drugs, beginning at the age of 12.
On June 26, 2012, the DCF hotline was told that Rudd tested positive for benzodiazephines at a drug treatment center, and had been kicked out of the program. Rudd's youngest child had been born while she was living in the treatment center.
Camron Deon Willis lived with his father in Virginia for a time, but the youngster returned to the care of his mother, who was avoiding probation officers and DCF investigators, according to reports that reached DCF.
Although Rudd had disappeared late in the investigation, DCF concluded that her children were at little risk because they were being supervised by extended family members. One of the relatives was Rudd's mother, who was herself in jail on drug charges. The older woman "reported no concerns regarding the care of the children," an investigator wrote after interviewing her at the Okeechobee County Jail.
On Oct. 5, 2012, Rudd took 4-year-old Camron with her to Ski Island near Cape Canaveral and lost track of him as he played on a boogie board. He was found floating in the water, dead.
Rudd denied being under the influence of drugs, but tested positive for cocaine and marijuana and, hours after Camron drowned, had a blood-alcohol level of .069.
The boy's father told investigators later that he had nightmares every night about his lost son.","perpfirstname":"Alisha","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Rudd","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":415,"docindex":124,"firstname":"Ashton-Lynette","middlename":"","lastname":"Arnold","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 11, 2007","deathdate":"October 13, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"5","countycode":"levy","county":"Levy","deathcausereport":"Mixed drug intoxications","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Since the first year of Ashton-Lynette Arnold's life, DCF had received reports that her mother was addicted to meth and crank. Over the course of three investigations, all involving allegations of substance abuse or inadequate supervision, DCF recommended voluntary protective supervision. Twice, the girl's mother, Elizabeth Rydbom, tested positive for narcotics and agreed to accept services, but failed to follow through.
On Oct. 22, 2012, Ashton was found unresponsive in the home of a friend of her mother's, where she had stayed overnight. Earlier the previous night, Ashton had complained of stomach pains. She was also wheezing and had difficulty breathing. The mother's friend gave the girl Benadryl, but failed to call 911 or seek medical attention. The next day, they were unable to wake Ashton and called Rydbom, instead of paramedics, leading to another delay. Rydbom arrived and paramedics were called. By then Ashton was "unconscious, arms outstretched with her eyes rolling back in her head." Several hours later the child was pronounced dead.
An autopsy confirmed that Ashton had ingested pills, with both methamphetamines and opiates in her system. Police later removed six shopping bags of narcotics found strewn about the house.
All four women involved were charged in the death of Ashton — Rydom, her partner and the two friends. Rydbom was convicted of two counts of child neglect and given a two-year sentence.","perpfirstname":"There were four women charged in connection with this death.","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Mother's girlfriends","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"yes","perpcharges":"child neglect with great bodily harm and child neglect","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":416,"docindex":111,"firstname":"Jadegean","middlename":"","lastname":"Butler","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 16, 2008","deathdate":"October 15, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"4","countycode":"monroe","county":"Monroe","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Four times before Jadegean Butler drowned, DCF had received reports that he was poorly supervised, sometimes wandering the neighborhood of his father's naval base alone. On one of those occasions, he was found with a lighter.
The 4-year-old boy's mother acknowledged that she used both marijuana and a synthetic drug called Spice. DCF confirmed that Jadegean was not being carefully watched, and that it had received a number of prior reports that Jadegean and other children in the household were seen in the neighborhood unsupervised. On Oct. 18, 2010, neighbors said the children had been wandering around for weeks, sticking keys in cars, playing with scooters and rummaging through personal belongings in the front yard. DCF investigated the complaint, but closed it two months later concluding it was not substantiated. There is no indication the agency did anything other than provide the mother with a child care referral.
On Oct. 15, 2012, Jadegean's mother, Carletta Butler, gave him some pistachios and told him to sit and eat outside so he would not make a mess, the DCF review said. She then went inside the house to feed her infant son. When she returned, Jadegean was missing. A friend of the family discovered Jadegean floating in a saltwater canal near his home. DCF admitted that the lack of supervision was a high-risk factor, and the agency failed to address the mother's admitted substance abuse. "Those factors were enough to suggest that the child would most likely suffer significant harm if he was left alone with his mother," the report said.","perpfirstname":"Carletta","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Butler","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":417,"docindex":155,"firstname":"Jesse","middlename":"","lastname":"Deaton","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 29, 1997","deathdate":"November 9, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"15","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Hanging","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"suicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Long before 15-year-old Jesse Deaton skipped school and hanged himself in his younger sister's bedroom, his family name was well known to DCF investigators.
Seven times in the eight years, the agency received reports concerning Jesse's welfare. Among the allegations: The boy was permitted to smoke Spice and snort pills with his stepfather; there was no food in the house and the electricity was shut off; his mother and older brothers were beating him; his siblings were sexually assaulted by other siblings. Police were called to the home about 50 times, according to one complaint. But each time, DCF interviewed the mother, and closed the investigation, noting simply, "services were offered but declined."
One time, when Jesse was 11, his mother, Marie Elizabeth Holt, left him and her other children, on the side of a road, 40 miles from home because, she said, they were "showing out" at church, a complaint to DCF said. The caller added that the children had been walking for about two hours when they were found, exhausted and dehydrated. The mother, meanwhile, went on a fishing trip to another country, the report said.
By 2012, Jesse and at least one other sibling had tried to commit suicide, DCF said. His sister would later tell investigators that their mother, who had also threatened to kill herself in front of her children, had coached Jesse how to commit suicide. On Nov. 12, 2012, Jesse tried again. This time he was found hanging from a bedroom doorway by his 13-year-old sister. He left a note that read in part, "at least I will be happy now."
DCF's death review was titled "Limited Review Report" because, the report said, "there was no relevant prior history," of complaints about the family. DCF report also noted that Holt's adult sons and daughter had also attempted suicide. ","perpfirstname":"Marie","perpmiddlename":"Elizabeth","perplastname":"Holt","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":418,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Miah","middlename":"","lastname":"Shaver","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 9, 2009","deathdate":"November 12, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"3","countycode":"pasco","county":"Pasco","deathcausereport":"Inhalation of smoke and soot/thermal injuries","deathcause":"smoke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Miah and Micah Shaver were a couple of months shy of 4 years old when they apparently set fire to a mattress while playing with a lighter in their mother's trailer. The twins died of asphyxiation and burns. Their mother, Shannon Garza, who was 30 at the time and had been the subject of 18 previous calls to the state's abuse hotline, "appeared to be under the influence of some sort of substance" after the blaze and tested positive for three kinds of drugs, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.
Detailed reports on the family, which the Herald sued to obtain, showed that DCF's history with the family included allegations of domestic violence, drug abuse, medical neglect, and "inappropriate sexual behavior" in the home.
In one 2001 report, DCF was told that the twins' siblings had tried to protect their mother during a violent incident involving a man and were pushed by the assailant, whose name was redacted from the documents. Garza "admitted that the children were crying and asking [the man] to stop when the incident occurred," one of the entries says.
The following year, DCF investigators did not verify allegations of drug abuse against Garza, who had four children in all. Yet another report, in 2004, accused a male household member of giving beer to Garza's children. And a 2006 report said the children were being spanked with a belt, leaving "boo boos."
Two weeks before the twins' deaths, DCF had received a report that they were "frequently seen outside without supervision." ","perpfirstname":"Shannon","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Garza","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":419,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Micah","middlename":"","lastname":"Shaver","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 9, 2009","deathdate":"November 12, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"3","countycode":"pasco","county":"Pasco","deathcausereport":"Inhalation of smoke and soot/thermal injuries","deathcause":"smoke","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Miah and Micah Shaver were a couple of months shy of 4 years old when they apparently set fire to a mattress while playing with a lighter in their mother's trailer. The twins died of asphyxiation and burns. Their mother, Shannon Garza, who was 30 at the time and had been the subject of 18 previous calls to the state's abuse hotline, "appeared to be under the influence of some sort of substance" after the blaze and tested positive for three kinds of drugs, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.
Detailed reports on the family, which the Herald sued to obtain, showed that DCF's history with the family included allegations of domestic violence, drug abuse, medical neglect, and "inappropriate sexual behavior" in the home.
In one 2001 report, DCF was told that the twins' siblings had tried to protect their mother during a violent incident involving a man and were pushed by the assailant, whose name was redacted from the documents. Garza "admitted that the children were crying and asking [the man] to stop when the incident occurred," one of the entries says.
The following year, DCF investigators did not verify allegations of drug abuse against Garza, who had four children in all. Yet another report, in 2004, accused a male household member of giving beer to Garza's children. And a 2006 report said the children were being spanked with a belt, leaving "boo boos."
Two weeks before the twins' deaths, DCF had received a report that they were "frequently seen outside without supervision." ","perpfirstname":"Shannon","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Garza","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":420,"docindex":120,"firstname":"Julia","middlename":"","lastname":"Padrino","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 20, 2005","deathdate":"November 13, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"6","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"After Julia Padrino showed up at Seminole Elementary School with a wound on her left arm and explained that her stepfather had bitten her, police and child welfare administrators launched an investigation. Two months later, they concluded they had "no safety concern" about Julia and her younger sister because their stepfather, Alberto Sierra, had been sent to jail in the meantime on an unrelated probation violation.
With Sierra in a place where he could not harm the family, the children's mother, Gladys Machado, promised to divorce him. "The children are safe," a DCF report concluded.
Six months later, Sierra was released from the Miami-Dade jail and Machado, who had not followed through on her vow to divorce him, welcomed Sierra back into her life.
On Nov. 13, 2012, Sierra stabbed Machado to death in what he admitted to police was a fit of rage after she took a phone call from another man. Sierra also killed the two girls, Julia, 8, and Daniela, 4, and then sexually assaulted the corpses of his wife and the older child, in whose body his DNA was found, police said. The girls' bodies were discovered stuffed into a closet in an abandoned house.
Sierra "cleaned the home and left," a DCF file entry said. He was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of sexual battery.
Two of DCF's four reports on Machado and her children contained allegations of domestic violence. Sierra became involved with Machado in July 2010, when DCF was told that she was taking Ecstasy with her new boyfriend, who was said to be a "drug dealer." A report in March 2011 noted that Sierra had a lengthy criminal history and that he was beating up the girls' mother. Machado denied the allegations and declined help from DCF.
In October 2011, both DCF and police were told that Sierra had bitten Julia, leaving a visible mark on her arm. Julia told an investigator that Sierra was "mean," a report to the agency said.
DCF's review of the girls' death faulted the agency's actions on a number of fronts: Investigators, it said, had failed to give adequate consideration to Sierra's long criminal history, which, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, had included 12 arrests before the girls' deaths, including drug possession and sales, procuring prostitution, grand theft, and possession of a short-barreled shotgun.
The review said also that investigators had not properly assessed the girls' safety, had failed to ensure that services were put in place to mitigate the risk to the children, had spoken only with witnesses who were handpicked by Machado and Sierra, and should have consulted with an expert on family violence. ","perpfirstname":"Alberto","perpmiddlename":"Luis","perplastname":"Sierra","perprelation":"Stepfather","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder and sexual battery","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":421,"docindex":120,"firstname":"Daniela","middlename":"","lastname":"Padrino","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 12, 2008","deathdate":"November 13, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"4","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"After Julia Padrino showed up at Seminole Elementary School with a wound on her left arm and explained that her stepfather had bitten her, police and child welfare administrators launched an investigation. Two months later, they concluded they had "no safety concern" about Julia and her younger sister because their stepfather, Alberto Sierra, had been sent to jail in the meantime on an unrelated probation violation.
With Sierra in a place where he could not harm the family, the children's mother, Gladys Machado, promised to divorce him. "The children are safe," a DCF report concluded.
Six months later, Sierra was released from the Miami-Dade jail and Machado, who had not followed through on her vow to divorce him, welcomed Sierra back into her life.
On Nov. 13, 2012, Sierra stabbed Machado to death in what he admitted to police was a fit of rage after she took a phone call from another man. Sierra also killed the two girls, Julia, 8, and Daniela, 4, and then sexually assaulted the corpses of his wife and the older child, in whose body his DNA was found, police said. The girls' bodies were discovered stuffed into a closet in an abandoned house.
Sierra "cleaned the home and left," a DCF file entry said. He was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of sexual battery.
Two of DCF's four reports on Machado and her children contained allegations of domestic violence. Sierra became involved with Machado in July 2010, when DCF was told that she was taking Ecstasy with her new boyfriend, who was said to be a drug dealer. A report in March 2011 noted that Sierra had a lengthy criminal history and that he was beating up the girls' mother. Machado denied the allegations and declined help from DCF.
In October 2011, both DCF and police were told that Sierra had bitten Julia, leaving a visible mark on her arm. Julia told an investigator that Sierra was "mean," a report to the agency said.
DCF's review of the girls' death faulted the agency's actions on a number of fronts: Investigators, it said, had failed to give adequate consideration to Sierra's long criminal history, which, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, had included 12 arrests before the girls' deaths, including drug possession and sales, procuring prostitution, grand theft, and possession of a short-barreled shotgun.
The review said also that investigators had not properly assessed the girls' safety, had failed to ensure that services were put in place to mitigate the risk to the children, had spoken only with witnesses who were handpicked by Machado and Sierra, and should have consulted with an expert on family violence. ","perpfirstname":"Alberto","perpmiddlename":"Luis","perplastname":"Sierra","perprelation":"Stepfather","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder and sexual battery","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":422,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Khariss","middlename":"","lastname":"Landers","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 2, 2012","deathdate":"December 3, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"8 mos.","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"A few hours before Khariss Landers was smothered to death in her sleep, her mother "appeared to be under the influence of some kind of substance," relatives told an investigator. The mother, Sametris Landers, had tested positive for opiates when she gave birth to Khariss and her twin brother in April 2012, a fact that was reported to DCF.
During the pregnancy, Landers was said to have been seeking prescriptions for pain medication, ostensibly because she had been injured in "prior car accidents," and denied to medical practitioners that she was pregnant in order, apparently, to obtain more drugs. When pressed by a staff member in a doctor's office as to whether she was expecting a child, Landers replied that she was "just fat." Had she admitted to being pregnant, Landers would not have been given "the medicinal dosages she was prescribed," and one of the drugs she had been taking — the redacted report does not reveal which — would not have been given to her at all.
After Khariss died in her mother's bed, Landers discussed her substance-abuse issues and "admitted to misusing her prescription medication by taking more than what the doctor had prescribed." Landers also described herself as "having the worst bipolar there is." Under questioning, she was unable to produce prescriptions for much of her medication and said that when she ran out, she would "obtain the pills from her friends."
Interviews with so-called collateral contacts disclosed that Landers had been "observed on several occasions to be passed out while in the presence of her children," to the point that no one could wake her. The April 2012 investigation, one of two DCF cases involving the family before Khariss died, said there was "no legal sufficiency for court-ordered intervention." Landers cooperated by taking part in a drug-treatment program and completed it in May, and the investigation was closed with "no indicators of substance misuse," a document said, "because the mother was taking her medications as prescribed."
At the time of the child's death, her father, Terrance Burrows, was incarcerated on charges stemming from a domestic-violence incident involving her mother. Landers, who had given up the male twin for adoption but had kept Khariss as well as another child, age 2, was staying with her children at the home of Burrows' mother after getting "kicked out of their apartment."
On the night 8-month-old Khariss died, Landers told investigators, she had gone to sleep with the baby at about 2 a.m., and it was not until she awoke around six hours later that she noticed the child "cold to the touch and that her lips were blue." The cause of death was positional asphyxia, according to a medical examiner, who ruled it accidental.
Law enforcement authorities and DCF officials declared the girl's death to have resulted from neglect, inadequate supervision and substance misuse. When tested for drugs shortly Khariss died, Landers was found to have benzodiazepines in her system. ","perpfirstname":"Sametris","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Landers","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":423,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Emma","middlename":"","lastname":"Perrault","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 22, 2012","deathdate":"December 8, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"5 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Asphyxiation/suffocation","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Emma Perrault was one of five children living with their mother, Amanda Engle. On the night Emma was smothered in her mother's bed, Engle recalled having consumed five or six beers before going to sleep.
Later, the child, who was almost 6 months old, was found to have died after becoming wedged between the bed and a wall. Engle, who said she had diabetes, said that might have prompted "some type of seizure" that could have affected Emma's position in the bed.
In any event, both Emma's father — who lived across the street and rushed over to try to save her — and the father of Engle's four other children had warned Engle to stop sleeping in the same bed with the smaller kids.
DCF investigators had previously investigated the family in April 2010 for an episode of domestic violence involving the paternal grandmother of the older children. ","perpfirstname":"Amanda","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Engle","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":424,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Michael","middlename":"","lastname":"Jackson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 24, 2005","deathdate":"December 15, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"7","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Multiple trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"When DCF investigators opened a file about the death of Michael Jackson, a disabled 7-year-old boy, they found much evidence of neglect.
His mother, Marqueta Lawson, who had three other children, had left Michael at a cousin's house because she "needed a break from him," the agency's documents say. Michael suffered from a genetic disorder that had left him with the mental capacity of a child 3 or 4 years old.
On the day he died, he was in the care of a 12-year-old girl who was neither experienced nor trained to care for a child with Michael's condition. After the babysitter fell asleep, Michael left the house, ran into passing traffic and was struck by a car.
The death review includes six prior investigations into the family, although no details were made available. ","perpfirstname":"Marqueta","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Lawson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":425,"docindex":139,"firstname":"Melissa","middlename":"","lastname":"Stoddard","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 27, 2001","deathdate":"December 17, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"11","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Anoxia","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"When doctors found duct-tape residue across Melissa Stoddard's mouth, bruising around her neck and evidence that she had been "bound and gagged," they suspected that something terrible had happened to the 11-year-old girl. Melissa had arrived at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in full cardiac arrest, with bruises over most of her body and evidence from her fingernails that she had tried to remove the duct tape from across her lower face.
Melissa, who was diagnosed with autism, died of a heart attack that police say resulted from her being placed in four-point restraints for an "unknown period." There were ligature marks on her arms, wrists, ankles and thighs.
Her stepmother, Misty Stoddard, later admitted that she and Melissa's father, Kenneth Stoddard, had "hog-tied" the child "for hours at a time." A DCF review of the girl's death said she had been "tortured, ridiculed and isolated for at least several weeks before she died."
The Stoddards' other children disclosed that Melissa was "routinely bound and gagged, thrown into a green pool when she urinated, and was not allowed to eat what the other kids ate." Among other conclusions, an autopsy found that she had suffered from malnutrition.
Misty Stoddard was charged with first-degree murder, and Kenneth Stoddard with aggravated child abuse. The remaining five children in the Stoddards' home were removed and placed in licensed care.
The DCF's report on the case said Melissa had been doing well when she lived with her mother, Lisha Stoddard, in North Carolina, but was sent to live with her father and stepmother in Sarasota County after it appeared that she might have been molested by a sibling. When DCF received a report later about the sexual abuse allegation, the agency referred it to authorities in North Carolina. ","perpfirstname":"Misty","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Stoddard","perprelation":"Stepmother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"Kenneth","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Stoddard","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"aggravated child abuse"}, {"dataid":426,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Brooklyn","middlename":"","lastname":"Sanchez","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 27, 2010","deathdate":"December 18, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"2","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Head trauma/blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Brooklyn Sanchez's mother, Amanda Bergesch, went to work and left the 2-year-old with her boyfriend, Devonte Baker. Later, Bergesch got a call from Baker saying that Brooklyn had fallen in the shower and was crying. Half an hour after that, she got a text saying that Brooklyn was asleep.
After Bergesch got home, she found Brooklyn unresponsive and when she picked the child up, blood poured from her mouth. Bergesch drove her daughter to a hospital but she could not be saved.
The autopsy found a skull fracture, severe cerebral edema, multiple bruises on her back and on all four extremities, and a chipped tooth. Under questioning, Baker changed his story and said he had become frustrated with Brooklyn because she was crying while brushing her teeth and that he had "shoved her to the ground," whereupon her head had "hit the bathroom floor." She appeared to lose consciousness and Baker carried her to bed, but he did not seek medical help, he explained, because he was afraid and "was hoping she would wake up." She did not, and Baker was charged with murder.
There were two prior abuse/neglect reports on file involving Baker and four for the family as a whole, but they are not explained in Brooklyn's death review. Even so, it is clear from the documents that the family had not received any child-welfare services.","perpfirstname":"Devonte","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Baker","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":427,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Olivia","middlename":"","lastname":"Pennington","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 10, 2012","deathdate":"December 21, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"10 mos.","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Cranio-cerebral trauma due to blunt impacts to head and neck","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Ten-month-old Olivia Pennington was beaten to death. She was not the first of Monique Pennington's babies to die under suspicious circumstances. In 2007, the death of her 2-month-old son was attributed to sudden infant death syndrome, but DCF records show that investigators were concerned that Pennington had left the newborn alone for at least 10 hours before checking on him.
Pennington's 30-year-old boyfriend, Michael Fields, had a worrisome history: On four occasions, DCF had received reports that he had either physically attacked or sexually abused small children: In one report, a 2-year-old sustained "multiple skull fractures" while in his care, and the toddler disclosed being afraid of him.
A second report said that he had been arrested after his 2-week-old baby suffered a fracture, and doctors considered "not plausible" his explanation of rolling over on the baby's arm. That same baby suffered a head injury two months later.
Although Pennington at first told police that Fields could not have injured Olivia, she later revealed that when he had brought the nearly dead Olivia downstairs, he was "fully naked and aroused" while holding the limp baby, according to a DCF account. An autopsy concluded that Olivia died from injuries to her head and neck.
There appear to have been no charges filed in the case.","perpfirstname":"Michael","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Fields","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Monique","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Pennington","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":428,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jonah","middlename":"","lastname":"Reyes","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 14, 2012","deathdate":"January 4, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"6 mos.","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wounds of torso","deathcause":"guns","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In an ominous Facebook posting that read like an obituary, Melanie Reyes made clear her intent to kill her 6-month-old son, Jonah, and then herself. "They passed away today by suicide," Reyes wrote, adding that she was "stressed and depressed," was pregnant again, and had been fighting with both her ex-boyfriend and Jonah's father, Jordan Mendoza, who had been attempting to gain custody of the baby.
"After sobbing from taking the life of her child," Reyes wrote, "the mother then turned the gun to her head and took her own life & her unexpected unborn child." Deeds followed words: Jonah was shot twice in the chest with a 9 millimeter handgun, the same weapon Reyes used on herself. Jonah died later during surgery and his mother died two days later.
Prompted by the Facebook posting, Mendoza called the police, and officers who went to her home received no response when they knocked on the door. Then they heard what sounded like gunshots. The officers kicked the door open and found Jonah and his mother on a bed, suffering from gunshot wounds.
Three days earlier, DCF learned from a hotline call, Reyes had pummeled the boy's father with both her fists and clobbered him with a wine bottle while he was driving a car. When she was finished, Reyes left Mendoza on the side of the road. The report said also that Reyes had "yanked" her infant son out of the car. Two weeks earlier, she had been arrested for beating her ex-boyfriend, Marcekino Febo.
"The mother is out of control with violence," the report said. "There are concerns for the safety of the child." The report was assigned a "24-hour response priority," as opposed to "immediate priority," which would have required an investigator to visit the child very quickly. The following morning, Reyes posted her message on Facebook.","perpfirstname":"Melanie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Reyes","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":429,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Deejay","middlename":"","lastname":"Rivera","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 16, 2012","deathdate":"January 8, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"9 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Deejay Rivera drowned at the age of 9 months and 23 days.
DCF's death review does not explain the circumstances surrounding Deejay's drowning. The document says only that it involved inadequate supervision and that it was an accident.
The family had been the subject of one prior abuse/neglect complaint, in May 2010, when Deejay was nearly 4 months old, but the details were unavailable. No child welfare services were provided in that instance. ","perpfirstname":"Maddie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Rivera","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":430,"docindex":121,"firstname":"Dontrell","middlename":"","lastname":"Melvin","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 25, 2011","deathdate":"January 11, 2013","deathyear":"Unknown","deathage":"Unknown","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"When police dug up the tiny skeletal remains of Dontrell Melvin from the backyard of a Hallandale Beach house on Jan. 11, 2013, a missing child case suddenly became a homicide investigation. The boy's parents, Calvin Melvin and Brittney Sierra, had moved from the modest home a year earlier, apparently leaving behind a gruesome secret.
The search for Dontrell had begun after allegations of child neglect against Sierra, who had moved in with her mother. When police arrived, they found her with just two children, not three.
Sierra seemed not to know where the child was, and said Melvin knew the answer. His explanation was that he had taken Dontrell to live with his parents — the boy's grandparents — because he and Sierra were having financial difficulties.
Officers went to the grandparents' home in Pompano Beach to check out the story, but it wasn't true. Melvin then said he had left the boy at a North Miami-Dade fire station, another untruth. Finally, Melvin and Sierra blamed each other for the boy's disappearance. They were arrested after the discovery of Dontrell's body and held on child-neglect and false-report charges pending a deeper investigation into how he died. The Broward County medical examiner determined that the boy had suffered "violence of undetermined means."
Dontrell had last been seen in July 2011, when he was 5 months old, but it was not until October 2012 that a question arose in official circles as to his whereabouts. A police officer had called the DCF hotline saying that Sierra, Melvin's mother, had not seen her son in months and that he was supposedly with relatives, but that she did not know "whether the baby is dead or alive."
The report of a child missing for 15 months triggered no alarms at the child-abuse hotline. DCF administrators explained later that they consider "missing persons" a police matter and not a child welfare issue. For his part, the Hallandale Beach police chief said his department judged the situation to be a custody dispute, if anything, and that DCF would sort things out.
Neither agency did anything more until the allegation about "really dirty" and neglected children came in four months later. Sierra, who was 21 at the time, and her family had long been on DCF's radar. When questioned about her missing son, she and her other two children were staying with Sierra's mother, Renee Menendez, in what child-welfare workers described as deplorable conditions.
