GUILTY OH - Garin Niehaus, 1, found in shallow grave, Hillsboro, 18 Dec 2012

[tlcya]

Relatives feared the Highland County couple was abusing heroin. First, they heard the couple had moved to Texas, then more recently to Richmond, Ky., where Johnson’s mother lives.

Tonya Jordan called Johnson’s mother Thursday to check on the children and was shocked to learn Whitney was telling people she had a baby that died, and only had two children.

“Now, it’s too late,” Tonya Jordan said Saturday, breaking down into tears. “Our baby will never walk, never talk, never give us sweet kisses ever again.”

Jordan says she then called the Hillsboro police. Hillsboro police called Richmond police, who took the couple into custody, Whited said. The other two children are in the care of Kentucky Children’s Services.

Tonya Jordan said she will continue to fight for them.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/...d-baby-had-concerns-his-safety?nclick_check=1

 

[The Cheese]

WCPO ‏@WCPO 3m
Mother, boyfriend waive extradition to Ohio after 1-year-old Garin Niehaus found dead in Hillsboro http://ow.ly/lERuY

 

[The Cheese]

Ian Niehaus came to the offices of The Times-Gazette on Sunday afternoon to describe the events that led up to the disappearance of Whitney Johnson, Garin's mother, and her boyfriend, Nathan Ritze, along with three children, a 7-year-old boy, a 5-year-old girl, and 1-year-old Garin. Niehaus said that he is the biological father of Garin and the girl, and that he has been as much of a father to the older boy as to his own children, raising the boy since an early age.

Since the arrests of Johnson and Ritze on Thursday, and the discovery the next day of Garin's body, the two older children have been in the custody of a children services agency in Kentucky, and Niehaus is concerned they might be split up, which he says would be wrong.

"My daughter and (the older boy) are attached at the hip," he said. He plans to attend a hearing in Kentucky this week on the disposition of the children.


Much more at link: http://www.recordherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=146520

 

[mysteriew]

I am happy to see that the father is active in this case. That he tried to keep in contact with the kids and that he seems like he will fight to get custody of them now and will fight for justice for Garin. I wish this would happen more often.

 

[The Cheese]

Jay Warren ‏@JayWarrenWCPO 2m
Whitney Johnson being interviewed by police in Hillsboro. Nathan Ritze en route to Hillsboro. Couple's van being towed for processing. @WCPO

Jay Warren ‏@JayWarrenWCPO 6m
Whitney Johnson claims 1-year-old died of pneumonia. They told property owner they were going to bury "small dog." @WCPO

 

[tlcya]

yeah cause when my beloved child dies by pneumonia and not at my hands, I get permission from a property owner to bury my "small dog" and then I just move on with my life. The father and the rest of my family don't need to know.

:furious:

 

[The Cheese]

The body appeared to have had been buried for a matter of months, Beery said in a telephone interview. A preliminary investigation didn't show any obvious physical trauma to the body, Beery told the Associated Press.

snipped

Thompson said in a phone interview that his office initially received a call in December from family members concerned about Garin Niehaus.

"At that time ... we had no reason to believe that it was anything other than what family members were concerned about," he said. "It was referred to Children's Services, and we received nothing back that would give us just cause to be believe a criminal act was committed. So that's where it stayed."

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/06/03/2664205/couple-extradited-from-richmond.html#storylink=cpy

 

[The Cheese]

Documents indicate baby buried since Dec. 18

In information filed with Hillsboro Municipal Court, both Whitney Johnson, 26, and Nathan Ritze, 25, are charged with felony counts of abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. In each charge the "violation date" is listed as Dec. 18, 2012, indicating when the crimes are alleged to have occurred.

snipped

Highland County coroner Dr. Jeff Beery told the Associated Press that an initial examination of the body did not show any obvious reasons for the death. He said X-rays did not indicate any broken bones or other major trauma. An autopsy investigation is under way.

