At first you might chalk some of this up to incompetence. But as it goes on and on, down to this freaking piece of sh** of a father CONTINUING to get UNSUPERVISED VISITATION that this is thorough and complete corruption of the family court system by the fathers rights people.
And all their names are being withheld to "protect" the identity of the boy. The boy they set up for torture. Uh huh.
http://www.ottawasun.com/2016/04/29/mountie-in-child-abuse-trial-has-unsupervised-visits-with-his-other-children
Mountie in child abuse trial has unsupervised visits with his other children
By Gary Dimmock
First posted: Friday, April 29, 2016 08:16 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, April 29, 2016 08:36 PM EDT
The Mountie on trial for torturing and starving his shackled, naked 11-year-old son in a darkened Kanata basement is free on bail and has unsupervised weekend visits with his two other sons, who are younger than the first-born son he is accused of almost starving to death in 2013.
The father, who has admitted that he burned his oldest son’s genitals because he thought the boy was the devil, can still play with his other sons on weekends. The unsupervised visits happen outside of Ottawa and the stepmother, who is also on trial, is not present for the visits.
The father has said he chained and handcuffed his son in the basement, and that he rationed the boy’s meals down to just two peanut-butter pitas a day. He also confessed that he burned his son with a lighter and once hit him so hard with the back of his hand that the boy was left with a broken tooth, court has heard.
The victim was sent to live with his father after his mother died in 2009. The boy’s maternal grandmother went to court in 2011 to try to win visitation rights, but a judge rejected her motion. The boy was distraught about his mother’s death and torn between his maternal and paternal family. The judge who dismissed the grandmother’s motion relied on the Mountie’s story and the child psychologist he enlisted.
The psychologist recommended the boy should remain in the full-time care of the father and his wife, both of whom are now on trial.
The same psychologist told the boy’s father in 2010 that he couldn’t “terrorize” his son, and warned him that if he kept punishing the boy, he’d have to call in the child-protection office.
The judge who heard the case was also aware of allegations that the Mountie was an abusive father.
Still, the judge ruled the boy’s maternal family could not have visitation rights. In the 2011 decision, the judge said the father was to send report cards and a school photograph of the boy to his maternal relatives. And if there was correspondence between the boy and his maternal family, the judge ruled that the controlling Mountie was allowed to read all letters sent to the boy he later tortured.
Two years after that ruling, on Feb. 12, 2013, the boy escaped his chains and fled his Kanata basement in search of water. He weighed only 50 pounds and doctors said he had almost starved to death.
One neighbour spotted the boy crouched at his garden tap with an empty water bottle in hand, so he filled it up for the boy in the kitchen, handing it back to him through the patio door.
“I thought I was looking at a ghost. His face was sunken. He looked very old,” the neighbour testified last year at the trial, which began last September.
The boy’s father and stepmother are accused of keeping the boy shackled in their basement for six months. Both are charged with aggravated assault, forcible confinement, and failure to provide necessities of life.
One of their neighbours testified that the boy showed up at their front door around suppertime on the day of his escape.
She told court that she hadn’t seen the boy in a year and a half.
He used to be “chubby, happy and full of energy,” she said. “He was completely changed. I couldn’t recognize him.”
The boy appeared nervous, she said, and fumbled for piggy-bank change from his pocket, offering it while asking if he could stay at her home.
She started walking the boy back to his own home, but when the boy complained of back pain, her husband called the police.
Crown attorney Michael Boyce also called another neighbour to testify about the boy. She said he was small for his age, and occasionally wasn’t wearing proper winter clothes while waiting for the morning school bus, usually alone and across the street from where the other kids stood while his father watched from a car parked down the road.
The woman testified that the boy wasn’t allowed to go to birthday parties in the neighbourhood. She said that when she offered the thirsty boy a juice box, he said he had to go ask his father for permission. The boy returned and said he wasn’t allowed, the neighbour recalled.
The boy’s father and stepmother are prohibited from talking to one another, according to their bail conditions. The suspended Mountie is also charged with careless storage of 9-mm Luger. Lawyers for both of the accused declined to comment Friday.
The Children’s Aid Society has a policy not to comment on such cases.
The trial, presided by Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Maranger, continues Monday.
There is a publication ban on several witnesses — including the child psychologist — to protect the identity of the boy.
Showing posts with label starvation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label starvation. Show all posts
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
Custodial dad has "pain inside" for torturing son (Ottawa, Canada)
Frankly, UNNAMED DAD sounds like a sociopath. He's aping the language of "feeling" and "victimization" when he doesn't feel a thing. In other words, he's a total bullsh**ter.
http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/i-am-in-pain-inside-suspended-mountie-says-as-child-abuse-trial-continues-1.2879448
'I am in pain inside' suspended Mountie says, as child abuse trial continues
Joanne Schnurr, CTV Ottawa Published Thursday, April 28, 2016 4:58PM EDT
Last Updated Thursday, April 28, 2016 5:01PM EDT
A suspended Mountie continued his assertions in an Ottawa court today that he had been a victim of abuse and that, in a fog; he had seen his son as the enemy during the time in which he beat and confined him. The Crown prosecutor was having none of that. The focus today was finding the truth and that discussion led to a combative day between the Crown and the accused who maintained he was legally responsible for abusing his son but not morally.
The boy was just 7 years old when he moved in with his father and stepmother after his birth mother died. Within 4 months of that move, he would spend his first night sleeping in the unfinished basement as punishment.
"He was out of control from the moment he arrived," the father testified in court today, "I was constantly putting out fires."
The 44-year-old father is a suspended RCMP officer, on trial, along with his 36-year-old wife, for confining his son and denying him the necessities of life. The father is also charged with sexual assault.
The man told court that he had hired a child psychologist to ostensibly deal with his son's behavior. When the doctor suggested that the father was "terrorizing his son", court heard that the father ended sessions.
The accused has maintained throughout the Crown's cross examination that he was a man under duress, driven by the demons from his past to view his own son as a demon.
"I don't know what the hell I was doing,” he told court, “why I beat my son, why I burned him."
He has agreed to the abuse, but is mounting a defense, trying to prove he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after he says he was raped as child in Lebanon; that he internalized this abuse and saw his son as the enemy.
After 4 years of living in this situation, the son escaped from the chains binding him in the basement and managed to flee the house while rest of family was shopping. He was 11 years old at this point in time and weighed 50 pounds. Doctors at CHEO, who examined him, said he almost starved to death.
When the father returned home and found him missing, he called 911. That was February 12, 2013.
"I’m guilty of this,” he told the 911 operator, “I did bad things with him. I did bad things to him and I regret it."
From here, followed a frustrating exchange between the Crown, trying to prove this man knew exactly what he was doing, and the father maintaining he was living in a fog.
At one point, the Crown presented a 6-foot long piece of wood flooring; similar to what the father admits he used to hit his son.
"Did you hit him on the arm?" the Crown asked.
"I don't know," he answered.
"Did you hit him on the stomach or the head?"
"I don't know," he repeated.
He said he remembers hitting and burning his son but added he didn't rationalize what he was doing. The trial continues tomorrow.
http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/i-am-in-pain-inside-suspended-mountie-says-as-child-abuse-trial-continues-1.2879448
'I am in pain inside' suspended Mountie says, as child abuse trial continues
Joanne Schnurr, CTV Ottawa Published Thursday, April 28, 2016 4:58PM EDT
Last Updated Thursday, April 28, 2016 5:01PM EDT
A suspended Mountie continued his assertions in an Ottawa court today that he had been a victim of abuse and that, in a fog; he had seen his son as the enemy during the time in which he beat and confined him. The Crown prosecutor was having none of that. The focus today was finding the truth and that discussion led to a combative day between the Crown and the accused who maintained he was legally responsible for abusing his son but not morally.
The boy was just 7 years old when he moved in with his father and stepmother after his birth mother died. Within 4 months of that move, he would spend his first night sleeping in the unfinished basement as punishment.
"He was out of control from the moment he arrived," the father testified in court today, "I was constantly putting out fires."
The 44-year-old father is a suspended RCMP officer, on trial, along with his 36-year-old wife, for confining his son and denying him the necessities of life. The father is also charged with sexual assault.
The man told court that he had hired a child psychologist to ostensibly deal with his son's behavior. When the doctor suggested that the father was "terrorizing his son", court heard that the father ended sessions.
The accused has maintained throughout the Crown's cross examination that he was a man under duress, driven by the demons from his past to view his own son as a demon.
"I don't know what the hell I was doing,” he told court, “why I beat my son, why I burned him."
He has agreed to the abuse, but is mounting a defense, trying to prove he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after he says he was raped as child in Lebanon; that he internalized this abuse and saw his son as the enemy.
After 4 years of living in this situation, the son escaped from the chains binding him in the basement and managed to flee the house while rest of family was shopping. He was 11 years old at this point in time and weighed 50 pounds. Doctors at CHEO, who examined him, said he almost starved to death.
When the father returned home and found him missing, he called 911. That was February 12, 2013.
"I’m guilty of this,” he told the 911 operator, “I did bad things with him. I did bad things to him and I regret it."
From here, followed a frustrating exchange between the Crown, trying to prove this man knew exactly what he was doing, and the father maintaining he was living in a fog.
At one point, the Crown presented a 6-foot long piece of wood flooring; similar to what the father admits he used to hit his son.
"Did you hit him on the arm?" the Crown asked.
"I don't know," he answered.
"Did you hit him on the stomach or the head?"
"I don't know," he repeated.
He said he remembers hitting and burning his son but added he didn't rationalize what he was doing. The trial continues tomorrow.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Custodial dad, step charged with murdering 7-year-old son; mom had "limited rights" (Korea)
Dad is identified only as WON-YOUNG. This article actually acknowledges that this boy had a mother who was denied contact. But it is light on the details as to who in authority allowed this father to have custody, and refuses to link the problem of abusive fathers getting custody with crimes like this one.
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160313000184
Father, stepmother tried to cover up brutal abuse of 7-year-old
Published : 2016-03-13 15:34
Updated : 2016-03-13 17:33
The body of a 7-year-old boy, which police were searching for since last week, was discovered buried at a mountain in Cheongbuk, Gyeonggi Province, on Saturday.
He was allegedly killed from months of abuse and confinement by his father and stepmother.
The father and stepmother of Shin Won-young reportedly confessed to police on Friday that they had hid the body of the boy for 10 days before burying him in the mountain on Feb. 12.
The 38-year-old stepmother identified as Kim reportedly confessed to locking Won-young up in a bathroom since November last year, feeding him only once a day and repeatedly abusing him such as by pouring icy water or chlorine bleach on him.
The preliminary autopsy by the National Forensic Service on Saturday showed the boy had suffered from starvation, multiple hypodermal bleeding and hypothermia, among other things.
Won-young’s death is the fourth high-profile case of brutal child abuse discovered this year. Search for the boy was initiated as part of the intensified nationwide survey on children who have not been admitted to school in time or have been absent for a long time.
Won-young’s biological father, identified only by his surname, admitted to finding Won-young dead on Feb. 2, a day after he allegedly suffered another round of beating by his stepmother.
The couple testified that they had wrapped the body of the boy and kept him hidden at their veranda at home before moving and burying the body some 5-meters away from the gravesite of the man’s father.
The couple had given mixed testimonies of their whereabouts. Credit card records had placed them near the mountain, before they confessed.
The police excavated the body of the boy early Saturday morning.
The police are planning to charge both with murder. They said Shin had admitted to having known about the abuse by his new wife but that he had been afraid of facing punishment.
The couple had also allegedly attempted to cover up their crime by sending each other text messages after Won-young’s death.
One of the messages sent by Shin to Kim read, “Won-young is doing ok right?,” to which Kim responded, “He ate well and even brushed his teeth.” The messages were exchanged on Feb. 3, the day after Won-young’s body was found in the bathroom.
Since being arrested earlier last week, they have also given mixed testimonies including how they left Won-young on a street, resulting in hundreds of members of the police force and various equipment, such as drones, being mobilized in search of the missing child.
The funeral of Won-young was carried out on Sunday and it was reportedly attended by his birthmother, who had divorced Shin some three years ago with limited visitation rights to her son. The mother had reportedly lost contact with Won-young and his sister, who has also been living with the father and the stepmother since August, 2014.
Controversy persists over the legal and systematic loopholes in protecting children from abuse, especially from their parents, as such acts by them are considered easier to hide.
Reports said that while there was evidence since 2013, such as pictures of Won-young’s beaten-up legs taken by a child protection agency, neither his father nor his stepmother had been questioned by the police. At the time, there were no regulations that required police to accompany counselors in suspected cases of child abuse.
The officials attempted to move Won-young to a child protection facility in 2014 but this was refused by his father. There were no legal grounds to force the separation.
