FlutterbyeWings

Thirty-three month-old Zander spent most of his short life in foster care, and it is probable that if he had stayed there, he would still be alive.

When Zander was four months old. he and his two siblings were removed from the custody of his biological parents when investigators discovered that the toddler had a fractured skull and multiple broken bones.  In later court proceedings, Zander’s biological mother, Joanna Cunnigham, 24, admitted to inflicting the injuries.  The three children remained in foster care until April of 2007 when they were returned to the custody of their father, Richard “Todd” Martino, 27, who was living with his girlfriend, Brandi Lea Reeves, 24.  In June, the children were removed again when it appeared that Zander had potentially been  abused again.  Further investigation could not determine that his injuries, were due to abuse and the children were returned to their father at the end of June.  Two weeks later, Zander was dead.

Initially both Martino and Reeves denied causes the substantial injuries that killed Zander.

Martino told police that after dinner, about 7 p.m., he threw Zander onto a bed about three or four times.

“Stop, Daddy, stop,” Zander told Martino, according to the police report.

Martino told police he then went to bed and that Reeves checked on Zander about 2 a.m. because she heard him horsing around. Martino said Reeves later told him Zander had fallen out of bed.

Source

Zander’s older sister, however, when interviewed by social service workers pointed the blame directly at her father.

When a child protective services worker interviewed 3-year-old Hailey Martino after Zander’s death, Hailey said, “Dad hit Zander with a hammer last night,” the report noted.

Hailey said her father put the hammer in the backyard, according to police, who found it.

Autopsy reports confirm Hailey’s allegations putting Zander’s death six to eight hours prior to the time that paramedics arrived at the scene.  The cause of death was trauma to the abdomen but multiple bruising was also noted by the coroner

Both Martino and Reeves were charged with murder in connection with toddler’s death.  After his arrest, Martino requested that his son’s body be cremated as soon as possible in an apparent attempt to try to keep authorities from discovering the cause of the Zander’s death.

Reeves later  plead guilty to a lesser charge of child abuse and neglect with substantial bodily injury in exchange for her testimony against Martino.

“I knew that there was things going on in my house with Richard Martino and Zander Martino and I didn’t get (Zander) the help that he needed,” Reeves said in entering her plea. She told the judge that she had seen Martino being too aggressive toward his son, and had seen bruises and choke marks on the boy.

Reeves said that she did not report the abuse because she was afraid the Child Protective Services would take away the baby she delivered about two weeks before Zander’s death.  That child has now been adopted and Zander’s other brother and sister remain in foster care.

While many have expressed grief over Zander’s death, perhaps those whose grief is the most genuine is that of the foster parents who wanted to adopt Zander and his siblings before they were returned to the custody of their father.  If only….

Tags: Zander Martino

This year marks the 10th anniversary of National Adoption Day, a national day of celebration of adoptive families and an opportunity for courts to open their doors and finalize the adoptions of children from foster care. Since 2000, more than 25,000 children have had their adoptions finalized on National Adoption Day. This year on November 21, families, adoption advocates, policymakers, judges and volunteers will come together and celebrate adoption in communities large and small all across the nation.

Tags: National Adoption Day

Update 7/7:

Following Lexie’s death, DSS did an internal investigation into charges that the department failed to repond to allegations of abuse by Lexie’s mother.  As a result of this investigation, one worker was fired and two were suspended.

Gregg-Glover has plead guilty to felony murder, felony child abuse, and filing a false police report and was sentenced to 51 year in prison.

********

Last fall, Wes Byers did the right thing:  he reported his suspicions that 13 year-old Lexie was being abused.  When she was found slain, he wondered why his report hadn’t helped to save her.  Then he received a letter that he hoped would help to answer that question, but instead it made him furious with the  agency that is suppose to help and protect children.

[T]he letter, five sentences long, didn’t shed any light on Alexis “Lexie” Agyepong-Glover’s case. It said Byers’s report had been investigated and that “appropriate actions” were taken, but it did not elaborate.

