GUILTY FL - John & Linda Dollar for torture of 5 adopted kids, Beverly Hills, 2005

[monkalup]

The older sister wants custody of the children. IMO this should never happen. She was absued. She knew the kids were abused. She did nothing to protect them. :furious:

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/02/13/Tampabay/Abused_children_may_g.shtml

Attorneys have scheduled a hearing in Citrus County for Tuesday so that Shanda Rae Shelton of New Port Richey can seek the right to visit with the children that the adult Dollars are accused of starving and torturing. Shelton, 25, also will seek to become a "relative caregiver," which means she would act like a foster parent in raising one or more of the other children.

"This sister is tremendously upset after having been a victim herself and she wants visitation immediately," said Bill Grant, an Inverness attorney who said he is representing Shelton without charge, along with his colleague, Bo Samargya.

"She knows these children. She has changed their diapers, she has wiped their noses," Grant said. "This is a bond just like you and I have with our brothers and sisters."

Absolutely agree! This young woman needs counseling and assistance, not the awesome burden of caring for other abused children. Prayers for all of them.

 

[LovelyPigeon]

The children are all improving health-wise, gaining weight, and are now in public school. Their older adoptive sister wants to have visitation rights and have a positive influence in their lives.

There's too much in this article to quote, but there's also information about the older sister's adoption and life, and also about the home schooling the adoptive siblings were supposed to be receiving.

Abused kids on way to recovery
Seven children taken from abuse suspects John and Linda Dollar are regaining their health and are enrolled in public school.
By JUSTIN GEORGE
Published February 15, 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


INVERNESS - Seven children removed from a Citrus County home amid allegations of torture are enrolled in public schools and adjusting to foster care, officials say.

They even have grown a little and gained a substantial amount of weight, Citrus County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Gail Tierney said.

The children's health has rebounded since Jan. 27, when they were placed in foster homes in groups of two or three, Tierney said.

They have received medical checkups and detectives check daily on their welfare. The children began attending area schools last week. Their schoolmates are aware of the circumstances and have been protective of them, Tierney said.--->>

Today, the Dollar children's adopted adult sister will ask a Citrus County magistrate to let her visit her siblings.

Shanda Rae Shelton, now married and living in Pasco County, said the Dollars abused her, too. But she has been estranged from her parents the past three years, and said she believes the treatment of her siblings deteriorated during that time, according to her attorneys. --->>

Shelton said clothing is all that she has been able to provide her siblings through DCF, according to one of her lawyers, Bill Grant. The Department of Children and Families has not permitted Shanda Shelton to visit her younger siblings. The children even had to call their oldest sister covertly.

"I love my brothers and sisters dearly," Shelton said in a statement, "and I miss them terribly. I think of them every waking moment. Not a minute goes by that I do not long to see my brothers and sisters. I plea with DCF to allow me to visit with my brothers and sisters."

At 2 p.m., she will petition Citrus County Magistrate Keith Schenck to let her see her siblings. She has said she wants to take them to the movies, a park or a restaurant to help give them a normal life.

Shelton has also asked that the Dollar children be placed in Pasco County foster care, so they can be near her home. She has asked the court to study her background and her two-bedroom, one-bathroom New Port Richey home to determine if she might someday gain custody. --->>

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/02/15/Tampabay/Abused_kids_on_way_to.shtml

 

[Invisible]

I don't think the outlook for these children is all that rosy. It is very sad what these sadists have done to these children. I suppose asking why in the heck didn't the older daughter call DCF if she had been abused is like asking why a battered woman doesn't just walk away, but jeez she could have saved them much sooner from the abuse. It is interesting that Mrs. Dollar called 911. I guess pulling out toenails is OK, but she didn't want a death on her hands.

 

[golfmom]

http://www.4utah.com/local_news/loc...ntent_id=F0F3B222-E6B0-432C-9652-DB1D8FD6244E

A judge Tuesday refused to let the older sister of seven adopted children, some of whom are said to be victims of torture, visit her brothers and sisters after state social workers said she participated in some of the abuse.

 

[LovelyPigeon]

From the Associated Press:

Shelton had been seeking unsupervised visits with her siblings. But a guardian representing the children and lawyers for the Department of Children & Families said it would not be in the children's best interest to see Shelton.

