How Could You? Hall of Shame-Saharah Weatherspoon case-Child Death UPDATED

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 Ringgold, Georgia, foster child Sahara Palmer,almost 2, died on New Years Day of head injuries.

“Jennifer Palmer spent Monday at Erlanger Children’s Hospital after a surprise knock at her door early in the morning.

“Police and DFCS lady came to my door, my case worker. She told me she had something bad to tell me about my daughter,” Palmer explains. That’s how she learned her daughter, Sahara, was severely injured.

It’s been a rough year for Palmer and her children. Last February Palmer’s then-boyfriend was charged with kidnapping their two kids, 6-year-old Elijah and Sahara who was 1-year-old at the time.

Ellis Weatherspoon was also charged with trying to burn down a camper with the children inside and stabbing Palmer 14 times.

The state put the children in foster care in Ringgold. Palmer claims she saw bruises on her children when she visited and tried to tell her case worker.

“I told her, there’s something going on in that house, they’re doing something to my baby,” Palmer says.

Sahara, now 2-years-old, is fighting for her life in a hospital bed with apparent bruises on her arm. Her outlook doesn’t look good, according to Palmer.

“If there’s any chance she can make it she’s going to be a vegetable. She’ll never be able to walk or talk, she won’t know who I am, her brother,” says Palmer.

Channel 3 spoke to Palmer’s case worker who had “no comment.” We reached out to the spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Human Services who says by law they cannot confirm or deny any involvement in any investigation unless it involves the death of a child.

Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk says his department is aware of the incident and is following up on the child’s injuries.

“Her face is swollen, she’s bruised up on both cheeks, on her forehead she’s got new bruises. Her arm has bruises, her back has bruises,” explains Palmer. “I knew something is going on there, my heart tells me something is going on there. I’m just hoping they’re strong enough to tell the truth.”

Palmer’s 6-year-old son was also examined and went through a forensic interview Monday afternoon. Meanwhile Palmer says she’s looking for legal council.

Sheriff Sisk says the investigation is extremely early and they’re trying to get all the facts laid out.”

Child severely injured while in foster care[Wrcb 12/30/13 by Jonquil Newland]

“The foster mother of a 2-year-old Catoosa County girl who died from head injuries on New Year’s Day told authorities the child fell down twice, including a fall down stairs.

Catoosa County sheriff Gary Sisk declined Thursday morning to comment on how the child, Sahara Palmer, came about the injuries.

But the initial incident report shows that the foster mother claimed Sahara fell down stairs and then later fell against a piece of furniture. Both falls occurred on Sunday, Dec. 29.

The child was taken to T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn. The child died New Year’s Day after being taken off life support.

According the report, the foster mother stated the girl was playing with a ball at the top of the stairs around 3 p.m. She said the girl lost control of the ball and fell down the stairs while trying to retrieve it.

“She (the foster mother) stated the infant then slid down the stairs on her rear and bumped her head on the floor,” sheriff’s deputy Todd Pitts wrote in his report. “She stated the child began crying, but then stopped.”

The foster mother went on to tell police that between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., Sahara’s brother told the couple that the girl had fallen again and hit her head. The foster mother said the brother claimed Sahara had fallen and struck her head on a wooden wardrobe case, reports show.

Attempts to speak with the foster mother and her husband were unsuccessful Thursday afternoon.”

Police report: Ringgold foster parent said 2-year-old died after two falls [Catt 1/3/14 By Heather]

“The foster parents of two year old Sahara Palmer didn’t answer when we went to their Catoosa County home.
It leaves many questions unanswered like, why was Sahara left to die at T.C. Thompson Children’s hospital Monday night, and how did the brain injury that ultimately killed her happen?
Questions Sahara’s biological family is trying to get the full story on.

“We found out due to when they did the emergency surgery we found out there was a previous injury within 24 hours prior to this fall or collapse that happened.  And what happened I’m assuming as they were explaining to us is that there was some type of mini stroke due to the initial head injury,” said Jonathan Smith, Sahara’s uncle.

A neighbor of the foster family says they saw warning signs.

“Their back porch is directly across from mine and this little girl was just crying and crying and crying.  And I kept watching and they weren’t letting her in. So after I heard her for maybe five minutes or so, I was gonna go over there but then they did let her in” said the neighbor.
Sahara’s mother Jennifer Palmer says she knew something wasn’t right when she would visit her children.

“There was six different occasions besides this one where my kids were bruised up, had scratches on their arms and everything was reported to my case workers and they were always investigating and nothing became of it,” said Palmer.

The Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department and GBI are now investigating what happened at the foster family’s home over the past 72 hours, and they’ve ordered an autopsy report.”

Foster Child Dies, Neighbor Saw Signs of Abuse[WDEF 1/2/14 By Caitlyn Jones]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: “Nearly a month after a 2-year-old dies while in foster care in north Georgia no charges have been filed.

Jennifer Palmer is all smiles when she thinks about her daughter, Saharah, 2. “She loved to eat,” recalls Palmer.

However, the happiness is short lived as reality hits. Saharah is no longer alive, and Palmer’s two other children are still in state custody in Georgia.

“Its been a nightmare,” Palmer says referring to the last month.

Saharah passed away New Year’s Day of a reported head injury. At the time she was under the care of foster parents in Ringgold. State and local authorities are investigating but have filed no charges.

Channel 3 visited the foster parent’s home earlier this month, they declined to comment.

Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk tells Channel 3 investigators are still collecting evidence that will hold up in court and they’re waiting on the medical examiner’s report to find out exactly how Saharah died. He went on to say he understands that citizens want action but they’re working on putting together the entire story.

“I know they’re doing their job. I do want to thank them for continuously working on the case,” says Palmer.

On social media hundreds have shown their support for Palmer’s family but it does little to mend her broken heart. Palmer wants answers, most importantly from the state.

“Knowing that my kids supposed to have been protected and it didn’t turn out in such a way,” says Palmer.

On Monday Palmer waited for hours in Fannin County Court to speak to a judge. “I’m trying to get my kids back,” she says. However, Palmer never made it in front of a judge. Her court appearance was rescheduled for February 12th.”

No charges filed in child death investigation[Wrcbtv 1/27/14 By Jonquil Newland]

Update 2: “More than two months after an investigation began, questions still remain in the death of North Georgia foster child. As a community is left questioning, we started following leads, pressing local and state government offices for answers.

With a simple internet search, the writing is on the wall. Hundreds have expressing their support in hopes of finding justice for Sahara.

“If it was your child you’d be wanting it to.. Nobody would want to wait 60-70 days for an answer. Nobody would that’s just not right,” says Ringgold resident, Curtis Brown.

The two year old girl we first introduced to you as Sahara Palmer, also goes by the name of Saharah Weatherspoon. But no matter how you spell it, community members are demanding answers. “That should take less than a week. If we’re always worried and kids. Why not worry about a kid that died,” says Brown.

Police say it all started New Year’s Day, when Clara Edwards claimed that Saharah[sic] fell two different times that day, hitting her head. It was in this condition that Edwards brought the child to the Children’s hospital at Erlanger. But exactly nine weeks after the girl’s death, no cause has been determined.

“They need to check on that they need to not take so long processing that. I’d be on the doorstep pounding on some doors,” says Sue Cain. So, that’s exactly what we did. Our first stop was in search of Edwards, who didn’t appear to be home. Next, we tried the Catoosa county coroner, who only disclosed that  the autopsy is “pending.”

Some residents don’t think those answers are enough. “I don’t like the word pending at all they should take care of it right now,” adds Sue Cain.

The Catoosa county sheriff’s office gave us an updated report stating that the investigation is still open and the GBI tell us there were no new developments in the case.”

Foster Child Death Investigation Continues; Community Frustrated[News Channel 19 3/5/14 by Mikaya Thurmond]

Update 3: “A foster parent of a child who died New Year’s Day from injuries reportedly received in a fall down stairs in Catoosa County waited seven hours before seeking help, according to a heavily redacted case summary documents obtained from the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services.

Two-year-old Saharah Weatherspoon died of what authorities called “life-threatening” injuries from a fall on Dec. 29, 2013.

Saharah’s mother, Jennifer Palmer, told the Times Free Press in January she believed her daughter died of violence at the hands of the foster parents who had custody of her.

The case summary — which contains information about Saharah and her older brother but in a disjointed form because of redactions — describes earlier injuries and delayed medical care. There are allegations of neglect, abuse and maltreatment. Photographs of injuries were submitted to DFCS officials on at least one occasion by daycare workers.”

Medical treatment delayed 7 hours in foster care child death[Times Free Press 3/25/14 by Ben Benton]

“With autopsy results revealing new and old brain bleeding and a body covered in bruises, local doctors say those injuries indicate a horrible cause of death. “With retinal hemorrhages there, that is also a sign of shaking baby syndrome. You think there would probably be some abuse in the past and might’ve been some in the present,” says Dr. Teresa Baysden.

And with such a troubled life, either is possible for the little girl known as Sahara Palmer to her foster home and Sahara Weatherspoon on her death certificate.

The Georgia DHS’s first report of abuse was about a year ago  when she and her 6-year-old brother, reportedly, observed their father, Ellis Weatherspoon, stabbing their mother AND setting their trailer on fire in an attempt to kill all three. The children the report says were placed in DFCS custody due to extreme domestic violence.

But after the February incident, things didn’t seem to get any better. The children bounced from foster home to foster home.

Eventually, they went back to their biological parents, but it was soon after when there was another run in with the law. The DHS report says one of the parents was arrested in September 2013 with meth and the children in the car. But, it appears DFACS was the last to know and left the children in their custody until they “discovered it through a newspaper article. ”

From there, the kids remained in state custody handed off to at least three different case managers none of which were sharing the concerns or reports of abuse in their case files.”

Doctors Weigh In on Foster Child Death[New Channel 9 3/27/14 by Mikaya Turmond]

Update 4: “Jennifer Jones is the first to admit the nightmare began with her own mistakes.

[News Channel 9 5/14/14 by Mikaya Thurmond]

Update 5: Hat tip to a reader

“”Influenced by the private agency case manager”– This line found in Saharah Weatherspoon’s case summary is one of the only clues as to why the state would leave her in home where abuse had been reported.

Saharah’s biological mother, Jennifer Jones, is now left tending her two-year-old’s grave. But, News Channel 9 is asking why two agencies which are supposed to work together for children somehow disagreed about Saharah’s safety. And, whether that disagreement contributed to her death.

The private agency was Omni Visions Incorporated, which has a contract with the state of Georgia to provide care for foster children. Clara Edwards worked for Omni Visions as a foster mother and it was in her home that Saharah suffered the injuries that claimed her life.

