Case news

Most recent articles added to the case archives

Two nabbed for child trafficking

Date: 2013-05-03

Raj Shekhar, TNN

NEW DELHI: The owner of a nursing home and a woman were arrested for trying to sell a two-month-old baby for Rs 3 lakh. The accused, Sumit Sharma (28), is a resident of northeast Delhi's GTB Enclave while the woman, Niharika (26), is from Chhatarpur, south Delhi. The crime branch arrested them from Loni in NCR. Niharika used to get Rs 40,000 for every deal, cops said.

Army Major, Wife Make Bail in NJ Child Abuse Case

Date: 2013-05-02

An Army major and his wife accused in New Jersey of abusing their three foster children are free on $250,000 bail each.

John and Carolyn Jackson of Mount Holly appeared in federal court Thursday in Newark. They were ordered to have no contact with children.

The couple allegedly abused the children while John Jackson was stationed at the Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County from 2007 to 2012. Prosecutors say the couple broke bones, withheld food and forced the children to eat hot sauce and peppers.

NJ Couple Faces Federal Child Abuse Charges

Date: 2013-04-30

By DAVID PORTER
Associated Press

An Army major and his wife disciplined their three foster children over a span of several years by withholding food and water and assaulting them severely enough to cause broken bones, a federal indictment released Tuesday charged.

Nicollet County judge terminates parental rights of couple accused of starving their son

Date: 2013-04-18

By Dan Nienaber

ST PETER — An 8-year-old boy taken from his parents' rural North Mankato home last year after they were charged with felony neglect and abuse will not be returned, according to a judge's order.

Judge ends parents' rights in MN starved boy case

Date: 2013-04-18

by: STEVE KARNOWSKI

MINNEAPOLIS - A judge has terminated the parental rights of a Minnesota couple accused of starving their 8-year-old adopted son, calling him the victim of preventable circumstances.

Chauvinist Pygmalion

Date: 2013-04-05

In 18th century England, Thomas Day adopted a little girl and tried to mold her into the perfect wife.

By Torie Bosch

Couple sentenced for stealing $830,000 from adopted son

Date: 2013-03-27

Couple sentenced for stealing $830,000 from adopted son
Jerzy Shedlock
March 27, 2013

An Alaska couple was sentenced Wednesday in Anchorage for spending about $830,000 from a trust fund established for their adopted child on their own personal purchases, like jewelry and a renovated home in Washington.

Anchorage couple sentenced for emptying son's trust fund

Date: 2013-03-27

Anchorage couple sentenced for emptying son's trust fund
Published: March 27, 2013

By CASEY GROVE — casey.grove@adn.com

An Anchorage couple will spend nearly four years behind bars for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from their adopted son.

Edward Drones, 62, and his wife Lori Wiley-Drones, 57, pleaded guilty in January to five counts of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return. On Tuesday, a judge sentenced each of the Drones to 46 months in prison.

Woman vents anger on adopted baby, causing her death

Date: 2013-03-26

Woman vents anger on adopted baby, causing her death
(Shanghai Daily)

10:47, March 06, 2013

A 28-year-old woman tossed her adopted daughter to the ground in a quarrel with her husband and caused the 6-month baby to die. But she lied to police that the girl suffered severe injuries in a car accident.

The woman surnamed Lian has been detained by police in the southern city of Shenzhen on suspicion of intentional injury, a local newspaper reported today.

Medical examiner releases Shatto autopsy

Date: 2013-03-26

Medical examiner releases Shatto autopsy

BY JON VANDERLAAN jvanderlaan@oaoa.com | Posted: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 5:20 pm

Editor’s note: The information contained in this report is extremely graphic and may be offensive to some readers.

More than two months after the death of a Russian boy who was adopted by a Gardendale couple caused an international furor, some light is being shed on possible reasons why 3-year-old Russian adoptee Max Shatto died.

Autopsy report provides insight in death of Russian boy adopted by West Texas family

Date: 2013-03-26

By The Associated Press
ODESSA — A 3-year-old adopted by a West Texas couple had more than 30 bruises and other marks on his body as well as signs that he was routinely injured by accident, according to an autopsy report released Tuesday.

Russian authorities have blamed Max Alan Shatto's death on abusive treatment by his adoptive parents, despite West Texas authorities' insistence that the boy's death was an accident. An Ector County grand jury has declined to indict the parents, Alan and Laura Shatto, who also adopted his half brother, Kristopher.

Vancouver couple sentenced for imprisoning, beating adopted twins

Date: 2013-03-20

By Paris Achen
Columbian Staff Reporter
Originally published March 20, 2013 at 4:34 p.m., updated March 20, 2013 at 8:18 p.m.

Vancouver parents Sandra and Jeffrey Weller were sentenced Wednesday to 20 and 21 years in prison, respectively, for imprisoning, starving and beating their adopted twins.

The sentences were delivered before a standing-room-only crowd by Clark County Superior Court Judge Barbara Johnson. Jeffrey Weller, 43, and Sandra Weller 50, were dressed in navy blue jumpsuits. The twins, a boy and girl now 17, sat in the front row.

Local couple guilty in child abuse case sentenced to 20 years

Date: 2013-03-20

VANCOUVER, WA (KPTV) -
A Vancouver couple convicted of imprisoning and beating their adopted children will spend 20 years behind bars.

Jeffrey and Sandra Weller were sentenced in court Wednesday. She received 20 years, while he was sentenced to 21 years.

"I love my children and would do anything for my children," Sandra Weller said in court. "I wish the truth would come out."

US Parents Cleared in Death of Adopted Russian Boy

Date: 2013-03-19

02:45 19/03/2013
Originally published at 1:07

ODESSA, TEXAS March 18 (RIA Novosti) – Prosecutors in Ector County, Texas said Monday that Alan and Laura Shatto, the American parents whose adopted Russian toddler died suddenly in January, will not be charged in the boy’s death.

Gilbert woman pleads guilty in child abuse case

Date: 2013-03-19

PHOENIX (AP) - A Gilbert woman accused of abusing her adopted son has pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse.

Maricopa County prosecutors say 40-year-old Jennifer Louise Barnes entered into a plea agreement Tuesday.

She will be sentenced on April 26.

Barnes was arrested in September 2011 on suspicion of child abuse and sexual contact with a minor.

According to court documents, the then 10-year-old boy told investigators that Barnes allegedly forced dog feces into his mouth and then taped it shut using duct tape.