DCF records show 30 contacts over the years with Menendez, a KFC manager in her 40s who was raising four children ranging in age from 8 to 11, Sierra's half siblings. But in none of the visits after Sierra moved back in with her mother did a DCF caseworker inquire as to where Dontrell was. All the children — Menendez's four and Sierra's surviving two — were subsequently removed and placed in the care of the state.
*The precise date of Dontrell's death is unknown.","perpfirstname":"Brittney","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Sierra","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"child neglect","perp2firstname":"Calvin","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Melvin","perp2relation":"Father","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"child neglect"}, {"dataid":431,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Danni","middlename":"","lastname":"Terceira","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 25, 2012","deathdate":"January 13, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"4 mos.","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Danni Terceira, a twin, died after being placed face-down on a soft pillow in a crib. The cause of death was asphyxiation, although Danni also had pneumonia.
Her mother, Joey Terceira, had been advised on multiple occasions about the right way and the wrong way to place a baby in a crib, according to the family's DCF file. She explained that she had placed Danni on her stomach because the child "sleeps better that way."
Her father, Joseph Terceira, a truck driver, was away on the road when his daughter died. He had "a couple of past drug charges" on his record, the file says, although that was not deemed relevant to Danni's passing because he was not present at the time of her death. The family was twice offered counseling but declined.
There was a prior to report to DCF about the family, in October 2011, but the details were redacted. ","perpfirstname":"Joey","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Terceira","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":432,"docindex":19,"firstname":"Emma","middlename":"","lastname":"Morrison","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 29, 2012","deathdate":"January 17, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Probable positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Between 1999 and 2013, Lisa Lamoureaux experienced a total of "three confirmed years of sobriety," a DCF document said. Lamoureaux, who gave birth to five children, one of them Emma Morrison, had been investigated by DCF on 11 occasions before the girl's death, principally for allegations of drug abuse and domestic violence.
Two of the reports claimed there had been child abuse, and one was verified. A 2008 report said that Lamoureaux had "relapsed" into abusing painkillers, and that she had engaged in a violent argument in her children's presence.
Two of her partners were arrested and jailed for acts of violence in Lamoureaux's home. At the time of Emma's death, DCF was investigating a report of violence involving Emma's father, Dwayne Morrison. The incident was reported to have occurred while Lamoureaux was holding the baby, who was not yet a month old.
Although DCF caseworkers had been aware for many years that Lamoureaux was a drug addict, the agency acknowledged that "appropriate services for this particular issue were not addressed."
Although a medical examiner surmised that Emma had been accidentally smothered while in bed with her mother, neighbors reported having heard "a male's voice yelling during the night and early the next day," and a "a child crying constantly throughout the night." In any case, Lamoureaux had not noticed that the newborn was dead for so long that a neighbor found Emma's "arms in the air" from rigor mortis.
Police found two crack pipes in Lamoureaux's home, and she admitted that she had smoked crack on the night Emma died.","perpfirstname":"Lisa","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Lamoureaux","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"0","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":433,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Brianna","middlename":"","lastname":"Addison","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"July 5, 2010","deathdate":"January 30, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"2","countycode":"lee","county":"Lee","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma of head","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Derrick Johnson, the boyfriend of Brianna Addison's mother, had an abundant criminal past, and had been charged with about 40 offenses before being accused of manslaughter, cruelty toward a child and aggravated child abuse in the girl's death.
Eight months earlier, DCF had confirmed child abuse allegations against Brianna's father, Brandon Addison. A DCF report said Brianna endured "extensive bruising" on her bottom following a weekend visit with her father in April 2012. Addison's explanation was that he had been playing with the girl and "playfully biting her on the buttocks." In retrospect, a reviewer wrote, that explanation was particularly implausible.
Following that report, Brianna's mother, Shawna Hall, agreed to a "verbal" safety plan in which she promised to allow Addison only supervised contact with the child. The plan, DCF wrote later, "appears to have been documented more for the purposes of documentation's sake, rather than as an actual plan to ensure Brianna's safety."
In any case, Addison was not involved in his daughter's death, which resulted from blunt force head trauma at Johnson's hands, police said. Brianna's 4-year-old sister told authorities that Johnson had inflicted a "whooping" on the infant because she had been "bad," according to a police report. "Brianna was crying and he was hitting her with a belt," the older girl said. "He stopped hitting her when she was good."
The police report included a text message that Johnson typed on the day Brianna died: "I'm tryna throw her n the air. She was cryn like somebody killn her."","perpfirstname":"Derrick","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Johnson","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"Cruelty toward a child, aggravated child abuse, negligent manslaughter","perp2firstname":"Shawna","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Hall","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":434,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Marion","middlename":"","lastname":"Davis","suffix":"III","gender":"male","birthdate":"June 6, 2012","deathdate":"February 11, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"7 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The parents of 7-month-old Marion Davis III placed the infant in bed with them, and then found him the next morning "cold" and dead.
A cursory review of Marion's death said he was born extremely premature, at only 23 weeks, and his lungs had "never fully developed." The report said his parents had stopped using life-saving oxygen, though his mother "never identified who authorized her to take him off the oxygen in the home."
On the night Marion died, Marion's father said he had "smoked a blunt" at around dinner time. The Davis family had been the subject of two calls to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline in the years before Marion's death, including one report of medical neglect in 2012 that the agency "screened out" — declined to investigate.
Marion's parents did not cooperate with DCF investigators, a report said, they did not respond to contacts or agree to drug screens. Despite that, the investigation into Marion's death was closed without any "services or safety measures" in the home to ensure the safety of the surviving children.","perpfirstname":"Marion ","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Davis","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Cierra","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Davis","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":435,"docindex":40,"firstname":"Matthew","middlename":"","lastname":"Condatore","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 29, 2012","deathdate":"February 15, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"11 mos.","countycode":"lake","county":"Lake","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On two occasions, in late 2012 and in February the following year, DCF was told that Matthew Condatore's mother was abusing alcohol and drugs. The agency completed the first probe without intervening, and the second investigation was still open when the infant died.
In the two reports to the DCF hotline, the agency was told that the woman, Amanda Condatore, sometimes left her children "for days at a time" while she bought and consumed drugs. She left the children alone on Christmas Day 2012, when Matthew was 10 months old, to find drugs elsewhere, according to a report filed with the agency. When she returned, she claimed that "she had been held hostage." The following day, "Matthew was screaming for unknown reason and for an unknown amount of time," the report said. The children's home, it went on, was "disgusting, filthy and dirty," with bugs and roaches throughout.
Condatore also hit one of her sons "really bad," according to a hotline allegation. She reportedly threatened to "burn alive" her son and insisted that she wished he had "never been born." DCF did not seek to shelter the children.
During a drug evaluation conducted in January 2013, Condatore admitted that she used opiates, synthetic marijuana, meth, "eight-balls," benzodiazepines, Lortabs, Vicodin, Roxycodone, Percoset, Soma and Darvocet. She also said she drank alcohol "like other people drink coffee," a file entry said. She said she consumed a gallon of vodka every two days, two glasses of wine while cooking, and a couple of tequila shots before bed.
The children were often left with Matthew's father, Lawrence Condatore, who was described in a December 2012 report as "not properly caring for the children." Ten days before Matthew's death, his father tested positive for benzodiazephines and opiates.
On Feb. 15, 2013, Matthew's mother passed out while bathing him, DCF records said. Matthew's 8-year-old sister found him floating in the overflowing tub, the documents said, while Amanda Condatore — who was "messed up" at the time — lay unconscious nearby. ","perpfirstname":"Amanda","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Condatore","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Lawrence","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Condatore","perp2relation":"father","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":436,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Cur","middlename":"Mari","lastname":"Rutledge","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 29, 2012","deathdate":"February 24, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia due to suffocation","deathcause":"","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The night before Cur Mari Rutledge's death, the infant's father stayed out all night playing cards and smoking marijuana.
Curvey Rudledge told investigators he returned at about 6 a.m., retrieved his infant son from an aunt with whom he lived, and went to bed. Rutledge left his bed for a bit, and left Cur Mari unattended. When Rutledge returned, his son was face-down on top of a plastic bag, not breathing. Rutledge waited several hours before calling for help.
The cause of Cur Mari's death was suffocation, and a contributing cause, an autopsy said, was that the boy "was co-sleeping with an adult," a report said.
Rutledge acknowledged he had smoked marijuana the night and morning before his son died, and told investigators he smoked the drug "daily."
Rutledge had been the subject of three prior calls to DCF's hotline, though a report on Cur Mari's death did not discuss any of the investigations. ","perpfirstname":"Curvey","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Rutledge","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":437,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Caden","middlename":"","lastname":"Nickles","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 22, 2011","deathdate":"March 3, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Mechanical asphyxia due to overlay","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Caden Nickles suffocated, either on the couch lying next to his father's girlfriend, Megan Marshall, or amid blankets in his crib, police said after his death.
The night Caden died, he had been visiting his 22-year-old father, Tom Nickles, and Marshall, 25. Tests conducted after the child's death showed no drugs in Nickels' body, but traces of morphine, marijuana, opiates and Oxycontin were found in Marshall's.
The 14-month-old boy had been the subject of a 2012 report to the DCF hotline that he had suffered a skull fracture when his stroller collapsed. DCF determined the injury to be accidental. Another report to DCF that same year said that Caden's mother, Jessica Shasteen, had "a history of substance-abuse issues" and was believed to be "using drugs again." ","perpfirstname":"Megan","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Marshall","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":438,"docindex":27,"firstname":"Nathan","middlename":"","lastname":"Gicker","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 28, 2012","deathdate":"March 11, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"DCF had investigated Nathan Gicker's mother 10 times before he died, mostly after the agency had received information that she was abusing drugs.
Jennifer Gicker, who was 38 when she had Nathan, was in methadone treatment but still abusing narcotics, according to her files. Nathan had required an extended hospital stay after birth because he was experiencing methadone withdrawal after being exposed to the drug in utero.
Although DCF had removed a 9-year-old child from Gicker's care in 2008 to protect him, they left Nathan in her custody because she "had remained compliant with case plan provisions." In spite of the agency's position on her compliance, a DCF review said police "learned that there appeared to be some ongoing substance-abuse issues" with Gicker, who was overheard by neighbors saying on her cellphone that "she didn't want the child and wished that she never had him."
An autopsy determined that Nathan had asphyxiated while sleeping with his mother, with pneumonia as a contributing condition. Gicker was tested for drugs after her son's death and found to have benzodiazepines and methoadone in her system. ","perpfirstname":"Jennifer","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Gicker","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":439,"docindex":143,"firstname":"Natalie","middlename":"","lastname":"Taylor","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 14, 2002","deathdate":"March 23, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"10","countycode":"stjohns","county":"St. Johns","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Dennis and Michelle Taylor had a long history of problems with supervising their three children, all of which had been well documented by DCF.
The agency had received 10 reports of abuse or neglect involving Natalie or her two siblings, including allegations of environmental hazards, medical neglect, physical abuse and domestic violence. A common theme in the reports involved the couple's decision to leave their children home alone, including Natalie, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and at age 10 had the intellect of a 4-year-old.
The Taylors' children had previously been removed from their custody, but later returned. In 2011, DCF was told that the Taylors' youngest child, then about 4, had almost set fire to the kitchen when he put a washcloth into a microwave oven. The boy and Natalie had been left in the care of their sister, who was roughly 10 years old at the time.
DCF closed its investigation of the case by asking the Taylors to adhere to a plan that would ensure their children's safety. "Additionally," the agency's file says, "the plan involved the neighbor, but there was no evidence he was aware of the plan."
On March 23, 2013, Michelle Taylor again left the children by themselves at home. That day, the older girl, who was by then 12, walked across the street with her little brother, who wanted to visit a neighbor, while Natalie was left alone in the tub. She drowned.
Natalie's death affected the family financially as well as emotionally. A DCF review of her death said the family had "struggled financially for years," and with Natalie dead, her disability benefits were no longer available.
In its review of Natalie's death, DCF insisted that the Taylors were good parents who had struggled with the burden of raising a disabled child. "Both of the parents consider their children a priority," the review said.
The Department of Health's Child Protection Team had a different perspective. "It was irresponsible," the group wrote, "for the parents to leave a 12-year-old child in charge of the care of a handicapped younger child. This was grossly negligent." The team suggested that, had the Taylors made arrangements for a responsible adult to watch their children — including the 12-year-old, who had been forced into the role of caretaker — "Natalie would not have died." ","perpfirstname":"Michelle","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Taylor","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":440,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Michael","middlename":"","lastname":"Seger","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 15, 2013","deathdate":"April 8, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Asphyxia due to overlay","deathcause":"","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Seven-week-old Michael Seger suffocated in an adult bed with his mother. An autopsy showed, however, that the newborn had suffered skull fractures most likely within just a week of his death.
On April 8, 2013, the day Michael died, his mother had spent a good bit of her time "taking shots of whiskey," a review of Michael's death said. She was home alone at the time of her son's death, as her husband told authorities he had left the house following an argument over his concerns about her drinking. "He didn't want her to become an alcoholic," the report said.
Shortly after noon that day, Michael's grandmother had sent the boy's uncle over to check on him. When mother Kristen Dezafra would not awaken, her brother had to "physically wake her," the report said. "When the uncle attempted to shake the mother and roll her over, the infant was discovered underneath Ms. Dezafra's body."
Dezafra had been the subject of three prior reports to DCF's hotline, and her older daughter was in the custody of her paternal grandmother due to the "substance misuse," of both parents, a report said. Details of DCF's history with the family are not disclosed in the death review.
As to Michael's skull fractures, his mother told authorities she had dropped the newborn on his head while she was drinking.
After Michael's death, Dezafra continued to drink. On Aug. 10, 2013, she was arrested for DUI with property damage, driving with a suspended license and resisting arrest. ","perpfirstname":"Kristen","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Dezafra","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":441,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jewel","middlename":"","lastname":"Howard","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 9, 2010","deathdate":"April 11, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Asthma, multiple internal injuries","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Caseworkers at DCF were looking into allegations of possible violence against Jewel Howard only a month before she died. The agency had received a report that the child had sustained a busted lip that required stitches. Her mother, Asia Rosier, denied that anyone had harmed the little girl, but Jewel's father said the girl told him her mother's boyfriend, Jumar Edwards, had hit her and caused the injury.
Although the state's Child Protection Team deemed the injury "suspicious," and despite Rosier's disclosure during the investigation that Edwards "had battered her to unconsciousness" once before, the injuries to Jewel were deemed "indeterminate for physical abuse." While DCF was still investigating those allegations, Jewel was pummeled to death.
An autopsy showed the toddler had sustained multiple internal injuries, including a cranial hematoma, lacerated liver, two broken ribs and internal bleeding. The medical examiner declared her death a homicide.
After Jewel died, her paternal grandmother told police that Jewel "would throw a fit every time her mother came to pick her up to bring her back home." Rosier's other child, a 5-month-old boy, was placed in protective custody.
Rosier and Edwards were charged with felony child neglect. They were found guilty on Jan. 31, 2014, and face up to 15 years in prison. Evidence at their trial showed that they had waited hours before summoning medical help, and a prosecutor suggested that Jewel might have survived if Rosier had acted sooner. Instead, the prosecutor said, she did nothing.
At the time of Jewel's death, there was an active arrest warrant for Edwards in a battery case involving Rosier, and he "continued to evade law enforcement" for a time, a DCF file entry says. Nevertheless, Rosier "failed to file for a restraining order and was allowing him to reside in the home." ","perpfirstname":"Jumar","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Edwards","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"felony child neglect","perp2firstname":"Asia","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Rosier","perp2relation":"mother","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"felony child neglect"}, {"dataid":442,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ke'Andre","middlename":"","lastname":"Coleman","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 11, 2009","deathdate":"April 14, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"4","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"In the two years before Ke'Andre Coleman was beaten to death, DCF had received two reports that contained allegations of child abuse, domestic violence and inadequate supervision.
In one of the reports, the boy's 22-year-old mother, Mikkia Lewis, was alleged to have beaten her children with a broom handle. In another, DCF was told that Ke'Andre's father, Andre Bullock, had punched Lewis' mother in the face and threatened to kill the toddler while putting a knife to his throat. Lewis acknowledged that she allowed Ke'Andre's father to take him for weekends even after that incident, and yet DCF determined that she was "protective" of her children.
Bullock apparently was not present when Ke'Andre was fatally injured, and it was Lewis and her boyfriend, Joe McCaskell, 32, who were charged with first-degree murder.
After the boy died, Bullock was arrested in an unrelated case in Miami and charged with second-degree murder.","perpfirstname":"Mikkia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Lewis","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"charged with aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"Joe","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"McCaskell","perp2relation":"mother's paramour","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"aggravated child abuse"}, {"dataid":443,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Cameron","middlename":"","lastname":"Bosch","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 14, 2013","deathdate":"April 17, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Probable asphyxia and comprression of the head and or torso","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"pending","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Cameron Bosch's mother made a habit of falling asleep in a drug-induced haze with her newborn baby in her arms, despite repeated warnings from her own mother about the dangers of doing so. She did not heed the advice.
On April 17, 2013, Kimberly Bosch received her daily dose of methadone, and then reclined in her bed holding 2-month-old Cameron and his bottle. She told authorities she had fallen asleep and awoke 45 minutes later with Cameron dead, blood dripping from his nose.
The official cause of Cameron's death remains undetermined, although a medical examiner believes his 28-year-old mother accidentally strangled or suffocated him.
In addition to methadone, Bosch, who also had taken Xanax some time before her baby died, had been in a methadone treatment program and had promised DCF caseworkers in a safety plan that she would "recover from her addiction" for "the baby's sake."
Bosch's criminal history showed "a pattern of substance abuse," and she had been incarcerated because of it. Before Cameron's death, her drug problem had led DCF to permanently remove her two other children from her care. ","perpfirstname":"Kimberly","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bosch","perprelation":"mother — tentative","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":444,"docindex":128,"firstname":"Demetrius","middlename":"","lastname":"Powers","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 3, 2009","deathdate":"April 19, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3","countycode":"alachua","county":"Alachua","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"The neighborhood pool in which Demetrius Powers drowned had been abandoned and left to decay, and no one had emptied it. The fence around it was dilapidated too, and easily breached, which is what Demetrius and a friend did one April morning after the ball they were playing with ended up in the murky water.
It seems that Demetrius, who was almost 4 years old, fell in as he was trying to retrieve it. He was found at the bottom, lifeless, by a diver from the Alachua County Sheriff's Office after his grand uncle, Washington Powers, 62, in whose care he was, raised the alarm that the boy had gone missing.
"It appears both boys were allowed to freely roam the neighborhood without adult supervision," a DCF investigator wrote after the incident. He said that, aside from the pool, hazards in the area included a sinkhole and criminal activity. "Demetrius was too young chronologically and developmentally" to be allowed to play outside unsupervised, the investigator wrote, adding that Powers "became distracted cleaning the home and did not check on Demetrius in a timely fashion."
DCF files showed two prior reports listing the boy's mother, Andrea Powers, as the caregiver for Demetrius and a younger brother. One of the reports, in 2011, said she had overfed the younger boy, who was a year old at the time, by giving him steak and potatoes, and that he had an untended diaper rash. A report in 2009 said the boys' mother and father had gotten into a "physical altercation" during which she had scratched his chest and he had pushed her down the stairs. The family did not receive any prior child-welfare assistance in the previous cases. ","perpfirstname":"Washington","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Powers","perprelation":"mother's uncle","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":445,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Destinee","middlename":"","lastname":"Gross","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 14, 2011","deathdate":"April 21, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1","countycode":"manatee","county":"Manatee","deathcausereport":"Sequelae of oral ingestion of tablets, including drug intoxication and airway obstruction","deathcause":"drugs","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The mother of Destinee Gross, Debra Meneely, had a 15-year history of abusing narcotics, much of that time spent working as a prostitute, a report said. Her husband "rescued" her from that life, but then failed to help Meneely curb her appetite for drugs.
Four times in 2011 and 2012, DCF was warned that Meneely's drug addiction endangered her baby, Destinee. Meneely, the agency had been told, was taking methadone she obtained from a clinic, but also abusing cocaine, benzodiazepines, PCP and non-prescribed anti-depressants, a report said.
Though investigators expressed "great concerns" over Destinee's welfare "if the child were to remain in the mother's care," DCF failed repeatedly to take any action. In 2011, Meneely tested positive for Lortabs for which she could not produce a prescription; the case was closed unfounded. In March 2012, she tested positive for cocaine and other drugs, and was found to be "under the influence." DCF lawyers refused to take action.
Four months later, Meneely tested positive for PCP, benzodiazepines and methadone. She also said she had taken about 35 over-the-counter sedatives. That case also was not founded. In September 2012, Meneely again tested positive for drugs, and said her father kept her pill bottles because she had attemped suicide with the drugs. DCF still did not act.
Then, on April 21, 2013, Destinee was found "gasping for air" and choking, a report said. When paramedics arrived, the toddler already was "blue in color."
Destinee died after she choked on the remnants of her mother's over-the-counter Tylenol PM. She also overdosed on the drug, an autopsy said.
After Destinee's death, her mother tested positive for methadone, opiates, anti-depressants and methamphetamines, a report said.
An unusually candid review of Destinee's death said investigators should have verified many of the prior allegations "given the mother's ongoing and significant substance use issues." By the time of the three 2012 investigations, the review said, Meneely's addiction appeared to be an "escalating pattern."","perpfirstname":"Debra","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Meneely","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":446,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Anthony","middlename":"","lastname":"Joyce","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 1, 2009","deathdate":"April 22, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"4","countycode":"okeechobee","county":"Okeechobee","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Four-year-old Anthony Joyce sometimes wandered out of the family's home unnoticed, despite ostensible supervision by the four adults and a teenager who lived there. On April 22, 2013, he did just that, and was gone for between 30 and 90 minutes before his mother, Angela Joyce, who had two younger children, went looking for him. Anthony had drowned in a neighbor's swimming pool.
The boy's habitual wanderings — he was once found on the same neighbor's trampoline, and another time in an abandoned house — had been permitted even though a registered sex offender lived nearby, a fact known to Anthony's family. A DCF report determined that his mother's inadequate supervision contributed to his death.
The agency had logged three prior reports about the family, including allegations of domestic violence, "mental injury" and substance abuse, but no evidence was found to support the allegations and they did not, therefore, increase "the level of risk to the child," a summary concluded after Anthony's death.
Joyce's boyfriend, Stuart Davis, had a criminal history that included a violent incident between him and his brother and an arrest for marijuana possession. Other criminal charges "formed no concerning pattern," the agency's summary said. As a result, it went on, "there was no documented need to implement a safety plan."","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":447,"docindex":2,"firstname":"Aliyah","middlename":"","lastname":"Branum","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 25, 2010","deathdate":"April 26, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"2","countycode":"citrus","county":"Citrus","deathcausereport":"Brain hemorrhage","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"By the spring of 2013, there was mounting evidence that 2-year-old Aliyah Branum was in danger: Her mother, Chelsea Huggett, suffered from a chemical imbalance — a vestige, she said, of her service in the military — that left her explosively angry, and she spoke openly of her inability to cope with a needy child.
Aliyah had first come to DCF's attention in June 2012, when the agency "screened out" — deemed unworthy of response — two calls to the abuse hotline saying that the girl and her mother were living in a hot storage shed. Another report said that the family was homeless.
On Aug. 8, 2012, the agency received information that Aliyah was too skinny and that she was suffering from a "horrible" diaper rash because her mother's boyfriend, Jason Ruane, with whom the child was sometimes left, refused to change her diapers. "Aliyah's legs were bleeding due to the rash," a report said. It was also reported to DCF that Ruane had threatened to kill Aliyah's mother with a box cutter, and was involuntarily committed, according to accounts in the Branum family file.
When Aliyah cried at a Veteran's Administration office building, the report said, Huggett put a blanket over her mouth and smacked her "really hard" on her legs. She sustained finger-shaped welt marks as a result. DCF was told Huggett had tried to smother the girl, an allegation she denied.
Huggett acknowledged that she had severe anger issues.
In the reports DCF did look into, the agency discounted the physical abuse allegations, though the state's Child Protection Team concluded that Aliyah was indeed being beaten. A DCF investigator asked Huggett to sign a safety plan promising not to use excessive corporal punishment, and Huggett was referred to local programs for hands-on parenting advice.
After Aliyah died, Huggett blamed Ruane, telling police officers that he had killed the child by spraying her with bug repellent. Huggett later admitted that she had been responsible, and had shaken her baby violently because "she would not stop whining."
Huggett said she had covered the little girl's mouth with her hand "to muffle her cries," and then shook her relentlessly, a report of the incident said. Finally, in the middle of the night, Huggett said, she slammed her baby's head into a wall and head-butted her, fracturing the toddler's skull. A police report said Aliyah had bruising to her forehead, cheeks, lips, shoulders, back and behind her ears.
Huggett, who was eight months pregnant at the time, was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. She pleaded guilty to the killing earlier this year.","perpfirstname":"Chelsea","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Huggett","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in February.","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":448,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Charlize","middlename":"","lastname":"Terrell","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 19, 2013","deathdate":"May 4, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"10 weeks","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Charlize Terrell was born addicted to her mother's opiate drugs, and remained hospitalized for several weeks so that she could detoxify. The newborn's siblings, aged 2 and 3, were under the supervision of a privately run child-welfare group at the time, although a review of Charlize's death said her parents were slow to engage with its services, and the treatment "quickly tapered off" following that.
Both of Charlize's parents, Shawn Staley and Steven Terrell, had a long history of drug addiction, including prescription painkillers they obtained either by doctor-shopping at pill clinics or on the streets, reports to DCF said. Two years before Charlize was born, DCF was told that her older brother was born addicted to his mother's painkillers and had to endure withdrawal, which made him "jittery," before he could be discharged from the hospital.
