How Could You? Hall of Shame -Brianna Rose-Jackson caseUPDATED-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 St. Paul, Minnesota, foster father Daniel L. Wright, 51, “charged in the 2009 drowning death of a developmentally disabled 18-month-old girl agreed Friday to an Alford plea to a charge of second-degree manslaughter in Ramsey County District Court.”

Daniel allegedly left the child, Brianna, in the tub alone while attending to another child. His wife Barbara is a nurse and was not in the bathroom at the time of the drowning. Barbara administered CPR to the child after her 20-year-old son discovered Brianna “submerged and unresponsive” in the tub.

“A second charge of felony child endangerment was dropped. Wright had pleaded not guilty to both charges in June. A third charge of felony child neglect was dismissed earlier.

According to the plea agreement, Wright would be sentenced to six months to one year in jail and 10 years of probation. He will be sentenced May 24.

The victim’s birth mother is not opposed to the agreement but would like more jail time.”

“At the hearing before Ramsey County District Judge Gail Chang Bohr, Wright acknowledged that he knew Brianna was small for her age, had physical and developmental delays, vision impairment and had only begun to sit up on her own within the past three months.”

St. Paul foster dad takes plea deal in child’s tub death
[Star Tribune 4/1/11 by Mara Van Ells]

Brianna was in a corner whirlpool tub with a male foster child, aged three and a half, when Daniel took him out to dry him off, leaving Brianna in 12-18 inches of water.

“B.R.J. had a past history of seizure disorder, was developmentally delayed and was in a Special Education program through the St. Paul Public Schools. Special Education teacher, Julie Revoir, worked with B.R.J. and Daniel Wright. She told police that while B.R.J. was able to sit on her own and crawl, her balance was not age appropriate and she was not able to pull herself up to stand from the floor. ”
Washington County Press Release February 3, 2010

Update: “Brianna Rose Jackson was an 18-month-old developmentally delayed girl who was small for her age and had only recently started sitting up on her own when her foster father left her alone in a bathtub on July 1, 2009. It was “a recipe for disaster” that ended with the girl’s death, a prosecutor said Tuesday at Daniel Lee Wright’s sentencing for second-degree manslaughter.

Ramsey County District Judge Gail Chang Bohr sentenced Wright, 52, of St. Paul, to 10 years probation and six months in jail. In April, Wright agreed to an Alford plea, which means he did not admit guilt but acknowledged the state’s strong evidence and substantial likelihood of being found guilty at trial.

Wright will have to spend periods of time in jail over the date of Brianna’s death for the next seven years. He could serve a four-year prison sentence if he violates his probation.”

If you think this pathetic sentence is bad, read this about the foster parent’s previous neglect:

“Calling Brianna’s death “a failure of the system,” Bohr’s harshest words were saved for Ramsey County Child Protection Services after Assistant Washington County Attorney Karin McCarthy said county workers had expressed concerns about Daniel and Barbara Wright before Brianna’s death. McCarthy said medications and a syringe were easily accessible and workers noticed problems with supervision of the children in the house.”

And the ultimate injustice for Brianna–she was slated for reunification just prior to her death and her biological grandmother had been denied kinship care due to health:

“Brianna’s parents, Keana Farrell and Brian Jackson, sat in the courtroom as their letters to Bohr were read. Farrell wore a T-shirt with a picture of her daughter that said “Mommy’s Little Angel.” Brianna and her 3-year-old brother had been approved to return to their parents shortly before the incident, McCarthy said.”

“Rose Jackson, Brianna’s grandmother who had sought to care for her but was denied because of health problems, said she had one thing to say after the sentencing and it was directed to her only biological grandchild. “I’m sorry, my little angel, I could not protect you like I promised,” she said.”

She should never have been in with non-family members to begin with!

St. Paul foster dad sentenced in toddler’s drowning
[Star-Tribune 5/24/11 by Lora Pabst]

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