Notice the interesting little fact buried well into this story. The wife who was allegedly assaulted with a firearm is NOT the mother of the missing little boy, the son of her husband.
Sounds like dad MICHAEL A. JONES was one of these fathers who ran his household through terror and an iron fist for years. Never held accountable. Nothing new there.
But there is a lot here that is not explained. What happened to the mother of the little boy who was presumably beaten to death by father MICHAEL A. JONES and fed to the pigs? If he's been missing for months, there is no sign that mother had sounded the alarm. So I tend to think this was not a joint custody situation. Somehow she is out of the picture, but that the news report leaves that in silence.
Knowing how these guys operate, you can assume he doled out the same violence and abuse to her as he doled out to the current wife. So is she deceased? If so, do we know for a fact that it was from natural causes? Or is she alive, but was somehow stripped of custody and driven out of the picture through threats, perhaps threats backed up by a family court?
At any rate, this scumbag somehow secured access to this boy with no objections from the authorities, which is scary enough. Who allowed this to happen?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3338100/Father-charged-torturing-cruelly-beating-missing-7-year-old-son-cops-human-remains-property.html
Father suspected of 'murdering seven-year-old son and feeding his remains to pigs'
Michael A. Jones of Piper, Kansas has been charged with firing a gun at his wife and child abuse
A police source reportedly fears that his missing son's remains may have been fed to pigs
Jones was charged with shooting at his wife in their Kansas City home
Jones and his wife reportedly lived in deplorable conditions with eight children aged one to 11
Police got a tip that they should look for their missing son's remains on the Piper, Kansas property
Cops found human remains in a barn, but they have not yet been identified
By Kiri Blakeley For Dailymail.com
Published: 02:05 EST, 29 November 2015 | Updated: 13:51 EST, 29 November 2015
Police fear that a man may have beaten his seven-year-old son to death and fed his remains to pigs.
Michael A. Jones, 44, of Piper, outside of Kansas City, has been arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated battery and child abuse after cops responded to a domestic violence call on Wednesday, according to News2.
Jones had allegedly shot at his 29-year-old wife, Heather. As the investigation progressed, authorities got a tip to check the property for the remains of Jones' seven-year-old son, who had been missing for several months.
The next day, authorities found human remains near a barn on the rural property in Piper, where
Jones lived with his wife and eight children ranging in ages from one to 11.
Jones' charges were upgraded to 'torturing or cruelly beating' his missing son. Heather Jones is not the mother of the boy, who may be dead.
The other eight children reportedly lived in deplorable conditions. They were also home schooled, according to Kansas City Star.
'Their house was horrible,' one woman who asked for anonymity told WSFA. 'Their house was just filthy. The kids lived in filth. Trash everywhere. Dried food all over the house.'
Heather Jones bought the pigs in September, around the same time authorities think the child may have been killed.
A police source reportedly told the outlet that authorities feared that the boy's remains may have been fed to the swine, according to KPTV.
Former babysitters said that several people had complained to child services about alleged ill-treatment of the children. It's unclear if anything was done.
'For all those girls to have to witness what their brother went through and to carry the burden that something happened to their brother is horrible,' said one unnamed former babysitter.
Michael Williams, the brother of Jones' wife, told the NBC affiliate KSHB about abuse he says his sister and the children allegedly had to endure over the years at the hands of Jones.
'There are bullet holes in the walls of that house. So I'm sure you can understand what terror may have been going through that household daily.'
Jones, the owner of a bail bonding business, is being held at the Wyandotte County Jail on a bond of $10million.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Dad sexually abused daughter for years after he was granted post-divorce child access (Bristol, England)
Unfortunately, this article does not point out that many sexually abusive fathers specifically go after custodial rights after divorce/separation from the mother, all so they have easy access to the child victim. Mothers who object to the arrangement are often smeared as lying alienators.
The article also does not make clear whether this father had full custody or what. Was this girl's contact with her mother eliminated? Notice there is no mention of the mother in the story at all.
http://www.itv.com/news/west/2015-11-24/bristol-woman-speaks-out-about-abuse/
24 November 2015 at 7:02pm
Bristol woman speaks out about abuse
A Bristol woman who suffered abuse at the hands of her own father has told ITV News fear stopped her reporting the crime.
She told us her story on the day a major new investigation suggested only one in eight victims of sexual abuse come to the attention of authorities.
As if every single case of child abuse wasn't bad enough now it's being claimed the vast majority remain unreported.
Around 50,000 cases of sexual abuse were recorded by police and local authorities in the two years to March 2014.
But now an enquiry by the Children's Commissioner has found the number of children suffering abuse in the family has been vastly under-estimated.
It's estimated 85% of child abuse cases go unreported, meaning the actual number of children being abused over the two year period was around 450,000 cases.
Two-thirds of child sex abuse takes place within the home or is committed by a family member.
'Beth', from Bristol, was abused by her father from the age of three after her parents separated. But it wasn't until she became a teenager that she found the courage to come forward.
"You just feel ashamed of yourself. That one - you've allowed this to happen to yourself or two - you just don't feel very clean so you're ashamed to tell people."
"Do I protect myself and stop it from happening? Do I protect the family? Do I protect the rest of my family's view of my father? It is a very very tricky situation." – 'Beth' from Bristol
While the authorities rely on victims to speak out, their young age and fear of either not being believed or of splitting up the family, makes that an impossibility for the vast majority.
Those left to pick up the pieces are calling for "urgent Government action" to prevent abuse, identify it early and support victims like Beth.
Failure to do so, they say, will only fail some of our most vulnerable young people all over again.
The article also does not make clear whether this father had full custody or what. Was this girl's contact with her mother eliminated? Notice there is no mention of the mother in the story at all.
http://www.itv.com/news/west/2015-11-24/bristol-woman-speaks-out-about-abuse/
24 November 2015 at 7:02pm
Bristol woman speaks out about abuse
A Bristol woman who suffered abuse at the hands of her own father has told ITV News fear stopped her reporting the crime.
She told us her story on the day a major new investigation suggested only one in eight victims of sexual abuse come to the attention of authorities.
As if every single case of child abuse wasn't bad enough now it's being claimed the vast majority remain unreported.
Around 50,000 cases of sexual abuse were recorded by police and local authorities in the two years to March 2014.
But now an enquiry by the Children's Commissioner has found the number of children suffering abuse in the family has been vastly under-estimated.
It's estimated 85% of child abuse cases go unreported, meaning the actual number of children being abused over the two year period was around 450,000 cases.
Two-thirds of child sex abuse takes place within the home or is committed by a family member.
'Beth', from Bristol, was abused by her father from the age of three after her parents separated. But it wasn't until she became a teenager that she found the courage to come forward.
"You just feel ashamed of yourself. That one - you've allowed this to happen to yourself or two - you just don't feel very clean so you're ashamed to tell people."
"Do I protect myself and stop it from happening? Do I protect the family? Do I protect the rest of my family's view of my father? It is a very very tricky situation." – 'Beth' from Bristol
While the authorities rely on victims to speak out, their young age and fear of either not being believed or of splitting up the family, makes that an impossibility for the vast majority.
Those left to pick up the pieces are calling for "urgent Government action" to prevent abuse, identify it early and support victims like Beth.
Failure to do so, they say, will only fail some of our most vulnerable young people all over again.
Why did CPS grant criminal father custody of two young daughters? (Pocatello, Idaho)
Great editorial from Idaho State Journal.
http://www.idahostatejournal.com/editorials/what-about-the-health-and-welfare-of-zinnia-and-dahlia/article_46a23eeb-fdbf-507b-b5d0-79e5fdaf2e03.html
ISJ opinion editorial: What about the health and welfare of Zinnia and Dahlia?
Updated Nov 24, 2015
The last time we took issue with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, it was back in April when it became apparent that this government agency had essentially destroyed a local business for no good reason.