Jones says she saw an awful thing unfolding before her eyes and she was helpless to stop it.  “I tell them. There’s something going on there. They are being abused and they never listened.”

After Saharah’s death, the state caseworker had regrets about giving in to Omni Visions and leaving the child in Edwards home. We’ve been calling Omni Visions since March to find out what went wrong in that Catoosa County home. Today, for the first time, our call was returned.

Program Director, Kathy Joyner, tells us “we are devastated by this and we’ve been working very hard to support our staff who also have been devastated.”

When we asked about specifics of Saharah’s case and why Omni Visions might have influenced the DFCS case managers, they didn’t give up much. “At the request of the department, we are unable to make any comments specific or general about this case,” says Omni Visions’ President, Eric Strickland.

Meantime, Omni Visions makes it clear that it is not a part of the criminal investigation and its managers are are not privy to any details of where it stands.”

Foster Care Agency Reacts to Child Death[News Channel 9 5/16/14 by Mikayala Thurmond]

“The foster mother of Saharah Weatherspoon has been arrested for murder in the death of the two-year-old toddler.

Clara Edwards arrested in Chattanooga.

The Catoosa County medical examiner reports that the toddler died of Craniocerebral Trauma.

In late December of 2013, Saharah Weatherspoon died from an injury she sustained while in the care of her foster parents.

In March, Channel 3 reported that then newly-released documents showed that the foster parents of two-year-old Saharah Weatherspoon waited seven hours before seeking help for the toddler.

The 12-page, heavily-redacted report stated that around 2:30 p.m. on December 29th, 2013, Saharah Weatherspoon’s foster parent said she fell down the stairs inside the Ringgold residence while playing with a ball. The foster parent reported the child crying a little, but said she kept playing and seemed fine.

In May 2013, the foster parent said one child’s cut on the cheek happened after falling out of a chair. The case manager ruled it was “completely accidental.”

Just months before Saharah’s death, there were two additional complaints involving bruising, abuse and neglect. Case managers ruled those allegations were either accidental or unproved.”

Foster mother charged in toddler’s 2013 death[Wrcb 5/23/14]

Update 6: “Clara Edwards, the woman charged in May in the Jan. 1 foster care death of 2-year-old Saharah Weatherspoon, was given a $75,000 bond today during a Catoosa County court hearing in Ringgold, Ga.

Edwards, 59, is charged with murder in the case.

The court ordered her to have no association with foster care, elderly care or to have unsupervised contact with any children under six.”

Foster mom given $75,000 bond in Catoosa County toddler murder case[Times Fre Press 6/27/14 by Ben Benton]

“In a hearing Friday before Catoosa County Superior Court Judge Ralph Van Pelt Jr., a bond for Clara Louise Edwards, 59, was set at $75,000. She was ordered to have no contact with anyone in foster care, elderly care or unsupervised contact with any children under age 6.

 

Edwards’ attorney, Dan Ripper, submitted a petition for a gag order to be issued in the case, and Assistant District Attorney Alan Norton told Van Pelt he had no objections to the restriction. Van Pelt said the gag order would apply to law enforcement, officials with the Georgia Department of Family Children Services and others closely related to the case.

 

Family and supporters at the hearing quietly celebrated a bond being set. Several of them consulted with Ripper during a recess about the bond amount they could raise for Edwards’ release.”

Gag order issued in Catoosa foster child murder case[WRCTV 6/28/14 by Ben Benton]

Update 7: “Ringgold foster mother accused of murder is a free woman for the first time in more than five weeks after she posted a $75,000 bond on Thursday, July 3.

Clara Louise Edwards, 59, of a Mallard Hill address in Ringgold had been in the Catoosa County jail since May 28, charged with felony murder in the death of 2-year-old Saharah Witherspoon who died of severe head trauma on New Year’s Day.

Edwards was released from jail shortly before 4 p.m. on July 3, six days after her bond was set by Catoosa County Superior Court judge Ralph Van Pelt, Jr.

Edwards had been arrested at her job in Hamilton County, Tenn., on May 23, was held in Hamilton County jail over the Memorial Day weekend before being brought back to Catoosa County on May 28.

The bond set June 27 includes a stipulation that Edwards is to have neither custody nor any care giving privileges with children in any capacity.

“She is to have no unsupervised care of and children under the age of six years old,” Van Pelt said during the hearing.

Background

According to the initial incident report, Edwards claimed baby Saharah fell down a set of stairs on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2013, and later that same day fell against a piece of furniture.

The child was later taken to T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn., where she died New Year’s Day 2014 after being taken off life support.

In the report, Edwards claimed the child was playing with a ball at the top of the stairs around 3 p.m. when she lost control of the ball and fell down the stairs while trying to retrieve it.

“She (Edwards) stated the infant then slid down the stairs on her rear and bumped her head on the floor,” sheriff’s deputy Todd Pitts wrote in his report. “She stated the child began crying, but then stopped.”

At the time, Edwards went on to tell police that between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., Saharah’s brother told the couple that she had fallen again and hit her head. Edwards said the brother claimed Saharah had fallen and struck her head on a wooden wardrobe case, reports show.”

Former foster mom accused of murder released from Catoosa County jail on bond[CATT 7/10/14 by Madelyn]

Update 8: “Clara Louise Edwards, a Ringgold woman accused of murdering a 2-year-old foster child,… recently had [her] pending trial pushed back in Catoosa County Superior Court.”

