GUILTY NY - Erin Maxwell, 11, found hanged, Palermo, 29 Aug 2008

[nursebeeme]

thank you to EVERYONE who posted updates on this case. I have thought about it often.. Glad to hear of the upcoming date with THE PEOPLE OF THE COURT!

 

[believe09]

25 to life-huh? 11 years old and dead. The last thing she saw and felt was this man. Is there something longer than life???? jk.

 

[annmarie62]

...oooohhhh...*sigh*... this case makes me so,so SAD!!!! more than likely, mine will be the last post on this case; more than likely, no one will even read it, but- here goes:
it is truly amazing how little press was given to this case (NG, JVM, etc.)- it seems the spotlight always stays on abductions/missing children, which I realize also deserve our full attention but... it seems that the reason such relatively little (nonlocal/-state) attention was given to erin is because she was AT HOME when she was murdered and violated. if, say, she had disappeared for 3-5 days, then been found murdered by her stepbrother, THEN she would've had the "amber alert" spotlight of national focus. as it is, she was born, lived (miserably), and died without ever "disappearing," thus, she is a mere blip on our national "outrage" meter. i give many props to the posters here who kept this story going, all 4 pages of it. and i am not knocking WS at all, just remarking on how quickly and quietly she came upon then disappeared from the collective american "conscience," unlike caylee, hayleigh, etc. and i mean NO disrespect to those two little ones, but...sometimes it seems that a death is "measured" in terms of headlines/TV shows- i know i am guilty of focusing on the most "popular" (hideous term, but we all know what i mean) cases, reading "thread #'s 2 or 3 or 4, even of the same crimes, and i do feel guilty in a sense that, until today, i had ignored this thread in order to post on others. ok, not making much sense here, i know, just wanted to express my profound sadness re. this poor child's passing, esp. given the way her own community failed her...jmo, etc...

 

[Texas Mist]

WTH is going on here??!!...I have the same question as the DA (why would the court allow the case to go forward if the indictment was inappropriate???)


Oswego, NY -- Oswego County Court Judge Walter Hafner said in court this morning that defendant Alan Jones could admit to strangling Erin Maxwell to death and the jury would have to find him not guilty under the theory presented by the prosecution.

The judge's statement -- while the jury was out of the room -- came after District Attorney Donald Dodd argued that testimony about Jones' views of death were crucial for the jury to hear. Defense lawyer Salvatore Lanza said that Jones is a pagan and views death differently than a Christian would.

....
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/judge_in_erin_maxwell_trial_al.html

 

[JoeFromLB]

...oooohhhh...*sigh*... this case makes me so,so SAD!!!! more than likely, mine will be the last post on this case; more than likely, no one will even read it, but- here goes:
it is truly amazing how little press was given to this case (NG, JVM, etc.)- it seems the spotlight always stays on abductions/missing children, which I realize also deserve our full attention but... it seems that the reason such relatively little (nonlocal/-state) attention was given to erin is because she was AT HOME when she was murdered and violated. if, say, she had disappeared for 3-5 days, then been found murdered by her stepbrother, THEN she would've had the "amber alert" spotlight of national focus. as it is, she was born, lived (miserably), and died without ever "disappearing," thus, she is a mere blip on our national "outrage" meter. i give many props to the posters here who kept this story going, all 4 pages of it. and i am not knocking WS at all, just remarking on how quickly and quietly she came upon then disappeared from the collective american "conscience," unlike caylee, hayleigh, etc. and i mean NO disrespect to those two little ones, but...sometimes it seems that a death is "measured" in terms of headlines/TV shows- i know i am guilty of focusing on the most "popular" (hideous term, but we all know what i mean) cases, reading "thread #'s 2 or 3 or 4, even of the same crimes, and i do feel guilty in a sense that, until today, i had ignored this thread in order to post on others. ok, not making much sense here, i know, just wanted to express my profound sadness re. this poor child's passing, esp. given the way her own community failed her...jmo, etc...

