GUILTY FL - Adelynn Merrell, 3, found dead in woods, Crestview, 10 Nov 2017 *Arrests*

margarita25 said:

( O/T, another same old story: (warning graphic)

http://kdvr.com/2017/09/18/2-year-o...uising-when-concerned-stranger-called-police/

"Mangeri later admitted that her boyfriend, 21-year-old Joshua James Gonzales, had assaulted the little girl during an argument." )

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Indy Anna said:

Same old story. It never seems to end. :sigh: I had to check the date.


Police: Mom, boyfriend charged after 3-year-old found dead in woods
http://www.whas11.com/news/crime/po...fter-3-year-old-found-dead-in-woods/491297324


A little girl’s lifeless body found dumped in the woods Friday afternoon has led to charges being filed against the mother and her live-in boyfriend.

Adelynn Merrell, just 3 years old, was killed while being punished by the boyfriend, according to an admission from the mother given to Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office investigators.
<snip> http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20171111/mother-live-in-boyfriend-charged-in-3-year-old-girls-death


Deputies said K-9 units searched for the toddler until Destinee Merrell, 23, told investigators her boyfriend Cory Hagwell, 29, had kicked the little girl in the head and locked her in a closet in the master bedroom as punishment the evening of November 9th because she had “gotten out of her car seat."
<snip> http://www.mypanhandle.com/news/crestview-couple-charged-in-connection-to-toddlers-death/855735637

:rose: RIP Adelynn

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katydid23 said:

How do you have an 'argument' with a 3 yr old? UGH....that is unforgivable.

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mzopinion8d said:

kicked her in the head because she got out of her car seat. That's real mature, douchebag.

I'm glad the mom is being held responsible too.

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Additionally, on Sept. 1, deputies were called to the couple’s home in reference to two children who had been locked inside and had broken out. Allen Simmons, a neighbor who lives just a few houses down from Merrell and Hagwell’s home, said he was in the garage with his son on Sept. 1 when he saw a little boy running up his driveway, distraught and out of breath.

"It took me about 10 minutes to get him calmed down to talk to me,” Simmons said. “I didn’t know where he came from, what was going on, I couldn’t understand him ... he said his parents were gone all day, he can’t find his parents.”

Simmons said the boy led him to his home and showed him the window he had kicked out. Simmons saw Adelynn inside screaming, pulled her out of the window and held her until deputies arrived."

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Hoosgirl said:

Too much to cut and paste without breaking copyright... changing stories, little emotion, not checking for hours, ongoing abuse, pointing fingers at each other, sibling witnessed Adelynn in closet with "owie" and heartbreakingly, previous red flag:



More at link ... both left to soothe baby and left kids only "5-10" minutes and the cop believed them, saying they were "remorseful" and believed they didn't do this as a common practice.

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20171113/neighborhood-reels-after-3-year-old-girls-murder

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Hoosgirl said:

Too much to cut and paste without breaking copyright... changing stories, little emotion, not checking for hours, ongoing abuse, pointing fingers at each other, sibling witnessed Adelynn in closet with "owie" and heartbreakingly, previous red flag:



More at link ... both left to soothe baby and left kids only "5-10" minutes and the cop believed them, saying they were "remorseful" and believed they didn't do this as a common practice.

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20171113/neighborhood-reels-after-3-year-old-girls-murder

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[FONT=&quot]A young child in the home, whose name, age and relationship to the family were redacted from arrest reports to protect him, told authorities he witnessed Hagwell &#8220;kick&#8221; Adelynn when she was playing in a room. He also said he did not see Adelynn on the morning of the incident, but did see her in a closet the night before &#8220;not talking&#8221; and &#8220;laying with clothes.&#8221; He told authorities she had an &#8220;owie&#8221; and pointed to his own cheek and chin area.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]He said he also saw Hagwell hit Adelynn on the cheek, and said at one point &#8220;everyone was eating hamburgers but Adelynn didn&#8217;t get to eat because she was in the bathtub.&#8221; He said Hagwell put Adelynn in the bedroom closet and he &#8220;never saw or heard Adelynn again.&#8221;[/FONT]

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[FONT=&amp]Whatever happened the night of Adelynn’s death, it apparently was not the first time the little girl had been at the receiving end of violence.[/FONT][FONT=&amp]The day after her arrest, Merrell told investigators her boyfriend had a history of violence toward the little girl. She said it intensified ever since Hagwell lost his job a month ago.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]“While (Merrell) indicates she never witnessed the violence, she describes hearing ‘thuds’ and other loud noises, followed by Adelynn crying and/or (Hagwell) yelling,” her arrest report said. “These would occur in either the closet of the front bedroom, the closet in the guest bathroom or the tub. She put the number of instances within the past month at approximately 15 to 16 times.”

