|
Thomas
child abuse hearing resetFormer Riverdale QB to face charges July 8; DA drops charges
against wife1:29 AM, Jun. 11, 2011
MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - A Memphis father is charges after police said he shook his three-month-old baby
so severely he had to be rushed to LeBonheur Children's Hospital.
Steven Grayson was arrested and charged
with one count of aggravated child abuse after he was accused of repeatedly shaking his son.
On December 18, police
were called to LeBonheur after being alerted about a possible child abuse case after the three-month-old was diagnosed with
a skull fracture and bleeding on his brain.
Police said the baby had been at home inside an apartment complex off of Mill Branch near Shelby Drive.
The three-month-old was initially taken to nearby Methodist South Hospital.
Once there, paramedics rushed him to LeBonheur in critical condition.
On December 23, investigators interviewed
Grayson. According to the affidavit of complaint, he "admitted that he has shaken the three-month-old victim real
hard every day since the day after Thanksgiving."
The baby was physically shaken for 22 straight days before
finally being taken to the hospital.
Grayson was being held at 201 Poplar on a $100,000 bond.
Grayson
has no criminal history or arrest record. Investigators did not identify his son, so his latest condition is unknown. According to court
records, the baby is alive. Copyright 2010 WMC-TV. All rights reserved.
Soldier Charged With Murdering ChildMan's Stepson Died From Blunt-Force
InjuriesPOSTED: 11:40 am CST February 19, 2009 UPDATED: 12:35 pm CST February 19, 2009 CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- A
preliminary hearing was held Thursday for a Fort Campbell soldier facing charges in connection with his child's death.
Joshua Starner, 20, listed as a specialist corporal in
the Army, is accused of killing his 23-month-old stepson last week. A detective took the stand
in court Thursday and said Keegan Andrew Metz died from multiple blunt-force injuries. Starner
contends the toddler fell in the baby tub, but detectives believe he beat the child. The abuse
allegedly happened when Starner was at home alone with the boy while the child's mother was at the store. Detectives also said they are investigating prior things related to this case, but they wouldn't elaborate. The judge found there was enough evidence against Starner to send the case to the grand jury. He has been
charged with aggravated child abuse and homicide charges.
Previous reports were that the mother left the little boy with
this man for two hours and returned to find the boy unresponsive, the child was taken to the hospital where his injuries included
severe anal tearing.
Father arrested for abusing 2 month old son
12 Year Old Locked Out Of Home For Days
His
Father Faces Child Neglect Charge
August 13, 2010 5:33 PM
Karen Zatkulak
A twelve year old boy is locked
out of his own home for days, according to an affidavit from Hamilton County Courts. While his father faces neglect charges,
those who live nearby tell us how helpless the child was when they found him.
It was August 4th when Alice Tate
called police. She, and her neighbors, had been feeding the twelve year old, and watching him. Things they say the boy's
own father refused to do, as he locked his son out time and time again.
Amanda Morgan says, "I could never
imagine leaving my kids by myself, letting them roam around by themselves and going days and days on end without food or shelter."
But that's what Morgan says she witnessed with a 12 year old boy who started riding bikes with her own boys. Morgan
says she saw the child wandering her Red Bank neighborhood and noticed he hadn't bathed or eaten in days. She adds he
was wearing a shirt and "Some khaki shorts that were filthy, nasty, nasty, no shoes."
Morgan let the
boy stay with her Thursday night. He told her his father had locked him out of their house on Whitehall Road. Morgan says,
"Basically no one cared, he was here all night long, all morning. How could you do that to a child?"
Down
the street, Alice Tate tells us she also noticed the boy and tried to help. Tate says, "The lady in one kept him for
a few nights, the guy in 5 let him stay the night, he just started going house to house until finally he just said it, my
dad is gone and not coming back."
Tate says after he'd been roaming for days, she called police and made
a report. It says after the boy's father locked him out, he left out to go out of town with his girlfriend.
We
were there in court Friday when the boy's father John Mansfield faced a judge. With his next appearance set, he left and
only told us that he thinks he will be cleared of any wrongdoing. Meanwhile those who tried to take care of the abandoned
boy, say his father should have to pay. Morgan says, "I think he should go to prison at least as many years as he mistreated
that boy."
The affidavit says this isn't the first time something like this has been reported. It says
Mansfield has a history of neglecting his son. Mansfield is due back in court on September 10th. He faces
a charge of child neglect.
