KS KS - Adam Herrman, 11, Towanda, 1999

[christine2448]

I moved this from Missing SUPPORT to Missing/Located DISCUSSION area.

Interesting but very sad case.

 

[believe09]

This article states last time he was seen was Super Bowl Sunday in 1999, where he was chained to a bathtub.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7013613800

Huh; guess this is why he is Endangered Missing...we know foul play is suspected and perhaps even confirmed.

Should we discuss whether Kansas authorities actually have the body and are toying with the adults involved? Or are they just dotting the i's etc...until they have been through all of the evidence, such as tax returns and the like....perhaps, wishful thinking, if the adoptive parents killed him it will be a first degree/dp charge...yes I know I am jumping ahead to try and read the last chapter. I don't know if I can stand what came in between...

 

[STEADFAST]

This article states last time he was seen was Super Bowl Sunday in 1999, where he was chained to a bathtub.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7013613800

The aunt saw him chained to the bathtub and did nothing?? And she never saw him again, but she didn't mention that to anyone??

 

[jnTexas]

This beyond ticks me off!!! So many people could have done something here.
1st off i'm not so sure he would've been better off with the bio parents. the mother stating she left a bruise on an older child. That is her word we do not know exactly why they took all these children from her. There could be a lot more to the story.
On to the Adoptive parents. These people were getting money for caring for him. That is why they never reported him missing. They were getting money from the state, and claiming him on tax returns. I hope the Irs and the feds get invovled for tax fruad and wire fruad (getting money for his care via direct deposit possibly). Just in case LE cannot prove the murder.
I truly hope the article about the aunt seeing him chained to a bath tub is not true. If it is she also should be charged with failure to report child abuse.
People who should've noticed he was missing:
1.Adoptive relatives
2.Teachers
3.School attendance (our school calls when one of my children are not there) this kid was in 4 grade
4.Neighbors
5. Landlord
6. Medicad worker (the child had not been to a doctor)
7. friends of family

I just wonder if they had 3 adoptive children. did they treat them all the same way?

These people make me sick! One day they will have to face their maker.

 

[SuziQ]

The aunt saw him chained to the bathtub and did nothing?? And she never saw him again, but she didn't mention that to anyone??

That just blows me away. I gather that everyone was so relieved to hear he went back to the state and not being abused any longer, they left it at that. Or that's what they are saying anyways.

What I find interesting is that the adoptive parents not only didn't report him missing, they made an effort the cover that fact up. The adoptive mom was telling her family the state took him back, while giving the bio family the impression that he was still with them, even going so far to state he was getting ready to get his drivers license. Now if adoptive mom really thought Adam went back to his family, then why would she be telling them he was still with her? Because she knows where Adam is and that he's not alive and well.

 

[swttoes]

On Super Bowl Sunday in 1999, the year Adam Herrman went missing but no one reported it, one of his aunts says she saw the 11-year-old chained to a bathtub faucet at his Towanda mobile home.

It looked like he had handcuffs on, said his aunt, Kim Winslow. Winslow, now 48, said it was the last time she saw Adam.

Other close relatives of Adam's adoptive mother, Valerie Herrman of Derby, say they saw her abuse him over the years and that he was forced to sleep in a bathtub. In at least one instance, a relative reported alleged abuse to authorities.

Butler County sheriff's officers plan to bring in search dogs and ground-penetrating radar to help solve the mystery of what happened to Adam Herrman.


http://www.kansas.com/news/story/652772.html

 

[lne1970]

These kind of cases and the adoption procedures is what always ticks me off about the rights of gays and lesbians to adopt. As a lesbian, my partner and I have an above average income and would be loving parents, but noooooooo.........let's give the kids to some true sickos!!!! :furious::furious:

 

[JaneInOz]

http://www.individual.com/story.php?story=94229740


As i said there are some really HUGE Issues of ripping children from their biological families and shoving them in foster care / adopting them out in Kansas... Im trying to locate a link which has a LOT of stories regarding this...