“Clara Louise Edwards, 59, of Mallard Hill in Ringgold was in the Catoosa County jail for nearly six weeks in 2014 from May to July after being charged with felony murder in the death of 2-year-old Saharah Weatherspoon, who died of severe head trauma on New Year’s Day.

She was arrested at her job in Hamilton County, Tenn., on May 23 and was held in Hamilton County (Tenn.) jail over the Memorial Day weekend before being brought back to Catoosa County on May 28.

She was released from jail on July 3, six days after her bond was set at $75,000 by Catoosa County Superior Court judge Ralph Van Pelt Jr.

The bond set on June 27 included a stipulation that Edwards was to have neither custody nor any care-giving privileges with children in any capacity.

“She is to have no unsupervised care of and children under the age of six years old,” Van Pelt said during the hearing.

According to the initial incident report regarding the child’s death, Edwards claimed baby Saharah fell down a flight of stairs on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2013, and later that same day fell against a piece of furniture.

The child was later taken to T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn., where she died New Year’s Day 2014 after being taken off life support.

In the report, Edwards claimed the child was playing with a ball at the top of the stairs around 3 p.m. when she lost control of the ball and fell down the stairs while trying to retrieve it.

“She (Edwards) stated the infant then slid down the stairs on her rear and bumped her head on the floor,” sheriff’s deputy Todd Pitts wrote in his report. “She stated the child began crying, but then stopped.”

At the time, Edwards went on to tell police that between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., Saharah’s brother told the couple that she had fallen again and hit her head. Edwards said the brother claimed Saharah had fallen and struck her head on a wooden wardrobe case, reports show.

Hospital staff notified the Catoosa Sheriff’s Department of their suspicions of Saharah’s injuries being abuse.

Saharah’s brother was removed from the Edwards’ home following the incident.

A Facebook page dedicated the memory of the child called “Justice for baby Saharah” was set up.”

Two high-profile criminal trials pushed back again in Catoosa County [Northwest Georgia News 3/13/15 by Adam Cook]

A Search of Ringgold ,Georgia court cases finds that Clara has a case set for trial on February 8, 2016.

Update 9:“Prosecutors this week will try to prove that a Ringgold, Ga., foster mother killed the 2-year-old girl she was supposed to be protecting.

The murder trial of Clara Louise Edwards is scheduled to begin in Catoosa County Superior Court on Monday with jury selection.

Edwards was supposed to be watching Saharah Weatherspoon on Dec. 29, 2013, when the 2-year-old suffered a brain injury. She died three days later.

According to a case summary by the Division of Family and Children Services, an unnamed person at the home said Saharah fell down the stairs around 2:30 that afternoon. The child cried but continued to play and crawl up the stairs. About seven hours after the fall, someone noticed Saharah was slumped over and would not wake up.

“When asked why [redacted] had not called 911,” a statement from the DFCS report reads, “[redacted] stated [they] panicked.”

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation charged Edwards with two counts of murder and one count of cruelty to children in May 2014, after an autopsy revealed Saharah died from brain trauma. A medical examiner found bruises on the girl’s back, arms, face and torso. The examiner also found hemorrhages in the retinas of her eyes and bleeding in her brain.

DFCS representatives put Saharah and her brother in a foster home after their father kidnapped them on Feb. 5, 2013. According to reports from The Associated Press and the Fannin County-based News Observer, Ellis Weatherspoon stabbed the children’s mother, Jennifer Palmer, multiple times. Then he brought the children into a camper and opened the valve on a propane gas bottle, hoping to kill them and himself.

Deputies managed to stop Ellis Weatherspoon before anybody died.

But even before then, according to DFCS, the children lived without basic staples. They didn’t have running water. They didn’t have heat in the winter. Often, they didn’t have food.

In March 2013, Saharah and her brother moved into a Ringgold home whose operators had just been approved as foster parents two days earlier.

Two months later, someone reported to DFCS that one of the children had a bruised cheek “that looked awful.” The foster parents told investigators the child fell out of a chair.

In June 2013, according to the DFCS case summary, the children moved back in with Palmer for a “trial home placement.” Three months later, DFCS representatives moved Saharah and her brother back to the Ringgold home because they said the children were present when someone was arrested for drug possession.

When they returned to the foster home, one of the children cried and begged to stay away from there. The child said one of the caregivers was “mean.” But, according to DFCS, the child did not provide more details or say anything about physical abuse.

Around the same time, according to a redacted DFCS case summary, an unnamed person told investigators he or she had “a gut feeling that something is not right.” Someone also filed an anonymous report saying the foster parents were yelling at the children.

At some point after October 2013, according to the case summary, DFCS investigators looked into a claim the foster parents left the children outside without supervision. Someone also reported hearing one of the foster parents telling a child to take a bath.

“If I give you a bath,” the parent was accused of saying, “it’s going to hurt.”

When one of the children was asked about this, according to the DFCS report, there “was no outcry of abuse.” The foster parents also denied these allegations, and the investigator closed the case, saying the reports could not be backed up.”

 Murder trial set to begin for Ringgold foster mom [Times Free Press 2/7/16 by Tyler Jett]

“The trial for Clara Louise Edwards, accused of murder in the death of her 2-year-old foster daughter two years ago, began Tuesday in Catoosa County Superior Court.

Saharah Weatherspoon was injured at the family’s Mallard Hill home between Dec. 29 and 30, 2013, and died from her injuries after being taken off life support on Jan. 1, 2014, while at T.C. Thompson’s Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Edwards claimed the baby fell down a flight of stairs but was later fine, before hitting her head on a piece of furniture later and being found unresponsive.

