GUILTY IA - Evelyn Miller, 5, Charles City, 1 July 2005

[englishleigh]

That was one precious, darling little angel. Any one of us would have loved to have been able to take care of little Evelyn. It makes me sick that there might have been neglect of her going on which may have led to her death. :furious: :furious: :furious:

 

[Bobbisangel]

If the family was aware of neglect or abuse why didn't one of them step in and take Evelyn out of the home. She had a bio father that was involved in her life. It sounds like he was aware that things could have been better for the little girl. I think it was his parents that said the mother had been reported several times.

When my oldest grandaughter was about 4 yrs my daughter was doing a lot of running around and going to the bars. I told her that I would gladly keep my grandaughter when I wasn't working in the evenings and she could go out then but on the evenings that I worked I thought she should stay at home with her daughter instead of leaving her with babysitters. She was in that phase of being single and didn't pay any attention to me. I warned her that I was going to take my grandaughter if she kept on leaving her with babysitters. I did end up taking her one evening. I left a message that I would pick up her clothes, etc, the next day. My daughter and I sat down the next day and I told her that I expected her to pay child support and to buy my grandaughter's clothing. I worked two evenings a week and I told her that she could babysit at my place on those nights. My daughter and I have always been really close and so there was no fighting over my grandaughter. My daughter knew that I had my grandaughter's best interest at heart and when my daughter was ready to settle down her daughter could move back in with her. We co-parented my grandaughter and it worked really well. I didn't worrry about my grandaughter and my daughter got the running around out of her system. I don't normally interfer in my adult kids lives but when it comes to the grandchildren there are times when you have to put them first.
If my daughter had fought me I would have taken her to court. I had to make sure that my grandaughter was safe and felt secure. My grandaughter is almost 20 yrs now and is one of the sweetest, responsible kids that I know. I wish Evelyn's grandparents or father had done that for her. Such a little sweetie and such a shame. I hope they catch whoever took her little life.

 

[madgallico]

Off topic, but the picture of your baby is so beautiful. I am sorry for your loss

Thank you PrayersForMaura. I thought this was an appropriate board to display this picture. Jared was my nephew who lived with me on & off for most of his short life.
He was with his parents when he died of child abuse.
Jared will always be my angel.

 

[nvfc]

I thought this was an appropriate board to display this picture. Jared was my nephew who lived with me on & off for most of his short life.
He was with his parents when he died of child abuse.
Jared will always be my angel.

What a beautiful boy! I saw his picture the other day and it made me go in and hug my son. He will be ten months on July 17. I thought to myself, how does a baby that looks so healthy die in their first years of life.

I had no idea it was from child abuse until your post. I, along with others from the NVFC have devoted July 2005 to child abuse victims from New Mexico. There have been eight children that have died by abuse from their family members since 2001.

What happened to Brianna Lopez is here.

What happened to Uriah Vasquez-Ordeñez is here.

What happened to Evelyn Miller is here.

What happened to Matal Sanchez is here.

This problem is so great that there is absolutely no way that it can be covered in July. It is truly an epidemic that is plagueing our society and needs to stop.

 

[SewingDeb]

Thank you PrayersForMaura. I thought this was an appropriate board to display this picture. Jared was my nephew who lived with me on & off for most of his short life.
He was with his parents when he died of child abuse.
Jared will always be my angel.

Awww...that is so sad. It must have broken your heart. Bless you for giving him the love that you did during his short life.

 

[mysteriew]

About 500 people gathered for the funeral Thursday of Evelyn Celeste Miller, many expressing anger and guilt over the 5-year-old's death.

"I was not there to protect you from harm," said Andy Christie, 25, of Waterloo, reading from a letter he wrote to his daughter. "I could never have imagined something so terrible could have ever happened to you. And I pray that you can forgive me for these failings."

A pale blue marble urn carved with angels will hold Evelyn's ashes, but it sat empty at the altar Thursday because her body has not been released as the criminal investigation continues.

No arrests have been made, and authorities in Floyd County have declined to answer questions about the case, saying only that their priority is to protect the integrity of the investigation.

http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050714/NEWS/50714009/1001&lead=1

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Thank you PrayersForMaura. I thought this was an appropriate board to display this picture. Jared was my nephew who lived with me on & off for most of his short life.
He was with his parents when he died of child abuse.
Jared will always be my angel.

That is very sad and I am so sorry!!!
I can see why you are drawn to this case.

There was child abuse in my family, too. No one died from it
but it has deeply affected my relatives in many ways.

I wish some parents weren't so angry and desperate to take things out on their children.

Bless your heart ...

 

[mysteriew]

Two men who were among the last to see Evelyn Miller alive said Thursday the heat from both residents and police in the investigation of her murder has been overpowering.

Slick said investigators questioned him again Wednesday. Both men said they have turned over clothing and DNA samples and readily cooperated with authorities.

"They're dead set that Randy did this," Slick said. "I don't think he did it. I think the cops got something stuck in their head and they need someone to blame, is what I think."

Patrie said his lie detector test "probably made me look like a liar" because he didn't want to tell police that after he and Slick left Evelyn's apartment, he dropped off Slick at their apartment and went to visit a friend who is a convicted felon.

Patrie went off probation on a burglary conviction July 1, the day Evelyn disappeared, but his friend was still on probation and could get in trouble for being in contact with him, he said.

The friend wasn't home, "so I know my timeline isn't all that credible," he said.

Noel Miller and her fiance, Casey Frederiksen, were not available for comment Thursday after Evelyn's funeral.