In court, we learned that the little boy will be going to a group home until a decision
is made.
Associated Press - August 9, 2010 1:35 PM ET DYERSBURG,
Tenn. (AP) - The mother of a 15-year-old Dyersburg girl who was killed by her father after she claimed he sexually abused
her is suing the state. Jessica Readen, of Roseburg, Ore., claims the Department of Children's
Services failed to protect her daughter when it moved her into the house of neighbors Todd and Susan Randolph, two doors down
from her father, Christopher Milburn. Milburn killed himself on Aug. 2 of last year, shortly
after killing his daughter and Todd Randolph. The State Gazette reports Readen's suit
claims the Randolphs called a DCS caseworker's cell phone repeatedly on Aug 1 and 2 because they were concerned about
Milburn's behavior, but their calls were never answered. DCS referred a request for
comment to the state attorney general's office, and that office had no comment on the suit. Readen
has also filed a $13 million lawsuit against Milburn's estate and his widow, Amber Milburn.
COLUMBIA, Tenn. –
A Maury County nurse and her husband have been arrested on charges of child abuse. A grand jury indicted Jennifer
and Greg Wood on charges in connection with the abuse of their two-year-old daughter. The charges were filed after
reports of suspicious bruises on the child. Jennifer Wood is a pediatric nurse at a clinic in Maury County. Greg
Wood is a part-time bus driver in Maury County. There was no indication that Jennifer Wood harmed any of the children
at the pediatric clinic. The couple was held on $250,000 bond.
Mt. Juliet doctor charged with abusing, killing
4-year-old daughterHusband charged with child abuseStaff
Reports • July 12, 2010
Child suffers brain injuryBY MARK BELL • MBELL@DNJ.COM • June 19, 2010
- Marvin Norfolk, Sr. indicted for abusing 9 year-old
- Child was visiting over Christmas 2009
- Norfolk's
wife present during alleged abuse
Tipton County,
TN 3/2/2010) A trooper with the Tennessee Highway Patrol has been indicted on a child abuse charge.
Authorities say 47-year-old Marvin Lee Norfolk, Sr. abused a nine year-old child, while his wife watched. Authorities
say the child was visiting Norfolk's Brighton home for a court-approved visit over Christmas.
A jury will decide
if the December 2009 incident was a spanking that went too far. The child was rushed to the hospital after his biological
mother discovered bruises and welts all over his face and body.
"I think it's a personal opinion on corporal
punishment. I support corporal punishment, it was used on me, but I think in all punishment it has to be in the parameters
of using good common sense," says Chief Donna Turner with the Tipton County Sheriff's Office.
'I believe
in discipline, but there's a fine line between discipline and violence," says neighbor Tiffany Herbert. "He
should know the difference between right and wrong, what's acceptable and what's not."
Neighbors say
they're shocked a trooper could find himself facing a violent charge, but it appears this is not Norfolk's first violent
offense. In 2002, Covington police rushed to the THP office for a domestic assault report. Norfolk's ex-wife says she
confronted him at his office where she says he grabbed her by her hair, threw her on the ground, and kicked her.
Turner says Norfolk and his wife Dawn lied to investigators after the recent child abuse incident but have been cooperative
since then.
They both have been indicted on felony charges of filing a false police report. Both are free on bond
and he has been placed on administrative leave with THP.
ANDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) A man and woman have been arrested for allegedly raping their three children.
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said
a grand jury recently returned dozens of child abuse and sexual abuse indictments against Christopher William Arnold Sr.,
38 of Claxton and Nancy Renee Arnold, 35 of Powell. The pair had been under investigation by the sheriff’s office, Tennessee Department
of Children’s Services and Clinch Valley Children’s Center since before the November 3rd indictments were handed
down. Both were taken into custody on Friday, November
13th. Christopher was arrested at his home on Mehaffey
road by deputies, U.S. Marshals and the Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force. They also discovered several marijuana plants
growing in his house. He was booked on drug charges as well as 41 separate charges of child sexual offenses. That includes
12 counts for rape of a child, 12 counts of incest, 10 counts of aggravated sexual battery and 7 counts of sexual battery
by an authority figure. His bond was set at $200,000. Nancy
was arrested at her home on Old Clinton Pike by U.S. Marshals and the Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force. She faces 11 separate
charges of child sexual offenses including five counts of aggravated sexual battery, three counts rape of a child and three
counts of incest. Her bond was set at $175,000. Both
will be arraigned in the Anderson County Circuit Court on November 20th. The investigation is still considered ongoing.