Lots of people have read your post, and it won't be the last one on the subject. Your passion and COMpassion for the victim of this horrific crime is uplifting in the midst of all this darkness. There are too many people to count who really care about justice for this poor little girl. And justice will be done, whether by this court, or by God, when the time comes for Mr. Jones to meet his Maker and Judge.

Keep posting, and keep the passion alive!

 

[Truman]

A reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard News updates frequently on this case directly from court via Twitter. The little blurbs are absolutely incredible, and are virtually real-time.

I have never used Twitter before, but I am signing up to "follow" this account. I figure the more people displayed as "following" Erin's trial will encourage the reporter and the paper to keep this story in the news, providing a little bit of justice for Erin, and hopefully preventing us from repeating some of the same mistakes with other innocent children - children who have NO voice and suffer unimaginable agony all alone, with no consolation, love, or care from anyone. :cry:

You can find the updates here:

http://twitter.com/ps_news

 

[southcitymom]

A reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard News updates frequently on this case directly from court via Twitter. The little blurbs are absolutely incredible, and are virtually real-time.

I have never used Twitter before, but I am signing up to "follow" this account. I figure the more people displayed as "following" Erin's trial will encourage the reporter and the paper to keep this story in the news, providing a little bit of justice for Erin, and hopefully preventing us from repeating some of the same mistakes with other innocent children - children who have NO voice and suffer unimaginable agony all alone, with no consolation, love, or care from anyone. :cry:

You can find the updates here:

http://twitter.com/ps_news

Welcome to WS, Truman, and thanks for this information!

 

[LCoastMom]

...oooohhhh...*sigh*... this case makes me so,so SAD!!!! more than likely, mine will be the last post on this case; more than likely, no one will even read it, but- here goes:
it is truly amazing how little press was given to this case (NG, JVM, etc.)- it seems the spotlight always stays on abductions/missing children, which I realize also deserve our full attention but... it seems that the reason such relatively little (nonlocal/-state) attention was given to erin is because she was AT HOME when she was murdered and violated. if, say, she had disappeared for 3-5 days, then been found murdered by her stepbrother, THEN she would've had the "amber alert" spotlight of national focus. as it is, she was born, lived (miserably), and died without ever "disappearing," thus, she is a mere blip on our national "outrage" meter. i give many props to the posters here who kept this story going, all 4 pages of it. and i am not knocking WS at all, just remarking on how quickly and quietly she came upon then disappeared from the collective american "conscience," unlike caylee, hayleigh, etc. and i mean NO disrespect to those two little ones, but...sometimes it seems that a death is "measured" in terms of headlines/TV shows- i know i am guilty of focusing on the most "popular" (hideous term, but we all know what i mean) cases, reading "thread #'s 2 or 3 or 4, even of the same crimes, and i do feel guilty in a sense that, until today, i had ignored this thread in order to post on others. ok, not making much sense here, i know, just wanted to express my profound sadness re. this poor child's passing, esp. given the way her own community failed her...jmo, etc...

AnnMarie, for the first time in a long time a post made me cry from the writers reaction to what happened to a voiceless child. I hope you continue to follow the case and what happened to this little girl. You are absolutely right that all of these children deserve our attention. I can't say equal attention, no matter what I would like, because with Caylee many people followed her case hoping to find Caylee alive. The rest of us have hung on to make sure her murderer gets the full sentence she deserves. After her atty and her family have turned the case into a three ring circus.

There are not enough hours in the day or news shows on the tube, for all of us to follow every case, but if one or two of us can hang on to each one of these babies, and continue to tell their stories, about how they were so badly neglected in life, by the families who were supposed to care for them. I hope we can begin to make a difference, so their death wasn't in vain.

