How Could You? Hall of Shame-Henry 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 Barnesville, Minnesota, foster mother Kellie Jo Anderson has been charge with “second-degree murder charges””in connection with the death of a young boy in Barnesville, Minn. Thirty-five-year-old Kellie Jo Anderson of Barnesville was originally arrested last week in Fargo for felony neglect.
According to documents filed in Clay County District Court, the child was “blue and lifeless” and had multiple bruises on his face, head and body when Anderson brought him to the Fargo Sanford Emergency room on Thursday, April 23. A doctor estimated that the boy’s body temperature was 82 degrees and that he would have been dead for about 40 minutes before he arrived.
Anderson claimed that the boy “self injures” himself and may have been injured from a seizure while taking a bath.
The complaint says Anderson and her husband had been caring for the child for about a year and discussed the possibility of adopting the boy.
The Minnesota Dept. of Human Services temporarily suspended Anderson’s license to provide child foster care. The agency says that the health and safety of children in Anderson’s care “are in imminent risk of harm.”
Anderson remains in the Cass County jail in Fargo. She’ll make a court appearance after she is brought back to Moorhead. If convicted, Anderson faces up to 40 years in prison.”
Foster mother charged in death of child in Barnesville
[KFGO 4/27/2020 by Jim Monk]
“Minnesota Department of Human Services has temporarily suspended the Foster Care License at the home where the alleged incident happened.”
“Order of Temporary Immediate Suspension:
Dear Mr. and Ms. Anderson:
Based on the recommendation of Clay County Social Services, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is immediately suspending your license to provide child foster care at …, Barnesville, MN.
This immediate suspension is based on a determination that children served by your program are at an imminent risk of harm.
Details of our findings are provided below.
Our next steps and your options are also detailed.
The immediate suspension goes into effect on April 25, 2020, at 12:01 a.m. After this time, you are prohibited from providing child foster care.
REASON FOR TEMPORARY IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION
There is an imminent risk of harm to persons served. On April 23, 2020, Clay County determined that a foster child in your care was hospitalized with serious injuries.
Because your program is currently being investigated by Clay County, no additional information can be released in this order.
Based on these findings, DHS cannot ensure the health and safety of the children served by your program at this time.
DHS has determined that the health, safety, and rights of children in your care are in imminent risk of harm.
Therefore, DHS is suspending your license to provide child foster care.”
Foster Care License suspended for Barnesville couple after child’s death
[MSN 4/28/2020]
REFORM Puzzle Piece
Update:“Kellie Jo Anderson became a foster parent last summer and for several months, the Minnesota nurse and her husband cared for a young boy whom they considered adopting, prosecutors said. ”
“Anderson told detectives she suspected the child had a seizure during a bath. She said the youngster, who she claimed often self-injured himself, “threw” himself between the bathtub and the toilet. The 35-year-old said the toddler didn’t look “well” and had also registered a fever.
The child babbled, had difficulty breathing, and had a “faint pulse” during the commute to the hospital, she said, according to the criminal complaint.
At the hospital, medical staff observed the child had fixed dilated pupils — which normally occurs 10 minutes after death, doctors said. The boy had suffered a cut lip, bruising on his face and back, a bump on his head, and lacerations to his groin, the criminal complaint stated. The injuries, doctors said, weren’t consistent with Anderson’s version of events.
The boy was pronounced dead at 6:20 a.m. on April 24, according to authorities. An autopsy revealed the preliminary cause of death was asphyxia associated with blunt force trauma to the head and body. The medical examiner’s office ruled the child’s death a homicide.
Investigators also found the Minnesota nurse’s statements conflicting.
Her husband, Kyle Anderson, explained the child wasn’t known to have seizures. He said he last saw the boy alive around 7:30 p.m. on April 22, shortly before his spouse gave the child a bath. He said the child had no visible injuries at that point.
However, Kyle Anderson claimed he received a call from his wife the next day, notifying him of their foster child’s grave condition.
Kellie Anderson has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. She made her first appearance at a Clay County courthouse on Wednesday.
“They are rather serious allegations,” Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting told Oxygen.com. “We’re going to make soure that we do everything we can in our power to ensure that we bring justice for the young child.”
