REFORM Talk’s Forgotten Angels 2016
In 2016, we honor US adopted children that are missing; missing and presumed dead; and/or related to the out-of-original family placements and surrogacy industry that are otherwise forgotten since December 2015 and years earlier that we have discovered.
This post includes all child deaths and children missing from US foster care or adoptions and adult adoptee deaths as well as those otherwise forgotten that we could find.
Still Missing
The 400 children presumably disrupted from Russia. See here.
Still Missing and Presumed Dead
In 2011, it was brought to light that two adoptees from the same family were missing: Austin and Edward Dylan Bryant. See the case here.
A child nicknamed Moo, foster child of Judith Leekin . See the case here.
Rilya Wilson, 4, went missing in December 2000. In 2011, her foster mother was ordered to trial. It was delayed until end of 2012. Geralyn Graham was sentenced to 55 years in 2013 though they haven’t found Rilya’s body. See here.
Jhessye Shockley. See here. Jhessye’s mother, Jerice Hunter, had been convicted of child abuse and served 4 years in a California prison. After being released in 2010, Arizona CPS allowed Jerice to take custody of Jhessye from Shirley. On a day in October 2011 when Shirley Johnson was in Maricopa County Superior Court for a custody hearing, Jerice reported Jhessye as missing. Jhessye’s body has never been found.
Hasanni Campbell. See here. From Fremont, California, disabled foster child Hasanni Campbell, who was five when he disappeared on August 10, 2009. His foster mother was his aunt.His foster father, Louis Ross, told police he parked in a Rockridge neighborhood, taking his daughter into a shoe store while leaving Hasanni, who wore leg braces due to cerebral palsy, inside the car. When he returned, Hasanni was gone.
Reader-Shared
Thaddeus Farrow.See here. Mia Farrow’s adopted son shot himself in the torso on September 21, 2016.
Svetlana Brown adopted child. This child had Down Syndrome.
Child Deaths-International Adoption
12-Year-Old Hungarian Son. See here. From California, Tara McNeill Palajac, 51, was arraigned in the January 8, 2016 death of her adopted son at their Santa Clara home.”
“A woman in Santa Clara faces a murder charge after police said she confessed to drowning her 12-year-old adopted son in a bathtub.”
Quinn AND Tory Carlson. From Kazakhstan. See here . From Washington, Kazakh Adoptees Quinn Carlson,16, and Tory Carlson,18, were shot and killed by their stepfather 51-year-old David Wayne Campbell on February 25, 2016.David then killed himself. The 12 -year-old Adopted Chinese Daughter was spared.
Adult Foster Child Deaths
Derek Lee Rakes. See here. From Virginia, Delores Ann Gordon, 56, foster mother to Derek Lee Rakes “was driving Derek Lee Rakes’ pickup at about 2:30 a.m. on December 14, 2014, when she crashed while trying to get onto Interstate 81 in Wytheville. Rakes was partially ejected from the truck and died of head injuries. After asking Gordon if she had a landline telephone, Showalter sentenced her to serve 10 months on home confinement where she’ll likely be monitored with an ankle bracelet. After her release, she’ll be on supervised probation for five years.
Child Deaths-Adoption
Jaedyn Ellington. See here. From North Carolina, adoptive father Matthew Ellington ” is accused of killing his three-year-old adopted son, Jaedyn” on December 30, 2015. Hospital officials say the three-year-old boy suffered from repeated blunt force trauma.He goes to trial on January 18, 2017.
Erica Lynn Parsons. See here.From , North Carolina, homeschooled adoptee Erica Lynn Parsons was just reported missing on July 30, 2013 by her older brother. She was last seen on November 19, 2011. Her remains were found on September 27, 2016. Her adoptive father, Sandy Parsons, had told investigators where to find her body, which was found near where his mother lived.
Alexis Hargrove. See here. From Michigan, Alexis Hargrove died on December 14, 2015 of “medical complications from craniocerebral trauma.”
“A death certificate filed in Kent County lists Alexis’ death as a homicide.”
“A medical examiner wrote that her injuries were sustained in 2010 in Oakland County’s Highland Township, where she lived with her birth parents before entering the foster care system.
No arrests have been made related to her death.”
