ACTIVE SEARCH CA - Hannah, 16, Devonte, 15, & Sierra Hart, 12, Mendocino County, 26 Mar 2018 #4

[emma.laurens]

It was the California Highway Patrol that investigated the crash. They have finished their investigation and determined that the crash was not an accident. I'm not sure what more there is to wait for. I seriously doubt that any other LE agency is going to challenge the findings of the CHP.

Okay, thank you for the clarification. I appreciate it. I missed that there was a CHP report. Had seen the Mendocino report, and I know that CHP officials had made public statements about believing it to be intentional. Will go look for it now.

 

[kizzykat]

I'm not too familiar with the festival lifestyle, so out of curiosity I was watching some videos and found the Harts in one that was taped by a photographer at Project Earth in 2012. Below are screenshots from it. They're doing a Spiral Dance (I had to google that) so everyone was in motion. You can see all the children but Devonte, he's out of frame in front of SH. (SH holding his hand and hat.) What's most alarming to me is the size of one child's arms. I'm pretty sure it's Sierra, so she would've been about 9? She was adopted in Feb 2009 so when this was taken she would've been 3 1/2 yrs with the women. SH is holding Sierra's left wrist, JH is holding Sierra's right wrist. She's in an awkward position so it's difficult to make out her little arm because it's straight behind her. So that's why I put a yellow arrow pointing to it. There's not even any muscle definition. Her arms literally look like twigs. IMO

 

[MomGN2BMD]

Regarding the implication of the photos being shopped, I ran them through an edit detection tool and the only edit that showed was the highlighted/circled area that was placed by the OP. Not sure how accurate it is, or, if JH/SH had editing software that is undetectable...but I don’t see any photo shopping.

@MomGN2BMD....not questioning your expertise and appreciate your input. I see some shading that’s off in some photos, as well.

The editing history is likely only viewable if the image remains in its original file format, had I obtained them even from Jen's Facebook directly there may have been more file properties conserved, but as is I copied files from likely a 3rd or 4th hand source, my edits (circles) show up because I uploaded directly to the forum in the same format I originally downloaded them as (JPG). I feel fairly confident of this, because I nearly guarantee you there was editing to the photos before Jen uploaded then to Facebook (even if where I think I see editing is erroneous) because of the quality (composition, white balance, contrast, coloring) is too good for there not to have been. I edit 99.9% of my photos before posting to Insta, FB, etc. Does that make sense? Not saying I'm right or wrong, just explaining why her editing changes wouldn't be viewable as file properties anymore.

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[Stunned]

Regarding the implication of the photos being shopped, I ran them through an edit detection tool and the only edit that showed was the highlighted/circled area that was placed by the OP. Not sure how accurate it is, or, if JH/SH had editing software that is undetectable...but I don’t see any photo shopping.

@MomGN2BMD....not questioning your expertise and appreciate your input. I see some shading that’s off in some photos, as well.

Wish there was a wow button!,

 

[bluwaters]

Hello!
This is my 1st post but I have been reading and following closely.
I have too many thoughts racing through my head to add to the conversation at the moment.
Alexandra Argyropoulos has started a petition on the White House site calling for a [FONT=&amp]National Child Abuse Registry.
She is the former friend of the Harts who reported them for abuse and withholding food but CPS found not enough evidence and closed the complaint.
I don't know if I can post the link?
[/FONT]She opened a Twitter account to promote the petition under @AlexandraArgyr1

I hope it is OK to post this.

Heart broken for the Hart children.

I really enjoy reading here.

Believe the children!

 

[Stunned]

The sad truth is we will never know what was going on in this family. They literally took their truths and secrets to the grave. We could go on and on here being spectators, but unless there are diaries, blogs, etc. we will never know what exactly this family dynamics were. Good days, bad days, all families have them....gratefully, we never crossed that line, or had a line to cross.

 

[Talulah]

Hello!
This is my 1st post but I have been reading and following closely.
I have too many thoughts racing through my head to add to the conversation at the moment.
Alexandra Argyropoulos has started a petition on the White House site calling for a [FONT=&]National Child Abuse Registry.
She is the former friend of the Harts who reported them for abuse and withholding food but CPS found not enough evidence and closed the complaint.
I don't know if I can post the link?
[/FONT]She opened a Twitter account to promote the petition under @AlexandraArgyr1

I hope it is OK to post this.

Heart broken for the Hart children.

I really enjoy reading here.

Believe the children!

I signed and shared on Facebook. Thanks for posting. I couldn't find a link when I saw it earlier.

 

[Silver~Bell]

Since it was discussed on here about believing the kids about the child anuse waaaay too manh things point in that direction for them to be lying.

- Abby said it years ago when she went to school with bruises that the parents withold food as punishment. One of the children also agreed with her that they do this.

- One time when Devonte and Hannah (or Sierra) went out for the day with friends they returned with food. When they didnt want to share Sarah called them greedy, pigs and selfish.

- Devonte would later tell neighbors the exact samething as Abby did years before. If it was a lie, several of the kids wouldn't be making it up. Also for what its worth I have a child and he would never ever be at our neighbors begging for help and food.