Unfortunately in many cases they take the child when they shouldn't...And then there are the chronically abused children that Child Welfare keep on going back to time and time again and NEVER remove the child (Baby P is just one that springs to mind)

Why is it so backward ?

Please do not hurl insults at people that you do not know. I am sure you would not want others to do this to you. Kansas is NOT backward in any way, we are well educated, intelligent, and some of the most kind and caring people you could ever hope to meet. Just as, I am sure, are the people of your own state. There are stories similar to this in EVERY state and country, sadly. The LE who are working this case are not BACKWARD, and neither are the people from the community who are doing everything possible to help find answers about Adam.

Hi

Bold is what I had originally written and you quoted (quote didnt work though)
And the rest is what you wrote

Please take the time to read properly what people write and not just skim and red into what you *think* was said.

I didn't insult anyone or call Kansas Backward

What I said clearly was that there are a LOT of cases of children being ripped from their bio families and fostered or adopted (still looking for the links)

I then went on to state that there are many situations of abuse where child welfare go time and time again and do not remove the child when they should be (I gave Baby P as an example - The little baby boy in England)

I then said

WHY IS IT SO BACKWARD

That doesnt say anyone or any state or country is backward

It says about the situation.

Ie Children of Abuse not being removed that SHOULD BE

And children who are NOT being abused are being removed

Is that a little clearer ?

Please take care to read what people write because otherwise that can start a whole chain of discussion going that isn't necessary

Thanks

 

[JaneInOz]

I don't think she was hurling insults at the entire state of KS. She was pointing out that in her knowledge the adoption system in KS has flaws. Yes, these problems occur in every state, but KS is mentioned because KS is where this case is from.

Ah thank you Suzi you are correct :blowkiss:

PS i did a piece about Adam on my blog - you have the link

 

[babycat]

These kind of cases and the adoption procedures is what always ticks me off about the rights of gays and lesbians to adopt. As a lesbian, my partner and I have an above average income and would be loving parents, but noooooooo.........let's give the kids to some true sickos!!!! :furious::furious:

I agree completely...we live in a backwards world, sometimes...

 

[raeann]

JANEINOZ
Thank you for your explanation, however, I have carefully read every single word in this thread. The adoption system here in KS in NOT any worse than anywhere else. IN FACT, I don't believe that there is any reference to the fact that this adoption was arranged in KS. Both of the birth parents are from out of state and the adoption could have been arranged in either of those states. There are hundreds of thousands of adoptive parents who are wonderful and loving people who have given every single thing that they can in order to adopt children and provide them with good homes. Just as there are biological parents who do horrible things to their children, there are a few foster parents and adoptive parents who cause harm. This does not mean that all are bad. I totally agree that abused children often do not get the attention that is needed in many states.
You DO definitely imply that KS has a problem with taking children from homes: here are your exact words "As i said there are some really HUGE Issues of ripping children from their biological families and shoving them in foster care / adopting them out in Kansas". This information is completely unfounded and false in every way. A few complaints on some blog somewhere do not constitute the truth.

 

[JaneInOz]

On Super Bowl Sunday in 1999, the year Adam Herrman went missing but no one reported it, one of his aunts says she saw the 11-year-old chained to a bathtub faucet at his Towanda mobile home.

It looked like he had handcuffs on, said his aunt, Kim Winslow. Winslow, now 48, said it was the last time she saw Adam.

Other close relatives of Adam's adoptive mother, Valerie Herrman of Derby, say they saw her abuse him over the years and that he was forced to sleep in a bathtub. In at least one instance, a relative reported alleged abuse to authorities.

Butler County sheriff's officers plan to bring in search dogs and ground-penetrating radar to help solve the mystery of what happened to Adam Herrman.


http://www.kansas.com/news/story/652772.html

I am beyond disgusted at this woman.
It would appear from this article that the Adoptive Mother is the one who treated Adam worse than a dog and beat him

It also angers me that the family members didnt report it more often, the abuse that is, and that they didn't insist to LE to look into it deeper.

