GUILTY VA - Aveion Lewis, 2, Roanoke, 14 January 2010 #3

[MBLover]

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/299624

Second day of trial filled with voice of slain child's mom, Morgan Lockett
Jurors hear the woman accused of killing her 2-year-old say she feared he was overweight.
By Neil Harvey

Morgan Lockett told investigators she feared 2-year-old Aveion Lewis was overweight when her son was returned to her after nearly a year in foster care, according to a recorded police interview played for jurors in her murder trial Thursday.

"I was scared my son was obese," Lockett said, likening his pudgy physique to a sausage, but adding, "I was fine with that because that meant he could gain weight."

Born prematurely, Aveion was treated by doctors for "failure to thrive" and was taken from his mother by social services over health concerns. He gained 20 pounds during 11 months with a foster family, plumping up to 30 to 40 pounds. When his body was discovered nine months later, he was down to 18 pounds, prosecutors have said. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Sandra Workman said such a dramatic weight loss was significant enough to cause starvation.
(more of story at link)

 

[MBLover]

http://www2.wsls.com/news/2011/oct/...-interview-recording-lockett-tria-ar-1378582/

By: SCOTT LEAMON
Published: October 12, 2011
Updated: October 12, 2011 - 6:36 PM

Morgan Lockett sat seemingly unfazed during the morning session of her first degree murder trial.

Lockett showed little emotion as jurors listened to an interview police recorded in late February 2010, a few days before her arrest.

In the interview, two detectives can be heard asking Lockett dozens of questions about the overall health of her two-year-old son, Aveion Lewis.

(video & more of story at link)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj7-tri...sed-of-starving-child-20111011,0,244485.story

Susan Bahorich
Reporter
11:35 a.m. EDT, October 12, 2011

ROANOKE, Va.—
The mother of a murdered two-year-old seemed unemotional when first approached by police. That from the lead detective in the Aveion Lewis murder case as the trial of Aveion's mother moved into day two.

(video & more of story at link)

 

[CarolinaMoon]

Thanks to all who have kept this case alive. I followed it for a while and got sidetracked. I hope the jury throws the book at "mom" because she truly deserves it.

 

[MorenoI]

Dear god, how could this woman sit there and do nothing? Mean while this precious boy suffered so much! I hope that she never gets to see another "free" day.

 

[MBLover]

http://www2.wsls.com/news/2011/oct/...ng-aveions-pillow-key-murder-case-ar-1381139/

Social worker says Lockett called her toddler son "lazy"
By: SCOTT LEAMON
Published: October 13, 2011
Updated: October 13, 2011 - 6:38 PM

A pair of social workers told jurors that a chronically underweight Aveion Lewis worried them in the spring of 2008.

Child Health Investment Partnership, or CHIP, case manager Tonya Holmes said she visited Morgan Lockett's home on April 30, 2008.

Lockett is on trial for first degree murder in the death of her two-year-old son.

Holmes told the jury that when she picked Aveion up that day his pants fell off.
(more at link)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No stories to be found on Roanoke.com (newspaper) or WDBJ7.com (local CBS)

Watching this story tonight on News10 (WSLS)...Morgan Lockett looked so disassociated from everything....it came off to me like she was in another world and had no idea of why she was there in that courtroom. Of course, this was just a moment in time today captured by a WSLS camera person, so I may be way off base (but for some reason I don't think so). I hope she gets the max prison time on all of her charges and that she never gets out from behind those bars.

The idiot step father conceded that the State had too much evidence against him...and he is taking his lumps...and is slimmed down. I guess jail food isn't too good. But Morgan doesn't look like she has a worry in the world...she's not lost weight (due to nerves or bad food)...she's just "hangin' out" and I think she thinks she's gonna be cleared or get a slap on the wrist... She just looks sooooo unaffected by it all...

 

[cc81]

I don't post too much, but I definitely do appreciate your updates MB and Cubby!!!

 

[MorenoI]

MBLover's posted video brought tears to my eyes.

This "mother" stated that she didnt know how her son slept, he usually cried himself to sleep...how could she?!? How can these women not have a feelings towards something like that?

 

[MBLover]

http://www2.wsls.com/news/2011/oct/...r-morgan-lockett-interview-tape-d-ar-1384009/

Jury hears another Morgan Lockett interview tape during trial

By: SCOTT LEAMON
Published: October 14, 2011
Updated: October 14, 2011 - 1:20 PM

Following its morning break, the jury heard more of that interview between Lockett and two police detectives.