I am currently following 2 cases that received almost no press at all. 18 month old Emma Barker, whose mother allegedly smothered her and dumped her little body on along a CA HWY. In this case WS actually made a little difference by filling the email of a couple of prominent news people who actually put her on their national shows.

The other received even less press. 2 year old Rene Torres whose mother and her boyfriend admit they had been binding the baby with tape; his arms, legs, feet and mouth as a means of discipline. On the night of Aug 17th they put him to bed this way and he choked. They found him dead in his crib the next morning. That precious baby had turned 2 a couple weeks before. They admitted to LE they had been doing this for several months!! I can't even imagine the pain and suffering that baby experienced over and over at the hands of these monsters. The boyfriend weighed in at the jail at 210 lbs. A great big, 32 yr old man knew of no other way to discipline this tiny little, baby boy; but to wrap his little body in tape so he couldn't move or make any noise..Oh, big surprise! Meth was found on the premises too. And yet no one knew what was happening to baby Rene.

I was so relieved to see that as of now, these are being held for murder. I just hope the DA doesn't let either one plea out the charges.

I hope every time someone new hears about these lost angels, including little Erin. That some how we will make a difference.

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[LCoastMom]

I just read the posts that are being made on the links on page 1. It sounds like there is no evidence against the step brother... It also sounds like he may very well get off.

Locals are asking what happened to the sexual attack that police reported last year, they want to know if LE questioned anyone else and tons of people are pointing fingers at her father and even the step mother.

Police said that the step brother was alone with her so he should know what happened to her, neighbors are saying something happened to Erin before parents left to go to walmart and then completed their shopping spree after getting the call that Erin was very badly hurt. These are not crazy nosey neighbors but concerned people who heard one story last year by police, and a new story since the trial starting.

This was posted on the blog. Jackie Siver had called CPS, trying to help Erin after her daughter befriended her.

One was Jackie Siver, whose daughter befriended Erin. She said the conditions in the home were awful two years ago. She said the girl's odor was so bad that students used to throw soap at her and teachers would sometimes wash her clothes. Her daughter said Erin rummaged through cafeteria garbage looking for food.

Siver said a caseworker told her the girl could not be removed from the home because she was getting the minimum standard of care, which included having at least one meal a day.

Is the state's standard really so low that it's acceptable for a child to have only one meal a day?

Oswego DSS Commissioner Frances Lanigan said the DSS responded properly and the family took "all the necessary steps to rectify the situation." "We're not out there to tear families apart," she said. "If there are things that need to be dealt with, we're going to work with the family."

But how do you work with a family who would subject a child to such stomach-turning conditions?

I'm trying to understand, if the condition was deemed to be soo bad after Erin was found unresponsive in the home; that authorities removed the animals. (This included a pile of feces 3 feet high and dead animals kept in the family's freezer.) Why was it not bad enough to remove the child????? Please, anyone???

How do these case workers sleep at night? The family home was filled with over 100 cats and was called a "Life Style choice." before Erin died. I don't recall reading anywhere that said Erin was given a choice...

How many children are going to die at the hands of their family after CPS investigates and does nothing to help. How can case workers lie down in their clean, comfortable bed, knowing a child went to bed hungry in a room that reeks of cat and how can they sleep well, feeling they did their best?

 

[believe09]

missmybaby, this whole case was a CPS trainwreck from the beginning. There are no excuses sufficient. I love the fact that this poor tortured child was still so resilient she had friends and people who were concerned about her-in the end that speaks volumes for her bravery.

Every adult in that home is culpable-all are guilty of any sexual assault and soul-stunting treatment of that child. No one should get a pass.

 

[elle1919]

Apparently, this may be another case where the child was reported to officials, and in this case, the living conditions were ruled to be "a lifestyle choice". WTF does that mean???