Special laws were enacted in 2014, bestowing greater authority to the police and counselors at child protection organizations to investigate child abuses cases. Additional revisions to relevant laws have been made this year to better protect children but experts have pointed to a need for more fundamental changes, such as in the areas of social perception toward abuse by parents and chronic insufficiencies in budget and the workforce at child protection agencies. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160313000184
Father, stepmother tried to cover up brutal abuse of 7-year-old
Published : 2016-03-13 15:34
Updated : 2016-03-13 17:33
The body of a 7-year-old boy, which police were searching for since last week, was discovered buried at a mountain in Cheongbuk, Gyeonggi Province, on Saturday.
He was allegedly killed from months of abuse and confinement by his father and stepmother.
The father and stepmother of Shin Won-young reportedly confessed to police on Friday that they had hid the body of the boy for 10 days before burying him in the mountain on Feb. 12.
The 38-year-old stepmother identified as Kim reportedly confessed to locking Won-young up in a bathroom since November last year, feeding him only once a day and repeatedly abusing him such as by pouring icy water or chlorine bleach on him.
The preliminary autopsy by the National Forensic Service on Saturday showed the boy had suffered from starvation, multiple hypodermal bleeding and hypothermia, among other things.
Won-young’s death is the fourth high-profile case of brutal child abuse discovered this year. Search for the boy was initiated as part of the intensified nationwide survey on children who have not been admitted to school in time or have been absent for a long time.
Won-young’s biological father, identified only by his surname, admitted to finding Won-young dead on Feb. 2, a day after he allegedly suffered another round of beating by his stepmother.
The couple testified that they had wrapped the body of the boy and kept him hidden at their veranda at home before moving and burying the body some 5-meters away from the gravesite of the man’s father.
The couple had given mixed testimonies of their whereabouts. Credit card records had placed them near the mountain, before they confessed.
The police excavated the body of the boy early Saturday morning.
The police are planning to charge both with murder. They said Shin had admitted to having known about the abuse by his new wife but that he had been afraid of facing punishment.
The couple had also allegedly attempted to cover up their crime by sending each other text messages after Won-young’s death.
One of the messages sent by Shin to Kim read, “Won-young is doing ok right?,” to which Kim responded, “He ate well and even brushed his teeth.” The messages were exchanged on Feb. 3, the day after Won-young’s body was found in the bathroom.
Since being arrested earlier last week, they have also given mixed testimonies including how they left Won-young on a street, resulting in hundreds of members of the police force and various equipment, such as drones, being mobilized in search of the missing child.
The funeral of Won-young was carried out on Sunday and it was reportedly attended by his birthmother, who had divorced Shin some three years ago with limited visitation rights to her son. The mother had reportedly lost contact with Won-young and his sister, who has also been living with the father and the stepmother since August, 2014.
Controversy persists over the legal and systematic loopholes in protecting children from abuse, especially from their parents, as such acts by them are considered easier to hide.
Reports said that while there was evidence since 2013, such as pictures of Won-young’s beaten-up legs taken by a child protection agency, neither his father nor his stepmother had been questioned by the police. At the time, there were no regulations that required police to accompany counselors in suspected cases of child abuse.
The officials attempted to move Won-young to a child protection facility in 2014 but this was refused by his father. There were no legal grounds to force the separation.
Special laws were enacted in 2014, bestowing greater authority to the police and counselors at child protection organizations to investigate child abuses cases. Additional revisions to relevant laws have been made this year to better protect children but experts have pointed to a need for more fundamental changes, such as in the areas of social perception toward abuse by parents and chronic insufficiencies in budget and the workforce at child protection agencies. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Custodial dad, step found guilty of 1st-degree murder in death of 5-year-old girl (St. Clair County, Michigan)
The custodial dad is identified as ANDREW MAISON. See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Michigan. See prior posts here.
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/01/29/couple-guilty-death-mackenzie-maison/79526856/
Couple guilty in death of 5-year-old Mackenzie Maison
Beth LeBlanc, Port Huron Times Herald 6:36 p.m. EST January 29, 2016
Hilery Maison wiped her eyes before handcuffs were snapped around her wrists in St. Clair County Circuit Judge Daniel Kelly’s courtroom Friday afternoon.
After about four hours of deliberation, a jury of 12 found Hilery and Andrew Maison guilty in the death of 5-year-old Mackenzie Maison.
The Port Huron couple is guilty of felony murder in the girl's death, and first-degree child abuse and torture of Mackenzie and her 3-year-old sister, Makayla.
First-degree felony murder is punishable by life in prison without parole.
Senior Assistant Prosecutor Mona Armstrong said the jurors’ verdict achieved some level of justice for the girls.
“It doesn’t change what happened and it doesn’t bring back Mackenzie,” Armstrong said. “It does serve a measure of justice. But it should never have gotten to this point.”
More than 20 witnesses — including family, friends, police, firefighters, paramedics and medical experts — testified during the six-day trial. Jurors deliberated for nearly four hours on the seventh day, Friday.
Witnesses testified at trial that Mackenzie was unresponsive when emergency personnel arrived about 8:30 p.m. May 26 at her Oak Street home.
According to 911 calls played in court, Hilery Maison, Mackenzie's stepmother, called dispatchers shortly before 8:30 p.m. She initially reported Mackenzie was "rebelling" against food then, later in the call, told the dispatcher Mackenzie wasn’t breathing.
Mackenzie was pronounced dead at the hospital after medical crews spent 45 minutes attempting to resuscitate her. Medical experts have testified she was malnourished, dehydrated, bruised and had pneumonia. She weighed 25 pounds.
Makayla also was hospitalized for malnourishment. She weighed 17 pounds, but has since doubled her weight while in foster care.
According to previous testimony, neither girl had seen a doctor for at least a year prior to Mackenzie’s death, even though the girls were losing weight and follow-up appointments were recommended.
Mackenzie’s death was ruled a homicide. The cause of death was classified as dehydration and malnutrition complicated by pneumonia and its related conditions.
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/01/29/couple-guilty-death-mackenzie-maison/79526856/
Couple guilty in death of 5-year-old Mackenzie Maison
Beth LeBlanc, Port Huron Times Herald 6:36 p.m. EST January 29, 2016
Hilery Maison wiped her eyes before handcuffs were snapped around her wrists in St. Clair County Circuit Judge Daniel Kelly’s courtroom Friday afternoon.
After about four hours of deliberation, a jury of 12 found Hilery and Andrew Maison guilty in the death of 5-year-old Mackenzie Maison.
The Port Huron couple is guilty of felony murder in the girl's death, and first-degree child abuse and torture of Mackenzie and her 3-year-old sister, Makayla.
First-degree felony murder is punishable by life in prison without parole.
Senior Assistant Prosecutor Mona Armstrong said the jurors’ verdict achieved some level of justice for the girls.
“It doesn’t change what happened and it doesn’t bring back Mackenzie,” Armstrong said. “It does serve a measure of justice. But it should never have gotten to this point.”
More than 20 witnesses — including family, friends, police, firefighters, paramedics and medical experts — testified during the six-day trial. Jurors deliberated for nearly four hours on the seventh day, Friday.
Witnesses testified at trial that Mackenzie was unresponsive when emergency personnel arrived about 8:30 p.m. May 26 at her Oak Street home.
According to 911 calls played in court, Hilery Maison, Mackenzie's stepmother, called dispatchers shortly before 8:30 p.m. She initially reported Mackenzie was "rebelling" against food then, later in the call, told the dispatcher Mackenzie wasn’t breathing.
Mackenzie was pronounced dead at the hospital after medical crews spent 45 minutes attempting to resuscitate her. Medical experts have testified she was malnourished, dehydrated, bruised and had pneumonia. She weighed 25 pounds.
Makayla also was hospitalized for malnourishment. She weighed 17 pounds, but has since doubled her weight while in foster care.
According to previous testimony, neither girl had seen a doctor for at least a year prior to Mackenzie’s death, even though the girls were losing weight and follow-up appointments were recommended.
Mackenzie’s death was ruled a homicide. The cause of death was classified as dehydration and malnutrition complicated by pneumonia and its related conditions.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Custodial dad, step go on trial for torture, murder of 5-year-old daughter (Port Huron, Michigan)
We've posted on custodial dad ANDREW MAISON before.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Michigan.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3410210/Michigan-couple-accused-starving-girl-5-stand-trial.html
Father and stepmother who 'starved five-year-old daughter to just 25lbs before her death' go on trial accused of murder, torture and child abuse
Mackenzie Maison, five, died weighing just 25 pounds in May last year
She was 'extremely pale' when her 'lifeless' body was taken to hospital
Police officers said the young girl's body was bruised 'from head to toe'
Her father Andrew Maison and stepmother Hilery Maison are on trial
They are accused of murdering and torturing Mackenzie by starving her
Couple are also charged with abusing her and her three-year-old sister
By Ollie Gillman For Dailymail.com
Published: 09:01 EST, 21 January 2016 | Updated: 16:45 EST, 21 January 2016
A father and stepmother who allegedly starved their five-year-old daughter to death have gone on trial accused of murder, torture and child abuse.
Mackenzie Maison weighed just 25 pounds and was 'extremely pale' when her 'lifeless' body was carried out of her home in Port Huron, Michigan, on May 26 last year, a court heard.
Police officers who viewed Mackenzie's body after she died saw that she was bruised 'from head to toe', a jury was told.
Her father, Andrew Maison, and stepmother, Hilery Maison, face charges of child abuse, torture and murder, and are also accused of abusing Mackenzie's younger sister.
Prosecutor Mona Armstrong told a jury on Wednesday that they would hear 'a case about suffering, unimaginable suffering, that two young girls endured at the hands of the defendants'.
Mackenzie weighed 25 pounds on the day of her death, Armstrong said, the same weight she was when she was two years old.
The prosecuting attorney added that the girl's three-year-old sister was just 17 pounds when she was taken to the hospital that day and has since doubled in weight, the Times Herald reported.
Fireman Steven Conard was one of the first on the scene shortly after 8.30pm on the day Mackenzie died.
He told the court that Andrew Maison was attempting to give CPR to Mackenzie on the kitchen floor, but firefighters took her into an ambulance where they tried to revive her.
Conard said the father claimed he was giving his daughter a bath when she became unresponsive.
Paramedics tried to resuscitate Mackenzie in the ambulance but she was pronounced dead after arriving at St. Joseph Mercy Port Huron Hospital.
Detective Brian Kerrigan, who viewed Mackenzie's body after she died, was in court on Thursday and said he saw bruises on her body.
'It was obvious to me that there was a lot of bruising in different stages of healing on her body, basically from head to toe,' he said.
Police officer Andrew Teichow told the court on Wednesday that, after arriving at the hospital, he also spotted bruises on the girl's body.
'She was extremely thin. Her bones were coming out of her skin is what it looked like,' he said.
Fellow police officer James Morgan said cops spoke with the accused parents inside the home after Mackenzie was taken to hospital.
He said Mackenzie's three-year-old sister was one of three children sitting on a couch and that she appeared 'emaciated'.
'She seemed to have very low energy and spoke very quietly,' Morgan said, adding that she pointed to an empty glass and asked for milk.
The two other children in the room were Hilery Maison's biological children.
Andrew Maison's attorney, Frederick Lepley, said his client loved his children and that he was a hard-working father.
Michael Boucher, representing Hilery Maison, said Mackenzie and her three-year-old sister had underlying medical conditions and struggled to eat.
'Even with the biological mother, there were complaints about health problems,' he said.
Mackenzie's mother, Shelby Coffee - who is not standing trial - paid tribute to her daughter last year.
'She was five years old. She was the brightest little girl. Very independent, beautiful... and she was my world,' she told WJBK.
She added: 'Watch out for your kids. No matter what, no matter if you think you can trust each other or not. 'Make sure you watch out for your kids, because one day you can turn around and you'll be getting a phone call just like I did.'
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Michigan.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3410210/Michigan-couple-accused-starving-girl-5-stand-trial.html
Father and stepmother who 'starved five-year-old daughter to just 25lbs before her death' go on trial accused of murder, torture and child abuse
Mackenzie Maison, five, died weighing just 25 pounds in May last year
She was 'extremely pale' when her 'lifeless' body was taken to hospital
Police officers said the young girl's body was bruised 'from head to toe'
Her father Andrew Maison and stepmother Hilery Maison are on trial
They are accused of murdering and torturing Mackenzie by starving her
Couple are also charged with abusing her and her three-year-old sister
By Ollie Gillman For Dailymail.com
Published: 09:01 EST, 21 January 2016 | Updated: 16:45 EST, 21 January 2016
A father and stepmother who allegedly starved their five-year-old daughter to death have gone on trial accused of murder, torture and child abuse.