It became clear about midway through the tape that investigators had gotten Brandon Lockett to admit Aveion was dead.

The detectives can be heard on the tape asking Morgan Lockett several times if she knew where Brandon put the body or helped him.
(More at Link)

 

[MBLover]

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/299743

Witness: Morgan Lockett vague about details
A neighbor said Morgan Lockett was reluctant to answer her questions about Aveion Lewis' fate.
By Laurence Hammack

It was the night of Jan. 26, 2010, one day before the body of 2-year-old Aveion Lewis was found buried in a landfill.

The boy's stepfather, Brandon Lockett, was locked up in Roanoke City Jail. No longer believing Lockett's story that armed intruders kidnapped his stepson, police had charged him with child neglect, obstruction of justice and improper disposal of a body they were still frantically searching for.

Aveion's mother, Morgan Lockett, showed up at the jail that night to visit her husband.

Afterward, she caught a ride home with Aurelia Allen, a neighbor who lived in her Jamestown public housing complex.
(More at link)

 

[Salem]

Aveion - prayers for you sweet baby. We know you are safe now, but we are heartbroken over the abuse you suffered.

Salem

 

[Cubby]

Prosecution evidence presented Thursday in Morgan Lockett's murder and child abuse trial came from two distinct periods in her son's short life: the months leading to social services' removal of toddler Aveion Lewis from his mother's care in 2008, and the investigation that began soon after he died in 2010, before his third birthday.

Marty Harmon, a social services worker, told jurors in Roanoke Circuit Court she went to the Lockett home after a caseworker raised concerns in May 2008.

"I was startled by his size," Harmon said of Aveion, 15 months old at the time but weighing just 8 pounds. "He looked like a child you'd see on TV from Ethiopia."

Tanya Holmes, a case manager for Child Health Investment Partnership of Roanoke Valley, a health care provider for low-income families, testified that she notified social services after becoming disturbed by her visits to the Lockett home over the previous year.


Full article at link:

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/299690


After reading this article I am stunned the judge allowed this child to be returned to his mother. The judge who returned Aveion to his mother will forever have to live with removing him from an environment in which he was thriving and sending him to his death. There is really no other way to look at it based on the facts which have become public.

WHY wasn't CPS involved again immediately when Morgan started refusing CHIP visits a month after his return from foster care? Why wasn't he removed at that time? That was a HUGE HUGE red flag. I'm disgusted with so many things here, I can't put them into words without being banned.


I cried reading this article. I cried seeing how small Aveion was at 15 months. I cry for Aveions foster family who worked so hard to bring this frail child back to health and then to have to endure this.... I can't even began to imagine how they must be feeling.

As for Morgan - there are no words I could use without being banned... Other than to say I am pleased she will not only face judgement here on earth, but one day she will face it in the next life as well.

 

[Cubby]

5:29 p.m.
Judge strikes 1st degree murder charge in Morgan Lockett's trial. Keeps 2nd degree murder charge.
----
3:26 p.m.
The prosecution has rested its case.

Judge Weckstein is expected to rule on whether or not the Commonwealth has met the burden of proof to continue the trial on charges of first degree murder, and second degree murder.
---


Full article at link.

http://www2.wsls.com/news/2011/oct/17/5/dna-expert-testifies-morgan-lockett-trial-ar-1388301/


:cry:

 

[MBLover]

Thanks Cubby...was just coming here to update...and you beat me to it!

I'm quite surprised that the 1st degree murder was stricken from the charges... She has other charges against her...so...why wouldn't they let that one stand and if the jury didn't convict her on it...then so be it...

 

[Cubby]

Roanoke Circuit Court jurors today heard testimony from Dr. Christina Roberts, former assistant chief medical examiner, who said the amount of weight lost by Lockett's son, 2-year-old Aveion Lewis, in the last months of his life “could potentially be fatal.”

But after hearing arguments from the defense and counter-arguments from prosecutors, Judge Clifford Weckstein said Roberts “could not exclude other causes of death.”

