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

[MyBelle]

My take on her comment/point was that government employees aren't the only sector of employees who have other priorities while on the job.

No government child protection agency was involved in the Justin Harris case, afaik, and airline pilots not paying attention is far afield from this topic.

Texas CPS is the agency that took four reports about Colton. They are the agency that failed to follow-up. The police located the mother within hours of taking a report. Accountability should be with the agency that failed to follow-up.

 

[MyBelle]

Such a nice facility. I seem to remember being referred to them for grief counseling once upon a time. Contrast with the Austin State Hospital... Or the TJJD.

I honestly don't know anything about the facilities available for placing children in our area. It's a given that demand far exceeds supply. Surely (?) there are also some publicly-funded facilities for abused children that have a good reputation. Or does the quality of care issue come down to private $$$ vs. public $$$?

I certainly hope that the local programs for abused children (like CASA, etc) see a huge upswing in donations and volunteers as a result of Colton. If the donations for his funeral expenses are any indication... they will. I truly believe its on you and me and everyone else to put our money, time, efforts where our hearts are if any change is going to happen, since depending on state agencies to help these kids is clearly an epic fail.

:twocents:

CPS didn't follow up on four reports which is the issue. Leaping ahead and concluding there was nowhere to place him isn't based on fact. His father, family, friends were trying to find out where he was. At least one other family member told the media she had told the mother she and Colton were welcome to stay with her but the mother never followed up or told them Colton was staying somewhere else. So there was caring family willing to step in if only CPS had done its job and intervened.

JMO

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/26...he-death-of-two-year-old-colton-brandt-turner

 

[JeannaT]

CPS didn't follow up on four reports which is the issue. Leaping ahead and concluding there was nowhere to place him isn't based on fact. His father, family, friends were trying to find out where he was. At least one other family member told the media she had told the mother she and Colton were welcome to stay with her but the mother never followed up or told them Colton was staying somewhere else. So there was caring family willing to step in if only CPS had done its job and intervened.

JMO

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/26...he-death-of-two-year-old-colton-brandt-turner

Has it been established that they didn't follow up? I know the family has said "nothing was done" but that doesn't mean visits weren't made and it appeared to the caseworker that things were okay.

 

[MyBelle]

Has it been established that they didn't follow up? I know the family has said "nothing was done" but that doesn't mean visits weren't made and it appeared to the caseworker that things were okay.

Investigation into CPS failure to follow up is underway.

http://www.ksat.com/content/pns/ksa...-workers-scrutinized-after-child-s-death.html

 

[watergirl62]

CPS didn't follow up on four reports which is the issue. Leaping ahead and concluding there was nowhere to place him isn't based on fact. His father, family, friends were trying to find out where he was. At least one other family member told the media she had told the mother she and Colton were welcome to stay with her but the mother never followed up or told them Colton was staying somewhere else. So there was caring family willing to step in if only CPS had done its job and intervened.

JMO

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/26...he-death-of-two-year-old-colton-brandt-turner

I think the conversation tends to digress when there is not much news. I wasn't speaking specifically about Colton's case, just pausing to discuss the system in general. No leaping on my end, I promise.



Reading comprehension: its what's for dinner.

 

[JeannaT]

Investigation into CPS failure to follow up is underway.

http://www.ksat.com/content/pns/ksa...-workers-scrutinized-after-child-s-death.html

"He's been the subject of four investigations" according to the article.

So it seems they did follow up, in some way. As always, it seems when a child is beaten to death by his parents if CPS has been involved they get blamed. Caseworkers don't have crystal balls, though, and can't predict all the time when things will go really horribly wrong.

I'm still marveling at the beautiful pictures of this child where he is happy and healthy. And there are a lot of them. I wonder what the timing is between when Turner got out of prison, and when abuses occurred with this child.

 

[renarde]

"He's been the subject of four investigations" according to the article.

So it seems they did follow up, in some way. As always, it seems when a child is beaten to death by his parents if CPS has been involved they get blamed. Caseworkers don't have crystal balls, though, and can't predict all the time when things will go really horribly wrong.

I'm still marveling at the beautiful pictures of this child where he is happy and healthy. And there are a lot of them. I wonder what the timing is between when Turner got out of prison, and when abuses occurred with this child.

He was a real cutie. I think he looked a lot like his biological dad... and maybe that wasn't a good thing.

I think the three of them were together as a family for a while, then something happened. I saw pictures of them on an old FB of BP where he referred to M as his wife, and his mom referred to M as her daughter-in-law.

I wonder if there was any sort of legal document that established paternity, custody, and child support obligations. Poor little Colton. I think the more severe abuse might have started recently.

 

[JeannaT]

He was a real cutie. I think he looked a lot like his biological dad... and maybe that wasn't a good thing.