Shelton left home three years ago. While she admits that she locked her brothers and sisters in closets and bathrooms as punishment, she said she did so under threats of physical violence or of being thrown out of the house. - http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050216/NEWS/502160334/1004

I suppose Shelton is allowed supervised visits?

 

[Pepper]

I watched Greta last night and was surprised that her entire panel of defense attorneys (& Jim Hammer) all agreed that Shanda should have notified authorities long ago rather than to continue to participate in the abuse!

Of course they are all right, but it's amazing that one of them didn't defend her like Jayne Whineytrap would have done!

 

[Sudzi]

Shelton left home three years ago. While she admits that she locked her brothers and sisters in closets and bathrooms as punishment, she said she did so under threats of physical violence or of being thrown out of the house.

This is crazy, if she didn't come forward before due to threats of violence or being thrown out of the house, what is her excuse for remaining silent in the 3 years she's been out of the home?

Now she wants to help them have some type of normal life? She needs to seek help for herself first.

For 3 years she's known what was going on in that house and done nothing, I don't want to sound insensitive but give me a break.

She was one of the abusers, and the last thing those children need in their lives right now. :furious:

 

[golfmom]

I'm not saying this is what's happening, but it wouldn't be to farfetched for the Dollars to try to extend their control over the young children through the oldest daughter. I wouldn't want to risk their safety at this point with unsupervised visits.

 

[LovelyPigeon]

Shanda Rae Shelton, now married and living in Pasco County, said the Dollars abused her, too. But she has been estranged from her parents the past three years, and said she believes the treatment of her siblings deteriorated during that time, according to her attorneys.

Shelton says the situation in the house deteriorated during the 3 years since she left home. She doesn't claim to know about the extensive abuse the remaining children received during that time. Her knowledge of abuse may be limited to locking the children in rooms and/or closets.

While locking in is abusive it is nothing like the starvation and pulling out nails type of torture most recently inflicted.

Supervised visits seem the wise choice for now.

 

[mysteriew]

Shanda Rae Shelton, now married and living in Pasco County, said the Dollars abused her, too. But she has been estranged from her parents the past three years, and said she believes the treatment of her siblings deteriorated during that time, according to her attorneys.

Shelton says the situation in the house deteriorated during the 3 years since she left home. She doesn't claim to know about the extensive abuse the remaining children received during that time. Her knowledge of abuse may be limited to locking the children in rooms and/or closets.

While locking in is abusive it is nothing like the starvation and pulling out nails type of torture most recently inflicted.

Supervised visits seem the wise choice for now.

I agree, then if that goes well they might try for unsupervised visits. These kids need to have a chance to return to as normal a life as possible. In so many cases when kids are removed, they feel the loss of siblings very strongly. They suffer the abuse together and that will often make them feel closer. Then when the abuse is relieved and they start learning to adjust to a more normal life, they lose contact with the people they are closest to. So while they win, they lose also. Sometimes I think the children's services and the legal community don't realize the strength and importance of the sibling relationships.

 

[LovelyPigeon]

The Dollars are apparently enroute to Florida today:

http://www.local6.com/news/4206626/detail.html

This article has lots of details from former neighbors and fellow church members in two states:

Florida Couple Once Praised for Parenting Now Accused of Torture
Feb 17, 2005
http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_048125627.html

 

[LovelyPigeon]

What their lawyer claims the Dollars didn't know sure stretches the imagination for anyone inclined to believe him:

Couple Accused Of Child Torture Held Without Bond
UPDATED: 10:10 pm EST February 20, 2005

BEVERLY HILLS, Fla. -- A Florida couple accused of abusing five of their eight adopted children made a brief court appearance today.

John and Linda Dollar were ordered held without bail in Florida's Citrus County, where they face multiple charges of child abuse and neglect. They allegedly starved, confined and tortured five of the children.

The Dollars were arrested in Utah earlier this month after allegedly fleeing Florida following the hospitalization of one of the children. Their lawyer says they didn't know about the charges and were returning to Florida when they were captured. --->>

http://www.wpbfnews.com/news/4215644/detail.html

 

[browneyes]

It appears that the kids are all legally adopted, which begs the question of how the heck was that allowed considering the abuse going on in the home.

