MD. MAN, 25, SAYS TODDLER DIED AFTER WRESTLING WITH HIM

 

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/25/AR2009082501482.html?hpid=moreheadlines

By Matt Zapotosky

Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

A 25-year-old Waldorf man told authorities that a 3-year-old boy died after a wrestling match between them. Sheriff’s officials said Tuesday that they charged the man with first-degree child abuse.

Myron Antonio Gibson was arrested Monday after he told detectives he believed he caused the death of his girlfriend’s son, DeSean Tyrese Wade, while wrestling, said Diane Richardson, a spokeswoman for the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. Gibson told detectives he elbowed the boy about 10 times in the back, and at some point, DeSean fell forward and struck his forehead, she said.

A preliminary medical examiner’s report showed that DeSean — who was found unconscious Aug. 19 in a Waldorf townhouse and later taken to a hospital and pronounced dead — had a fractured rib, bleeding on his back and head, and swelling of his brain, Richardson said. Gibson was with the boy when he fell unconscious and instructed other children in the home in the 3000 block of Heathcote Road to call 911, she said.

Gibson lived in the home with DeSean’s mother, Reshonda Deon Wade, and DeSean sometimes stayed with them, Richardson said. Gibson has not been charged with a more serious offense because the medical examiner has not ruled DeSean’s death a homicide, Richardson said.

DeSean’s father, Dennis Theodore Wade, said he had contacted the sheriff’s office in May after he noticed a mark on his son’s buttocks. He said a sheriff’s detective investigated for about three weeks but told him there was not enough evidence to charge anyone. Richardson confirmed the investigation.

Wade said a Prince George’s County social services employee advised him not to let his son stay with his mother, but he felt he was legally obligated to let her see DeSean. He and Reshonda Wade are legally married and did not have a formal custody agreement, and she had not been charged with a crime, Dennis Wade said.

“I had a suggestion, but not an order,” Wade said.

In a written statement, Maryland Department of Human Resources Secretary Brenda Donald said that after DeSean’s father contacted police May 30, child welfare workers and family members “agreed to a safety plan that would keep the child away from the home in which the alleged abuse occurred.” The written safety plan, she said, apparently was not followed. (and isn’t it the Maryland Department of Human Resources (cps) responsibility to make sure that the safety plan is followed???)

Donald also said in a statement that in 2004 and 2005, the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services provided “in-home services” after the other children who stayed there were left unsupervised. That case was closed in 2006.

But the trouble apparently continued. In early August, Gibson was charged with first-degree assault after he allegedly threw Reshonda Wade into some trash cans, then tried to drive away with her on the hood of his car, court records show. Gibson was released on bail, and those charges are pending.

Dennis Wade said that after that incident Reshonda Wade assured him Gibson would not be allowed around their son. “She let him back in the house, and now my son is dead,” Wade said.

Reshonda Wade did not return a phone message left with a friend seeking comment. No one answered the door at her home.

Gibson first told detectives that he tried to perform CPR on DeSean after finding him unconscious in his bed, Richardson said. On Saturday — after the medical examiner found DeSean’s injuries were consistent with abuse — detectives interviewed Gibson again and he talked of the wrestling match, she said.

Efforts to reach Gibson’s family members were unsuccessful. He was ordered held without bond Tuesday.

Wade, 45, of Woodbridge, described his son as a curious and loving boy who would accompany him on contract construction jobs. Wade said he gave his son a small board that he could hoist over his shoulder so he could mimic his father.

“I could tell him, ‘Go get Daddy’s hammer, go get Daddy’s measuring tape, go get that level,’ ” Wade said. “That’s all he just wanted to do, is help.”

After DeSean’s death, the three other children who sometimes stayed in the house with Reshonda Wade were moved elsewhere, Richardson said.

Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.

MOTHER PLEADS GUILTY

 

Va. Woman Faces Up to 51 Years in Death of Girl, 13

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/06/AR2009070601862.html?hpid=sec-metro

A Prince William County woman pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of leaving her adopted 13-year-old daughter for dead in a frigid creek in January, and county police acknowledged that they could have responded better to numerous reports that the girl was being abused and neglected.