“I can’t tell you how upsetting it is to me,” Byers said. “These folks are like, ‘Well, it’s just another day at work.’ . . . We’ve got a life that has passed.”

Source

The limited amount of information that Byers has received is indicative of the secrecy that often surrounds cases being investigated Virginia’s Department of Social Services and other agencies like that in other states.  What is known is that Lexie’s body was found two days after being reported missing by her adoptive mother, Alfreedia Gregg-Glover, 44.  Autopsy reports indicate that the girl died from drowning and exposure to the cold.

Prince William police have been retracing their steps, re-interviewing Lexie’s former bus drivers and acquaintances who made reports of abuse to see if any red flags were missed. Police Chief Charlie T. Deane said that he will be “as thorough as I can” in releasing the findings, but that he might have to withhold certain information so others aren’t discouraged from reporting abuse.

For Lexie, however, the investigations have come too late.  For the two years since she was adopted, it is likely that the  girl was subjected to abuse while those in charge of her well-being turned a well-trained blind-eye.

Gregg-Glover has been indicted on first-degree murder, felony murder, felony child abuse and filing a false police report.

Tags: Alexis "Lexie" Agyepong-Glover

How despondent must a person be to commit suicide? And how does a seven year-old ever reach that point? Gabriel, who described himself as a “bad person,”  could possibly answer that question, and even though he can no longer tell his story, perhaps the answers might be found in the reports from the therapist he was seeing.

“My mom taught me how to lie. She always lied to the police, to everybody,” he told a therapist after throwing scissors in school. “I lied when I was 1 year old, I lied when I was 2 years old. I was born a liar and I will always be lying,” he said in another therapy session.

“[The] devil makes me lie and do all those bad things. He is bad and he makes you do bad things,” the boy told the therapist.

In the documents, the child recalls being molested by another 12-year-old boy and being told to “pee in [the 12-year-old's] mouth.” The records also show the child had been molesting girls and boys at school, touching them inappropriately, and threatening to kill others and himself. He repeatedly said he had no friends.

“I used to have some imaginary friends. I still have one but I haven’t been talking to him a long time,” Myers reportedly said.

Source

Gabriel’s life had not been easy.  When he was two, he was taken away from his cocaine addict mother after she was found passed out in a Denny’s parking lot.  He was placed in a series of foster homes, the last of which was that of Michael and Daver Gould.  It was in that home that Gabriel was came to be under the care of the Gould’s some, Miguel, 19, on the day of his death. 

Miguel told Margate police that he was “caring for Gabriel for the day because the boy was home sick from [school].” The child reportedly threw his bowl of soup into the trash, “so Miguel sent the child to his room,” Margate police documented. While in his room, the boy began throwing toys then told Miguel Gould that “he was going to [go] into the bathroom and kill himself.” Miguel Gould told police that he later called his stepmother to tell her what happened and couldn’t get into the bathroom for another five to ten minutes. That’s when the child was reportedly found hanged.

The problem is Miguel Gould wasn’t even supposed to be left alone with the 7-year-old, according to the DCF spokesperson. He had not been officially screened by the agency.

Gabriel was by all accounts a troubled child.  He had several reports from school indicating that he had acted out sexually.  He was under several different types medicines prescribed by his psychiatrist including drugs for ADHD and depression.  Some of the drugs even had warnings of suicidal thoughts in young patients.

The psychiatrist later prescribed Lexapro, a drug for depression and anxiety, and Vyvanse for the child’s ADHD. In March, doctors took Gabriel off Lexapro, and put him on Symbyax, also for depression and possible schizophrenia.

All three of the drugs have an FDA-mandated “black box” warning — a statement on the prescription’s box which describes its possible adverse reactions, including suicidal thoughts.

So who is responsible for Gabriel’s death?  His mother, his foster parents, his psychiatrist, or all of those plus more?  The answer to the question is not known, but what is clear is that a seven year-old should be thinking of the future and not how to escape the misery of his life.

Tags: Gabriel Myers