How Could You? Hall of Shame-Elijah “Eli” Jack Oberdier 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 Leicester, North Carolina, foster child Elijah “Eli” Jack Oberdier died on January 28, 2015.

“Elijah Jack Oberdier was removed from his parents home in January of 2015, after a hair strand drug test result given to Laurens County DSS said Oberdier had marijuana in his system.

Elijah went to live with family members and was taken to visit other family in Western North Carolina. While there , Elijah died inside a house fire.”

“According to a new lawsuit, a 3-year-old died after being removed from his family because of a falsified drug test by Accurate Diagnostics of Laurens County.”

Child dies in foster care; removed from home after falsified drug test
[WSPA 9/15/16 by Brianna Smith]

“Nearly six months after a Leicester mobile home fire claimed a 3-year-old boy’s life, a woman is facing felony charges in connection with the child’s death.

Jessica Lea Metcalf, 33, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and child abuse involving serious bodily injury, both felonies.

Elijah Jack Oberdier died in the fire Jan. 28 on Boyd Cove Road, a day before he would have turned 4.

Metcalf was taken into custody Friday after a Buncombe County grand jury indicted her on the charges.

She made her initial court appearance Monday in Buncombe County District Court via video monitor from the Buncombe County Detention Facility. Judge Calvin Hill approved her request for a court appointed attorney.

Metcalf is being held at the jail under a $60,000 secured bond.

District Attorney Todd Williams said he could not comment on what led authorities to seek charges against Metcalf. The charges were so long in coming “pending the medical examination of the decedent,” Williams said.

The Buncombe County Sheriff Office initially was involved in the investigation but turned the case over to the Asheville-Buncombe Arson Task Force. Task force officials could not be reached for comment.

The fire also left a woman seriously injured, but her name was not released to the media. Arson task force investigators could not be reached about whether Metcalf was the injured woman. The woman suffered second- and third-degree burns.

When the fire happened, neighbor Tammy Peek heard screaming, saw the fire and called 911.

“She was screaming for help,” Peek said of the injured woman. “I went up there and saw flames coming out of the living room door and window. She was burned bad. She was standing there with a jug of water.”

Peek said she asked the woman if anyone was inside the burning house.

“We asked her if there was anyone else in there, and she said no,” Peek said of the injured woman.

Moments later, Elijah Oberdier’s grandfather arrived at the scene and said the boy was in the house. The injured woman was the girlfriend of the boy’s uncle, Peek said. No one else was in the home.”

Woman charged in death of boy in Leicester fire [Citizen-Times 7/13/15 by Sabian Warren]

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