Despite reports made to several county agencies over six years, the girl, Alexis “Lexie” Agyepong-Glover, was not removed from the home, and the case has highlighted shortcomings in the county’s policies on child abuse and runaways.

Yesterday, Alfreedia Leona Gregg-Glover, 45, of the Manassas area pleaded guilty to felony murder, felony child abuse and filing a false police report in Prince William County Circuit Court. She faces a maximum of 51 years in prison, which the county’s chief prosecutor called “an effective life sentence.” She will be sentenced in October.

Court testimony yesterday and comments by authorities tell a long, sad tale of abuse, during which Gregg-Glover was able to persuade authorities to discount Lexie as a disabled, dishonest, habitual runaway.

After the hearing, Prince William Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul B. Ebert called the case “a true horror story” and said he hopes that a judge will impose the maximum sentence.

“There’s no question a lot of mistakes were made in this case, by both the Department of Social Services and the police department,” Ebert said, adding that both agencies are taking steps to change their practices to prevent a repeat of the case.

Calls for comment to Gregg-Glover’s attorney, John V. Notarianni, were not returned after the hearing.

After the plea, county police released the findings of an internal audit that found “deficiencies” in their response to reports concerning Lexie over the years. The audit called for reforms in how officers train, respond to abuse reports and communicate with other agencies.

The report, compiled with the help of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said Gregg-Glover intentionally misled authorities, portraying herself as a “loving and caring mother” and Lexie as a “severely mentally and physically challenged” liar.

It also found inadequate communication between DSS and police and inconsistent practices by police when responding to abuse reports.

Police Chief Charlie T. Deane said three employees — two detectives and a police officer — were disciplined for failing to follow departmental policy. He said one person was given a written reprimand and two were suspended but declined to say which employees received which punishment, citing confidentiality in personnel matters.

“Part of our responsibility is to safeguard children from harm, and it is deeply disturbing to me that we failed to do so in Lexie Glover’s case,” Deane said in a statement. “While there is only one person who caused her death, and that is her mother, Alfreedia Glover, I would be remiss in not stating that there are some things we could have, and should have, done differently in prior investigations with this family.”

Last month, county officials said three social services employees had been disciplined for mishandling Lexie’s case after an internal review by DSS, an agency that also said it would revise policy, said its director, John P. Ledden Jr.

Lexie was first placed in Gregg-Glover’s home in January 2003 and was officially adopted in December of that year, Prince William Detective Carole Tyrrell testified yesterday.

Tyrrell cited more than a dozen incidents dating back to 2004 — more than had previously been known — in which people reported Lexie showing bruises and cuts, being driven off in the trunk of a car, running away from home and showing up at a bus stop wearing only a diaper. Lexie also was hospitalized several times, Tyrrell said.

In one incident in March 2004, officials received a complaint that Lexie was sleeping on the floor and that Gregg-Glover called her names and denied her underwear because she had wet the bed, Tyrrell testified.

In another report, from February 2005, Lexie was found to have a swollen eyelid. Lexie said she had walked into a doorknob, although she was too tall to have done that at the time, Tyrrell testified.

Several of the accounts described in court matched those given to The Washington Post by school bus drivers and neighbors, who came forward after Lexie’s death and said they had reported suspected abuse to police, social services and school officials on numerous occasions.

The medical examiner determined that Lexie died of drowning and exposure, and authorities believe that she was alive at the time she was placed in the Woodbridge area creek, where her body was found Jan. 9.

Felony murder is the unintentional killing of another while committing a felony — in this case, child abuse, prosecutors said. A first-degree murder charge against Gregg-Glover was dropped.

Ebert said he expected the various reforms to prevent a similar case from happening again. But he noted that Lexie’s was not the first child death case in the county to prompt reform.

In 1993, 2-year-old Donnell Robinson was shaken and beaten to death by his mother’s boyfriend, Fatai Olatoni Okedeji, of Woodbridge. In response to the case, the Virginia General Assembly passed a measure requiring social services workers to disclose information about alleged child abuse to police and other agencies. Police complained that DSS had withheld some information from them, citing confidentiality laws.