Mackenzie Maison weighed just 25 pounds and was 'extremely pale' when her 'lifeless' body was carried out of her home in Port Huron, Michigan, on May 26 last year, a court heard.
Police officers who viewed Mackenzie's body after she died saw that she was bruised 'from head to toe', a jury was told.
Her father, Andrew Maison, and stepmother, Hilery Maison, face charges of child abuse, torture and murder, and are also accused of abusing Mackenzie's younger sister.
Prosecutor Mona Armstrong told a jury on Wednesday that they would hear 'a case about suffering, unimaginable suffering, that two young girls endured at the hands of the defendants'.
Mackenzie weighed 25 pounds on the day of her death, Armstrong said, the same weight she was when she was two years old.
The prosecuting attorney added that the girl's three-year-old sister was just 17 pounds when she was taken to the hospital that day and has since doubled in weight, the Times Herald reported.
Fireman Steven Conard was one of the first on the scene shortly after 8.30pm on the day Mackenzie died.
He told the court that Andrew Maison was attempting to give CPR to Mackenzie on the kitchen floor, but firefighters took her into an ambulance where they tried to revive her.
Conard said the father claimed he was giving his daughter a bath when she became unresponsive.
Paramedics tried to resuscitate Mackenzie in the ambulance but she was pronounced dead after arriving at St. Joseph Mercy Port Huron Hospital.
Detective Brian Kerrigan, who viewed Mackenzie's body after she died, was in court on Thursday and said he saw bruises on her body.
'It was obvious to me that there was a lot of bruising in different stages of healing on her body, basically from head to toe,' he said.
Police officer Andrew Teichow told the court on Wednesday that, after arriving at the hospital, he also spotted bruises on the girl's body.
'She was extremely thin. Her bones were coming out of her skin is what it looked like,' he said.
Fellow police officer James Morgan said cops spoke with the accused parents inside the home after Mackenzie was taken to hospital.
He said Mackenzie's three-year-old sister was one of three children sitting on a couch and that she appeared 'emaciated'.
'She seemed to have very low energy and spoke very quietly,' Morgan said, adding that she pointed to an empty glass and asked for milk.
The two other children in the room were Hilery Maison's biological children.
Andrew Maison's attorney, Frederick Lepley, said his client loved his children and that he was a hard-working father.
Michael Boucher, representing Hilery Maison, said Mackenzie and her three-year-old sister had underlying medical conditions and struggled to eat.
'Even with the biological mother, there were complaints about health problems,' he said.
Mackenzie's mother, Shelby Coffee - who is not standing trial - paid tribute to her daughter last year.
'She was five years old. She was the brightest little girl. Very independent, beautiful... and she was my world,' she told WJBK.
She added: 'Watch out for your kids. No matter what, no matter if you think you can trust each other or not. 'Make sure you watch out for your kids, because one day you can turn around and you'll be getting a phone call just like I did.'
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Custodial dad gets probation for beating, starvation, imprisonment of 12-year-old son (Detroit, Michigan)
Seriously. how is this not torture? Typical of the kid glove treatment that abusive custodial fathers get in the legal system. We've posted on this case before. Dad is identified as CHARLIE BOTHUELL IV.
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/01/19/detroit-dad-pleads-gets-probation-in-case-of-boy-found-in-basement/
Detroit Dad Pleads, Gets Probation In Case Of Boy Found In Basement
January 19, 2016 1:07 PM
DETROIT (WWJ) – A Detroit dad accused of abusing his 12-year-old son and hiding him in the basement of their home has agreed to a plea deal.
Charlie Bothuell IV — father of Charlie Bothuell V, who was missing for 11 days in June, 2014 — pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a reduced charge of fourth degree child abuse.
Judge Margaret Van Houten immediately sentenced him to 18 months probation, although he could have served up to a year in jail.
He was also ordered to take anger management classes and to follow all terms set by the Wayne County Third Circuit Court Family Division and to have no contact with his son. Court costs and restitution will be determined in the future.
Bothuell IV and his wife, Monique Dillard-Bothuell, each were initially charged with second-degree child abuse and torture, but the torture charge was later dropped and Dillard-Bothuell’s case was dismissed.
The story made national headlines before the alleged victim was found hidden behind a heavy drum in the bowels of the townhome where he lived with his dad and stepmother.
The younger Bothuell testified about alleged abuse at the hands of the two, describing strenuous daily workouts, denial of food and beatings with a PVC pipe.
His father was giving an interview to cable TV host Nancy Grace when he learned that Charlie had been found by police. He expressed surprise and said he didn’t know his son was in the basement.
“I thought my son was dead,” Bothuell IV told reporters.
He fought for custody of the boy, now a teen, who was placed in the care of other family members.
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/01/19/detroit-dad-pleads-gets-probation-in-case-of-boy-found-in-basement/
Detroit Dad Pleads, Gets Probation In Case Of Boy Found In Basement
January 19, 2016 1:07 PM
DETROIT (WWJ) – A Detroit dad accused of abusing his 12-year-old son and hiding him in the basement of their home has agreed to a plea deal.
Charlie Bothuell IV — father of Charlie Bothuell V, who was missing for 11 days in June, 2014 — pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a reduced charge of fourth degree child abuse.
Judge Margaret Van Houten immediately sentenced him to 18 months probation, although he could have served up to a year in jail.
He was also ordered to take anger management classes and to follow all terms set by the Wayne County Third Circuit Court Family Division and to have no contact with his son. Court costs and restitution will be determined in the future.
Bothuell IV and his wife, Monique Dillard-Bothuell, each were initially charged with second-degree child abuse and torture, but the torture charge was later dropped and Dillard-Bothuell’s case was dismissed.
The story made national headlines before the alleged victim was found hidden behind a heavy drum in the bowels of the townhome where he lived with his dad and stepmother.
The younger Bothuell testified about alleged abuse at the hands of the two, describing strenuous daily workouts, denial of food and beatings with a PVC pipe.
His father was giving an interview to cable TV host Nancy Grace when he learned that Charlie had been found by police. He expressed surprise and said he didn’t know his son was in the basement.
“I thought my son was dead,” Bothuell IV told reporters.
He fought for custody of the boy, now a teen, who was placed in the care of other family members.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Prosecutors seek to deprive abusive custodial father of parental rights (Seoul, Korea)
A very typical crime story, in that the father's obvious custodial status is not explicitly identified. Nor is it ever explained how this girl's mother got eliminated from the picture. Given that this father was consistently violent and physically abusive, the odds are very high that the mother got the same treatment. Notice that Dad had complete "ownership" of this child even though he admits that he didn't want her. Very typical power/control impulse found in abusers.
UNNAMED DAD
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2016/01/116_195162.html
Prosecutors seek to deprive abusive father of parental rights
By Chung Ah-young
Prosecutors said Monday that they asked a court to terminate the parental rights of a father who allegedly abused his daughter for more than three years.
The prosecution has indicted the 32-year-old father and two accomplices ― his girlfriend and another friend ― on charges of child abuse and demanded the court strip him of his parental rights. They allegedly confined the 11-year-old girl at home in Incheon and a motel in Seoul for three years and four months since 2012.
They habitually beat the girl, breaking her ribs, and didn't provide enough food for her.
Prosecutors said that he and his girlfriend habitually beat his daughter.
The abuse was brought to light after the girl escaped from home on Dec. 12. She tried to steal bread at a nearby supermarket but the owner caught her. Seeing that she was barefoot and wearing just shorts and a T-shirt, he called the police.
The father told police that he abused her because he doesn't like her.
Early in the investigation, police found that they had been abusing her since moving to Incheon from Bucheon in 2013. But prosecutors discovered additional evidence that she has been mistreated since 2012.
"We confirmed that she had been abused even before 2013 when they lived in Seoul," a prosecutor said.
Right after the incident in December, the Incheon District Court temporarily suspended the father's parental rights and designated an official at a child protection center as her guardian.
The relevant law requires prosecutors to ask the court for termination of parental rights when parents' abuse causes serious injuries to children or they habitually beat them for an extended period.
The law was enacted in 2014 following a case where a seven-year-old girl in Ulsan died after her stepmother beat her for about an hour in 2013.
UNNAMED DAD
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2016/01/116_195162.html
Prosecutors seek to deprive abusive father of parental rights
By Chung Ah-young
Prosecutors said Monday that they asked a court to terminate the parental rights of a father who allegedly abused his daughter for more than three years.
The prosecution has indicted the 32-year-old father and two accomplices ― his girlfriend and another friend ― on charges of child abuse and demanded the court strip him of his parental rights. They allegedly confined the 11-year-old girl at home in Incheon and a motel in Seoul for three years and four months since 2012.
They habitually beat the girl, breaking her ribs, and didn't provide enough food for her.
Prosecutors said that he and his girlfriend habitually beat his daughter.
The abuse was brought to light after the girl escaped from home on Dec. 12. She tried to steal bread at a nearby supermarket but the owner caught her. Seeing that she was barefoot and wearing just shorts and a T-shirt, he called the police.
The father told police that he abused her because he doesn't like her.
Early in the investigation, police found that they had been abusing her since moving to Incheon from Bucheon in 2013. But prosecutors discovered additional evidence that she has been mistreated since 2012.
"We confirmed that she had been abused even before 2013 when they lived in Seoul," a prosecutor said.
Right after the incident in December, the Incheon District Court temporarily suspended the father's parental rights and designated an official at a child protection center as her guardian.
The relevant law requires prosecutors to ask the court for termination of parental rights when parents' abuse causes serious injuries to children or they habitually beat them for an extended period.
The law was enacted in 2014 following a case where a seven-year-old girl in Ulsan died after her stepmother beat her for about an hour in 2013.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Custodial dad charged with manslaughter in starvation death of 21-month-old daughter (Brampton, Ontario, Canada)
Honestly, how stupid does the media think we are? There is not a lot of evidence here that the parents had joint shared custody. And even in the remote chance that they did, it was clearly not enforced. A kid does not die of malnutrition during a two-day visitation with Daddy. Plus, the signs of malnutrition would have been clear well before that. So common sense tells you that either the mother was complicit, or she was totally shut out. Well, she wasn't arrested for abuse in this case, so it's clear what was what here. Dad FRANK BRIAN O'DEA was either legally or effectively a custodial father.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Canada.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/brampton-father-manslaughter-charges-1.3369664
Brampton dad charged with manslaughter in toddler Victoria O'Dea's death
Police were called to Brampton home April 20 for a child without vital signs
CBC News Posted: Dec 17, 2015 11:58 AM ET|Last Updated: Dec 17, 2015 10:15 PM ET
A Brampton father is now facing a charge of manslaughter in connection with the death of his 21-month old daughter.
Frank Brian O'Dea, 42, who was initially charged with criminal negligence causing death, was arrested Wednesday and charged with failing to provide necessities of life, in addition to the manslaughter charge.
The new charges come in the wake of a provincial forensic report released Monday that found that malnutrition and dehydration were to blame for Victoria O'Dea's death.
Victoria was pronounced dead at hospital after police responded to a report just after midnight on April 20 of a child without vital signs at a home on Pappain Crescent in Brampton.
Her death prompted an outpouring of public support, with community members launching crowdfunding efforts to pay for the little girl's funeral.
Sources told CBC News that Frank Brian O'Dea and Victoria's mother were separated at the time of the girl's death. Const. Lori Murphy could not say whether the two shared custody.
Actor and comedian Russell Peters also stepped in, offering to help cover the funeral expenses.
O'Dea was released on bail eight months ago after the initial charges were laid.
He was supposed to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton Thursday for a bail hearing connected to the new charges.
The 42-year-old will return to court on Monday.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Canada.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/brampton-father-manslaughter-charges-1.3369664
Brampton dad charged with manslaughter in toddler Victoria O'Dea's death
Police were called to Brampton home April 20 for a child without vital signs
CBC News Posted: Dec 17, 2015 11:58 AM ET|Last Updated: Dec 17, 2015 10:15 PM ET
A Brampton father is now facing a charge of manslaughter in connection with the death of his 21-month old daughter.
Frank Brian O'Dea, 42, who was initially charged with criminal negligence causing death, was arrested Wednesday and charged with failing to provide necessities of life, in addition to the manslaughter charge.
The new charges come in the wake of a provincial forensic report released Monday that found that malnutrition and dehydration were to blame for Victoria O'Dea's death.
Victoria was pronounced dead at hospital after police responded to a report just after midnight on April 20 of a child without vital signs at a home on Pappain Crescent in Brampton.
Her death prompted an outpouring of public support, with community members launching crowdfunding efforts to pay for the little girl's funeral.
Sources told CBC News that Frank Brian O'Dea and Victoria's mother were separated at the time of the girl's death. Const. Lori Murphy could not say whether the two shared custody.
