TX - Colton Turner, 2, Cedar Park, 11 Sept 2014 #1 *Arrests*

[renarde]

Cedar Park police detective Justin Miller was the officer who got a confession out of Colton's mother's boyfriend Michael Turner.

"Eventually he just dropped his head and told us the story," said Miller. "The moment he dropped his head and got quiet, and I could see him crying, I knew this was not going to end well for Colton."

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/loca...more-details-in-colton-turner-death/15751149/

 

[StormyNights]

Cedar Park police detective Justin Miller was the officer who got a confession out of Colton's mother's boyfriend Michael Turner.

"Eventually he just dropped his head and told us the story," said Miller. "The moment he dropped his head and got quiet, and I could see him crying, I knew this was not going to end well for Colton."

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/loca...more-details-in-colton-turner-death/15751149/

Bless that detective and everyone else involved in finding Colton. It must have been extremely difficult for them to do their jobs. I don't know how LO doesn't just snap on these sick people. It's just so sad. JMO

 

[jojo87]

Court hearing for Meagan set, September 23.

http://m.statesman.com/news/news/local/court-hearing-set-for-colton-turners-mother/nhNqX/

I looked up Darla Davis the attorney, she doesn't look like a public defender I could be wrong though.

 

[KateB]

KVUE also published this today: http://www.kvue.com/story/news/loca...y-can-learn-from-colton-turner-case/15750765/
How the community can learn from Colton Turner case

The Safe Haven Infant Protection Laws are designed to give parents in crisis an way to give up an unwanted infant safely, legally and anonymously. Go here for more information on the National Safe Haven Alliance.

 

[Cubby]

Agreed. Maybe a relative will get to take care of this baby.

IDK that placement within the family is such a good idea when considering no one came forward and stood up against the abuse Colton was enduring.

 

[ulpiano]

So happy to see that the $10,000 goal has been reached for baby Colton's funeral. He deserves to be taken care of in death, since no one took care of him in life. I sent a message to the funeral director to see where they will be sending the amount over the goal that they receive to see if there is any point to donating to the go fund me or if I should instead donate to the Austin Children's Shelter.

 

[MyBelle]

Boy, the apple doesn't fall far from the dysfunctional tree, does it? I will admit that it sure sounds like Meagan had a less than ideal childhood but that just is NO excuse for what she has done. I guess that cruelty to animals really strikes me though. All 3 of them and MT are all just real pieces of work. All I can do is shake my head. I have no doubt an attorney will bring up MW's childhood and try to gain sympathy from a jury. Yep, it sure does suck that she grew up in those conditions and circumstances. It doesn't mean that she wasn't capable of getting help and breaking the cycle. I just don't want to see her childhood/parents get her a lighter sentence or anything of the kind. What a travesty that would be....poor Colton. I am really just left scratching my head and shrugging my shoulders. I can't understand why this happened. No child should EVER feel unloved or unsafe. It disgusts me. All JMO

BBM. I don't believe it is all that easy to "change" a personality disorder or to break out of poverty. If the mother never felt love or safety as a child, then she wouldn't know how to convey it to her own child. A lot of tragedy to go around in this case but my outrage is at CPS, which did nothing to help the child even though it was reported.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

Child abuse experts hope Colton's case serves as a reminder to the community about the importance of reporting suspected child abuse or neglect.

Detectives are trying to determine who knew what and when regarding Colton Turner's alleged abuse which Child Protective Services says stretches back to when the child was only six months.

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/loca...y-can-learn-from-colton-turner-case/15750765/

That's pretty much cya, considering the fact that Colton's abuse WAS reported to CPS a whopping 4 times and nothing resulted. This isn't just happening in Texas, it's happening nationwide. It's systemic dysfunction similar to what has been happening to veterans served by VA hospitals. These agencies are drowning their staff in paperwork rather than putting them in the field investigating reports of abuse.

One caseworker cited in the report says, "I love going to see the children, but the paperwork is too much."

The four-month analysis found that caseworkers spend only 26 percent of their time working face-to-face with children and families. One of the many recommendations made was that caseworkers should spend 40 percent of their time with children and families they are assigned.