That business was Seasons of Hope, a mental health services provider with seven locations in Southeast Idaho and about 200 employees.
Health and Welfare accused Seasons of Medicaid fraud and ordered the company to pay $550,000 in fines and restitution. It took Seasons Chief Executive Officer Heath Sommer two years and lots of money in attorney’s fees to prove his business was innocent of the charges, but by that time Seasons was no more.
Fast forward to now and we have Health and Welfare involved in an even more questionable action. Health and Welfare has recommended that two young American-born girls from Southeast Idaho be essentially deported to be with their father in Mexico.
Health and Welfare officials say they’re only resolving a custody dispute.
We call it child endangerment on the part of a government agency.
The children’s father, a Mexican national, was previously deported from the United States. This individual has a criminal record, but it has unfortunately been sealed by the courts.
The children’s mother, Kelly Fink, of Pocatello, is a recovering drug addict who currently lives in a homeless shelter.
But she’s staying clean and clearly wants to put her life back together. Kelly’s mother and stepfather have moved to Southeast Idaho to help her get back on her feet.
Kelly’s two daughters, Zinnia and Dahlia, were being cared for by a foster family in Idaho Falls with regular visitation by their mom.
Rather than see these kids reunited with their mother, Health and Welfare decided to move the girls to Mexico to be with their father — the guy with the sealed criminal record who was deported.
Zinnia and Dahlia were transported by Idaho authorities to Boise for their Monday trip to Mexico. By the time you read this, the girls will likely be in Mexico, where they will spend the rest of their childhoods.
Perhaps if Health and Welfare officials had perused Mexico’s crime statistics, even by doing a quick Internet search, they would have realized what kind of mistake it was to send these two Southeast Idaho girls there.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, “Criminal cartels — which traffic 90 percent of the cocaine that enters the United States — have killed an estimated 60,000 Mexican soldiers, police, politicians and civilians since 2006.” Other sources put the death toll much higher. Mexico’s murder rate is at least three times that of the United States.
During a less than two-year period between late 2012 and May 2014, 8,000 Mexicans simply disappeared. Since 2006, the number of Mexicans who’ve gone missing is nearly 30,000. It’s believed that these individuals who’ve mysteriously vanished were also murdered by Mexican drug cartels.
An incident in September 2014 illustrates the level of violence and lawlessness in Mexico. Members of a drug cartel rounded up over 40 students at a Mexican university. The students were never seen again. Their parents went looking for them and while they did not find any traces of their children, they did find multiple mass graves containing the bodies of 300 other people.
We won’t even delve into Mexico’s well-deserved reputation as a place with rampant sex trafficking, forced prostitution, forced labor, child sexual abuse and rape.
It’s a country known for attracting what are called child sex tourists — people who specifically travel to Mexico from other places because of the abundance of child prostitutes there. It’s not reassuring that Health and Welfare said it has talked to Mexican officials who promise they’re going to keep a close watch on Zinnia and Dahlia and make sure their father is taking good care of them.
Google “child abuse Mexico” and you’ll find out what kind of job Mexican officials are doing to protect Mexican children.
Judge Bryan Murray signed off on Health and Welfare’s plan to send Zinnia and Dahlia south of the border and we are obviously left wondering why.
We wish we could be sure that Zinnia and Dahlia will somehow not become tragic statistics as new residents of Mexico.
If something bad happens, Idaho will have nothing to offer but an apology.
http://www.idahostatejournal.com/editorials/what-about-the-health-and-welfare-of-zinnia-and-dahlia/article_46a23eeb-fdbf-507b-b5d0-79e5fdaf2e03.html
ISJ opinion editorial: What about the health and welfare of Zinnia and Dahlia?
Updated Nov 24, 2015
The last time we took issue with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, it was back in April when it became apparent that this government agency had essentially destroyed a local business for no good reason.
That business was Seasons of Hope, a mental health services provider with seven locations in Southeast Idaho and about 200 employees.
Health and Welfare accused Seasons of Medicaid fraud and ordered the company to pay $550,000 in fines and restitution. It took Seasons Chief Executive Officer Heath Sommer two years and lots of money in attorney’s fees to prove his business was innocent of the charges, but by that time Seasons was no more.
Fast forward to now and we have Health and Welfare involved in an even more questionable action. Health and Welfare has recommended that two young American-born girls from Southeast Idaho be essentially deported to be with their father in Mexico.
Health and Welfare officials say they’re only resolving a custody dispute.
We call it child endangerment on the part of a government agency.
The children’s father, a Mexican national, was previously deported from the United States. This individual has a criminal record, but it has unfortunately been sealed by the courts.
The children’s mother, Kelly Fink, of Pocatello, is a recovering drug addict who currently lives in a homeless shelter.
But she’s staying clean and clearly wants to put her life back together. Kelly’s mother and stepfather have moved to Southeast Idaho to help her get back on her feet.
Kelly’s two daughters, Zinnia and Dahlia, were being cared for by a foster family in Idaho Falls with regular visitation by their mom.
Rather than see these kids reunited with their mother, Health and Welfare decided to move the girls to Mexico to be with their father — the guy with the sealed criminal record who was deported.
Zinnia and Dahlia were transported by Idaho authorities to Boise for their Monday trip to Mexico. By the time you read this, the girls will likely be in Mexico, where they will spend the rest of their childhoods.
Perhaps if Health and Welfare officials had perused Mexico’s crime statistics, even by doing a quick Internet search, they would have realized what kind of mistake it was to send these two Southeast Idaho girls there.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, “Criminal cartels — which traffic 90 percent of the cocaine that enters the United States — have killed an estimated 60,000 Mexican soldiers, police, politicians and civilians since 2006.” Other sources put the death toll much higher. Mexico’s murder rate is at least three times that of the United States.
During a less than two-year period between late 2012 and May 2014, 8,000 Mexicans simply disappeared. Since 2006, the number of Mexicans who’ve gone missing is nearly 30,000. It’s believed that these individuals who’ve mysteriously vanished were also murdered by Mexican drug cartels.
An incident in September 2014 illustrates the level of violence and lawlessness in Mexico. Members of a drug cartel rounded up over 40 students at a Mexican university. The students were never seen again. Their parents went looking for them and while they did not find any traces of their children, they did find multiple mass graves containing the bodies of 300 other people.
We won’t even delve into Mexico’s well-deserved reputation as a place with rampant sex trafficking, forced prostitution, forced labor, child sexual abuse and rape.
It’s a country known for attracting what are called child sex tourists — people who specifically travel to Mexico from other places because of the abundance of child prostitutes there. It’s not reassuring that Health and Welfare said it has talked to Mexican officials who promise they’re going to keep a close watch on Zinnia and Dahlia and make sure their father is taking good care of them.
Google “child abuse Mexico” and you’ll find out what kind of job Mexican officials are doing to protect Mexican children.
Judge Bryan Murray signed off on Health and Welfare’s plan to send Zinnia and Dahlia south of the border and we are obviously left wondering why.
We wish we could be sure that Zinnia and Dahlia will somehow not become tragic statistics as new residents of Mexico.
If something bad happens, Idaho will have nothing to offer but an apology.
Registered sex offender dad with unspecified custodial rights arrested for beating 9-year-old son (Orange County, Florida)
Where can you even start with this level of crazy?
Let's see.
* The obvious bullsh** of the Clueless Neighbor, who insists "nice guy" daddy "loves his kid very much" despite the fact that the same daddy beats the child so badly that he has facial injuries, bruises, and belt wounds?
*How about the fact that Daddy has had multiple encounters with CPS, and they do nothing to protect the boy? (Never mind how this fits in with Clueless Neighbor's idiotic insistences referenced above).
* CPS is so f***ed up that they can't even deal with a media interview?
* And this, which just takes my breath away. Daddy has been convicted of sexual assault, failed to register as a sexual offender, and yet in his custody filings claims he needs to provide his son with a "positive male role model." WHAT?