I think the three of them were together as a family for a while, then something happened. I saw pictures of them on an old FB of BP where he referred to M as his wife, and his mom referred to M as her daughter-in-law.

I wonder if there was any sort of legal document that established paternity, custody, and child support obligations. Poor little Colton. I think the abuse might have been started recently.

I think it may have started recently too. I can't remember exactly when Turner was released from prison but it would be interesting to tie that in. Also, 2 year olds are at a much larger risk for abuse, just because of their growing independence.

There was an article that said the first call of abuse was reported when Colton was 6 months old, though - i don't know the exact nature of that report.

Working out the calendar, it seems he was killed about the time Meagan got pregnant.

 

[renarde]

I think it may have started recently too. I can't remember exactly when Turner was released from prison but it would be interesting to tie that in. Also, 2 year olds are at a much larger risk for abuse, just because of their growing independence.

There was an article that said the first call of abuse was reported when Colton was 6 months old, though - i don't know the exact nature of that report.

Working out the calendar, it seems he was killed about the time Meagan got pregnant.

Turner was probably in and out of jail on a regular basis.

I haven't seen anything out there about his past, home life... anything. Not that it matters now, but it would be interesting to find out what he was about.

 

[watergirl62]

Turner was probably in and out of jail on a regular basis.

I haven't seen anything out there about his past, home life... anything. Not that it matters now, but it would be interesting to find out what he was about.

Revolving door...
I didn't have any luck saving a legible image, but you can check it out here:


http://judicialrecords.wilco.org/JailingSearch.aspx?ID=400

 

[Knox]

Meantime CPS officers, along with several other Central Texas law enforcement agencies, are training this week on child abuse investigation tactics. Austin Police Detective Joel Pridgeon, who's also working the Turner Case, is the instructor.

"We're going to be handling cases that involve actual lives of children, and we need to be as up to date and up to speed on the latest techniques as possible," Pridgeon said.

Currently all Texas law enforcement officers are required to have 40 hours of child abuse investigative training each year.

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/loca...on-likely-due-to-colton-turner-case/16078615/

 

[tmhco]

If my sister dropped off a child in the condition Colton was in, no way in hell the child would go back to her without police intervention. It is easy to blame CPS in these circumstances when in reality, family and friends hold all the cards. RIP sweet little Colton. I hope this doesn't turn into another CA case but it sure has all the makings.

 

[renarde]

Revolving door...
I didn't have any luck saving a legible image, but you can check it out here:


http://judicialrecords.wilco.org/JailingSearch.aspx?ID=400

And that was just in one county. He's also visited the jails in Burnet and San Saba counties.

 

[watergirl62]

http://txburnetodyprod.tylerhost.net/PublicAccess/Login.aspx

Login using visitor visitor

Only one record: driving without a license.

 

[human]

I guess I've missed something because I'm pretty sure Justin Ross Harris is being held accountable for his actions relating to his son. Why are you mixing in other crimes that don't involve children?

Just giving examples of issues in private enterprise because you said they would not function poorly like govt.Nothing about children per se, was there in your comment?

 

[watergirl62]

Interview with Meagan's aunt, Raquel Helfrich. Is this Tayleen's sister?

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/clip/10615128/meagan-works-aunt-speaks-out

 

[JeannaT]

Interesting, watergirl. It would be great to have a law where the urgency of an abuse case is bumped up to LE if the child can't be found. Sadly in this case, Colton was dead by the time they couldn't locate him, but I would like to see this extended to kids who are involved in CPS who are suddenly withdrawn from the public school system to be "home schooled" during the reporting of abuse and neglect.

 

[watergirl62]

I like your idea about adding those suddenly withdrawn children. Excellent point. I don't have time to research the stats at the moment, but I know that is a huge red flag in many cases.

The friend, St Clair(?) mentioned the reps they were trying to get to act on this. I will have to watch again and take notes. Good time to write to them about a sponsoring a potential "Colton's Law."

 

[MyBelle]

If my sister dropped off a child in the condition Colton was in, no way in hell the child would go back to her without police intervention. It is easy to blame CPS in these circumstances when in reality, family and friends hold all the cards. RIP sweet little Colton. I hope this doesn't turn into another CA case but it sure has all the makings.

When was Colton dropped off and what condition was he in?

 

[JeannaT]

MyBelle - I don't think any of us know for sure, but reading between the lines I think that was a July 4th gathering. It's not clear he was "dropped off", but his cousin and another adult (you can see two sets of hands in the photos) took those horrific photos out of sight of the mother. There are scratches and bruises on his face, and scratches or whip marks in different stages of healing as well as very deep large bruises on his hips and back.

That photo was taken, as I understand it, the last time anyone else besides Meagan and Turner saw Colton. I'm sure his family would give anything to be able to rewind the calendar and take him to the ER instead of just taking photos. It's awful watching them grieve.