Edwards was later indicted on the charge that she physically caused injuries and murdered the child.

Jury selection in the case began Monday, but Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit assistant district attorney Alan Norton and defense attorney Daniel Ripper of Chattanooga, Tenn., didn’t make their opening statements until about 1:45 p.m. Tuesday.

The jury is comprised of seven females and five males, with one female alternate. A second female alternate was excused just before opening arguments.

Norton began the trial by painting a picture for the jury of a 23-month-old child found “limp and unresponsive” and then taken to the hospital where emergency personnel knew right away something was wrong.

“They take her to surgery, they remove part of her skull. … And when they look at this child’s brain, they find two types of blood — new blood, and older blood from previous injuries,” Norton said. “This had to be inflicted on her. This wasn’t caused by an accidental fall down the stairs. … Saharah was abused.”

Norton also pointed out instances where daycare workers and church friends would point out possible signs of abuse, even to the point of notifying the Department of Family and Children Services.

“This defendant caused that traumatic brain injury to that child,” Norton said. “She killed that baby. She killed her. We’re going to ask you to return a verdict of guilty and hold this defendant accountable for taking this child’s life that had only begun to live.”

In Ripper’s opening argument, he explained how Saharah and her 6-year-old brother, Elijah, had been taken from their mother and her revolving door of boyfriends, and put into the Edwards’ care.

“These children were in a bad situation with their mother Jennifer Palmer,” Ripper said. “Their father stabbed Palmer, and put these kids in a trailer and threatened to set it on fire and burn them all.”

Ripper also said that scrapes and bruises Saharah would have visible on occasion were that of a child who had developmental issues. He claimed she wasn’t walking and talking properly when she first arrived in the Edwards’ care, and that she was more accident-prone that a normal child her age.

He also pointed out that all DFCS claims that were made against Edwards were investigated and determined to be “unfounded” while the children were in that home.

“Clara was strict and firm with the children, and a lot of these people didn’t like the way she talked to the children.”

Finally, Ripper contended that one doctor determined that Saharah had massive strokes through her life, which is why her brain exhibited long-term trauma.

“Yes, it could have been caused by a fall down the stairs, but she was removed from her mother’s care twice for a reason. … Now they want you to convict Clara because the child fell down the stairs. We believe the proof will show that she did not kill this child. You don’t convict people of murder for being the last person in charge of custody when the child died.”

Two medical experts took the stand to give their testimony, both of which were involved with the child after she was admitted to the hospital.

Dr. Annamaria Church, who served as medical director of children’s pediatrics at Erlanger hospital at the time, broke down the injuries the child sustained and said that the injuries couldn’t have come from a simple fall down the stairs.

“The bruises and bleeding didn’t correlate with falling down the stairs,” Church said.

District attorney Herbert E. “Buzz” Franklin showed Church and the jury a number of photos of Saharah post-surgery. Church pointed out bruising, scrapes, and scratches on the child’s arms, legs, head, back, and stomach.

“This child was beaten to death,” Church said. “The fall down the stairs … that doesn’t make no kind of sense.”

During cross-examination, Ripper pointed out that Church didn’t go to the scene, didn’t look at the staircase, and didn’t look at the piece of wardrobe furniture the child allegedly hit her head on.

“Before you had all the data, you made your conclusion didn’t you?” Ripper asked Church. “It was unexplained injuries. … In your very first note on your hand-written report, you wrote ‘this injury is not consistent with findings of an accidental injury.’”

Dr. Daniel Kueter, a neurosurgeon who operated on Saharah, also took the stand and stated Saharah did indeed have old and new blood visible on her brain during surgery. “There was fresh and older blood,” Kueter said. “The older blood had been there for weeks, and the newer blood had been there for hours or days.”

The trial will resume Wednesday at 9 a.m.”

Trial begins for Ringgold foster mom accused of murder in death of 2-year-old [Northwest Georgia News 2/9/16 by Adam Cook]

Update 10:”Wednesday in court the jury heard accounts from daycare teachers who watched 2-year-old Saharah Weatherspoon, as well as passionate testimony from members of Clara Edwards church.

Edwards is accused of killing Saharah while she was her foster mother in 2013.

Several teachers from two different day cares said Saharah never appeared to be happy to see Edwards at pick up time unlike other children going home with their parents.

However, teachers also described Saharah as a quiet little girl, who was a bit behind in development compared to the other children.

Teachers talked about instances they had documented where Edwards brought Saharah in with bruises and scratches. They made it clear it is common for foster parents to explain any and all accidents to daycare workers.

Three days before the end of 2013, Edwards brought Saharah to the hospital almost unconscious, saying she fell down the stairs.

Saharah died three days later on New Year’s Day. An autopsy showed she suffered brain bleeds.

A woman from Edwards’ church testified that church members had a conversation months before Sahara died and had reported possible abuse to DFACS.

Kimberlee Okwudibonye said, “We noticed bruising- No we didn’t know what it was from of course. Like I said we didn’t know what it was from but it was just a genuine concern was against it wasn’t any vendetta against her.”

Saharah’s death had a big impact on the way DFACS reviews cases.

Tuesday we got a new report from DFACS that analyzes the child fatalities that happened in 2014.

In the conclusion of the report, it states DFACS found children under the age of two years old to be more at risk, saying they are “less visible to the network of mandatory reporters.”

