How Could You? Hall of Shame-Dawnyle Kaestner and Darren Durham

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 Forest Grove, Oregon, adoptive parents Dawnyle Kaestner,46 and Darren Durham,47,”were arrested on June 9 by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office but officials didn’t release information about the case until Thursday. The arrests come amid a review of Oregon’s foster care system and after months of turmoil within the system, including a recent federal report that found failings across the board.

Kaestner and Durham were certified foster parents through the state’s Department of Human Services from 2001 until 2013, department officials said in a statement. During that time, more than 50 children were placed in their care.

In 2013, the state revoked their certification, said Sgt. Bob Ray, a sheriff’s office spokesman. By that time, they had already adopted four of their foster children.

Ray said the couple, who lives south of Forest Grove, has been investigated at least one time earlier by the Sheriff’s Office. But those allegations were unfounded, according to Ray, who declined to provide additional details and didn’t know when the investigation occurred.

Most recently sheriff’s detectives started investigating Kaestner and Durham in February after receiving a complaint, Ray said. He would not provide further information about the report or who made it.

On June 3, a Washington County grand jury indicted Kaestner and Durham on 11 and seven felony counts, respectively. They both are accused of unlawfully giving Percocet, a Schedule II controlled substance, to a child sometime between June 2013 and this year. They also face two counts each of applying Percocet, a pain medication, to the body of the child and causing the child to ingest the drug without the child’s consent.  

Additionally, they face first-degree criminal mistreatment charges that allege they withheld necessary medical care for another child between June 2010 and the date of the grand jury’s indictment.

Kaestner faces three additional mistreatment charges accusing her of physically hurting one of the children during the same period. She also is accused of possessing methamphetamine.

Kaestner and Durham have pleaded not guilty to the charges in Washington County Circuit Court and are held in the county jail.

Ray declined to provide additional details about the allegations, including the ages of the children. Officials delayed releasing information about the couple’s arrest until after their children had finished school, he said.

Court records indicate that Kaestner has no previous criminal history in Oregon. In November 1995, Durham pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment in Washington County and had a charge of fourth-degree assault dismissed, according to court records.

Six years after the conviction, Durham became a licensed foster parent, according to court records and the Department of Human Services. Kaestner and Durham have not cared for any foster children since 2013, said Andrea Cantu-Schomus, a Department of Human Services spokeswoman.

Department officials are working with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office to locate children who lived with Kaestner and Durham, Cantu-Schomus said. She declined to say why the parents had their foster care certification revoked and would not comment on whether the department ever received complaints about them.

Ray said detectives have interviewed many of the foster children who lived with Kaestner and Durham, and they have not opened any additional investigations so far. But detectives are still looking to talk with other children, he said.

The Department of Human Services removed Kaestner and Durham’s four adopted children from their home in February 2016, officials said in a statement. The children were placed in foster care.

Clyde Saiki, Department of Human Services director, has asked the department to review the case “because abuse in certified foster care continues to be an issue for the child welfare program,” according to the statement.

“Every child and youth in our care deserves safety and well-being, and any abuse of a child in foster or adoptive care is unacceptable,” the statement said.

Cantu-Schomus said one review will examine what happened in the case involving Kaestner and Durham. Another, she said, will look at decisions made by the department to see if they were within policy.

She said officials will examine the case file to see if the department could learn anything from it.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with more information to call detectives at 503-846-2500.”

Former foster parents arrested, accused of abusing children [Oregon Live 6/23/16 by Rebecca Woolington]

“The kids told investigators they found syringes inside their home, and that their mother Dawnyle hit them. The children described one instance where their mother used a belt and hit one of her daughters so hard “that one child was unable to stand.””

“Another child said he had thought about killing himself, telling investigators “hell would be better than my life.”

Washington County detectives learned that Dawnyle pawned off a wheelchair belonging to one of the children, along with some video games, according to Sgt. Bob Ray with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

“The kids were sad all the time,” said Long, whose children also played with the Durham’s kids.
Long said the kids appeared lonely and didn’t spend much time outside.

“They weren’t allowed to play sports, no after school activities, things that kids like to do,” said Long.”

“Both parents are still in jail. Bail for each of them is at more than $100,000.”

“According to court documents, Dawnyle’s mother said her daughter’s son was murdered 16 years ago and she has also been going downhill ever since her brother died three years ago. She also said Dawnyle struggles with mental health issues.”

Former foster parents indicted for abuse, drug charges[KGW 6/24/16 by Christine Pitawanich]

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