The week of June 5, 2006 Emerie was sent to visit her father, step-mother,
three-year-old brother and one-year-old brother as well as other family members in Armory, MS. She was only sixteen months
old. While visiting her father, she was brutally beaten.
According to both the father and step-mother, the step-mother was
at work at the time the injuries occurred. The father had picked all three children up early from daycare on that
day and when the children were returned to daycare the following day, Emerie was bruised head to toe. They told
the daycare worker that she had injured herself while throwing a temper tantrum. Nobody notified Emerie's mother or grandfather
when the injuries occurred, nor did they mention it when they spoke to her grandfather that week.
Whether it be complacency, ignorance, or a fear of getting involved-
nobody questioned this story until several days later when a concerned citizen notified the authorities. An investigation
was started and Emerie was taken into custody by the Department of Child Services.
Finally, Emerie's mother was contacted. As soon as she got clearance
from the military to leave post, she and her father-Emerie's grandfather- were able to go retrieve Emerie. Imagine seeing
your precious baby beaten beyond recognition by someone you were supposed to be able to trust.
Emerie was seen by military doctors when the family returned to
Georgia and underwent a full bone scan.
When informed that Emerie's injuries were inconsistant with their
story, the father and step-mother changed it. They said that Emerie's three year old brother was the one responsible for beating
her. The three year old admitted to the authorities that he did throw a football and hit Emerie once in the head. He has not,
to anyone's knowledge, admitted to anything else. Emerie's injuries are inconsistant with the story of another child having
been the one to do this to her. There were marks resembling an adult's fingers around her little arms and legs and the beating
was far too severe for it to have been another child.
An overwhelming amount of evidence against the father has presented
itself, including:
1. The photographic evidence of Emerie's injuries.
2. Two Dr.'s reports confirming that the injuries were consistant
with abuse. One indicates that the abuse could have been going on from the time she was sent to stay with her father
until the time she was rescued.
3. Three witnesses that can and will testify that Emerie was not
bruised when she arrived at her father's home.
4. One eyewitness to the fact that Emerie's step-mother was being
very harsh with her in public.
5. The fact that they have changed their story to the authorities.
6. Their negligence in taking Emerie to a doctor when the injuries
occurred.
7. The fact they did not contact Emerie's mother or grandfather
when the injuries occurred.
8. The fact that the grandmother did not indicate anything wrong
to the grandfather when she spoke on the phone with him that Thursday, only hours before Emerie was taken into custody by
the Department of Child Services.
Emerie's grandfather, Will, has made it his goal to see that those
involved in his granddaughter's abuse are punished to the fullest extent of the law. As in many child abuse cases, the legal
system is turning a deaf ear. One man alone may not be able to yell loud enough to force them to listen. This site was created
in the belief that there are good people in this world willing to lend their own voice. I hope I was correct in that belief.