Actor and comedian Russell Peters also stepped in, offering to help cover the funeral expenses.
O'Dea was released on bail eight months ago after the initial charges were laid.
He was supposed to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton Thursday for a bail hearing connected to the new charges.
The 42-year-old will return to court on Monday.
Custodial dad arrested for abusing, starving 11-year-old daughter for two years; what happened to mom? (Korea)
This particular instance of child abuse by a custodial father took place in Korea, but the media obfuscations appear nearly everywhere.
Notice how the mother just suddenly "disappears" eight years ago. What happened to her? Nobody even bothers to ask. Given that Daddy kept this girl a virtual prisoner and beat her badly enough to cause rib fractures, isn't it even remotely possible he dished out similar treatment to Mom? (In reality, it's more than "remotely possible." It's statistically very likely.) So is she dead or "missing" under mysterious circumstances? Did this POS pull legal manoevers to force the mother out? This is in fact a very likely thing for a batterer to do, and they are remarkably successful at it.
Once again, the circumstances that put this child in harm's way--i.e. in the full custody of a violent dad--are erased. No one is held responsible.
UNNAMED DAD
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2015/12/116_193613.html
Father arrested for abusing, starving daughter for 2 years
By Kim Se-jeong
Police, supervised by the prosecution, have arrested a man for abusing and starving his 11-year-old daughter for two years.
According to the Incheon Yeonsu Police, Sunday, they arrested the 32-year-old father on charges of child abuse. His live-in girlfriend and another friend were also charged with the same offense and arrested.
They allegedly confined the girl at home and did not provide enough food from 2013.
The unemployed father was a computer game addict and did not let her go to school. She told police that her father played computer games all day long except for when he ate and slept.
The abuse was brought to light after the girl fled home on Dec. 12 by climbing down pipes from her room on the second floor.
She tried to steal bread at a nearby supermarket but the owner caught her. Seeing that she was barefoot and wearing just shorts and a tee-shirt, he called the police.
The police took her to a hospital where she was found to have fractured ribs and bruises on her legs and arms. She said the father hit her with his fists, feet and sometimes steel pipes. She has since been hospitalized for treatment.
The girl said she often had to endure a week without any food but couldn't imagine running away as she feared her father.
When police found the girl, she was 120 centimeters tall but weighed only 16 kilograms, the standard weight for a four-year-old child.
The father was separated from the daughter's biological mother eight years ago, and was living off his girlfriend's paycheck. He admitted that he beat the girl, but claimed it was for discipline.
After treatment, police will send the girl to a counseling center.
Notice how the mother just suddenly "disappears" eight years ago. What happened to her? Nobody even bothers to ask. Given that Daddy kept this girl a virtual prisoner and beat her badly enough to cause rib fractures, isn't it even remotely possible he dished out similar treatment to Mom? (In reality, it's more than "remotely possible." It's statistically very likely.) So is she dead or "missing" under mysterious circumstances? Did this POS pull legal manoevers to force the mother out? This is in fact a very likely thing for a batterer to do, and they are remarkably successful at it.
Once again, the circumstances that put this child in harm's way--i.e. in the full custody of a violent dad--are erased. No one is held responsible.
UNNAMED DAD
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2015/12/116_193613.html
Father arrested for abusing, starving daughter for 2 years
By Kim Se-jeong
Police, supervised by the prosecution, have arrested a man for abusing and starving his 11-year-old daughter for two years.
According to the Incheon Yeonsu Police, Sunday, they arrested the 32-year-old father on charges of child abuse. His live-in girlfriend and another friend were also charged with the same offense and arrested.
They allegedly confined the girl at home and did not provide enough food from 2013.
The unemployed father was a computer game addict and did not let her go to school. She told police that her father played computer games all day long except for when he ate and slept.
The abuse was brought to light after the girl fled home on Dec. 12 by climbing down pipes from her room on the second floor.
She tried to steal bread at a nearby supermarket but the owner caught her. Seeing that she was barefoot and wearing just shorts and a tee-shirt, he called the police.
The police took her to a hospital where she was found to have fractured ribs and bruises on her legs and arms. She said the father hit her with his fists, feet and sometimes steel pipes. She has since been hospitalized for treatment.
The girl said she often had to endure a week without any food but couldn't imagine running away as she feared her father.
When police found the girl, she was 120 centimeters tall but weighed only 16 kilograms, the standard weight for a four-year-old child.
The father was separated from the daughter's biological mother eight years ago, and was living off his girlfriend's paycheck. He admitted that he beat the girl, but claimed it was for discipline.
After treatment, police will send the girl to a counseling center.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
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.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Custodial dad FINALLY goes to trial for 1994 torture-murder of 17-year-old daughter (Toronto, Canada)
The custodial dad is identified as EVERTON BIDDERSINGH.
There are an amazing number of cases like this. Poor mothers in imporverished countries who lose custody to fathers in the wealthier countries. Fathers who can presumably provide these children with a "better life." And the "better life" turns out to be torture and death.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Canada.
http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2015/10/28/trial-starts-for-dad-charged-in-daughters-murder-after-body-found-in-suitcase.html
Melonie’s terrible last days unroll in courtroom as her father’s trial begins
The Crown outlines its case against Everton Biddersingh, whose daughter was found burned in a suitcase in 1991.
By:Rosie DiManno
Columnist, Published on Wed Oct 28 2015
Melonie Biddersingh came to Canada from Jamaica in early 1991 with nothing more than a single suitcase.
Whether this was the same suitcase in which her charred remains were found three years later, behind a Vaughan commercial building, is unknown.
The known details are gruesome: 21 healing fractures discovered on autopsy, when that pitiful corpse was examined by a coroner; weight of 50 pounds, far below the normal body index range for a 5-foot-2 teenager, indicating severe malnourishment; an ante-mortem — before death — head contusion that had resulted from trauma or blunt force injury; fluid in the nostrils and bone marrow, indicative of drowning as either a cause of death or major contributing factor — the liquid from a freshwater source, not tap water, perhaps pooling rain.
All of these details were related in a Toronto courtroom Wednesday, as the prosecution laid out its case against Melonie’s biological father.
To the death roll of Randal Dooley and Jeffrey Baldwin, children starved to death and grotesquely mistreated while alive, right in our midst, add now the name of this 17-year-old who lived and died with nobody taking notice.
All but held prisoner, the court was told, in a one-room apartment she shared with her father, her stepmother, two brothers, two half-brothers and, eventually, an infant half-sister for whom she was responsible. When the baby’s diaper needed changing, Melonie would be summoned with a buzzer.
She was not allowed to attend school, though furthering her education — her ambition to one day become a nurse — was the main reason Melonie had been excited about moving to Canada, leaving behind a mother and four other siblings, living in abject poverty in a slum shack.
The harshness of Melonie’s existence was only summarily outlined by Crown Attorney Anna Tenhouse in her opening address to the jury. The details here are all from that address:
At times, the teen was kept in a closet, “hidden from the outside world.”
She was made to shower on the balcony in summer, was at times locked out there as punishment, and forced to use a bucket to relieve herself.
She was called names like “the devil,” told that she’d brought evil to the family.
Made to sleep on a piece of cardboard on the living room floor, though there was a sofa bed nearby.
Had her head placed in the toilet and the toilet flushed, as punishment.
Was kicked and punched about her body, dragged by the hair and stomped upon.
Was at times chained to furniture.
Deprived of food, she became so weak she could no longer hold her baby sister. Enfeebled to the point that her older brother had to help her bathe after the girl urinated or defecated on herself.
That brother, Cleon, was allegedly forced to sell drugs and warned that, if he ever told anyone about it, or about the abuse in their home, “harm would come to him and his family in Jamaica,” Tenhouse told the jury.
Cleon got out by and by, ran away. Melonie’s other brother, Dwayne — 12 when he arrived in Toronto, a year younger than Melonie — died in an accident 17 months later.
Melonie died, court was told, on Sept. 1, 1994. This is not yet evidence. It is the prosecution’s claim.
But the photograph displayed on a screen in the courtroom — that’s evidence.
Blackened, curled into a pathetic heap of limbs, bits of singed hair still visible on the death scalp.
In the front row, Melonie’s mother, Opal Austin, choked on a sob and wept. Melonie’s sister, Racquel Ellis, was overcome: “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe.”
Who could do this terrible thing?
Melonie’s father, Everton Biddersingh, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. His wife, Elaine Biddersingh — Melonie’s stepmother — has also been charged with first-degree murder but will be tried separately next year.
On Aug. 31, 1994, Det. Steven Seabrook, then a constable with the canine unit of York Regional Police, was patrolling in the Highway 7 area when he noticed a plume of black smoke. He tracked it to a spot behind an industrial area. What he saw, at first, were flames a couple of metres high, emanating from a pile close to a garbage bin. At the base of the fire was a tire, largely melted — source of the black smoke, from the burning rubber.
The heat was so intense Seabrook could come no closer than 4 or 5 metres.
Another officer arrived with a fire extinguisher, but that only put the blaze out temporarily. The flames sprung back.
Next came the firefighters, who were able to douse the pyre with water. And then they all saw, amidst the charred heap, a grisly sight.
“At that point, it was obvious to us there was a body lying on the tire, in the fetal position. No flesh on the legs, the head was very black and charred,’’ Seabrook testified yesterday. “I noticed a metal square shape around the body, looked like the frame of a suitcase.’’
The Suitcase Girl, as she became known in the media, once it was determined that the corpse was female.
No name. And no one came forward with information about a missing teenage girl.
Those with long memories may recall, as the years went by, the occasional press conferences as police continued attempts to identify her. The artist’s depiction of how she may have looked. The forensic sculpture of a female head, which triggered no public recognition either.
They never gave up but they never came close to solving the mystery.
Eighteen years would pass, longer than the length and breadth of Melonie’s sad life.
And then, as Tenhouse told court, the secret was exposed, the plotline that police have never revealed. On Dec. 11, 2011, Elaine Biddersingh confessed to her pastor, court heard, that the girl in the suitcase was her step-daughter. The minister took that information to police, and the Toronto Police cold case unit took carriage of the matter.
Opal Austin, living in Jamaica, was contacted. For nearly 20 years she had wondered what had become of her daughter and sought information. Everton Biddersingh told her Melonie had run away to New York.
DNA from the mother was matched to The Suitcase Girl, confirming her identity. She had a name. She claimed her history.
Outside court, Racquel Ellis told reporters: “It’s like the hole of my belly button dropped out. I couldn’t breathe. I had to come out of the courtroom. It’s like my heart was going to stop beating.’’
Everton and Elaine Biddersingh were arrested on March 5, 2012, in Welland, Ont.
Yesterday, the father never appeared to even once glance at the mother of their dead and desecrated daughter.
Melonie.
Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
There are an amazing number of cases like this. Poor mothers in imporverished countries who lose custody to fathers in the wealthier countries. Fathers who can presumably provide these children with a "better life." And the "better life" turns out to be torture and death.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Canada.
http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2015/10/28/trial-starts-for-dad-charged-in-daughters-murder-after-body-found-in-suitcase.html
Melonie’s terrible last days unroll in courtroom as her father’s trial begins
The Crown outlines its case against Everton Biddersingh, whose daughter was found burned in a suitcase in 1991.
By:Rosie DiManno
Columnist, Published on Wed Oct 28 2015
Melonie Biddersingh came to Canada from Jamaica in early 1991 with nothing more than a single suitcase.
Whether this was the same suitcase in which her charred remains were found three years later, behind a Vaughan commercial building, is unknown.
The known details are gruesome: 21 healing fractures discovered on autopsy, when that pitiful corpse was examined by a coroner; weight of 50 pounds, far below the normal body index range for a 5-foot-2 teenager, indicating severe malnourishment; an ante-mortem — before death — head contusion that had resulted from trauma or blunt force injury; fluid in the nostrils and bone marrow, indicative of drowning as either a cause of death or major contributing factor — the liquid from a freshwater source, not tap water, perhaps pooling rain.
All of these details were related in a Toronto courtroom Wednesday, as the prosecution laid out its case against Melonie’s biological father.
To the death roll of Randal Dooley and Jeffrey Baldwin, children starved to death and grotesquely mistreated while alive, right in our midst, add now the name of this 17-year-old who lived and died with nobody taking notice.
All but held prisoner, the court was told, in a one-room apartment she shared with her father, her stepmother, two brothers, two half-brothers and, eventually, an infant half-sister for whom she was responsible. When the baby’s diaper needed changing, Melonie would be summoned with a buzzer.
She was not allowed to attend school, though furthering her education — her ambition to one day become a nurse — was the main reason Melonie had been excited about moving to Canada, leaving behind a mother and four other siblings, living in abject poverty in a slum shack.
