FOSTER MOM CHARGED IN CHILD'S DEATH

Miami Herald, The (FL)

Author: From Herald Wire Services

Dateline: TREASURE ISLAND

A state-paid foster mother has been charged with third- degree murder and manslaughter in the July 21 death of a 4- month-old baby in her overcrowded home, described by police as a "pig sty."

Judith Lundy, 47, was arrested and booked into Pinellas County Jail Monday, charged in the death of Corey Greer. She was released on $15,000 bond Tuesday. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.

An autopsy report concluded the child died of dehydration and hypernatremia -- too much sodium in the blood. Two of three possible reasons for that condition include an improper mixture of formula, police detective John Remedis said in a sworn statement.

Lundy, who is white, left Corey in the care of an 8-year- old foster child because she didn't want to take care of a black child, Remedis said. The 8-year-old girl, he said, was left with the responsibility of feeding Corey, changing his diapers and tending to his other needs.

Lundy has repeatedly insisted she did nothing wrong and liked Corey very much.

Remedis said, however, that Lundy told two volunteers with the state Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, the agency that licenses foster homes and places children in them, "she did not think it was fair that she had to watch black children."

HRS Secretary David Pingree said that if Pinellas County social workers were aware of Lundy's preference to avoid caring for black children, their use of that knowledge needs to be looked into.

Corey's death sparked a review of and changes in state policies for children who must be placed in foster or emergency shelters. The HRS investigation resulted in disciplinary action against 13 state social workers because 12 foster children were placed in a home that was licensed for four.

Remedis said Lundy also failed to use a heart monitor Corey needed because "the beeping noise kept her awake," adding that symptoms of the child's illness "would have been clearly observable" to an adult two or three days before he died.

Remedis said she was warned twice that Corey might be ill: first by the HRS volunteers who told her they thought he was sleeping too much; then by the young girl caring for him the day before he died.

Remedis said the 8-year-old told Lundy the baby looked funny and that something was wrong with him. He said Lundy considered taking Corey to a hospital that night, but changed her mind and put him to bed about 11 p.m.

At 2:30 p.m. the following day, she found Corey was not breathing and called emergency workers, Remedis said. When paramedics arrived, he said, it took Lundy 30 minutes to find the heart monitoring device.