During an investigation in early 2013, prompted by allegations both Staley and Terrell were abusing narcotics, DCF got them to promise to refrain from driving under the influence of the drugs they were using — but no more. Both parents continued to admit to using narcotics and to test positive for oxocodone and methadone, "a potentially lethal mixture, depending on level of dependence and/or tolerance," a file entry said.
The exact cause and manner of Charlize's death was undetermined. Staley offered various explanations for where the baby was when she died: Two of them involved sleeping with her child.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":449,"docindex":50,"firstname":"Bryan","middlename":"","lastname":"Osceola","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 31, 2012","deathdate":"May 6, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"11 mos.","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Hyperthermia","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Six months before 11-month-old Bryan Osceola died, DCF received a report that his mother, Catalina Marista Bruno, who also had two other children, had been arrested on charges of DUI and child neglect. She was observed driving erratically and side-swiping several cars, and then passed out drunk in her Chevrolet Impala, its transmission still in drive, a police report said. Bryan was found sitting on her lap.
What happened next is subject to dispute: DCF claims that a Miami investigator concocted a report showing that Bruno did not have a drinking problem. The investigator insisted that the alcohol evaluation was indeed completed, and it concluded that Bruno did not require treatment to curb her drinking.
Either way, DCF caseworkers did not intervene to protect Bryan, and the boy died on May 15, 2013 as a result of being left in a hot car by his mother. Bruno had gone into her house to sleep, leaving her purse and a can of beer in the vehicle along with her son.
Bruno is now facing charges of aggravated manslaughter and child neglect.","perpfirstname":"Catalina","perpmiddlename":"Marista","perplastname":"Bruno","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter and child neglect","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":450,"docindex":144,"firstname":"Nyla","middlename":"","lastname":"Hardy","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 17, 2013","deathdate":"May 11, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3 weeks","countycode":"lake","county":"Lake","deathcausereport":"Rollover","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Nyla Hardy's parents, Kendrick Hardy and Alysha Rivers, were long-term drug-abusers, and readily admitted it to investigators. They had lost custody of one of their children in 2007 because of drug abuse.
Nevertheless, DCF's drug-screening program declared Hardy and Rivers drug-free during an investigation that was completed less than a week before Nyla was born. "It is not clear," a review of DCF's actions said later, how drug screeners "made a determination that no substance abuse services were warranted for either parent who freely admit to using illegal substances in the home when the children are also present."
Nyla lived for less than a month before Hardy smothered her in his bed. DCF was told that it was not the first time Nyla's father had rolled over on top of her.
"It is evident that substance misuse also likely contributed to the death of the child," the review of Nyla's death concluded.
Even after she died, a report said, DCF did not offer services to Hardy, who acknowledged to the agency that he suffered from schizophrenia. The review said there was no indication that mental health professionals had discussed Hardy's illness with him, or made referrals for him.
Nyla's mother, who had three other children, the report said, was "not engaged in any services" to address her drug addiction or her parenting skills at the time.
The surviving siblings were removed by DCF after Nyla died, and both parents were arrested on outstanding warrants.","perpfirstname":"Alysha","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Rivers","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":451,"docindex":126,"firstname":"Brianna","middlename":"","lastname":"Cooper","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 17, 2006","deathdate":"May 11, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"6","countycode":"putnam","county":"Putnam","deathcausereport":"Injuries sustained in a vehicle crash/child not wearing a seat belt","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"An employee at the Kangaroo Express store in Hawthorne was so concerned about the welfare of Brianna Cooper that she called the Putnam County Sheriff's Office on May 11, 2013, to report that Brianna's mother, Kimberly Cooper, appeared to be "under the influence." Deputies did not arrive for well over an hour, though, and by the time they did Cooper had driven away with her daughter, a report said.
Brianna never made it home. Her death in what the Florida Highway Patrol called a drug-fueled head-on collision capped a nearly 10-year history of allegations to DCF about Cooper, virtually all of them involving severe drug and alcohol abuse.
Brianna's older sister was living with her father at the time of Brianna's death because of a report that Cooper had been "driving really fast with her in the car and she was scared." In all, DCF had received 12 reports involving Cooper's parenting, including a case in 2009 in which Cooper was arrested for DUI while her eldest daughter was in the car. Cooper, a file entry said, was also found to have crack cocaine and Xanax in her possession. "She was slurring her words, unable to walk without holding on to something, and had difficulty keeping her eyes open," the report said.
Cooper's children were removed from her custody at least twice, but they were returned in late 2011 after authorities concluded that she had kicked her drug habit. She had not. DCF caseworkers were unaware of her relapse, however, because they had performed few of the required in-home visits with her, especially unannounced visits, after Brianna was given back to her.
Cooper's ex-boyfriend, who had custody of Brianna before authorities returned the girl, described Cooper as a heavy drinker who had "an addiction to crack and pills, and would use anything she could get."
On the day Brianna died in May 2013, Cooper was traveling at about 80 miles per hour — almost twice the speed limit — on West Strickland Road in Putnam County when she slammed into another car, records say. Brianna, an autopsy found, was not wearing a seat belt. Tests showed that Cooper was under the influence of cocaine. She was charged with DUI and manslaughter.","perpfirstname":"Kimberly","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Cooper","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"DUI and manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":452,"docindex":107,"firstname":"Mason","middlename":"Truit","lastname":"Britt","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 9, 2013","deathdate":"May 18, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Mason Britt was born with his intestines outside his body. He lived only 39 days, but it was not medical problems that killed him. Police say his father did.
Mason's mother, Nina Mirsalim, had a significant history with DCF, spanning 10 calls to the agency's abuse and neglect hotline from 2007 through 2012. The agency declined to investigate two of the reports, and the details of them were redacted from a review of Mason's death.
However, DCF's review of Mason's death reveal there were 24 police calls, from assault and battery to attempted strangulation at the family's home between April 2010 and Mason's death. Each time, the mother was referred for domestic violence services, but she did not avail herself of them, while no services were offered to the father, who was arrested several times on assault charges, DCF said.
On May 18, 2013, Mason was pronounced dead at the hospital, and his father, 28-year-old Danny "Colt" Britt, insisted that his son had simply stopped breathing. He changed his story later, however, claiming he tripped while holding the baby and hit the footboard of a bed.
An autopsy said the baby died from inflicted head trauma.
Mirsalim continued to defend the boy's father, who bailed out of jail after being charged with manslaughter. DCF insisted that he have no contact with Mirsalim's other children. ","perpfirstname":"Danny","perpmiddlename":"Colt","perplastname":"Britt","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"child abuse, manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":453,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Da'vonna","middlename":"","lastname":"Wright","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"February 15, 2013","deathdate":"May 23, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Probable positional asphyxia","deathcause":"overlay","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Da'vonna Wright's mother, Precious Simon, who had seven children, had been warned by a pediatrician not to sleep with them. As if to drive the point home, one of Simon's cousins had already lost a child that way in 2007, the family's DCF file said.
But Simon placed her 3-month-old daughter in bed with her anyway, and on the morning of May 23, 2013, she awoke to find her baby dead. An autopsy concluded that Da'Vonna had probably died from accidental positional asphyxia.
"This was an avoidable tragedy as the mother had been co-sleeping with her children," a DCF document said. "The mother had been educated in the dangers of co-sleeping." No charges were filed, although the agency found that the child had been inadequately supervised.
DCF had received six prior reports regarding Simon and her children, but the details of those investigations were redacted from the agency's review of Da'Vonna's death. ","perpfirstname":"Precious","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Simon","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":454,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ka'Sharie","middlename":"","lastname":"Freeman","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"October 28, 2009","deathdate":"May 27, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3","countycode":"lee","county":"Lee","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Ka'Sharie Freeman was found dead at the bottom of a swimming pool. Her 22-year-old mother, Jamie Chapman, who had gone to the pool at a friend's house with two of her children, told investigators later that she had left to buy something at a store while the kids played in the water.
A report on the incident said Chapman assumed that other adults who were present would watch over her children while she was gone, but she acknowledged having not asked anyone to do so. After she returned and found Ka'Sharie missing, Chapman ultimately found her at the bottom of the murky pool. Attempts to revive the child proved fruitless.
There was one prior DCF report regarding the family: In 2010, the children's father, Darwin Freeman, was said to have gone to Chapman's home, picked her up by the head and yelled at her. After that incident, Ka'Sharie was placed in the care of her father for a time, although the report does not say why.
While the domestic-abuse incident was being investigated, Chapman tested positive for marijuana and Ecstasy. She was advised to participate in substance-abuse group sessions, but she declined. Ka'Sharie's death was ruled an accident, with a DCF finding of neglect and inadequate supervision. ","perpfirstname":"Jamie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Chapman","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":455,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Armanny","middlename":"","lastname":"Delgado","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 27, 2010","deathdate":"May 31, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"2","countycode":"osceola","county":"Osceola","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"nosp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Armanny Delgado was developmentally disabled, and had been diagnosed with a disorder that made it difficult for him to absorb nutrition. He couldn't walk, and he had trouble seeing.
In April 2013, DCF received a report that his mother, Delia Vazquez-Calo, was inconsistent in providing Armanny the supplements he needed to help with his nutrition, and she had failed to show up for some of the boy's appointments with medical specialists. He had vomited for two days, and a file entry said Armanny could "die from not getting enough nutrients." The investigation was closed with verified findings of medical neglect, although no services were deemed necessary because Armanny was already involved with Children's Medical Services.
The boy drowned about six weeks later. Both parents tested positive for opiates during the investigation into Armanny's death. During the investigation, a family friend said that Vazquez-Calo acknowledged that she "forgot about Armanny being in the bathtub, and the child was in the bathtub for almost one hour." The friend also told investigators that Vazquez-Calo sometimes used medications that had been prescribed to her husband, Alex Delgado, who "would sometimes become upset with the mother for taking his pills."
Vazquez-Calo was subsequently charged with child neglect causing great bodily harm.","perpfirstname":"Delia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Vazquez-Calo","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"child neglect causing great bodily harm","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":456,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Brooklyn","middlename":"","lastname":"Stewart","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 21, 2012","deathdate":"May 31, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"One-year-old Brooklyn drowned in a kiddie pool on May 31, 2013 after her mother left her unattended with an older sibling. Brooklyn's family had an "extensive child welfare history" that included reports of deplorable home conditions, long-term drug abuse, physical abuse, inadequate supervision and sexual molestation. Mostly, DCF had been told repeatedly that the parents' drug abuse prevented them from watching over their children.The most recent hotline call alleged the child's home was so infested with roaches that the insects were "even crawling inside of the baby's mouth and on the children's plates of food."
Brooklyn's family was essentially homeless, and "squatting" in someone else's home. A year earlier, DCF had been told that Brooklyn's parents were "cooking" meth in the family's residence, and the children were forced to bathe and go to the bathroom outside. The parents' relatives were so concerned for the children's welfare that they suggested DCF remove the kids for their safety. And though a DCF investigator agreed, agency lawyers said the children had not suffered sufficient harm to warrant being taken into state care.
An internal DCF study of the case concludes that though Brooklyn's mother was negligent in leaving the toddler unsupervised in a pool, the child's death did not result from the neglect. A DCF supervisor disagreed.","perpfirstname":"unknown","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":457,"docindex":7,"firstname":"Fernando","middlename":"","lastname":"Barahona","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 22, 2011","deathdate":"June 3, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1","countycode":"lee","county":"Lee","deathcausereport":"Suffocation","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In May 2013, Fernando Barahona was hospitalized with a head injury so severe that it caused his head to become swollen and misshapen. He also had bruises on his forehead and along his spine. Medical experts did not believe the family's story that Fernando had been knocked over by a dog, calling the explanation inconsistent with the severity of the toddler's injuries.
While DCF investigated the matter, the agency asked his mother, Elvia Fernandez, to sign safety plans pledging to keep her boyfriend, Ronald Midkiff, out of the house. Her assurances notwithstanding, DCF received another report that Midkiff had "smacked" Fernandez on the head and dragged an older sibling by his hair at the children's daycare center. DCF offered in-home services to Fernandez and anger management counseling to Midkiff.
Only days later — and less than a month after the boy's head injury — Fernando arrived at the hospital again, but this time he did not survive. The medical examiner's office ruled that someone had strangled the toddler. The police investigation into Fernando's death remains open. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":458,"docindex":133,"firstname":"Kayden","middlename":"","lastname":"Swat","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 22, 2012","deathdate":"June 6, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"11 mos.","countycode":"charlotte","county":"Charlotte","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"One-year-old Kayden Swat drowned in a bathtub on June 6, 2013, after his mother, Sharon Swat, 24, had left him unattended with a 4-year-old sibling while she went to the kitchen, her DCF file says.
A review of Kayden's death said Swat would leave the older child, who was autistic, at home alone, and take Kayden — also described as autistic — to a motel where the children's father worked the midnight shift "because she could no longer deal with the baby."
Kayden's father, Gregory Swat, 26, had left him with his mother despite telling the police that she "was unable to tolerate caring" for the child.
An incident report on Kayden's death said that one of two prior reports to the DCF hotline revealed that the children had also had been left with an adult relative who was not capable of caring for them.","perpfirstname":"Sharon","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Swat","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"child abuse with great bodily harm or disability","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":459,"docindex":118,"firstname":"Ezra","middlename":"","lastname":"Raphael","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 11, 2011","deathdate":"June 21, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"2","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Blunt trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In June 2012, Cierrah Raphael handed her infant son, Ezra, to a near stranger, a DCF file says. Raphael told the woman, Elizabeth Wims, that she was working as a prostitute to support herself and could not care for Ezra, according to calls to the state's abuse hotline. But by the following February, when Wims was seeking financial assistance for Ezra so that she could raise him, Raphael insisted the boy be returned to her.
Both Wims and Ezra's daycare worker told a DCF investigator, Helen Mack, that Ezra would never be safe in his mother's care. Mack instructed Wims to call DCF if Raphael ever came for the toddler, and DCF lawyers said they told Mack to gather more information on the case before they decided whether to take Ezra into state custody.
Either way, that investigation was closed without the agency taking action to protect Ezra. Wims told investigators that she drove Ezra back to his mother in Miami after Mack had told her that DCF had already closed its investigation, and was unwilling to act further.
On the night of June 21, 2013, Ezra was taken to Jackson North Medical Center. He was unconscious, with visible trauma to his back and body. Ezra died from blunt force trauma.
Raphael's boyfriend, Claude Alexis, later told North Miami Beach police that he had beaten the boy with a belt, but did not mean to kill him. Raphael, he said, had left the toddler with him while she went to work as a hooker. Alexis was charged with first-degree murder, and Raphael was charged with child neglect.
After a five-month investigation into the agency's handling of Ezra's case, DCF administrators suspended Mack's supervisor for about two weeks, and suspended a program administrator for a month. Mack, who had not been certified as an investigator when many of the events surrounding Ezra's death occurred, was not disciplined. ","perpfirstname":"Claude","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Alexis","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder, aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":460,"docindex":12,"firstname":"Cherish","middlename":"","lastname":"Perrywinkle","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 24, 2004","deathdate":"June 22, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"8","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Strangulation","deathcause":"choke","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Cherish Perrywinkle was the subject of at least five prior calls to DCF's abuse hotline before she died.
Cherish's mother, Rayne Perrywinkle, had been diagnosed with severe psychiatric problems and had tried to commit suicide. She once told a caseworker that she had stopped taking medication for her disorders — she was bipolar, had borderline personality and suffered from depression — because she did not want to be addicted to the drugs.
Perrywinkle was investigated after she threw a plate at her young stepson's head. The dinnerware "only hit him in the shoulder," Perrywinkle told an investigator, and besides, she said, it was his fault "because he was being disrespectful" to her.
Police say Cherish, who was 8 years old, was raped and strangled by Donald James Smith, a registered sex offender her mother had befriended. Her body was found dumped near a church.
Smith was indicted on counts of first-degree murder, sexual battery and kidnapping. He faces the death penalty.","perpfirstname":"Rayne","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Perrywinkle","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":461,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Christian","middlename":"","lastname":"Byrd","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"August 2, 2010","deathdate":"June 24, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"2","countycode":"lee","county":"Lee","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Christian Byrd drowned in a swimming pool at a Lehigh Acres daycare center. The owner of the daycare, Melissa Smith, 42, was charged with aggravated manslaughter, as well as three counts of child neglect.
The day Christian died, police said, Smith was overseeing seven small children. She left Christian, who was almost 3, and two other kids in the pool, and then returned to her house, she said, to use the bathroom.
When Smith returned, Christian was floating in the pool, records say, and one of the children told her he was dead. She went to a neighbor for help before calling 911, according to the documents. Police who went to the scene found alcohol on a porch.
A DCF email obtained by the Herald said the home-based daycare was registered with the state but not licensed. It had been the subject of a prior report to DCF's hotline. The nature of that report was redacted from records obtained by the newspaper. ","perpfirstname":"Melissa","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Smith","perprelation":"day care owner","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":462,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Yvonne","middlename":"Isabella","lastname":"Bailey","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 11, 2011","deathdate":"July 9, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"22 months","countycode":"seminole","county":"Seminole","deathcausereport":"Head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Matthew Bailey was 17 years old and cooked methamphetamines for a living, according to his family's DCF file. In October 2012, his daughter Yvonne, who was then a year old, sustained a nasty burn on her arm. At first, Bailey explained that she had burned herself while he was cooking noodles. He later acknowledged that he had been cooking meth.
DCF removed Yvonne from her parents and placed her in licensed foster care. But nine months later, DCF allowed Yvonne to live with a paternal aunt, Amanda Miller. She, in turn, wanted to send Yvonne to live with her husband's cousin, Jennifer McCague, at least for a while. DCF denied the request because McCague's husband, also named Matthew, had a significant history of mental illness, and had made suicide threats.
The child was sent to stay with the couple anyway, and on July 6, 2013, while Matthew McCague was watching her, Yvonne was found unconscious, with extensive bruising and head trauma. Her symptoms were consistent with shaken-baby syndrome. She was placed on life support, but did not survive. Her organs were donated to other toddlers.
McCague, who was on probation for grand theft at the time, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.","perpfirstname":"Matthew","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"McCague","perprelation":"husband of cousin","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":463,"docindex":110,"firstname":"Jayden","middlename":"","lastname":"Villegas-Morales","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 13, 2010","deathdate":"July 20, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Possible shaken baby, possible head trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Between September 2005 and July 2013, DCF received 16 reports involving a host of people who, over time, had been caregivers for 2-year-old Jayden Villegas-Morales. Report number 16 concerned the boy's death, which authorities attributed to shaken baby syndrome, as well as a violent assault from his father, 28-year-old Angel Luis Villegas.
The reports concerned a variety of allegations, but largely centered on the routine domestic violence between Jayden's father and the two women with whom he shared children. Shortly before Jayden's death, Villegas had shared a home with both of the mothers of his six children — the custody of one of whom he had been accused of seeking in order to collect the child's disability payments.
On June 16. 2013, Jayden was removed from the custody of his birth mother when an older brother was hospitalized with a new fracture to his thigh, an older fracture to his shinbone, and even older fractures to both of his elbows and a foot. After what a critical, 45-page report from an independent child welfare group called a cursory home study, Jayden was sent to live with his father — in a one-bedroom efficiency apartment that housed nine children, two adults and a puppy.
Two weeks after Jayden was given to his father, he was dead. Villegas later told police he "became frustrated" with the little boy, who had been vomiting for much of the day, and "threw the victim on the bed, which resulted in [his] striking his head against the wall."
While allowing him to care for Jayden, authorities were not deterred by Villegas' criminal history, his lengthy history of family violence, and the fact that Villegas had acknowledged to DCF a year earlier that he had "an anger issue."
A review of the case by the Child Welfare League of America, commissioned by Miami's privately run foster care agency, concluded that "the perceived rights of parents in this case appear to have been given greater weight than the rights of the children to have their basic needs met, and their rights to safety and protection from abuse and neglect." Jayden's caregivers, the report said, suffered from "a chronic lack of even marginal parental nurturing."
Angel Villegas faces a pending charge of manslaughter.
Jayden's death so angered the Miami-Dade judge who had placed him in his father's care — at DCF's request — that the judge signed an order stripping the agency of some of its power over the home studies that undergird child-placement decisions. In his order, the judge called some of DCF's home studies "unreliable."
"There always have been — and, unfortunately always will be — tragic cases, wrote Judge Michael A. Hanzman. "The best we can hope for is to minimize their frequency by insisting that qualified professionals follow procedures and take whatever measures are necessary to ensure the safety of our at-risk children."","perpfirstname":"Angel","perpmiddlename":"Luis","perplastname":"Villegas","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"Angel Luis Villegas was originally charged with second degree murder. The charges were later downgraded to manslaughter. He is awaiting trial.","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":464,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Eli","middlename":"","lastname":"Stuart","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 2, 2013","deathdate":"July 18, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"11 weeks","countycode":"seminole","county":"Seminole","deathcausereport":"Shaken baby","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Eli Stuart was born with thrombosis, a disorder that left him susceptible to forming life-threatening blood clots. He was given blood-thinning injections twice each day.
His mother had problems of her own, having lost custody of an older child in Oregon. "It is suspected this is due to substance misuse," a report said. The report said Eli's mother had a history of substance misuse and added: "Mom has been using opiates recently.
And Eli's father, the report said, was a sex offender. A warrant was out for his arrest becuase he had failed to register as such.
On July 11, 2013, Eli was left at home with his godfather while his dad ran errands. The boy's godfather called for rescue when Eli was found in his crib bleeding from his nose. The infant was diagnosed with a brain bleed that was consistent with shaken baby syndrome, and a rib fracture. His father "later admitted to shaking the baby," a report said.
Father Joshua Stuart was charged with homicide after Eli died from the alleged abuse. His mother, Jessica Heath, was charged with child neglect causing great bodily harm.
Two months before Eli died, DCF had been told that his mother's substance abuse endangered him. The allegation was ruled unfounded. "Intervention services are not needed," the report concluded. "There is no evidence to support a pattern of abuse or neglect directed towards the child in the home."","perpfirstname":"Joshua","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Stuart","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"Jessica","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Heath","perp2relation":"Mother","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"child neglect with great bodily harm"}, {"dataid":465,"docindex":60,"firstname":"Dakota","middlename":"","lastname":"Stiles","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 11, 2009","deathdate":"July 25, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3","countycode":"indianriver","county":"Indian River","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Dakota Stiles first came to DCF's attention the day he was born, when his mother, Summer Stiles, tested positive for opiates. He returned to DCF's attention three more times, including a report that was still being investigated when he died.
In July 2013, DCF was told that 3-year-old Dakota had been found wandering the neighborhood unsupervised, while Stiles was apparently unaware that he had left the house. "I guess I am missing one," she said when questioned.
The Stiles home was described by a DCF investigator as filthy, with a stopped-up toilet, standing water, "garbage all over the floor," and "mold throughout." The greatest danger, the investigator wrote, was the family's pool, described as "exceptionally unsafe," dirty and filled with "unsanitary water and bugs and unknown contaminants." Dakota, the investigator wrote, could reach the fetid pool "by merely turning a knob."
The investigator had concerns beyond the squalor of the family's home, though they appear not to have been heeded: "These conditions, and the parents' flat reaction to the child victim getting out of the home, pose a significant risk of harm" to Dakota, a document said. DCF persuaded Dakota's mother and her husband, Todd Stiles, to sign a safety plan promising to clean their house and take "security measures."
Weeks later, Dakota toddled into the "exceptionally unsafe" pool and drowned.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":466,"docindex":108,"firstname":"Malyk","middlename":"Kentrell","lastname":"Sheffield","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 25, 2009","deathdate":"July 25, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"drowning","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Relatives of Malyk Sheffield said that the boy's mother, Jennyse Frederick, was a known prostitute and drug user who abandoned her children for long periods of time.
After Malyk's death, his grandmother told a DCF investigator that Frederick had been turning tricks when Malyk was rushed to a hospital with pneumonia in July 2010. Frederick had left him with relatives and vanished often, a report to DCF said.
Malyk's grandmother said the boy was always too thin when he lived with his mother.
DCF records for two of the five investigations involving Frederick show that the agency made referrals for drug treatment and parenting assistance, but did not confirm that Frederick accepted the help. DCF left Malyk with her extended family, although one relative was living with a woman who had lost custody of all her children in Tennessee, a report to DCF said. Three of the agency's investigations into Frederick were redacted, making it impossible to determine what occurred.
On July 25, 2013, Frederick left her children in a pool and then did not watch them for what the children later said was hours. Malyk fell into the pool and drowned.
"The children were visibly upset and crying," a report said. One little boy told investigators that, while the children were swimming, "mommy was not out there at all," and that he "was not sure where she was." The boy said he heard a splash, and saw Malyk go under the water.
Frederick was charged with aggravated manslaughter.","perpfirstname":"Jennyse","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Frederick","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":467,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Michael ","middlename":"","lastname":"Williams","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"Unknown","deathdate":"August 9, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1","countycode":"osceola","county":"Osceola","deathcausereport":"Not reported","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"From the day he was born, Michael Williams was beset by health problems, some of them prompted by his prematurity: He suffered from jaundice, scabies and reflux, ran high fevers, and had urinary tract infections because of uncleanliness.
On Aug. 9, 2013, Michael died after he had ingested two packets of laundry detergent that his mother had left in a laundry basket next to him on a bed, a DCF file entry said. His death was ascribed to accidental poisoning.
Michael had been living with his mother, a former foster child herself, at a domestic violence shelter in Kissimmee. A DCF incident report said Michael's parents had been the subject of seven prior reports to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline, although the details of those reports, and the investigations that followed, all were redacted. Records show that the fathers of both of the woman's children had been violent men who had served time in prison. ","perpfirstname":"accident","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":468,"docindex":30,"firstname":"Jaslene","middlename":"Nicole","lastname":"Bryan","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 3, 2010","deathdate":"September 5, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Blunt abdominal trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"By the time Jaslene Nicole Bryan left infancy, she had been the subject of two reports to DCF's abuse hotline. The first report alleged that her grandmother, with whom she lived, abused crack cocaine and left her home in squalor with "dog feces all over the place" and "no food for the children." The second report was more serious: Jaslene's mother, DCF was told, "beats" her children when they get in "trouble." It appears the latter investigation included little more than a denial of the allegations by Jaslene's grandmother, a woman who "could not be left alone" as a caregiver to Jaslene due to her own drug abuse and prior child protection history.
