How Could You? Hall of Shame-Gary Adams 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 St. Stephen, South Carolina, a missed case from 2011 reveals that adopted child Gary Adams, 12, died on June 2, 2011, just one day after trying to save Adonous Green , a 12-year-old foster child that had come to live with him and his brother and mother one month prior.

“The deaths of two 12-year-old boys recovered from a country pond came after one of the boys followed a dog into the water, Berkeley County Coroner Bill Salisbury said Saturday.

Salisbury identified the first victim as Adonous Green, 12, who died at a hospital Friday after he was pulled from the 11-feet-deep water.

On Saturday, 12-year-old Gary Adams of St. Stephen also died.

He had been taken to the Medical University Hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit.

Both deaths have been ruled accidental, the coroner said, with the likely cause being complications from drowning.

Salisbury said Adonous and another youth were walking with a dog when the animal ran into a farm pond at 546 Beulah Tabernacle Drive, south of St. Stephen, off U.S. Highway 52.

Adonous followed the dog into the pond.

When Adonous got in trouble, another youth — Gary — tried to rescue him, Salisbury said. The boy who had been walking with Adonous and the dog ran to find an adult.

When he returned with help, “they were underwater,” Salisbury said of the two victims.

Emergency crews from the Berkeley County EMS and several fire departments responded and jumped into the pond to search for the boys.

Adonous was a resident of downtown Charleston but was living in a group home at the time of the accident, his mother told The Post and Courier on Saturday.

“I want to know why they weren’t supervised,” said Adriane Green, who said her son had an attention disorder and was supposed to be supervised “24-7.”

Capt. Rick Ollic of the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office said the incident remains under investigation and that it is too early to determine if charges might be pursued.

Attempts to reach state oversight officials were unsuccessful Saturday.

Roshaun Adams, an older brother of Gary Adams, said Saturday that the family is still absorbing the loss of their loved one and did not want to give an extended interview.

He said his brother knew how to swim and that the family wants to see an investigation.

In addition to the coroner and the sheriff’s office, the State Law Enforcement Division’s Child Fatality Team is part of the case. ”

Second youth in pond dies: Other victim chased dog into water
[Post and Courier 6/5/11 by Schuyler Kropf]

“Hester Adams, the foster mom who owns the home, was too upset to discuss the incident.

Wright, who lives next door, said Adams is her mother-in-law. She said Adams is a kind-hearted woman who has been a foster parent for more than 15 years, caring for a number of kids, some with sad and troubled pasts.

“So many kids have come and gone through that house,” she said. “It seems like she has been doing that forever.”

“Adams had adopted Gary and his 13-year-old brother, Javone, some time ago, Wright said. Adonous had been placed with her about a month or so ago, she said, and the boys got along well. They had finished classes Friday at St. Stephen Middle School about 11 a.m., just six hours before they plunged into the pond, she said.

Officials from the state Department of Social Services did not get back to The Post and Courier by press time with information regarding the boys’ placement at the foster home. ”
Pond was deathtrap for 12-year-old boys
[Post and Courier 6/7/11 by Glenn Smith]

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