This is the trouble, people are afraid to report abuse, people are afraid to get involved, people don't WANT to get involved

And that is so sad

Please if you ever ever see abuse report it.

Suspecting And Seeing are two different things....

 

[JaneInOz]

JANEINOZ
Thank you for your explanation, however, I have carefully read every single word in this thread. The adoption system here in KS in NOT any worse than anywhere else. IN FACT, I don't believe that there is any reference to the fact that this adoption was arranged in KS. Both of the birth parents are from out of state and the adoption could have been arranged in either of those states. There are hundreds of thousands of adoptive parents who are wonderful and loving people who have given every single thing that they can in order to adopt children and provide them with good homes. Just as there are biological parents who do horrible things to their children, there are a few foster parents and adoptive parents who cause harm. This does not mean that all are bad. I totally agree that abused children often do not get the attention that is needed in many states.
You DO definitely imply that KS has a problem with taking children from homes: here are your exact words "As i said there are some really HUGE Issues of ripping children from their biological families and shoving them in foster care / adopting them out in Kansas". This information is completely unfounded and false in every way. A few complaints on some blog somewhere do not constitute the truth.

You implied previously that I said Kansas Was Backwards.....

Which I did not.

I did not get my information from a Blog.

But There are MANY Blogs that are very factual and dig out the truth.....

We Seem to believe Crime blogs, so why doesn't it seem also that any other blog about a subject matter is to be believed or is it just when it hits a nerve that is to be discounted

How do you know that the adoption system in Kansas is no worse than anywhere else ? do you work in Adoption ? Foster Care ?

 

[MeoW333]

The aunt saw him chained to the bathtub and did nothing?? And she never saw him again, but she didn't mention that to anyone??

I think they kept him chained in that trailer park shed as well. We read horrors about a lot of abuse cases in which the "parents" kept children isolated, abused, neglected. Recently we have read about a brave young man, Kyle's escape from abuse in another case.
I think a lot of people will be coming forward in this case. We've heard from Adam's adoptive brother, and aunt.

"The Wichita Eagle cites an aunt, Kim Winslow, as saying the last time she saw Adam was on Super Bowl Sunday in 1999, locked in the bathroom and chained to a bathtub faucet because he was misbehaving."
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7013613800

 

[MeoW333]

JANEINOZ
Thank you for your explanation, however, I have carefully read every single word in this thread. The adoption system here in KS in NOT any worse than anywhere else. IN FACT, I don't believe that there is any reference to the fact that this adoption was arranged in KS. Both of the birth parents are from out of state and the adoption could have been arranged in either of those states. There are hundreds of thousands of adoptive parents who are wonderful and loving people who have given every single thing that they can in order to adopt children and provide them with good homes. Just as there are biological parents who do horrible things to their children, there are a few foster parents and adoptive parents who cause harm. This does not mean that all are bad. I totally agree that abused children often do not get the attention that is needed in many states.
You DO definitely imply that KS has a problem with taking children from homes: here are your exact words "As i said there are some really HUGE Issues of ripping children from their biological families and shoving them in foster care / adopting them out in Kansas". This information is completely unfounded and false in every way. A few complaints on some blog somewhere do not constitute the truth.

The adoption system in Kansas is as messed up as it is everywhere else in the USA. Very messed up. Until we reach the day where not one child is unaccounted for, not stuck in an abusive foster homes, there are enough caseworkers to children in foster care and they do their jobs well without overbearing caseloads, the day we don't read about anymore of these horror stories, the adoption system is messed up everywhere, not just Kansas.
Sorry for the rant.