*And what custody dealings? What moronic Florida judge gave this father any access at all? Just what custody rights did Daddy have? Obviously not supervised visitation. Did this piece of crap have full custody? And what happened to Mom?
Dad is identified as WESLEY MCVAY.
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/9-investigates-father-arrested-child-abuse-charges/npWsx/
Posted: 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015 9
Investigates father arrested on child abuse charges after multiple DCF encounters
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Inside a nondescript block home on a quiet Conway-area street, investigators believe a 38-year-old registered sex offender hit his 9-year-old son so hard that it broke capillaries in the boy's face.
Neighbors told Channel 9's Karla Ray that they didn't know that Wesley McVay had been arrested.
"All I know is he loves his kid very much," neighbor Shaffie Mohammed said.
The Florida Department of Children and Families took McVay's son from him three weeks ago, after they reportedly found the boy with the facial injuries, bruises and belt wounds on his backside.
"Have you ever seen bruises or anything on the little boy?" Ray asked Mohammed. "No. Never," Mohammed said.
McVay was arrested Tuesday and charged with child abuse.
According to his arrest report, McVay has a history of encounters with DCF, in regards to child abuse allegations. All of those incidents included the same child.
When Ray asked DCF officials why the child wasn't taken from McVay sooner, they said the family's history wasn't public. No one from the agency would agree to an on-camera interview with Ray.
"I've seen a DCF truck come in here a couple of times but I don't get involved with it. That's his personal business. I don't get involved with it," Mohammed said.
McVay was found guilty of sexual assault in Texas in 1998.
The year before his son was born, McVay was convicted in Florida of failing to register as an offender.
According to custody filings that Ray examined, McVay wanted more access to his son so that the child would have a "positive male role model in his life."
"I'll be surprised. He's a really nice guy. He really takes care of his kid. He loves his kid, he really does," Mohammed said.
McVay was being held in the Orange County Jail.
Let's see.
* The obvious bullsh** of the Clueless Neighbor, who insists "nice guy" daddy "loves his kid very much" despite the fact that the same daddy beats the child so badly that he has facial injuries, bruises, and belt wounds?
*How about the fact that Daddy has had multiple encounters with CPS, and they do nothing to protect the boy? (Never mind how this fits in with Clueless Neighbor's idiotic insistences referenced above).
* CPS is so f***ed up that they can't even deal with a media interview?
* And this, which just takes my breath away. Daddy has been convicted of sexual assault, failed to register as a sexual offender, and yet in his custody filings claims he needs to provide his son with a "positive male role model." WHAT?
*And what custody dealings? What moronic Florida judge gave this father any access at all? Just what custody rights did Daddy have? Obviously not supervised visitation. Did this piece of crap have full custody? And what happened to Mom?
Dad is identified as WESLEY MCVAY.
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/9-investigates-father-arrested-child-abuse-charges/npWsx/
Posted: 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015 9
Investigates father arrested on child abuse charges after multiple DCF encounters
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Inside a nondescript block home on a quiet Conway-area street, investigators believe a 38-year-old registered sex offender hit his 9-year-old son so hard that it broke capillaries in the boy's face.
Neighbors told Channel 9's Karla Ray that they didn't know that Wesley McVay had been arrested.
"All I know is he loves his kid very much," neighbor Shaffie Mohammed said.
The Florida Department of Children and Families took McVay's son from him three weeks ago, after they reportedly found the boy with the facial injuries, bruises and belt wounds on his backside.
"Have you ever seen bruises or anything on the little boy?" Ray asked Mohammed. "No. Never," Mohammed said.
McVay was arrested Tuesday and charged with child abuse.
According to his arrest report, McVay has a history of encounters with DCF, in regards to child abuse allegations. All of those incidents included the same child.
When Ray asked DCF officials why the child wasn't taken from McVay sooner, they said the family's history wasn't public. No one from the agency would agree to an on-camera interview with Ray.
"I've seen a DCF truck come in here a couple of times but I don't get involved with it. That's his personal business. I don't get involved with it," Mohammed said.
McVay was found guilty of sexual assault in Texas in 1998.
The year before his son was born, McVay was convicted in Florida of failing to register as an offender.
According to custody filings that Ray examined, McVay wanted more access to his son so that the child would have a "positive male role model in his life."
"I'll be surprised. He's a really nice guy. He really takes care of his kid. He loves his kid, he really does," Mohammed said.
McVay was being held in the Orange County Jail.
Dad in "custody dispute" abducts 9-month-old daughter, threatens to kill her (Antioch, California)
UNNAMED DAD
http://antiochherald.com/2015/11/p19003/
Man arrested for taking his Antioch child from mother during custody dispute, threatening to kill her, Wednesday
By Corporal Powell Meads, Antioch Police Field Services Bureau
On Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at approximately 3:43 PM, Antioch Police Officers were dispatched to the 500 block of W 9th St for a custody dispute involving a 9-month-old female. Officers arrived on scene and contacted the child’s mother, a 19-year-old Antioch resident.
The child’s mother reported that during an argument, her estranged husband, a 20-year-old resident of Waterford, took their 9-month-old child and fled in a vehicle that did not have a car seat, while also driving recklessly. She reported that she continued to argue with the father via cell phone at which point he made threats to kill himself and the child.
The child and her father were eventually located at an apartment in Waterford. The child was not harmed and was returned to her mother. The child’s father was arrested for criminal threats and an unrelated felony warrant from Sacrament County.
This preliminary information is made available by the Field Services Bureau.
http://antiochherald.com/2015/11/p19003/
Man arrested for taking his Antioch child from mother during custody dispute, threatening to kill her, Wednesday
By Corporal Powell Meads, Antioch Police Field Services Bureau
On Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at approximately 3:43 PM, Antioch Police Officers were dispatched to the 500 block of W 9th St for a custody dispute involving a 9-month-old female. Officers arrived on scene and contacted the child’s mother, a 19-year-old Antioch resident.
The child’s mother reported that during an argument, her estranged husband, a 20-year-old resident of Waterford, took their 9-month-old child and fled in a vehicle that did not have a car seat, while also driving recklessly. She reported that she continued to argue with the father via cell phone at which point he made threats to kill himself and the child.
The child and her father were eventually located at an apartment in Waterford. The child was not harmed and was returned to her mother. The child’s father was arrested for criminal threats and an unrelated felony warrant from Sacrament County.
This preliminary information is made available by the Field Services Bureau.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Violent dad murders 4-week-old son during unsupervised visitation (Australia)
UNNAMED DAD in this article, but we've posted on this case before.
http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/alarm-bells-before-infant-fatally-bashed/ar-BBnpAsN
Alarm bells before infant fatally bashed
The father was 15 when he attacked his four-week-old son.
A parliamentary committee has questioned why a teenage father who had a convictions for violent offences was allowed unsupervised access to his premature infant son, who he fatally bashed.
The father was aged 15 and a ward of the state himself when he attacked his four-week-old son while visiting him at Bunbury Regional Hospital in February last year.
He was in March this year sentenced to 10 years in detention after pleading guilty to manslaughter.
Department for Child Protection and Family Support director-general Emma White was asked at a hearing on Wednesday about "alarm bells" involving the teenager, including his substance abuse and criminal convictions involving violence.
"There was no evidence that he'd harmed a child," she said. "We had nothing to suggest those vulnerabilities would result in the tragic situation."
http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/alarm-bells-before-infant-fatally-bashed/ar-BBnpAsN
Alarm bells before infant fatally bashed
The father was 15 when he attacked his four-week-old son.
A parliamentary committee has questioned why a teenage father who had a convictions for violent offences was allowed unsupervised access to his premature infant son, who he fatally bashed.
The father was aged 15 and a ward of the state himself when he attacked his four-week-old son while visiting him at Bunbury Regional Hospital in February last year.
