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

[MistyM]

Done. I'm actually crying and I'm no softie.

 

[melanief]

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.

 

[Kelly]

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

Link To Guestbook

Thank you.

Kelly

 

[Beyond Belief]

thanks kelly.

 

[magnum]

Done. I'm actually crying and I'm no softie.

@ MistyM Thank you for your kind comments.

 

[mysteriew]

Foul play has been confirmed in the death of 5-year-old Evelyn Miller, who was reported missing July 1 and whose body was found last week in the Cedar River, officials said Monday.

http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050711/NEWS01/507110341/1001&lead=1

 

[surf_moon_stars]

mysteriewFoul play has been confirmed in the death of 5-year-old Evelyn Miller, who was reported missing July 1 and whose body was found last week in the Cedar River, officials said Monday.

http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs...341/1001&lead=1

Thank you for the update mysteriew

I am very saddned by this story, and so sad to know that DHS had been around so close to the time of her disappearence.



That concerns me, if the front door could be popped open with a screwdriver, than anyone living or visiting that building could have seen the mom or fiance doing this to unlock a door.

I am in shock right now reading this information, and can not understand for the life of me why her mother could work at Kmart, and yet not bother buying a new lock for their front door, unless Kmart does not sell doorhandles there. :waitasec: That is JMO, as each store does not always stock the same items.




I am going to check my local Kmart today, as I will be out shopping today and will see if ours does stock door handles.

Either way, if they do not sell them there, What the heck.....the basic cost of a front door handle could be about $20.00 or so.




If that money could have not been scraped together to be spent for the safety of (3) young children living there, then that causes my BIGGEST red flag of all, there was no concern for safety of the children if a new lock for the front door was not purchased immediately upon being broken.. :doh:


What upsets me more is the fiance was asleep in the other room, and a five-year old girl is or sleeps on the couch, and answering a door at 2 or so in the morning.

This is is something a FIVE YEAR old or any young child should be told to NEVER do, is to NOT openi any door at any time without mom or dad or guardian present. :banghead:


Someone may have walked in and taken her, but when a little girl is answering doors, let alone, up at that time or woken up at that time to have to answer a door is not my idea of looking out for yout little ones.




I am going to read up more on this case, and post back soon.

Thank you for providing updated information, it is very appreciated.

 

[magnum]

I encourage everyone here at WS that has followed Evelyn's case since it started to please leave a comment for Evelyn.


http://nvfc.us/blog/?p=6

Thank you NVFC for providing an area where we can voice our concerns as well as leave comments for Evelyn.

 

[angarella]

Foul play has been confirmed in the death of 5-year-old Evelyn Miller, who was reported missing July 1 and whose body was found last week in the Cedar River, officials said Monday.

http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050711/NEWS01/507110341/1001&lead=1

Am I just being really slow today? The above article has the grandmother saying that DHS had been involved with this family and they suspected Evelyn had been abused. But then she goes on to say how Evelyn's mother and fiance tried to show Evelyn how much they loved her, but she still seemed sad?????????? Well of course she was sad if there was abuse and/or neglect going on. Maybe I misunderstood the article. Help?

TIA

 

[kahskye]

Am I just being really slow today? The above article has the grandmother saying that DHS had been involved with this family and they suspected Evelyn had been abused. But then she goes on to say how Evelyn's mother and fiance tried to show Evelyn how much they loved her, but she still seemed sad?????????? Well of course she was sad if there was abuse and/or neglect going on. Maybe I misunderstood the article. Help?

TIA

This article is a little confusing, or I'm just tired from all the yardwork I did today. I guess if I suspected abuse, I would have made darn sure someone was looking into it. I'm not pointing fingers, but has this fiancee been questioned? I don't even let my 9 yr old answer the door, much less a 5 yr old! I also think that's being pretty irresponsible not to replace a broken lock. The children's safety should come first!

Reading this really caused me to tear up:

"Evelyn spent alternate weekends and holidays with her father, Andy, and stepmother, Lindsey, in Waterloo, and loved to come to Windsor Heights to see her paternal grandparents. They played dress up, baked cakes and visited Adventureland together. They had been plotting to surprise the girl with a big trunk filled with dresses, heels, beads and boas for Christmas."

It seems like Evelyn had some stablilty on her father's side (David Weston) and was dearly loved. I actually teared up reading how Evelyn called her stepmother's, father "Grandpa No Dog" because his wife wouldn't allow him to have a dog.

The Christies have suspected she'd been abducted and sexually assaulted.
I think they may know more than the public is being told being they intend to circulate petitions calling for new national laws for sexual predators at Evelyn's visitation and funeral.

What a beautiful little girl she was. I bet the angels are all fighting over who gets to take care of her.

 

[mysteriew]

It did not surprise 5-year-old Evelyn Miller's grandparents when authorities confirmed Monday that foul play was involved in the girl's disappearance and death.

For weeks before the Floyd girl's body was found Wednesday in the Cedar River, Linda and Richard Christie had suspected Evelyn might be in danger - because more than a dozen complaints of abuse or neglect had been made to child welfare officials with the Department of Human Services.

No one has been charged in the girl's death.

The Christies, who live in Windsor Heights, said they never called the state agency, but knew that other relatives, friends and school officials had reported concerns about Evelyn's home life.

Their son, Andy Christie of Waterloo, who is Evelyn's father, was notified about the complaints.

http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050712/NEWS01/507120381/1001&lead=1

 

[magnum]

I encourage everyone here at WS that has followed Evelyn's case since it started to please leave a comment for Evelyn.


http://nvfc.us/blog/?p=6

Bumping for Evelyn. I hope that there is a thorough investigation into the inner family because something does not site right that the DHS was involved and the Grandparents had concerns.