[/FONT][FONT=&amp]She went on to say that as punishment, Hagwell would withhold food from the 3-year-old girl and lock her in closets for extended periods of time.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Adelynn’s autopsy revealed signs of child abuse consistent with Merrell’s statements to authorities.[/FONT]

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Hoosgirl said:

Too much to cut and paste without breaking copyright... changing stories, little emotion, not checking for hours, ongoing abuse, pointing fingers at each other, sibling witnessed Adelynn in closet with "owie" and heartbreakingly, previous red flag:



More at link ... both left to soothe baby and left kids only "5-10" minutes and the cop believed them, saying they were "remorseful" and believed they didn't do this as a common practice.

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20171113/neighborhood-reels-after-3-year-old-girls-murder

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

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AnaPisces said:

Why didn't she do anything about it if that's the case. Jesus... It's Rachelle Bond's story all over again. http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20171113/neighborhood-reels-after-3-year-old-girls-murder

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Whatever happened the night of Adelynn’s death, it apparently was not the first time the little girl had been at the receiving end of violence.The day after her arrest, Merrell told investigators her boyfriend had a history of violence toward the little girl. She said it intensified ever since Hagwell lost his job a month ago.

“While (Merrell) indicates she never witnessed the violence, she describes hearing ‘thuds’ and other loud noises, followed by Adelynn crying and/or (Hagwell) yelling,” her arrest report said. “These would occur in either the closet of the front bedroom, the closet in the guest bathroom or the tub. She put the number of instances within the past month at approximately 15 to 16 times.”

She went on to say that as punishment, Hagwell would withhold food from the 3-year-old girl and lock her in closets for extended periods of time.

Adelynn’s autopsy revealed signs of child abuse consistent with Merrell’s statements to authorities.

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Investigators found the little girl’s body, clothed in the pink shirt and blue jeans, in the woods off rural Palmetto Avenue, located near the Walton County line. An autopsy revealed she had a skull fracture to the back of the head and died from blunt force trauma.

Merrell gave two versions of events to investigators, according to her arrest report. First, she told authorities that at around 6:30 a.m. Nov. 10, she heard Adelynn call out for her from her bedroom. Hagwell got up, went to Adelynn’s room and began “yelling” at the girl, then Merrell heard a loud “thump” and two doors shut. Hagwell then walked back into their bedroom and Merrell “no longer heard Adelyyn crying,” saying she figured the girl must have “listened” to Hagwell.

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MsMarple said:

Re-posting the quoted section from your link:



Adding this:



If Adelynn's mother doesn't spend time in prison for her part in this precious child's death I'm afraid my head will explode. If she or her attorney end up claiming she is a victim of domestic violence in order to defend her lack of protecting her child my head may explode.

Merrell seems to be claiming she never directly witnessed Hagwell abusing Adelynn and figured his yelling at the little girl behind closed doors, followed by loud "thumps" then silence was simply a sign that Adelynn must have "listened to Hagwell." IOW, she's claiming ignorance, right up until the moment she herself was arrested. Then it became a history of violence against Adelynn by Hagwell.

Sarcasm alert... Well, isn't that the best reason ever to justify some dude disciplining your child? That gee, you never saw anything so all those - 15 or 16 times - you heard those thuds and thumps were nothing to be alarmed about... until of course you got arrested for her being an accessory after the fact, child neglect and child battery. Then you're ready to tell LE about your boyfriends history of violence towards Adelynn.

I'm so angry right now. The only solace I have is because this is one of the rare times LE actually arrested the mother for failing to protect her baby. But only time will tell if she is actually held accountable. Teghan Skiba's mom walked away free from her charges, Malik Drummond's "stepmom" walked out of prison after serving a few months of a 10-year sentence, Brianna Lopez' mom, perhaps the most depraved of all, spent 13 years of a 27-year conviction.

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"Adelynn’s death is sickening and I am disgusted that a child would be treated this way. DCF is coordinating with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office to hold anyone responsible for her death accountable,” Carroll said in his statement, which was emailed to the Daily News. “As the family is familiar with the child welfare system, a thorough quality assurance review will be conducted to review all prior interactions this family has had with the child welfare system.”

DCF Communications Director Jessica Sims said reports relating to the case would be made available, but did not specify when.

State Attorney Bill Eddins announced Wednesday that his office plans to seek an indictment for first-degree murder for Hagwell. If a grand jury returns an indictment, the State Attorney’s Office will decide whether the death penalty will be sought.

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