 

Three police officers disciplined for Lexie Glover case

 

http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/manassas/article/three_police_officers_disciplined_for_lexie_glover_case/38876/

By Amanda Stewart

Published: July 6, 2009

The Prince William County Police Department has disciplined three police officers for not following policy during the Lexie Glover case.

The department has completed an internal investigation about its handling of the girl’s case and is making several changes because of it, police department officials announced Monday.

“Part of our responsibility is to safeguard children from harm, and it is deeply disturbing to me that we failed to do so in Lexie Glover’s case,” Chief Charlie T. Deane said in a statement.

He added that “there are some things we could have, and should have, done differently within prior investigations with [Glover’s] family.”

Monday, Alfreedia Gregg-Glover pleaded guilty to killing 13-year-old Alexis, as well as to abusing her and filing a false police report.

During the plea hearing, police listed more than a dozen incidents of abuse of Lexie Glover that were reported to the police and the Department of Social Services since 2004.

A police department report released Monday lists the problems encountered in Lexie’s case and changes that can be made to fix them.

One problem was that Gregg-Glover “intentionally mischaracterized” Lexie, the police department report states.

Gregg-Glover led the police department, the Department of Social Services and various healthcare professionals to believe that Lexie was “severely mentally and physically challenged” and that she was lying about the abuse, the report states.

Another problem arose from the poor communication between the police department and the Department of Social Services.

The internal investigation revealed that there needs to be a better and more consistent way for police officers and social workers to share information about a case.

A third problem the report identified is that police officers and detectives who investigated Lexie’s case used inconsistent techniques.

The police department’s report recommends improvements in training, communication between investigating officers, police department policy and communication between the police department and other agencies, including the department of social services.

Among the changes that will be made are changes to the police department’s policy regarding child abuse and neglect complaints.

The revised policy will require detectives or school resource officers to follow up and investigate every report of child abuse and neglect.

Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014

UPDATE ON THE CASE OF ZOEY SANDERCOX

I am placing the video from News 10, who interviewed the mother.  There are also some beautiful pictures on this page of Zoey that were provide to me by a family member…

You can see the news video “Was the Death of three-year-old from Troy Murder or Accident”, here …

 

Troy man pleads not guilty in toddler’s death

http://www.care2.com/news/member/681221234/1162264

A Troy man was arraigned on charges stemming from the death of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter. John Tinkler, 27, pleaded not guilty in Troy City Court to second-degree murder and endangering the welfare of a child. Kaitlyn Ross has the details.

Updated: 06/09/2009 05:58 AM

By: Kaitlyn Ross

TROY, N.Y. — “There’s nothing like working a case with an innocent 3-year-old, and that’s going to be buried in the next couple days,” said Det. Sgt. David Dean of the Troy Police Department. “There’s no words that can describe.”

According to court documents, 3-year-old Zoe Sandercox died from blunt force trauma to the head. Her mother’s live-in boyfriend, John Tinkler, 27, is charged in the little girl’s death.

Dean said, “We did extensive work at the crime scene. Our detectives are out right now trying to get background on Mr. Tinkler.”

A Troy man was arraigned on charges stemming from the death of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter. John Tinkler, 27, pleaded not guilty in Troy City Court to second-degree murder and endangering the welfare of a child. Kaitlyn Ross has the details.

 

Charged with second-degree murder and child endangerment, Tinkler’s statement tells a different story about what happened Saturday afternoon. He wrote that Zoe was in the shower when she fell and that he tried to revive her before police arrived.

“It’s not uncommon for a defendant’s statement to be at odds with what our theory is,” said Dean. “It’s probably more common than not.”

Neighbors, however, said they never saw anything out of the ordinary at the home.

“Never,” said neighbor Donna Bridges. “They’re always out there having cookouts, just having a good old time. I’ve never seen anything, nothing of abuse.”

The five kids who lived at the 4th Street apartment were frequently in the backyard and around the neighborhood, and neighbors said Zoe was always smiling.