 

[madgallico]

More than a dozen complaints :furious: Do we know who the complaints were aimed at? The mother, the mother's boyfriend, or both?

I read that the fiance passed the polygraph. Okay, there are some people who are guilty but still do pass & some who are innocent but fail it.
I hate even thinking this way. What if he woke up & was furious that little Evelyn had opened the door. He became enraged & killed her.

I hope this is not the case, but someone did murder this innocent child. It just seems to be a common occurrence with parents & boyfriends taking children's lives.

Between sexual deviants & physically abusive adults, some children never have a chance to live the lives they are entitled to.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

More than a dozen complaints :furious: Do we know who the complaints were aimed at? The mother, the mother's boyfriend, or both?

I read that the fiance passed the polygraph. Okay, there are some people who are guilty but still do pass & some who are innocent but fail it.
I hate even thinking this way. What if he woke up & was furious that little Evelyn had opened the door. He became enraged & killed her.

I hope this is not the case, but someone did murder this innocent child. It just seems to be a common occurrence with parents & boyfriends taking children's lives.

Between sexual deviants & physically abusive adults, some children never have a chance to live the lives they are entitled to.

Yes, I agree and it's a damn shame.

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

 

[mysteriew]

Using authority granted to him after the beating death of a Spirit Lake toddler, Gov. Tom Vilsack said Tuesday he will review records of state child welfare workers' involvement with the family of Evelyn Miller, the 5-year-old girl who was found in the Cedar River six days after she disappeared from her mother's apartment in Floyd.

In the wake of criticism from Evelyn's grandparents about the Department of Human Services, which they say had received about 12 reports from people concerned about Evelyn's home life, Vilsack spoke passionately about not jumping to any conclusions.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050713/NEWS01/507130356/1001/NEWS

 

[dr dona]

Using authority granted to him after the beating death of a Spirit Lake toddler, Gov. Tom Vilsack said Tuesday he will review records of state child welfare workers' involvement with the family of Evelyn Miller, the 5-year-old girl who was found in the Cedar River six days after she disappeared from her mother's apartment in Floyd.

In the wake of criticism from Evelyn's grandparents about the Department of Human Services, which they say had received about 12 reports from people concerned about Evelyn's home life, Vilsack spoke passionately about not jumping to any conclusions.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article

We never jump to conclusions in Iowa until the kids are dead! Our Republican dominated legislature need to stop stalling with social service budgets and raise the cigarette tax. Our DHS caseworkers are overloaded and many are inexperienced. Due to cuts in State funding U of I had to close alot of High Risk children's Clinics! The legislators yak and yak and do nothing but finger-point! Than when a child dies in a ?abusive home everyone goes nuts. We need solutions for the children of Iowa not political rhetoric!
Dr Dona- po'ed Pediatrician!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[vanillasky]

Thank you everyone for all the articles about this case... there hasn't been much in the news about it unfortunately. I hope the person (s) involved are brought to justice soon.

That just made me tear up too.... the part where she called him Grandpa No Dog.

 

[BaltoMom]

I said it in another thread, but I'm telling you there was something creepy about Evelyn's mother referring to the child in the past tense -- the night BEFORE her body was discovered. "Evelyn was a happy girl," "Evelyn loved school..." stuff like that. It was repeated several times, not just one slip. Someone else said that stuff like that happens, but there was something about the way she said it that made me think that she (the mom) already knew that Evelyn was dead.

Sandy

 

[mysteriew]

It's the day her father is calling the hardest so far. Funeral services for five-year-old Evelyn Miller wrapped up a little after noon today, in Charles City.

The search for Evelyn Miller brought an entire community together, and today that same community is united in grief.

People began arriving as early as 9:30 this morning, overflowing the sanctuary and the surrounding hallways. Inside displays were set up with some of Evelyn's favorite toys, candy and pictures. In the sanctuary, nearly 3 dozen bouquets of flowers lined the alter.

We should mention the Department of Human Services confirmed to us this morning that there is an open child neglect assessment involving the Evelyn Miller case. The DHS says, that means there were allegations brought and that they were credible enough to investigate. If the allegation are proven true, they would constitute neglect. The assessment must be completed in the next twenty days and after that it will be public record.

http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3593489&nav=LotCc86v

 

[nvfc]

We should mention the Department of Human Services confirmed to us this morning that there is an open child neglect assessment involving the Evelyn Miller case. The DHS says, that means there were allegations brought and that they were credible enough to investigate. If the allegation are proven true, they would constitute neglect. The assessment must be completed in the next twenty days and after that it will be public record.

http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3593489&nav=LotCc86v

Vilsack reviews DHS records
By Dan Gearino

DES MOINES n Gov. Tom Vilsack said Thursday that there was no way the Iowa Department of Human Services could have predicted or prevented the murder of 5-year-old Evelyn Miller of Floyd, a conclusion he reached after reviewing the file of the department's response to warnings about the girl's safety.

"I did not find anything in the file that suggested or indicated to me that this child was at risk of being abducted or harmed in any way," Vilsack said at a news conference.

Evelyn's body was found last Wednesday in the Cedar River, nearly a week after she was reported missing by her mother. Nobody has been arrested and there are few details available about the investigation or the circumstances of her death.

The Department of Human Services, or DHS, came under scrutiny this week when Evelyn's paternal grandparents said the agency had been warned about her safety a dozen times. The said DHS was negligent for not taking greater action.

DHS Director Kevin Concannon launched an investigation Monday into his office's contact with the girl and her family. Vilsack said Tuesday he would conduct his own review.

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.

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