IL - Alexus Smothers, 8, drowned, body hidden in crawlspace, 19 July 2011

Police have not indicated how the young girl died, but West Frankfort Police Chief Jeff Tharp said the child's mother, 28-year-old Mary Jophlin, was arrested and charged with Concealment of a Death. Tharp said the child was found in the basement of the home, in a crawl space area.

It all started when the mother, Mary Jophlin, called 911 to report her child missing just after 2 a.m. Tuesday. Officers went to search the home and discovered the eight-year-old, who has been identified by family as Alexus Smothers.


Article also says that her children had been taken away from her in 2004 and returned to her in 2005. Also, they moved in to that house 2 weeks ago.
 
Mother Charged in Daughter's Death
Posted: Tuesday, July 19th


WEST FRANKFORT - A West Frankfort woman is accused of trying to cover-up the death of her eight-year-old daughter.

Mary Jophlin, 28, is charged with Concealment of a Death. The body of Jophlin's daughter was discovered in the crawl space of her home early Tuesday morning.

Police were called to the home in the 1700 block of East Oak Street after a report of missing child. After a short search of the home, they found Smothers body; authorities say the case is now being handled as a homicide investigation.

http://www.wsiltv.com/p/news_details.php?newsID=13516&type=top
 
Wow, sigh.
How can we protect our children when it's their parents they need protection from? :( Sad story (yet ANOTHER sad story)
 
More details. She reported her missing.

Zumwalt-Jophlin placed a 911 call to report her young daughter missing about 2:15 a.m. Tuesday, Tharp said. Within minutes, the child's body was located in a crawlspace in the basement of the wood-frame house at 1704 E. Oak St. in the Heights section of West Frankfort, where the family resides.

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/stat...2d7-11e0-85cb-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1SfGt3DAN


4e26eb57b2653.image.jpg


Rest in peace, sweetheart.
 
RIP, Alexus. what a sweet girl. Damn, if the sister knew the mom was bad news, why let her take the girls? this could have been prevented. Really sad. No one can hurt you now Alexus.
 
According to the news article, "The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said Jophlin, a mother of three, had her children taken away in 2004 because of abuse and neglect allegations. The children were returned to her care in 2005."

There's something wrong with a system that has 'family reunification' as it's main and sometimes only goal. Wrong.
 

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