Gunman, daughter among 3 dead in northwest Tenn. By TRAVIS LOLLER (AP) – 16 hours ago DYERSBURG, Tenn. — A northwest Tennessee man accused of abusing his teenage daughter shot her to death,
police said Monday, and killed a neighbor acting as her foster father before turning the gun on himself. Christopher Milburn, 34, also shot his 15-year-old daughter's foster mother during the Sunday rampage
just two houses down the street from where he lived. His daughter, whose name was not released, had been staying with the
couple while the state Department of Children's Services investigated the abuse claim, Dyersburg Police Capt. Steve Isbell
said. Neighbors Tammy and Frank Hipps said Milburn was good friends with Todd Randolph,
the 46-year-old foster father, and had worked for him in the past. "They were always
laughing and cutting up," Frank Hipps said. The two had even vacationed in Las Vegas together. Hipps,
49, said he had known the two about eight years. He didn't know the details of the abuse allegations but he questioned
why the girl had been placed just two houses down from her father. "That kid shouldn't
have been in that house," he said. "This might have been preventable if she had been placed with foster parents
out of the community." Neither Isbell nor child services agency spokesman Rob Johnson
would elaborate on the abuse allegations other than to say the investigation began last week. Tammy
Hipps said the 15-year-old was Milburn's daughter by a previous relationship. He was married and the couple had two daughters,
both younger than the teenager. The girl's mother was living out of state, Isbell said.
He was waiting for the mother to come to Dyersburg before releasing the girl's name. Police
found the teenager and Todd Randolph dead at the Randolph home. Milburn was found about a block away, dead of an apparent
self-inflicted gunshot. Charles Wootton, 71, who lives across the street from the Randolphs,
said he heard five pops and thought it was firecrackers, but when he looked out the window he saw Randolph on the ground near
the mailbox. "My wife opened the door and walked out and seen the blood. That's
when I called 911," he said. Wootton said neighbors started to gather at the Randolph's
house and one who is a nurse performed CPR on Randolph, who had been shot through the neck. Randolph's
wife, Susan, was sitting on the front porch with her head on her chest. Wootton said at first thought he thought she had been
killed, too. "She told me who did it," Wootton said. Susan Randolph, 45, was
released Monday from a Memphis hospital. The Randolphs have two young children who were
at their grandparents' house during the shootings, Wootton said. Wootton had moved
to the neighborhood about two weeks ago, and Todd Randolph had mowed his yard several times. "The
people around here are just about the friendliest you've ever met," said Wootton. "I don't know what happened
to that guy." A prayer service for the Randolph family was planned for Monday night
at their church, St. Mary's Episcopal. Isbell said Milburn had no criminal record in
Dyersburg, a city of approximately 18,000 people about 70 miles northeast of Memphis. Tammy
Hipps, 49, said Milburn worked as a counselor at the McDowell Center for Children, which helps at-risk and troubled children. She said it was hard to believe the killings happened in their quiet suburban neighborhood where residents
can walk around at all hours without fear. On Monday afternoon, Hipps put flowers and signs reading "Our prayers are
with your family. God bless you. We are here for you," in the yards of both houses. "These
are two families that's been here for years and everybody knew them, and all of a sudden, this happens," Tammy Hipps
said. The shootings marked the second domestic killing rampage in Tennessee in just over
two weeks. Jacob Levi Shaffer of Fayetteville, a small town near the Alabama border about
70 miles west of Chattanooga, is accused of fatally stabbing five people and beating another to death July 18. The victims were Shaffer's estranged wife, her teenage son, a boy who was visiting and the wife's
father and brother. An acquaintance of Shaffer's was found beaten to death at a business in Huntsville, Ala
| Dresden couple
facing child abuse charge | | Posted: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 9:02 pm
| A Dresden man is charged with child abuse while his wife faces an accusation of conspiracy to commit child abuse
after a verbal disagreement with their daughter allegedly turned physical.
According to an affidavit of complaint, 43-year-old
Jack Pflueger of Red Hill Road in Dresden, was arrested June 21 for assaulting his daughter with a belt. Michelle Pflueger
was charged with criminal conspiracy to commit child abuse “as she witnessed the whipping/beating and did not stop or
report the abusive act.”
Dresden Police were called to the couple’s home Sunday, June 21, for a report of
child abuse. When officers arrived they found the victim with “severe bruising on her left arm, shoulder, left leg,
thigh and left side of her back,” according to the affidavit.