“I’m shocked,” said Bridges. “We are so shocked. The whole neighborhood is shocked.”

Tinkler is expected back in court next week as the investigation continues. He is currently being held in Rensselaer County Jail.

 

 

The original News Story is as follows:

 

Father of Zoey Sandercox speaks to NEWS10

 

http://www.wten.com/Global/story.asp?S=10505901

Posted: June 9, 2009 07:25 PM EDT

Three-year-old Zoey Sandercox of Troy died over the weekend from a traumatic blow to the stomach. The little girl died while in the care of her mother’s boyfriend, 27-year-old John Tinkler.

Tinkler was arraigned Monday on second degree murder and child endangerment charges.

Now, Zoey Sandercox’s four siblings are in foster care and her mother expecting another baby – her second with Tinkler.

On Tuesday, NEWS10 spoke to Zoey’s father, who travelled hundreds of miles to get some answers about his daughter’s death.

Peter Deluke poured over the words written by John Tinkler, the man police say killed Zoey Sandercox. Tinkler was babysitting the girl, but he insists her death was an accident. In a handwritten, five page statement, he claims he put Zoey in the bathtub after she had vomited in bed and turned on the shower. He was watching TV when he says he heard her fall.

“It looked like she was crying,” Sandercox wrote in the statement, “I asked her if she hit her head. She said yes, and put her hands up to the back of her head.”

Later on he wrote, “I noticed she was wobbling, like a drunken stance. I noticed her lips were changing color. They went pale. I went to get my stethoscope to listen to her heart.”

When he came back into the room he said, “Zoey was laying on the bathroom floor. She was laying face up with her head towards the end of the tub where the faucet is. I noticed she wasn’t moving and I said her name a bunch of times and was tapping her on the face.”

Tinker then said he called 9-1-1 and the dispatcher helped him to perform CPR. He then took her downstairs and passed her off to a firefighter he continued to try and resuscitate the toddler.

Deluke told NEWS10, “So far I’ve been told that she was suffocated. That she was kicked in the stomach and that’s all I know right now.”

While Tinker claims Zoey hit her head on the bathtub, a death certificate declares that blunt force trauma that killed the child. Police say those blunt force injuries were to Zoey’s abdomen.

Deluke found out about Zoey’s death while watching the news at his home near Rochester. It wasn’t until he logged on to the internet that he learned that it was in fact his own daughter.

He then bought the next bus ticket to Troy, arriving just in time a Monday night vigil in Zoey’s honor. During the vigil, the sidewalk outside the apartment where Zoey died was packed with family and friends.

On Monday, Tinkler was arraigned on charges of second degree murder and child endangerment. Sandercox was working at the time of the fatal accident on Saturday. Tinkler called her from work.

“He just told me that I had to go to the hospital. That she was not breathing,” Sandercox recalled.

When asked if she believed Tinkler’s account, Sandercox said, “I want to, but I have to look at what really happened to (Zoey), too, you know?”

Outside of their Troy apartment, Sandercox told NEWS10 that she and Tinkler never had any problems in the two years they have been together. In addition to the child they already have together, they are expecting another in December.

Now Sandercox’s other four children are in foster care. She is not facing any charges.

This, however, is not the first time that children have taken out of Sanderbox’s care. Sources close to this case tell NEWS10 that about a year ago, social services got involved after a young relative left Sandercox’s residence with a broken arm.

Her father and other family members say the removal was resolved and, since that time, Sandercox has worked hard to keep her family together as a full-time mother and employee at a local supermarket.

Now, all they say she can do is attempt to recover from the loss of her daughter and perhaps the loss of a father to her unborn child.

