REFORM Talk’s Forgotten Angels 2021

By on 12-31-2021 in Forgotten Angels

REFORM Talk’s Forgotten Angels 2021

In 2021,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 2020 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 or foster care deaths as well as those otherwise forgotten that we could find.

Missing and Presumed Dead

Orrin and Orson West. See here. From California City, California,  this December 21, 2020 case involves Orrin and Orson, 3 and 4 years old, who went missing from their own backyard patio. Police K9’s were reportedly sent inside to track the children’s scent, but the chief added the dogs did not “smell the children leaving the house”. The adoptive parents, Trezol and Jacqueline West, have been questioned and the neighbors video corroborates what they told police. The FBI has joined the search.

Still Missing

The 400 children presumably disrupted from Russia. See here.

Still Missing and Presumed Dead

Kaya Centeno. See here. From Rohnert Park, California, this 2010 case of adoptee Kaya, 8, “went missing” 10 years ago. Her adoptive parents were arrested for abuse and sexual abuse of her siblings.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. In 2021, Florida passed a law called “39.604 Rilya Wilson Act; short title; legislative intent; child care; early education; preschool.—

(1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Rilya Wilson Act.”
(2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—The Legislature recognizes that children who are in the care of the state due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment are at increased risk of poor school performance and other behavioral and social problems. It is the intent of the Legislature that children who are currently in the care of the state be provided with an age-appropriate education program to help ameliorate the negative consequences of abuse, neglect, or abandonment.

(3) REQUIREMENTS.—

(a) A child from birth to the age of school entry, who is under court-ordered protective supervision or in out-of-home care and is enrolled in an early education or child care program must attend the program 5 days a week unless the court grants an exception due to the court determining it is in the best interest of a child from birth to age 3 years:

1. With a stay-at-home caregiver to remain at home.
2. With a caregiver who works less than full time to attend an early education or child care program fewer than 5 days a week.
(b) Notwithstanding s. 39.202, the department must notify operators of an early education or child care program, subject to the reporting requirements of this act, of the enrollment of any child from birth to the age of school entry, under court-ordered protective supervision or in out-of-home care. If a child is enrolled in an early education or child care program, the child’s attendance in the program must be a required task in the safety plan or the case plan developed for the child pursuant to this chapter.

(4) ATTENDANCE.—

(a) A child enrolled in an early education or child care program who meets the requirements of subsection (3) may not be withdrawn from the program without the prior written approval of the department or the community-based care lead agency.
(b)1. If a child covered by this section is absent from the program on a day when he or she is supposed to be present, the person with whom the child resides must report the absence to the program by the end of the business day. If the person with whom the child resides, whether the parent or caregiver, fails to timely report the absence, the absence is considered to be unexcused. The program shall report any unexcused absence or seven consecutive excused absences of a child who is enrolled in the program and covered by this act to the department or the community-based care lead agency by the end of the business day following the unexcused absence or seventh consecutive excused absence.
2. The department or community-based care lead agency shall conduct a site visit to the residence of the child upon receiving a report of two consecutive unexcused absences or seven consecutive excused absences.
3. If the site visit results in a determination that the child is missing, the department or community-based care lead agency shall follow the procedure set forth in s. 39.0141.
4. If the site visit results in a determination that the child is not missing, the parent or caregiver shall be notified that failure to ensure that the child attends the early education or child care program is a violation of the safety plan or the case plan. If more than two site visits are conducted pursuant to this paragraph, staff shall notify the court of the parent or caregiver’s noncompliance with the case plan.

(5) EDUCATIONAL STABILITY.—Just as educational stability is important for school-age children, it is also important to minimize disruptions to secure attachments and stable relationships with supportive caregivers of children from birth to school age and to ensure that these attachments are not disrupted due to placement in out-of-home care or subsequent changes in out-of-home placement.

