Custodial dad's next court appearance in 3-year-old daughter's death scheduled for January (Sterling, Colorado)

Our last posting on this case is here:

http://dastardlydads.blogspot.com/2010/09/custodial-dad-charged-with-murder-of-3.html

This post also includes links to two earlier posts from July.

Earlier news acccounts consistently misidentified custodial dad MARK WEEKS and the step as the "parents" of the dead 3-year-old girl--a common "error" in reporting of this type. Note that even in this article, you need to read nearly to the end to discover that this a biological father and a step. Even then, Dad's custodial status is made unclear. However, a few earlier articles did point out that the dead girl's mother lived "out of state," presumably in California, where Dad had lived previously. So he was obviously custodial.

So once again, let's ask the same questions I first posed in July. Questions that have STILL not been answered. Questions that are STILL being ignored by the mainstream media:

1) Who gave Mark Weeks custody and why? Were there prior allegations of child abuse that were ignored? Was there a history of domestic violence against this girl's mother, also swept under the rug? Usually, these killer daddies have a track record. They don't just up and decide one day to beat their kid to death because it's raining on their day off.

2) Given that many moms can no longer get moveaway "permission" anymore, how and why was Daddy allowed to relocate?

3) How much do you want to bet the mother was denied visitation? That's a pretty consistent theme in these stories where abusive fathers murder the children.

http://www.journal-advocate.com/sterling-local_news/ci_16523262

Evidence gathering not complete
Next court appearance for child's father in January
By Judy Debus Journal-Advocate regional editor
Posted: 11/04/2010 04:43:21 PM MDT

STERLING -- Mark Weeks, who was arrested in July in the death of his daughter, Alexis, appeared for the second time before Judge District 13 Judge Michael Singer for a status conference and for the second time, had the date moved forward.

In September, the judge had granted an extension of time to Public Defender Brian Musell who is representing Weeks, in order to allow time for him to receive and process all of the discovery materials in the case.

Judge Singer also noted a request to delay the transcript since there were still problems with that, although it is expected to be released sometime next week. At the last status conference, problems with the transcript release were noted due to staffing and in-house complications with getting them completed.

District Attorney Bob Watson, representing the people, stated that he understood the need for the delay and was not against it being granted.

He did say, however, that there is no evidence in the transcripts that is not contained in other investigations. He noted that interviews and investigations have been done in three states with witnesses in four states and at Children's Hospital. There is an ongoing investigation, he said, and they have found, for instance, that Flight for Life keeps a separate set of records that have to be gone over and investigated.

"We are satisfied with the progress and we have close to 2,000 pages," Watson said. "We have a 100 percent open policy for the defense and everything is open."

Saying that a delay of only 30 days might not be long enough, since they have daily sets of cat scan reports from the hospital and if all reports from Children's have not been received by that time, they would have to start all over, Watson agreed with the defense that a 60-day delay would be appropriate and not unusual in a case like this.

"We have had no problem in communicating with the DA's Office," Musell said.

Judge Singer said he would approve a 60-day delay but would also like to set a date for the Proof Evidence Hearing also. In doing so, he also requested that each attorney have a trial notebook prepared at least a week before that time.

He then set the next status conference date for Jan. 5 at 9 a.m. and the proof evidence hearing for Feb. 25 at 8:30 a.m. Deadline for the trial notebooks to be complete will be Feb. 18.

On July 8, the Logan County Sheriff's Office received a report of a critically injured female child. The 3-year-old girl, Alexis R. McClain, was taken to the Sterling Regional Medical Center suffering from physical injuries. Alexis was taken to the Children's Hospital in Denver and pronounced deceased on July 9.

The Sheriff's Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigations, and the 13th Judicial District Attorney's Office immediately began an investigation after receiving the initial report on July 8, treating the case as a suspicious death.

Mark Weeks is the biological father of Alexis McClain. He was arrested July 19 on charges of child abuse-knowing/reckless cause of death, a class 2 felony, and murder 1, a class 1 felony.

Also arrested and indicted on the same counts was Ginger Weeks, step-mother to Alexis. She was scheduled for a status conference hearing on Oct. 26 that was delayed to Nov. 9. Both she and Mark Weeks are being held without bond at the Logan County Detention Center.