Full article at link.


http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/299816

Apparently withholding nurishment and starving your child to death while physically abusing your child does not meet the burden of proof for first degree murder. :banghead: :furious:

Of course, next the FDA will be adding water and applesauce to the food pyramid for infants. In fact, be on the lookout for this recommendation coming from the AAPA soon. :banghead: :furious:


shaking my head.

 

[Cubby]

I find myself wondering what the jury thinks of 1st degree murder being taken off the table. I guess time will tell after the jury comes to a decision and perhaps they will be interviewed afterwards.

 

[Cubby]

Additionally Morgan would have qualified for WIC which provides FREE cans of powdered formula. Wonder what she did with that free formula since she certainly didn't use it to feed her son. They would have qualified for food stamps or SNAP benefits. Neither she or the SD appeared to have been malnourished in anyway.

This should have NEVER happened. Even once the trial is over, the jury decides, we need to ensure this NEVER EVER happens again to any child needing protective services. Aveion was failed miserably. :cry:

 

[Cubby]

Snippets from the link below:

"Were the jury to return a verdict of guilt of first-degree murder, it would be based on Dr. Roberts' testimony," Weckstein said.

The judge cited the Supreme Court of Virginia, which said: "A medical opinion based on a probability is purely speculation."

As a result, the judge said, jurors shouldn't be asked to decide the first-degree murder charge.


The injuries included an untreated spiral fracture of his arm; a long, linear scar across his buttocks; small "starburst" scars on the back of his hand and wrist; "a collection of scars" on his right thigh; scarring behind the right knee Roberts said was "consistent with second-degree burns"; and bruises on his right ankle.

Hart told the court he screened the child for health problems.
"He gained weight very nicely when hospitalized," said Hart, who diagnosed him with "failure to thrive of a nonorganic means."

Much much more at link:

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/299830

 

[Cubby]

What is failure to thrive?

Failure to thrive (nonorganic, NOFTT; also called psychosocial failure to thrive) is defined as decelerated or arrested physical growth (height and weight measurements fall below the fifth percentile, or a downward change in growth across two major growth percentiles) associated with poor developmental and emotional functioning

What causes nonorganic failure to thrive?

Psychological, social, or economic problems within the family almost always play a role in the cause of NOFTT. Emotional or maternal deprivation is often related to the nutritional deprivation. The mother or primary caregiver may neglect proper feeding of the infant because of preoccupation with the demands or care of others, her own emotional problems, substance abuse, lack of knowledge about proper feeding, or lack of understanding of the infant's needs.

http://www.lpch.org/DiseaseHealthInfo/HealthLibrary/growth/thrive.html

 

[Cubby]

Found an old post of MLB's from back in thread 2, post 4 which gave us the CPS timeline.

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - VA-Aveion M. Lewis, 2, Roanoke MSG 14 Jan 10 #2


MSM Link from above post:


On March 31, 2009, Aveion was returned to Mr. and Mrs. Lockett's full-time care while the Department retained legal custody. The in-home therapy continued throughout this trial placement.

Additionally, Aveion's foster care social worker continued to make regular visits to the home, both announced and unannounced, to observe how the child was adjusting, and to ascertain that Aveion continued to be healthy and have his medical and nutritional needs met. This trial return home placement was continued for six months, and on Sept. 19, 2009, upon recommendation by the Department, the court returned legal custody of Aveion to Mrs. Lockett.

http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/233984


But the following link says this:

Social services returned Aveion to his mother on April 1, 2009.


The following month, Morgan Lockett stopped allowing visits from CHIP representatives, Holmes testified

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/299690



The above would indicate Morgan denied allowing CHIP visits in May of 2009 while the state still had legal custody of Aveion.

If CHIP was aware the state was still Aveions legal custodian during the months of May, June, July, August and September, why didn't they contact the foster care system/foster care social worker regarding the denied access?

Shouldn't CHIP have been working directly with the childs legal guardian, the state, and the foster care system/ fcs social worker during that 6 month trial period between April 1 and Sept 19?

The above information on this 6 month home trial period before it was recommended both physical and legal custody be returned to Morgan is very contradicting. The medical side is saying she did NOT cooperate during that period. Social worker- DFS/CPS saying she did... hmmmmm

This whole thing is just so sad. Little Aveion really captured my heart. I want him to receive justice and I don't want his death in vain that another child should have to suffer as he did.

 

[cc81]

Aveion was definitely failed during his short life, on so many levels... raying: please don't let him be failed on the justice level too!!