- these photos speak for themselves.

The photos on Jens fb.

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In the photo of Devonte and his sister holding their arms up and entwined, taken from the back, there seem to be a lot of owies on his head.

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[bears10]

I've had doubts about the cycle of abuse theory since I first heard about it in college. There was no reconciliation or calm phase in my household growing up. Sometimes my father was in an OK mood, and sometimes in a foul one, but violence could erupt at virtually any time. He also never apologized - not once. Never attempted to make up or get back in our graces. I believe it was because he always felt 100% justified in his tantrums and abuse. If he threw a plate of food at a wall, it was obviously because my mother had not cooked the right thing. He never cleaned up any of his messes either, until one day when I was a teenager he kicked out and demolished a screen door and my mother said he was going to clean up his mess this time, or by god, it would sit in the yard the rest of our lives before she went out there and cleaned up after him again. It sat out there for about a week before I saw him finally go pick it up. It's too bad it took her 17 years to get to that point, because our lives would have been a lot better. My father also jokingly (not a joke at all, in reality) kept a drink holder prominently displayed at all times that said "I would admit it if I were ever wrong, but I never am" or something along those lines.

Edit: point being, maybe the violence was just part of their lives, along with the camping and festivals. Maybe it was never safe and happy, but they didn't know anything different.

I think what we can all take from this thread, and the experiences we’ve shared with one another, is that no two families are alike. For the many of us posters who have experienced abusive parents, alcoholic parents, neglectful parents, etc.... our experiences are all different. Abusers don’t follow an instruction manual called “how to be an abusive parent”. There are so many factors in each situation.

It’s easy to judge why the kids didn’t reach out for help sooner, why didn’t the neighbors do more sooner, etc... but hindsight is 20/20 and a lot of things are easier said than done. JMO.

 

[human]

I ask again re the food issue. Has there been anyone else reporting that the kids stole food or came to them for food?

I feel this was critical for Devonte. Something happened in that family. Maybe he was planning a run away or they were starved more than ever.

 

[Talulah]

I think what we can all take from this thread, and the experiences we’ve shared with one another, is that no two families are alike. For the many of us posters who have experienced abusive parents, alcoholic parents, neglectful parents, etc.... our experiences are all different. Abusers don’t follow an instruction manual called “how to be an abusive parent”. There are so many factors in each situation.

It’s easy to judge why the kids didn’t reach out for help sooner, why didn’t the neighbors do more sooner, etc... but hindsight is 20/20 and a lot of things are easier said than done. JMO.

I've generally managed to keep an even keel about this case, though it is bringing up some things for me, but I will say that the co-op owners statement that "they could have reached out at any time" really burned me up. It is not the kids responsibility to seek out help. That's not to say that they won't (like Hannah, and Devonte) if they start to literally fear for their lives or substantial bodily harm, but until then, I think most kids just try to hang in there knowing one day they'll be grown. I think this is also why the Turpin case and to some degree, Markis, in this case are so heartbreaking. Their abusers had such a hold that they were stuck long after most kids would have been able to leave and flip their parents the bird if they so choose.

 

[Emb72]

Whoa, can´t even read this, too awful - is it for real?

I just read it and it's shocking and disgusting. And who in the heck, in the year 2018, still uses the word "retardation" ??????

 

[LonelyChild]

Idk if anyone else has said this before. I feel like Jen and Sarah were way more about themselves than the kids. They adopt three african american kids and three bi racial kids. They aeened very ignorant for people who adopted kids from a different racial background. I mean I feel and I could be wrong like they shouldve done more to teach their kids more about their ethnic backgrounds. Instead they would drag the kids around doing things they wanted to and not necessarily things the kids wanted to. I think over time the kids just got used to the lifestyle they had to live. All the festivals they took the kids to seemed to be filled with white people who looked like typical hippies. They didn't even seem to care enough about doing the kids hair. Or I should say Hannahs hair. It seemed liked Sierra and Abigail always had their hair done. Hannahs hair always seemed kept short and messy. As the mother of biracial and african american kids you atleast owe it to your kids to some degree teach them about their culture and learn about it yourself. I dont recall ever seeing the family do anything to help the kids learn about their culture. Instead they were busy dragging the kids to hippie festivals and going out in nature.

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[bears10]

I've generally managed to keep an even keel about this case, though it is bringing up some things for me, but I will say that the co-op owners statement that "they could have reached out at any time" really burned me up. It is not the kids responsibility to seek out help. That's not to say that they won't (like Hannah, and Devonte) if they start to literally fear for their lives or substantial bodily harm, but until then, I think most kids just try to hang in there knowing one day they'll be grown. I think this is also why the Turpin case and to some degree, Markis, in this case are so heartbreaking. Their abusers had such a hold that they were struck long after most kids would have been able to leave and flip their parents the bird if they so choose.

Yes I agree. It’s not up to the kids to reach out for help. It’s up to their parents to not abuse them.