On Sept. 5, 2013, Jaslene indeed was beaten to death, but, police said, not by her mother.
Elisamuel Pacheco, the boyfriend of Jaslene's mother, was charged with first-degree murder, capital sexual battery of a child less than 12 and aggravated child abuse in Jaslene's death. The medical examiner said the 3-year-old girl died of blunt abdominal trauma.
After Jaslene's death, her siblings disclosed that they too had been punched, slapped and kicked in the stomach by Pacheco, a man they feared. They also said Pacheco had "burned the toddler with a lighter on the back of her knee," and had gotten into fistfights with their mother.
The extent of the girl's injuries were divulged during a court hearing that took place before Pacheco was incarcerated. According to a DCF account, the child's mother then confronted Pacheco with a question: "Did you do this to my baby?" But she left the hearing with him, saying that "she didn't know what to believe." He was later charged.","perpfirstname":"Elisamuel","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Pacheco","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder, caputal sexual battery of a child less than 12, aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":469,"docindex":141,"firstname":"Logan","middlename":"","lastname":"Hancock","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"June 10, 2013","deathdate":"September 7, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"In July 2013, newborn Logan Hancock suffered a cracked skull. Two months later, Logan died after suffering a second skull fracture.
An autopsy of the infant, who died just shy of three months, concluded Logan died from blunt force trauma to his head. Logan's mother, 23-year-old Stephanie Renee Schoonover, was charged with murder in Logan's death.
Incident reports on the case say Schoonover told Jacksonville detectives that she got "frustrated and angry" that her husband was not helping her care for the couple's four children, and so she "hit Logan's head to the side of his crib." He endured bleeding on his brain before he died a day after the alleged assault. The child had been on a respirator, and his mother was permitted to disconnect the breathing machine after Logan was declared brain dead.
DCF documents released to the Herald were heavily redacted, and they do not explain why the agency allowed Schoonover to retain custody of the newborn after he already had sustained the first skull fracture.","perpfirstname":"Stephanie","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Schoonover","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":470,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Luis","middlename":"Enrique","lastname":"Rodriguez, Jr.","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"","deathdate":"September 19, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Fell from motel window","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"A month before his second birthday, Luis Enrique Rodriguez plunged to his death from the second-story window of a Hialeah motel. DCF has yet to release records of the boy's death and prior history with the department, although administrators acknowledged the agency had performed at least one prior investigation of the boy's parents, 26-year-old Luis Enrique Rodriguez and 27-year-old Jacqueline Sanchez. When police arrived to investigate Luis' fall, they found what they called evidence of cocaine use in the motel room, and both parents were charged by Hialeah police with child abuse. ","perpfirstname":"Luis","perpmiddlename":"Enrique","perplastname":"Rodriguez","perprelation":"father","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Jacqueline","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Sanchez","perp2relation":"Mother","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":471,"docindex":147,"firstname":"Tamiyah","middlename":"","lastname":"Audain","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 8, 2001","deathdate":"September 25, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"12","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Undetermined ","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Tamiyah Audain was born in September 2001 with tuberous sclerosis, a devastating disease that causes tumors to grow in the brain and other vital organs. Tamiyah also was diagnosed with autism, a neurological disorder that left her unable to speak and intellectually impaired, with the capacities of a 2-year-old.
In December 2012, Tamiyah's mother died, and her father declined to take care for her, according to DCF documents. Tamiyah was taken to live with a cousin, Latoya Patterson, in Lauderhill, athough another relative, who worked with disabled children in Kentucky and appeared to be more capable of caring for her, tried in vain to gain custody of the child.
During the next 10 months, Tamiyah became a pawn in a high-stakes game between at least two state agencies that were apparently unwilling to pay for her care. Records show that Patterson asked caseworkers to choose between two options — either provide her with significant help in caring for Tamiyah, or have DCF and its contract foster-care agency, ChildNet, remove the girl from her home. The agencies did neither. Although caseworkers visited Tamiyah regularly, none appear to have noticed that the severely disabled child was withering away.
On Sept. 25, 2013, Patterson summoned paramedics, who discovered Tamiyah dead. She appeared to have been severely malnourished, with bedsores and a large open wound on her body through which a bone was visible. A stench permeated the child's bedroom, the DCF file says. Tamiyah had not been attending school for months, and healthcare workers told ChildNet that Patterson had been overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for a medically complex child.
An autopsy could not determine the cause and manner of Tamiyah's death. The report said that Tamiyah was malnourished and cachetic — a medical term for emaciation or a "wasting syndrome." She had a healing fracture to one of her ribs and suffered from sepsis, a potentially fatal systemic inflammation caused by infection. She also had fluid on her brain, and had multiple bed sores, one of them very severe.
While noting Tamiyah's neurological disorder, the medical examiner wrote that "neglect cannot be ruled out in this case."","perpfirstname":"Latoya","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Patterson","perprelation":"cousin","perpcharged":"0","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":472,"docindex":130,"firstname":"Edrick","middlename":"","lastname":"Henry","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 7, 2006","deathdate":"October 10, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"6","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Acute oxycodone toxicity","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Twenty-one times DCF had investigated Daphney Jean-Louis' parenting of her four children. Reports to the agency's hotline included a variety of allegations, such as the presence of environmental hazards, abandonment and sexual abuse. Most of the calls related to Jean-Louis' supervision of her children, although the details were unavailable.
DCF's review of 6-year-old Edrick Henry's death was limited in nature and did not explore the agency's history with the Jean-Louis family over many years.
Edrick was born with Down syndrome as well as a bad case of asthma. More than once, DCF was told, Edrick had taken some of his mother's narcotics, thinking they were candy.
In response to allegations about Jean-Louis' poor supervisory and nurturing skills, DCF caseworkers had repeatedly offered her information about community resources, but on most of those occasions she rejected the help, records show, and DCF did not insist that she accept it.
On Oct. 10, 2013, a report to DCF said, Jean-Louis left Edrick at home with only his 9-year-old sibling to watch him. An autopsy concluded that Edrick ingested his mom's oxycodone and he stopped breathing.
"The mother knew that Edrick had eaten some of her pills, and she still left him home alone with his siblings," the agency's death review said. "The mother has a history of leaving her children unsupervised." On the day of Edrick's death, his siblings later told investigators, their mother had left home during the day "and she did not return until it was dark." ","perpfirstname":"Daphney","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Jean-Louis","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":473,"docindex":122,"firstname":"Michael","middlename":"","lastname":"McMullen","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 19, 2010","deathdate":"October 19, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3","countycode":"lee","county":"Lee","deathcausereport":"Complications from a restraint","deathcause":"medical","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"The older brother of 3-year-old Michael McMullen was difficult to understand. But he was clear as to how he felt about his stepfather, Douglas Garrigus. On June 18, 2013, he told an investigator to remove his siblings from his mother's care "so Mr. Garrigus would not kill them."
In the days that followed a call to DCF's hotline earlier that month, relatives told the agency that Garrigus had beaten the children's mother, Samantha McMullen, leaving her with two black eyes and "severe bruising" to her face. Garrigus, DCF was told, had beaten McMullen's children as well, kicking one of the children in the head. DCF also was told the couple had been using a variety of drugs, with Garrigus taking oxycontin and methamphetamines, and McMullen testing positive for benzodiazepines.
Child-abuse investigators removed Michael and his three siblings from Garrigus and their mother, who denied any abuse. But the removal from his mother did not save Michael. On July 8, 2013, DCF was told that Michael's grandmother, Gale Watkins, who had been given custody of the boy and his siblings, was forcing her grandchildren to sleep in an animal cage, an allegation that at least one of the children confirmed. Watkins told a DCF caseworker that Michael "liked to sleep in the crate."
The next month, a caseworker documented seeing one of Michael's siblings with a bruise, and the girl told the caseworker that her grandmother had hit her. Meanwhile, Garrigus had moved into the home with the children's grandmother, even though he had been considered so dangerous that a DCF investigator refused to interview him without a police escort.
An investigator was told one of the children "pees her pants when Douglas comes to the home," a report said.
One of the children told a caseworker that the McMullen children "sleep a lot." Authorities now believe the children were being sedated, and case notes document that the children were asleep during most visits by a foster care worker. One of the children, a report said, told the family's caseworker: "I want to go to someone else's house."
Then, on Oct. 19, 2013, Michael was restrained to death. Watkins, Garrigus and a family friend named Donella Elaine Trainor told authorities they wrapped the little boy in a blanket, straitjacket-style, with knots tied at both ends, and placed him face-down in bed with pillows on top of him "while he repeatedly screamed and pleaded to be released," a report said. The three ignored the boy's screams until they stopped.
Watkins, Garrigus and Trainor all are facing charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":474,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Mariah","middlename":"Neveah","lastname":"Johnson","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 16, 2011","deathdate":"October 18, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Undetermined ","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"A week shy of her second birthday, Mariah Neveah Johnson was found in a Florida City drainage hole, covered by construction debris near a boarded-up apartment building.
Mariah had been left with the boyfriend of her mother, Shanika Robinson. The boyfriend, whose name was redacted from DCF files, later told police that Mariah and other children had been playing outside, and that "it was common for the kids to go directly next door to visit their uncle," so he did not worry when he did not see Mariah. Later, however, the boyfriend saw the other kids, and Mariah was not with them.
He told authorities he found the toddler "in a hole, face-up," in an abandoned lot. Mariah's parents, an incident report said, had been the subject of two prior calls to DCF's hotline. Details of those prior investigations, and the incident surrounding Mariah's death, were not made available.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":475,"docindex":151,"firstname":"Yanelli","middlename":"","lastname":"Vasquez","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 10, 2010","deathdate":"December 13, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Not reported","deathcause":"undetermined","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Yanelli Vasquez was taken from the care of her mother, Maria Vasquez, in 2011 after investigators determined that there were "issues concerning substance misuse, environmental hazards and family violence" in the woman's home. Among other allegations that prompted the removal, Vasquez and the girl's father, David Collado, got into a fight on July 7 that year, after which she was said to have left her two children alone at home and gone to a bar, where she became so inebriated that she awoke the following day at 4:30 p.m. in someone else's house.
According to a DCF report, she tested positive for benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy, methamphetamines and oxycodone after that incident. A report to DCF after that episode said that Vasquez's children were "constantly dirty," walked around in soiled diapers, or naked, had little to eat, were covered with rashes and insect bites, and lived in a house without power.
Yanelli's life actually got worse after DCF placed her in the care of her paternal grandmother, Caridad Cobb. The next year, DCF received a report that Cobb had "beat the crap" out of another toddler in her care, whom she allegedly hit on the legs and grabbed by the face "hard enough to leave injury." Cobb denied abusing the boy, and DCF closed its investigation "with no concerns noted."
But in 2013, Yanelli was found dead, with "multiple bruises on her back that were in various stages of healing," as well as a "notable contusion on her forehead," a report to the agency said. Cobb, who was in a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis, said she had fallen on top of Yanelli while the child was in the bathtub, but authorities did not believe her story and she was charged with first-degree murder. ","perpfirstname":"Caridad","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Cobb","perprelation":"grandmother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":476,"docindex":123,"firstname":"Ghanson","middlename":"","lastname":"Debrosse","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 26, 2010","deathdate":"January 21, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"3","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Multiple injuries and trauma","deathcause":"trauma","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"The torment that 3-year-old Ghanson Debrosse endured for much of his life was so severe that North Miami police detectives charged his mother with torture.
When Ghanson wet the floor of his home, police say, his mother burned his genitals with a lighter. When he soiled himself, she beat him with an aluminum broom handle. Police say he was hurled across a room and slammed into a table.
On Jan. 21 2014, Ghanson's lifeless body, burned, beaten and possibly sexually assaulted was brought to Jackson North.
His mother, 21-year-old Fafane Caze, had been the subject of three prior reports to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline, all in the winter of 2010. Two reports contained allegations that Caze herself had been sexually abused. The third report was received after Caze was arrested following a violent fight with Ghanson's father, Donald Debrosse. The report said Caze was holding baby Ghanson while she was attacking his father, and that she tried to throw her baby at the father. She was arrested for battery.
DCF, however, concluded that despite the father's criminal history, this was the first incident of domestic violence in the household, therefore there were "no other present signs of danger, " and the overall safety of the victims is "low."
Ghanson and his older sister were under the oversight of a private child welfare agency for about four months, but state supervision ceased when Caze said she planned to return to Haiti with her children. It is unknown whether Caze left South Florida, or if she did, when she returned. Caze is facing charges of aggravated child abuse, torture, and attempted felony murder.","perpfirstname":"Fafane","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Caze","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated child abuse, torture, attempted felony murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":477,"docindex":154,"firstname":"Tariji","middlename":"","lastname":"Gordon","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 6, 2011","deathdate":"February 6, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"2","countycode":"seminole","county":"Seminole","deathcausereport":"Pending","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":" Police found Tariji Gordon in a shallow grave some 50 miles from home, her shoe resting on the earth as the only hint of her life and death, an unintended grave marker. Tariji's mother, Rachel Fryer, had carried the toddler in a leopard-pattern suitcase and buried her in the yard of a house in Crescent City, authorities said.
Fryer — a mother of seven who had already surrendered rights to her two oldest children after she was accused of selling drugs out of her house — had killed a child before, according to police records. Two years earlier, Fryer had accidentally suffocated Tariji's 2-month-old twin, Tavont'ae, as she and the twins slept together. Tariji barely survived.
Armed with the details of the co-sleeping death and a positive cocaine test for Fryer, DCF removed Tariji and her three surviving siblings from the home and placed them in foster care. No criminal charges resulted from the cocaine test, and the children were returned to their mother in November.
Three months later, Tariji was dead.
In a Sanford police interrogation room, Fryer told an investigator that this time, she had not killed her child, but had found her unresponsive. She said she tried to perform CPR and gave the girl some asthma medicine, but the toddler's only reaction was to gasp one or two last breaths. Fryer said she then dressed her lifeless daughter in a purple shirt, jeans and jacket, wrapped her in a black blanket and placed her body in the suitcase. A friend drove her to Crescent City, where she dug what she believed would be Tariji's final resting place.
Days later, police found the grave under a layer of dirt, plywood and a sheet of tin, along with one of Tariji's shoes and the suitcase nearby.
But an autopsy told a different story about Tariji's last days, during which the child had been abused repeatedly by her mother, authorities said. A medical examiner concluded that the child had died of blunt force trauma to the head. She also had several injuries in various stages of healing, including a bite mark.
During the investigation that followed, the children's father, Tim Gordon, told police that he had spent the night at Fryer's home shortly before Tariji died. He said the toddler had soiled her pull-up and that Fryer made her stand in the corner for an hour or so as punishment. At one point during the night, Gordon awoke and found Tariji standing against a wall with her arms "ace bandaged" over her head. He said he made Fryer remove the bandages.
Fryer's 7-year-old daughter told child welfare authorities that her mother had repeatedly beaten Tariji with a stick, a broom handle, a mop and flip-flops because she was "bad." Tariji's last beating, the girl said, was the day before she died.
A week earlier, Fryer had told someone in a text message that she had beaten one of her children with a hanger and that she about to have a nervous breakdown. "I need my depression medicine asap this too much I'm bout to loose it," she wrote, according to the warrant issued for her arrest. Fryer was charged with murder, aggravated child abuse, evidence tampering and mishandling human remains.
With Tariji's death came intense scrutiny into DCF and its community partner's handling of Fryer and her children over a stretch of almost three years. The case manager who was supervising Fryer told investigators that he had seen Tariji on Feb. 6, 2014, believed to be the day she died. He said he examined the girl's legs, arms and face and did not see any marks or injuries, despite the subsequent autopsy findings. Sanford police also reopened their investigation into TaVont'ae's death.
The fraternal twins had been born premature, and Tavont'ae had a heart condition. Doctors told Fryer to connect Tavont'ae to an apnea monitor at all times to ensure that she would be aware if Tavont'ae stopped breathing.
The monitor was in the garage the night Fryer placed the twins on a pillow near her on a couch. When Tavont'ae's aunt awoke the next morning, the boy was dead, his mother's feet inches away on the couch. The cause of his death was accidental asphyxiation, and an autopsy concluded that his mother most likely smothered him with her feet, because doctors found "linear depressions" across the boy's forehead and upper chest "from a large amount of pressure." The marks appeared to be from a shoe or foot.
Fryer had been the subject of at least four prior reports to the abuse hotline, although details of those investigations were redacted from a file made available by the agency. ","perpfirstname":"Rachel","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Fryer","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"murder, aggravated child abuse, evidence destruction/tampering and mishandling of a dead human body/remains","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":478,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Daymeon ","middlename":"Chrystopher","lastname":"Wygant","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 11, 2013","deathdate":"April 17, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"16 mos","countycode":"citrus","county":"Citrus","deathcausereport":"Smothering","deathcause":"Choke","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"0","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The family of Daymeon Chrystopher Wygant had significant involvement with child welfare administrators in their native state of California, including allegations that father Cody Eugene Wygant had a history of marijuana use as well as an arrest for rape. The 16-month-old's mother, Jessika Lynn DuFour, allegedly suffered from mental illness. Both Wygant and DuFour had badly neglected their two children, and had been homeless.
In late December 2014, social workers in Shasta County, California asked their counterparts in Florida whether Daymeon's grandmother in Homosassa, and her adult son, had a history of child abuse or arrests. The two had clean records. The next month, California workers sent the Wygant family on a plane to Central Florida, and the couple moved in with DuFour's mother. DCF was asked to assess the family's fitness — which resulted in a home visit that DCF acknowledged was inadequate.
Then, on April 17, Daymeon was rushed to the hospital after family members said he was found in his playpen unresonsive. Wygant, his father, later confessed to smothering the boy with his bare hands when Daymeon's fussiness interrupted Wygant's X-Box game. Wygant said he then wrapped his son tightly in layers of bedding, and resumed his video game.
Wygant then watched a few episodes of Fringe.
Wygant is in jail awaiting trial on charges of murder and child neglect resulting in great bodily harm.
DuFour, his girlfriend, also is in jail, charged with severely neglecting the couple's newborn daughter, whose skull had become sunken from being left supine in her crib for long hours. The infant also endured a severe rash on her neck, armpit, back and leg, resulting in tissue loss. DuFour's mom, Geneva May DuFour, also has been charged with neglecting the girl.
DCF administrators acknowledged their lack of a thorough investigation may have contributed to the boy's death.
"It is deeply troubling that the department failed to truly understand the import of the extensive needs of the family and the high risk of these children," said DCF Deputy Secretary Pete Digre." I feel if both California and Florida had used the established child protective systems and process, a better outcome would have been achieved. This would have required more thorough and transparent communication from Shasta County and a comprehensive assessment in Florida." ","perpfirstname":"Cody","perpmiddlename":"Eugene","perplastname":"Wygant","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"no","perpcharges":"Murder, child neglect causing great bodily harm","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":479,"docindex":157,"firstname":"Josephine","middlename":"","lastname":"Boice","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 11, 2012","deathdate":"September 1, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound of the head","deathcause":"Guns","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"-1","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Sarah Harnish had made a chilling threat: she would kill her infant daughter.
On July 8, 2013, DCF's child abuse hotline was told that Harnish, who had suffered from chronic and severe mental illness — she once told police "the Children of God were after her" — was a threat to her then-16-month-old daughter, Josephine Boice. DCF closed its investigation Aug. 23, 2013 — without taking significant action to protect Josephine.
At the time DCF closed its case, with non-verified findings, Josephine's father, Sean Boice, had signed a "safety plan" in which he made a host of promises to protect his family. Among them: both his and Josephine's grandmother would exercise "constant supervision" of the baby when Harnish was around; the baby's grandmother would remain in their home so Harnish would not be left alone with the child; and Josephine would be enrolled in daycare. DCF wanted Boice to promise to use baby monitors at night so that he would know if Harnish was removing the girl from her crib, but Boice refused.
Boice also "made several other comments and initiated them" in the safety plan, indicating "the mother never had suicidal thoughts and that there were no concerns for the mom and baby," a death review said.
"These comments are concerning as they appear to call into question the father's understanding of the seriousness of the mother's mental health condition, and the fact that the child was not safe in the mother's care," the report said.
Indeed, Josephine was profoundly unsafe.
A review of Josephine's death concluded "The safety plan was unsustainable."
A DCF investigator knew that Harnish had threatened to shoot her daughter. And the investigator also knew that Boice kept a gun in the house. A report said Boice denied Harnish had access to it. But, in fact, "Mr. Boice not only kept the gun in his residence, but he also admitted to teaching Ms. Harnish how to operate the weapon."
On Sept. 1, 2013, Harnish was "very agitated," apparently over "something that occurred in her past," a review said. And though Josephine's grandmother had returned to New York — in violations of Boice's pledge — Boice left mother and child alone to go for a motorcycle ride.
When he returned, he found mother and child both dead, the victims of gunshot wounds to the head. ","perpfirstname":"Sarah","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Harnish","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"no","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Sean","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Boice","perp2relation":"Father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":481,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Javon","middlename":"Willie","lastname":"Dade","suffix":"Jr.","gender":"male","birthdate":"October 28, 2009","deathdate":"August 13, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"4","countycode":"miamidade","county":"Miami-Dade","deathcausereport":"Mauled by dogs","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Twice in the spring of 2011, DCF had been warned that Javon Willie Dade, Jr. was not safe in the home of his parents.
Of particular concern were the six dogs kept by his father, also named Javon Dade, some of which, DCF was told, were pit bull terriers. Pit Bulls are banned from Miami-Dade County.
In March 2011, DCF was warned of "the smell and danger" of the dogs, "Last year," a hotline call said, "mom and dad had to break up some fighting between the dogs. Mom and dad got bitten." Two of the dogs were pit bulls, the report said, and the dogs were not properly trained.
"The dogs urinate on the floor and the children are frequently on the floor," the report said. "The home smells like dog and the children smell like dog ... There is concern for the safe care of the children in the home."
The next month, DCF was told Dade and his girlfriend, Doreen Reyes, Javon's mother, fought with each other, and that Dade, 30, had been arrested following an altercation. The caller that April also mentioned the couple's "six" dogs, saying the house was "filled with dog feces."
"The children always look dirty," DCF was told.
The hotline report also said that Dade was selling cocaine "from the front door of the house," carried a gun, and got into fights with people who visited him. Dade, records show, had been arrested 18 times since 2000 — almost all of them for cocaine or marijuana possession or battery. Most recently, Dade was arrested three times in 2011 and 2012, for cocaine and marijuana possession.
"There is always a lot of yelling and screaming in the home," DCF was told. "The children have bruises on their arms and cuts."
Both Reyes and Dade denied the allegations in the 2011 reports. Reyes said she and Dade took good care of the children, and had enrolled the kids in daycare — which meant the youngsters were being seen by someone outside the immediate family. Only three dogs lived with the family, Reyes said, “a puppy, a bulldog, but not pit bulldogs." Reyes said “they love the dogs, but her children were first."
DCF closed the investigations in June 2011, saying the agency lacked authority to act: "No sufficiency due to allegations not drug related and father doing well with the children."
DCF's secretary, Mike Carroll, later acknowledged to the Herald that agency investigators were unaware that pit bull terriers were banned in Miami-Dade County. Had the agency known, he said, investigators would have alerted the county's animal control department.
"That call should have been made," he said.
On Aug. 13, 2014, 4-year-old Javon was mauled by a pack of dogs kept by his father, at least one of which was a pit bull.
Police say Dade and his new girlfriend, 26-year-old Alessandra Carrasco, were sleeping off a cocaine-and-marijuana high when his son ventured into their backyard where the dogs were kept. The couple had lost track of the youngster, and called police to report he was missing. An hour later, police found Javon ripped apart in overgrown grass in Dade's South Miami-Dade backyard.
Both Dade and Carrasco were charged wtih manslaughter.
County Commission Chairwoman Rebeca Sosa has sponsored a resolution that urges Gov. Rick Scott to "empanel experts to investigate, review and recommend changes in law and policy to protect children throughout Florida from the type of preventable harm which took the life of Javon Dade, Jr."
"Children within Miami-Dade County and throughout the state of Florida must be able to depend on competent state assistance when their lives are put at risk by abusive or neglectful parents," the resolution says.","perpfirstname":"Javon","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Dade","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"Child neglect with great bodily harm","perp2firstname":"Alessandra","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Carrasco","perp2relation":"Father's girlfriend","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"child neglect with great bodily harm"}, {"dataid":482,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Yeliani","middlename":"","lastname":"Schwartz-Ojeda","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 14, 2011","deathdate":"June 27, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"3","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Three-year-old Yeliani Schwartz-Ojeda succumbed to blunt force trauma. Her mother, Maryann Schwartz, said the little girl was hit by a car. The Orlando Medical Examiner's Office was not so sure.
On the night of June 27, 2014, Schwartz called 911 from a cell phone saying she was driving her daughter to the emergency room, but could not find it. An ambulance met Schwartz at a Walgreen's parking lot.
Schwartz told authorities her paramour had left a sliding glass door open en route to a gas station, and Yeliani must slipped out at around 9:50 p.m. "The mother heard a thump, tires screeching, and she turned around," a report said, quoting Schwartz. "The mother saw a black car speeding out of the apartment complex. The mother looked into the street, ran over to see what had happened, and realized that it was her daughter lying in the street."
As Schwartz's girlfriend had taken the couple's cell phone, she told authorities, she had no way to call for help. "The mother did not go to use a neighbor's phone as they do not get along," the report said.