  

  

  

Butterfly Memorial Poem

A rush of wings

 

they flutter high

to touch the sun

and kiss the sky

A butterfly

is with us now

No more a caterpillar

upon a leaf

Zoey with angel wings

A soaring butterfly

with us they sing

by
Lili Pintea-Reed copyright 2002
for the IBBA

 

 

SOCIAL WORKER FIRED AFTER VIRGINIA GIRL’S DEATH

Social Worker Fired in Slaying

 

2 Others Suspended Over the Pr. William Child Abuse Case

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/17/AR2009061703501.html

 

A Prince William County social services employee has been fired and two others disciplined for mishandling the case of a 13-year-old girl whose adoptive mother is accused of abusing and killing her, county officials said yesterday.

After Alexis “Lexie” Agyepong-Glover was found slain in a frigid creek Jan. 9, many people, including school bus drivers, said they had reported seeing signs that she was being abused by her mother, Alfreedia Gregg-Glover, but she was not removed from the home.

Several investigations were launched at the local and state levels, and an internal review by the county’s Department of Social Services found that several employees did not follow proper procedures in response to the abuse and neglect reports, officials said.

“I would say that we made some errors, no doubt about it,” said John P. Ledden Jr., director of social services, adding that the investigation’s findings have led to procedural changes. “I want to ensure we learn something from this case.”

Ledden declined to discuss the specific procedures his employees failed to follow. He said that in some cases the required actions were taken, but not within the proper time frames.

One change in place involves how multiple complaints about the same child are handled, even when they are determined to be invalid, Ledden said. Now, three abuse reports about the same child that are deemed invalid will prompt a further inquiry into the child’s case, he said.

In addition, Ledden said the Board of County Supervisors gave his agency funding in the most recent budget to hire two more social workers after July 1, and he is considering increasing the training and number of responders on call after hours.

Ledden has also been meeting with county Police Chief Charlie T. Deane to discuss how their departments can better coordinate and share information, and he might ask the county to petition the General Assembly for less-restrictive laws governing what information can be shared across agencies in child abuse cases.

One senior social worker was fired Tuesday, and two social work managers were suspended for five days without pay, officials said. A probationary employee involved in Lexie’s case has also been fired, although there were other problems with that social worker beyond the Glover case, officials said.

Officials did not release the names of the employees, citing confidentiality rules about personnel matters.

Several officials, including Ledden, said they hope improved procedures at the agency will be a silver lining to the tragedy.

“If something good is going to come out of this, it’s that the county has been able to learn from this,” said Supervisor Martin E. Nohe (R-Coles), an adoptive parent. “The DSS staff and the board of supervisors have really been focused on not trying to sweep this under the rug but, rather, finding out what happened.”

Ledden stopped short of assigning blame for Lexie’s death to any of the employees.

“The particular errors that we made — it’s not like it resulted in the child’s death,” Ledden said. ( I would say that is exactly what they resulted in) ”There’s only one person responsible for the child’s death . . . and that’s Mrs. Glover, if she’s found guilty. Even with the employees leaving, they’re not leaving out the door thinking they’re responsible for the girl’s murder.”

Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart (R) said that all the facts in Lexie’s case are not out and that it’s difficult to say whether her death was preventable.

“I don’t think that this is reflective of DSS as a whole or even child protective services,” Stewart said. “Clearly we had a few employees who made some mistakes, tragic mistakes . . . but I don’t think it’s an indictment of the system as a whole, or all the personnel in social services.”

To those who tried to sound the alarm that Lexie was being abused over the two years before she was killed, the firings and suspensions were a welcome surprise. But they vigorously dispute the notion that county officials didn’t share in the blame for her death.

“We understand that you didn’t murder her, but if you wouldhave done your job and removed her from the home, she would have been protected,” said Marlene Williams, a bus driver who, along with her attendant, reported to police that they saw Lexie’s adoptive mother drive off with the girl in the trunk of a car in 2007.

Williams’s feelings were echoed by others who had made reports. In December, Lexie’s neighbor, Wes Byers, reported finding her barely clothed in the freezing cold with a head wound outside his home. Lexie’s former bus driver, Nancy Frederick, said she told officials that Lexie displayed bruises and marks that looked like she’d been tied up and that she came to the bus in her underwear. Others in the neighborhood said they found Lexie to be hungry and terrified to return home on occasions when she ran away.