Colton Clark. See here. From Oklahoma, Murder charges have been filed against a couple in connection to an Oklahoma cold case.
Colton Clark, 9, has been missing from Seminole County for 10 years.
On April 20, 2006, police said Colton disappeared from his Seminole home.Rebecca and Rex Clark were arrested in connection with Colton’s disappearance.After homeschooling him, “they were officially charged with child abuse, first-degree murder, child neglect, conspiracy to commit a felony and intimidation of a witness.”
Child Deaths-Group-Respite Home/RTC/Hospital/Juvenile Justice Facility
Jimariya Davidson. See here. From Georgia, 14-year-old Jimariya Davidson was held in “deplorable conditions” at the Metro Regional Youth Detention Center before he committed suicide on April 5, 2015.The teen “was kept in solitary confinement for days with no exercise, showers or even a functioning toilet“.
Shaquan Allen. See here.From Illinois, “two employees of a residential treatment center for troubled teens in Lake Villa are charged in the death of a sixteen- year- old resident [Shaquan Allen] following a struggle on Wednesday night.[in March 2016].
Juvenile Resident. See here. From Maine,on October. 29, 2016, Maine Department of Corrections Commissioner Joseph Fitzpatrick sent a two-sentence news release saying that a “resident was involved in an incident earlier today. All appropriate action is being taken to deal with the situation.”
Child Deaths-US Foster Care
Tyler Griffin-Huston.See here.From California, 9-year-old adoptee,Tyler Griffin-Huston, “was mauled to death [on January 3, 2016] by his guardian’s three pit bulls after he was left alone with the dogs inside her mobile home in Northern California.
Alicia Morrow. See here. From Nebraska, 4-year-old Alicia Morrow died on January 3, 2016. Her “guardian, Chelsey Cook, 22, has been booked for criminal homicide.
Anna-Lise Rainey, See here. From Tennessee, foster child Anna-Lise Rainey, 1 years old, “died in a Middle Tennessee foster home last week, and her family still has lots of questions.” The baby had just been released from the hospital on the day of her death. She had a history of heart problems.
“The foster mother put her to bed at 9 that night, checked on her at 1 a.m., checked on her again at 6 a.m., and at 7:15, noticed her lips were blue,” Rowland said.”
Infant Death “CD”.See here. From Mississippi, an infant in foster care died five days after arriving in a home that caseworkers had never inspected.The foster parents also didn’t receive required training before gaining custody of the child, and the infant didn’t have a medical screening within 72 hours of entering state custody.
Anthony L. Puscavage. See here. From Pennsylvania, On January 8, 2015, [foster child , 21-month-old ]Anthony [Puscavage] sustained a head injury and suffered from a large scrape on the back of his head, the complaint says. Two days later, Wilkes found Anthony unresponsive on a couch and called medics, who found the child with a blown pupil and barely breathing, the lawsuit says.Anthony died in surgery the same day.
Lilliana Burt. See here. From Rhode Island, foster parents of 6-month-old Lillianna Burt “found her unresponsive with a blanket covering her head around 6:35 a.m. on Dec. 16 [2015] at their Veazie Street home.
She was pronounced dead less than an hour later at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. A cause of death hasn’t been determined.”She “died in an unlicensed foster home.”
Prince Thurman Billings. See here. From Arkansas, foster child Prince Thurman Billings, 15-months-old, died on February 2, 2016. A history of sleep apnea and breathing problems were likely factors.
Miles Aiden Zane Stead. See here. From South Dakota, foster mother, Mary Beth Jennewein, 32, “faces murder and manslaughter charges in the January [6, 2016]death of her two-year-old foster child.”
“Officer Sam Clemens says the coroner determined the boy died of traumatic brain injury and police yesterday arrested 32-year-old Mary Beth Jennewein. She pled guilty to aggravated battery of an infant. She still faces a “maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.”
Juwan “Chico” Tavarez. See here. From New York, foster child, Juwan “Chico” Tavarez,16, “has died after getting shot in the head outside of a public housing building.”After the shooting, which a witness said was random, Juwan was taken to Harlem Hospital in critical condition, the New York Daily News reports. He was pronounced dead on the night of March 27,2016.