Instead, as Yeliani slipped away, her mother gave her a glass of water, and tried to administer a nebulizer treatment from a device that belonged to her girlfriend.
When the girlfriend returned from a gas station, Schwartz took her daughter for help.
An autopsy showed the 3-year-old had bruises on her back and arms, as well as skinned knees that were healing.
The medical examiner could not determine whether Yeliani was hit by a car, or sustained her trauma another way, so the manner of the girl's death was left undetermined.
As of October 2014, DCF had yet to release a full report on the girl's death. An incident report said Schwartz's family had one prior DCF investigation from January 2014. The details of that investigation were redacted.","perpfirstname":"Maryann","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Schwartz","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"no","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":483,"docindex":165,"firstname":"Myla","middlename":"Giggles","lastname":"Presley","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 30, 2012","deathdate":"May 7, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"1","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Deandre Gilmore told authorities that Myla Presley, the 1-year-old daughter of his girlfriend, drowned when he left her alone in a bathtub filled to her waist with water.
Tampa police tell a different story: They charged Gilmore with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in Myla's death, saying the toddler evinced "visible upper body trauma" when paramedics were called to revive her.
So great was the trauma that Myla endured that, when she arrived at St. Joseph's Hospital's emergency room, she was suffering from bleeding on her brain, which, a DCF report said, had "shifted from [its] original position." She also had bruising on her belly, head, ears and her pelvic area.
An incident report detailing Myla's death said that Myla's mother, Nayashia Williams, had been the subject of four prior reports to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline, two of them involving her care of Myla.
The most recent report, received by DCF in 2013, alleged that Williams "was going out and leaving Myla home alone for hours at a time. It also alleged that, when the mother became frustrated, she would throw bottles and baby toys at the child." As Myla did not display any bruising when investigators visited Williams' home, the agency cleared Williams of any abuse or neglect.
A year earlier, DCF had been told that Williams would throw "Myla on the bed and leaves her alone in a hotel room." Myla was only 2 months old at the time. As Williams "appeared to be protective of the child," DCF cleared her of the allegations in that report, as well.
On the day Myla died, the toddler's mother had left her, along with her 5-year-old brother, with Gilmore while she went to work, DCF wrote.","perpfirstname":"Deandre","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Gilmore","perprelation":"Mother's paramour","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":484,"docindex":169,"firstname":"Jai'Shin","middlename":"Rashid","lastname":"Vinson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 31, 2013","deathdate":"June 29, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"11 mos.","countycode":"sarasota","county":"Sarasota","deathcausereport":"Trauma","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The mother of Jai'Shin Vinson, Yoshina Cumberbatch-Godet, was spending the evening of June 29, 2014, with her boyfriend. Jai'Shin was fussy that night — "inconsolable," police said — and Cumberbatch-Godet, at first, did not feel right about leaving the infant alone with her boyfriend so she could go to the liquor store.
When Jai-Shin calmed down, police said, Cumberbatch-Godet left. Her "paramour," as DCF calls boyfriends, Carter Bryant, was kissing Jai'Shin, and Cumberbatch-Godet "asked that he not 'bond with him like that'."
Too much affection, was the least of Jai'shin's problems.
While Cumberbatch-Godet went to buy liquor, police said, her paramour shook her infant son mortally. Jai'Shin's mom returned to find the boy "slumped over, pale, with his eyes not closed all the way," a North Port police report said. "As she reached for him, she was startled to find that he was 'cold' to the touch and not breathing."
Cumberbatch-Godet told her boyfriend to call paramedics. He didn't, police said, and "faked" that he was surprised to learn that Cumberbatch-Godet's son was badly injured.
"I think he did something to Jai'Shin," she told paramedics. "He didn't mean to, but I know something happened."
Bryant later told police he was "rocking the baby to get him to sleep, and probably rocked him too hard," a DCF report said. Bryant was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and aggravated child abuse.
At the time Jai'Shin died, a DCF report said, Bryant was the subject of an open report that he had abused or neglect one of his own children.","perpfirstname":"Carter","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Bryant","perprelation":"Mother's paramour","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child and aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":485,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Carter","middlename":"James","lastname":"Turcanu","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 16, 2013","deathdate":"April 24, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"9 mos.","countycode":"monroe","county":"Monroe","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"Undetermined","deathmanner":"Undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Marcia Hake had a crib for her 9-month-old son. She chose not to use it.
On April 24, 2014, Hake gave her baby, Carter James Turcanu, a bottle at about 3 a.m., records say. She then placed Carter with her on the couch, and fell back asleep. Earlier in the night, Hake had taken mental health drugs — reports are not specific about the medication — that, she said, "make her tired [and] spacey." On the pills, she told DCF, "she sleeps hard, so she takes them at night."
When Hake woke up the next morning, Carter's "color was different." The infant had stopped breathing, and was later pronounced dead.
An autopsy on the infant left undetermined both the cause and manner of death, though authorities believe it is likely his mother rolled over on him during the night, suffocating him.
After Carter died, his mother told a DCF investigator she was well-aware of the dangers of sleeping together with an infant child. In fact, DCF had warned the boy's parents during one of the seven prior investigations into the family.
But investigators found Carter's crib filled with clothes, and the couch, where Hake slept with him, covered with several blankets.
Though a report of Carter's death was heavily redacted by DCF, sources told the Herald the agency had received a report only two months before he died that Hake was spending most of her money on drugs, leaving her three children hungry. In the days before Carter died, an incident report said, the agency was in the process of drafting a court petition seeking oversight of the family. A statement from the area's privately run foster care agency, Our Kids, suggests one provider, Wesley House, already was working with the Stock Island family when Carter died.
"We are deeply saddened by the sudden death of 9-month-old Carter Turcanu in Monroe County. Our Kids and Wesley House staff work tirelessly to ensure the safety of abused and neglected children in South Florida. The death of any child due to abuse by the parents is a tragedy and something that cannot be tolerated," Our Kids wrote in a statement.
After Carter died, his mother was arrested at a Shades R Us sunglass store in Key West with two pairs of designer sunglasses she did not pay for, a police report said. A store clerk followed her out onto Duval Street, where Hake was wearing one of the pairs of glasses, police wrote.
In her purse: hand-rolled cigarettes that contained a synthetic form of marijuana known as "Spice," police said. Police said she also had seven so called "Xanny bars," white, oblong Xanax pills that are used to treat anxiety.","perpfirstname":"Marcia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Hake","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":486,"docindex":158,"firstname":"Paige","middlename":"","lastname":"Lunsford","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 13, 1998","deathdate":"July 6, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"14","countycode":"lake","county":"Lake","deathcausereport":"Dehydration","deathcause":"Medical","deathmanner":"Natural","sp":"","lessthan5":"","lessthan2":"","thumbnail":"Paige Lunsford was stricken with severe autism. The neurological disorder left the teen unable to speak, and unable to perform even the most mundane tasks a 14-year-old normally can accomplish. State disability administrators suggested Paige move to an "educational" center for disabled children and adults who were difficult to manage in other settings.
But 11 days after Paige was admitted to the Carlton Palms Educational Center, she left the home in an ambulance, deceased. Paige fell victim, an autopsy said, to dehydration, as a staff of nurses, caregivers and a medical doctor failed for almost a week to seek adequate medical care.
Health regulators say facility staff did, however, restrain the girl multiple times both in her bed and in a special restraint chair — often in violation of state rules governing the use of restraints — even as the child withered away from sickness.
DCF concluded that a family doctor, Robert Lynch, and a registered nurse, Bonnie Clugston, were responsible for the "medical neglect" that led to Paige's death.
"There is no evidence that the medical and nursing staff acted in accordance with the standards of practice of the State of Florida in rendering this child safe care," said a report from the Department of Health's Child Protection Team.
Carlton Palms, which was paid about $25 million the most recent budget year by the state, had been the subject of 139 reports of abuse or neglect since 2001, more than a dozen of them verified. As well, disability administrators had twice filed administrative complaints against the facility following serious incidents of resident abuse. In the most recent case, in 2012, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities had sought to impose a moratorium on new admissions, citing "multiple acts of physical violence to the residents."
"These conditions present a threat to the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the facility," the October 2012 administrative complaint charged. But both complaints were settled by the agency with Carlton Palms promising to do better.
Beginning in early July 2013, Paige began to exhibit symptoms of a serious stomach infection. Her medical records say she had been "projectile" vomiting for five or six days, and largely unable to retain even liquids.
On the morning of July 6, as caregivers suggested Paige drink Gatorade and eat a popsicle, the teen gasped for breath and then stopped breathing.
Carlton Palms operators told Paige's parents they would plant a tree in her memory on the rural Lake County campus.
Even after Paige died, a Carlton Palms worker was arrested for throwing scalding water on a resident, causing second-degree burns to the man's abdomen. In August 2014, a male resident's arm was broken during a restraint. DCF ruled the fracture did not result from abuse.","perpfirstname":"Dr. Robert","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Lynch","perprelation":"medical doctor","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":487,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Alicianna","middlename":"","lastname":"Black","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 18, 2013","deathdate":"February 26, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"Undetermined","deathmanner":"Undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"If there were lessons to be learned from the 2003 death of Tiffany Morrison's then-infant child, the opportunity appears to have been squandered.
The child, who was a twin, was suffocated when Morrison placed the baby and twin sister in an adult bed beside her, reports say.
But on Feb. 26, 2014, Morrison slept with her newest infant, Alicianna Black, in the same bed. And, once again, she lost a child.
In all, Morrison has given birth to at least six children, a DCF report said. She has lost custody of one or more of them at least twice.
The first abuse report involving Morrison appears to have been received in 2001, when her first child broke an arm and sustained "multiple head injuries" when Morrison crashed her car with the 3-month-old infant unrestrained. Morrison was still a teenager at the time.
Six additional investigations followed. Two of the investigations included allegations that Morrison had given birth to babies — one of them was Alicianna — who tested positive for cocaine.
When Alicianna died, police found marijuana in the home of Morrison and Alicianna's father, Andrew Black. The drug was found in the same bed in which the infant was sleeping, a report said.
Marijuana also was found wrapped inside the blanket in which the deceased baby was taken to the hospital. ","perpfirstname":"Tiffany","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Morrison","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"none","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":488,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jayden","middlename":"","lastname":"Powers","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 11, 2010","deathdate":"March 5, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"8 mos.","countycode":"alachua","county":"Alachua","deathcausereport":"Positional/traumatic asphyxia","deathcause":"Overlay","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Lillian Williams' Alachua County home was not an ideal place to care for an infant: Toys were strewn all over the floor. Dirty dishes were scattered about, along with bags of trash. Syringes for diabetes medication were "easily accessible," a report said, along with other medications. Electrical sockets were left uncovered.
But that's where licensed foster parents Eric and Christina Vinson left 8-month-old Jayden Powers and his twin on March 5, 2011. Williams' home was operating illegally as an unlicensed daycare center, and the Vinsons had neither sought nor obtained permission from DCF to leave the two foster children there, as required.
On the day he died, Jayden was placed on a queen-size bed for a nap, surrounded by pillows. The arrangement, DCF wrote, constituted an "unsafe environment" for an infant to sleep. "Jayden died from insufficient oxygen as he was unable to breathe when wedged between the mattress and the wall," the report added. "A reasonable caregiver would have anticipated a mobile infant could be suffocated by pillows or become entrapped. Therefore, [Jayden's] death was foreseeable and definitely preventable."
Jayden was taken into foster care shortly after his premature birth on July 11, 2010. Over two generations, Jayden's family had been the subject of dozens of reports of abuse or neglect.
As to the daycare center, despite several complaints to the Alachua County Health Department, which licenses and oversees daycare centers there, that Williams was operating an unlicensed child-care center, Williams continued to do so for many years.
In December 2006, the health department received complaints about Williams' daycare, and issued a "cease and desist" letter to make her stop. The following March, the department received another complaint, but inspectors couldn't get past a locked gate to verify, and did nothing more. Then, in April 2007, records say, the health department got another complaint. "Ms. Williams maintained all of the children were relatives," a report said. And, once again, authorities did nothing.
Jayden's twin remained with the Vinsons for a short while after Jayden died, but the couple relinquished their foster care license when DCF announced the agency planned to revoke it. ","perpfirstname":"Lillian","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Williams","perprelation":"Babysitter","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"none","perp2firstname":"Sheria ","perp2middlename":"Monique","perp2lastname":"Fernandez","perp2relation":"Babysitter","perp2charged":"none","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":489,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Leanna ","middlename":"","lastname":"Lindsey","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 27, 2013","deathdate":"January 25, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"Undetermined","deathmanner":"Undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Leanna Lindsey was just 2 months when she died. How she died remains a mystery.
What is known for sure is that at the time of her death, on Jan. 25, 2014, DCF was already investigating her parents.
That first report alleged Leanna's father, Herman Lindsey, had an altercation with his wife, Rushnell Williams, that left her with a bloody mouth and a swollen eye. It is alleged he also wrapped a cord around Williams' neck and threatened to kill three children — Leanna and her 1-year-old twin siblings. The children were not home at the time of the incident.
Investigators interviewed both maternal and paternal relatives, who confirmed the injuries. But Williams denied her husband had hurt her. Notes from the investigation document, "the father is a violent person who has prevented the mother from much interaction with her family."
The case was still open three weeks later when Leanna died.
Emergency workers were called on Jan. 25 to the Broward County home, where they found the baby lifeless in Williams' arms.
On the morning of the infant's death, she went to sleep in her bassinet around 4 a.m. after a night of being "fussy." About four hours later, Williams went to sleep with the twins in her bed.
Sometime between 9 and 10 a.m., Lindsey told Williams he was leaving to run errands. When he returned around noon, he found Leanna "unresponsive, cool and stiff." When emergency workers arrived, Williams was holding Leanna.
Neither parent had attempted CPR.
Leanna was pronounced dead at a Broward hospital at 1:17 p.m. Lindsey later told police he put Leanna down with her back against the side of the bassinet. But during a reennactment, it appeared she was actually wedged against the side of the bassinet, with her stomach facing the mattress or pillow. An autopsy determined both the cause and manner to be undetermined.
The report also noted "there was an unsafe sleep environment that may have played a role in the child's death." No criminal charges were filed against either parent. And the first DCF report was closed with "not substantiated" for family violence threatens child.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":490,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Nikki","middlename":"Olivia","lastname":"Mendoza","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 15, 2003","deathdate":"June 17, 2011","deathyear":2011,"deathage":"7","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Complications of blunt head trauma","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"The first call to DCF's hotline on behalf of Nikki Olivia Mendoza was the one that mattered most: In 2004, when Nikki was 2 months old, her father shook her violently because she would not stop crying. Both parents, Jose and Jill Mendoza, then did nothing as the girl's head swelled in size.
Her life was never the same.
Nikki lived to the age of 7, and 10 more hotline calls followed, including the one that reported her death on June 17, 2011. Over the Pinellas County girl's lifespan, records say, she continued to endure abuse and neglect.
DCF removed Nikki from her parents shortly after the shaking incident, but in the ensuing years, Nikki mostly remained with her mom, collecting new hotline calls.
In one 2007 report, Nikki's sister was observed with bruises on her cheek and back.
A 2008 report said Nikki — who was developmentally disabled, had impaired speech and suffered from seizures — was "often dirty, unkempt and sent to school when she was sick." Her mother, medical professionals said, "demonstrated limited follow-through with regards to Nikki's needs."
Two years later, DCF was told that Nikki "has bruises on her body, particularly on her left buttocks, right forearm, left side of her ribs and down her back near her diaper line." The injuries, a report said, had been inflicted on two separate occasions. Doctors told the agency "several bruises were typical in size and spacing for fingerprint imprints, such as from a high-force grasp or a pinch injury, and that the sizes were too large to have been caused by a young child" such as Nikki's sister.
Another report that June said Nikki's mom, once again, was failing to provide proper medical care.
Two new reports were phoned in in 2010. Both alleged, again, that Nikki's mother was neglecting the girl's medical needs.
In 2011, the year Nikki died, a final report said that the hands of both Nikki and her sister "were held near a stove in an attempt to burn them" by their mother months earlier. Nikki and her sister were living with their grandmother when this report was phoned in, having been removed from their mother's care.
Nikki finally succumbed to seizures, records say. She was visiting her mom in the hospital, where Mendoza was delivering her fourth child.
Hospital workers kept her alive long enough to harvest her organs. ","perpfirstname":"Jose","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Mendoza","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"Aggravated child abuse as to the original shaken baby incident","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":492,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Nicholas","middlename":"","lastname":"Young","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 17, 2013","deathdate":"January 25, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"6 mos.","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Probable positional asphyxia","deathcause":"Overlay","deathmanner":"Undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"The first call to the state's child abuse hotline reporting the death of Nicholas Young, Jr. was not the stuff of nightmares: The six-month-old was found face-down on a pillow in his father's bed. The second call was far more tragic. Four young children living in the house with Nicholas's father, Nicholas Young, Sr., reported seeing the 27-year-old intentionally smother his infant son to death.
Young, then an unemployed construction worker, has never been charged in his son's death, which, a Palm Beach County medical examiner concluded, was the result of asphyxia.
"Although law enforcement reported they do not have sufficient evidence to make an arrest, the investigation reveals that the father likely did, in fact, directly cause the death of his son, Nicholas, by suffocating him," a DCF report concluded.
While Young does not have a significant criminal history – he's been charged only with resisting arrest without violence, in 2011 – he had left other clues that children may not have been safe in his care. A DCF investigation reported that his girlfriend, Ivelisse Crespo-Medina, "was fully aware that Mr. Young was using black market steroids, that he has beat her sons, that he has a very short temper and reacts without thinking whatsoever.
Nevertheless, the report said, Crespo-Medina "left an infant and four children in his care" the day Nicholas died.
On that Saturday afternoon, Jan. 25, 2014, Nicholas' grandfather found the infant face-down on a pillow on an adult bed. The investigation might have ended there. But later, four older children who had been in the home that day told authorities that "the father of Nicholas had, in fact, suffocated the baby." The children, two boys and two girls, "gave consistent statements about the father intentionally putting Nicholas' face in a pillow because he wanted a bottle and was crying."
In 2012, DCF received a report that Young and Crespo-Medina had physically abused Crespo-Medina's sons, and that the couple engaged in domestic violence. The couple "absconded" with the children before DCF could complete its probe.
A year later, in July, the month when Nicholas was born, the family reappeared on DCF's radar when another complaint was received, again alleging physical abuse, as well as sexual abuse. Once again, the parents were "uncooperative" with the abuse investigation, and DCF closed the case without taking any action.
Nicholas died six months later. A spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said the investigation remains open. ","perpfirstname":"Nicholas","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Young, Sr.","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":493,"docindex":159,"firstname":"Alana","middlename":"","lastname":"Stewart","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 28, 2014","deathdate":"September 18, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"gilchrist","county":"Gilchrist","deathcausereport":"Gunshot","deathcause":"Guns","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"One by one, Don Charles Spirit wiped out most of his family, police say.
At 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014, he pointed his gun at his 28-year-old daughter, Sarah Spirit, and each of her six children: Alana Stewart, 2 months; Brandon Stewart, 4; Destiny Stewart, who was a week away from her sixth birthday; Johnathan Kuhlmann, 8; Kylie Kuhlmann, 9; and Kaleb Kuhlmann, 11. Don Spirit, 51, then ended his own life.
Spirit's son, Kyle, died 13 years earlier when Spirit shot him, too. He told authorities Kyle was the victim of a hunting accident.
The deaths of Sarah Spirit's children represent the largest loss of life among siblings with a Florida child welfare record in the state's history.
DCF records suggest the agency had multiple opportunities to save the family.
At least as early as 2007, DCF had received reports that Sarah Spirit's children were at risk of abuse or neglect. The calls to DCF's hotline included allegations of substance abuse, domestic violence, medical neglect, and inadequate supervision of the children.
Three times — in 2007, 2012 and 2013 — DCF had offered Sarah Spirit voluntary services to improve her parenting of the youngsters. "It does not appear that services were ever fully engaged in the latter year," a DCF report said.
Don Spirit had a history of his own. Calls to DCF alleged Spirit physically abused both his children and his grandchildren. "He reportedly hit one of [the grandkids] with a belt, which resulted in bruising," a DCF report said. He also had several run-ins with police. His 13 arrests included aggravated battery, weapons possession by a convicted felon, marijuana possession, larceny, and a hit-and-run with injury.
DCF's most recent contact with the Spirit family began on Sept. 1, 2014. The agency was told that Sarah Spirit moved in with her father after being kicked out of the home in which she had been living. Spirit got kicked out at the same time she had been released from jail on a probation violation charge. Her probation officer picked Spirit up after she failed a drug test.
The September 2014 investigation remained open when Don Spirit went on his rampage, shocking the residents of tiny Bell, Fla. ","perpfirstname":"Don","perpmiddlename":"Charles","perplastname":"Spirit","perprelation":"Grandfather","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":494,"docindex":159,"firstname":"Brandon","middlename":"","lastname":"Stewart","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 2, 2010","deathdate":"September 18, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"4","countycode":"gilchrist","county":"Gilchrist","deathcausereport":"Gunshot","deathcause":"Guns","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lesstthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"One by one, Don Charles Spirit wiped out most of his family, police say.
At 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014, he pointed his gun at his 28-year-old daughter, Sarah Spirit, and each of her six children: Alana Stewart, 2 months; Brandon Stewart, 4; Destiny Stewart, who was a week away from her sixth birthday; Johnathan Kuhlmann, 8; Kylie Kuhlmann, 9; and Kaleb Kuhlmann, 11. Don Spirit, 51, then ended his own life.
Spirit's son, Kyle, died 13 years earlier when Spirit shot him, too. He told authorities Kyle was the victim of a hunting accident.
The deaths of Sarah Spirit's children represent the largest loss of life among siblings with a Florida child welfare record in the state's history.
DCF records suggest the agency had multiple opportunities to save the family.
At least as early as 2007, DCF had received reports that Sarah Spirit's children were at risk for abuse or neglect. The calls to DCF's hotline included allegations of substance abuse, domestic violence, medical neglect, and inadequate supervision of the children.
Three times — in 2007, 2012 and 2013 — DCF had offered Sarah Spirit voluntary services to improve her parenting of the youngsters. "It does not appear that services were ever fully engaged in the latter year," a DCF report said.
Don Spirit had a history of his own. Calls to DCF alleged Spirit physically abused both his children and his grandchildren. "He reportedly hit one of [the grandkids] with a belt, which resulted in bruising," a DCF report said. He also had several run-ins with police. His 13 arrests included aggravated battery, weapons possession by a convicted felon, marijuana possession, larceny, and a hit-and-run with injury.
DCF's most recent contact with the Spirit family began on Sept. 1, 2014. The agency was told that Sarah Spirit moved in with her father after being kicked out of the home in which she had been living. Spirit got kicked out at the same time she had been released from jail on a probation violation charge. Her probation officer picked Spirit up after she failed a drug test.
The September 2014 investigation remained open when Don Spirit went on his rampage, shocking the residents of tiny Bell, Fla. ","perpfirstname":"Don","perpmiddlename":"Charles","perplastname":"Spirit","perprelation":"Grandfather","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":495,"docindex":159,"firstname":"Destiny","middlename":"","lastname":"Stewart","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 27, 2008","deathdate":"September 18, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"5","countycode":"gilchrist","county":"Gilchrist","deathcausereport":"Gunshot","deathcause":"Guns","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"One by one, Don Charles Spirit wiped out most of his family, police say.
At 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014, he pointed his gun at his 28-year-old daughter, Sarah Spirit, and each of her six children: Alana Stewart, 2 months; Brandon Stewart, 4; Destiny Stewart, who was a week away from her sixth birthday; Johnathan Kuhlmann, 8; Kylie Kuhlmann, 9; and Kaleb Kuhlmann, 11. Don Spirit, 51, then ended his own life.
Spirit's son, Kyle, died 13 years earlier when Spirit shot him, too. He told authorities Kyle was the victim of a hunting accident.
The deaths of Sarah Spirit's children represent the largest loss of life among siblings with a Florida child welfare record in the state's history.
DCF records suggest the agency had multiple opportunities to save the family.
At least as early as 2007, DCF had received reports that Sarah Spirit's children were at risk for abuse or neglect. The calls to DCF's hotline included allegations of substance abuse, domestic violence, medical neglect, and inadequate supervision of the children.
Three times — in 2007, 2012 and 2013 — DCF had offered Sarah Spirit voluntary services to improve her parenting of the youngsters. "It does not appear that services were ever fully engaged in the latter year," a DCF report said.
Don Spirit had a history of his own. Calls to DCF alleged Spirit physically abused both his children and his grandchildren. "He reportedly hit one of [the grandkids] with a belt, which resulted in bruising," a DCF report said. He also had several run-ins with police. His 13 arrests included aggravated battery, weapons possession by a convicted felon, marijuana possession, larceny, and a hit-and-run with injury.
DCF's most recent contact with the Spirit family began on Sept. 1, 2014. The agency was told that Sarah Spirit moved in with her father after being kicked out of the home in which she had been living. Spirit got kicked out at the same time she had been released from jail on a probation violation charge. Her probation officer picked Spirit up after she failed a drug test.
The September 2014 investigation remained open when Don Spirit went on his rampage, shocking the residents of tiny Bell, Fla. ","perpfirstname":"Don","perpmiddlename":"Charles","perplastname":"Spirit","perprelation":"Grandfather","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":496,"docindex":159,"firstname":"Johnathan","middlename":"","lastname":"Kuhlmann","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"March 19, 2006","deathdate":"September 18, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"8","countycode":"gilchrist","county":"Gilchrist","deathcausereport":"Gunshot","deathcause":"Guns","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"One by one, Don Charles Spirit wiped out most of his family, police say.
At 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014, he pointed his gun at his 28-year-old daughter, Sarah Spirit, and each of her six children: Alana Stewart, 2 months; Brandon Stewart, 4; Destiny Stewart, who was a week away from her sixth birthday; Johnathan Kuhlmann, 8; Kylie Kuhlmann, 9; and Kaleb Kuhlmann, 11. Don Spirit, 51, then ended his own life.