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/02/05/Citrus/Citrus_couple_arreste.shtml

Hi LP,

Good to "see" you again. I agree with you 100%....how in the world can something like this happen? There is no punishment harsh enough for these sorry excuse for human beings.

 

[gatetrekker44]

First off, this is Florida, which has already been "under the gun" for being unable to account for the whereabouts of close to 1000 children who were supposed to be under "state" care-this came to light after the disappearance of Riyla Wilson, who is still missing and presumed dead. Second, these folks home-schooled these children and evidently kept them indoors(neighbors reported they hardly ever saw them outside playing). Third, they evidently moved around a lot, which would make it even more difficult for the state to keep track-especially since they were moving between Tennessee and Florida. And according to a news blurb today, the older sister was denied visitation because she has supposedly participated in the abuse by locking her siblings in closets, etc. What I DON"T get is why the federal gov't hasn't stepped in to take over the Florida Dept of Social Svs-after all, if the feds can step in when schools aren't meeting standards, and this is TRULY life and death, why hasn't something been done? Could it be because the Florida Governor is the brother of the US President?? How many more children will need to be abused and/or die before some kind of action is taken?


http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/02/20/family.torture.ap/index.html

 

[golfmom]

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/02/27/Tampabay/Another_Dollar_daught.shtml

I am really uncomfortable with the idea that the *non-abused* children (who did not report the abuse) are wanting visitation at this time.

INVERNESS - Another daughter of the Citrus County couple accused of torturing some of their children has begun to push for visitation with her siblings.

Known in public only as "A.D," the 17-year-old is trying to force state officials to let her visit her brothers and sisters.
.......
Department of Children and Families officials said that when she lived with the Dollars, Shelton took part in the abuse, locking her siblings in closets and holding one of them underwater. She never reported the abuse after she moved from the home, they said.

Citrus sheriff's officials said Shelton, the 17-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy were not abused.
................
The newest round of legal action will seek a court order allowing "A.D." to see her siblings and to compel the DCF to bring her to all court hearings involving the children, Grant said.

 

[mysteriew]

An update regarding what is going on with the Dollar children

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=12230

Daughters of couple accused in torture case now battling DCF

INVERNESS, Fla. (AP) - There are accusations that state social workers are trying to intimidate two sisters who say they were tortured when they were children. The two are 25-year-old Shanda Shelton and a minor, a 17-year-old known publicly only as "A-D". Attorneys for the pair say state social workers are trying to keep the sisters from seeing their six younger siblings and to prevent Shelton from taking custody of A-D.

 

[golfmom]

An update regarding what is going on with the Dollar children

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=12230

Daughters of couple accused in torture case now battling DCF

INVERNESS, Fla. (AP) - There are accusations that state social workers are trying to intimidate two sisters who say they were tortured when they were children. The two are 25-year-old Shanda Shelton and a minor, a 17-year-old known publicly only as "A-D". Attorneys for the pair say state social workers are trying to keep the sisters from seeing their six younger siblings and to prevent Shelton from taking custody of A-D.

I'm with the state social workers on this one. These children needed to be protected and the sisters did NOTHING. Why all of a sudden are they interested in the children's welfare? The only visitation should be supervised and quite frankly I don't even view that as in the best interest of the victims.

 

[golfmom]

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2005/2/16/71729.html

Some are wondering if Shanda Shelton's surprise confessions made in court Tuesday could be used against her.

Shelton admitted to dunking her adopted sisters' and brothers' heads under water, locking them in closets and bathrooms overnight, as well as being aware the children were underfed.
............

 

[mysteriew]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/lo...ture,0,1634296.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

Posted March 5 2005, 4:18 PM EST

INVERNESS -- Three of the five Citrus County children allegedly tortured by their adoptive parents have been removed from their foster home and schools, school officials said.

Citrus High School officials were concerned that one of John and Linda Dollar's children was working too hard in the foster family's business.

 

[CinnamonGirl]

I live in Florida and I still don't know who's kids they are,did they ever state who these kids real parents are?I think those people are sick,seems like alot of stuff happening lately on the florida west coast here,especially in Citrus and Pasco counties.