Elijah Allen. See here. From Maryland, Authorities say a 15-year-old boy from a therapeutic group home in western Maryland has died on May 16, 2016 after the bicycle he was riding was hit by a car in neighboring Pennsylvania. Elijah Allen was a resident of Cedar Ridge Children’s Home near Hagerstown.
Kira Friedman. See here. From Minnesota, 2-year-old foster daughter,Kira Friedman, was ” found dead at about 11:30 a.m. Sunday[June 5, 2016]. Friedman was left unattended in a shower and apparently drowned in a laundry tote, according to a criminal complaint.”
Nathan Daniel Jackson Sr. told police that Kira Friedman, one of two foster children living in the tribal-licensed home, needed a shower about 7:30 a.m. Sunday after she soiled herself. He then left her unattended in a shower, which had an 18-gallon plastic bin in it.
He returned to find the girl in the bin, which was filled with water, the second-degree manslaughter charges cite him as saying.
Macey Wilson. See here. From California,on May 7, 2016, ” police responded to a south Sacramento foster home” “and found Macey [Wilson, foster child] wasn’t breathing.Now the case is back with police. While the coroner deemed the cause of death to be “undetermined,” the autopsy raises new questions. The investigation showed inconsistencies with the foster family’s report that Macey was found dead in a car seat.
3-Year-Old Foster Son.See here. From Georgia, “an unnamed “3-year-old boy living in a foster home was found dead on June 13, 2016 in his foster family’s pool Monday, authorities say.”No charges have been filed in the incident.
Aaziyah Wright. See here. From Texas, Duncanville police are investigating the death of an 11-month-old boy who died in the care of a Child Protective Services foster family on June 18, 2016.
The medical examiner hasn’t determined the cause of death, but Duncanville police say there were no outward signs of foul play. No arrests were made.
Miracle Collins. See here. From Florida, foster child Miracle Collins, 7 months old, “died this week after she slept next to a 10-year-old child on a couch”in July 2016. Her death was caused by co-sleeping. No arrests were made.
Ayanna Ross. See here. From Florida, foster father Jesus Mata, 28, “has been convicted in the death of a foster baby[Ayanna Ross]”on March 2, 2012.
“Jesus Mata was convicted Friday of aggravated manslaughter. He faces up to 30 years in prison.
Mata told detectives that he was playing with 1-year-old Ayanna Ross in February 2012. He said he was tossing the child up and catching her when she hit her head.”
Promise Waggoner. See here. From Texas,foster child “Promise Waggoner [10 months old] died late Monday night, August 22, 2016 according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner. A cause of death is pending. She was put to bed at about 7 p.m. and found unresponsive when an adult checked on her a couple of hours later.
She said Promise was born premature but that her health was now fine.”
Stanley Thomas. See here .From Ohio,foster parent Torace D. Weaver, “a Dayton pastor accused of murder, was 2-year-old Stanley Thomas’s foster father. On Nov. 18, 2015, emergency first responders were called to King of Glory Church on Genesee Avenue in Dayton, where Weaver was pastor, on a report of a toddler not breathing. The child, 2-year-old Stanley Thomas, was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital where he was pronounced dead.The boy’s death was ruled a homicide in March 2016. The grand jury empaneled for the September term returned a true bill on one count of felony endangering children (parent causing serious harm).
Shureka Weaver, 39, is to be arraigned Nov. 15.
Elijah “Eli” Jack Oberdier. See here. From North Carolina, 3-year-old foster child Elijah “Eli” Jack Oberdier died on January 28, 2015 inside a house fire.Jessica Lea Metcalf, 33, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and child abuse involving serious bodily injury, both felonies.
Steven D. Thompson. See here. From Missouri, a 17-year-old boy has drowned in a swimming pool at a Missouri group home on September 4, 2016.No arrests have been made.
Mame-Neta Attocknie.See here. From Oklahoma, The four-month old was found dead in the backseat of a car at the Dollar General Store in Geronimo Tuesday. Police believe the baby girl had been left in the back seat in the sweltering hot car for nine hours in September 2016.Billy DeWayne Allen is facing second degree manslaughter charges.
15-Year-Old Foster girl. See here.From Delaware,a teenage girl died last week after an incident at a group home in Delaware. Workers were manually restraining the girl when she became unresponsive.She died on September 14, 2016.No one has been charged.