For the first time, the division admits that “significant gaps,” in its performance lead to deaths of children under its supervision.

NewsChannel 9 talked with Sahara’s biological mother again Wednesday. She said she believes either she or her sister will testify later on in this case.”

Murder trial continues for former Catoosa County Foster Mon [News Channel 9 2/10/16 by Hannah Lawrence]

“In the fourth day of a Catoosa County foster mom’s murder trail, the jury heard from law enforcement officers involved in the case.

One day after Clara Edwards took Sahara Weatherspoon to the hospital unconscious in 2013, Edwards was interviewed by the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department.

In a video of the interview, which was played in court Thursday, Edwards told officers, “I would never hurt that child.”

The former foster mom told police her relationship with her two-year-old foster child was growing before she died on New Years Day 2014.

“We are bonding to the point where I am important to her,” Edwards told police. “I would never do anything to hurt her.”

She then described Sahara as a “Faller-downer,” saying she’d once asked Sahara’s doctor for a helmet to keep her from getting injured. She also said it was noted by another doctor that Sahara bruised easily, possibly because of her thin skin.

Edwards also gave full accounts of what she says happened the night she brought Saharah to the hospital.

A special agent with the GBI testified and showed a separate video interview of a Clara Edwards at her house, reenacting what she believes happened on the night of December 29.

In the video Edwards used a doll to represent the Saharah. She showed officers how she believed the child might have fallen down the stairs.

She said Sahara was wearing a footed onesie and slipped chasing a ball.

Edwards said Sahara was crying but then walked back up the stairs with her minutes after falling.

She then described another accident that happened hours later, saying Saharah may have hit her head on an armoire.

It was then that Edwards says she picked up Sahara and brought her to the hospital after she couldn’t get her to wake up.

Edwards told officers she had a fear of what this incident could cause for her as a foster mother.

She also said that some of the bruises on Sahara probably came from Edwards’ attempt to wake her up after she fell.

Court will resume Friday at 9 a.m. Prosecutors say they have one witness left and then the defense will have the opportunity to call its witnesses.”

Former Foster Mom Charged with Murder Tells Police Child was a “Faller-Downer” [News Channel 9 2/11/16 by Hannah Lawrence]

“After 3½ days of testimony, Lookout Mountain Judicial CircuitHerbert E. “Buzz” Franklin rested the state’s murder case Friday morning, Feb. 12, against a former Ringgold foster mother accused of killing a toddler in 2014.

The trial began Tuesday morning in Catoosa County Superior Court, after a jury of seven women and five men were chosen Monday afternoon.

The defendant, Clara Louise Edwards, is accused of murder in the death of 2-year-old Saharah Weatherspoon, who was injured at the family’s Mallard Hill home between Dec. 29 and 30, 2013. The child died on New Year’s Day 2014 after being taken off life support.

Edwards claimed Saharah fell down a flight of stairs but was later fine, before hitting her head on a piece of furniture later that evening and being found unresponsive.

Edwards was indicted on the charge that she physically caused injuries and murdered the child. She’s facing charges of felony murder, malice murder, and cruelty to children.

Edwards is being defended by attorney Dan Ripper of Chattanooga, Tenn., while the case is being prosecuted by Franklin and assistant DA Alan Norton

Friday’s proceedings included expert testimony from forensic pathologist Dr. Lora Darrisaw, who performed the autopsy the day after baby Saharah was taken off life support.

As Franklin introduced autopsy photos, Darrisaw, who has performed more than 1,000 autopsies of children in her career, explained areas of the child’s body that sustained bruises, contusions, and scrapes.

“There is bruising along the right ear, the left side of her forehead, and the center of her forehead,” Darrisaw said.

The jury also saw photos of bruising on Saharah’s back, stomach, arms, legs and neck.

“There’s also a lip laceration, or tear, that appeared to be recent but looked like it was already healing up,” Darrisaw said.

Darrisaw also spoke of the blood she observed on the brain, in the skull cavity after the brain was removed, and in the child’s eyes.

“There was blood under the surface of the brain,” Darrisaw said, adding that she also observed bleeding in the retina.

The findings confirmed subdural hematoma and the head trauma being the cause of death, she said.

The jury was also shown a video of Edwards walking investigators through the family’s home explaining how she thought the child’s alleged fall occurred.

Edwards used a doll to show how Saharah slid down the stairs and eventually landed on her bottom, which is the way Edwards claims she found her.

After the video played, Darrisaw shared her conclusion that the fall couldn’t have caused the injuries that killed the child.”

Clara Edwards murder trial, Day 4: Prosecution wraps up; defense will begin presenting its case Monday afternoon [CATT 2/15/16  by Madelyn]

Update 11: “A jury in Catoosa County is now deciding the case of Clara Edwards, the foster mother charged with the murder of a young girl.

In 2013, Clara Edwards told police Sahara Weatherspoon fell down a wooden staircase the night she brought her to the hospital unconscious.

Prosecutors are charging her with felony murder as well as malice murder and cruelty to children.

Edwards’ trial began on Tuesday, February 9th.

Doctors testified about Sahara’s injuries when her Edwards brought her to the hospital on December 29, 2013.

One doctor said Sahara’s injuries did not appear to be accidental.

On Wednesday, the jury heard accounts from daycare teachers who said Sahara never appeared to be happy to see Edwards at pick up time unlike other children going home with their parents.