Having stepkids and nieces/nephews the same age as the Hart kids, to me, the Hart kids physical appearances are very shocking. Those kids were underweight and underdeveloped. If they weren’t, the moms wouldn’t have felt they had to lie about any of their ages. This paragraph is kind of off topic, sorry.

 

[gcharlie]

If only the walls in that house could talk.

The Turpin kids kept journals. Part of me hopes that these kids did as well. But my gut tells me the mothers were too controlling for that and any negative writing would have been destroyed.

 

[mtnlites]

Idk if anyone else has said this before. I feel like Jen and Sarah were way more about themselves than the kids. They adopt three african american kids and three bi racial kids. They aeened very ignorant for people who adopted kids from a different racial background. I mean I feel and I could be wrong like they shouldve done more to teach their kids more about their ethnic backgrounds. Instead they would drag the kids around doing things they wanted to and not necessarily things the kids wanted to. I think over time the kids just got used to the lifestyle they had to live. All the festivals they took the kids to seemed to be filled with white people who looked like typical hippies. They didn't even seem to care enough about doing the kids hair. Or I should say Hannahs hair. It seemed liked Sierra and Abigail always had their hair done. Hannahs hair always seemed kept short and messy. As the mother of biracial and african american kids you atleast owe it to your kids to some degree teach them about their culture and learn about it yourself. I dont recall ever seeing the family do anything to help the kids learn about their culture. Instead they were busy dragging the kids to hippie festivals and going out in nature.

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We don't actually know that they didn't do things that helped the kids learn about their culture. We don't know what they did or not teach their children about their culture or heritage. Social media posts don't show everything, as we've repeatedly discussed.

As a "hippie" myself, I personally enjoy "hippie festivals" and "going out in nature" and I have many African American friends who do as well.

I don't feel that the issue here is what kind of festivals they attended but, rather, the abuse that the children suffered.

 

[rosemadderlake]

Thoughts about the Hart Family- a blog written by a woman who was both an adoptee and is a professional who now works in the field of both foster care and adoption.

https://harlows-monkey.com/2018/04/10/thoughts-about-the-hart-family/

Nice find gcharlie. A Very thoughtful piece. I'm placing some standout highlights (to me) of HM in quote balloon below...

The whole piece is really well thought out and is in my bookmarks. Her paragraph on food is illuminating--worth reading in full.

In this family’s case, I see their choice to homeschool as driven by the desire to decrease the chance that someone would see the abuse on their kids.

These parents blamed the kids’ prior histories as excuses for why they disciplined them or to discredit the children’s accounts and accusations.

In some ways I was surprised that these parents intentionally chose over and over to live in these communities where not only is there little tolerance for racial differences, but also very little tolerance for LGBTQ families in general. I can’t help but wonder how much being in a racially homogenous community was more important for these parents than one that would fully accept their same-sex partnership.

One thing that has struck me from the beginning is what others have described as the parents’ using the children as props. My opinion is that this is less about an intentional attempt to use the children as props but I would agree that an underlying motivation is about the image these parents wanted to portray about themselves.

Abusive parents often punish children when they deviate from the “script.” For the Hart children to reveal the abuse they endured meant risking further abuse for telling.

Did you know there is no national child protection registry? A family can move to another county or state and unless the CPS worker specifically contacts other places the family has previously lived they would not know that there have been prior CPS calls/investigations. Additionally, the other states and counties do not have to respond to an inquiry. We called it “county-hopping” when families moved a lot in order to avoid having documented histories of CPS screenings/investigations.

All of this is to say that it’s often multiple factors in any family’s story that leads to tragic outcomes like this. Any of these alone means nothing; as someone who has worked in adoption for a long time though, I am devastated that these parents seemed unwilling to look at their own behaviors and instead, chose to selfishly destroy the lives of six beautiful children who deserved nothing less than parents who would guide and love them to their potential.

 

[bluwaters]

On top of all the horror surrounding the Hart children's deaths I keep wondering what was the plan for their futures?
What did Jen and Sarah think was going to happen once the children grew up?
I never saw Jen's FB entries beyond what is reproduced here and on FB.

All parents hope their children will grow into adulthood one day but it seems as if the future was not considered by the Harts.
Did any of the children ever tell their (adult) friends about their hopes and dreams?
Did Jen and Sarah ever consider it?

Markis was no longer a minor.
What was going on with him?

Everything about this case is maddening but certainly they didn't think that by witholding food they could keep the children eternally prepubescent?

Surely going off a cliff was not always their plan?

 

[drama_farmer]

The call for a national child abuse registry will probably get a lot of support and a lot of signatures. Maybe someone could start a Go Fund Me page for it, as well. It seems like the protections already in place for children are continually and woefully under-funded. It's a laudable idea, of course, but the reality always seems to come down to the bottom line: who is willing to pay for it?

IMO

 

[bears10]

The call for a national child abuse registry will probably get a lot of support and a lot of signatures. Maybe someone could start a Go Fund Me page for it, as well. It seems like the protections already in place for children are continually and woefully under-funded. It's a laudable idea, of course, but the reality always seems to come down to the bottom line: who is willing to pay for it?

IMO

Who pays for sex offender registries? Not being snarky, I’m genuinely asking.