The couple was fostering the child for a relative but considered adopting the boy themselves, officials said. Kellie Anderson allegedly told detectives her husband was against the adoption.
It is a tragic event,” Clay County Attorney Brian Melton told Oxygen.com. “We’ll go forward with the charges as they are and look for justice toward the child.”
He described the allegations Anderson is facing as “terrible” and “troubling.”
Authorities, who declined to release the age of the deceased child, referred to the boy as a “toddler.” The family hasn’t had previous contact with local law enforcement.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services has since temporarily suspended the family’s foster license, according to a copy of the suspension order obtained by Oxygen.com. The couple became foster parents last July, a department spokesperson said.
The 35-year-old is being held on $500,000 bond. She’s scheduled back in court on June 11, according to court records. She faces a maximum sentence of 40 years behind bars if found guilty. ”
[Oxygen.com 4/30/2020 by Dorian Geiger]
Update 2:“The devastated family of a slain toddler has slammed the alleged killer’s claims that the young boy had died from injuries caused by self-harming behavior.
MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) previously reported that Kelly[sic] Jo Anderson, 35, had been arrested late last month over the death of her 18-month-old foster son Henry after he was found to have several bruises across his body, as well as cuts to his lips and genitals.
Anderson, who worked as a nurse in Barnesville, Minnesota, had rushed the toddler to a Fargo, North Dakota, hospital on April 24 but he was declared dead on arrival. Henry was reportedly “blue and lifeless,” with doctors finding from his body temperature that he had been dead for at least 40 minutes.
They also noted “a cut on the inside of his lip, numerous bruises on his back and side, a small bump on the back of his head, multiple marks on his face and a cut to his genitals,” raising suspicion that he had died as a result of abuse.
When questioned, Anderson claimed that the boy had “self-injured” by throwing himself around. She said she had been bathing him the night before she brought him to the hospital when he “threw himself several times from the bath to the toilet” and that she suspected he had a seizure.
The suggestion has been lambasted by Henry’s relatives, who insisted the toddler was a normal boy with no suicidal inclinations.
Henry did not have self-harming tendencies outside of typical toddler tantrums,” they told Metro in a statement. “Even with the tantrums, he did not ‘throw himself around.’ His grandma Kayla had no issues when she would bathe him and Henry enjoyed bath time when he was with her. Our family does not believe in any way, shape, or form that Henry inflicted the injuries that caused his death on himself.”
Anderson’s husband, who is a cousin of the toddler’s biological mother, also disputed the self-harm claims and said the 18-month-old had never previously suffered seizures.
He and Anderson had been fostering Henry since July but had reportedly been in the process of adopting him when the young boy died. His cousin is said to have struggled with drug addiction and had given her up when she tested positive for an illegal drug shortly after birth.
Henry had initially been under the care of his grandmother Kayla, who had to decide against adopting him because her age would prevent her from taking care of him full-time. Anderson had subsequently volunteered to look after the boy on evenings and weekends, before then announcing she had plans to adopt him.
The family said it had been thrilled when they heard the news. “Kellie stated it was a sign from God, as they wanted to have another child, and had they had a boy, they were going to name him Henry. The family was excited about this. Henry would be with family and we would all get to be a part of his life and watch him grow. The situation was perfect.”
But they were unaware that the 35-year-old had been abusing the toddler. A postmortem determined his cause of death as asphyxiation associated with blunt-force trauma, and his death was ruled as a homicide.
Anderson has been charged with second-degree murder and is currently being held on a $500,000 bond. She’s scheduled to make her next appearance in court on June 11 and faces a maximum of 40 years in prison if found guilty.”
[MEA Worldwide 5/27/2020 by Akshay Pai ]
Update 3:“The foster mom accused of killing her toddler son is now going to trial.
35-year-old Kellie Jo Anderson is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 18-month-old Henry, who had been in her care since April 2019. Court records show Anderson’s trial is only set for May 11.
Court documents say Henry was brought to the Sanford Emergency room ‘blue’ and lifeless, with bruising to the head and face on April 23, 2020.
Anderson told officers she and her husband were set to adopt the child later that summer.