Foster care workers took the stand Monday to say that Clara Edwards received extra training so she could qualify to provide care for the most traumatized children.

The director of the foster care agency said Sahara Weatherspoon was an especially fussy two-year-old and was slow in learning to walk, talk and eat.

She attributed that to the anxiety and emotional trauma resulting from domestic violence in the child’s biological family.

One day after Clara Edwards took Sahara Weatherspoon to the hospital unconscious in 2013, Edwards was interviewed by the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department.

In a video of the interview, which was played in court Thursday, Edwards told officers, “I would never hurt that child.”

She told police her relationship with her two-year-old foster child was growing before she died on New Years Day 2014.

“We are bonding to the point where I am important to her,” Edwards told police. “I would never do anything to hurt her.”

She then described Sahara as a “faller-downer,” saying she’d once asked Sahara’s doctor for a helmet to keep her from getting injured. She also said it was noted by another doctor that Sahara bruised easily, possibly because of her thin skin.

The case as led to a larger investigation into a backlog of DFACs cases in Georgia:”

 

Foster Child Death Case Now in Hands of Jury [News Channel 9 2/16/16 by Hannah Lawrence]

“The fate of a former Ringgold foster mother accused of murdering a toddler now rests in the hands of a Catoosa County jury, but the verdict will have to wait, as jurors were unable to reach a decision Tuesday.

Before dismissing the jurors just after 5 p.m., Superior Court judge Ralph Van Pelt asked if they had reached a verdict. They haven’t fully, but the jury foreman did state that they’ve reached a verdict on at least one of the three charges, but not all three.

The defendant, 60-year-old Clara Louise Edwards, is accused of felony murder, malice murder, and child cruelty in the death of 23-month-old Saharah Weatherspoon, who was injured at the Edwards’ Mallard Hill home between Dec. 29 and 30, 2013, and died of head trauma on Jan. 1, 2014, after being taken off life support.

Edwards claimed Saharah fell down a flight of stairs but was later fine, before hitting her head on a piece of furniture later that evening and being found unresponsive.

Following closing arguments Tuesday morning, the case was turned over to the jury just after 1 p.m.

Throughout their four-hour deliberation on Tuesday, the jury sent questions to judge Van Pelt through bailiffs.

First the jury asked to review autopsy information and then have the court reporter read back some testimony from a DFCS worker who testified on behalf of the prosecution. Van Pelt didn’t grant either request, but did clarify other questions such as the specific definitions of both felony and malice murder.

Deliberations will resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday.”

Jury deliberations resume Wednesday morning in Clara Edwards murder trial By [Northwest Georgia News 2/16/16 by Adam Cook]

Update 12:“A jury in Catoosa County has reached a verdict in the case of Clara Edwards, who was charged in connection with the death of her foster child, Saharah Weatherspoon, finding her not guilty of malice murder, and guilty of cruelty to children.

Jury Reaches Verdict in Foster Child Death Case [New Channel 9 2/18/16]

Update 13:“Prosecutors want to go back to court with Clara Louise Edwards, a Ringgold, Ga., woman accused of killing her foster child.

On Feb. 18, a jury in Catoosa County Superior Court convicted Edwards, 60, of cruelty to children, a charge that carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The jury also found Edwards not guilty of malice murder, but it failed to reach a verdict on felony murder — the killing of somebody while committing a felony, regardless of whether the slaying was intentional.

Judge Ralph Van Pelt Jr. scheduled Edwards’ sentencing hearing on the cruelty to children charge for March 25.

But Alan Norton, Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit assistant district attorney, is asking Van Pelt to push that sentencing hearing back. Before the judge decides how long Edwards will go to prison for cruelty to children, Norton wants to bring her back to court for a new trial on the felony murder charge, which he can do since the first jury did not reach a verdict.

“Conducting a sentencing hearing on the offense Cruelty to Children in the First Degree, during the pendency of the offense of Felony Murder, is an inefficient use of judicial resources,” Norton wrote in his motion, filed Feb. 24. “Should the Defendant, after lawful retrial, be convicted of the offense of Felony Murder, the Court would be obligated to merge the conviction for Cruelty to Children in the First Degree with the conviction for Felony Murder.”

He added: “The State of Georgia has an obligation to ensure that the retrial of the above referenced Defendant for the offense of Felony Murder occurs in a prompt and timely manner.”

In December 2013, Edwards said she found her 2-year-old foster child, Saharah Elise Weatherspoon, unconscious in the girl’s bedroom. She told investigators Saharah slipped down the steps hours earlier that day and bumped her head. The girl seemed fine at the time.

But when she brought Saharah to T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger that night, doctors found bruises on her face, stomach, arm and back. They also found two blood clots in her brain: one from recent trauma and another that had been there for weeks, maybe months.

During the trial last month, Norton and Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney Herbert “Buzz” Franklin argued that the bruises were inconsistent with a fall. They also argued that the long-term blood clot implied that Edwards continually beat Saharah.

Also, employees at the girl’s day care reported suspicions of abuse to the Division of Family and Children Services. So did congregates at Edwards’ former church.

But Dan Ripper, Edwards’ defense attorney, pointed out that two DFCS investigations did not lead to any findings. He said Saharah came to Edwards’ foster home with developmental delays. She had trouble walking, Ripper said, and she often fell.

“She did not kill this child,” Ripper told the jury during his opening statement. “We believe the proof will show this child was abused since she was born. And when she unfortunately had an accident that day, that was the last straw.”