Spirit's son, Kyle, died 13 years earlier when Spirit shot him, too. He told authorities Kyle was the victim of a hunting accident.
The deaths of Sarah Spirit's children represent the largest loss of life among siblings with a Florida child welfare record in the state's history.
DCF records suggest the agency had multiple opportunities to save the family.
At least as early as 2007, DCF had received reports that Sarah Spirit's children were at risk for abuse or neglect. The calls to DCF's hotline included allegations of substance abuse, domestic violence, medical neglect, and inadequate supervision of the children.
Three times — in 2007, 2012 and 2013 — DCF had offered Sarah Spirit voluntary services to improve her parenting of the youngsters. "It does not appear that services were ever fully engaged in the latter year," a DCF report said.
Don Spirit had a history of his own. Calls to DCF alleged Spirit physically abused both his children and his grandchildren. "He reportedly hit one of [the grandkids] with a belt, which resulted in bruising," a DCF report said. He also had several run-ins with police. His 13 arrests included aggravated battery, weapons possession by a convicted felon, marijuana possession, larceny, and a hit-and-run with injury.
DCF's most recent contact with the Spirit family began on Sept. 1, 2014. The agency was told that Sarah Spirit moved in with her father after being kicked out of the home in which she had been living. Spirit got kicked out at the same time she had been released from jail on a probation violation charge. Her probation officer picked Spirit up after she failed a drug test.
The September 2014 investigation remained open when Don Spirit went on his rampage, shocking the residents of tiny Bell, Fla. ","perpfirstname":"Don","perpmiddlename":"Charles","perplastname":"Spirit","perprelation":"Grandfather","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":497,"docindex":159,"firstname":"Kylie","middlename":"","lastname":"Kuhlmann","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 16, 2005","deathdate":"September 18, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"9","countycode":"gilchrist","county":"Gilchrist","deathcausereport":"Gunshot","deathcause":"Guns","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"One by one, Don Charles Spirit wiped out most of his family, police say.
At 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014, he pointed his gun at his 28-year-old daughter, Sarah Spirit, and each of her six children: Alana Stewart, 2 months; Brandon Stewart, 4; Destiny Stewart, who was a week away from her sixth birthday; Johnathan Kuhlmann, 8; Kylie Kuhlmann, 9; and Kaleb Kuhlmann, 11. Don Spirit, 51, then ended his own life.
Spirit's son, Kyle, died 13 years earlier when Spirit shot him, too. He told authorities Kyle was the victim of a hunting accident.
The deaths of Sarah Spirit's children represent the largest loss of life among siblings with a Florida child welfare record in the state's history.
DCF records suggest the agency had multiple opportunities to save the family.
At least as early as 2007, DCF had received reports that Sarah Spirit's children were at risk for abuse or neglect. The calls to DCF's hotline included allegations of substance abuse, domestic violence, medical neglect, and inadequate supervision of the children.
Three times — in 2007, 2012 and 2013 — DCF had offered Sarah Spirit voluntary services to improve her parenting of the youngsters. "It does not appear that services were ever fully engaged in the latter year," a DCF report said.
Don Spirit had a history of his own. Calls to DCF alleged Spirit physically abused both his children and his grandchildren. "He reportedly hit one of [the grandkids] with a belt, which resulted in bruising," a DCF report said. He also had several run-ins with police. His 13 arrests included aggravated battery, weapons possession by a convicted felon, marijuana possession, larceny, and a hit-and-run with injury.
DCF's most recent contact with the Spirit family began on Sept. 1, 2014. The agency was told that Sarah Spirit moved in with her father after being kicked out of the home in which she had been living. Spirit got kicked out at the same time she had been released from jail on a probation violation charge. Her probation officer picked Spirit up after she failed a drug test.
The September 2014 investigation remained open when Don Spirit went on his rampage, shocking the residents of tiny Bell, Fla. ","perpfirstname":"Don","perpmiddlename":"Charles","perplastname":"Spirit","perprelation":"Grandfather","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":498,"docindex":159,"firstname":"Kaleb","middlename":"","lastname":"Kuhlmann","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 20, 2003","deathdate":"September 18, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"11","countycode":"gilchrist","county":"Gilchrist","deathcausereport":"Gunshot","deathcause":"Guns","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"One by one, Don Charles Spirit wiped out most of his family, police say.
At 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014, he pointed his gun at his 28-year-old daughter, Sarah Spirit, and each of her six children: Alana Stewart, 2 months; Brandon Stewart, 4; Destiny Stewart, who was a week away from her sixth birthday; Johnathan Kuhlmann, 8; Kylie Kuhlmann, 9; and Kaleb Kuhlmann, 11. Don Spirit, 51, then ended his own life.
Spirit's son, Kyle, died 13 years earlier when Spirit shot him, too. He told authorities Kyle was the victim of a hunting accident.
The deaths of Sarah Spirit's children represent the largest loss of life among siblings with a Florida child welfare record in the state's history.
DCF records suggest the agency had multiple opportunities to save the family.
At least as early as 2007, DCF had received reports that Sarah Spirit's children were at risk for abuse or neglect. The calls to DCF's hotline included allegations of substance abuse, domestic violence, medical neglect, and inadequate supervision of the children.
Three times — in 2007, 2012 and 2013 — DCF had offered Sarah Spirit voluntary services to improve her parenting of the youngsters. "It does not appear that services were ever fully engaged in the latter year," a DCF report said.
Don Spirit had a history of his own. Calls to DCF alleged Spirit physically abused both his children and his grandchildren. "He reportedly hit one of [the grandkids] with a belt, which resulted in bruising," a DCF report said. He also had several run-ins with police. His 13 arrests included aggravated battery, weapons possession by a convicted felon, marijuana possession, larceny, and a hit-and-run with injury.
DCF's most recent contact with the Spirit family began on Sept. 1, 2014. The agency was told that Sarah Spirit moved in with her father after being kicked out of the home in which she had been living. Spirit got kicked out at the same time she had been released from jail on a probation violation charge. Her probation officer picked Spirit up after she failed a drug test.
The September 2014 investigation remained open when Don Spirit went on his rampage, shocking the residents of tiny Bell, Fla. ","perpfirstname":"Don","perpmiddlename":"Charles","perplastname":"Spirit","perprelation":"Grandfather","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":499,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Joshua","middlename":"","lastname":" Worthy Jr.","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 10, 2011","deathdate":"October 1, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Ischemic bowel due to mesenteric vascalature lacerations due to blunt impact to abdomen","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"","lessthan2":"","thumbnail":"On Oct. 1, 2013, Joshua Worthy Jr. was rushed to the hospital with flu-like symptoms.
Within an hour, the 1-year-old toddler was dead.
First, his mother, Quanyisha Thompson, 24, told police the boy became ill two days earlier after a three-hour visit with his father, who had just been released from prison.
Then, she said Joshua had been left alone in the care of her live-in boyfriend, Michael Pierre, for four hours on the day of his sudden death. She told investigators the boy would cry whenever left with Pierre. Joshua, "just didn't like being around Mike."
At the hospital, doctors noticed suspicious bruising on Joshua's abdomen and chest. But it was the autopsy that told the whole story: his internal organs had ruptured from blunt force trauma. He also had seven broken ribs in various stages of healing.
Eventually Thompson — a mother of four, pregnant with a fifth child — stopped blaming the boy's father and her boyfriend. She confessed to fatally punching her son in the stomach and chest.
Her other three children also had injuries, including bite marks and old rib fractures still healing.
Thompson admitted hitting her other children with a broom and causing marks on one of her twin daughters. Thompson, who delivered a baby girl two weeks later, was charged with second-degree murder and multiple counts of aggravated child abuse. She is in custody awaiting trial.
DCF was involved with the family two years before. Thompson was accused of leaving her children alone and refusing to take her twins to get medical treatment for scabies. Thompson denied the claims and DCF concluded there was no information to support the allegations. ","perpfirstname":"Quinyisha","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Thompson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"second-degree murder, aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":500,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Breonna","middlename":"","lastname":"Smith","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 15, 2005","deathdate":"August 18, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"7","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Acute morphine intoxication","deathcause":"Drugs","deathmanner":"Undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"","lessthan2":"","thumbnail":"On Aug. 18, 2013, the day before school started in Broward County, Frederick Smith, planned to take his three daughters shopping for school supplies.
The two oldest girls went to wake up their youngest sister, Breonna, who was sleeping in the bedroom of their mother, Franata Smith. Limp and eyes closed, the 7-year-old didn't wake up.
Smith rushed his daughter — who was in cardiac arrest — to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Cause of death: toxic morphine ingestion. Somehow, Breonna had taken her mother's presciption pain pills, which were stored in a plastic bag on the dresser in their Oakland Park home. Investigators declared the girl's death an accident, but they verified findings of inadequate supervision, child death and threatened harm. No criminal charges were filed.
The family first came to DCF's attention in 2004 when one of the older girls was the victim of cigarette burns. That case was closed with some indicators of neglect or abuse.
In 2008, one of the older girls was injured by a cousin. The family began receiving counseling services in that case at the recommendation of DCF.
In April, 2009, both parents were accused of smoking marijuana in front of the couple's four children. The report said Frederick Smith was violent, fighting his wife when he was high, and had hit the older girls. They were also accused of getting high with one of the kids. During the investigation, the boy said he smoked with his mother and step-father in the past. The parents submitted to drug tests. Both tested negative. The agency closed the case after noting there was "no substantial evidence obtained to confirm the allegations." A referral for daycare was provided. ","perpfirstname":"Franata","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Smith","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":501,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Darell","middlename":"","lastname":"Avant","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 1, 2008","deathdate":"December 18, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"5","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Internal injuries, due to multiple blunt force trauma","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"","lessthan2":"","thumbnail":"Darell Avant Jr. was beaten to death by his father six weeks before his sixth birthday, police said.
What started out as discipline for misbehaving at school turned into a deadly physical assault that police believe stretched throughout the day.
Darell Avant Sr., 26, told police that on the day of his son’s death, he picked him up from school around 11 a.m. after he was suspended for bad behavior. Two hours later, at home, Avant Sr. punished the boy by spanking Darell and making him do squats and push-ups.
The boy complained he was hot and his feet hurt, so the father had him take a shower. There he later became dizzy and collapsed. But before calling 911, the Avant Sr. called a neighbor and searched the Internet for "rolling eyes in back of head."
The neighbor came and attempted CPR, but it was too late. Orange County Fire Rescue pronounced the badly bruised boy dead at 7:31 p.m.
Darell's mother, Jessica Phillips, said her son had no marks on him when he went to school that day. The autopsy showed much more than exercise happened to Darell Jr. — the list of injuries included contusions, lacerations and trauma to the head, neck, chest, back, abdomen, and multiple rib fractures, along with punctures to the lung. He also suffered trauma to the liver, pancreas, kidney, spleen and adrenal gland.
Avant, whose history included arrests for drug possession, battery and grand theft, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of his son.
Seven months earlier, DCF received a report that Darell’s mother, Jessica Phillips was neglectful toward her five children, leaving them alone while she did laundry. That case was closed with no indicators of abuse or neglect and no services. The history includes five other prior complaints, mostly involving reports that Darell Sr. had attacked the boy's mother, or Darell Jr.'s half-siblings. Most of those investigations resulted in no services. ","perpfirstname":"Darell","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Avant","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":502,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Clayton","middlename":"","lastname":"Bland","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 3, 2011","deathdate":"December 30, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"2","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"Drowning","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"In the most awful of clues, the mother of Clayton Bland first found his pull-up, shirt and blanket on the walkway before she spotted his body floating in a retention pond.
Five days after Christmas 2013, Talisa Brown, 30, was watching her two children — Clayton, 2 and his older brother — while their grandmother, Lillian Cox-Brown, went to run an errand.
The grandmother had adopted the young boys because their mother, Brown, was developmentally disabled and had a history of drug abuse and depression. At the delivery of both boys, Brown allegedly tested positive for cocaine, triggering two DCF investigations in 2009 and 2011 and their placement with Cox-Brown, 57. In that first case, the older boy is alleged to have also tested positive at birth along with his mother.
On the day Clayton drowned, Brown said she was babysitting for the first time. She was in the house cleaning and thought the boys were watching cartoons in another room. Instead, they were outside and wandered to a retention pond behind the Cox-Brown’s house.
When Brown asked the older sibling where Clayton was, he pointed to the pond. She flagged down a neighbor, a nurse, who rescued him and performed CPR, but it was too late.
Cox-Brown told Department of Children & Families investigators she had strapped Clayton into his stroller and fastened his seat belt, assuming the child was secure and could not get out. She also she didn't know "anything" about Brown being allowed to have only supervised visits with the boys. Records show Brown was "ordered supervised contact at the custodian's discretion."
Clayton, whom family members described as busy and inquisitive, died about a month before his third birthday.","perpfirstname":"Talisa","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Brown","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":503,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Henry","middlename":"","lastname":"Bryant","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 3, 2013","deathdate":"November 16, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Overlay","deathcause":"Overlay","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Henry Bryant was the 10th child to be born to — and then removed from — his mother, Barbara Figueroa, whose history with the state includes at least six investigations of claims that her drug use was a danger to her children
From around 2001 until Henry's birth on Sept. 3, 2013, Figueroa, 33, was the subject of 11 abuse or neglect reports to DCF's hotline. Henry's birth at 5.4 pounds, and with a kidney disorder, marked report number 12. Both mother and son tested positive for cocaine and marijuana.
"The mother has been to rehab in the past but relapsed," an incident report said. "Currently, the mother does not seem interested in going to rehab."
In child welfare court in Miami, DCF lobbied against placing Henry in the home of a relative, Stacy Simon, whose relationship to Figueroa is not specified in a report about Henry's death. Thirty-four-year-old Simon had a blemish of her own, a report said: an unspecified criminal record that was a "disqualifying issue," for her as a court-ordered caregiver. Despite the negative home study, and over DCF's objections, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman ordered that Simon be given custody of Henry.
The study of Simon's Lauderhill home showed that Simon had both a crib and a bassinet for Henry to sleep in. And she later told authorities that Henry was "a blessing for her" as she could not conceive children of her own. But on Nov. 6, 2013, Simon placed the 2-month-old on an L-shaped couch, and then fell asleep beside him. She woke up later to find the infant "unresponsive and face-down," a report said.
The cause of Henry's death, an autopsy said, was "overlay" — meaning the boy was accidentally smothered to death by his relative.
"The failure and omission by the caregiver to provide the infant the necessary safe sleep environment and to follow established safe sleep practices established by the American Academy of Pediatricts ... ultimately [led] to the death of this child," the report said.","perpfirstname":"Stacy","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Simon","perprelation":"Relative caregiver (details unspecified)","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":504,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Sebastian","middlename":"","lastname":"Castrillon","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 12, 2006","deathdate":"October 27, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"7","countycode":"citrus","county":"Citrus","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound of head","deathcause":"Guns","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"On Oct. 26, 2013, Daniel Castrillon took a 9 mm handgun, placed it at the head of both of his children, and shot them as they slept.
Sebastian Castrillon, age 7, and Susana Castrillon, age 8, never awoke.
The body of Daniel Castrillon also was found. He, too, had been shot in the head.
When interviewed following the youngsters' deaths, mother Luz Jimenez told a DCF investigator that Castrillon was emotionally abusive to her, said "hurtful things to her in front of the children to guilt her into staying," and was obsessed with money. Still, she said, Castrillon was "a good father who loved his children." Jimenez said she stayed with Castrillon through his 34th birthday, and then left him, later filing for divorce.
After Jimenez left him, Castrillon broke into his estranged wife's house and found her with another man. He threatened to kill himself. Jimenez got Castrillon to calm down by agreeing to give him weekend visitation, a report said. It was on one of those visits that Castrillon killed his children.
DCF had never before made contract with the Castrillon family although it had received a complaint. On Sept. 10, 2010, DCF received a report that "the father argues with the mother at least once a week. Most of the time, it is not in front of the children. The father has argued with the mother since they got together seven years ago." The report was "screened out" — meaning child abuse hotline workers did not deem it worthy of investigation.","perpfirstname":"Daniel","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Castrillon","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":505,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Susana","middlename":"","lastname":"Castrillon","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"December 20, 2004","deathdate":"October 27, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"8","countycode":"citrus","county":"Citrus","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound of head","deathcause":"Guns","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"On Oct. 26, 2013, Daniel Castrillon took a 9 mm handgun, placed it at the head of both of his children, and shot them as they slept.
Sebastian Castrillon, age 7, and Susana Castrillon, age 8, never awoke.
The body of Daniel Castrillon also was found. He, too, had been shot in the head.
When interviewed following the youngsters' deaths, mother Luz Jimenez told a DCF investigator that Castrillon was emotionally abusive to her, said "hurtful things to her in front of the children to guilt her into staying," and was obsessed with money. Still, she said, Castrillon was "a good father who loved his children." Jimenez said she stayed with Castrillon through his 34th birthday, and then left him, later filing for divorce.
After Jimenez left him, Castrillon broke into his estranged wife's house and found her with another man. He threatened to kill himself. Jimenez got Castrillon to calm down by agreeing to give him weekend visitation, a report said. It was on one of those visits that Castrillon killed his children.
DCF had never before made contract with the Castrillon family. On Sept. 10, 2010, DCF received a report that "the father argues with the mother at least once a week. Most of the time, it is not in front of the children. The father has argued with the mother since they got together seven years ago." The report was "screened out" — meaning child abuse hotline workers did not deem it worthy of investigation.","perpfirstname":"Daniel","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Castrillon","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":506,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jacob","middlename":"","lastname":"Davidson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 12, 2012","deathdate":"February 4, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Undetermined, though a contributory cause was co-sleeping with two adults ","deathcause":"Undetermined","deathmanner":"Undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"","lessthan2":"","thumbnail":"Jacob Davidson was just 7 weeks old when he died sleeping with his parents — five years after his older sister died in similar circumstances.
On Feb. 4, 2013, Amanda Murphy put Jacob in her bed on an infant car seat cushion instead of using his bassinet. Murphy fed him about 12:30 a.m. Several hours later, she woke up to find Jacob not breathing and his pajamas wet. As father Ryan Davidson attempted CPR, Jacob began to vomit. He was pronounced dead at 5:29 a.m.
Both parents denied rolling over on Jacob, but medical staff observed a, "circular lividity void pattern" on the child’s abdomen that could possibly be from "something resting on his stomach when he became unresponsive," a DCF Child Fatality Analysis said. An autopsy concluded the cause and manner of death to be "undetermined" but added co-sleeping with two adults was a "contributory cause." Jacob was Murphy’s second child to die.
On April 23, 2008, Kaylie MacDonald was found dead of undetermined causes in the bed she had shared with her mother. Two months before, her parents were under the under the influence of prescription pain medication when they turned up at a Broward pain clinic, according to police. The report said Kaylie’s father — whose name was redacted from DCF documents — "had been driving with the child in the car in this condition." Murphy said she was using the pain medication for a kidney issue.
The DCF report was closed with "some indication" of substance misuse but "no indication" that Kaylie was inadequately supervised. The family was referred to and accepted services from Kids in Distress. Kaylie died five days after that case was closed. ","perpfirstname":"Amanda","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Murphy","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Ryan","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Davidson","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":507,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Wendy","middlename":"","lastname":"Ferraz do Amaral","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"May 17, 2013","deathdate":"December 7, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"10","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Inhalation of products of combustion (murder-suicide)","deathcause":"Smoke","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Marcio and Cledione Ferraz do Amaral left little to chance when they decided to kill themselves — and to take their 10-year-old daughter with them.
The couple — Marcio was 45, and Cledione was 34 — from an upscale gated community near Orlando, locked themselves in their garage, and sealed the gap with towels. They turned on both their SUV and a lawn mower, which they had placed in the open hatch of their car. Together with their daughter, Wendy, the couple was found sitting in lawn chairs directly behind the SUV.
All three were found on Dec. 7, 2013, in "an advanced state of decomposition." They died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
No one knows precisely when the murder-suicide occurred, though two tablets found in their Lake Nona home had last been used on Nov. 13, 2013, a report said, and the most recent newspaper found inside the home was from the same date.
The couple left no explanation for the murder-suicide. But a DCF report said "it appears the parents were stressed out as the father had lost his job, and they were struggling financially. The family's landlord said the parents were three months behind on their rent.
The Ferraz do Amarals had caught the attention of DCF once before: On Sept. 20, 2011, the agency had been told that Marcio Ferraz do Amaral "beat Wendy and slapped her in the face...She sustained bruises on her legs, and it hurt when she walked."
What prompted the beating: Wendy told authorities she was spanked with a belt for lying to her father. Her father admitted to the spanking, "but he did not mean to cause any bruising to the child," a report said.
"Spankings are necessary to teach the child victim not to lie or do wrong, such as when she was raised," the girl's mother told DCF.
Neither parent had a prior history with DCF or a criminal record, though the family had moved to Orange County from their native Brazil. An investigator closed the case when the parents signed a "safety plan" promising to use other forms of discipline than beatings.
Records left an ominous clue, though. Cledione Ferraz do Amaral was "upset" that her daughter's school complained to the state about the beating, and withdrew Wendy from school. Wendy, a report said, was "now being home-schooled" — meaning no one in her community would see her regularly enough to oversee her safety.","perpfirstname":"Marcio","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ferraz do Amaral","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Cledione","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Ferraz do Amaral","perp2relation":"Father","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":508,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Julian","middlename":"","lastname":"Guardado","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 22, 2009","deathdate":"July 7, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Methadone toxicity","deathcause":"Drugs","deathmanner":"Undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Julian Guardado died the same way he was born – with methadone in his system.
At the time, the 3-year-old was temporarily living with his grandparents and mother, Ariana Shaver – all three were undergoing methadone treatment at a Tampa Bay area center. On the morning of July 7, 2013, Shaver, 30, found Julian unresponsive in his bed. She moved him to the hallway but he was too stiff for her to perform CPR. The family held Julian and prayed while waiting for paramedics to arrive.
The adults all denied any of the medication was accessible to the children. But investigators discovered four empty methadone bottles on the top shelf of a book case in the bedroom where Julian was sleeping. A chair was next to the book case. An empty methadone bottle was found in the grandparent’s room with an unsecured cap along with another bottle with a "needleless syringe," according to the DCF death review.
That evidence led police to suspect "the grandparents were injecting their methadone and possibly administering the medication to the children through the needleless syringe," the report noted. They denied the allegation and took a drug screen, testing positive for methadone but no other substances. No criminal charges were filed.
The last time DCF was involved with the family was when Julian was born with methadone in his system. Because Shaver had a prescription for the medication and no other substances in her system, the case was closed with no indicators.","perpfirstname":"Susan ","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Stanhope","perprelation":"Mternal grandmother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Scott","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Stanhope","perp2relation":"Maternal Step-grandfather","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":509,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Carter","middlename":"","lastname":"Herman","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 27, 2013","deathdate":"August 13, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Undetermined","deathcause":"Undetermined","deathmanner":"Undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"","lessthan2":"","thumbnail":"Carter Herman died after he was placed face-down on an adult-pillow in his bassinet on August 13, 2013 — and a week after his family had been counseled on safe sleeping practices for infants. He was 2 months old.
With his death, Carter became the second Herman sibling to die in which co-sleeping was a factor. On Nov. 30, 2008, Alex Herman died of asphyxiation after sharing a bed with his father, Geoffrey Herman in their Broward County home.
Two days later, the two surviving siblings were placed with the maternal grandfather in Miami after investigators discovered the home was in "deplorable condition" with no furniture, no running water and no food, according to a Department of Children & Families Child Death Comprehensive report.
Herman and mother Nicole Onate completed a case plan — which included lessons on the risks of co-sleeping. She was reunited with the children on Sept. 14, 2009. The couple had three more children, including Carter.
In Carter's case, the autopsy concluded the cause and manner of death were undetermined. A Child Protection Team doctor later determined "positive" findings for neglect-environmental hazards because, "though the child was in a bassinet, he had been placed face-down on a soft pillow," — considered an unsafe sleep practice. DCF verified the death for inadequate supervision and threatened harm for the four surviving children. ","perpfirstname":"Geoffrey","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Herman","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":510,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Sir Isaiah","middlename":"","lastname":"Isaacs","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 6, 2012","deathdate":"July 18, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"Drowning","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"","lessthan2":"","thumbnail":"Sir Isaiah Isaacs was playing in a back room of his relative's Lauderhill home on the evening of July 18, 2013.
His grandfather and an adult cousin were sleeping and his aunt was on the computer when Sir Isaiah slipped out one of two doors — one was secured, the other had a broken lock — and into the pool. Some 15 to 20 minutes later, the aunt, Christina Isaacs, found the boy floating face-down in the in-ground pool, which had no gate, fence or screen.
Sir Isaiah, one of five siblings and half-siblings, was declared brain dead on July 17 and died the next day. He was 18 months old. State records show Sir Isaiah's mother had a long drug addiction that resulted in six DCF investigations. In fact, her children had been removed from her care in 2000 and 2013. She was incarcerated on drug charges at the time of Sir Isaiah's death. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":511,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Michelle","middlename":"","lastname":"Ivancsits","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 19, 2009","deathdate":"October 9, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"4","countycode":"pasco","county":"Pasco","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"","lessthan2":"","thumbnail":"Michelle Ivancsits was killed on Oct. 9, 2013, after she was accidently run over by an SUV driven by her mother, Cathy Ivancsits.
The 4-year-old's death came at the tail end of an argument between her parents, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. At some point after the argument, Cathy Ivancsits, 38, decided to leave the home. As she backed out, her husband, David Ivancsits, came out to speak to her on the driver's side. The children followed him outside and Michelle walked in front of the truck. She was struck and run over when her mother accelerated forward.
"Mrs. Ivancsits was not aware that she had struck her daughter until she heard the father yelling and looked back to see him kneeling on the ground next to her," a death review said.