The harshness of Melonie’s existence was only summarily outlined by Crown Attorney Anna Tenhouse in her opening address to the jury. The details here are all from that address:
At times, the teen was kept in a closet, “hidden from the outside world.”
She was made to shower on the balcony in summer, was at times locked out there as punishment, and forced to use a bucket to relieve herself.
She was called names like “the devil,” told that she’d brought evil to the family.
Made to sleep on a piece of cardboard on the living room floor, though there was a sofa bed nearby.
Had her head placed in the toilet and the toilet flushed, as punishment.
Was kicked and punched about her body, dragged by the hair and stomped upon.
Was at times chained to furniture.
Deprived of food, she became so weak she could no longer hold her baby sister. Enfeebled to the point that her older brother had to help her bathe after the girl urinated or defecated on herself.
That brother, Cleon, was allegedly forced to sell drugs and warned that, if he ever told anyone about it, or about the abuse in their home, “harm would come to him and his family in Jamaica,” Tenhouse told the jury.
Cleon got out by and by, ran away. Melonie’s other brother, Dwayne — 12 when he arrived in Toronto, a year younger than Melonie — died in an accident 17 months later.
Melonie died, court was told, on Sept. 1, 1994. This is not yet evidence. It is the prosecution’s claim.
But the photograph displayed on a screen in the courtroom — that’s evidence.
Blackened, curled into a pathetic heap of limbs, bits of singed hair still visible on the death scalp.
In the front row, Melonie’s mother, Opal Austin, choked on a sob and wept. Melonie’s sister, Racquel Ellis, was overcome: “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe.”
Who could do this terrible thing?
Melonie’s father, Everton Biddersingh, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. His wife, Elaine Biddersingh — Melonie’s stepmother — has also been charged with first-degree murder but will be tried separately next year.
On Aug. 31, 1994, Det. Steven Seabrook, then a constable with the canine unit of York Regional Police, was patrolling in the Highway 7 area when he noticed a plume of black smoke. He tracked it to a spot behind an industrial area. What he saw, at first, were flames a couple of metres high, emanating from a pile close to a garbage bin. At the base of the fire was a tire, largely melted — source of the black smoke, from the burning rubber.
The heat was so intense Seabrook could come no closer than 4 or 5 metres.
Another officer arrived with a fire extinguisher, but that only put the blaze out temporarily. The flames sprung back.
Next came the firefighters, who were able to douse the pyre with water. And then they all saw, amidst the charred heap, a grisly sight.
“At that point, it was obvious to us there was a body lying on the tire, in the fetal position. No flesh on the legs, the head was very black and charred,’’ Seabrook testified yesterday. “I noticed a metal square shape around the body, looked like the frame of a suitcase.’’
The Suitcase Girl, as she became known in the media, once it was determined that the corpse was female.
No name. And no one came forward with information about a missing teenage girl.
Those with long memories may recall, as the years went by, the occasional press conferences as police continued attempts to identify her. The artist’s depiction of how she may have looked. The forensic sculpture of a female head, which triggered no public recognition either.
They never gave up but they never came close to solving the mystery.
Eighteen years would pass, longer than the length and breadth of Melonie’s sad life.
And then, as Tenhouse told court, the secret was exposed, the plotline that police have never revealed. On Dec. 11, 2011, Elaine Biddersingh confessed to her pastor, court heard, that the girl in the suitcase was her step-daughter. The minister took that information to police, and the Toronto Police cold case unit took carriage of the matter.
Opal Austin, living in Jamaica, was contacted. For nearly 20 years she had wondered what had become of her daughter and sought information. Everton Biddersingh told her Melonie had run away to New York.
DNA from the mother was matched to The Suitcase Girl, confirming her identity. She had a name. She claimed her history.
Outside court, Racquel Ellis told reporters: “It’s like the hole of my belly button dropped out. I couldn’t breathe. I had to come out of the courtroom. It’s like my heart was going to stop beating.’’
Everton and Elaine Biddersingh were arrested on March 5, 2012, in Welland, Ont.
Yesterday, the father never appeared to even once glance at the mother of their dead and desecrated daughter.
Melonie.
Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Custodial dad wants new venue, separate trial in torture-murder of 5-year-old daughter (Port Huron, Michigan)
The custodial dad is identified as ANDREW MAISON. We've posted on this case before. According to previous posts, dad legally speaking had joint custody, but shut off the mother's contact. Of course, the authorities don't object when the daddy does that--just the mom.
http://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2015/10/13/father-wants-new-venue-separate-trial-death-girl-5/73858972/
Father wants new venue, separate trial in death of girl, 5
Beth LeBlanc, Times Herald 4:51 p.m. EDT October 13, 2015
A Port Huron father is asking to be tried separately from his wife in the death of his 5-year-old daughter.
Frederick Lepley, Andrew Maison’s lawyer, states in the motion that his client would not receive a fair trial if he were tried alongside Hilery Maison.
“The Defendant Andrew Maison worked long hours outside the home, and left the child care duties relating to nutrition, medical care and discipline primarily to his wife,” the motion states. “…
Defendant Andrew Maison would be substantially prejudiced if he is tried with his co-defendant.
There is a high risk that a jury could hold him responsible for the neglect or abuse perpetrated by his wife.”
Mackenzie was found unresponsive at the Maisons’ Oak Street home May 26 after her stepmother, Hilery Maison, called 911.
Mackenzie was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police said she was malnourished, dehydrated and had pneumonia. She weighed 25 pounds.
Her 3-year-old sister, Makayla, was taken to the hospital for treatment of malnourishment. She weighed 17 pounds.
Hilery and Andrew Maison are facing charges of murder, two counts of torture and two counts of first-degree child abuse in Mackenzie’s death and Makayla’s alleged abuse.
Senior Assistant Prosecutor Mona Armstrong said the prosecutor’s office will oppose the request for separate trials.
“There really is no factual basis to support the request,” Armstrong said.
While there are circumstances that lead to separate trials for co-defendants, Armstrong said she doesn’t believe those circumstances apply in the Maisons' case.
Lepley also filed a motion for a change of venue Monday. The motion argues that demonstrators outside the courthouse, people wearing shirts demanding justice during the preliminary examination and media coverage of the case could prejudice jurors.
Lepley asks that either the venue is changed or those factors are considered during jury selection.
“…Potential jurors cannot, under the circumstances, be expected to remain impartial in light of the barrage of media coverage and social media posts that depict the Defendant as the person responsible for the death and or abuse,” the motion states.
Michael Boucher, Hilery Maison’s lawyer, also filed several motions last week, including one for a change of venue due to media coverage and negative community sentiment toward the Maisons.
The motions filed on behalf of Andrew and Hilery Maison will be discussed during an Oct. 19 hearing.
Boucher said he doesn't intend to file for a separate trial for Hilery Maison.
"We maintain that there is potentially an organic cause of this problem," Boucher said. "I have no intention of maintaining that one party is more responsible than the other.”
During a hearing Monday, Boucher and Lepley said they had located a pathologist who could possibly testify about other disorders or diseases that could have caused Mackenzie's death and Makayla's low weight and weakness.
They asked Circuit Judge Daniel Kelly to delay the trial to after March 1 to explore the possibility of other contributing causes. Kelly denied the request. The trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 3.
Calls to Lepley were not immediately returned.
http://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2015/10/13/father-wants-new-venue-separate-trial-death-girl-5/73858972/
Father wants new venue, separate trial in death of girl, 5
Beth LeBlanc, Times Herald 4:51 p.m. EDT October 13, 2015
A Port Huron father is asking to be tried separately from his wife in the death of his 5-year-old daughter.
Frederick Lepley, Andrew Maison’s lawyer, states in the motion that his client would not receive a fair trial if he were tried alongside Hilery Maison.
“The Defendant Andrew Maison worked long hours outside the home, and left the child care duties relating to nutrition, medical care and discipline primarily to his wife,” the motion states. “…
Defendant Andrew Maison would be substantially prejudiced if he is tried with his co-defendant.
There is a high risk that a jury could hold him responsible for the neglect or abuse perpetrated by his wife.”
Mackenzie was found unresponsive at the Maisons’ Oak Street home May 26 after her stepmother, Hilery Maison, called 911.
Mackenzie was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police said she was malnourished, dehydrated and had pneumonia. She weighed 25 pounds.
Her 3-year-old sister, Makayla, was taken to the hospital for treatment of malnourishment. She weighed 17 pounds.
Hilery and Andrew Maison are facing charges of murder, two counts of torture and two counts of first-degree child abuse in Mackenzie’s death and Makayla’s alleged abuse.
Senior Assistant Prosecutor Mona Armstrong said the prosecutor’s office will oppose the request for separate trials.
“There really is no factual basis to support the request,” Armstrong said.
While there are circumstances that lead to separate trials for co-defendants, Armstrong said she doesn’t believe those circumstances apply in the Maisons' case.
Lepley also filed a motion for a change of venue Monday. The motion argues that demonstrators outside the courthouse, people wearing shirts demanding justice during the preliminary examination and media coverage of the case could prejudice jurors.
Lepley asks that either the venue is changed or those factors are considered during jury selection.
“…Potential jurors cannot, under the circumstances, be expected to remain impartial in light of the barrage of media coverage and social media posts that depict the Defendant as the person responsible for the death and or abuse,” the motion states.
Michael Boucher, Hilery Maison’s lawyer, also filed several motions last week, including one for a change of venue due to media coverage and negative community sentiment toward the Maisons.
The motions filed on behalf of Andrew and Hilery Maison will be discussed during an Oct. 19 hearing.
Boucher said he doesn't intend to file for a separate trial for Hilery Maison.
"We maintain that there is potentially an organic cause of this problem," Boucher said. "I have no intention of maintaining that one party is more responsible than the other.”
During a hearing Monday, Boucher and Lepley said they had located a pathologist who could possibly testify about other disorders or diseases that could have caused Mackenzie's death and Makayla's low weight and weakness.
They asked Circuit Judge Daniel Kelly to delay the trial to after March 1 to explore the possibility of other contributing causes. Kelly denied the request. The trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 3.
Calls to Lepley were not immediately returned.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Sole custody dad due in court on assault charges; son still in coma (East Brookfield, Massachusetts)
This poor little boy has been in a coma for over two months now--not good.
Somehow, this crazy piece of sh** was favored over the mother and grandmother for child custody--fathers rights, you know. Even ongoing CPS "monitoring" didn't save this boy.
Dad is identified as RANDALL LINTS. We've posted on him before.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20150923/NEWS/150929579
Injured Hardwick boy's father due in court Oct. 21
By Kim Ring
Telegram & Gazette Staff Posted Sep. 23, 2015 at 9:09 PM
EAST BROOKFIELD - A Hardwick father accused of beating and starving his 7-year-old son is due back in Western Worcester District Court October 21.
Randall Lints, 26, who lived at 16 Bridge St., in the Gilbertville section of Hardwick, is charged with assault and battery on a child with substantial injury, permitting substantial injury to a child, reckless endangerment of a child and permitting injury to a child. His son, Jack Loiselle, is now in a rehabilitation facility where, at last word, he was stable but unresponsive, according to state officials.
Mr. Lints was charged when Jack ended up comatose in his second-floor apartment July 14 after allegedly being abused. The child was being monitored by the state Department of Children and Families over concerns that Mr. Lints was withholding food and water from the child in an attempt to manage his behavior, court documents show.
The father of three children had custody of his son for about a year. Before that Jack had been cared for by his grandparents and became the subject of a custody battle involving them. He lived with his mother, Amber Loiselle, for a time during his early years.
Mr.Lints had a court date on Wednesday but did not appear in the courtroom. A spokesman for Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said his next appearance was scheduled for Oct. 21.
Somehow, this crazy piece of sh** was favored over the mother and grandmother for child custody--fathers rights, you know. Even ongoing CPS "monitoring" didn't save this boy.
Dad is identified as RANDALL LINTS. We've posted on him before.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20150923/NEWS/150929579
Injured Hardwick boy's father due in court Oct. 21
By Kim Ring
Telegram & Gazette Staff Posted Sep. 23, 2015 at 9:09 PM
EAST BROOKFIELD - A Hardwick father accused of beating and starving his 7-year-old son is due back in Western Worcester District Court October 21.
Randall Lints, 26, who lived at 16 Bridge St., in the Gilbertville section of Hardwick, is charged with assault and battery on a child with substantial injury, permitting substantial injury to a child, reckless endangerment of a child and permitting injury to a child. His son, Jack Loiselle, is now in a rehabilitation facility where, at last word, he was stable but unresponsive, according to state officials.
Mr. Lints was charged when Jack ended up comatose in his second-floor apartment July 14 after allegedly being abused. The child was being monitored by the state Department of Children and Families over concerns that Mr. Lints was withholding food and water from the child in an attempt to manage his behavior, court documents show.