In addition to Ledden’s investigation, the Virginia Department of Social Services is conducting an inquiry into Lexie’s case, which is expected to be released to county officials within the next three weeks, a state DSS spokesman said. The state has also conducted a Quality Management Review of the county Department of Social Services’ general practices — which will not mention Lexie specifically — expected to be finalized within the next week.

Deane has also ordered an internal review of his department’s handling of its encounters with Lexie. Deane has said he hopes to be as transparent as possible about the findings, although some redactions might be necessary because of confidentiality concerns. He declined yesterday to discuss whether his internal review has resulted in any disciplinary action. Gregg-Glover’s trial is scheduled for July 6.

 

Social worker fired after Va. girl’s death

 

http://www.dailypress.com/news/virginia/dp-dc–deadgirl0618jun18,0,4492217.story

By the Associated Press

 June 18, 2009

MANASSAS, Va. – A social services employee has been fired and two others disciplined in Prince William County for mishandling the case of a 13-year-old girl who authorities say was abused and killed by her adoptive mother, officials said this week.

After Alexis “Lexie” Agyepong-Glover was found slain in a creek in January, many people said they had reported signs of abuse by her mother, Alfreedia Gregg-Glover, but the teen was not removed from the home. Gregg-Glover faces murder charges in the girl’s death.

An internal review found that several employees did not follow proper procedures in response to the abuse and neglect reports, county officials announced Wednesday.

“I would say that we made some errors, no doubt about it,” said John P. Ledden Jr., director of social services. “I want to ensure we learn something from this case.”

The department fired one senior social worker on Tuesday, and suspended two social work managers for five days without pay, according to officials. Ledden would not provide specifics on what the employees failed to do.

The review has prompted changes to county procedures. Now, even when abuse reports are determined to be invalid, if there are three or more invalid reports about the same child, the case will be investigated further, Ledden said.

The county has provided the social services department with money in the most recent budget to hire two more social workers after July 1. Ledden said he’s also considering additional training and responders on call after hours.

The agency’s inquiry has been welcomed by those who attempted to warn officials that the girl was being abused. But some still blame county officials for not responding earlier.

“We understand that you didn’t murder her, but if you would have done your job and removed her from the home, she would have been protected,” said Marlene Williams, a bus driver. Williams and her attendant told police that they saw Gregg-Glover drive with the girl in the trunk of a car in 2007.

A Virginia Department of Social Services spokesman said an inquiry into the case is expected to be released to county officials within the next three weeks. The county police department also has ordered an internal review into the handling of its encounters with the girl.

Gregg-Glover was indicted in March on several charges, including first-degree murder and felony child abuse. Police say she lied when she told them her daughter had run away in January. A massive search ensued. The girl’s body was found two days later in a Woodbridge area creek.

Gregg-Glover’s trial is set for July 6.

ALEXIS “LEXIE” AGYEPONG-GLOVER

Mother Indicted In Va. Killing

 

Body of Girl, 13, Found in Creek

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/03/AR2009030302445.html

By Jonathan MummoloWashington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 4, 2009; Page B01

A Prince William County woman whose 13-year-old adopted daughter was found dead in a shallow creek has been indicted on charges of murder, lying to police and abusing the child, authorities announced yesterday.

Police said Alfreedia Gregg-Glover, 44, of the Manassas area, lied when she told them that her daughter, Alexis “Lexie” Agyepong-Glover, had run away Jan. 7, prompting a massive search. Two days later, Lexie’s body was found in a Woodbridge area creek, and an autopsy determined that she died of drowning and exposure to the cold. Her death was ruled a homicide, and police say Gregg-Glover placed her in the creek.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul B. Ebert said the medical examiner believes Lexie was alive when she was placed in the frigid creek, but he would not comment further on the case. He said the abuse charge stems from Gregg-Glover’s conduct on the date of Lexie’s death.

A Prince William grand jury has returned indictments against Gregg-Glover, charging her with first-degree murder, felony murder, felony child abuse and filing a false police report, authorities said. The two murder counts will give the jury the option of finding that Gregg-Glover acted with or without premeditation, they said.

