Girl's fatal head injury angers grandparents

Canton officers probing incident at a foster home

Jack Kresnak

Detroit Free Press

Sep. 28--Despite living in a stranger's foster home, 2-year-old Allison Newman was "happy-go-lucky, full of life and cheerful," Allison's grandmother said Wednesday. "Every picture that we've ever seen, she's looked happy," said Debbie Newman of Westland. Debbie and her husband, Ken Newman, said they were shocked and then angered when they learned that their granddaughter died Saturday after sustaining a head injury in a state-licensed foster home in Canton. Police are investigating the injury of the 2-year-old who had been in foster care since age 6 months because, according to Wayne County Family Court records, her parents were cocaine addicts and unable to provide a suitable home.

Washtenaw County Medical Examiner Dr. Bader Cassin said the child died of a onetime catastrophic head injury and her body showed no other signs of abuse, but he is waiting for more information from police before concluding the death was an accident or a homicide. Allison's court-appointed lawyer, Gregory Schueller, said he saw the child once or twice this year in the foster home of Carol and Alan Poole in Canton and everything appeared fine. Carol Poole told police that Allison was injured last Thursday while playing, Canton Police Sgt. Rick Pomorski said. At 2 a.m. Friday, Carol Poole found the child unresponsive in bed, police said. Allison died at Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor.

The Pooles have not responded to messages for comment. They are licensed with Lutheran Social Services of Michigan, a private, nonprofit agency.

Contact JACK KRESNAK at jkresnak@freepress.com.