AZ - Solomon, WhtFem, 13-16, UP77029, on ranch land, Oct'20 - Cadence Langley *arrest*

[whiterhino]

To be honest I’m quite shocked that no one else has been charged in Cadence’s murder, i honestly thought there would’ve been someone else involved!

It's hard to believe that a mother could do that nevermind do it alone. Not to mention it was a shooting. Why?

How did the mother manage to get Cadence out there and into that water trough? What about the clothing? Why was Cadence wearing a Halloween robe?

 

[coco]

It's hard to believe that a mother could do that nevermind do it alone. Not to mention it was a shooting. Why?

How did the mother manage to get Cadence out there and into that water trough? What about the clothing? Why was Cadence wearing a Halloween robe?

My questions exactly!

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Rest in peace Cadence Langley.

 

[squish]

Was a picture of Cadence ever released?

I would like to know too. She deserves to be known.

 

[cheemsg]

It's hard to believe that a mother could do that nevermind do it alone. Not to mention it was a shooting. Why?

How did the mother manage to get Cadence out there and into that water trough? What about the clothing? Why was Cadence wearing a Halloween robe?

I actually think the 'halloween robe' was more like a dressing gown. I think she was killed in loungewear/pajamas.

 

[whiterhino]

I actually think the 'halloween robe' was more like a dressing gown. I think she was killed in loungewear/pajamas.

Do you mean murdered and then redressed?

Cadence was found wearing a black costume type of robe. There are photos in evidence on the first pages of the thread via NAMUS IIRC.

I was thinking of Cadence recently, about the case against her mother Amber. Did LE ever find the weapon used to take Cadences life? (maybe I'll dig around later for any updates & post here)

Not to mention the toys found near her body. Whatever came from that?

Also wondering what tests were done, if there were any signs of abuse, neglect etc. I think of this story often and it makes me so sad. It's not just the mother who is to blame IMHO, there are others.

An entire system that failed to keep watch and it's not just in Arizona. The sheer volume of MP and UID females in that area alone shows the scope of the problem. Group homes are just as bad and in this case I fear Cadence would've been just as much at risk if she'd been placed elsewhere.

 

[TheHighestPriestess]

Here is an article I found that was published about a week ago. It goes into some detail about what was found at the crime, including the toys as well as a blanket which I don't believe was mentioned previously. It also goes into some other information on how they identified her through DNA, how they connected AB to the scene, and an encounter they had with the Langley's 20 days prior to the discovery of Cadence's body.

 

[whiterhino]

Here is an article I found that was published about a week ago. It goes into some detail about what was found at the crime, including the toys as well as a blanket which I don't believe was mentioned previously. It also goes into some other information on how they identified her through DNA, how they connected AB to the scene, and an encounter they had with the Langley's 20 days prior to the discovery of Cadence's body.

Thanks for the link! Thought I'd read all of the articles from that news source but of course missed the one that had all the answers

So Amber is a veteran? The article stated that Amber received over $4500 in benefits for Cadence after Cadences' death. Assuming these were regular payments as no one knew Cadence was deceased at that point.

Amber's story is that she snapped and took Cadences' life because she feared Cadence wouldn't be safe in the world? IMHO Cadence could speak if she wanted. Maybe she saw or knew something and her mother didn't want outside help because something shady was going on?

She shot her daughter in the head and left her in a livestock tank. She lied and told anyone who asked that Cadence was in a group home.

Veterans services should have been able to connect Amber with support. It's hard to believe a mother would shoot her own daughter in such a cold way. Idk why I get the vibe there is more to the story.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

Here is an article I found that was published about a week ago. It goes into some detail about what was found at the crime, including the toys as well as a blanket which I don't believe was mentioned previously. It also goes into some other information on how they identified her through DNA, how they connected AB to the scene, and an encounter they had with the Langley's 20 days prior to the discovery of Cadence's body.

The girl was wrapped in a blanket and covered in a plastic bag. Toys, including My Little Pony, Barbie dolls, a bracelet, and a stuffed animal, were also found in the float box. However, investigators found more ominous evidence a short distance away as they collected spent ammunition shells. They would soon learn the body they found was a young girl who had been executed by a gunshot to her head.