He was in March this year sentenced to 10 years in detention after pleading guilty to manslaughter.
Department for Child Protection and Family Support director-general Emma White was asked at a hearing on Wednesday about "alarm bells" involving the teenager, including his substance abuse and criminal convictions involving violence.
"There was no evidence that he'd harmed a child," she said. "We had nothing to suggest those vulnerabilities would result in the tragic situation."
Monday, November 23, 2015
Police search for custodial dad with "criminal history"; 3-year-old daughter "missing" (Davie, Florida)
Florida is a leader in granting abusive fathers custody. Note that this article doesn't even question how or why a father with an unspecified "criminal history" like JUSTIN CALDWELL was awarded legal custody of a todder, now "missing." No names of the folks resposible for such a bizarre, anti-child decision.
So you still believe poor daddies are discriminated against? Bullsh**.
http://www.wsvn.com/story/30557372/davie-police-searching-for-child-who-went-missing-with-father
Davie Police searching for child who went missing with father
Posted: Nov 19, 2015 8:09 AM EST Updated: Nov 19, 2015 5:10 PM EST
DAVIE, Fla. (WSVN) -- The Davie Police Department is looking for the father of a 3-year-old who went missing, Thursday.
Miracle Hardin is described as 3 feet 2 inches tall, 32 pounds, with light brown curly hair and brown eyes. She is believed to be with her father, 22-year-old Justin Caldwell, who has legal custody of the child after she was removed from her mother's care.
Davie police are concerned for the child's safety as Caldwell does have a criminal history. "I had no idea that there was any problem with him," said Harriett Fiering.
Fiering lives next to Caldwell's last known address and never saw Hardin. According to police, Caldwell's girlfriend currently lives there. "I didn't even know she was living next door, 'cause the girl who rents out that unit has two children," said Fiering. "I was used to seeing them but I never saw ... I didn't even know he had a child."
Caldwell was previously living at a Davie apartment with his girlfriend at the time but has not been seen or heard from since Sunday. "We have been unable to contact the father to insure the welfare of the child," said Davie Police Capt. Dale Engle, "but Family Services received a call concerning the welfare of the child, and that's what prompted us to go out initially, and we want to make sure the child is OK."
Adding more difficulty to the situation, Caldwell does not own a vehicle, so authorities were unable to send out an Amber Alert for Hardin. "He doesn't have a car, so we need the public's assistance," said Engle. "Someone has seen this man with this child out there, and we just want to make sure the child is OK."
Officials do not believe Caldwell will hurt Hardin but are still searching for him.
The Florida Department of Children and Families are also investigating, along with Davie Police.
If anyone comes into contact with Miracle and/or Justin, please contact the Davie Police Department at (954) 693-8200.
So you still believe poor daddies are discriminated against? Bullsh**.
http://www.wsvn.com/story/30557372/davie-police-searching-for-child-who-went-missing-with-father
Davie Police searching for child who went missing with father
Posted: Nov 19, 2015 8:09 AM EST Updated: Nov 19, 2015 5:10 PM EST
DAVIE, Fla. (WSVN) -- The Davie Police Department is looking for the father of a 3-year-old who went missing, Thursday.
Miracle Hardin is described as 3 feet 2 inches tall, 32 pounds, with light brown curly hair and brown eyes. She is believed to be with her father, 22-year-old Justin Caldwell, who has legal custody of the child after she was removed from her mother's care.
Davie police are concerned for the child's safety as Caldwell does have a criminal history. "I had no idea that there was any problem with him," said Harriett Fiering.
Fiering lives next to Caldwell's last known address and never saw Hardin. According to police, Caldwell's girlfriend currently lives there. "I didn't even know she was living next door, 'cause the girl who rents out that unit has two children," said Fiering. "I was used to seeing them but I never saw ... I didn't even know he had a child."
Caldwell was previously living at a Davie apartment with his girlfriend at the time but has not been seen or heard from since Sunday. "We have been unable to contact the father to insure the welfare of the child," said Davie Police Capt. Dale Engle, "but Family Services received a call concerning the welfare of the child, and that's what prompted us to go out initially, and we want to make sure the child is OK."
Adding more difficulty to the situation, Caldwell does not own a vehicle, so authorities were unable to send out an Amber Alert for Hardin. "He doesn't have a car, so we need the public's assistance," said Engle. "Someone has seen this man with this child out there, and we just want to make sure the child is OK."
Officials do not believe Caldwell will hurt Hardin but are still searching for him.
The Florida Department of Children and Families are also investigating, along with Davie Police.
If anyone comes into contact with Miracle and/or Justin, please contact the Davie Police Department at (954) 693-8200.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Dad with custody/visitation charged with physically abusing sons (Eagle, Wisconsin)
As very often happens, Dad's custodial rights are not spelled out here. Whether he had full custody, joint custody, visitation or something else is not clear. But he had some kind of access. And how much you want to bet that he had a history of violence that the courts ignored when he was awarded access?
Dad is identified as KEVIN LOCK.
http://wsau.com/news/articles/2015/nov/16/father-charged-with-child-abuse-in-waukesha-county/
Father charged with child abuse in Waukesha County
Monday, November 16, 2015 4:28 p.m.
TOWN OF EAGLE, WI (WTAQ) - The father of two teenage boys is charged with two counts of physical abuse.
The mother of the 15-year-old boy called the sheriff's department after receiving a picture message from her son of fresh bruising while he was at her ex-husband's house November 9th.
42-year-old Kevin Jock was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court on November 10th.
The boy’s 17-year-old brother also had neck injuries and bruising, and told Emergency Services that he did not feel safe in his home when his father was there.
If convicted, Jock could face up to 7 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
Dad is identified as KEVIN LOCK.
http://wsau.com/news/articles/2015/nov/16/father-charged-with-child-abuse-in-waukesha-county/
Father charged with child abuse in Waukesha County
Monday, November 16, 2015 4:28 p.m.
TOWN OF EAGLE, WI (WTAQ) - The father of two teenage boys is charged with two counts of physical abuse.
The mother of the 15-year-old boy called the sheriff's department after receiving a picture message from her son of fresh bruising while he was at her ex-husband's house November 9th.
42-year-old Kevin Jock was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court on November 10th.
The boy’s 17-year-old brother also had neck injuries and bruising, and told Emergency Services that he did not feel safe in his home when his father was there.
If convicted, Jock could face up to 7 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
Congressman introduce "Talia's Law" after custodial dad kills 5-year-old daughter on military base--and avoids justice for 10 years (Honolulu, Hawaii)
There is a long backstory about how convicted killer dad NAEEM WILLIAMS managed to strip the protective mother of custody, abuse with impunity, and avoid going to trial for ten long years. Outrageous. Past posts on this case are here.
See the Killer Dads and Custody List for the State of Hawaii.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/talias-law-child-abuse-hawaii-military-bases_563b9fc2e4b0b24aee494b72
Hawaii Reps Introduce 'Talia's Law' To Prevent Child Abuse And Neglect On Military Bases Five-year-old Talia Williams was beaten to death by her Army father.
Chris D'Angelo Associate Editor, HuffPost Hawaii
Posted: 11/05/2015 06:26 PM EST | Edited: 11/05/2015 06:30 PM EST
HONOLULU -- Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Mark Takai (D-Hawaii) introduced federal legislation this week aimed at better protecting children from abuse on military bases.
The proposed law is named after Talia Williams, a 5-year-old who was beaten to death in 2005 by her father, Naeem Williams, then an active-duty infantryman stationed in Hawaii.
The girl's murder reportedly came after months of torture and abuse by both her father and stepmother, Delilah Williams.
According to Delilah Williams' court testimony, Talia was denied food for days at a time, duct-taped to a bed and whipped, and kept out of daycare to hide physical signs of her beatings.