Johnson and Niehaus are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.

http://timesgazette.com/main.asp?SectionID=18&SubSectionID=175&ArticleID=188602

 

[SCHMAE]

yeah cause when my beloved child dies by pneumonia and not at my hands, I get permission from a property owner to bury my "small dog" and then I just move on with my life. The father and the rest of my family don't need to know.

:furious:

If my beloved child died of pneumonia, GOD FORBID, it would be in the hospital where sick children should be , attended by a team of drs and nurses trying to keep him going and there would be documentation that they tried everything and that I rushed that kid to the hospital as soon as it was clear he was in distress......... etc etc.
Sickening... shame on you , mom, shame on YOU ! :banghead:

 

[SCHMAE]

Documents indicate baby buried since Dec. 18

In information filed with Hillsboro Municipal Court, both Whitney Johnson, 26, and Nathan Ritze, 25, are charged with felony counts of abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. In each charge the "violation date" is listed as Dec. 18, 2012, indicating when the crimes are alleged to have occurred.

snipped

Highland County coroner Dr. Jeff Beery told the Associated Press that an initial examination of the body did not show any obvious reasons for the death. He said X-rays did not indicate any broken bones or other major trauma. An autopsy investigation is under way.

Johnson and Niehaus are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.

http://timesgazette.com/main.asp?SectionID=18&SubSectionID=175&ArticleID=188602

I know when people have pneumonia, it shows up on an xray. I wonder if the lungs would show any sign of that post mortem. Not really that I'm even considering it to be plausible, but it would be nice if could be ruled OUT for trial purposes.

 

[SCHMAE]

I'm seething right now,, so sorry to rant but I just thought of Daisy Jo's parents and how their loss is unbearable and how I'm sure they would give anything to have their baby back, while there are folks walking around living life knowing their baby's in a grave they dug for a dog? or in a river unclothed like an old jacket? or buried in the back yard for a year and no one cared? *********** ing ************** ing ***a ****ers !~

 

[The Cheese]

Meanwhile, the baby's father, Ian Niehaus, was traveling to Kentucky on Wednesday for an initial hearing on the disposition of Garin's two older siblings. Family members on Johnson's side are also believed to be seeking custody.

One family member close to Niehaus said Tuesday that a possibility exists that the matter could be transferred to Ohio child protective services for a determination.

http://www.recordherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=146528

 

[Tonya421]

:maddening:
Just how stupid does this woman think people are?? "Yeah, my baby had pneumonia but I didn't take him to the dr, and he died, so me and my boyfriend
(what a man, running from the apartment) we just buried him instead of calling
an ambulance or police, or anyone else who could help :banghead:

Makes me wonder what kind of shape the other 2 children are in?

Poor little :angel:

 

[The Cheese]

Dan Sewell ‏@dansewell 41s
RIchmond, Ky., couple indicates to Hillsboro judge can't afford attorney.Charged w abuse of corpse,evidence-tampering after child body found

Dan Sewell ‏@dansewell 3m
A southwest Ohio municipal court judge has set bond at $100K each for Ky couple charged after discovery of child's body in Hillsboro woods.

 

[The Cheese]

According to a Cincinnati TV station, a Hillsboro Municipal Court judge formally charged Whitney Johnson, 26, Nathan Ritze, 25, with abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. The couple could face up to four years in prison.

The judge set bond for both Johnson and Ritze at $100,000 and ordered them to wear ankle bracelet monitors. The couple may not have contact with each other while the case is pending.

http://www.lex18.com/news/court-appearance-for-couple-charged-after-baby-found-buried-in-ohio

 

[The Cheese]

A mother and her boyfriend could each spend up to four years behind bars for charges surrounding the death of a 1-year-old, whose remains were found buried in the woods in Hillsboro last week.

snipped

Garin died sometime between Dec. 18 and Dec. 19, 2012, and Johnson and her boyfriend, Nathan Ritze, buried the child on Dec. 19, according to an affidavit filed with the Hillsboro Municipal Court.