(a) A child must be allowed to remain in the child care or early education setting that he or she attended before entry into out-of-home care, unless the program is not in the best interest of the child.
(b) If it is not in the best interest of the child for him or her to remain in his or her child care or early education setting upon entry into out-of-home care, the caregiver must work with the case manager, guardian ad litem, child care and educational staff, and educational surrogate, if one has been appointed, to determine the best setting for the child. Such setting may be a child care provider that receives a Gold Seal Quality Care designation pursuant to s. 1002.945, a licensed child care provider, a public school provider, or a license-exempt child care provider, including religious-exempt and registered providers, and nonpublic schools.
(c) The department and providers of child care and early education shall develop protocols to ensure continuity if children are required to leave a program because of a change in out-of-home placement.
(6) TRANSITIONS.—In the absence of an emergency, if a child from birth to school age leaves a child care or early education program, the transition must be pursuant to a plan that involves cooperation and sharing of information among all persons involved, that respects the child’s developmental stage and associated psychological needs, and that allows for a gradual transition from one setting to another.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2003-292; s. 21, ch. 2014-19; s. 16, ch. 2014-224; s. 6, ch. 2018-108; s. 4, ch. 2021-10.”

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.The case is NOT closed. See this article from October 2021 here.

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.

Adult Adoptee Deaths

Jonathan Lambert. See here.From Pearl River, Louisiana, this September 9, 2020 case involves mentally disabled Jonathan, 19, who died on the floor after suffering from malnutrition and neglect.Two other mentally disabled adopted children were also suffering from malnutrition and neglect and lack of medical care.

Ariel Starcher. See here. This February 5, 2020 case involves Ariel who was suffocated to death. Her friend Marcus C. Brooks was arrested for “obstructed Starcher’s airflow to the “point of unconsciousness” and putting” her body in a bag and dumped it alongside the road. A Missouri Department of Transportation worker found the bag.” Bond for Marcus was denied.

Adult Foster Child Deaths

Montana Lopez. See here. From Muncie, Indiana, this June 19, 2021 case involves Ball State student Montana Lopez, 22, was shot and killed in his home after throwing a party. He became an advocate for A Voice For Kids to help foster kids like him. One person was arrested and homicide in still under investigation.

James Towns. See here. From Cincinnati, Ohio, this December 3, 2021 case involves James Towns, 37, who died when a car hit his bicycle.Police are still looking for the driver.

International Adult Adoptees

Christian Hall. See here. From Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, this December 30, 2020 case involves Chinese adoptee Christian, 19, who died by police gunfire. Christian had called 911 anonymously, reporting “a possible suicider.” The cops came and formed a perimeter around him for one and half hours. Christian got up and had a gun. The cops fired. The weapon in his hand turned out to be an airsoft pellet gun.The Monroe County District Attorney’s Office concluded that “the use of deadly force was justified,” releasing edited footage of the incident. They described the event as a “classic ‘suicide by cop’ scenario.

Child Deaths-International Adoption

Felicity Kreb. See here.From Colorado Springs, Colorado, this October 30, 2021 case involves Chinese adoptee Felicity,13 who died via gunfire from their adoptive father Christof who killed his wife, two kids and himself.

Barrett Kreb. See here. From Colorado Springs, Colorado, this October 30, 2021 case involves Albanian adoptee Barrett,9 who died via gunfire from their adoptive father Christof who killed his wife, two kids and himself.

Child Deaths-Adoption
Anson Stover.See here.From Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, this November 30, 2020 case involves Anson, 9, who died from significant head trauma. He was beaten and abused and left in the bathtub to die. He suffered multiple injuries to the head, neck, torso, arms, legs and pelvic area, all in various stages of healing. He also had several marks on his body consistent with cigarette burns and abrasions of the skin behind the ears and injuries to his buttocks and groin, according to the autopsy. His aunt and adoptive mother Jamie Lynne Jackson,36, was to be tried in March 2022, but she died on November 14, 2021, while in jail. An autopsy is pending.

Victoria Smith. See here. From Simpsonville, South Carolina, this January 14,2021 case involves, Victoria, 3, who died from several blunt force injuries. Adoptive parents, Ariel and Jerry Robinson were charged with homicide by child abuse. No trial date has been set for Ariel.Jerry is out on bond awaiting trial.