Naeem Williams' fatal blow, prosecutors said, left knuckle imprints on the child's chest.
Legal proceedings revealed that multiple federal employees, including military police and employees at her on-base child care facility, failed to report suspected signs of Talia’s abuse.
"Despite multiple reports to officials at the Army base in Hawaii where Talia and her father lived, the system failed to protect her," Gabbard said Tuesday during a speech on the House floor.
Tarshia Williams/AP Lawmakers introduced "Talia's Law" after five-year-old Talia Williams was beaten to death by her Army father.
Currently, military professionals who come into contact with children are required to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect to a military point of contact, who is then supposed to notify the state Child Protective Services.
"Talia's Law" would "close the communications gap that may exist," according to a release from Gabbard's office, by requiring military professionals to immediately report such cases directly to state Child Protective Services as well as their military point of contact.
"Talia's tragic story is just one of over 29,000 cases of child abuse and neglect in military homes over the last decade," Gabbard said on the House floor. "This is a problem that demands better protections for our children in military families who are being abused, and better support for military families facing the stresses of war, multiple deployments and economic hardship."
A 2013 investigation by the Army Times found 118 children of Army soldiers died in the previous decade due to child abuse or neglect, and more than 1,400 Army children were subjected to sexual abuse.
“Our military keiki (children) should never feel unsafe or neglected," Takai said in a statement. "I hope that through Talia's Law we make the necessary changes to protect these military families and their children."
U.S. Army/Associated Press Talia Williams' father, Naeem Williams, neglected and fatally punched his daughter, which prompted Hawaii lawmakers to introduce "Talia's Law."
In February, Naeem Williams was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his daughter, and narrowly escaped the death penalty.
Hawaii outlawed the death penalty in 1957, but since the crime took place on military property, the case was tried in federal court, where the death penalty is allowed.
It was the first death penalty case to go to trial in Hawaii since capital punishment was abolished in the territory.
Delilah Williams was sentenced to 20 years in prison as part of a plea agreement.
Talia Williams' biological mother, Tarshia Williams, began pushing for new legislation shortly after she was awarded a $2 million settlement from the U.S. government in May over the death of her daughter.
“I would love for this law to get passed so it can help another child not go through what my daughter went through,” Tarshia Williams said in June.
See the Killer Dads and Custody List for the State of Hawaii.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/talias-law-child-abuse-hawaii-military-bases_563b9fc2e4b0b24aee494b72
Hawaii Reps Introduce 'Talia's Law' To Prevent Child Abuse And Neglect On Military Bases Five-year-old Talia Williams was beaten to death by her Army father.
Chris D'Angelo Associate Editor, HuffPost Hawaii
Posted: 11/05/2015 06:26 PM EST | Edited: 11/05/2015 06:30 PM EST
HONOLULU -- Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Mark Takai (D-Hawaii) introduced federal legislation this week aimed at better protecting children from abuse on military bases.
The proposed law is named after Talia Williams, a 5-year-old who was beaten to death in 2005 by her father, Naeem Williams, then an active-duty infantryman stationed in Hawaii.
The girl's murder reportedly came after months of torture and abuse by both her father and stepmother, Delilah Williams.
According to Delilah Williams' court testimony, Talia was denied food for days at a time, duct-taped to a bed and whipped, and kept out of daycare to hide physical signs of her beatings.
Naeem Williams' fatal blow, prosecutors said, left knuckle imprints on the child's chest.
Legal proceedings revealed that multiple federal employees, including military police and employees at her on-base child care facility, failed to report suspected signs of Talia’s abuse.
"Despite multiple reports to officials at the Army base in Hawaii where Talia and her father lived, the system failed to protect her," Gabbard said Tuesday during a speech on the House floor.
Tarshia Williams/AP Lawmakers introduced "Talia's Law" after five-year-old Talia Williams was beaten to death by her Army father.
Currently, military professionals who come into contact with children are required to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect to a military point of contact, who is then supposed to notify the state Child Protective Services.
"Talia's Law" would "close the communications gap that may exist," according to a release from Gabbard's office, by requiring military professionals to immediately report such cases directly to state Child Protective Services as well as their military point of contact.
"Talia's tragic story is just one of over 29,000 cases of child abuse and neglect in military homes over the last decade," Gabbard said on the House floor. "This is a problem that demands better protections for our children in military families who are being abused, and better support for military families facing the stresses of war, multiple deployments and economic hardship."
A 2013 investigation by the Army Times found 118 children of Army soldiers died in the previous decade due to child abuse or neglect, and more than 1,400 Army children were subjected to sexual abuse.
“Our military keiki (children) should never feel unsafe or neglected," Takai said in a statement. "I hope that through Talia's Law we make the necessary changes to protect these military families and their children."
U.S. Army/Associated Press Talia Williams' father, Naeem Williams, neglected and fatally punched his daughter, which prompted Hawaii lawmakers to introduce "Talia's Law."
In February, Naeem Williams was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his daughter, and narrowly escaped the death penalty.
Hawaii outlawed the death penalty in 1957, but since the crime took place on military property, the case was tried in federal court, where the death penalty is allowed.
It was the first death penalty case to go to trial in Hawaii since capital punishment was abolished in the territory.
Delilah Williams was sentenced to 20 years in prison as part of a plea agreement.
Talia Williams' biological mother, Tarshia Williams, began pushing for new legislation shortly after she was awarded a $2 million settlement from the U.S. government in May over the death of her daughter.
“I would love for this law to get passed so it can help another child not go through what my daughter went through,” Tarshia Williams said in June.
Custodial dad sentenced to life in prison for beating death of 12-year-old son (Paulding County, Georgia)
We've posted on this case several times over the last two years. And sure enough, the fact that SHAYAA FORBES was a custodial father has been erased by the time he is sentenced. The fact that CPS enabled his crimes for years--also erased. The fact that Daddy got custody despite a history of domestic violence--also erased. See here for past posts.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for the State of Georgia.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/judge-sentences-dad-life-prison-without-parole-aft/npJ8C/
Posted: 3:41 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, 2015
Dad sentenced to life in prison for beating son to death
PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A local father will spend the rest of his life in prison for the beating death of his 12-year-old son.
Channel 2 Action News had the only camera in the courtroom as a judge handed down the sentence.
Channel 2's Aaron Diamant says this is one of the most horrific cases of child abuse he's ever covered.
In court, prosecutors said Eric Forbes, 12, lived his life in constant fear and pain.
They described his father as an unremorseful liar who mercilessly pounded his defenseless son for years.
Rickee Forbes shrieked just minutes after a Paulding County judge sentence her son, Shayaa Forbes, to life in prison without parole.
"I'm shocked by what I heard here today as to what a human being can do to another human being for whatever reasons,” Judge Kenneth Vison said.
Earlier, Shayaa Forbes pleaded guilty to beating his son, Eric, to death in 2013 in their Acworth home.
Prosecutors told the judge Eric Forbes endured years of severe physical abuse by his father.
"He has no chance for parole. He has no chance at life because of the actions of the defendant. I'm asking that you hold him accountable,” prosecutor David Lyles said.
It took Lyles nearly an hour to list evidence of more than 100 recent and historic injuries discovered during Eric Forbes's autopsy.
"The first time I tried to get through it, I didn't finish it. There are literally are too many injuries on there to really comprehend,” Lyles said.
Shayaa Forbes' lawyers put up a couple character witnesses and read a statement from him
"I would like to give my deepest and sincerest apologies to my family," the lawyer said.
Eric Forbes' aunt seemed pleased with the sentence. "Losing my nephew is really no justice. If he's life in prison, then still, I'm still without my nephew. I'll never see him again,” Carrie Majors said.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for the State of Georgia.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/judge-sentences-dad-life-prison-without-parole-aft/npJ8C/
Posted: 3:41 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, 2015
Dad sentenced to life in prison for beating son to death
PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A local father will spend the rest of his life in prison for the beating death of his 12-year-old son.