The victim told officers she had asked her parents
the day before if she could go to her boyfriend’s house and her parents told her she could not, according to the report.
She went to her bedroom and was crying when her father came in and started hitting her with a belt, the report reads.
“She started flopping around and he was just swinging the belt, and she just got hit wherever the belt landed,”
Mr. Pflueger reportedly stated.
The child was placed into the custody of a relative.
The couple will reappear before
Weakley County General Sessions Judge Tommy Moore at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22. |
Shelby County Father: CURTIS LEE MORRIS, JR. Victim(s): Isaiah Snipes (16 months) Date of Death: Nov. 2009 Father had just obtained custody of son, 3-year-old daughter
in Sept. 2009. Father charged w. 2nd-degree murder. Warren County Father: MITCHELL STONE Victim(s): Kayndace (3 years), Akeelia (1 year) Date of Death: May 2009 Custodial father, stepmother charged in deaths of two girls.
Boyfriend
facing murder charge; mom named accessoryBy Jody Callahan (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 Memphis
police investigators have charged the mother and boyfriend in the death of 3-year-old Amilyia Oliver on Saturday.
Antonio Starks, the 23-year-old boyfriend of mother Nekela Oliver, has been charged with
first-degree murder in perpetration of aggravated child abuse/ neglect and one count of aggravated child abuse/ neglect. The 29-year-old mother was charged with accessory after the fact after investigators said she lied about who
may have caused her daughter's injuries. Amilyia was unresponsive when she was taken
to Delta Medical Center about 12:45 p.m. She died shortly afterward. Officers were called
to the hospital on a possible child abuse case, detaining both the mother and the boyfriend. A
report from the Shelby County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a homicide due to blunt force trauma to the head. The investigation revealed Starks may have been the only adult with the child at the time of her injuries.
Her mother was at work. Oliver first told police a babysitter was responsible for the abuse,
but police found no evidence to support that. The incident occurred in their home in the
400 block of Walker that morning. A 7-year-old boy in the home has been placed in protective custody by the Department of
Children's Services.
Father made child help as he cut up her
mother's body
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A young girl told police her father made
her help cut up her mother's body with an electric saw said she only was allowed to look away when the head fell
to the floor. James Hawkins, 31, a prison parolee charged with first-degree murder in the death of Charlene Gaither,
28, a longtime companion with whom he had three children. His trial is scheduled for September and prosecutors are seeking
the death penalty.
Police say Gaither was killed in February 2008 at the apartment she shared with Hawkins, their
then 12-year-old daughter, Keyuna Thomas, and two boys, ages 9 and 11.
Keyuna, now 13, told police she saw
Hawkins stab her mother in the neck with a knife and then strangle her after she threatened to call police during an argument. The
girl told police her father forced her to help as he cut up the body a day after the killing.
Authorities say
Gaither died on Feb. 9, 2008, about five months after Hawkins was paroled on a 15-year prison sentence for a string of robberies.
His parole was set to end in December. Hawkins reported Gaither missing Feb. 12 and her torso was found two days later
in rural Mississippi, just south of Memphis. The severed body parts were not found, and the body was identified through DNA
analysis. The girl, now in the custody of her mother's family, said her younger brothers did not witness the slaying
nor see their mother's body. But, she said, she was forced to help clean up the bloody scene and drag the body to a freezer
where it was stored temporarily. "I told my dad I didn't want to do this anymore," she told police. "He
says, 'You want to die, too?'" A psychiatric exam found Hawkins competent to stand trial.