Alyssa Broderick. See here. From Austin, Texas, this April 18, 2021 case involves Alyssa who died via strangulation from her adoptive father and former sheriff’s deputy, Stephen Nicholas Broderick. Stephen also killed his wife and Alyssa boyfriend via strangulation.Stephen was arrested and indicted for three counts of murder, and sexual assault of his adoptive daughter. His trial is on January 27, 2022.

James, Jordan, Joshua, Emilee and Elizabeth Ridener. See here. From Switzerland County, Indiana, this March 28, 2020 case involves the five siblings who all died in a fire with their adopted sister. No one has been charged.

Aaron Carter. See here.From Wichita, Kansas, this February 16, 2021 case involves Aaron, 6, who died. His adoptive parents Carl and Tyler Zachare said he stopped breathing.The autopsy still pending. No arrests have been made.

Karreon Franks. See here. From Vancouver, Washington, this November 27, 2020 case involves Karreon, 15, who died from starvation. Felicia Adams-Franks, Karreon’s aunt and husband Jesse Costillo Franks are facing second-degree murder and homicide by abuse charges.Karreon was 70 pounds when he died from starvation and neglect. He had a rare genetic disorder that affected his development, had severe autism, was legally blind and was unable to speak. Felicia and Jesse allegedly hit a casino just hours after Karreon passed away. Felicia and Jesse have a jury trial on January 24, 2022.

Isabella “Ariel” Kalua. See here. From Honolulu, Hawaii, this case involves Ariel, 6, who died in August or September 2021. The body has not be found.Her adoptive parents Isaac and Lehua Kalua were placed under arrest today for second-degree murder.Her sister told police that Ariel was in the bathroom in a dog cage, duct tape on her mouth and nose, and she didn’t wake up.The older sister told police that the dog cage was purchased via the internet because Ariel would sneak around at night and want to eat because she was hungry,

Child Deaths-Group-Respite Home/RTC/Hospital/Juvenile Justice Facility/CPS office/Guardian

Jaeluv Smith. See here.From Fresno, California, this April 17, 2021 case involves Jaeluv, 8, who died due to severe blunt force trauma. Guardian Patrick Johnson were arrested and charged with murder.His wife Crystal was charged with felony child abuse. They are awaiting trial.

Timothy Montoya-Kloepfel. See here. This June 2020 case involves Timothy,12, who was run over by a vehicle as he ran away from Tennyson Center for Children. No arrests were made.

Andrew Potter.See here. This case involves Andrew,15, who ran away from Devereux Cleo Wallace center and was killed by a vehicle. No arrests were made.

Four children from Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch. See here.From Alabama, this case four children ages 4 to 17 were killed in a fiery wreck of the van they were traveling in when tropical depression Claudette hit.

Isabella Rios. See here. From Austin, Texas, this February 18, 2021 case involves Isabella, 2,  who died from her guardians’ Bernadette Hernandez, 37, and Ramiro Recio,33 intentionally or knowingly caused serious bodily injury her. She died from blunt force trauma to the skull. Bernadette and Ramiro were arrested. The case is pending.

Isaiah Shane. See here.From Escondido, California, this May 3, 2021 involves Isaiah, 18, who died from an drug overdose.His mother is seeking $1 million in damages from the Circle of Friends home.

Child Deaths-US Foster Care and Receiving Homes

Charles Garay. See here. From Rotterdam, New York, this December 20, 2020 case involves Charles, a 4-year-old foster child who died from extensive internal injury to his liver and intestines caused by blunt force trauma that the foster father, DeQuan, inflicted upon him. Latrisha got charged with tampering with physical evidence, a felony and as well as two counts of misdemeanor child endangerment.

D’Juan Anderson. See here. From Minneapolis, Minnesota, this December 14, 2020 case involves D’Juan, 2 months old, who died after suffering multiple skull fractures and severe brain swelling after the foster mother friend, Stephanie Monique Walker, fell while carrying him down the stairs and landing on top of him on the concrete floor covered by linoleum. She did not contact 911 in the case.A doctor who examined the child said that the boy’s life could have likely been saved had he received medical attention sooner.Stephanie has been charged with manslaughter.The charges were dropped.

Nicholas Lowe, Isaiah Young, and Haley Maher. See here. From Riddle, Oregon, this March 1, 2017 case involves Nicholas Lowe,13, Isaiah Young,10, and Haley Maher,7, who were killed with their foster mother in a fire, caused by a space heater placed too close to combustible material.