Documents say she told police that the child ‘self-injures’ himself and said that Henry threw himself around and wouldn’t feel pain. She stated she gave the child a bath around noon that day, stating the injuries on his mouth were self-inflicted. Anderson also said the child ‘threw himself several times from the bath to the toilet.’ Anderson said she also believed the child may have seized in the bathtub or shortly after.
Documents say officers then interviewed Anderson’s husband who said when he last saw the child the night before, Henry had no injuries.
Anderson’s husband stated the child does not usually throw himself around and has never had a seizure before.
Officers noted a cut on the inside of Henry’s lip, numerous bruises on his back and side, a small bump on the child’s head, and multiple marks and bruising on the toddler’s face. Henry also had a laceration and injury to his genitals.
A preliminary autopsy stated the child likely died from asphyxia associated with blunt force trauma. The manner of death is listed as homicide.
If convicted, Anderson could spend up to 40 years in prison.”
Barnesville woman charged with murder of foster child slated for trial
[MSN 1/8/21 by Bailey Hurley]
Update 4:“The foster mom who killed her toddler son has been sentenced to spend the next 35 years in prison.
36-year-old Kellie Jo Anderson is now convicted of second-degree murder in the death of 18-month-old Henry, who had been in her care since April 2019. Anderson told officers she and her husband were set to adopt the child later in the summer of 2020.“This case can only be described as heinous,” Clay County Judge Jade Rosenfeldt said.
Anderson must serve at least 23 years of her sentence before she is considered for supervised probation. She will get credit for the 417 days she’s already served in the Clay County Jail.
Court documents say Henry was brought to the Sanford Emergency room ‘blue’ and lifeless, with bruising to the head and face on April 23, 2020.
“Our hearts ache. Day after day they ache,” a family member of the victim testified in court Friday afternoon. “Henry will be forever missed. He will never be forgotten. There’s nothing about him to forget.”
“You’re a monster! I hate you so much,” another family member testified Friday afternoon.
Documents say she told police that the child ‘self-injures’ himself and said that Henry threw himself around and wouldn’t feel pain. She stated she gave the child a bath around noon that day, stating the injuries on his mouth were self-inflicted. Anderson also said the child ‘threw himself several times from the bath to the toilet.’ Anderson said she also believed the child may have seized in the bathtub or shortly after.
Documents say officers then interviewed Anderson’s husband who said when he last saw the child the night before, Henry had no injuries.
Anderson’s husband also told police that Henry does not usually throw himself around and has never had a seizure before.
“It should have never happened. I think Kellie needs to have a long sentence because no one should do that to a baby,” one of Henry’s great grandmothers wrote in a statement that was read in court Friday afternoon.
“I believe this is the ultimate sin and the ultimate crime,” Henry’s uncle said to Anderson in court. “I hope you will never hold a baby or child in your arms again.”
“Imagine Henry’s pain when his caretaker, his foster mom, his protector and a nurse brutally and viciously murdered him,” Henry’s cousin said in a video recording to the court.
Officers noted a cut on the inside of Henry’s lip, numerous bruises on his back and side, a small bump on the child’s head, and multiple marks and bruising on the toddler’s face. Henry also had a laceration and injury to his genitals.
“When we talk about justice for Henry, that’s hard to do. What this family wants is their child back and we can’t do that,” Clay County Attorney Pam Foss said.
Foss stated Anderson’s previous comments blaming drug use for what unfolded in April 2020 would have quickly been found untrue if the case would have gone to trial.
“The biggest disappointment in my life is hurting someone I loved,” Anderson testified to the court Friday afternoon. “I’m very sorry. There is nothing I can say that will help.”
While Anderson pleaded guilty earlier last month, the state asked a Clay County Judge to consider aggravated factors in the case to give Anderson a longer prison sentence. Foss stated due to Henry’s vulnerable age, the overall cruelty of the assault, Anderson’s role as an authority/trusted figure to Henry, as well as the fact the offense happened in a zone of privacy warranted Anderson to spend 35 years in prison.”
“You’re a monster.”: Barnesville woman sentenced for murdering foster child
[KVLY 6/18/21 by Bailey Hurley]
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