Channel 2 Action News had the only camera in the courtroom as a judge handed down the sentence.
Channel 2's Aaron Diamant says this is one of the most horrific cases of child abuse he's ever covered.
In court, prosecutors said Eric Forbes, 12, lived his life in constant fear and pain.
They described his father as an unremorseful liar who mercilessly pounded his defenseless son for years.
Rickee Forbes shrieked just minutes after a Paulding County judge sentence her son, Shayaa Forbes, to life in prison without parole.
"I'm shocked by what I heard here today as to what a human being can do to another human being for whatever reasons,” Judge Kenneth Vison said.
Earlier, Shayaa Forbes pleaded guilty to beating his son, Eric, to death in 2013 in their Acworth home.
Prosecutors told the judge Eric Forbes endured years of severe physical abuse by his father.
"He has no chance for parole. He has no chance at life because of the actions of the defendant. I'm asking that you hold him accountable,” prosecutor David Lyles said.
It took Lyles nearly an hour to list evidence of more than 100 recent and historic injuries discovered during Eric Forbes's autopsy.
"The first time I tried to get through it, I didn't finish it. There are literally are too many injuries on there to really comprehend,” Lyles said.
Shayaa Forbes' lawyers put up a couple character witnesses and read a statement from him
"I would like to give my deepest and sincerest apologies to my family," the lawyer said.
Eric Forbes' aunt seemed pleased with the sentence. "Losing my nephew is really no justice. If he's life in prison, then still, I'm still without my nephew. I'll never see him again,” Carrie Majors said.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Decades after custodial dad brutally abused little boy, 36-year-old son dies from his injuries (Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
Famous case from the 1980s. Custodial dad is identified as RANDY DESHANEY. Basically got away with a tap on the wrist for destroying this boy's life, all while CPS enabled him to death.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/obituaries/joshua12-b99614381z1-346259422.html
Boy at center of famous 'Poor Joshua!' Supreme Court dissent dies
Joshua (DeShaney) Braam died Monday at 36, decades after horrendous abuse at the hand of his father led to a landmark court ruling.
Boy at center of famous 'Poor Joshua!' Supreme Court dissent dies
By Crocker Stephenson of the Journal Sentinel Nov. 11, 2015
Whatever childhood Joshua DeShaney might possibly have had ended at the age of 4, in the early spring of 1984, when his father delivered the semiconscious boy to Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh.
The boy's father, Randy DeShaney, received custody of his son in a 1980 divorce settlement in Wyoming and moved to Winnebago County. It is not clear how long the father abused his son. Officially, according to the meticulously kept but ultimately useless records compiled by the Winnebago County Department of Social Services, probably two years.
In early 1983, following a report of child abuse and hospitalization, the department recommended the boy be kept in the hospital. In a matter of days, the child was returned to his father. Again and again and again, a department social worker reported suspicion of child abuse. There were bruises, hospitalizations and days when Joshua was too "sick" to be seen. Again and again and again, the department made agreements with the father that the father then ignored.
In March 1984, the boy was brought to Mercy with new and old bruises over much of his body. Doctors opened Joshua's skull and found evidence of serious head injuries suffered over a period of time, leaving the boy with serious and permanent brain damage. His father said he had fallen down stairs.
Randy DeShaney was charged and convicted of child abuse, but served less than two years in jail.
And Joshua, who was 36 when he died on Monday, would go on to live two lives.
One would be private, spent in the care of his adoptive parents, Richard and Ginger Braam, who made room for Joshua in their Muskego home when he was 12.
The other would be public, preserved in a precedent-setting Supreme Court decision that to this day is cited in legal briefs, analyzed in law review articles and argued about in constitutional law classes.
Joshua's biological mother sued Winnebago County, arguing that child welfare workers violated Joshua's constitutional rights by failing to rescue him from his abusive father. Melody DeShaney sought compensatory and punitive damages under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.
To the consternation of many children's rights activists, a decision issued by the court in 1989 and authored for the majority by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, said they had not.
The due process clause, Rehnquist wrote, "is phrased as a limitation on the state's power to act, not as a guarantee of certain minimal levels of safety."
Due process, in other words, protects us from government intrusion. It does not compel the government to act.
Justice Harry Blackmun's dissent is one of the most famous of his career:
"Poor Joshua! Victim of repeated attacks by an irresponsible, bullying, cowardly, and intemperate father, and abandoned by (child protective services), who placed him in a dangerous predicament and who knew or learned what was going on, and yet did nothing....
"It is a sad commentary upon American life, and constitutional principles — so full of late of patriotic fervor and proud proclamations about 'liberty and justice for all' that this child, Joshua DeShaney, now is assigned to live out the remainder of his life profoundly retarded. Joshua and his mother, as petitioners here, deserve — but now are denied by this Court — the opportunity to have the facts of their case considered in the light of the constitution...."
The storm spawned by the Supreme Court's decision blew over the Braam's home in Muskego. "We didn't pay a lot of attention to the politics," Ginger Braam said.
"What we've tried to do is provide Joshua with what he didn't have — a family and a home.
We were content to have him a part of our family.
"He made a difference in our lives."
Besides Richard and Ginger Braam, Joshua is survived by 15 adoptive and foster siblings. Joshua (DeShaney) Braam Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Wednesday with funeral services to follow at 2 p.m. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, S66-W14325 Janesville Road, Muskego.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/obituaries/joshua12-b99614381z1-346259422.html
Boy at center of famous 'Poor Joshua!' Supreme Court dissent dies
Joshua (DeShaney) Braam died Monday at 36, decades after horrendous abuse at the hand of his father led to a landmark court ruling.
Boy at center of famous 'Poor Joshua!' Supreme Court dissent dies
By Crocker Stephenson of the Journal Sentinel Nov. 11, 2015
Whatever childhood Joshua DeShaney might possibly have had ended at the age of 4, in the early spring of 1984, when his father delivered the semiconscious boy to Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh.
The boy's father, Randy DeShaney, received custody of his son in a 1980 divorce settlement in Wyoming and moved to Winnebago County. It is not clear how long the father abused his son. Officially, according to the meticulously kept but ultimately useless records compiled by the Winnebago County Department of Social Services, probably two years.
In early 1983, following a report of child abuse and hospitalization, the department recommended the boy be kept in the hospital. In a matter of days, the child was returned to his father. Again and again and again, a department social worker reported suspicion of child abuse. There were bruises, hospitalizations and days when Joshua was too "sick" to be seen. Again and again and again, the department made agreements with the father that the father then ignored.
In March 1984, the boy was brought to Mercy with new and old bruises over much of his body. Doctors opened Joshua's skull and found evidence of serious head injuries suffered over a period of time, leaving the boy with serious and permanent brain damage. His father said he had fallen down stairs.
Randy DeShaney was charged and convicted of child abuse, but served less than two years in jail.
And Joshua, who was 36 when he died on Monday, would go on to live two lives.
One would be private, spent in the care of his adoptive parents, Richard and Ginger Braam, who made room for Joshua in their Muskego home when he was 12.
The other would be public, preserved in a precedent-setting Supreme Court decision that to this day is cited in legal briefs, analyzed in law review articles and argued about in constitutional law classes.
Joshua's biological mother sued Winnebago County, arguing that child welfare workers violated Joshua's constitutional rights by failing to rescue him from his abusive father. Melody DeShaney sought compensatory and punitive damages under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.
To the consternation of many children's rights activists, a decision issued by the court in 1989 and authored for the majority by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, said they had not.
The due process clause, Rehnquist wrote, "is phrased as a limitation on the state's power to act, not as a guarantee of certain minimal levels of safety."
Due process, in other words, protects us from government intrusion. It does not compel the government to act.