James Gamez. See here. From Los Angeles, California, this December 20, 2019 case involves James, 9, who died from an asthma attack. His foster parents smoke around him.He did not feel well and started shaking and coughing, so the [foster] girl helped him with his inhaler medication. His condition worsened and that his eyes rolled back as he turned pale before going unconscious. He died of respiratory arrest.His uncle/foster father and foster mother were not charged with anything.

Arianna Smith. See here.From Louisville, Kentucky, this February 12, 2021 case involves Arianna, 13, who was shot and killed by a 15-year-old shooter.

Kristoff Zenopolous. See here. From Adams, Massachusetts, the February 18, 2020 case involves Kristoff, 10 months old, who died from strep A, pneumonia, and the resulting build-up of pus in his lungs. He had been visibly sick for two weeks before he died in his crib.His foster parents, Matthew Tucker, 37, and Cassandra Barlow-Tucker, 37, were arraigned on charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment. Matthew Tucker is a self-admitted former Wiccan.

Ma’Khia Bryant. See here. From Columbus, Ohio, this April 20, 2021 case involves Ma’Khia who was killed by police. Ma’Khia was brandished a steak knife at the time that the police arrived.Columbus police quickly released body camera footage, which showed some of the fight outside the house and, they said, demonstrated that the officer Nicholas Reardon had acted to protect the other woman.Nicholas Reardon has not been charged.The case remains under investigation.

James Reese, Jr. See here. From Jacksonville, Florida, this April 21, 2021 case involves James who died due to blunt force trauma. His skull was fractured and he had multiple injuries on his body.He was thrown in a tub and hit with a belt. Kinship caregivers Alex Pino, 30, is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, and Michelle Sipko, 38, is charged with manslaughter and child neglect. January 14, 2022 in the next hearing on motion for Alex Pino and the pretrial for Michelle Sipko.

Isaiah Blanco. See here. From Las Vegas, Nevada, this May 20, 2021 case involves Isaiah, 2-months-old who died. His foster parent found him unresponsive in his crib. The coroner had not ruled on the baby’s cause and manner of death. No one has been arrested.

Unnamed 5-Year-Old Boy. See here. From Cambridge, Ohio, this May 29, 2021 case involves a boy who died after he was accidentally run over by his foster mother in the driveway of their home. No one was arrested.

Jacob Bailey Mutis. See here. This June 30, 2021 case involves, Jacob, 3, who died after being left in the car. No arrests have been made.

Draco Ford. See here. This November 2019 case involves Draco, an infant who died in his crib possibly from SIDS. No arrests have been made.

Joshlyn Marie James Johnson and Larry Darnell O’Neil. See here. From Baltimore, Maryland, this case involves Joshlyn and Larry who died of unknown causes.  A routine traffic stop in Essex this week led to the discovery of the decomposing bodies of two young children in the trunk of a car — one reportedly decomposing inside a suitcase for more than a year. Their aunt and foster parent Nicole Michelle Johnson was charged with neglect and failure to report the death. Nicole will be tried on February 16, 2022.

Royalty Sonnier. See here.From Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this September 19, 2021 case involves Royalty who died after experiencing head trauma from her foster parents, Teresita and Ruben Morgan.The Morgans are in Iberville Parish Prison on charges of second-degree murder.

Vincent Carter. See here. From Chattanooga, Tennessee, this September 13, 2021 cases involves Vincent, 23 months, who died of multiple blunt force trauma wounds to the head and neck.That same day, they found the foster mother Deborah Barnes, 62, dead from what they believe to be suicide.

Kimber Hibbs. See here. From Princeton, Indiana, this August 3, 2021 case involves Kimber,5, who drown in a Princeton Aquatic Center pool. Kimber’s parents are suing the city and the child’s foster parent.

DaCayla Green. See here. From Clarksville, Tennessee, this May 19, 2021 case involves, DeCayla, 1,who died from blunt force trauma.The foster mother was the aunt, Teanna Arnold, who has not been arrested.

REFORM Puzzle Piece

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