See the "Comments" left at this news story:
http://tinyurl.com/55jo54

From poster named vjs529 - 9:59 AM today, 9/1/08
I knew the little girl. I along with others have turned the family in, a number of times to DSS to no avail. The living conditions were putrid, animal waste, 100's of animals of all varieties wandering through the house and kitchen. Animal waste greets you in the shed at the door. This child has a history of being neglected, underfed, and certainly abused and no one would remove her from the home. It was branded a lifestyle choice. Erin had no choices, she was at the mercy of her family and our system, both of which failed her. It makes me sick, that the big issue out there now is how many animals are being taken from the home. We need to ask ourselves, why, the living conditions are bad enough to remove the animals, but considered a lifestyle choice when deciding whether to remove a helpless child. Erin was a most beautiful child with so much potential and resiliancy. I hope justice will found here and I sincerely hope our DSS is held accountable for this preventable tragedy.

wow.....your post gave me goosebumps. This story is heartbreaking. I have an 11 year old daughter that I can't wait to love on when she walks in the door from school today. DSS in many states these days are dropping the ball on our nation's most valuable resource! MOO

 

[elle1919]

I lived in Onondaga County 4 years ago before running like mad as far away as I could get. I recognize the judge and many names involved. I have no further questions.

 

[LCoastMom]

I lived in Onondaga County 4 years ago before running like mad as far away as I could get. I recognize the judge and many names involved. I have no further questions.

I do!! What can we do to stop these people from getting away with murder? One of the blogs was titled Two Tragedies.; The life and death of Erin...

That is just heinous!!! Someone killed this little girl and it sounds like the guilty party may not be on trial. If she died from sexual trauma (a co-factor in her death) where is the DNA? If the gold "rope" was used to strangle her, it has someone else's DNA besides just hers. Are they bringing anything in as evidence?

If there is no DNA from her "step" brother, whose DNA was there?

Why is CPS not being called on the rug here?

This reminds me of baby P, where all the evidence was right out in the open. That baby was taken into the walk in clinic with a broken back and the doctor didn't finish his exam because he was so cranky!!! and wrote it off as a cold!! Well hot damn, I bet that doctor would be cranky if she was being ill treated and suffered from a broken back too!!!

Heads are rolling in that case, not all the heads that should have rolled, but some are better than none. Who is going on the chopping block this time?

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[Disguiseduser0308]

How is it the home was perfectly fine for a child to reside in, yet when that child dies suddenly the animals need to be removed? Eh, yeah, I agree with everyone who said this child was completely failed by the system put into place to protect her. Sadly, this won't be the last time we hear of a child protective service dropping the ball.

 

[CuriousTwo]

http://blog.syracuse.com/news/oswego/

I just wanted to post Erin's pic, to remind us of the young life that was ended far too soon.

 

[CuriousTwo]

I have to add that when I began following Emma Thompson's case and how CPS failed her, I had hoped it was an isolated incident (boy was I naive!). Now, with all the cases that have resulted from CPS's ineffective investigations and case conclusions, it is an EPIDEMIC! I only hope and pray that the entire CPS system will be investigated nation-wide and revamped before any more children are assaulted, killed, starved and tortured. Someone has to advocate for these children!

 

[ella971]

Why can't I find videos of inside of the home? I'm following the case on Twitter. I want justice for this amazing little girl who went thru so much.

 

[ella971]

I was able to find the video of her father and step mother in the park.Hard to watch that.They both had such little emotion for her passing and too much for the concern of who was feeding the animals.Has anyone found the video of inside the house?

 

[arielilane]

I am just now reading about the horrible life of Erin. No child should ever have to experience what Erin did. This whole story is extremely upsetting; including the most recent findings. These monsters better not get away with this...Justice for Erin.

Here is a photo of beautiful Erin Maxwell, may she rest-in-peace.

 

[arielilane]

http://stopcorruptdss.wordpress.com...-deplorable-living-conditions-ignored-by-dss/

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2008/10/arrests_made_in_erin_maxwell_c.html

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/ive_from_the_erin_maxwell_tria.html