Yet ANOTHER CASE where a bad dad (SEAN BROOKS) was granted custody of a young girl--despite plenty of warning signs. And once again, we have a murdered child.
Notice that in the US, we demonize the CPS workers that failed to protect this child. But the judge who actually gave this killer dad custody goes UNNAMED. And unaccountable.
http://www.koco.com/r/28867279/detail.html
Foster Mother Talks About Girl's Death
Donna Linn Warned DHS of Suspicious Bruises, Behavior
POSTED: 7:35 am CDT August 15, 2011
UPDATED: 8:52 am CDT August 15, 2011
OKLAHOMA CITY -- New details are being released in the investigation into Serenity Deal's death. The young girl was found beaten to death in her father's apartment earlier this year. For the first time, the child's foster mother, Donna Linn, is speaking out about "warning signs" DHS officials may have ignored or overlooked before the young girl was found beaten to death in her father's apartment earlier this year.
Linn said Serenity lived with her for six months. During that period, Serenity met her birth father, Sean Brooks, for the first time. Linn said Serenity was initially excited about meeting her father but her mood quickly changed after two visits with her dad. After one stay, Linn said Serenity returned with suspicious bruises and a bacterial infection that caused her to lose hair. Linn said Serenity told her that her father had not washed her hair in weeks.
In emails to DHS officials, Donna Linn called these issues and others "red flags." In one correspondence, Linn wrote "the child was returned to me with black eyes and bruising," adding "although nothing is indicating that the Dad intentionally hurt the child, one thing is very troubling to me. The child's attitude toward Dad has drastically changed."
In an interview with Eyewitness News Five, Donna Linn said the child burst into tears at the mention of her father's name.
"She didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore. She said, 'I don't want to go with him anymore.'"
Linn said DHS case worker, Donald Wheeler, echoed her concerns over Serenity's safety but said he had no authority over the custody case.
A few months after Linn wrote her initial email to DHS, a a judge awarded Sean Brooks custody of Serenity. On June 4, investigators found her beaten body inside Brooks' apartment. Brooks is charged with first-degree murder.
An internal investigation at DHS is under way concerning Serenity's death. Four employees have been suspended. Wheeler, the Lincoln County worked assigned to Serenity's case, committed suicide last month.
Linn said Wheeler was a good case worker who responded to concerns quickly. She believes he and fellow workers are over worked, stressed out and pressured to return children to their birth parents. Linn said she hopes by speaking out, DHS will take a closer look at every child's case so future tragedies can be prevented.