Clarksville family faces more than 70 counts of abuse
Posted: March 10, 2009 06:18 PM EDT A Clarksville
family faces more than 70 charges for allegedly torturing and abusing their two adopted daughters between March 2006 and May
2008. Ernest Perry, 66, is charged with 20 counts of aggravated kidnapping
and 10 counts of aggravated child abuse. His wife, 52-year-old Windie
Perry, faces six counts of child rape and 44 counts of aggravated child abuse or neglect. The couple's adopted daughter, 21-year-old Elizabeth Perry, is also charged. She faces 56 charges of abuse. Police said the family inflicted heinous acts on the children, including torturing them
with jumper cables and denying them food for several days at a time. Some
of the other allegations outlined in an indictment obtained by News 2, include: "Tying her down to a cot with ropes,
handcuffs, and chains," "Forcing a broomstick down her throat," and even "Attempting to ‘cut off'
her arm with an axe." Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney
Kimberly Lund says she has never seen a case like this before. The children
are under the age of 13. Despite the charges, the Perrys say they're
innocent and so does a family friend. "I know everything about the
case... and under no circumstances are they guilty," said family friend Lori Sharpe. Sharpe is watching their home while the Perrys are in jail, and she believes the girls are lying. She says the two girls had access to television and probably made up the scenarios based
on crime shows. "They never got spanked. [Windie Perry] did not
believe in spanking her children," Sharpe said. A neighbor,
who does not want to be identified, said the Perrys kept to themselves. "They hardly ever come outside. I never actually
saw the children much either," she said. Sharpe says these charges
are all based on lies, and the parents are really the victims. "She
just wanted to give them a home," Sharpe said about Windie Perry. "She saw them on the internet and she said they
looked pitiful. She said, 'My heart went out to them.'" The
Assistant District Attorney says the girls are in state custody. "To my knowledge, they're safe," Lund said. Windie, Ernest, and Elizabeth Perry remain in the Montgomery County Jail on $200,000 bond
each. Sharpe says the Perrys have nine children. The oldest two are
biological and the younger seven are all adopted.
Spring Hill
Woman Accused Of Child Abuse Faces Judge
Posted: March 3, 2009 12:05 PM EST  | Shelley Blair makes her first court
appearance.
|  | |
| |
FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Police have called it one of the most horrific child abuse cases they've ever seen,
and Tuesday morning the woman accused faced a judge. Shelley Blair had an arraignment in Williamson County Tuesday on
eight counts of child neglect and endangerment, as well as multiple kidnapping and assault charges. Blair pleaded
not guilty to the 15 count indictment, and her next court date was set for April 13. Police found a malnourished 13-year-old
girl and 12-year-old boy walking on the side of the road in Spring Hill in October 2008. Officers said the kids escaped from
Blair's home, where police say she'd imprisoned them in a room with no food, water, light or even a bathroom.
Child abuse sentence reinstatedOAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The
conviction and sentence of an Oak Ridge man for child abuse has been reinstated, nearly 18 months after the conviction was
overturned on appeal.
David Howard Hanson, 25, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2005 after a jury found him
guilty of aggravated child abuse.
Several physicians testified during the trial that Hanson's 2-month-old daughter
sustained more than 15 fractures to her legs and ribs in 2003. They concluded that abuse was the only way the baby could have
sustained the fractures.
Hanson testified that he fell on the stairs while carrying the baby and a laundry basket.
An emergency room doctor testified that the injuries were not consistent with a fall but that the fractures of the
legs were "buckle handle fractures," which are usually caused by twisting.
District Public Defender Tom
Marshall sought a new trial for Hanson, his client, in 2006, which was denied. He then filed an appeal with the state Court
of Criminal Appeals in August 2007.
The state Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the judgment of the trial
court and dismissed the case, citing the evidence was insufficient to prove that the defendant possessed the requisite mental
state for aggravated child abuse.
Only two of the three state Court of Criminal Appeals judges concurred
in the findings and the third judge concurred in part.
But on Monday, the state Supreme Court reversed the decision
again.
The five Supreme Court judges all concurred on the opinion, which stated in part that the trial court provided
adequate instructions and because the circumstantial evidence, as accredited by the jury, established the essential elements
of the offense, the judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals is reversed and the conviction and sentence is reinstated.
Hanson and the baby's mother lived together on West Maiden Lane at the time of the alleged abuse, and also had
a newborn son together. The mother testified that she stayed with Hanson after their daughter was removed from the home and
had planned to marry him.
According to the Supreme Court record, the child was given a new name by her adoptive
parents and is no longer known by her birth name.
Hanson is incarcerated at the Southeastern Tennessee State Regional
Correctional Facility in Pikeville. His sentence will end in 2021.