Ethan Okula. See here. From Pennsylvania,foster child Ethan Okula, 10, ” died from bowel obstruction, a likely complication of his medical conditions” on February 10, 2016.Ethan was intellectually impaired. Born at one pound, he had hearing and vision issues. He had medical problems, including a serious bowel condition.The foster mother had a criminal history – including arrests for forgery and theft – that the report said was not documented in her file. The offenses, dating from 1979 to 1982, would not prohibit her from being a foster parent, the report found, but knowing about them could have helped Northeast Treatment assess her suitability as a caregiver. (The agency told me it knew about the foster mother’s criminal past and it did not disqualify her.)The foster mother was “not well educated” about Ethan’s medical needs, the report found. “His routine medical care was not being met,” it said.According to the report, the District Attorney’s Office declined to pursue criminal charges against School District staff for failing to report Ethan’s condition or the alleged abuse to authorities.The investigation into Ethan’s death was ongoing but declined to comment further.
Megan McCullar. See here. From Missouri,charges were filed earlier this week in the murder case of Megan McCullar, a two-year-old McDonald County girl whose death by head trauma had lain unresolved for 15 years. She died on September 18, 2001. Jessica Newhard, who held custody of McCullar at the time of her death, was charged with second-degree murder on Tuesday.
Christine Mc Gowan. See here. From Florida,Christine McGowan, 17, “was found dead last weekend in Miami”on November 12, 2016.
Za’Marion Wilcox. See here.From North Carolina,foster child Za’Marion Wilcox,2, “was at the community pool with members of his foster family when he fell into the water. One of his foster parents pulled him from the water and community members at the pool began administering CPR until paramedics arrived. Medics then rushed him to the hospital, where Evans said the toddler was pronounced dead at 8:40 p.m.on September 4, 2016.DSS says this investigation revealed physical neglect by lack of oversight by the foster parents, causing Za’Marion’s death.
The parents appealed that decision, the Office of Administrative Hearings will now review the outcome. If that outcome is not reversed the foster parents will be placed on the central registry of abuse and neglect, barring them from working in childcare positions and adopting or fostering again.” The foster parents were NOT charged.
Michael Citron. See here. From Connecticut,foster child Michael Citron,1, “was pronounced dead on arrival at St. Vincent’s Hospital after 1 a.m., said Av Harris, a spokesman for the city of Bridgeport.
A caregiver for the biological mother, John Turek, identified the child as Michael Citron. Harris said it appears the child died of sudden infant death syndromein December 2016.
Aedyn Agminalis. See here.From Florida, 17-month-old Aedyn Agminalis “arrived at St. Joseph’s Hospital for Children unresponsive and with signs of head injuries. He suffered cardiac arrest, bleeding on the brain and acute respiratory failure.
The small boy was hooked up to a life-support system but doctors could find no brain activity, according to Artha Healton, Aedyn’s biological mother. The youngster died December 11, 2016 after doctors turned off the machine.” “The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has opened a criminal investigation. The boy suffered from bleeding on the brain, cardiac arrest and acute respiratory failure. The state Department of Children and Families is launching its own inquiry.”
14-Month-Old Foster boy.See here. From Nebraska,Lincoln Fire and Rescue was called to a home near Southwest 40 and A streets just before 11 p.m. on December 22, 2016 on a report a baby was in cardiac distress and not breathing, according to police and dispatch records.”Doctors determined he had retinal bleeding and brain swelling, and he was taken to a hospital in Omaha, police said.“Preliminary findings from the autopsy on a toddler in foster care who suffered a brain injury and died Tuesday, December 27, 2016.No arrests have been made.
Michael Shore. See here. From Connecticut,Michael Shore, the 14-year-old Southington teen struck and killed by vehicles on Route 8 in Naugatuck on December 22,2016.Shore is believed to have jumped out of a vehicle driven by his foster mother and was then struck by two vehicles and killed. State police are also investigating the collision.”
Noah McCoy.See here. From Connecticut,Noah McCoy, 6, died from a crash on I-91 north in North Haven. He was in a pickup truck with two other kids and a 23-year-old woman, who was driving. However, McCoy was the only one not wearing a seatbelt, so when the truck hit black ice and flipped over several times he was ejected. He died on Wednesday December 28, 2016 from the injuries he sustained.”
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