At a news conference to announce the indictments, Ebert said the tragedy of Lexie’s death was compounded by the fact that Gregg-Glover lied to police, wasting the time and resources of those charged with protecting the larger community.

“A lot of expense, time and trouble went to trying to locate this child, believing it was an abduction, when all along the indications are, of course, that the mother was responsible for the disappearance and the death,” Ebert said. “The crime itself is bad enough.”

After Lexie was found in the creek, Gregg-Glover was charged with felony neglect and lying to police, but those charges were dropped by the prosecution last week. She remains free on bond and is due in court Friday, when a trial date will be set and prosecutors will move to have her held without bond, Ebert said.

A phone call to Barry A. Zweig, a court-appointed attorney who represented Gregg-Glover in court last week, was not returned yesterday.

Authorities said that Lexie had run away several times before her disappearance and that sheriff’s deputies had fitted her with a locator bracelet used to track endangered people. The bracelet was found near a Manassas library shortly after Gregg-Glover reported Lexie missing, and authorities said Gregg-Glover placed it there. She then appealed through the media for the safe return of her daughter, who she said had autism and other ailments.

Hundreds of police officers, deputies and volunteers combed the area, using search dogs and helicopters to look for Lexie as darkness descended and temperatures dropped below freezing. On Jan. 9, a man out for a walk found Lexie’s body in a creek eight miles from the library. Gregg-Glover was charged days later.

Allegations that Lexie had been previously abused by Gregg-Glover have surfaced since Lexie’s death. Ebert said yesterday that investigators had been in contact with social services officials.

Former caretakers and counselors who knew Lexie have disputed that she was “disabled,” saying she was an intelligent, affectionate girl. Last week, about 35 people signed letters to county and state officials calling for an investigation into whether Prince William County’s Department of Social Services mishandled Lexie’s case while she was alive and whether procedural changes are necessary to prevent adopted children from landing in the wrong homes.

Tragedy in Plain Sight

Why didn’t anyone come to the aid of Lexie Agyepong-Glover?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/09/AR2009030902473.html

Tuesday, March 10, 2009; Page A12

ALEXIS “LEXIE” Agyepong-Glover did what she could to get help. So did the neighbors and school workers who saw signs that the 13-year-old Prince William girl was being abused and neglected. Tragically, though, the same cannot be said about the people, or the system, entrusted with guarding children from harm. The failures surrounding the death of this winsome young girl must be thoroughly investigated, with those responsible held to account and the system fixed.

Alexis was found dead from drowning and exposure in an icy creek on Jan. 9, two days after Alfreedia Gregg-Glover, her adoptive mother, reported her missing. The medical examiner’s report found evidence of old injuries, and Ms. Gregg-Glover was charged with murder, lying to police and child abuse.

The Post’s Jonathan Mummolo has recounted the girl’s desperate efforts to get help. There were multiple reports from people who said they saw signs and incidents of her mistreatment, but county police and child social workers seemed unwilling or unable to do anything about them. There were reports of the girl being put into the trunk of a car and driven away, of her not being properly clothed or fed, of suspicious marks on her body. Lexie would run away, neighbors and officials said, and tell people about her mistreatment — but again and again she was returned home.

It is unclear, because of overly strict confidentiality laws that cloak the case from needed scrutiny, whether individuals made mistakes in judgment or whether there were problems with the system — or both. Did police, social workers and school officials ever sit down to review all of the reports regarding Alexis, or did they operate in silos? Did anyone ever challenge Ms. Gregg-Glover’s assertion that her daughter’s mental condition was the cause of the problems? Why didn’t alarm bells go off when she was pulled out of school?

More also must be known about the circumstances under which Ms. Gregg-Glover was allowed to adopt the girl. Yesterday, Police Chief Charlie T. Deane called for a comprehensive review of all police actions and policies related to the case, including getting ideas for improvement from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The Virginia Department of Social Services is also conducting a legally mandated review of the county’s handling of the case. It will, though, be up to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors to make all the findings known and to make sure that the cracks through which Lexie fell are closed.