The father of three children had custody of his son for about a year. Before that Jack had been cared for by his grandparents and became the subject of a custody battle involving them. He lived with his mother, Amber Loiselle, for a time during his early years.
Mr.Lints had a court date on Wednesday but did not appear in the courtroom. A spokesman for Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said his next appearance was scheduled for Oct. 21.
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Sole custody abusive dad subject of DCF child abuse report (Hardwick, Massachusetts)
We've reported on this case before. Abusive dad RANDALL LINTS had sole custody. And yet the Fathers Rights guys in Massachusetts still wail about how discriminated against they are in custody matters. Total bullsh**. The reality is that the system bends over backwards to accommodate abusive fathers in custodial matters, and won't interfere with the father's "rights" till it's often too late.
http://www.whdh.com/story/29960177/dcf-to-release-report-on-hardwick-child-abuse-investigation
DCF releases report on Hardwick child abuse investigation
Posted: Sep 04, 2015 10:16 AM Updated: Sep 05, 2015 5:11 PM
Hardwick (WHDH) - The Department of Children and Families released on Friday a report on its investigation into what led a young Hardwick boy to be hospitalized.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker held a press conference on Friday and said the report was intended to identify failures of DCF processes that led to the injures sustained by 7-year-old Jack Loiselle. "These kids deserve the same chances other kids have," Baker said of children in DCF care. "To go to school, play with their friends, and find the kind of security, predictability and unconditional support that most of us take for granted so that they can grow, learn and succeed."
Baker said the report showed that DCF, despite its best intentions and efforts, does not have the policy framework, operating rules and other aspects that are required to properly served children. Several policies are more than 10 years old.
"DCF does not have a parental capability review policy for all cases involving custody issues," he said. "Neither the courts, nor DCF, did enough diligence concerning the childhood of Jack's biological father. His own childhood was enormously troubled and should have been factored into every decision concerning Jack's care, well being and safety."
By Jan. 1, the Western Massachusetts region of DCF will return to its previous management structure by recreating the Central Massachusetts region, costing between $1 million and $2 million.
"DCF has the authority to recruit, hire and train the social work team and the staff it needs to deal with rising case load and if we need to we will find the money to support the department's efforts," he said.
Baker said many people who work in DCF do good work every day, but the systemic issues show that much more needs to be done in order to keep children safe.
According to authorities, Loiselle weighed just 38 pounds.
The 7-year-old was unconscious and suffering from starvation and dehydration.
He had bruises on his face and bleach burns on his hands and knees.
At last check, he remains unresponsive at a long-term rehabilitation facility.
DCF became involved with the family in February, eight months after Randall Lints was granted sole custody of his son.
Police arrested and charged Lints a week after Jack was taken into intensive care.
Governor Charlie Baker will discuss the case Friday afternoon.
http://www.whdh.com/story/29960177/dcf-to-release-report-on-hardwick-child-abuse-investigation
DCF releases report on Hardwick child abuse investigation
Posted: Sep 04, 2015 10:16 AM Updated: Sep 05, 2015 5:11 PM
Hardwick (WHDH) - The Department of Children and Families released on Friday a report on its investigation into what led a young Hardwick boy to be hospitalized.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker held a press conference on Friday and said the report was intended to identify failures of DCF processes that led to the injures sustained by 7-year-old Jack Loiselle. "These kids deserve the same chances other kids have," Baker said of children in DCF care. "To go to school, play with their friends, and find the kind of security, predictability and unconditional support that most of us take for granted so that they can grow, learn and succeed."
Baker said the report showed that DCF, despite its best intentions and efforts, does not have the policy framework, operating rules and other aspects that are required to properly served children. Several policies are more than 10 years old.
"DCF does not have a parental capability review policy for all cases involving custody issues," he said. "Neither the courts, nor DCF, did enough diligence concerning the childhood of Jack's biological father. His own childhood was enormously troubled and should have been factored into every decision concerning Jack's care, well being and safety."
By Jan. 1, the Western Massachusetts region of DCF will return to its previous management structure by recreating the Central Massachusetts region, costing between $1 million and $2 million.
"DCF has the authority to recruit, hire and train the social work team and the staff it needs to deal with rising case load and if we need to we will find the money to support the department's efforts," he said.
Baker said many people who work in DCF do good work every day, but the systemic issues show that much more needs to be done in order to keep children safe.
According to authorities, Loiselle weighed just 38 pounds.
The 7-year-old was unconscious and suffering from starvation and dehydration.
He had bruises on his face and bleach burns on his hands and knees.
At last check, he remains unresponsive at a long-term rehabilitation facility.
DCF became involved with the family in February, eight months after Randall Lints was granted sole custody of his son.
Police arrested and charged Lints a week after Jack was taken into intensive care.
Governor Charlie Baker will discuss the case Friday afternoon.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Dad in "child custody conflict" kept 10-year-old son locked in home without food for five days (Jakarta, Indonesia)
So if UNNAMED DAD had a "clinically proven" mental disorder, then who allowed him to wage this "child custody conflict" against the mother? Once again, we see that too often fathers fighting the mother for custody have no interest in the welfare of the children.
Unfortunately, the worldwide influence of the fathers rights movement has emboldened control freak abuser dads everywhere--and authorities let them get by with this sh**.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/08/24/greater-jakarta-father-reported-confining-son.html
Greater Jakarta: Father reported for confining son
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Jakarta | Mon, August 24 2015, 9:26 AM
The Indonesian Commission on Child Protection (KPAI) and the North Jakarta Police took a 10-year-old boy from his father on Friday after his mother, identified as AF, reported the father for confinement.
Based on her report, the father was not only keeping the boy inside the house, but also did not allow him to eat and go to school for five days, KPAI secretary-general Erlinda said as quoted by wartakotalive.com on Saturday.
Erlinda added that the parents were involved in a child custody conflict.
“We need to conduct further psychology and health examinations to know whether the father has committed violence,” she said, adding that the father had once been clinically proven to suffer from a mental disorder.
The boy is currently staying at Safe House, the KPAI’s shelter for children who are in need of protection.
Meanwhile, the North Jakarta Police chief, Sr. Comr. Susetio Cahyadi Susetio, said that the police would investigate further to uncover the father’s motive.
Unfortunately, the worldwide influence of the fathers rights movement has emboldened control freak abuser dads everywhere--and authorities let them get by with this sh**.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/08/24/greater-jakarta-father-reported-confining-son.html
Greater Jakarta: Father reported for confining son
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Jakarta | Mon, August 24 2015, 9:26 AM
The Indonesian Commission on Child Protection (KPAI) and the North Jakarta Police took a 10-year-old boy from his father on Friday after his mother, identified as AF, reported the father for confinement.
Based on her report, the father was not only keeping the boy inside the house, but also did not allow him to eat and go to school for five days, KPAI secretary-general Erlinda said as quoted by wartakotalive.com on Saturday.
Erlinda added that the parents were involved in a child custody conflict.
“We need to conduct further psychology and health examinations to know whether the father has committed violence,” she said, adding that the father had once been clinically proven to suffer from a mental disorder.
The boy is currently staying at Safe House, the KPAI’s shelter for children who are in need of protection.
Meanwhile, the North Jakarta Police chief, Sr. Comr. Susetio Cahyadi Susetio, said that the police would investigate further to uncover the father’s motive.
Monday, August 17, 2015
How abusive dad got custody in seven minutes (Worcester, Massachusetts)
The ONLY reason such a travesty could have taken place is the utter triumph of Fathers Rights in the family court system. Fathers are coddled and indulged despite histories of domestic violence, severe mental illness, drugs/alcohol abuse, evidence of child abuse...none of it matters in terms of gaining and retaining custody.
We've reported on custodial dad RANDALL LINTS before.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/08/15/seven-minutes-that-sealed-boy-fate/lLqEG1IEo4aDzBbFEZFXfI/story.html
7 minutes that set a child’s course for tragedy
Hearing that gave a Hardwick boy to father who allegedly beat and starved him was terse, incurious, disastrous
By Michael Levenson Globe Staff August 15, 2015
WORCESTER — It took seven minutes of rustling papers and perfunctory questions uttered in rapid-fire monotone, and the deal was done. A Worcester probate judge had transferred custody of a young boy from the grandmother who had raised him almost since birth to the father whom he barely knew. A year later, the father would be charged with nearly killing the boy by beating him and refusing him food and water.
Even though family members now say that the father had a history of violence and mental illness, and though he had only recently acknowledged that he was the father, Judge Lucille A. DiLeo never questioned Randall Lints’s fitness to raise his son.
And no party to the case suggested she should.
“OK, I think we have everything,” DiLeo said in a matter-of-fact voice, after reading aloud the main points of the custody papers, and ensuring that they had been signed by the father, mother, and grandmother standing before her. “Thank you, everybody.”
Legal experts say such quick approval is typical in cases like this one.
There was no dispute over the father’s petition for custody, because the family members had signed it before the brief hearing on June 30, 2014, a recording of which was obtained by the Globe. The judge simply ratified the family consensus. There was no one in court to speak specifically for the child.
The tragic fallout from the custody ruling has raised questions about whether probate courts can do more to protect the children whose lives their decisions most deeply affect. ‘They’re all standing there, they all agree, they all signed off on it, and that’s it.’
“We must reform our probate and family courts so that, in every case, the interests of children outweigh the desires and preferences of adults,” said Gail Garinger, a former juvenile court judge who heads the state Office of the Child Advocate. “Children in our courts need experienced professionals who will listen to them and help identify their genuine needs, skilled advocates for their interests, and decision-makers who will make the welfare of the children before them their highest priority.”
Other legal specialists, even as they acknowledge the horrors allegedly inflicted by Lints, recoil at the notion that judges should intervene in cases in which an entire family is in agreement about who should gain custody.
“The idea that the state gets to tell you whether you have it together enough to bring up your child is really a little bit scary,” said Mary E. O’Connell, a professor of child and family law at Northeastern University School of Law.
Indeed, in a custody case that is not disputed, the judge must presume that the adults have the child’s best interests at heart, said Edward M. Ginsburg, a retired probate court judge who served 25 years in Middlesex County.
“In this case, there is nothing that the judge should have done that she didn’t do: They’re all standing there, they all agree, they all signed off on it, and that’s it,” Ginsburg said. “In that context, it’s an administrative function.”
The 7-year-old boy has been in a coma since July 14, when paramedics carried him from Lints’s home in Hardwick with bruises across his body and burns on his feet.
He weighed just 38 pounds, having lost 12 to 15 pounds in recent weeks. Authorities say Lints had kept his son in his bedroom and starved and dehydrated him to stop him from urinating on the floor.
The case has focused intense scrutiny on the state Department of Children and Families, which had been monitoring the boy since February when it received back-to-back complaints that Lints was neglecting the child.
Officials have acknowledged that a state social worker visited the home just two weeks before the boy fell into a coma and his father called 911.
A year earlier, DiLeo had made what would turn out to be the fateful decision to transfer custody of the boy. In court, she ticked off the nuts and bolts of the deal: The maternal grandmother, who had been the boy’s legal guardian since 2008, would hand custody to Lints, 26.
Reading from the agreement, she confirmed his promise to enroll the boy in counseling and add him to his Medicaid plan. She affirmed the visitation rights of the boy’s mother, Amber Loiselle, who had been estranged from her son for two years.
No one present raised any objections that might have prompted DiLeo to question the arrangement. The judge sealed the deal with a series of questions to each family member.
“Did you sign here? Did you review it with your lawyer before you signed it? Understood it? Signed it freely and voluntarily?” And, finally, “Thank you.”
DiLeo could have appointed an attorney for the child or an independent advocate, called a guardian ad litem, to assess whether placing him with the father was in the boy’s best interests, said Sanford N. Katz, a professor emeritus at Boston College Law School and a specialist in family law.
“The focus of the case has to be on the child, not on the parents or anybody else,” Katz said. “Even though all the parties may agree the father is the one, an independent look at this might say no.”
DiLeo did not respond to several messages.
Still, it would have been highly unusual for her to intervene when there was no dispute over custody, said Robin M. Deutsch, the director of the Center of Excellence for Children, Families and the Law at William James College in Newton.
“If people don’t bring forward a concern, it’s really not up to the court to go on a fishing expedition,” Deutsch said. “It would be very inappropriate to say, ‘Wait a moment. Let’s get an evaluation.’ Instead, you say, ‘How great that they agreed; how wonderful.’ ”
If DiLeo had scrutinized the case, she might have discovered cause for concern.
In 2007, when Lints was first told that he was going to be a father, “He would call me and threaten to cut [the baby] out of my stomach,” Amber Loiselle told the Globe last month.
