Found Deceased FL - Dontrell Melvin, 5 months, Hallandale Beach, July 2011 - missing for 18 months

[MissSunshine]

In October 2012, Hallandale Beach police caught a whiff of trouble. They received a report that the mother was having “custody issues” with Melvin. That report may have been in conjunction with a service call to the home in which cops responded to a fight between the parents.

A report generated at that time referenced the missing child, stating: “It is not known if the child is alive.”

The Broward Sheriff’s Office, which investigates abuse and neglect in Broward under contract with the Department of Children & Families, didn’t learn any of that because the report was “screened out” by DCF’s child abuse hotline, even though Dontrell’s extended family had previously been under the supervision of Broward’s privately run child welfare agency, ChildNet.

More months passed.

Dontrell returned to DCF’s radar Wednesday night after another call came into the child abuse hotline. As a result of that call, which was not “screened out,” a child protective investigator went to the family’s Hallandale Beach home — finding the two children instead of the expected three.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/1...#storylink=cpy

So many people failed this child. A report generated in October not knowing if the child was alive and then DCF screening it out. Somebody should have intervened in October and I don't understand why they did not. Why didn't the police that responded to the call do something?

[Cubby]

Originally Posted by Public_Hysteria

Something is SO not right with this. How can no one *seriously* question the whereabouts of this boy until 16 months later? How could Mum not want to see her son, or speak to his grandparents who were 'caring for' him when they were only a short distance away? And what did they tell the grandparents who were 'caring for' him when they wanted to see their grandson? Either this is one VERY dysfunctional family, or everyone has an idea of what happened but were too afraid to bring it up.

Respectfully snipped.


I don't think everyone has an idea about what happened. My gut is telling me 'dad' was putting off both his parents and Dontrell's mother when they each asked about Dontrell. I honestly believe he had two stories going with each side for a long time until his excuses weren't working any more.

What I fail to understand is how he managed to keep the story going beyond Dontrell's 1st Christmas.

Or dad just had no relationship with his parents for a long time, so they never asked and he just had the one story he gave Dontrell's mother.

I think something bad happened to Dontrell the day his father left with him and returned without him. I just hope he tells the truth now for everyone's sake.

[sreshowtime]

Childnet needs to changes their name to something that doesn'tt sound like they let children SLIP THROUGH, grr

where is that little bitty, he is so cute
I wonder if she was working and he was supposed to be babysitting- wonder if the older child went with
oh i will never sleep, poor baby

[Cubby]

Originally Posted by sreshowtime

I am curious if the paternal grandparents even knew about the new baby.
And I can't even find a Senior in Pompano as far as paternal grandparents plural. Maybe just a grandmother...

That's a good question. The MSM articles upthread read they haven't seen him in over a year. Now I am wondering if they mean that for the grandparents AND mom, or just mom? Hopefully that will be cleared up.

[CarmelEyesD]

Yeah-I don't think there is going to be a large ground search for this little one...hopefully a major investigation reveals all the parties that need to be prosecuted on this case.

[CarmelEyesD]

The couple has 2 other children together.

They both are now in the custody of the Department of Children and Families.

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/01/10...-disappearing/

[NSS]

Originally Posted by MissSunshine

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...,5891429.story

So she contacted authorities in October and this is just now coming out? I wonder what Florida Department of Children and Families findings were.

They probably only just got around to visiting.

[NSS]

Not ready to blame Mum yet.
A 'dad' that can dispose of a baby is likely abusive to Mom too.

Having been in an abusive relationship, I can attest to the fact that once questions start producing anger, the questioning quickly stops.

I was prevented from calling my own family, didn't even have an address or phone number for his brother and only niece (and we were together 14 years before I escaped).

[SCHMAE]

Oh no. As much time has gone by there 's almost no chance of any evidence anywhere to help find this baby .

[DylansMom34]

I wonder if he could have given or sold the baby to someone. (Trying to cling to some hope that little Dontrell is alive somewhere)

[Ladylub]

Originally Posted by NSS

Not ready to blame Mum yet.
A 'dad' that can dispose of a baby is likely abusive to Mom too.

Having been in an abusive relationship, I can attest to the fact that once questions start producing anger, the questioning quickly stops.

I was prevented from calling my own family, didn't even have an address or phone number for his brother and only niece (and we were together 14 years before I escaped).

I know this is horrible but honestly I do kind of (just a tiny tiny bit) hope he is abusive that way Dontrell would have had at least one parent who truly loved him but just to scared to say it. Though I have my doubts....On her FB some of her status updates seem like they are about him and they are not sweet loving post. Seems like that would only add fuel to the fire if he really was abusive.

