How Could You? Hall of Shame-Travis Messenger case-Child Death

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Danville, Illinois, 12-year-old Travis Messenger was one of four siblings removed on July 6, 2011 from an Illinois home due to “alleged abuse and neglect by the children’s mother and father” but only substantiated NEGLECT against ONE of the children (NOT Travis), according to DCFS spokesman Kenneth Marlowe.

Travis did not want to be in the foster care home in Urbana and ran away more than once. Prior to placing the child back into a foster home, the procedure is to take the child to the a medical clinic for a customary medical examination. One DCFS official was with him on Monday, July 23 at a Hoopeston hospital emergency room, 30 miles from his home. News-Gazette says “Travis stole a pickup truck from the driveway of a residence about a block from the hospital and headed south toward his hometown on Illinois 1. The stolen truck was in an accident around 5:30 a.m. Monday at Illinois 1 and U.S. 136.

According to witnesses, a boy about 12 to 14 years old fled the scene.

About three-tenths of a miles from the accident scene, another vehicle — a minivan — was stolen from a garage.

At some point, a 14-year-old male friend joined Travis, said Capt. Rod Kaag of the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Department.

Shortly before 9 a.m. Monday, witnesses said the speeding minivan lost control and left 1750 East Road, east of Westville, about where the road surface changes from hard top to gravel, and rolled at least once. Both occupants were thrown from the van.

The boys were taken to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, where Travis was later pronounced dead at 6 p.m. Monday. The second accident victim, Logan Cudney, remained in critical condition Wednesday evening.”

The State Journal-Register says, “Illinois Department of Children and Family Services spokesman Kendall Marlowe tells the News-Gazette newspaper in Champaign that the boy apparently was driving toward his family’s home in Danville.”

Lincoln Courier says, “At a Wednesday night gathering at a Danville park for Travis’ family and friends, an older sister said Travis and twin brother Trevor didn’t want to be in foster care.

“He was just scared,” 16-year-old Kaylee Messenger said. “He just didn’t know what to do. I spoke with them every night and told them to just take it easy and it would all work out.”

DCFS History

News-Gazette says “On March 5, 2009, the court held that DCFS would provide support services to the family. Marlowe said he could not say what specific services would be offered because of privacy issues, but the family was allowed to stay together, and the case was open with services being offered from March 5, 2009, to Aug. 11, 2010.

“In the general process, a case is closed if a family no longer needs support or has proven to not seek the support services,” he said.

Then on Jan. 24 of this year, DCFS received another report of alleged abuse and neglect against the father, causing the case to be reopened Feb. 10 and services were once again offered.

Marlowe said the agency was unable to substantiate another report against both parents for abuse and neglect on March 2.

“In the course of this family’s case, the court granted guardianship of all four children (Kaylee, Travis, Trevor and Ashley) to DCFS July 6 and the children were placed in foster homes,” Marlowe said. “The other three children currently remain in foster homes in the care of relatives.”

Marlowe said Travis ran away from the Urbana foster home on July 12. Officials indicated that the boy returned to custody more than once this month.”

“The general trend in child welfare is to reach out before a crisis occurs and try to steer away from removing children until we have to,” Marlowe said. “The problems in this situation are tough to solve. We want people to change, but they have to be able to change.”

On Monday when Travis was returned to DCFS custody, he was taken to Hoopeston for a customary medical examination that precedes a return to foster care.

“It’s not surprising he was headed back to Danville,” Marlowe said. “What we’ve found is that children in foster care are usually running to things, not away from them. They head to the places and people that they know.”

Sources:

Boy dies after crash
[Commercial News 7/26/11 by Brian L. Hutchel]

Danville youth’s final days reconstructed
[News-Gazette 7/28/11 by Pat Phillips]

12-year old wrecks stolen van and dies in Eastern Illinois
[The State Journal-Register 7/28/11 by Associated Press]

Boy wrecks stolen van, dies in E. Ill. [Lincoln Courier 7/29/11 by Associated Press]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Illinois CPS Fail.