Found Safe SC - Three children, ages 2-4, Smoaks, 9 March 2016

[watcher9]

I'm wondering if the old trailer was the old home place and occupied at one time by elderly members of the family. I thought I saw a wheelchair ramp by it.

 

[Legally Bland]

Court Hearing to be Held Monday to Determine if Smoaks Toddlers Can Return Home:

http://www.abccolumbia.com/2016/03/...-to-determine-if-sc-toddlers-can-return-home/

 

[Legally Bland]

"The circumstances lead me great cause to be concerned," the judge told the courtroom, and told officials to dig deeper into the investigation to make sure the kids will be safe if they return home. "Based on testimony today, that probable cause remains today."

That decision came after Colleton County Sheriff's Capt. Kevin Chapman said investigators believe that someone who knew three children abducted them and put them there.

"We are not pointing fingers at this time. We can not identify which family member was responsible for abduction," Chapman said. "There's obviously something more involved than them just wandering off."

http://abcnews4.com/news/local/smoa...-stay-in-dss-custody-while-deputies-investiga

Seems a pretty sensible decision till they find out what happened.

 

[kimi_SFC]

http://abcnews4.com/news/local/smoa...-stay-in-dss-custody-while-deputies-investiga

Seems a pretty sensible decision till they find out what happened.

ITA. The investigator (Chapman) went so far as to say on the record that he suspects a family member is responsible - but stopped short of naming who.

Since quoting your post, Legally Bland, doesn't bring the snip forward, I'll restate it again, because I feel this is the cornerstone of the case:
[...]
But investigators have not identified a suspect.

"We are not pointing fingers at this time. We can not identify which family member was responsible for abduction," Chapman said. "There's obviously something more involved than them just wandering off."
[....]
The :judge: is gravely concerned. I am right there as well.

Supervised visitation is absolutely warranted. The best interest of these 3 precious little ones trumps all. Let the investigation continue until the truth comes to light. An abundance of caution is the only way to go, especially when dealing with such young children.

:twocents:


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kaen]

This makes me sad. My gut tells me that the custodial father is not involved and did lose sight of the kids for a time. These kids must be beyond scared if they can't be at home. I haven't read anything that suspects the custodial father and his wife of anything.

I agree about the abundance of caution but it seems insane to have to wait until April 6 for the investigation to be completed. This family is not a part of the system.

 

[JeannaT]

I'm having trouble understanding this case.

Who would have a motive to put the kids in a locked closet on the property? When did the kids get into that locked closet, and why did they not call out to searchers - or even the mom who was in the trailer calling for them?

 

[JerseyGirl]

Colleton County Sheriff's Capt. said it appears someone who was comfortable with the children was able to abduct them.

"At this point in time, law enforcement can't without a doubt point a finger at who took these children, or who originally abducted the children and sneaked them back in that abandoned residence," Chapman said.

The judge ordered the Department of Social Services to organize supervised visits for family members and scheduled another hearing for April 6.

http://www.live5news.com/story/3146...-went-missing-to-remain-in-protective-custody

 

[stillwatersc]

I'm having trouble understanding this case.

Who would have a motive to put the kids in a locked closet on the property? When did the kids get into that locked closet, and why did they not call out to searchers - or even the mom who was in the trailer calling for them?

One of the posters suggested the kids were drugged to knock them out. Seems like a reasonable theory.

Suggested motive was custody battle between guardian and bio parent and the bio parent was trying to make the guardian look bad.

I don't understand why the children haven't id'ed their abductor unless someone was hired to do it or they were threatened.

 

[tlcya]

"They are being questioned. They are being interviewed so we cannot go talk to the kids simply because they don't want us coaching the kids, saying it was somebody that it's not," Williams said.


The grandmother of the three missing children says deputies do not have enough evidence to determine whether family members may have tried to kidnap the children.


"Right about now we are at a standstill," said grandmother Tracey Valentine. "The oldest granddaughter -- she is basically beginning to talk some but not. I guess when they get back to the part of who, she gets scared and starts to cry."

http://abcnews4.com/news/local/3-mi...-care-through-weekend-as-deputies-investigate

 

[stillwatersc]

"They are being questioned. They are being interviewed so we cannot go talk to the kids simply because they don't want us coaching the kids, saying it was somebody that it's not," Williams said.