[sreshowtime]

well I am glad the other children are with DCF...I went to bed worried for them...
it will be a miracle if little Dontrell is ever found

[Cubby]

whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa - wait a minute.

In October 2012, Hallandale Beach police caught a whiff of trouble. They received a report that the mother was having “custody issues” with Melvin. That report may have been in conjunction with a service call to the home in which cops responded to a fight between the parents.

A report generated at that time referenced the missing child, stating: “It is not known if the child is alive.”

The Broward Sheriff’s Office, which investigates abuse and neglect in Broward under contract with the Department of Children & Families, didn’t learn any of that because the report was “screened out” by DCF’s child abuse hotline, even though Dontrell’s extended family had previously been under the supervision of Broward’s privately run child welfare agency, ChildNet.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/1...#storylink=cpy

A history of the extended family being under supervision and they still deemed the report as unworthy to investigate.

Does anyone besides me wonder if it was the wording in the report back in October? I'm wondering if the wording "custody issues" had anything to do with the report being deemed unworthy of investigation. Usually "custody issues" is something handled by family court, not DCF.

Still hoping dad provides the truth.

[Cubby]

Parents Arrested in Missing Boy's Disappearance: Police

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/F...186474671.html

(Paraphrasing due to short length of article).

Arrested on child neglect charges after they each implicated the other in Dontrell's disappearance.

[Redux]

Parents have been arrested on child neglect charges and are blaming each other.....

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...,5891429.story

ETA: Oops, sniped by cubby

[Cubby]

Police have not yet found the child, but the parents have since provided investigators an area to search for the boy, police said. Police are obtaining a warrant for the search, Flournoy said. He declined to identify the area that police were provided.

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/F...186474671.html

I hope they are being honest and not sending LE on a wild goose chase.

Praying Dontrell is where they said he is and can at least be recovered.

[The Cheese]

Polcie are now in the process of obtaining a search warrant for a residence and a piece of property in Hallandale Beach, Flouornoy said.

"Both parents have given us an indication to look in a particular place," he said.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...,5891429.story

edit - the mother told the police that Donnell was with *her* parents out of state -

Sierra similarly told police that the child was with her parents out of state, Fluornoy said.

"We know that not to be the truth," Fluornoy said.

[Donjeta]

I'm not buying any of this. I think several people in this family know exactly what happened to Dontrell.

[The Cheese]

“After lengthy interviews over last 12 hours, both have intimated that the child has been harmed in some way by each other. So in essence, they are blaming each other for the child’s disappearance,” said Chief Flournoy.

Video of press conference at the link

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/01/11...for-18-months/

[TxLady2]

Originally Posted by The Cheese

Father disappears as search for missing baby gears up

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...,5891429.story

The mother contacted authorities in October 2012 because Melvin had not allowed her to see her son during the previous 16 months.

The Florida Department of Children and Families conducted an investigation but the findings were unknown, Flournoy said.

The mother gave birth to another son, fathered by Melvin, since the disappearance of Dontrell. She and other relatives have been cooperating with police, Flournoy said.

OMG! What is wrong with people??!! This is a mixed-up mess. Neither one of them could take care of the little one who is missing, so they make another one to take care of. Lovely. CPS should take the remaining two away from them for good and lock these two parents up! I hope they didn't kill that precious baby!!

[carbuff]

Originally Posted by Donjeta

I'm not buying any of this. I think several people in this family know exactly what happened to Dontrell.

It sounds like it. Poor babies.

[DylansMom34]

Originally Posted by The Cheese

“After lengthy interviews over last 12 hours, both have intimated that the child has been harmed in some way by each other. So in essence, they are blaming each other for the child’s disappearance,” said Chief Flournoy.

Video of press conference at the link

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/01/11...for-18-months/

Ugh.... This case is probably going to break our hearts...

[Coldpizza]

I wonder if the mom was getting any state assistance for all of her children?

[Cubby]

Originally Posted by Coldpizza

I wonder if the mom was getting any state assistance for all of her children?

IDK. It's a pretty goofy story to claim custody issues with someone you live with. I also how long they spent concocting their plan. Calling DCF for custody issues is about as smart as D'Andre Lane's story his daughter was carjacked.

And what's up with the extended family also having been under investigation? When was the last time the paternal or maternal grandparents saw their children or grandchildren?

This whole picture is one big mess.

[Christi]

I don't think that Sierra is Dontrell's mother. It said that his mother called DCF and she was having custody issues. I think Sierra is the new girlfriend that Mr. Melvin has 2 other kids with and lives with. I hope they both get what they deserve. He is a beautiful baby. I would have taken him.