Tripp is convicted in child molestation
| A convicted child molester
will be sentenced on April 7 and could spend several decades behind bars. On Feb. 13, Patrick Tripp, 42, formerly of Kelso, was found guilty of rape of a child, aggravated child abuse,
aggravated child neglect, attempted incest and sexual exploitation of a minor. The abuse of the five-year-old boy began in 2007 and continued over several weeks when
the boy was placed in Tripp’s care by his mother, investigators said. When warrants for unrelated charges were served on Tripp by Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department
deputies, he was taken into custody. The boy was also transported to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department at that
time. It was then officials learned of the horrific abuse the child had suffered. "There were significant injuries to the boy’s private parts," said Investigator Joyce
McConnell. Tripp forced the boy to drink hot pepper
sauce, which burned the inside of his mouth. He also whipped the child with a metal studded dog collar, McConnell said. "In this case, the system worked," said McConnell, referring
to the conviction. "Twelve people held him accountable." During the investigation, McConnell also found pornography and child pornography in Tripp’s room. Although Tripp was staying at his ailing mother and stepfather’s
home during that time, the elderly couple was not aware of the abuse. "They had no clue he was abusing this child and cooperated fully with us," McConnell explained. |
Ft Campbell Soldier Arrested
Joshua
Ryan Starner, 20, who gave a 100D Ballygar St. address, was charged with aggravated child abuse. His bond was set at $1 million. Starner
is listed as an E-4 in the Army.
According to Starner's arrest warrant, on Saturday, the child's mother
left the boy at home for two hours while going to the store. The boy, whose name has not been released, was in good health
and doing well when the mother left.
When the mother returned from the store, the little boy was found unresponsive.
The mother called 911 and the boy was taken to Vanderbilt University Children's Hospital.
Medical personnel
at Vanderbilt advised that the child has severe trauma to the forehead, bad tearing of the anus, and bruises in various locations
on the body, according to a news release from Clarksville Police Department. The child’s brain is swelling and his prognosis
is not good. The child is in critical condition.
Knoll said the case is still being investigated and it is not
known what kind of abuse the child sustained.
The lead investigator is Detective Alan Charvis, 931-648-0656, ext.
4013.
Authorities Make More Arrests in Child Abuse Case
Posted: Feb 18, 2009 09:25 PM EST SPRING HILL, Tenn.- A new arrest in what investigators
say is one of the worst child abuse cases they've ever seen. Authorities in Williamson
County arrested Anthony Talley Wednesday morning. He's charged with aggravated child neglect,
especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping, and assault. Investigators
say Talley was Shelley Blair's accomplice. The Spring Hill woman turned herself in to police last Friday on multiple charges
of child neglect, kidnapping and assault. Last October, police say they found
Blair's malnourished son and daughter wandering alone on a road. They say the kids escaped from Blair's home,
where she'd imprisoned them with no food, water, bathroom, or even daylight
| Rest in Peace |
|
| Little Babies |
Two Babies Killed in Memphis
(10/12/08 - Memphis, TN)
Two
babies killed in Memphis - within fifteen minutes of one another. Police have taken one person into custody
in the death of a 13 month-old boy. Investigators say Jordan Holland died at Methodist South Hospital on Saturday, October
11, 2008. The baby's mom took him to paramedics at the memphis City Fire Station Drive and Airways. Police
say he died from blunt force trauma. They arrested the mother's boyfriend, but no charges have been filed.
Also on October 11th, officers were called to the 4200 block of Hobson. When they arrived, paramedics were trying
to revive one year-old Rosalyn Willis. But the baby didn't make it.
All this, less than two weeks after
Shelby County Mayor A.C. Wharton calls the domestic violence numbers a crisis in Shelby County. That same crisis hit
Darrel Clark's Raleigh neighborhood. "My son came in and said, Dad the little baby next door just died."
Clark lives next door to the home where Rosalyn Willis was killed.
For Nancy Williams and the "Child Advocacy
Center," it's never easy dealing with child deaths. "These are preventable and this is a tragedy if we
let children die of preventable deaths." The number of child related deaths has more than doubled compared to this
time last year.
There will be one less child shooting hoops on Darrell Clark's block in the months and years
to come, and Clark says he hopes Memphis will take notice. "It's like a wake up call to America. What's
going on with our kids. People 60 and 70 are perceived to be dying, but in the news, you hear about young people, more
about kids."
The babies who died are the eleventh and twelfth kids killed in Memphis this year due
to neglect or abuse. There is help available to families in the Mid-South at little to no cost. The Exchange
Club Family Center on Union Avenue is one of them. For more information call the Exchange Club at (901)276-2200.
|
A Scott
County foster father has been charged with 24 counts of statutory rape after police said they caught him having sex in a cemetery
with a minor in his care. Michael Day, 28, had been a foster parent for three years. Officials moved a 15-year-old
girl out of his care, along with a second foster child. Oneida Police said they found Bay partially clothed in a parked
car in Jeffers Cemetery on Saturday, with a 15-year-old girl. The girl reported numerous sexual encounters with Bay
in multiple locations. Bail has been set at $250,000, and he has been ordered to avoid contact with any children.