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/stat...lls-for-dramatic-improvement-to-cps/10793331/

 

[ulpiano]

BBM. I don't believe it is all that easy to "change" a personality disorder or to break out of poverty. If the mother never felt love or safety as a child, then she wouldn't know how to convey it to her own child. A lot of tragedy to go around in this case but my outrage is at CPS, which did nothing to help the child even though it was reported.

JMO

I agree. I am not normally an advocate for people blaming their childhoods for the horrid things they do in their adult life, but geez...I really don’t think Meagan had any idea what a normal childhood should be like. I’m not defending what she did by any means, just saying.

I’m pretty sure I heard on the news last night that there were 4 different reports to CPS, starting when poor little Colton was just 6 months old. I do not understand how she still had custody of him. Atrocious!

 

[human]

That's pretty much cya, considering the fact that Colton's abuse WAS reported to CPS a whopping 4 times and nothing resulted. This isn't just happening in Texas, it's happening nationwide. It's systemic dysfunction similar to what has been happening to veterans served by VA hospitals. These agencies are drowning their staff in paperwork rather than putting them in the field investigating reports of abuse.

One caseworker cited in the report says, "I love going to see the children, but the paperwork is too much."

The four-month analysis found that caseworkers spend only 26 percent of their time working face-to-face with children and families. One of the many recommendations made was that caseworkers should spend 40 percent of their time with children and families they are assigned.

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/stat...lls-for-dramatic-improvement-to-cps/10793331/

Paperwork is required for accountability. The public demands it via legislation in teaching as well as any govt job. There has to be a better way. It is crazy with paperwork!

 

[human]

I agree. I am not normally an advocate for people blaming their childhoods for the horrid things they do in their adult life, but geez...I really don’t think Meagan had any idea what a normal childhood should be like. I’m not defending what she did by any means, just saying.

I’m pretty sure I heard on the news last night that there were 4 different reports to CPS, starting when poor little Colton was just 6 months old. I do not understand how she still had custody of him. Atrocious!

I am just guessing, but because of the high cost of foster care, it is far cheaper to keep the child with the family. It is said it is for the good of the child.

I sat on a legislative committee when this was decided where I live. It was mind blowing how the whole process was manipulated just to get the cost of out of home placement down. When I left that meeting, it took some time to process the highly organized agenda of getting costs down.

 

[okmom23]

Paperwork is required for accountability. The public demands it via legislation in teaching as well as any govt job. There has to be a better way. It is crazy with paperwork!

So true! Accountability and transparency are great but people need to realize just how time consuming it can be for a person/agency to achieve those demands. I don't know about Texas but in Oklahoma I would say the majority of CPS workers I have dealt with could very well have been mistaken as the persons being investigated instead of the investigators. The pay is terrible and when you pay wages that are so low you are not going to attract many that are in the top of their field. There has got to be a better way, and that should probably start with making CPS a priority when it comes to state budgets. Mental health care is just as bad if not worse than CPS but it's easier for most to complain and blame then to tackle the problem and look for better solutions. I'll step off my soap box now.

 

[MyBelle]

Paperwork is required for accountability. The public demands it via legislation in teaching as well as any govt job. There has to be a better way. It is crazy with paperwork!

Accountability for what? If CPS doesn't visit the child, doesn't notify the police that they can't find the child, what exactly is it that they are documenting?

All the paperwork is because it is a dysfunctional bureaucracy. I've had a government job. The amount of time wasted on creating more "records" was incredible. My agency was undergoing an audit and there were piles of regulation files that had to be highlighted. I once was asked to totally redo some highlighting because the director used the wrong shade of yellow highlighter.

JMO

 

[gitana1]

KVUE also published this today: http://www.kvue.com/story/news/loca...y-can-learn-from-colton-turner-case/15750765/
How the community can learn from Colton Turner case

The Safe Haven Infant Protection Laws are designed to give parents in crisis an way to give up an unwanted infant safely, legally and anonymously. Go here for more information on the National Safe Haven Alliance.

The kinds of animals who abuse children to death like this aren't the kind who will give up their toys, their property. They wanted Colton alright. They wanted a human punching bag.