A year later, a judge in Fitchburg granted Loiselle a restraining order against Lints after he allegedly shoved her to the ground. Lints was not listed on the boy’s birth certificate, and the boy was told that his father was dead, according to relatives.
Lints only became involved in his son’s life in 2013, after he was sued by the state to provide child support and was ordered to take a paternity test, court records show.
Lints’s mother, Tina LaValley, said she warned her son, who has bipolar disorder and borderline schizophrenia, not to seek custody of the boy.
“I says, ‘You don’t want to put yourself in that situation,’ ” LaValley told NECN. “[He said], ‘I don’t want nobody calling me a deadbeat dad. I’m not going to be a deadbeat dad. That is my son. I’m going to raise my son.’ ”
We've reported on custodial dad RANDALL LINTS before.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/08/15/seven-minutes-that-sealed-boy-fate/lLqEG1IEo4aDzBbFEZFXfI/story.html
7 minutes that set a child’s course for tragedy
Hearing that gave a Hardwick boy to father who allegedly beat and starved him was terse, incurious, disastrous
By Michael Levenson Globe Staff August 15, 2015
WORCESTER — It took seven minutes of rustling papers and perfunctory questions uttered in rapid-fire monotone, and the deal was done. A Worcester probate judge had transferred custody of a young boy from the grandmother who had raised him almost since birth to the father whom he barely knew. A year later, the father would be charged with nearly killing the boy by beating him and refusing him food and water.
Even though family members now say that the father had a history of violence and mental illness, and though he had only recently acknowledged that he was the father, Judge Lucille A. DiLeo never questioned Randall Lints’s fitness to raise his son.
And no party to the case suggested she should.
“OK, I think we have everything,” DiLeo said in a matter-of-fact voice, after reading aloud the main points of the custody papers, and ensuring that they had been signed by the father, mother, and grandmother standing before her. “Thank you, everybody.”
Legal experts say such quick approval is typical in cases like this one.
There was no dispute over the father’s petition for custody, because the family members had signed it before the brief hearing on June 30, 2014, a recording of which was obtained by the Globe. The judge simply ratified the family consensus. There was no one in court to speak specifically for the child.
The tragic fallout from the custody ruling has raised questions about whether probate courts can do more to protect the children whose lives their decisions most deeply affect. ‘They’re all standing there, they all agree, they all signed off on it, and that’s it.’
“We must reform our probate and family courts so that, in every case, the interests of children outweigh the desires and preferences of adults,” said Gail Garinger, a former juvenile court judge who heads the state Office of the Child Advocate. “Children in our courts need experienced professionals who will listen to them and help identify their genuine needs, skilled advocates for their interests, and decision-makers who will make the welfare of the children before them their highest priority.”
Other legal specialists, even as they acknowledge the horrors allegedly inflicted by Lints, recoil at the notion that judges should intervene in cases in which an entire family is in agreement about who should gain custody.
“The idea that the state gets to tell you whether you have it together enough to bring up your child is really a little bit scary,” said Mary E. O’Connell, a professor of child and family law at Northeastern University School of Law.
Indeed, in a custody case that is not disputed, the judge must presume that the adults have the child’s best interests at heart, said Edward M. Ginsburg, a retired probate court judge who served 25 years in Middlesex County.
“In this case, there is nothing that the judge should have done that she didn’t do: They’re all standing there, they all agree, they all signed off on it, and that’s it,” Ginsburg said. “In that context, it’s an administrative function.”
The 7-year-old boy has been in a coma since July 14, when paramedics carried him from Lints’s home in Hardwick with bruises across his body and burns on his feet.
He weighed just 38 pounds, having lost 12 to 15 pounds in recent weeks. Authorities say Lints had kept his son in his bedroom and starved and dehydrated him to stop him from urinating on the floor.
The case has focused intense scrutiny on the state Department of Children and Families, which had been monitoring the boy since February when it received back-to-back complaints that Lints was neglecting the child.
Officials have acknowledged that a state social worker visited the home just two weeks before the boy fell into a coma and his father called 911.
A year earlier, DiLeo had made what would turn out to be the fateful decision to transfer custody of the boy. In court, she ticked off the nuts and bolts of the deal: The maternal grandmother, who had been the boy’s legal guardian since 2008, would hand custody to Lints, 26.
Reading from the agreement, she confirmed his promise to enroll the boy in counseling and add him to his Medicaid plan. She affirmed the visitation rights of the boy’s mother, Amber Loiselle, who had been estranged from her son for two years.
No one present raised any objections that might have prompted DiLeo to question the arrangement. The judge sealed the deal with a series of questions to each family member.
“Did you sign here? Did you review it with your lawyer before you signed it? Understood it? Signed it freely and voluntarily?” And, finally, “Thank you.”
DiLeo could have appointed an attorney for the child or an independent advocate, called a guardian ad litem, to assess whether placing him with the father was in the boy’s best interests, said Sanford N. Katz, a professor emeritus at Boston College Law School and a specialist in family law.
“The focus of the case has to be on the child, not on the parents or anybody else,” Katz said. “Even though all the parties may agree the father is the one, an independent look at this might say no.”
DiLeo did not respond to several messages.
Still, it would have been highly unusual for her to intervene when there was no dispute over custody, said Robin M. Deutsch, the director of the Center of Excellence for Children, Families and the Law at William James College in Newton.
“If people don’t bring forward a concern, it’s really not up to the court to go on a fishing expedition,” Deutsch said. “It would be very inappropriate to say, ‘Wait a moment. Let’s get an evaluation.’ Instead, you say, ‘How great that they agreed; how wonderful.’ ”
If DiLeo had scrutinized the case, she might have discovered cause for concern.
In 2007, when Lints was first told that he was going to be a father, “He would call me and threaten to cut [the baby] out of my stomach,” Amber Loiselle told the Globe last month.
A year later, a judge in Fitchburg granted Loiselle a restraining order against Lints after he allegedly shoved her to the ground. Lints was not listed on the boy’s birth certificate, and the boy was told that his father was dead, according to relatives.
Lints only became involved in his son’s life in 2013, after he was sued by the state to provide child support and was ordered to take a paternity test, court records show.
Lints’s mother, Tina LaValley, said she warned her son, who has bipolar disorder and borderline schizophrenia, not to seek custody of the boy.
“I says, ‘You don’t want to put yourself in that situation,’ ” LaValley told NECN. “[He said], ‘I don’t want nobody calling me a deadbeat dad. I’m not going to be a deadbeat dad. That is my son. I’m going to raise my son.’ ”
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Custodial dad gets life without parole in torture-murder of 10-year-old daughter (Gwinnett, Georgia)
As so often happens, that this murder involved a violent custodial father who was coddled and protected by CPS has been neatly erased. Also notice the Clueless Daddy/Wicked Stepmother schtick--very common in these cases.
Dad is identified as EMAN MOSS.
See our past posts. And the Killer Dads and Custody list for the state of Georgia.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/gwinnett-dad-gets-life-without-parole-in-emani-mos/nnKfK/
Gwinnett dad gets life without parole in Emani Moss’ death
5:55 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, 2015 |
Nearly two years after her emaciated and burned body was found in a trash can outside her Gwinnett County apartment, Emani Moss’ father apologized Friday to “my beautiful princess, my first born, my baby girl” for his role in her tragic death.
“Daddy made a terrible mistake, and he is very sorry from the bottom of my heart,” Eman Moss read from a letter to his 10-year-old daughter during a sentencing hearing.
Moss, who pleaded guilty to murder in June, was then given life without parole.
As part of a plea deal, Moss has agreed to testify against his wife and Emani’s stepmother, Tiffany Moss, who prosecutors believe was the real force behind the child’s abuse and starvation death.
Emani weighed just 32 pounds when her body was pulled from the garbage on Nov. 2, 2013.
District Attorney Danny Porter has said it was always the prosecution’s contention that Tiffany Moss made sure her own two children were fed and clothed properly and that she starved her stepdaughter intentionally.
Eman Moss worked two jobs and was seldom home, the prosecution said. The father was described as a passive participant in the crime, one who failed to protect his biological daughter despite the abuse.
The case brought renewed scrutiny to Georgia’s child welfare system. The state fired two employees and punished four others, finding that employees and supervisors with the Division of Family and Children Services failed to assess the risks to Emani or to properly review the family’s troubled history.
In trying to make a case for a sentence of life with parole, Eman Moss’s lawyer, Christian Lamar, told the judge Friday that his client was not “a monster” but a father guilty of gross negligence.
Lamar said Tiffany Moss convinced her husband that if they sought medical care for Emani or went to the authorities, they would lose custody of their other children.
Lamar said Eman Moss tried to save his daughter’s life.
“He was trying to turn back the clock on something that he couldn’t because she was dying,” Lamar told the judge.
On the day his daughter’s body was found, police said Eman Moss called the authorities, threatening suicide. When officers arrived, he directed them to the trash can where they found his daughter’s charred body.
Eman Moss and Tiffany Moss both faced the death penalty when they entered not guilty pleas last year to their murder charges. The prosecutor recommended life without parole for the father in exchange for his testimony against his wife.
Porter has said the case warrants the death penalty because torture was involved. According to arrest warrants, Emani had been kept from eating for as many as a dozen days.
Gwinnett County Superior Court records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution showed the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services agreed to a plea deal by then-Tiffany Nicole Brown that would give her five years’ probation on child cruelty charges for beating Emani in March 2010.
The trial for now Tiffany Moss has not been set, but it isn’t expected to start before next year, according to the prosecution.
In the letter he read to Emani on Friday, Eman Moss also addressed family and friends, and Gwinnett County, before being taken to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
“I hope everyone can find it in their heart to forgive me.”
Dad is identified as EMAN MOSS.
See our past posts. And the Killer Dads and Custody list for the state of Georgia.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/gwinnett-dad-gets-life-without-parole-in-emani-mos/nnKfK/
Gwinnett dad gets life without parole in Emani Moss’ death
5:55 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, 2015 |
Nearly two years after her emaciated and burned body was found in a trash can outside her Gwinnett County apartment, Emani Moss’ father apologized Friday to “my beautiful princess, my first born, my baby girl” for his role in her tragic death.
“Daddy made a terrible mistake, and he is very sorry from the bottom of my heart,” Eman Moss read from a letter to his 10-year-old daughter during a sentencing hearing.
Moss, who pleaded guilty to murder in June, was then given life without parole.
As part of a plea deal, Moss has agreed to testify against his wife and Emani’s stepmother, Tiffany Moss, who prosecutors believe was the real force behind the child’s abuse and starvation death.
Emani weighed just 32 pounds when her body was pulled from the garbage on Nov. 2, 2013.
District Attorney Danny Porter has said it was always the prosecution’s contention that Tiffany Moss made sure her own two children were fed and clothed properly and that she starved her stepdaughter intentionally.
Eman Moss worked two jobs and was seldom home, the prosecution said. The father was described as a passive participant in the crime, one who failed to protect his biological daughter despite the abuse.
The case brought renewed scrutiny to Georgia’s child welfare system. The state fired two employees and punished four others, finding that employees and supervisors with the Division of Family and Children Services failed to assess the risks to Emani or to properly review the family’s troubled history.
In trying to make a case for a sentence of life with parole, Eman Moss’s lawyer, Christian Lamar, told the judge Friday that his client was not “a monster” but a father guilty of gross negligence.
Lamar said Tiffany Moss convinced her husband that if they sought medical care for Emani or went to the authorities, they would lose custody of their other children.
Lamar said Eman Moss tried to save his daughter’s life.
“He was trying to turn back the clock on something that he couldn’t because she was dying,” Lamar told the judge.
On the day his daughter’s body was found, police said Eman Moss called the authorities, threatening suicide. When officers arrived, he directed them to the trash can where they found his daughter’s charred body.
Eman Moss and Tiffany Moss both faced the death penalty when they entered not guilty pleas last year to their murder charges. The prosecutor recommended life without parole for the father in exchange for his testimony against his wife.
Porter has said the case warrants the death penalty because torture was involved. According to arrest warrants, Emani had been kept from eating for as many as a dozen days.
Gwinnett County Superior Court records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution showed the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services agreed to a plea deal by then-Tiffany Nicole Brown that would give her five years’ probation on child cruelty charges for beating Emani in March 2010.
The trial for now Tiffany Moss has not been set, but it isn’t expected to start before next year, according to the prosecution.
In the letter he read to Emani on Friday, Eman Moss also addressed family and friends, and Gwinnett County, before being taken to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
“I hope everyone can find it in their heart to forgive me.”
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Custodial dad, step to go to trial for torture murder of 5-year-old daughter (Port Huron, Michigan)
We've posted on this case before.
Dad is identified as ANDREW MAISON.