Dad accused of child abuse Man is officer at detention facility;
baby's legs broken Authorities on Monday were holding in jail on a $100,000 bond an officer at the Mountain View Youth Development
Center in Dandridge on a charge of aggravated child abuse involving his daughter. David
Malcom DeShields, 27, of Morristown was arrested about 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the detention facility. DeShields
is accused of abusing his 9-month-old daughter at his Morristown home, records show. The infant suffered broken bones in her
legs. The Morristown Police Department launched an investigation into the child's injuries
after Casey DeShields, 25, took the baby to Morristown Hospital. Reports are unclear whether Casey DeShields is the infant's
mother, but records state David DeShields is the father of the injured child. Casey DeShields
told officers she came home about 11 p.m. Friday after David DeShields had cared for the baby at the home the couple share
and found the infant inconsolably crying. Casey DeShields gave the baby medication, but that proved ineffective. A dose of
Tylenol also didn't placate the baby, records show. The woman took the child to the
hospital and noted the baby's legs were swollen, records state. "Victim was later
determined to have serious injuries, which occurred while victim was with suspect," police records state. "Mr. DeShields
chose to go on to work and not come to the hospital regarding the condition of his child." The
baby had been taken Thursday to the Morristown hospital "for a broken nose allegedly caused by the suspect," according
to MPD reports. After the baby was examined at the Morristown Hospital, she was taken to
East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville. Mountain View is a detention facility
for juvenile offenders and is operated by the state Department of Children's Services. Rob Johnson, spokesman for DCS,
said Monday an internal affairs probe of the situation is under way. Johnson said DeShields,
who is 5 foot 11 and weighs 290 pounds, continues to be a state employee. He was hired July 23, 2007, at the juvenile center,
Johnson said. "Even if he gets out (of jail), he would not be allowed around children,"
Johnson said. "There is the possibility he could be placed on administrative leave with pay, pending the resolution of
the charge, but that has not been resolved."
| Rest in Peace |
|
| Shiloh |
Father arrested in death of his infantBy KATE HOWARD • Staff Writer •
June 6, 2008 It appeared at first that the 10-month-old girl could have suffocated accidentally. The
autopsy told another story, and the baby's father was arrested two days later on a homicide charge. Dwaniko Sudberry, 23, who has a history of child abuse, is being held
without bail in the death of Shiloh Sneed. The baby's mother called 911 on Tuesday after returning about noon to
Sudberry's home on Ashmont Court and finding her baby wasn't breathing, Metro police said. Sudberry, the baby's
father, was keeping the child while the mother was at work. CPR by detectives and EMTs wasn't successful and the baby
was pronounced dead at Southern Hills Medical Center. Police initially thought the baby might have suffocated on bedding. An
autopsy showed internal injuries including broken ribs, internal bleeding near her brain and a spleen laceration. Sudberry
was booked into jail Thursday afternoon. He pleaded guilty last August to a charge of child abuse involving a child
under 6 after striking his then-girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter with a shoe. According to court documents, the
girl told her mother that bruises on her buttocks and legs were from falling off her bike. But later that day, she told her
grandmother that Sudberry took her out to the car and struck her repeatedly with a shoe when she wouldn't go to sleep. He
also made her promise not to tell her mom, according to a police report. Sudberry also pleaded guilty to statutory rape
involving a 17-year-old girl who became pregnant. The child abuse plea brought a three-year sentence to be served on
probation. He was sentenced to 11½ months in jail after the statutory rape plea; all but 60 days were suspended. Other
charges on his record include driving on a suspended license and evading arrest. Contact Kate Howard at 726-8968
or kahoward@tennessean.com
Surveillance tape leads to tips on abuser Jan
07, 2008 A convenience store surveillance tape has
led to the arrest of a 27-year old for brutally assaulting his girlfriend's 19-month old son. Detroit police released
part of the tape, showing the suspect kicking and stepping on the toddler, then slamming his head into a glass cooler door.
"When the video aired, our department was flooded with tips," says James Tate, a police spokesman. The Detroit Free
Press reports that Joseph Gray has admitted he is the person in the video. Gray has been charged with second- and third-degree
child abuse.