According to Evelyn's grandparents, the Department of Human Services received 12 complaints from friends, relatives and school officials concerned about Evelyn's home life. Linda and Richard Christie believe child welfare workers should have done more to protect Evelyn.

But Gov. Tom Vilsack said Thursday that after reviewing child welfare workers' involvement with Evelyn and her family, he found no indication that the girl was in danger.

http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050715/NEWS01/507150418/1001&lead=1

 

[mysteriew]

Vilsack said calls to the agency about Evelyn stretch back four years, though he declined to say how many calls were made or who made them, other than to say some were made anonymously.

He said all but one of the calls did not appear serious enough for a DHS employee to conduct an investigation. And in that one investigation, the agency found no evidence of abuse or neglect.

While Vilsack declined to give specifics about the calls, he outlined a hypothetical situation of how a call might not lead to a thorough investigation. He said the agency may receive a report that a child has marks on his body from abuse, but if no marks are found when a DHS employee meets with the child, and no other evidence of abuse is found, the investigation would probably not go further.
http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2005/07/15/news/regional/bd71c50422e8e5918625703f004e07f2.txt

 

[concernedperson]

Some of these children continue to slip through the cracks and it is so maddening.

 

[vanillasky]

What a shame, they say they found no evidence of neglect or abuse, yet 12 different complaints.... doesn't make sense.... obviously if there are 12 complaints there is definitely something happening that shouldn't be. That is a good point someone made about her referring to her in the past tense before she was ever found... could be completely innocent, but maybe not... would like to know more about these complaints to Child Protective Services before I draw any more conclusions....

 

[Maddy's Mom]

Has anyone heard any updates? Any suspects? Thanks

 

[SewingDeb]

You can sign a guestbook here to express your sympathy to Evelyn's family:

Link To Guestbook

Thank you.

Kelly

Hi Kelly,
Your link takes me to the guestbook, but I don't find a place to type in my condolence message. How do I do that?

Thanks!

 

[soccermom2]

In todays local paper:

Evelyn Miller Update

Authorities in Floyd County are looking at the Iowa Sex Offender Registry in hopes that it will provide clues into the death of the 5 year old. Evelyn Miller disappeared from her Floyd home July 1. Her body was discovered July 6 along the Cedar River north of Charles City. The Floyd County Attorney said police are looking at the registry and have found five sex offenders who live in the county. The attorney said one registered sex offender lives next to Evelyn's grandmother in Charles City. There are no suspect or arrests in the case.

 

[cynara]

I haven't heard anything about a suspect yet. The autopsy is done, but no cause of death has even been given. Evelyn's case is written up nearly every day in the Waterloo Courier, maybe DM Register, and is on KWWL news, but nothing new.

This is all the more irritating because one way or another, we have a 'very dangerous' person lurking here among the 'merely dangerous' and none of us has been given the necessary information for keeping our kids safe. It could be anyone.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

it's absolutley sickening to see the amount of energy we put into reporting the things that happen to our children compared to the amount of energy we spend keeping them safe. But until we start to show initiative ourselves our government will not be doing much to stop it. It's been eating at me lately that we as the actual parents, family members, friends and just plain tired witnesses to the horrors our precious children are being subjected to need to stand up and starting working to end it. Databases that receive grant funding containing the contact information of those willing and able to volunteer knowledge and services of all types needed when children disappear that are there to really get people out in force when a child disappears, on a level higher and more in depth that what a police force with limited resources can do. A national movement calling for people to simply BE MORE AWARE and pledge to take a more active roll in caring not just for those children you know but ALL children. If you hear a child scream, will you lock your doors and pretend you don't hear it? NO. If you see a child alone in a park or on a street will you walk away and tell yourself someone else will take care of it? NO. Take all children to your heart as you would your own and simply work together as a group to stop what is happening.

also, i know that many cell phones even without service can still dial 911 so long as they are charged. With the wireless phone business booming as it is there must be millions of phones out there simply being thrown away. why not hold a national drive backed by the wireless companies to distribute them to parents to give to their children? If they are simply going to go to waste, it's worth it if it saves one child.

This is the best post I've ever seen. :woohoo:

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Hi Kelly,
Your link takes me to the guestbook, but I don't find a place to type in my condolence message. How do I do that?

Thanks!

Try this link darlin:

http://www.legacy.com/globegazette/Guestbook.asp?Page=Entry&PersonID=14469627

 

[Bobbisangel]

If nothing pans out with the registered sex offenders then maybe LE should look closer to home. Or turn that apt place upside down. Someone murdered that little girl darn it.

 

[Beyond Belief]

I think this is someone they know who also has a habit of showing up there in the middle of the night. Those two others didn't pan out, but if just acquaintances stop by in the middle of the night, then so do other people, like friends, who know the Mom isn't there.

Was this a sexual assault or just plain murder?

 

[mysteriew]

In todays local paper:

Evelyn Miller Update

Authorities in Floyd County are looking at the Iowa Sex Offender Registry in hopes that it will provide clues into the death of the 5 year old. Evelyn Miller disappeared from her Floyd home July 1. Her body was discovered July 6 along the Cedar River north of Charles City. The Floyd County Attorney said police are looking at the registry and have found five sex offenders who live in the county. The attorney said one registered sex offender lives next to Evelyn's grandmother in Charles City. There are no suspect or arrests in the case.

They are just now looking at sex offenders? Usually the sex offenders are checked out right in the beginning. Along with family and visitors to the home, sex offenders are on the priority list for investigation.