Further police investigation showed Amber Langley was living in Safford and her three other children were enrolled in school locally. However, there was no record of Cadance having been enrolled in any local school, including the Safford School District which has an in-house special education program, or Dan Hinton School in Pima, which has special education students from throughout Graham County.

Upon arrival, the Safford officer knocked on the apartment door and Amber Langley extinguished the fire and then identified herself to the officer. Amber said her 14-year-old, non-verbal autistic daughter, Cadance, had started the fire and she didn’t know about it until the officer knocked on her door.

The officer was unable to communicate with Cadance, according to the report, and Amber Langley told the officer that Cadance was going into a group home that weekend because of behavior like that and Amber assured the officer that she would watch Cadance more carefully. That was the last documented sighting of Cadance by law enforcement until they found her body.

 

[TheHighestPriestess]

Here is an article I found that was published about a week ago. It goes into some detail about what was found at the crime, including the toys as well as a blanket which I don't believe was mentioned previously. It also goes into some other information on how they identified her through DNA, how they connected AB to the scene, and an encounter they had with the Langley's 20 days prior to the discovery of Cadence's body.

oops I meant AL not AB! AL = Amber Langley

 

[TheHighestPriestess]

The girl was wrapped in a blanket and covered in a plastic bag. Toys, including My Little Pony, Barbie dolls, a bracelet, and a stuffed animal, were also found in the float box. However, investigators found more ominous evidence a short distance away as they collected spent ammunition shells. They would soon learn the body they found was a young girl who had been executed by a gunshot to her head.

Further police investigation showed Amber Langley was living in Safford and her three other children were enrolled in school locally. However, there was no record of Cadance having been enrolled in any local school, including the Safford School District which has an in-house special education program, or Dan Hinton School in Pima, which has special education students from throughout Graham County.

Upon arrival, the Safford officer knocked on the apartment door and Amber Langley extinguished the fire and then identified herself to the officer. Amber said her 14-year-old, non-verbal autistic daughter, Cadance, had started the fire and she didn’t know about it until the officer knocked on her door.

The officer was unable to communicate with Cadance, according to the report, and Amber Langley told the officer that Cadance was going into a group home that weekend because of behavior like that and Amber assured the officer that she would watch Cadance more carefully. That was the last documented sighting of Cadance by law enforcement until they found her body.

It's so troubling to me that she was never enrolled in school, it seems like she was isolated. She was 14 years old, she should have been in school for about 9 years at that age. Especially strange considering her siblings were all enrolled locally. Where is the oversight? Same thing happened with Haley Coblentz who was 9 years old and never enrolled in school.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Thanks for the link! Thought I'd read all of the articles from that news source but of course missed the one that had all the answers

So Amber is a veteran? The article stated that Amber received over $4500 in benefits for Cadence after Cadences' death. Assuming these were regular payments as no one knew Cadence was deceased at that point.

Amber's story is that she snapped and took Cadences' life because she feared Cadence wouldn't be safe in the world? IMHO Cadence could speak if she wanted. Maybe she saw or knew something and her mother didn't want outside help because something shady was going on?

She shot her daughter in the head and left her in a livestock tank. She lied and told anyone who asked that Cadence was in a group home.

Veterans services should have been able to connect Amber with support. It's hard to believe a mother would shoot her own daughter in such a cold way. Idk why I get the vibe there is more to the story.

many severely autistic ppl are non verbal. i have a friend whose 16 year old non verbal autistic son who is larger than she assaults her a lot and bites her. she doesnt take advantage of respite because shes afraid he will hurt someone else.

i agree w you on the rest though

 

[Goecke]

I'm autistic and figured I should give my perspective here.
Cadance is stated to be nonverbal in news articles. I HIGHLY doubt she 'could speak if she wanted to'. She may have been able to communicate in other ways (sign language, assistive devices etc) but who knows. There is a very high instance of nonverbal disabled people being sexually abused in institutional settings, so there IS some merit to that, but I really hope she doesn't get a lighter sentence because of this. I've seen so many parents kill their disabled kids (usually teens or adults) and claim 'mercy killing' and it personally makes me so, so mad. She didn't 'put Cadence to sleep', she killed her because she got to be too much for her to handle. I get the fears about abuse in a group home, but Cadence wasn't even enrolled in school. AL didn't take advantage of ANY of the resources proviced to her. There's so many other ways she could have gone about handling her caregiver burnout.