The grandmother of the three missing children says deputies do not have enough evidence to determine whether family members may have tried to kidnap the children.


"Right about now we are at a standstill," said grandmother Tracey Valentine. "The oldest granddaughter -- she is basically beginning to talk some but not. I guess when they get back to the part of who, she gets scared and starts to cry."

http://abcnews4.com/news/local/3-mi...-care-through-weekend-as-deputies-investigate

Valentine said the family is happy the children are healthy and staying together in one foster home.

Hope they will be home soon.

 

[Legally Bland]

Legal jargon required that the four adults at the probable cause hearing be considered defendants. The parents of the young boy, who now live in Columbia, did not attend the hearing.

Chapman was quick to point out from the stand that the investigators did not believe that those at the hearing were involved. He suggested that the adults, like the children, were victims in the incident.


“Someone betrayed you,” Chapman told them.


Law enforcement officials, Chapman explained, were uncomfortable allowing the children to be returned to Bent Gate Lane for fear that whoever had taken the children would try again.


Because the adults were not considered suspects, Chapman added, the sheriff’s office had no problem with the court allowing them to have visitation rights. But he said the law enforcement officers would be more comfortable if those visits were supervised.

http://walterborolive.com/2016/03/5174/

BBM - not sure if that's a hint, or if I'm reading something into the article which isn't there.

 

[JerseyGirl]

So he's saying the legal guardian etal. were not (believed) to be involved, but the parents of the young boy who live in Columbia were not, and the Judge feared that the parents of the young boy would try abducting/kidnapping again??

 

[JerseyGirl]

“We know those children were not in that house — we’re dead certain,” Lt. Shane Roberts, the sheriff’s office public information officer, said in a March 11 interview.

Roberts said the closet doors were not closed when officers first searched. Every closet was checked; the ventilation duct work was checked. Roberts himself checked the crawl space under the trailer. “Absolutely everything was checked,” he said.

http://walterborolive.com/2016/03/5174/

 

[JerseyGirl]

Smoak also scheduled a merit hearing, a legal proceeding similar to a preliminary hearing in criminal court, for April 5 if the investigation continues to be unproductive and the children have not been returned home by then.

http://walterborolive.com/2016/03/5174/

 

[LibraStarr]

The court hearing is scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, April 6 in Walterboro. This case is the last one on the schedule for Wednesday morning’s 9:30 a.m. hearings.

News 2’s Annie Taylor will attend the hearing and we will bring you the latest updates as soon as they are available.

http://counton2.com/2016/04/06/court-hearing-for-missing-children-found-in-abandoned-mobile-home/​

 

[JerseyGirl]

http://counton2.com/2016/04/06/court-hearing-for-missing-children-found-in-abandoned-mobile-home/​

I think this might be her twitter, if she is doing updates there: https://twitter.com/annietaylorwcbd

 

[LibraStarr]

I think this might be her twitter, if she is doing updates there: https://twitter.com/annietaylorwcbd

According to her twitter, the hearing has been cancelled or moved to a later date.

Sorry, I don't have access to twitter on this computer so I can't link the actual tweet.

 

[JerseyGirl]

According to her twitter, the hearing has been cancelled or moved to a later date.

Sorry, I don't have access to twitter on this computer so I can't link the actual tweet.

Wow, I wonder why on such short notice?!?!?

The court hearing was postponed and a new hearing has not been announced at this time.

The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office could not provide any details on the postponed hearing.

http://counton2.com/2016/04/06/court-hearing-for-missing-children-found-in-abandoned-mobile-home/

 

[JerseyGirl]

still not settled: http://walterborolive.com/2016/04/h...-missing-smoaks-children-news-press-standard/

 

[LibraStarr]

It seems the children were sent home and there was no real resolution.

Officials now say the case is now closed unless new information becomes available.

http://counton2.com/2016/08/15/children-at-center-of-kidnapping-case-in-colleton-county-now-back-home/