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/07/21/mackenzie-maison-dad-stepmom-trial/30484413/
November trial for dad, stepmom charged in girl's death
Beth LeBlanc, Times Herald 6:38 p.m. EDT July 21, 2015
A Port Huron couple charged in the death of 5-year-old Mackenzie Maison will go to trial in November.
The trial for Hilery Maison, 27, and Andrew Maison, 25, has been scheduled for Nov. 3, according to online court records.
A final plea hearing for both is scheduled for Oct. 26.
On Monday, Circuit Judge Daniel Kelly said the trial would be scheduled out further than usual to handle any anticipated issues that may come up in the case.
Lawyers for Hilery and Andrew Maison said they hadn't yet received an autopsy report in Mackenzie's death.
Frederick Lepley, lawyer for Andrew Maison, said he may be filing motions, including ones for expert witnesses and separate trials.
Hilery and Andrew Maison — Mackenzie's stepmother and father — face charges of murder, two counts of torture and two counts of first-degree child abuse in the death of Mackenzie and the alleged abuse of her 3-year-old sister, Makayla.
Police were called to the Maisons' Oak Street home about 8:30 p.m. May 26.
Mackenzie was found unresponsive at the home and declared dead at the hospital.
Police have said the 5-year-old was malnourished, dehydrated, and had pneumonia. She weighed 25 pounds.
Her 3-year-old sister, Makayla, was taken to the hospital for treatment of malnourishment. She weighed about 17 pounds.
Dad is identified as ANDREW MAISON.
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/07/21/mackenzie-maison-dad-stepmom-trial/30484413/
November trial for dad, stepmom charged in girl's death
Beth LeBlanc, Times Herald 6:38 p.m. EDT July 21, 2015
A Port Huron couple charged in the death of 5-year-old Mackenzie Maison will go to trial in November.
The trial for Hilery Maison, 27, and Andrew Maison, 25, has been scheduled for Nov. 3, according to online court records.
A final plea hearing for both is scheduled for Oct. 26.
On Monday, Circuit Judge Daniel Kelly said the trial would be scheduled out further than usual to handle any anticipated issues that may come up in the case.
Lawyers for Hilery and Andrew Maison said they hadn't yet received an autopsy report in Mackenzie's death.
Frederick Lepley, lawyer for Andrew Maison, said he may be filing motions, including ones for expert witnesses and separate trials.
Hilery and Andrew Maison — Mackenzie's stepmother and father — face charges of murder, two counts of torture and two counts of first-degree child abuse in the death of Mackenzie and the alleged abuse of her 3-year-old sister, Makayla.
Police were called to the Maisons' Oak Street home about 8:30 p.m. May 26.
Mackenzie was found unresponsive at the home and declared dead at the hospital.
Police have said the 5-year-old was malnourished, dehydrated, and had pneumonia. She weighed 25 pounds.
Her 3-year-old sister, Makayla, was taken to the hospital for treatment of malnourishment. She weighed about 17 pounds.
Friday, August 7, 2015
7-year-old boy severely abused by custodial dad being moved to rehab facility (Hardwick, Massachusetts)
We've posted before on dad RANDALL LINTS. Notice that the fact that Daddy had sole custody, and that DCF knew about his abuse for months, and did nothing to stop it, is gradually disappearing from the main narrative....
So obviously the intent is to frame this as "just a tragedy" and deny that this is an outrageous miscarriage of justice. Still waiting for the name of the judge who authorized Daddy to take possession....
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/77923ad1820c49e8a8f3a52a9bb03ffd/MA--Child-Abuse-Charges
Officials: Injured boy, 7, allegedly abused by father being moved to rehabilitative facility
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS August 06, 2015 - 3:17 am EDT
BOSTON — State officials say a 7-year-old Massachusetts boy who fell into a coma after allegedly being abused and isolated by his father has been moved to a long-term rehabilitative facility.
A spokesman with the state's Department of Children and Families said Wednesday the Hardwick boy is "medically stable but unresponsive."
She says the agency remains "deeply concerned" about the well-being of the boy.
The DCF took custody of the boy on July 14 after he was found unconscious.
Authorities said the child had been beaten, starved and dehydrated.
The boy's father, 26-year-old Randall Lints, remains jailed on assault and endangerment charges until a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Aug. 19.
Gov. Charlie Baker says the state's investigation is ongoing and a report is expected to be released in September.
So obviously the intent is to frame this as "just a tragedy" and deny that this is an outrageous miscarriage of justice. Still waiting for the name of the judge who authorized Daddy to take possession....
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/77923ad1820c49e8a8f3a52a9bb03ffd/MA--Child-Abuse-Charges
Officials: Injured boy, 7, allegedly abused by father being moved to rehabilitative facility
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS August 06, 2015 - 3:17 am EDT
BOSTON — State officials say a 7-year-old Massachusetts boy who fell into a coma after allegedly being abused and isolated by his father has been moved to a long-term rehabilitative facility.
A spokesman with the state's Department of Children and Families said Wednesday the Hardwick boy is "medically stable but unresponsive."
She says the agency remains "deeply concerned" about the well-being of the boy.
The DCF took custody of the boy on July 14 after he was found unconscious.
Authorities said the child had been beaten, starved and dehydrated.
The boy's father, 26-year-old Randall Lints, remains jailed on assault and endangerment charges until a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Aug. 19.
Gov. Charlie Baker says the state's investigation is ongoing and a report is expected to be released in September.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
DCF "actively" engaged with custodial dad since February, but that didn't stop him from putting 7-year-old son into coma (Hardwick, Massachusetts)
Where do you even start with this case?
With freaking DCF, that managed to coddle this abuser for months on end while this little boy was starved and beaten?
How about with the family courts, who gave this batterer SOLE CUSTODY--even though the mother was filing for an order of protection just nine days after the baby was born?
We need to see names, people. Social workers, judges. All the fathers-rights people who have been planted in the system. And no more crap about how poor daddies are discriminated against in Massachusetts.
Dad is identified as RANDALL LINTS.
http://www.wbur.org/2015/07/24/dcf-involved-with-harwick-boy
Since February, DCF Had Been ‘Actively Engaged’ With Hardwick Boy Now In A Coma
July 24, 2015 Updated July 24, 2015, 9:15 am
By David Boeri Updated July 24, 2015, 9:15 am
Editor’s Note: Some details in this story are disturbing.
BOSTON — The state’s child welfare agency is facing questions about whether it did enough to protect a 7-year-old boy from the Worcester County town of Hardwick who’s now hospitalized in a coma.
The Department of Children and Families acknowledges that it had been involved with the boy’s family since February.
The boy’s father, Randall Lints, is charged with child abuse and is being held without bail. He’s scheduled to be back in court next week.
WBUR spoke with the boy’s mother, Amber Loiselle, who’s waiting to find out whether her son Jack survives. Loiselle says Jack has been in a coma since July 14, when Lints called 911 to report finding him unresponsive.
“He has most beautiful soft blonde hair. He was squeezing my hand. I just know that he’s going to come back,” an emotional Loiselle said Thursday.
After Lints called 911, police and medical personnel found signs of starvation, dehydration, bruises and burns. Lints, who was granted sole custody of the child last year, was arrested and charged on Wednesday with assault and battery and reckless endangerment.
On Wednesday, Loiselle had accused DCF of clear negligence. On Thursday, she was taking pains not to talk about DCF or the boy’s father, since the matter is also in family court.
When asked if the boy had been in the care of DCF, Loiselle said: “I am not at liberty to discuss any of that information because it is a private family matter, so my lawyer advised me not to speak anything about it.”
Meanwhile, the DCF, which declined to comment on the case 10 days after the 911 call, acknowledged Thursday that indeed DCF had been “actively engaged” with both the boy and his father since February, and they had seen them three times this month, while the boy continued to lose some 25 percent of his weight, according to a hospital pediatrician.
When asked if she felt the DCF didn’t do their job, Loiselle said, “That’s something I can’t talk about right now.” #She added: “My personal feelings are that I’m upset that this happened to my son and that … something could have been done.”
According to sources familiar with the case, the report that triggered DCF’s involvement came from Jack’s elementary school. Under the law, schools are mandated to report reasonable suspicion that a child is suffering from abuse or neglect. There were also indications at school that the boy was stealing food.
A police report estimated his weight had dropped from 50 pounds to 38 and that his father withheld food and drink. The report also indicated the boy suffered from bleach burns, the result of the father’s forcing his son to wash the floors, because, according to one source, the boy was apparently urinating on himself.
Yet DCF says that one of its social workers saw the child on June 29.
Until he was arrested, Lints lived with his girlfriend, her three young children and Jack. He separated from Loiselle before their son was born and later contested paternity.
His criminal record, according to a law enforcement source, indicates that Jack’s mother sought a restraining order against Lints nine days after Jack was born. Loiselle confirmed there was a restraining order in place, saying it was “for violence, for threatening to hurt me.”
A dangerousness hearing scheduled for Friday was rescheduled until next week because Lints’ first attorney is no longer representing him.
The reason is sobering. John Madaio is not on the list of attorneys qualified to represent defendants in murder cases. Lints’ new attorney is.
DCF stated Thursday night that it “immediately took custody of the child” on July 14. That, of course, was after the child fell into a coma.
With freaking DCF, that managed to coddle this abuser for months on end while this little boy was starved and beaten?
How about with the family courts, who gave this batterer SOLE CUSTODY--even though the mother was filing for an order of protection just nine days after the baby was born?
We need to see names, people. Social workers, judges. All the fathers-rights people who have been planted in the system. And no more crap about how poor daddies are discriminated against in Massachusetts.
Dad is identified as RANDALL LINTS.
http://www.wbur.org/2015/07/24/dcf-involved-with-harwick-boy
Since February, DCF Had Been ‘Actively Engaged’ With Hardwick Boy Now In A Coma
July 24, 2015 Updated July 24, 2015, 9:15 am
By David Boeri Updated July 24, 2015, 9:15 am
Editor’s Note: Some details in this story are disturbing.
BOSTON — The state’s child welfare agency is facing questions about whether it did enough to protect a 7-year-old boy from the Worcester County town of Hardwick who’s now hospitalized in a coma.
The Department of Children and Families acknowledges that it had been involved with the boy’s family since February.
The boy’s father, Randall Lints, is charged with child abuse and is being held without bail. He’s scheduled to be back in court next week.
WBUR spoke with the boy’s mother, Amber Loiselle, who’s waiting to find out whether her son Jack survives. Loiselle says Jack has been in a coma since July 14, when Lints called 911 to report finding him unresponsive.
“He has most beautiful soft blonde hair. He was squeezing my hand. I just know that he’s going to come back,” an emotional Loiselle said Thursday.
After Lints called 911, police and medical personnel found signs of starvation, dehydration, bruises and burns. Lints, who was granted sole custody of the child last year, was arrested and charged on Wednesday with assault and battery and reckless endangerment.
On Wednesday, Loiselle had accused DCF of clear negligence. On Thursday, she was taking pains not to talk about DCF or the boy’s father, since the matter is also in family court.
When asked if the boy had been in the care of DCF, Loiselle said: “I am not at liberty to discuss any of that information because it is a private family matter, so my lawyer advised me not to speak anything about it.”
Meanwhile, the DCF, which declined to comment on the case 10 days after the 911 call, acknowledged Thursday that indeed DCF had been “actively engaged” with both the boy and his father since February, and they had seen them three times this month, while the boy continued to lose some 25 percent of his weight, according to a hospital pediatrician.
When asked if she felt the DCF didn’t do their job, Loiselle said, “That’s something I can’t talk about right now.” #She added: “My personal feelings are that I’m upset that this happened to my son and that … something could have been done.”
According to sources familiar with the case, the report that triggered DCF’s involvement came from Jack’s elementary school. Under the law, schools are mandated to report reasonable suspicion that a child is suffering from abuse or neglect. There were also indications at school that the boy was stealing food.
A police report estimated his weight had dropped from 50 pounds to 38 and that his father withheld food and drink. The report also indicated the boy suffered from bleach burns, the result of the father’s forcing his son to wash the floors, because, according to one source, the boy was apparently urinating on himself.
Yet DCF says that one of its social workers saw the child on June 29.
Until he was arrested, Lints lived with his girlfriend, her three young children and Jack. He separated from Loiselle before their son was born and later contested paternity.
His criminal record, according to a law enforcement source, indicates that Jack’s mother sought a restraining order against Lints nine days after Jack was born. Loiselle confirmed there was a restraining order in place, saying it was “for violence, for threatening to hurt me.”
A dangerousness hearing scheduled for Friday was rescheduled until next week because Lints’ first attorney is no longer representing him.
The reason is sobering. John Madaio is not on the list of attorneys qualified to represent defendants in murder cases. Lints’ new attorney is.
DCF stated Thursday night that it “immediately took custody of the child” on July 14. That, of course, was after the child fell into a coma.
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