Also, since authorities were clearly aware of Cadence's existence, why did nobody care that she was enrolled in school? If AL homeschooled her I feel like that would be mentioned, instead it seemed like she wasn't recieving any schooling at all and never had, which is VERY suspicious. It doesn't seem like it would be legal to exempt her from attending school because of her disability, but if someone knows more about this please let me know.

All IMO

 

[Earth]

I'm autistic and figured I should give my perspective here.
Cadance is stated to be nonverbal in news articles. I HIGHLY doubt she 'could speak if she wanted to'. She may have been able to communicate in other ways (sign language, assistive devices etc) but who knows. There is a very high instance of nonverbal disabled people being sexually abused in institutional settings, so there IS some merit to that, but I really hope she doesn't get a lighter sentence because of this. I've seen so many parents kill their disabled kids (usually teens or adults) and claim 'mercy killing' and it personally makes me so, so mad. She didn't 'put Cadence to sleep', she killed her because she got to be too much for her to handle. I get the fears about abuse in a group home, but Cadence wasn't even enrolled in school. AL didn't take advantage of ANY of the resources proviced to her. There's so many other ways she could have gone about handling her caregiver burnout.

Also, since authorities were clearly aware of Cadence's existence, why did nobody care that she was enrolled in school? If AL homeschooled her I feel like that would be mentioned, instead it seemed like she wasn't recieving any schooling at all and never had, which is VERY suspicious. It doesn't seem like it would be legal to exempt her from attending school because of her disability, but if someone knows more about this please let me know.

All IMO

This is one of the reasons that my brother chooses to say he has Asperger's rather than autism. He doesn't like it when people he has never met assume that he can't speak if they are told he has autism.

What happened to Cadance is horrific and shows that disabled people are far more likely to be victims of abuse than people realise, as they cannot tell anyone their plight.

 

[TheHighestPriestess]

I'm autistic and figured I should give my perspective here.
Cadance is stated to be nonverbal in news articles. I HIGHLY doubt she 'could speak if she wanted to'. She may have been able to communicate in other ways (sign language, assistive devices etc) but who knows. There is a very high instance of nonverbal disabled people being sexually abused in institutional settings, so there IS some merit to that, but I really hope she doesn't get a lighter sentence because of this. I've seen so many parents kill their disabled kids (usually teens or adults) and claim 'mercy killing' and it personally makes me so, so mad. She didn't 'put Cadence to sleep', she killed her because she got to be too much for her to handle. I get the fears about abuse in a group home, but Cadence wasn't even enrolled in school. AL didn't take advantage of ANY of the resources proviced to her. There's so many other ways she could have gone about handling her caregiver burnout.

Also, since authorities were clearly aware of Cadence's existence, why did nobody care that she was enrolled in school? If AL homeschooled her I feel like that would be mentioned, instead it seemed like she wasn't recieving any schooling at all and never had, which is VERY suspicious. It doesn't seem like it would be legal to exempt her from attending school because of her disability, but if someone knows more about this please let me know.

All IMO

Thank you for your perspective on this, you bring up a lot of good points.

It's extremely telling how AL complained about Cadence's behavior and was "trying to put her in a group home" but never attempted to enroll her in school which is so beneficial for disabled children, especially those who come from families that can't afford care at home. I worked with the special education department at a local highschool for years and many of the kids who came through our classes came from working class families who could not afford outside care and they were endlessly grateful for the assistance school provided them as well as the benefits of their child being able to socialize with kids their age. Its still so strange to me that the siblings - who i believe share a last name with Cadence - were enrolled in school and no one thought to check on Cadence. It pains me to think about how many kids went unaccounted for during quarantine.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Thank you for your perspective on this, you bring up a lot of good points.