 

[nomoresorrow]

As we know so well, biological parent's vs. foster/adoptive parent's - Doesn't matter. Those who abuse and/or kill a child are not of of one ilk. They make up a class of their own and that class is made up of parents, foster/adoptive parents, lawyers, doctor's, nurses, teachers, those considered "trailer trash", minister's, minister's wife's, drug addicts, law enforcement profession's, jobless bum's, business owner's, PTA/school board member's, etc, etc, etc,..... JMHO

 

[MeoW333]

These kind of cases and the adoption procedures is what always ticks me off about the rights of gays and lesbians to adopt. As a lesbian, my partner and I have an above average income and would be loving parents, but noooooooo.........let's give the kids to some true sickos!!!! :furious::furious:

Very true, i agree that homosexuals should be allowed to adopt the same as heterosexuals. As long as the home is a loving one, then there will be less children in foster care and more in a loving environment.
The adoption systems have their hands full and not enough workers for the caseloads; there's so many foster children just missing in action in FL (for example) alone.

 

[JaneInOz]

Ok Lets start with few articles
http://www.liftingtheveil.org/eyeonkansas.htm
This one speaks of the problems in the Kasas system for *decades* and still nothing further happening to improve, as of 2005.. Children are being LOST in the Foster Care system going from home to home...

Snipped

"Privatization of all child welfare services in this state took place on a chaotic fast track without public discussion and input," judge Shepherd had told a Kansas committee. By November of 1997, legislators were facing a deluge of complaints that privatization of child welfare services wasn't working. Audits confirmed that SRS had failed to so much as conduct cursory background checks on its providers. Worse, a few short months after privatization, monthly court statistics showed that the number of children in need of care were almost twice what they were the previous year.

By May of 1998, reports indicated that children were being lost in the system and shifted from home to home too often. Foster care families and homes were being driven from the system by the new requirements of privatized care. Professionals are frustrated by what they see as a decline in basic care for foster children.

Have a look at this utube site http://au.youtube.com/user/ShreddedSociety and its not just HER story there are many people who write to her and tell her similar.
Her Daughter was taken from her because of allegations of abuse from the bitter exhusband. They set her up for child endagerment and took her daughter and ADOPTED Her daughter out...FOREVER ...... But yet allowed the other two children to remain with her ....wow ...Gee she must have been a real threat to allow her other two children to stay with her...
They said because her daughter sat on her lap on a rocking chair and cuddled her mother and went to sleep that there was NO BOND.....

There are MANY heartbreaking stories out of there and sorry but from all accounts there is a HUGE problem with the foster/adoption system.

Adam was not followed up on for 11 years ... and is probably dead because of it...

Speaking of whom... here is a image generated pic of what he would look like if he is alive today

http://www.kansas.com/

 

[MeoW333]

As we know so well, biological parent's vs. foster/adoptive parent's - Doesn't matter. Those who abuse and/or kill a child are not of of one ilk. They make up a class of their own and that class is made up of parents, foster/adoptive parents, lawyers, doctor's, nurses, teachers, those considered "trailer trash", minister's, minister's wife's, drug addicts, law enforcement profession's, jobless bum's, business owner's, PTA/school board member's, etc, etc, etc,..... JMHO

I agree, depends on the individual cases. We hear about many cases of people who have adopted children from foster care, or even biochildren; where it seems 1 or 2 of the children in the family group are singled out and severely abused. I'm not sure what the cause of it is; it seems the other children in the family aren't as abused as severly or are treated a lot better than the abused one(s).

All these bad excuses for parents should rot :furious:

 

[nomoresorrow]

(Bolded by me)

I think they kept him chained in that trailer park shed as well. We read horrors about a lot of abuse cases in which the "parents" kept children isolated, abused, neglected. Recently we have read about a brave young man, Kyle's escape from abuse in another case.
I think a lot of people will be coming forward in this case. We've heard from Adam's adoptive brother, and aunt.
"The Wichita Eagle cites an aunt, Kim Winslow, as saying the last time she saw Adam was on Super Bowl Sunday in 1999, locked in the bathroom and chained to a bathtub faucet because he was misbehaving."http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7013613800

10 Years Later!?!?
Another wait and see but if it turns out the way I think it will,...
"Murder is usually not the first assault on the child"
Kim Korbin - "Women incarcerated for deadly child abuse"