GUILTY RI - Thomas Wright, 3, beaten to death, Woonsocket, 30 Oct 2004

This is a disgusting story. I shed many tears for this little boy who was taken so savagely by the hands of his own aunt who was also his foster mother at the time. Please note that DCYF allowed this living arrangement, 3 foster children and 2 biological children with a 21 year old young women, and her live in boyfriend.

I am so enraged that this little boy had to suffer. I cannot imagine what pain and sadness he must of felt at the hands of these monsters.

I do not know how to add links, but the stories can be found at these two sites in Rhode Island.

www.projo.com

you must chose the blackstone valley local news link at projo.

www.turnto10.com

Social Services fails again!!!!!!!!!! :furious:


They still feel it's "best" for children to be with a family member no matter how distant or unsuitable a relative as their common goal is always to "reunite the family"(if a parent is abusing a child there is no family in my opinion) and there is a shortage of foster homes but this placing is just mind boggling!!!!!!Someone needs to get fired!!!!!!

Having worked with the social service in RI - it's obvious why I don't anymore! I remember in college child welfare class - having to read a book about an male infant in RI who was born to a drug-addicted-prositute of a mother - who had already had 2 other children removed from her "home" for neglect - is it any wonder the he also wound up dead??
Last year the child advocate in RI was investigating a case in which a child disappeared to CT and wound up in a suitcase at the hands of his father --- they wanted to know "how this happened". They apparently haven't learned ANYTHING from these "mistakes".
This is disgusting and the whole system is a mess. I could go on forever...

These people are human refuse, garbage and they multiply and spread their rabid ignorance! Disgusting!!!:sick: BUT that's just my opinion.

This is the city next door tome. Disgusting. I wish I could say I was surprised, although my experiences with RI DCYF lead me to be a little jaded. You wouldn't believe the nonsense that goes on. That poor child. And - what kind of an idiot would think it's just fine to leave FIVE children with a 21 year-old as the "foster mother"?

Cases like this are why I am no longer a social worker.......sad.


Ive heard R.I 's system is flat out awful although from my expirence I havent seen a system that isnt!

The new articles today at
www.woonsocketcall.com and
www.projo.com

say that cause of death was blunt force trauma. I am still baffled who would ever allow this living arrangement!!!!!!

I am not a native Rhode Islander but, I live in the city this happened in. I would have to estimate that maybe atleast 1/3 of the city's children are involved with social services from my view, nevermind the rest of this state.
It seems that this state is a transient state. By that I mean noone stays in one place very long, always moving from one apartment to another, city to city etc. We own our home and have 3 children and the 1st thing I noticed was that there was no sense of community here. Everyone for themselves and the blatant ignorance I have seen around me. My point was supposed to be that maybe someone should have spoke up about what they saw around this house and "family" because I cannot believe that this was the first time that anyone ever laid a hand on that poor boy or any of his siblings.

Poor baby... I just dont know how someone could hurt a little child like that.. I will NEVER understand it.

kjbaby99 said:

The new articles today at
www.woonsocketcall.com and
www.projo.com

say that cause of death was blunt force trauma. I am still baffled who would ever allow this living arrangement!!!!!!

I am not a native Rhode Islander but, I live in the city this happened in. I would have to estimate that maybe atleast 1/3 of the city's children are involved with social services from my view, nevermind the rest of this state.
It seems that this state is a transient state. By that I mean noone stays in one place very long, always moving from one apartment to another, city to city etc. We own our home and have 3 children and the 1st thing I noticed was that there was no sense of community here.

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Well Kjbaby -
Perhaps Woonsocket has become a transient city - although I must say I don't think that's the way for the rest of the state. Many native RI'ers stay here to raise their families. I've lived here almost all of my life except for short stints in CT & SC. I'm back living in the town I was raised in (NS), and find comfort that there are many people now raising families here that I went to high school with. Very nice community feeling here - maybe you need to leave Woonsocket & head out into the Burbs.

From November 2008:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/rh..._selection_to_start_in_ri_toddler_death_case/

Gilbert Delestre... was charged with his girlfriend Katherine Bunnell of fatally beating Thomas "T.J." Wright, Bunnell's nephew, after the couple returned home and found a mess in their Woonsocket apartment...

Bunnell was convicted of second-degree murder in May and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

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http://caselaw.findlaw.com/ri-supreme-court/1591250.html

On December 4, 2008, a Providence County Superior Court jury found the defendant, Gilbert Delestre, guilty of second-degree murder and of conspiracy to commit the offense of murder. He was thereafter sentenced to concurrent terms of life imprisonment at the Adult Correctional Institutions as a result of the second-degree murder conviction and ten years at the same institution as a result of the conspiracy conviction.

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