It's extremely telling how AL complained about Cadence's behavior and was "trying to put her in a group home" but never attempted to enroll her in school which is so beneficial for disabled children, especially those who come from families that can't afford care at home. I worked with the special education department at a local highschool for years and many of the kids who came through our classes came from working class families who could not afford outside care and they were endlessly grateful for the assistance school provided them as well as the benefits of their child being able to socialize with kids their age. Its still so strange to me that the siblings - who i believe share a last name with Cadence - were enrolled in school and no one thought to check on Cadence. It pains me to think about how many kids went unaccounted for during quarantine.

also that she kept saying for years she was going to put her in a group home and made no move to do so.

 

[JennyJukes]

Thank you for your perspective on this, you bring up a lot of good points.

It's extremely telling how AL complained about Cadence's behavior and was "trying to put her in a group home" but never attempted to enroll her in school which is so beneficial for disabled children, especially those who come from families that can't afford care at home. I worked with the special education department at a local highschool for years and many of the kids who came through our classes came from working class families who could not afford outside care and they were endlessly grateful for the assistance school provided them as well as the benefits of their child being able to socialize with kids their age. Its still so strange to me that the siblings - who i believe share a last name with Cadence - were enrolled in school and no one thought to check on Cadence. It pains me to think about how many kids went unaccounted for during quarantine.

Makes me think back to that comment on AL business page.... someone who originally wrote a good review, posting after AL arrest, that she had to alert social services because she "let her disabled child sleep in trash"! Wonder if social services did ever have calls made about Cadence.

 

[whiterhino]

@cvaldez1975 @Goecke @Earth

I would like to clarify my previous post as I came across as ignorant and possibly offensive. I'm very sorry if I upset anyone here.

When I said Cadence could speak if she wanted I meant that Cadence was probably capable of communicating but never given the proper tools. I have a few acquaintances with spectrum disorders & developmental disabilities. They're often selective of who they speak to. I think at least one of them has determined that some people aren't worth the effort lol.

I'm sure Cadence could communicate and possibly even said things in the past. With support or a tutor who knows what could have been possible?

Clearly she was neglected. Between Amber's veteran's status and Cadence being special needs there should have been funding available for a support worker etc. Of course that is on paper. The reality of finding good help that is safe and reliable is not so simple.

Amber telling people that she was going to put Cadence in a group home was probably in part, wishful thinking and very much laying the groundwork.

It sounds like Amber was overwhelmed and Cadence was becoming difficult to control. There must have been other reasons or motives underlying. Not to oversimplify but why not seek assistance if you're so overwhelmed? Makes me wonder what other factors played into Amber's decision to take her daughters life.

 

[whiterhino]

many severely autistic ppl are non verbal. i have a friend whose 16 year old non verbal autistic son who is larger than she assaults her a lot and bites her. she doesnt take advantage of respite because shes afraid he will hurt someone else.

i agree w you on the rest though

An acquaintance of mine works in developmental services. She told me about one client who has bitten her in the past.

Another friend of mine, her sister has a developmental disability and has been in speech therapy the past several years. It's amazing, the improvement she made after she moved into a new care home. Of course not the same as autism but it shows what therapy and assistance can do.

@Goecke Very true, disabled persons are at a higher risk of being exploited and vulnerable to HT. I agree, it seems Amber made no effort to access help. If Cadence were actually starting small fires, disrobing and acting out, why didn't Amber look into programs like she threatened? It would've made sense, she probably would've qualified. The police might have even been able to help her.

It's very difficult to imagine a mother shooting her own child in the head in this manner. It just doesn't seem to align with other cases where mothers "mercy kill" their children. How was murder the best option?

 

[Goecke]

I personally wasn't offended and I apologize for the miscommunication! I 100% agree that Cadence could have had a greater ability to communicate if she hadn't been neglected.
I wonder if Cadence's starting fires and 'acting out' wasn't a cry for help, or a means of getting attention at the very least. It's a really sad situation.