The jury deliberated in Edwards’ case for 11 hours over three days before Van Pelt declared a mistrial on the charge of felony murder.”

Prosecutors ask to re-try Ringgold foster mom accused of killing child [Times Free Press 3/4/16 by Tyler Jett]

 

Update 14:“Clara Louise Edwards, the Ringgold, Ga., foster mom accused of killing a 2-year-old girl, is going back to court.

Superior Court Judge Ralph Van Pelt Jr. this week granted a prosecutor’s motion for a new trial, allowing the state to retry Edwards on a charge of felony murder. Last month, a jury convicted Edwards of first-degree cruelty to children but acquitted her on a charge of malice murder — Georgia’s way of alleging the killer intended to take a life.

After the jury deliberated for 11 hours over three days, Van Pelt also declared a mistrial on a charge of felony murder because the jury failed to reach a consensus on that count. Van Pelt was supposed to sentence Edwards — who faces five to 20 years in prison for the cruelty to children charge — on March 25.

But at the request of Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney Alan Norton, Van Pelt has delayed the sentencing hearing indefinitely. Instead, Norton and District Attorney Herbert “Buzz” Franklin will try to convict Edwards of felony murder in a new trial, which Van Pelt scheduled for Aug. 8.

According to Georgia law, a person commits the offense of felony murder when he or she kills somebody while committing a separate felony, even if the murderer did not intend to take a life. It carries a sentence of life in prison.

In December 2013, Edwards told investigators she found her 2-year-old foster child, Saharah Elise Weatherspoon, unconscious in the toddler’s bedroom. She said Saharah slipped down the stairs earlier that day, but Edwards thought the girl was fine.

Edwards, 60, took Saharah to T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, where doctors said they found two blood clots on her brain. One was a recent blood clot, the other from weeks or months earlier. They also found bruises splotching Saharah’s stomach, back, arm and face.

Edwards’ attorney, Dan Ripper, argued in court that the injuries didn’t necessarily mean Edwards hurt Saharah, even though day care workers and members of Edwards’ church had reported concerns of abuse to the Division of Family and Children’s Services. Before Edwards took Saharah in, Ripper pointed out, police arrested Saharah’s biological father on allegations he stabbed her biological mother and tried to burn his children alive.

Ripper said Saharah came to Edwards with developmental delays and struggled to walk. She fell often, and she bruised easily.

“She did not kill this child,” Ripper told the jury during his opening statement. “We believe the proof will show this child was abused since she was born. And when she unfortunately had an accident that day, that was the last straw.”

Chris Lambert, one of the jurors in the case, told the Times Free Press he initially believed Ripper’s version of events. He voted to convict her of cruelty to children early in the jury’s deliberation, figuring that even if Edwards didn’t directly hurt Saharah, she at least neglected her. To Lambert, that was bad enough.

But Lambert felt uncomfortable convicting Edwards of murder when nobody saw her abuse Saharah. If nothing else, he figured, Ripper’s defense at least seemed plausible: The child could have fallen often, and she could have bruised easily.

“How that happened,” he said, “no one will really know.”

But after several hours of deliberation, Lambert changed his mind. Along with nine other jurors, he voted to convict Edwards of felony murder. Two jurors were steadfast, though: They would not convict her on that count.

The circumstantial evidence swayed Lambert — the bruises, the long-term blood clot, the amount of time it took Edwards to bring Saharah to the hospital. By her own statements to the police, Lambert said, Edwards found Saharah passed out around 9 on the night in question. Lambert said the medical records showed she didn’t check the child into the hospital until after midnight.

Edwards told investigators that after she found Saharah unconscious, she panicked. She didn’t call 911. She ran around the house, changed clothes, put the child into the car and began to drive to the hospital. She called her husband, who was on his way home from work. He told Edwards to wait for him. She returned to her driveway.

“It never should have happened that way,” Lambert said. “She very well could have been in a panic. But when a child is unresponsive, you should call 911 immediately. And you should never turn around and go back home. I thought about that for a long time.”

Still, by the third day of deliberations, he said he and the jurors realized they would not reach a consensus.”

Ringgold foster mom going back to court on murder charge  [Times Free Press 3/12/16 by Tyler Jett]

Update 15:“A Catoosa County woman on Monday was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison in connection with the death of a foster child.

Clara Louise Edwards entered a guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter as a lesser included offense of felony murder before Judge Ralph Van Pelt.

Ms. Edwards was indicted in July of 2014 by the Catoosa County Grand Jury for malice murder, felony murder and cruelty to children in the first degree in connection with the death of Saharah Weatherspoon, a foster child who had been placed in her and her husband Ron Edwards’ care in early 2013.

On Dec. 29, 2013, the child was taken to T.C. Thompson’s Childrens Hospital with a traumatic brain injury.  She died a short time later as a result of the injury.

Ms. Edwards was tried before a Catoosa County jury in February and the jury acquitted her on the malice murder charge and convicted her on the cruelty to children in the first degree. A mistrial was declared on the remaining count of felony murder when the jury reached an impasse 10-2 in favor of conviction.

Ms. Edwards was represented by Daniel J. Ripper, an attorney with Luther Andersen in Chattanooga.

The case was prosecuted by District Attorney Herbert “Buzz” Franklin and Catoosa County Senior Assistant District Attorney Alan C. Norton.”

Clara Edwards Gets 20-Year Sentence In Death Of Foster Child In Catoosa County [Chattanoogan 6/27/16]