When Johnson and Ritze appeared in court Wednesday, Judge David McKenna formally charged each of them with felony tampering with evidence — which carries a 36-month prison sentence if found guilty — and abuse of a corpse — which has a 12-month prison sentence if found guilty. Judge McKenna set bond at $100,000 for both Johnson and Ritze and ordered that they both wear an ankle bracelet to monitor their locations.

The judge ordered that the couple not have contact with each other while the case is pending.

Johnson and Ritze have a future hearing set for June 13 where a judge will determine if they have enough evidence in the case to send it to a grand jury.

Johnson said in an affidavit filed with the Hillsboro Municipal Court that she didn’t report her child’s death for fear that she would lose her two other children to authorities. She said an earlier complaint in relation to her children was filed against her.

snipped

Johnson said Garin of pneumonia. Johnson and Ritze attempted CPR when they realized the child was dead, according to Johnson's statements to Richmond police, but could not revive the child.

http://www.kypost.com/dpps/news/loc...und-buried-in-hillsboro_8553810#ixzz2VLqFS7jS

 

[SCHMAE]

Please tell me more charges are pending..how about negligence? She admitted to negligence and isn't there a negligent homicide that might cover this ? Or failure to
render aid?

 

[The Cheese]

In an interview with Richmond, Ky., police after her arrest there on Saturday, Johnson said she and her boyfriend, Nathan Ritze, buried the child on Dec. 19 on a Diven Road property behind an apartment complex where she once lived in Hillsboro.

snipped

In the affidavit submitted to court, Johnson said she realized Garin was dead after 4 a.m. on Dec. 19. She and Ritze attempted CPR, according to Johnson's statements to Richmond police, but could not revive the child.
It was then that Johnson and Ritze traveled from where they lived in Richmond to Hillsboro to bury the child.

snipped

The affidavit also reveals Johnson initially told Richmond police she gave Garin to a woman in New York. It was only after Richmond police told her that Garin's remains were found that she admitted the child was dead.
Ritze attempted to flee Richmond police before being arrested on Saturday. He also had a prior felony warrant issued for his arrest after being absent without official leave, the affidavit states.

http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/region...d-other-children-would-be-taken#ixzz2VM6Pz2iz

 

[The Cheese]

When McKenna addressed Ritze and asked him various questions, Ritze often replied, "Roger, your honor."

http://timesgazette.com/Main.asp?Se...614&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

[MidwestMama]

Oh.
my.
God.

I just found this case and am so ANGRY!

So many did so much right and this poor baby still ended up dead in a backyard hole!
Family reported suspected abuse to CPS.
Then the mom, boyfriend and kids disappear.
Dad tries to put out a missing person report but isn't allowed to because he isn't married to the mom (I'm guessing he was trying to report her missing in order to find his son?)
Whitney's aunt calls grandma to see if she has seen Whitney or the kids and finds out Whitney is telling people she had "a baby that died" and "only has two kids".
Aunt reports this to police.
They bring in mom, search an area and find this sweet baby buried in a hole dug to "bury a dog"!
Boyfriend flees the home but is later found and brought in.
They arrest mom and boyfriend.
Boyfriend is wanted for being AWOL from the military. Both charged with fugitive from another state.
Two other kids put into care with the state. Dad (and maybe mom's family?) fighting for custody.
Now mom is saying the baby died of pneumonia but she didn't report it?
and FOUR YEARS??
I hope to God they can add charges and get some true justice for this sweet boy!

I feel horribly for his father. He tried so hard and did all the right things and has lost his son.

What kind of MONSTER buries their CHILD in a backyard and moves on with their life?
It makes me physically ill to think of what this poor boy suffered during his short life at the hands of these two criminals!
^I^ rest in peace sweet baby Garin ^I^
http://timesgazette.com/main.asp?SectionID=18&SubSectionID=175&ArticleID=188579