Man Charged in Kids' Dog-Collar Shock, Rape
Tenn. Man Allegedly Used Electric Dog Collar on Children as Stepmother Watched
Tennessee husband and wife Wayne and Rebecca Burkhart were arrested in September. Wayne Burkhart faces
two counts of aggravated child assault and two counts of rape. Rebecca Burkhart was charged with aggravated child neglect
and failing to report child abuse. (Claiborne County Sheriff's Office )
will decide in early December whether to indict a Tennessee man on charges that he raped two of his daughters
and forced them to wear an electric-shock dog collar. His wife may also face trial for failing to intervene.
Wayne Burkhart Jr., 38, and his wife, Rebecca, 35, were in court yesterday as Claiborne County Judge Robert Estep ruled
that the case should go before a grand jury.
The husband and wife were arrested in September. Wayne Burkhart faces two counts of aggravated child assault
and two counts of rape. Rebecca Burkhart was charged with aggravated child neglect and failing to report child abuse.
"We're pleased with yesterday's results, and we feel the judge's decision was consistent with the evidence," Claiborne
County Assistant District Attorney Jared Effler told ABC News.
Burkhart's 17-year-old daughter told authorities in a Sept. 10 interview that she had been sexually and physically abused
by her father, according to the complaint affidavit. "Among other things, her father [the defendant] uses dog collars equipped
with electric shock to train his hunting dogs, and that he uses the collar on her to shock her and her 19-year-old sister,"
the affidavit reads.
The teen told authorities her father used the shock collar on her Sept. 9 "because he was mad at her for going out with
a boy."
The teen also said that her mother had witnessed this and that her father typically put the collar around her midcalf to
shock her. The girl's siblings, 15, 11 and 13, corroborated the account, according to the court documents.
Both teens showed investigators bruises consistent with an electric dog collar and the girl also said that her father held
a shotgun to her head and said that if she "ever told anyone, he would kill himself, her and anyone who tried to remove her
from his home," the affidavit reads.
Burkhart's children also said that their stepmother, Rebecca Burkhart, had been present when the dog collar was used. "At
none of these times," the affidavit reads, "did [Rebecca Burkhart] attempt to call law enforcement or seek medical treatment
for her stepdaughter
Wednesday, 02/01/06 Grand jury to hear injured infant case By Patricia Lynch Kimbro Staff Writer
The parents of an infant whose right leg was broken were bound over Friday to the February term of the Dickson County
grand jury. Anthony Barker, 32, of Vanleer is charged with aggravated child abuse and remains in the Dickson
County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond. His wife, Summar Barker, 22, is charged with accessory after the fact and is free on
a $2,000 bond.
Anthony Barker had previously told investigators he was changing his son’s diaper sometime
between 10 p.m. Jan. 2 and 2 a.m. Jan. 3 when he grabbed and twisted the then 3-week-old baby’s right leg, causing
a break. Dickson County authorities were notified about the incident Jan. 4 after officials at Vanderbilt Children’s
Hospital called the Department of Children’s Services to investigate the case.
Testimony showed Anthony Barker spent a couple of years in jail on another child abuse charge a few years ago
in which the 7-month-old infant of a former girlfriend was injured while in his care. Deborah Stacy of Waverly is
the mother of that child. Stacy was in court Friday, but did not testify. After the court proceedings she told The Dickson
Herald that she was surprised when she heard about the latest incident involving Anthony Barker. “I honestly thought
he would have changed. I thought he had changed,” Stacy said. Stacy said her son, who is now five years old,
is autistic and blind in his right eye. She said the doctors have been unable to determine whether it was due to the shaking
at the hands of Anthony Barker. “My son had three subdural hematomas to his brain and a compressed
disc and a detached retina in his right eye. He’s been diagnosed as developmentally disabled and autistic. But
they (the doctors) can’t verify if it was directly related to the incident of shaking. But my son had no prior symptoms
before that happened,” Stacy said. The incident occurred in October 2000, she said. Barker served two years
in jail and was in the community corrections program when the latest incident occurred.
When initially questioned by investigators on the latest incident, Anthony Barker, according to Dickson County Sheriff’s
Detective John Patterson, did not immediately admit he had done anything to his child. He also did not mention the prior incident
involving Stacy’s child until later, testimony revealed. But later at the sheriff’s office during interrogation,
Anthony Barker admitted that he knew Patterson due to his prior time in jail, according to testimony.
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Video: Stepfather Charged After Toddler Dies