Justice Harry Blackmun's dissent is one of the most famous of his career:
"Poor Joshua! Victim of repeated attacks by an irresponsible, bullying, cowardly, and intemperate father, and abandoned by (child protective services), who placed him in a dangerous predicament and who knew or learned what was going on, and yet did nothing....
"It is a sad commentary upon American life, and constitutional principles — so full of late of patriotic fervor and proud proclamations about 'liberty and justice for all' that this child, Joshua DeShaney, now is assigned to live out the remainder of his life profoundly retarded. Joshua and his mother, as petitioners here, deserve — but now are denied by this Court — the opportunity to have the facts of their case considered in the light of the constitution...."
The storm spawned by the Supreme Court's decision blew over the Braam's home in Muskego. "We didn't pay a lot of attention to the politics," Ginger Braam said.
"What we've tried to do is provide Joshua with what he didn't have — a family and a home.
We were content to have him a part of our family.
"He made a difference in our lives."
Besides Richard and Ginger Braam, Joshua is survived by 15 adoptive and foster siblings. Joshua (DeShaney) Braam Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Wednesday with funeral services to follow at 2 p.m. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, S66-W14325 Janesville Road, Muskego.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Suffer the children: Trouble in the Family Court (Australia)
This is just a portion of a much longer article appearing in The Monthly, an Autralian publication. Highly recommended.
https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2015/november/1446296400/jess-hill/suffer-children
Suffer the children
Trouble in the Family Court
By Jess Hill
November 2015
When Erin saw the police lights flashing, she knew it was over. She steered the car to the side of the road, and turned to her two children. “OK guys, this is it,” she said. “We’ve done our best.”
Her teenaged daughter started to panic. “Fuck! Oh my god!” she cried. “I can’t do this. You can’t leave us!” She grabbed for the bottle of Panadol in the centre console, insisting she wanted to die. “No!” Erin said firmly. “Settle, just settle.”
As the police officer approached with a warrant, Erin got out of her car. She asked for time to talk to her two children, and promised she’d follow him to the station. Back in the car, Erin tried to remain calm. “I am so sorry I have put you through all of this. This is not the life I wanted for you. Always remember how much I love you.”
“What’s going to happen to us?” her 10-year-old son cried. “I don’t know,” Erin replied. “You just need to tell the truth.”
By the time the police caught up with them, Erin had been on the run with her children for nine months. She was now confronting a reality she’d been avoiding for years.
Since their children were born, and ever since he’d first held a knife to her throat, Erin had tried to manage her husband’s abuse. In 2012, however, a warning from her GP had broken through her denial. In front of their screaming kids, John had throttled Erin until her eyes rolled back in her head. “If you don’t leave,” her GP warned, “you’re as bad as he is.”
Erin did leave, and took the children to live with her parents interstate. Soon after, the Family Court granted John regular access to his kids. For the next year, Erin weighed her responsibility to her children, who were terrified of their father, against the risks of disobeying Family Court orders. There was a further complication: Erin had consented to the orders granting John fortnightly access – under pressure from her lawyer, she says, who advised that if she didn’t compromise, John could end up with sole custody.
https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2015/november/1446296400/jess-hill/suffer-children
Suffer the children
Trouble in the Family Court
By Jess Hill
November 2015
When Erin saw the police lights flashing, she knew it was over. She steered the car to the side of the road, and turned to her two children. “OK guys, this is it,” she said. “We’ve done our best.”
Her teenaged daughter started to panic. “Fuck! Oh my god!” she cried. “I can’t do this. You can’t leave us!” She grabbed for the bottle of Panadol in the centre console, insisting she wanted to die. “No!” Erin said firmly. “Settle, just settle.”
As the police officer approached with a warrant, Erin got out of her car. She asked for time to talk to her two children, and promised she’d follow him to the station. Back in the car, Erin tried to remain calm. “I am so sorry I have put you through all of this. This is not the life I wanted for you. Always remember how much I love you.”
“What’s going to happen to us?” her 10-year-old son cried. “I don’t know,” Erin replied. “You just need to tell the truth.”
By the time the police caught up with them, Erin had been on the run with her children for nine months. She was now confronting a reality she’d been avoiding for years.
Since their children were born, and ever since he’d first held a knife to her throat, Erin had tried to manage her husband’s abuse. In 2012, however, a warning from her GP had broken through her denial. In front of their screaming kids, John had throttled Erin until her eyes rolled back in her head. “If you don’t leave,” her GP warned, “you’re as bad as he is.”
Erin did leave, and took the children to live with her parents interstate. Soon after, the Family Court granted John regular access to his kids. For the next year, Erin weighed her responsibility to her children, who were terrified of their father, against the risks of disobeying Family Court orders. There was a further complication: Erin had consented to the orders granting John fortnightly access – under pressure from her lawyer, she says, who advised that if she didn’t compromise, John could end up with sole custody.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Dad indicted for killing 17-month-old son during weekend visitation (Aurora, Colorado)
Though this article is pretty vague, an earlier article on this case reports that this little boy's injuries took place during dad ROMON ENDERS' weekend visitation. This particular article is not real clear whether this was at the mom's discretion (for what it's worth) or court-ordered.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Colorado.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/front-range/aurora/aurora-father-indicted-in-17-month-old-sons-death
Aurora father indicted in 17-month-old son's death
Mother: 'Jayden will finally get justice'
By: Jaclyn Allen Posted: 9:12 PM, Oct 30, 2015
Updated: 11:09 PM, Oct 30, 2015
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Colorado.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/front-range/aurora/aurora-father-indicted-in-17-month-old-sons-death
Aurora father indicted in 17-month-old son's death
Mother: 'Jayden will finally get justice'
By: Jaclyn Allen Posted: 9:12 PM, Oct 30, 2015
Updated: 11:09 PM, Oct 30, 2015
Seven months after 17-month-old Jayden Hernandez died, an Adams County Grand Jury has indicted the boy's father, Romon Enders, in his death.
Enders faces a felony charge of child abuse resulting in death and is being held on a $100,000 bond.
"For the first time in a long time, I feel relieved and safe." said Jolene Hernandez, Jayden's mother. "Jayden's finally going to get justice."
The autopsy report showed that Jayden died from blunt trauma to the head March 24, 2015.
He had been in the his father's custody, but in a previous letter sent to Denver7, Enders' attorney suggested Jaden's mother could be to blame.
Last week, however, an Adams County Grand Jury indicted Enders.
For Jolene Hernandez, the arrest doesn't bring back the little boy who would have turned two last week. His twin sister, Leah, celebrated her birthday, and they baked a cake for Jayden, too.
Now, they are getting ready for a trial and for one milestone holiday after the next without Jayden.
"Now I have to be Jayden's voice," said Hernandez. "And in the future, I want Leah to say, 'Gosh, my mom was so strong. She did what she had to do to fight for me and fight for my brother.'"
Enders is scheduled to be in court for an advisement hearing Nov. 5.
Denver 7 contacted the public defenders office for a statement from Enders, but his attorney stated in an email that they have no comment.
Dad found guilty of 3rd-degree murder in death of 4-year-old son; was separated from mother and baby abused during dad's visitation (Reading, Pennsylvania)
All the evidence points to Dad EUGENE JIMINEZ abusing this baby virtually from birth. Contrary to
father's rights squawking about how mother's "gate keep" and keep Daddy away, the mother apparently facilitated visitation--though it may be a case of court-ordered visitation covered up by the press. At any rate, the mother's (apparent) cooperation and "niceness" lead to the death of this baby. And notice all the sickos cheering Daddy on with all their support. Disgusting.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Pennsylvania.
http://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/father-guilty-of-3rd-degree-murder-in-death-of-4-month-old-son
Father guilty of 3rd-degree murder in death of 4-month-old son
Saturday October 31, 2015 12:01 AM
By Stephanie Weaver
Reading, PA — Tears flowed on both sides of the Berks County courtroom Friday night as Eugene Jimenez was found guilty of third-degree murder in the death of his 4-month-old son, Ayden.