Police said they detected alcohol on the breath of the mother. Both parents, as well as Michelle's 6-year-old sibling, denied the couple had been arguing earlier or that they had been drinking alcohol. During the investigation, Cathy Ivancsits refused to provide a blood sample.
Michelle's death was ruled an accident after police determined that though the mother was under the influence, she could not have seen her child before the impact. State records show the couple had a history of both domestic violence and alcohol-related issues with the most recent Department of Children & Families case closed just four days before Michelle's death.
The agency first investigated the Ivancsits family in 2011 after a report was received alleging Cathy Ivancsits and her mother had gotten into a physical fight. The altercation started when Cathy reportedly spit in her mother's face. Among other things, the report indicated that Cathy would drive intoxicated with the children in her car.
Everybody — David and Cathy Ivancsits and her mother — denied the allegations, though the father had recently been charged with driving under the influence. The case was closed with "no indicators" of child maltreatment.
In 2013, another report was received alleging more alcohol abuse, this time suggesting the mother was intoxicated and "physically aggressive" toward her husband. Again, she denied the allegation, despite a domestic violence charge years earlier. The case was closed with "no indicators" of child maltreatment but the family was referred for services: daycare, a domestic advocate for the father and alcohol and drug treatment for the mother. ","perpfirstname":"David","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ivancsits","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":512,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ka'liyah","middlename":"","lastname":"Joseph","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"September 28, 2013","deathdate":"December 12, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"2 mos.","countycode":"palmbeach","county":"Palm Beach","deathcausereport":"Probable overlay","deathcause":"Overlay","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Geraldine Kitchen declined to watch a video on the dangers of co-sleeping when her fourth child was born on Sept. 28, 2013. She told authorities she "always co-slept with all four of her children" — and did not seem overly concerned by the risk.
But just before 2 a.m.on the morning of Dec. 12, 2013, she awoke to find 2-month-old Ka'liyah not breathing.
"The mother and her family reported that the mother has 'always' slept with all of her children and 'nothing like this has ever happened before'."
The Department of Health's Child Protection Team reported that the baby's sleeping arrangements could hardly have been more dangerous: "The mother was co-sleeping with the children in a 'bed full of blankets and pillows and a bed which appeared to be quite soft." The bed, a doctor noted, "looked like an obviously hazardous place for an infant to sleep, and one where the mother should have known this to be the case."
DCF's history with Ka'liyah's family included six prior reports to the agency's hotline, most of them involving allegations of domestic violence between Kitchen and the children's father, Steven Joseph, and between Joseph and the mother of two of his other children, a report said.
After Ka'liyah died, his mother agreed to accept help from DCF, a report said. "The mother was also provided with appropriate bedding for the surviving siblings." ","perpfirstname":"Geraldine","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Kitchen","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"no","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":513,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jasmine","middlename":"","lastname":"Keene","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"April 28, 2010","deathdate":"August 3, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Blunt head trauma with a contributing condition of Hermansky-Pudlak mutations","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Jasmine Keene suffered a serious head injury, and then bled to death over the course of several hours. Whether the 3-year-old's death was accidental or the result of child abuse was never determined.
For much of her life, Jasmine was under the care of doctors who were trying to figure out why she sustained bruising over much of her body. Someone believed the toddler was a child abuse victim, and alerted DCF's abuse hotline twice, in June 2013, and again the next month. Her mother had convinced specialists, including the Department of Health's Child Protection Team, that Jasmine had a blood-clotting disorder that resulted in all that bruising.
While DCF was still investigating the girl's prodigious bruising, Jasmine stopped breathing on Aug. 3, 2013. The cause of her death was blunt head trauma. But how Jasmine sustained the trauma was left "undetermined" on the toddler's death certificate.
Following Jasmine's death, the Child Protection Team in St. Petersburg reversed itself, saying doctors there would never have concluded that Jasmine was suffering from an "undiagnosed" blood disorder if Jasmine's mom, Jessica Keene, had told them the truth. Keene, the CPT said, "had been providing false or misleading information to medical personnel, which resulted in Jasmine being 'misdiagnosed' as having a bleeding disorder."
But to complicate matters further, an autopsy concluded that Jasmine did, in fact, have such a disorder.
There was another matter about which authorities claim Keene lied, however: When DCF was told Jasmine was at risk due to the violence of her mother's boyfriend, Keene denied being in a relationship with 27-year-old David Baldridge, who had a history of child abuse allegations.
Three times between 2005 and 2009, reports say, Baldridge was accused of physically assaulting children. In 2005, his 2-year-old child suffered "marks on his lower back, buttocks and lower leg." In 2007, another 2-year-old in his care suffered "a swollen ear, a bruised face and bruising on his back." Two years later, that same child, back in his care, sustained a bruise to his forehead "after Mr. Baldridge gave him 'knuckles'," a report said.
Because the origin of Jasmine's head injury was never determined, and because an autopsy concluded she suffered from a blood disorder, DCF did not find that the girl had been abused. But the agency did conclude she was neglected to death when both Keene and Baldridge failed to get her medical attention for hours after her head was injured.
"Either one or both individuals inflicted the injury for which medical attention was not sought," a death review said. It added: "One or both individuals KNEW about the child's injuries and failed to seek timely medical attention.
"Ms. Keene indicated that she was aware of Mr. Baldridge's child abuse history and still allowed him to be in an unsupervised caregiving role over her child."","perpfirstname":"Jessica","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Keene","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"David ","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Baldridge","perp2relation":"Mother's paramour","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":514,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Mya","middlename":"","lastname":"Lee","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"June 30, 2012","deathdate":"November 9, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"Drowning","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Child abuse investigators already were looking into the family of Mya Lee when the toddler fell into the family pool and drowned. Family members had expressed concern for the toddler near an unprotected pool. But the girl's great-grandfather, with whom the family lived, said he couldn't afford to make the pool safe.
On Oct. 21, 2013, DCF received a report that the girl's mother, 24-year-old Jennifer Lichterman, "was physically abusing" Mya's older brother, and that both Lichterman and Mya's father, Robert Lee, were mentally abusing the 5-year-old boy.
An "initial" investigation into that report, did not turn up anything that concerned the department, and no actions had been taken when, early the next month, Mya was found in the deep end of the pool. She died on Nov. 9, 2013.
After Mya's death, DCF received another report: The deceased girl's parents were using drugs and fighting each other.
Mya's family already had an "extensive" history with DCF, including allegations of physical injury to a child, drug abuse, family violence, environmental hazards and inadequate supervision. The reports stretched back to 2007. ","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":515,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Rae -Lynn","middlename":"","lastname":"Mahan","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"November 23, 2013","deathdate":"November 23, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1 hour","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Maternal cocaine use leading to premature delivery","deathcause":"Drugs","deathmanner":"No autopsy performed","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Amanda Anglemyer gave birth to eight children in 10 years. All but two were permanently removed from her care. The two others — Chase Anglemyer and Rae-Lyn Mahan — both are dead.
The deaths of both infants were directly linked to Anglemyer's life-long drug abuse.
From 2004 through Rae-Lyn's birth in November 2013, Anglemyer had been the subject of 18 reports to DCF's abuse hotline, including allegations of domestic violence, physical abuse, mental illness and inadequate supervision. There was one oft-recurring theme: Amanda Anglemyer's inability to successfully fight her drug problem was a real danger to her children.
Mental illness played a significant role in Anglemyer's struggles, as well, a report said. "There were concerns about the mother's mental health status during two pregnancies when she tried in various ways to cause a premature delivery, and publicly stated she didn't want these or any of her children."
Still, Anglemyer kept getting pregnant. And avoiding treatment.
By the time Chase Anglemyer was born in December 2008, DCF had already investigated seven prior complaints involving his mother. Anglemyer's three older children already had been removed due to her drug and alcohol abuse, a DCF report said. Despite her record with the department, DCF's legal team ruled that there was insufficient evidence to remove the newborn since the mother had no new abuse allegations and no positive drug screens "of concern."
A month later, a DCF report alleged that Chase was heard crying at 1 a.m. and shortly thereafter, Brown had been found "passed out in front of the toilet with her pants down." Meanwhile, Chase's father, Daniel Anglemyer, was similarly passed out from consuming too many pills, the report said. The complaint also alleged that police had been called to the home in connection with a domestic violence incident. DCF, however, took no immediate action.
Eleven days later, on Feb. 12, 2009, Chase was found dead in the bed he shared with his parents. He had lived one month. The cause of his death was undetermined. Police reported that, when they investigated the Anglemyer home, they found it littered with beer cans and bottles of wine and rum, all empty. Both parents tested positive for drugs, according to a DCF document. The agency's doctor ruled the death was "preventable negligence" by both parents, based on their history of drug and alcohol use, inadequate supervision and sleeping with the baby while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The parents were not charged.
Amanda Anglemyer had given birth to three more children — all of them removed from her — when she became pregnant with Rae-Lyn. "The mother had no prenatal care during her pregnancy, and admitted to significant substance abuse throughout her pregnancy, a report said.
Rae-Lyn was born at only 24 weeks gestation. She survived for one hour.
A doctor with the Department of Health's Child Protection Team said Rae-Lyn likely would have survived but for her mother's drug use. "Cocaine use is a well-known and avoidable" cause for severely pre-term delivery, the doctor wrote, adding: "It is more likely than not the mother's decision to use cocaine was the cause of her premature labor, which resulted in the premature delivery and death of her child."","perpfirstname":"Amanda","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Anglemyer","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"no","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":516,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Noelani","middlename":"Isabella","lastname":"Marmolejo","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 25, 2011","deathdate":"November 1, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"2","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Tramatic head injuries","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Twice in the winter and fall of 2013, child welfare administrators were told that Noelani Marmolejo was being physically abused. Both abuse reports were disposed of quickly, with DCF taking no action on behalf of the little girl.
A month after the second abuse report was dismissed, 2-year-old Noelani was dead, the victim of "traumatic head injuries," an autopsy showed.
Investigators spent two weeks on the two abuse investigations combined — four days on the first report, 10 on the second. The agency finished its oversight of Noelani's family in September 2013 by offering her mother, Olivia Blake, free daycare, but did not ensure that Blake, 20, accepted the offer.
She didn't. Instead, Blake left her toddler in the care of her 22-year-old boyfriend, Edgardo Reyes-Delgado. Friends called him "Jimmy."
The day Noelani died, Jimmy told a friend the toddler had fought with him when he tried to get her dressed, a police report said.
Blake's mother and aunt later told DCF they had been petrified that Reyes-Delgado was going to harm the little girl. After Noelani's death, grandmother Fabiola Marmolejo said she "tried to tell [investigators] that Jimmy was abusing the child" when Noelani kept showing up with bruises. At the hospital where Noelani was declared dead, Marmolejo yelled at DCF staff, saying she had tried "to prevent what is going on now," a report said.
Again and again, Noelani had suffered bruises about her head and face. Again and again, DCF dismissed them as harmless. Following the January 2013 DCF hotline call, authorities could not determine whether Noelani's facial bruises resulted from abuse, so they did not provide services or oversight, records show. During the 10-day investigation the next September, DCF concluded that the deep purple bruises and swelling on Noelani's face resulted from a bad reaction to medication, and, once again, did not provide services or oversight.
The toddler's maternal relatives, though, never were convinced the girl was safe.
Just weeks before the killing, aunt Claudia Moleio said, she saw the youngster "shaking" when Blake and Reyes-Delgado came to pick Noelani up. Noelani, she said, "did not want to leave with them."
Marmolejo told DCF "she had threatened Jimmy on several occasions, and told him if he does anything to the child she would kill him. {She} stated he would just laugh at her."
In August 2014, Reyes-Delgado was charged with killing the toddler. He awaits trial.","perpfirstname":"Edgardo","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Reyes-Delgado","perprelation":"Mother's paramour","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":517,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Mitchell","middlename":"","lastname":"Peters","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"May 12, 2012","deathdate":"August 25, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Blunt force head trauma","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"First, the mother and her boyfriend told investigators they found her son, Mitchell Logan Peters, in his crib, lifeless and surrounded by vomit on the evening of Aug. 25, 2013. Then, they said his injuries came from a fall from a chair. Later, they blamed a concrete porch.
What investigators know for sure: the 15-month-old suffered a host of injuries, including five contusions above the left eyebrow or on the top of the head, internal mouth injuries from the teeth lacerating the lips, and abrasions to the thigh.
It was enough for police to call the case a crime. Both mother Victoria Reyes, 23, and her boyfriend, Kevin Meadows, 48, were charged with child neglect with great bodily harm and aggravated manslaughter, among other counts. And because an autopsy determined Mitchell was dead about six hours before someone called for help — emergency personnel said they found him pale and cold — medical neglect charges were added.
Reyes and Meadows told investigators they spent the day with the toddler. In the afternoon, the two adults were drinking alcohol. "The mother reported she consumed two to three glasses throughout the day and reported she drinks three to four times a week," a DCF Child Fatality Summary said. "Kevin reported drinking 12 shots of bourbon mixed with Coke before 4 p.m. that day and that is his normal drinking pattern."
At 4 p.m. Reyes took a nap. Meadows said he played with Mitchell a little while longer then put him to sleep about 5 p.m. before also taking a nap. Forty-five minutes later, Mitchell was found in his crib unresponsive. Mitchell's 2-year-old brother was not home at the time.
The couple tested negative for drugs. They told investigators Mitchell's injuries were from a fall from a chair – an explanation challenged by the medical examiner: "The ME stated Mitchell would have had to have fallen from an approximate height of 10 feet. The ME further stated Mitchell would have died shortly after receiving his injuries...The ME estimated the time of death as 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the day of the incident…"
The autopsy ruled Mitchell's cause of death as blunt force head trauma and the manner as undetermined.
The Department of Children & Families first investigated the Peters family with the birth of Mitchell. A report received May 12, 2012, alleged Victoria Reyes and her son had tested positive for marijuana. He did not experience any withdrawal symptoms. Reyes told investigators "she smoked one time about 10 days prior to giving birth" but had not done it throughout the pregnancy. She also denied smoking in front of her older son. The case was closed with "not substantiated" findings, but Reyes was referred for a drug assessment and the Healthy Start program. The file does not document if those services were actually engaged.
Reyes' boyfriend, Meadows, was named in five prior reports in which he was accused four times of beating and excessive corporal punishment of his children and stepchildren. In two of the cases, the findings were verified. Protective services were placed in the home in the first case; no services were provided in the other case,but the mother and children relocated to another state without Meadows. ","perpfirstname":"Victoria","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Reyes","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"child neglect with great bodily harm, obstruction of a criminal investigation, giving false information to a law enforcement officer","perp2firstname":"Kevin","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Meadows","perp2relation":"Mother's boyfriend","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child, child neglect with great bodily harm, obstruction of a criminal investigation, giving false information to a law enforcement officer"}, {"dataid":518,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Alhlee","middlename":"","lastname":"Phillips","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"March 24, 2013","deathdate":"October 13, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"6 mos","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Sudden unexplained infant death","deathcause":"Medical","deathmanner":"Undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Desiree Howard was too tired to place her infant daughter, Alhlee Phillips, in her crib. So she put the 7-month old infant in bed with her in a Fort Lauderdale homeless shelter where the family was living. It was a fatal mistake.
When Howard, 25, woke up at 9 a.m., she found her daughter "blue, cold and unresponsive," a DCF child fatality report said.
Howard later told investigators she had placed Alhlee face down on her stomach in the middle of twin beds that were pushed together. The girl's grandmother — Howard and her three children had visited her the night before — said Alhlee was "breathing hard and her respiration was harsh." Howard told her mother the infant was born premature and "that will change later," according to the report.
On the date of Alhlee’s death – Oct. 13, 2013 — Howard was taking several medications for postpartum depression and seizures, all of which caused drowsiness. She also acknowledged taking "half of a sleeping pill."
The autopsy concluded Alhlee died of Sudden Unexplained Infant Death.
The review also noted Howard had been told several times about the dangers of co-sleeping and crib safety. Howard’s two surviving children were removed from her care.
The family first came to DCF's attention in 2011 for allegations of substance abuse and inadequate supervision, cases closed with "no indicators" or "not substantiated." Three more reports were made after Alhlee’s birth on March 24, 2013, separately alleging inadequate supervision, medical neglect and that family violence left the infant at risk.
The last case, closed weeks before Alhlee's death, claimed that Howard was missing Alhlee’s doctor appointments, critical because she was born premature at 27 weeks. The report also said Howard was depressed and overwhelmed trying to care for her three children and wasn’t taking her medication. A safety assessment was later updated, showing Howard was making progress.
"Mother has a support system and there is no issue at this time for the children’s safety," a summary said. ","perpfirstname":"Desiree","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Howard","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":519,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Armani","middlename":"Niguel","lastname":"Pierce","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 29, 2010","deathdate":"August 14, 2012","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"1","countycode":"hillsborough","county":"Hillsborough","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"Drowning","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Alicia Sanders was warned more than once to keep an eye on her toddler as she watched a youth football practice at Tampa's Temple Crest Park. She did not, records show.
One-year-old Armani Niguel Pierce suffered the consequence.
As the Tampa Bay Ravens youth football team concluded its practice on a dusky Tuesday evening, Armani slipped from sight. His mother dispatched a 4-year-old sibling "to walk alone to another nearby park to see if her brother went there," a report said. The little girl refused, though, as it was already dark.
Records say Sanders waited 26 minutes after the toddler disappeared before she called police.
After a frantic search that involved the Tampa police looking house-to-house and checking the whereabouts of sex offenders, Armani's body was found on Aug. 14, 2013, by the Tampa police dive team, on the banks of the Hillsborough River. Alerted to a part of the river by bloodhounds, a diver had noticed the boy's white tennis shoes near a culvert. His body was on its right side, in a "semi-fetal" position.
A report on Armani's death said Sanders had been warned "on at least two occasions" to "keep an eye on her child as he was observed wandering away." The Ravens' football coach, witnesses told police, "had even stopped the game twice in order to tell Ms. Sanders to go and retrieve Armani when he had noticeably wandered away."
Police "were initially going to charge the mother, Alicia, with homicide," a report said, "however [they] were turned down by the State Attorney's Office."
A report said Armani's father had a significant history both with DCF and police. Details of his DCF contacts, however, were not provided.","perpfirstname":"Alicia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Sanders","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":520,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Cameron","middlename":"","lastname":"Plummer","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"September 28, 2013","deathdate":"October 18, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"20 days","countycode":"stllucie","county":"St. Lucie","deathcausereport":"Probably suffocation while co-sleeping in an adult bed","deathcause":"Overlay","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Cameron Plummer’s co-sleeping death came at the end of a long, troubled history involving his young mother, Mary Power. She had been the subject of nearly 20 DCF investigations over five years — with her children removed twice.
Before dawn on Oct. 18, 2013, Power found her 3-week-old infant son, the youngest of her four children, unresponsive in the bed they had been sharing in Port St. Lucie. Power, 22, had put him to sleep wrapped in a blanket in bed, instead of his crib. An autopsy determined Cameron died of "probable suffocation while co-sleeping with an adult."
Power was 17 when she gave birth to her first child in July 2008. When he was 3 weeks old, DCF received a report that Power was going to "give her son to an unknown person." An investigation revealed that person was actually the infant’s birth father. He was determined to be an unsuitable caregiver and Power was arrested on unrelated charges, leaving the baby in foster care.
After her release, Power was reunited with her son. She had a second child, and several more reports were filed, alleging Power was the victim of domestic violence. The alleged perpetrator was her boyfriend, Martavius Durden, Sr., the father of her second child. At various points, Power was living in domestic violence shelters with her children, and, at least twice, she attempted suicide.
On July 21, 2010, DCF received a report alleging Durden was "beating the mother. He has a history of doing this." Both Power and Durden denied any violence between the two and the case was closed with "no indicators." It appears that Power stopped contact with him and later moved into a transitional shelter for homeless women and their children in Brevard County. She also signed a safety plan.
Seven months later, in a March 2011 case, a report alleged Durden broke Power’s arm in three places. She dropped the charges against Durden "because the family was financially dependent on him," a DCF death review noted. Both children were taken into state care when Power allowed Durden back in the home after the incident. She would later get a permanent restraining order against Durden.
In January 2012, the children were reunified with Power. She gave birth to her third child, a girl, four months later. Cameron was born on Sept. 28, 2013. He lived 20 days.
In studying the death and DCF history of Power, the death review noted the services offered the young mother over the years were not well documented and caseworkers — despite multiple opportunities — did not fully assess the mother's mental health and her ability to protect her children.
"Ms. Power has spent time in foster care and received Independent Living Services, yet continued to struggle with managing her life and that of her children," the review said. "….A more thorough assessment of family dynamics and adult functioning may have resulted in more effective interventions for Mary and her children." ","perpfirstname":"Mary","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Power","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":521,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Frank","middlename":"","lastname":"Santoya","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 4, 2010","deathdate":"October 9, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"3","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"Drowning","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"It was supposed to be family gathering with barbecue and football. It ended with a father trying to rescue his son. Frank Santoya, 3, drowned in a relative’s pool on Oct. 9, 2013. The precise circumstances leading up to Frank’s death remain unclear.
What is known: His father, Albert Santoya, 36, was in the pool at the time of the drowning, along with other children and inflatable toys and tubes. Somehow, the toddler slipped under the water and some time passed before he was discovered. Frank knew how to swim, "to some degree," both Santoya and the mother, Elizabeth Ibarra, 32, told investigators.
Santoya pulled his son from the pool and began performing CPR. He would die three days later.
An investigation showed there were several distractions that may have played a role: A football game playing on a large screen television that adults were watching from the pool area; large inflatable toys in the pool that could block seeing the children; loud music playing and possibly alcohol consumption "ultimately might have served as distracters that prevented the parents from adequately supervising the children," a DCF child fatality summary reported.
The investigation verified inadequate supervision.
The family had one other case in the DCF files, a domestic violence incident in March 2013. The two adults — who also have two daughters — were in a car when a fight broke out and escalated. Santoya was accused of punching and slapping Ibarra in the face in front of the children. Ibarra also allegedly punched and scratched Santoya. The case was closed with verified findings for family violence. DCF executed a a safety plan with the the parents and offered services for domestic violence and child care. ","perpfirstname":"Albert","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Santoya","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Elizabeth","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Ibarra","perp2relation":"Mother","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":522,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Marvin","middlename":"","lastname":"Mobley","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 5, 2013","deathdate":"June 18, 2013","deathyear":2013,"deathage":"6 mos.","countycode":"duval","county":"Duval","deathcausereport":"Blunt force injuries","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Jasmine Garmon was a 19-year-old mother already raising four young children. At 6 months of age, Marvin Mobley was the baby.
On June 14, 2013, DCF received a report that, "nearly every day, the mother leaves the children in the home unattended and goes across the street to hang out at a friend's house." The youngsters were found "playing in the street where they can be hit by cars."
DCF also was told the children's parents were both using and selling drugs in their home.
Though Garmon tested positive for marijuana, an investigation did not verify her drug use as a threat to her children. As to her failure to supervise the kids: Records suggest an investigator was more concerned with the lock on Garmon's door than with her questionable supervision. The agency insisted Garmon install "locks the children could not open." The records don't say whether the agency insisted that Garmon not leave her children in the home alone.
While that investigation had been open for four days, Marvin was found dead in bed with his mother.
Marvin's death remained a mystery until the medical examiner found the infant had suffered a skull fracture and brain bleed that probably were at least four days old -- as well as a torn lip, scalp bruising and three rib fractures.
"When told about the skull fracture, the mother could not recall any time when Marvin would have sustained the injury, and then asked why anyone would think she would hurt her baby."
"Fatal child abuse," said the Department of Health's Child Protection Team.
In a report, DCF said Marvin's death resulted from "the mother's egregious abuse." Her remaining children were removed from her custody.
No one has been charged in Marvin's death.","perpfirstname":"Jasmine","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Garmon","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":523,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Jayden","middlename":"","lastname":"Isme","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"October 10, 2005","deathdate":"June 23, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"8","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Inhalation of products of combustion (from a fire)","deathcause":"Smoke","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"","lessthan2":"","thumbnail":"Jayden Isme smelled smoke. He quickly woke up his big brother, who opened a window to escape. The brothers, ages 8 and 9, were supposed to jump as the roaring fire began to engulf the townhouse, but only the brother made it out alive. Jayden, the little boy who loved sports and was called "yoyo" by family, died of smoke inhalation in his mother’s bedroom.
The boys were home alone on June 23, 2014, when a predawn fire erupted in their Lauderhill townhouse, a confluence of two events that set the stage for Jayden’s death: The boy’s father, Wisler Isme, was supposed to be watching the children, but apparently left to take the mother to her second job after her car broke down. Earlier in the day, she had lit a candle in her sons’ closet on a shelf before she left for work.
During the investigation, police discovered that there was a fire at Melanie Harvey’s home five years earlier. The cause: burning candles. Again, Harvey had lit candles in the children’s bedroom. In that case, Jayden woke his mother up after the smoke alarms sounded.
In the investigation of Jayden's death, DCF noted there was an active restraining order between the parents because of a prior history of domestic violence, but the couple continued to have contact. Two DCF cases chronicle altercations between the parents, but were closed as "not substantiated" for family violence. The family was not offered services in the 2014 case and refused them during the investigation a year earlier.
A DCF child fatality summary concluded both parents played a role in Jayden’s death: "The father left the children home alone during the course of the evening with no adult to assist in an emergency. Despite the prior history of her house catching fire from a candle, the mother continued to light candles in the children’s closet and keep them burning after she left the home. Ultimately, both these decisions led to Jayden’s death." ","perpfirstname":"Wisler","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Isme","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Melanie","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Harvey","perp2relation":"Mother","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":524,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Keegan","middlename":"Alexander","lastname":"Ericson","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"November 30, 2013","deathdate":"January 6, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"1 mo.","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia due to entrapment in couch; infant co-sleeping with mother","deathcause":"Overlay","deathmanner":"Undetermined","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"On the evening of Jan. 6, 2014, 20-year-old Jaclyn Ericson consumed three beers, an undisclosed amount of Jagermeister liquor — and, according to a drug screen, some cocaine, as well. She had spent the evening at the home of a drug dealer, and everyone there, she said, was "high."