My anger lies with the people who beat a child to death. Their childhoods are no excuse and no mitigation. And we have no idea what CPS did or didn't do. I agree they should've notified LE but from the timeline it looks like they got those pictures when LE got those pictures, essentially. Just this month.

 

[human]

Accountability for what? If CPS doesn't visit the child, doesn't notify the police that they can't find the child, what exactly is it that they are documenting?

All the paperwork is because it is a dysfunctional bureaucracy. I've had a government job. The amount of time wasted on creating more "records" was incredible. My agency was undergoing an audit and there were piles of regulation files that had to be highlighted. I once was asked to totally redo some highlighting because the director used the wrong shade of yellow highlighter.

JMO

And who do you think asks for that accountability?

The legislators!

 

[StrayKat]

I drove by Felter Lane earlier and it is a business park. What stood out to me was the Man's Club half way down the road.

 

[Cracka*Jaxx]

I am just guessing, but because of the high cost of foster care, it is far cheaper to keep the child with the family. It is said it is for the good of the child.

I sat on a legislative committee when this was decided where I live. It was mind blowing how the whole process was manipulated just to get the cost of out of home placement down. When I left that meeting, it took some time to process the highly organized agenda of getting costs down.

I'm thinking it might be better if we went back to keeping children in Orphanages/Group Homes. It would be cheaper, and lot easier to keep track of their treatment. A kind of boarding school atmosphere would be far better, and more transparent, than a family home where the child might feel isolated.

Since I was never without a home, never had children, and never worked in social services, I'm basing this solely on what makes sense to me. I'd love to hear what you people think.

 

[Amster]

I'm thinking it might be better if we went back to keeping children in Orphanages/Group Homes. It would be cheaper, and lot easier to keep track of their treatment. A kind of boarding school atmosphere would be far better, and more transparent, than a family home where the child might feel isolated.

Since I was never without a home, never had children, and never worked in social services, I'm basing this solely on what makes sense to me. I'd love to hear what you people think.

I think there would be a lot of kids alive instead of dead. The fantasy of children being placed in a loving foster home is just that....a fantasy. There aren't enough of these families. And, then the child/children are usually put right back in the place they were removed from to begin with! Because there is nowhere else to keep them! Same with hospitals for the mentally ill. So many end up homeless, roaming the streets, because there is nowhere for them to go.

 

[iamnotagolem]

I do think the foster care system needs made over, but I don't know how effective an orphanage would be or what that would look like to get these children the care and love they deserve. How many employees would that require? I'd think these children need specialized care from people who are trained to deal with children who have been abused and mistreated. I'd think these precious little ones need one on one attention from an adult.

I can certainly see why the foster care system was adopted, so that children could be integrated into a normal living situation w/a normal family, but it's sad knowing how many children in the foster care system are abused and mistreated.

 

[gitana1]

I do think the foster care system needs made over, but I don't know how effective an orphanage would be or what that would look like to get these children the care and love they deserve. How many employees would that require? I'd think these children need specialized care from people who are trained to deal with children who have been abused and mistreated. I'd think these precious little ones need one on one attention from an adult.

I can certainly see why the foster care system was adopted, so that children could be integrated into a normal living situation w/a normal family, but it's sad knowing how many children in the foster care system are abused and mistreated.

And not trained. Too few people want to foster now. Adding months of additional training to it would make that fact even worse.

Orphanages can work if rigorously maintained and scrutinized, but it's hard. You'd get a lot of the types who currently work group homes and mental hospitals and they can be great but also lazy and/or criminal, even though they have to be trained.

It would require a lot of employees but I think it would cost about the same per child as foster care, or even less. Many of those employees would be cooks, cleaners, gardeners. The rest would have to have training and would have more than foster parents do.

We have a children's home here called Orangewood. Many of the kids love to be there compared to foster care because the food is incredible, it's a consistent place, they have parties and outings all the time, gardens, movies, a library, on-staff counselors and a constant stream of politicians and volunteers who ensure things are run correctly and who give the kids a ton of attention. There is a waiting list for volunteers.

If we had more of those, it might be a great thing.