After a brief moment of relief at hearing "not guilty" to the charge of first-degree murder, Jimenez sat with his head in his hands as the rest of the verdicts were read.
Jimenez turned in shock to the group of crying family and friends gathered to support him, his own eyes red as sheriff's deputies placed him in shackles to be returned to Berks County Prison.
"Stay strong," supporters said, as Jimenez nodded.
According to testimony, Ayden Jimenez died on Feb. 4, 2009, at Lehigh Valley Hospital near Allentown due to complications from several injuries consistent with child abuse.
An autopsy of the infant's body showed he had bleeding in two areas of his brain, broken ribs, a fractured wrist and a fractured ankle. Some of the injuries were determined to have occurred as early as December 2008, while one of the brain injuries was only hours old.
Jimenez, 29, of the 1500 block of Hill Road was charged with causing his son's death in October 2013 following a Berks grand jury investigation.
The jury reached the verdict about 8 o'clock after spending roughly seven hours in deliberations, concluding the four-day trial before Judge Thomas G. Parisi.
In addition to third-degree murder, the jury convicted Jimenez of endangering the welfare of a child and three counts of aggravated assault for the injuries to Ayden's brain, ribs and left wrist.
The jury found him not guilty of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated assault for the ankle injury and four counts of simple assault.
Parisi scheduled sentencing for December.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Jonathan H. Kurland said it was a difficult case and that he appreciated the jury's thoroughness in rendering its verdict. "These cases are always tremendously difficult because of the nature of the evidence and because these crimes are always committed in secret," he said. "The challenges were compounded with how old the allegations were."
Kurland thanked Berks County Children and Youth and Detective Harold Shenk for their diligent investigations.
Defense attorney Nicholas C. Stroumbakis said Jimenez has no prior record nor any outstanding charges. "We certainly respect the jury's verdict, but we're disappointed with their findings," he said.
Ayden's mother, Emerlie Serrano, did not wish to comment on the case following the verdict.
According to testimony, Ayden and his 2-year-old sister, Janessa, were cared for by babysitters Anibal and Lydia Olmeda on Feb. 3, 2009, while Jimenez and Serrano were at work.
The Olmedas said Ayden was sick and quiet, but they didn't notice anything else out of the ordinary. Anibal Olmeda picked Jimenez up from work and dropped him and the children off at Serrano's apartment.
Olmed and his family returned to the apartment about two hours later to drop off some of the baby's things.
Jimenez met Anibal Olmeda at the door and asked him to come in and look at Ayden.
Anibal Olmeda said it was obvious something was wrong with the baby and he rushed Jimenez and the children to the hospital.
In his closing statement, Stroumbakis reminded the jury there was no testimony that anyone ever saw Jimenez acting violently or inappropriately toward Ayden.
He said Jimenez had limited time with the baby after being kicked out of Serrano's apartment from November 2008 until mid-January 2009.
He said the only time there was evidence of Ayden being injured while in Jimenez's care was on Dec. 15, 2008, when he suffered a broken ankle.
Jimenez told Serrano and medical professionals that Janessa had bumped into the baby and jammed his leg.
Jimenez's younger sister also testified that she saw Janessa jump on the baby that day.
Kurland argued that the only way Ayden could tell the jury what happened to him was through the evidence from his autopsy.
He said the medical reports and opinions of numerous doctors provided proof that Ayden's injuries were from continuing and escalating child abuse.
Then, using the medically-determined times of when the injuries occurred, Kurland argued that each injury matched up with a time when Jimenez had an opportunity to have exclusive care of the baby.
father's rights squawking about how mother's "gate keep" and keep Daddy away, the mother apparently facilitated visitation--though it may be a case of court-ordered visitation covered up by the press. At any rate, the mother's (apparent) cooperation and "niceness" lead to the death of this baby. And notice all the sickos cheering Daddy on with all their support. Disgusting.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Pennsylvania.
http://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/father-guilty-of-3rd-degree-murder-in-death-of-4-month-old-son
Father guilty of 3rd-degree murder in death of 4-month-old son
Saturday October 31, 2015 12:01 AM
By Stephanie Weaver
Reading, PA — Tears flowed on both sides of the Berks County courtroom Friday night as Eugene Jimenez was found guilty of third-degree murder in the death of his 4-month-old son, Ayden.
After a brief moment of relief at hearing "not guilty" to the charge of first-degree murder, Jimenez sat with his head in his hands as the rest of the verdicts were read.
Jimenez turned in shock to the group of crying family and friends gathered to support him, his own eyes red as sheriff's deputies placed him in shackles to be returned to Berks County Prison.
"Stay strong," supporters said, as Jimenez nodded.
According to testimony, Ayden Jimenez died on Feb. 4, 2009, at Lehigh Valley Hospital near Allentown due to complications from several injuries consistent with child abuse.
An autopsy of the infant's body showed he had bleeding in two areas of his brain, broken ribs, a fractured wrist and a fractured ankle. Some of the injuries were determined to have occurred as early as December 2008, while one of the brain injuries was only hours old.
Jimenez, 29, of the 1500 block of Hill Road was charged with causing his son's death in October 2013 following a Berks grand jury investigation.
The jury reached the verdict about 8 o'clock after spending roughly seven hours in deliberations, concluding the four-day trial before Judge Thomas G. Parisi.
In addition to third-degree murder, the jury convicted Jimenez of endangering the welfare of a child and three counts of aggravated assault for the injuries to Ayden's brain, ribs and left wrist.
The jury found him not guilty of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated assault for the ankle injury and four counts of simple assault.
Parisi scheduled sentencing for December.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Jonathan H. Kurland said it was a difficult case and that he appreciated the jury's thoroughness in rendering its verdict. "These cases are always tremendously difficult because of the nature of the evidence and because these crimes are always committed in secret," he said. "The challenges were compounded with how old the allegations were."
Kurland thanked Berks County Children and Youth and Detective Harold Shenk for their diligent investigations.
Defense attorney Nicholas C. Stroumbakis said Jimenez has no prior record nor any outstanding charges. "We certainly respect the jury's verdict, but we're disappointed with their findings," he said.
Ayden's mother, Emerlie Serrano, did not wish to comment on the case following the verdict.
According to testimony, Ayden and his 2-year-old sister, Janessa, were cared for by babysitters Anibal and Lydia Olmeda on Feb. 3, 2009, while Jimenez and Serrano were at work.
The Olmedas said Ayden was sick and quiet, but they didn't notice anything else out of the ordinary. Anibal Olmeda picked Jimenez up from work and dropped him and the children off at Serrano's apartment.
Olmed and his family returned to the apartment about two hours later to drop off some of the baby's things.
Jimenez met Anibal Olmeda at the door and asked him to come in and look at Ayden.
Anibal Olmeda said it was obvious something was wrong with the baby and he rushed Jimenez and the children to the hospital.
In his closing statement, Stroumbakis reminded the jury there was no testimony that anyone ever saw Jimenez acting violently or inappropriately toward Ayden.
He said Jimenez had limited time with the baby after being kicked out of Serrano's apartment from November 2008 until mid-January 2009.
He said the only time there was evidence of Ayden being injured while in Jimenez's care was on Dec. 15, 2008, when he suffered a broken ankle.
Jimenez told Serrano and medical professionals that Janessa had bumped into the baby and jammed his leg.
Jimenez's younger sister also testified that she saw Janessa jump on the baby that day.
Kurland argued that the only way Ayden could tell the jury what happened to him was through the evidence from his autopsy.
He said the medical reports and opinions of numerous doctors provided proof that Ayden's injuries were from continuing and escalating child abuse.
Then, using the medically-determined times of when the injuries occurred, Kurland argued that each injury matched up with a time when Jimenez had an opportunity to have exclusive care of the baby.
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