A 16-year-old who was in Ericson's house described the mother as "under the influence." Ericson, the teen said, slurred her words.
Ericson went to bed that night on a couch, and placed her 1-month-old son, Keegan Ericson, on her chest.
The next morning, Keegan's maternal grandmother awoke to find the newborn missing. But when Keegan's mom sat up on the couch, grandmother Joanne Ericson "saw Keegan's feet sticking out from under the couch cushions at the back of the couch."
"The infant was blue and cold when the grandmother attempted to rouse the child," a DCF report said.
No one was charged in Keegan's death, but DCF verified the death as resulting from neglect.
Jaclyn Ericson, the report said, was on felony probation for armed robbery and battery charges.
Keegan's extended family had a long history with DCF, though all the details were removed from a report. From 1996 through 2012, the Ericson family had been the subject of 18 reports to DCF's hotline. Another two reports were received in the year before Keegan died from positional asphyxia. ","perpfirstname":"Jaclyn","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ericson","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"null","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"null","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":525,"docindex":null,"firstname":"Ly'Xander","middlename":"","lastname":"English","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 18, 2013","deathdate":"April 14, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"3 mos.","countycode":"broward","county":"Broward","deathcausereport":"Positional asphyxia","deathcause":"Overlay","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Olesya Sanstrom had twice been accused of allowing a substance abuse problem to hinder her ability to parent her two small children.
The first report to DCF's hotline came in 2012, and was verified. Sanstrom agreed to a drug abuse evaluation, though a very short death review failed to say whether she followed through with the evaluation or accepted drug treatment.
A year later, DCF received another report of drug abuse by Sanstrom; that one was closed unsubstantiated. Sanstrom declined help from the state, a report said.
On April 14, 2014, Sanstrom placed her 3-month-old son, Ly'Xander English, in his crib, surrounded by a pillow and two blankets. He was found unresponsive the next morning, and the cause of his death was positional asphyxia.
The Department of Health's Child Protection Team made "positive" findings for Sanstrom's "failure to provide a safe environment" and for Ly'Xander being a substance-exposed child.
The team recommended, once again, that Sanstrom be enrolled in a drug treatment program. The two-page death review doesn't say whether that ever took place.","perpfirstname":"Olesya","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Sanstrom","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":526,"docindex":161,"firstname":"Trysten","middlename":"Eli Frank","lastname":"Adams","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"July 24, 2012","deathdate":"September 28, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"2","countycode":"stlucie","county":"St. Lucie","deathcausereport":"Blunt force trauma","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Trysten Eli Frank Adams was taken from his mother so she could complete drug treatment. He was then sent to live with a man who was implicated in the violent abuse of another child.
Trysten's foster father, Michael Beer, had been investigated in 1993 in connection with the serious injury of an unidentified 2-year-old girl. The toddler, over whom Beer had "care and custody," suffered a cracked skull, a broken leg, several bruises and welts, and bruising on the tops of her ears that suggested someone had twisted them, police said. Though Beer was never criminally charged in the incident, DCF closed its investigation as "verified" for neglect, as neither Beer nor the girl's mother had sought medical care for the child, records say.
Nevertheless, Beer and his wife were later licensed as foster parents by the privately run child welfare agency in their area, Devereux Community Based Care of Okeechobee and the Treasure Coast. Trysten and his two siblings were sent to live with the Beers in July 2014. The boy's father was incarcerated. His mother was completing a drug treatment program with hopes of regaining custody. In all, Trysten's parents had been the subject of four hotline reports in 2013 and 2014.
On the morning of Sept. 28, 2014, Beer stayed home with Trysten and another child while his wife took two other children to church, a police report said. At about 1:30 that afternoon, Beer's wife took Trysten's older sibling and her own daughter to Starbucks and a Tutti Frutti's to get yogurt. When she returned, her husband was carrying the toddler outside their Port St. Lucie home, where he was to meet paramedics. Beer told authorities Trysten was "whimpering" when he went to change the boy's diaper, that his lips turned blue and that his eyes were "glazed over."
DCF's first report on the toddler's death suggested Trysten may have died from an infection.
Both Beer and his wife insisted only he was alone with Trysten when the youngster stopped breathing.
An autopsy showed that Trysten died from blunt trauma. It found "two severe lacerations to [Trysten's] liver, along with bruising to [his] kidney, gall bladder, pancreas" and the inner lining of his rib cage. The medical examiner "stated the severity of these injuries is consistent with using blunt force, citing examples of a punch or kick," the police report said. The police report added: "It is impossible the injuries were sustained through a fall or life-saving procedures."
Under questioning by police, Beer not only denied harming Trysten, he denied any knowledge of the incident from 21 years earlier. "Michael claimed that he has never seen this allegation before and denied causing the abuse," a police report said.
Beer's own daughter, however, told police that he often had treated the foster child harshly.
When asked why Trysten whined, Beer's daughter "stated because Michael would put him down 'too rough'." When asked to demonstrate with a teddy bear how Beer handled the toddler, his daughter grabbed the stuffed animal by one arm and swung it to the floor, police wrote. A detective then asked the girl "if Michael would be 'not gentle' when he was upset or frustrated with Trysten, to which she answered yes."
Beer, who had worked as a substitute teacher, was charged by Port St. Lucie Police with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.","perpfirstname":"Michael","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Beer","perprelation":"Foster father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":527,"docindex":162,"firstname":"David","middlename":"","lastname":"Mohney","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"December 6, 2002","deathdate":"October 17, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"11","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound","deathcause":"Guns","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Cynthia and David Mohney had an argument on the morning of Oct. 17. It ended in extreme tragedy.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said 52-year-old David Mohney shot the couple's three children, and then pointed the gun at himself. The two oldest children — 14-year-old Savanna and 11-year-old David — died in the murder-suicide. The couple's youngest daughter, age 9, survived.
The Sheriff's Office was sent to an upscale home just outside of Port Orange at 5:11 a.m. Cynthia Mohney, authorities say, had fled the home to a neighbor's house to summon help. Her husband, she said, had pulled out a gun and was threatening to use it. Neighbors heard gunshots before deputies arrived.
"The two girls were in an upstairs bedroom together," police said in a statement. "The boy was in a bedroom on the ground floor of the house, and the husband/father was found on the kitchen floor with a handgun next to him."
The Sheriff's Office said Mohney used a 9mm handgun to shoot his children.
DCF became aware of the Mohney family in June. That's when the agency's hotline was told that David Mohney was "controlling and jealous," while his wife was, at times, a fall-down drunk who smacked her children while under the influence of alcohol.
"The hits described are loud and hard, beyond corporal punishment," the hotline report said. "The younger children," a report added, "state they are afraid of [their] mother when she is drinking."
DCF records show the investigation remained open for a little over a month, though agency policy allows cases to remain pending for 60 days.
An investigator executed a written "safety plan" with the Mohneys: The parents agreed to "[refrain] from family violence in children's presence." Cynthia Mohney agreed she would "not use alcohol while caring or being around children," and both parents said they would dump any alcohol in the home, at least until Cynthia was evaluated.
If the parents failed to honor the pledge: "Parents or chilren will contact" DCF, the plan said.
About two weeks after DCF formally closed the case, workers entered a final notation in the file's chronological notes. Cynthia Mohney, the notation said, "is not in need of [substance abuse] case-management services at this time [and] all of her needs have been met." ","perpfirstname":"David","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Mohney","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":528,"docindex":162,"firstname":"Savanna","middlename":"","lastname":"Mohney","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 21, 2000","deathdate":"October 17, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"15","countycode":"volusia","county":"Volusia","deathcausereport":"Gunshot wound","deathcause":"Guns","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"sp","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Cynthia and David Mohney had an argument on the morning of Oct. 17. It ended in extreme tragedy.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said 52-year-old David Mohney shot the couple's three children, and then pointed the gun at himself. The two oldest children — 14-year-old Savanna and 11-year-old David — died in the murder-suicide. The couple's youngest daughter, age 9, survived.
The Sheriff's Office was sent to an upscale home just outside of Port Orange at 5:11 a.m. Cynthia Mohney, authorities say, had fled the home to a neighbor's house to summon help. Her husband, she said, had pulled out a gun and was threatening to use it. Neighbors heard gunshots before deputies arrived.
"The two girls were in an upstairs bedroom together," police said in a statement. "The boy was in a bedroom on the ground floor of the house, and the husband/father was found on the kitchen floor with a handgun next to him."
The Sheriff's Office said Mohney used a 9mm handgun to shoot his children.
DCF became aware of the Mohney family in June. That's when the agency's hotline was told that David Mohney was "controlling and jealous," while his wife was, at times, a fall-down drunk who smacked her children while under the influence of alcohol.
"The hits described are loud and hard, beyond corporal punishment," the hotline report said. "The younger children," a report added, "state they are afraid of [their] mother when she is drinking."
DCF records show the investigation remained open for a little over a month, though agency policy allows cases to remain pending for 60 days.
An investigator executed a written "safety plan" with the Mohneys: The parents agreed to "[refrain] from family violence in children's presence." Cynthia Mohney agreed she would "not use alcohol while caring or being around children," and both parents said they would dump any alcohol in the home, at least until Cynthia was evaluated.
If the parents failed to honor the pledge: "Parents or chilren will contact" DCF, the plan said.
About two weeks after DCF formally closed the case, workers entered a final notation in the file's chronological notes. Cynthia Mohney, the notation said, "is not in need of [substance abuse] case-management services at this time [and] all of her needs have been met." ","perpfirstname":"David","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Mohney","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":529,"docindex":160,"firstname":"Lamar","middlename":"","lastname":"Braddy","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 19, 2010","deathdate":"October 18, 2012","deathyear":2012,"deathage":"2","countycode":"polk","county":"Polk","deathcausereport":"Blunt force thoracic trauma","deathcause":"Trauma","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"A former foster child who had been abused and neglected herself, Lacey Davis suffered from a mild developmental disability and mental illness. DCF offered her services to improve her parenting, but Davis dropped out of the program. So her son, Lamar Braddy, and his brother followed her into state care in July 2011.
At first, the two boys were sent to live in a licensed foster home in Polk County. But later, Davis, the boys' mother, asked that they be moved into the home of two women with whom she had become friendly in church.
A thorough examination of the women might have raised red flags: One of the women, Christa Jayne, had been charged twice with driving under the influence, in 1996 and again a decade later. Her domestic partner, Marcia Ayers, raised more serious concerns. A DCF report said that one of Ayers' children had "passed away due to asphyxiation." As well, Ayers had relinquished parental rights to three other children in 2007 and 2008 — permanently giving up custody of the children so that they could be adopted.
DCF records show the agency, and privately run foster care providers involved in the case, never fully investigated the women. "It appears that we have not asked additional questions to assess what actually occurred," a DCF report said, adding one notation said only that Ayers surrendered rights to her children "due to certain circumstances."
Both women told child welfare authorities they had been abused themselves as children.
Even after Jayne and Ayers were given custody of Lamar Braddy and his younger brother, more red flags emerged. Lamar's 1-year-old brother was taken to the emergency room in October 2012, and his right leg was placed in a splint. DCF reports provide no further details. The same boy suffered a black eye; the caregivers said he fell outside while walking.
On Oct. 18, 2012, two minutes before 6 p.m., a caseworker was told that Lamar Braddy had "passed away" at Winter Haven Hospital. He was two years old.
Ayers told authorities that Lamar had "choked while eating cookies that she had fed him in the car," a death review said.
An autopsy by Chief Medical Examiner Stephen J. Nelson concluded that was not true. Lamar died from blunt force thoracic trauma, a homicide, records say.
Lamar endured abrasions, contusions, lacerations and a rupture to his heart, and bite marks to his face. He also was diagnosed as failing to thrive while in the care of the DCF-approved caregivers. He was in the fifth percentile for both height and weight.
A DCF investigation concluded Jayne had inflicted "bizarre punishment" on the boy, and Ayers was held responsible for the boy's death.
A spokeswoman for the Winter Haven Police Department said Lamar's death remains under investigation.
The DCF investigation into Lamar's death was not made public until nearly two years after the toddler died.","perpfirstname":"Marcia","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Ayers","perprelation":"Non-relative caregiver","perpcharged":"no","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"Christa","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Jayne","perp2relation":"Non-relative caregiver","perp2charged":"no","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":530,"docindex":167,"firstname":"Bryson","middlename":"","lastname":"Redd","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 16, 2012","deathdate":"July 27, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"2","countycode":"escambia","county":"Escambia","deathcausereport":"Burned over 41 percent of his body","deathcause":"","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Two-year-old Bryson Redd sustained burns over 41 percent of his body, and then his parents waited 15 days to seek medical care.
By then, it was too late.
About 15 days prior to his death, Bryson tipped over a pot of boiling water from a stove, causing second-degree and third-degree burns over much of his body. During an interview with police, the boy's mother, Jennifer Perry, said Bryson "was acting like a typical 2-year-old" until about three days before he died. At that point, the toddler "had not been eating a lot," and seemed particularly tired. Neither Perry, nor Bryson's father, Christopher Redd, took him to a doctor, a report from the Pensacole Police Department said.
On the morning of July 12, 2014, police said, Perry heard her son "moaning," and saw that he had only a "blank stare on his face."
"She stated that she could hear a gurgling noise coming from him."
When asked by police how the couple treated their son's burns, Perry said they looked on the Internet for home remedies, and "applied burn ointment" to his wounds.
In contrast, a police report said, Perry sought medical care weeks earlier when she burned her finger. Perry used the left-over cream for her son's burns.
When asked why the couple never sought treatment, both Redd and Perry said they "would not know what story to tell the hospital," and were afraid DCF would remove Bryson and his two siblings from them.
Following Bryson's death, DCF did just that.
Perry and Redd had been the subject of at least one prior report to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline, a 2013 report that their children were at risk due to the couple's substance misuse. The couple was referred to Healthy Start for services.
Both Redd and Perry were charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.","perpfirstname":"Jennifer","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Perry","perprelation":"Mother","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child","perp2firstname":"Christopher","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"Redd","perp2relation":"Father","perp2charged":"yes","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":"aggravated manslaughter of a child"}, {"dataid":531,"docindex":168,"firstname":"Joel","middlename":"","lastname":"Chirieleison","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"April 9, 2008","deathdate":"August 7, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"6","countycode":"levy","county":"Levy","deathcausereport":"Mauled by dogs","deathcause":"","deathmanner":"Accident","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Joel Claar went to work and left his 6-year-old son, Joel Chirieleison, at the home of his sister in Levy County. Normally, the aunt's two pit bull terriers — who were being trained to hunt hogs — were kept in cages. On Aug. 7, 2014, the dogs roamed freely in the yard when aunt Heather Claar let Joel go outside to play, a DCF incident report states. Claar went inside to watch television. Ten or 20 minutes later, Claar found her nephew mauled to death, a report said.
In the year before Joel died, DCF had received two reports to the agency's abuse and neglect hotline. One report raised concerns about both "environmental hazards" at Joel's mother's home, as well as concerns about Joel's mental health and behavioral problems. Joel, a report said, "was demonstrating aggressive and threatening behavior in the home and school." A second report "documented concerns about the mother's ability to manage Joel's aggressive and theatening behavior." Joel was sent to live with his father.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":532,"docindex":171,"firstname":"Justin","middlename":"","lastname":"Polk","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"January 5, 2012","deathdate":"June 2, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"2","countycode":"orange","county":"Orange","deathcausereport":"Pending","deathcause":"","deathmanner":"Pending","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Two-year-old Justin Polk was found dead on June 2, 2014 — his small body covered with bruises and "cold to the touch."
Authorities believe Justin was either beaten to death or strangled, though no one has yet been charged.
Justin's family was well-known to DCF during his short life, though records suggest investigations mostly involved allegations that domestic violence between Justin's mother and the men in her life left her children in danger.
In the most recent case, in March 2014, DCF was told that Justin's father had been arrested for violating a domestic violence injunction. At the time, the father was living right next door to 22-year-old Merissa Anderson, Justin's mother, and Anderson was allowing the man to care for the children, DCF records say.
The father, also Justin Polk, had a long criminal history that included drug possession and aggravated battery.
"There are concerns for the supervision of the children based on the mother knowing there is an injunction and still allowing the father to have contact with them," a report said.
The report added: "The entire home is disgusting."
"There are dirty pots and pans all over the kitchen, there is a dog in a cage and the bottom of the cage is missing, and there is dog urine on the floor" the report said. "The crib the mother uses...is broken and soiled."
"The home has an odor," the report said.
An August 2013 DCF report said Polk pushed Anderson against a hot stove, injuring the woman's elbow — an altercation the couple's children witnessed.
A year earlier, Polk hit Anderson on the back of her head, and slapped her twice on the face, a DCF report said.
"There is a history of domestic violence," the report said. "There is an outstanding warrant for domestic battery," it added.
In all three cases, investigators took no actions to protect Justin.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":533,"docindex":170,"firstname":"Avahya","middlename":"","lastname":"Martin","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"January 1, 2013","deathdate":"May 23, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"1","countycode":"osceola","county":"Osceola","deathcausereport":"Multiple blunt trauma injuries","deathcause":"","deathmanner":"Homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Avahya Martin's father, Anthony Martin, confessed to killing his toddler daughter. He said he "physically assaulted Avahya after the child refused to go back to sleep, and would not stop crying."
"The father admitted to losing his temper, punching Avahya in the face, throwing her on the floor, and then shaking her when she would not stop crying."
Martin, 23, of Osceola County, was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the 16-month-old's death.
A report on Avahya's death said her father had a "long arrest history" involving drug sales, and had been in prison much of 2013 and 2014.
A nearly empty DCF incident report on Avahya's death said that, on the day Avahya was born — New Year's Day of 2013 — DCF received an abuse or neglect report that a hotline worker "screened" out, meaning the agency declined to investigate it. Nothing more is said of the case, which was never looked at.
Later, a short DCF review of the Avahya's death says only that "the family had no prior abuse report history in the year preceding the child's death." No mention is made of the hotline call the agency discarded, or what it contained.","perpfirstname":"Anthony","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Martin","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"First degree murder and aggravated child abuse","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":534,"docindex":166,"firstname":"Anterious","middlename":"","lastname":"Miller","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 5, 2013","deathdate":"April 29, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"1","countycode":"clay","county":"Clay","deathcausereport":"Unavailable","deathcause":"","deathmanner":"Unavailable","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"Little is known about the short life and violent death of Anterious Miller. The boy was born on Feb. 5, 2013. He died 14 months later, and an extremely terse incident report said only that Anterious was "found unresponsive with multiple injuries."
The report added: "Paramour has confessed."
After more than a half-year, DCF has not released a full report on the boy's death.
The incident report said Anterious' family had been the subject of three prior abuse or neglect reports. One was received the day Anterious was born, alleging his mother tested positive for marijuana at the boy's birth. The case was closed with the boy's mom being referred to unspecified "community services."
Someone created a Facebook page for Anterious shortly before he died, urging followers to pray for his recovery.
On April 29, 2014, the day Anterious died, the page's creator wrote "Such a precious baby now in the arms of Jesus."
Nothing more has been written.","perpfirstname":"","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"","perprelation":"","perpcharged":"","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":535,"docindex":164,"firstname":"Kayne","middlename":"","lastname":"Williams","suffix":null,"gender":"male","birthdate":"February 5, 2013","deathdate":"April 29, 2014","deathyear":2014,"deathage":"1","countycode":"marion","county":"Marion","deathcausereport":"Severe head trauma","deathcause":"","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5yes","lessthan2":"lessthan2yes","thumbnail":"
Bryan Blaylock may have seemed like a poor choice as a babysitter: he'd been arrested in 2007 for child abuse and lewd and lascivious battery on a teenager. But on Jan. 3, 2014, mother Melissa Williams left her infant son, Kayne Williams, with Blaylock, her boyfriend, so that she could go to work.
Kayne was later airlifted to a trauma hospital with \"severe brain trauma and multiple injuries to [his] face and body,\" a DCF incident report said. The injuries included bruising, a hand print on the infant's groin, swelling to his genitals, and black eyes. The toddler also had sustained a bite mark on his right thigh, police wrote.
When police arrived, a report from the Martin County Sheriff's Office says, Williams' home was in \"complete disarray\": the living room was \"extremely messy\" with toys and clothing \"all over the floor.\" The bathroom was littered with \"dirty clothing, trash and several personal hygiene items.\"
Blaylock's first story was that Kayne fell in the bathtub and hit his head against the tub's wall. Police found that explanation wanting, as the bathtub was not wet.
Blaylock later recanted that story, and said he had been playing with Kayne by swinging him in the air by his feet. Blaylock said he \"lost his balance,\" and Kayne \"escaped his grip,\" flying across the room into a support beam separating the home's kitchen from the living room, a police report said.
Kayne's older sister told police she heard Blaylock say \"Wake up, baby. Wake up, baby.\"
When a re-enactment of the event suggested Blaylock was lying again, police wrote, Blaylock was asked to submit to a polygraph test.
\"At the conclusion of the polygraph, a Sheriff's Office report said, \"it was determined that he had failed.\" Blaylock then \"admitted to the real\" events that \"caused the injuries\" to Kayne. He was arrested, and charged with child abuse.
On Jan. 15, Kayne's parents removed him from life support, and he died. Blaylock's charges were upgraded to first-degree murder.
Kayne's family had been the subject of at least four reports to DCF's abuse and neglect hotline, though virtually all details have been removed from a short report. The most recent hotline report was closed on Jan. 3, 2013 when investigators dismissed allegations that drug use by Kayne's mother left her children at risk.
More than a year after Kayne died, DCF had yet to complete a full report on his case, and records show, had failed to count the boy's death among child abuse or neglect fatalities.
","perpfirstname":"Bryan","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Blalock","perprelation":"Mother's boyfriend","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"aggravated child abuse, first-degree murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}, {"dataid":536,"docindex":163,"firstname":"Phoebe","middlename":"","lastname":"Jonchuck","suffix":null,"gender":"female","birthdate":"August 23, 2009","deathdate":"January 8, 2015","deathyear":2015,"deathage":"5","countycode":"pinellas","county":"Pinellas","deathcausereport":"Drowning","deathcause":"","deathmanner":"homicide","sp":"","lessthan5":"lessthan5no","lessthan2":"lessthan2no","thumbnail":"Until Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015 -- when Phoebe Jonchuck was hurled to her death from a bridge -- the family violence was mostly confined to Phoebe's very troubled parents. Both police and state child welfare authorities fielded reports that John Nicholas Johnchuck and Michelle Nichole Kerr had traded blows, sparred over a box cutter, and used Phoebe as a pawn in an ugly custody dispute. Jonchuck had accused Kerr of stalking him. Kerr said she was \"scared for [her] safety\" around Jonchuck.
A kindergartener at Cleveland Elementary School in Tampa, Phoebe will forever be the curly-haired cherub in a purple fairy costume -- with purple wings rising from her shoulders and a purple floral tiara taming her dirty blond hair. Five times, the Department of Children & Families had received reports questioning Kerr and Jonchuck's fitness as parents.
The first report was received in April 2012. It alleged that Jonchuck had used \"crystal meth,\" had choked Phoebe’s mother, and had locked the then-toddler in a bedroom \"where powerful pharmaceutical medication was located.\" Jonchuck already had a significant criminal history, including six arrests either for battery or domestic violence and a drunk driving charge.
EEvidence of Jonchuck's volatility was plentiful: The couple's former landlord told an investigator he’d found \"drug paraphernalia\" at the couple’s home, had found doors \"kicked in\" on several occasions, and had been forced to replace windows that had been smashed in by the couple. He described Jonchuck’s and Kerr’s behavior as \"very erratic.\"
The 2012 investigation was closed with DCF taking no action to protect Phoebe. An investigator had concluded \"there were no concerns for the family,\" despite Jonchuck's failure to show up for a domestic violence therapy session with his psychiatrist -- and his subsequent failure to reschedule it.
The agency had another chance to intervene the next year, when DCF received a report that Kerr -- described as \"hostile\" -- had abused methamphetamine, cocaine and alcohol, and had fallen down when drunk. Once again, the agency took no action to protect Phoebe, though the 2013 investigation was closed with verified findings that the violence between Kerr and Jonchuck endangered their daughter.
In late December 2014, DCF's hotline received another call. Phoebe was now living with her father, who, the report said, did not have a \"stable home\" and was moving from place-to-place among relatives. Kerr, too, had largely failed to turn her life around as a parent, the report alleged, continuing to struggle with drug abuse and mental illness. Once again, the reprot said, Kerr was living with a boyfriend who abused her.
The December 2014 report was still pending when Jonchuck's own lawyer called DCF one last time the day Phoebe died. Jonchuck, DCF was told, was \"driving all over town in his pajamas\" with Phoebe in the car. \"The father seems depressed and delusional,\" the report added.
Agency administrators acknowledge they failed to gauge the seriousness of that report.
Shortly after midnight on Jan. 8, 2015, Jonchuck raced toward the iconic Sunshine Skyway bridge in his white Chrysler PT Cruiser when a Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy spotted him. Jonchuck stopped the car on a bridge approaching the Skyway. And, as the deputy drew close to him, Jonchuck cradled his 5-year-old to his chest before flinging her off the bridge to her death, the Sheriff's Office said.
Phoebe's body was later found in Tampa Bay.
","perpfirstname":"John","perpmiddlename":"","perplastname":"Jonchuck","perprelation":"Father","perpcharged":"yes","perpconvicted":"","perpcharges":"murder","perp2firstname":"","perp2middlename":null,"perp2lastname":"","perp2relation":"","perp2charged":"","perp2convicted":"","perp2charges":null}]