exposing the dark side of adoption
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Hannah, Noah, Molly and Joshua Carroll

public
1992 Sep 21
True

homestudy

Montgomery County Children Services

placement

Cuyahoga County Children Services Board Adoption by Gentle Care, Project Impact Inc
Four children adopted by Kathleen and Timothy Carroll die under suspicious circumstances.

Chronology

  • 1991 Anne Marie, 19,  placed with the Carrolls in 1985. She attempts to burn family home in Madison Twp. and and subsequently placed in custody of the Ohio Department of Youth Services. She claims most of the care for 10 children in the house hold lies on her shoulders and her biological brother James.
  • Sept. 21, 1992, the first death: Hannah, 6, a Down syndrome child, dies. Parents say she was "doing fine" after household bleach was spilled on her three days earlier, but evidence showed the child suffered horribly, with chemical burns inside her lungs and over nearly one-third of her body. Until this incident, Greene County Children Services is unaware of the family, which had 10 adopted children, all with physical, mental or emotional problems. Originally from Massachusetts, they moved to Madison Twp. in 1990, and then to Cedarville two months before Hannah died. The agency's attempt to get emergency custody of the remaining children is denied.
  • October-December 1992, three more deaths: A 1-month-old child, Chloe, who was born with only a brain stem and no brain, dies Oct. 19 in the care of the Columbus adoption agency that had placed her with the Carrolls. On Nov. 15, Noah, 3, a "crack" baby who suffered brain damage and seizures, dies. Officials express extreme concern after Mollie, a 3-year-old with mental retardation and severe allergies, appears to have been dead for 12 hours before she was found Dec. 9. County Juvenile Judge Robert A. Hagler removes the remaining children from the home, but returns them two days before Christmas.
  • January 1993, a guilty plea: Kathleen and Timothy Carroll, originally charged with involuntary manslaughter, plead guilty to child neglect charges in Hannah's death, admitting they should have sought medical treatment for her burns. They are placed on five years' probation and they agree to adopt no more children without prior court consent.
  • June 1993, the fifth death: After several months of little activity in the case, Josiah, a 12-year-old with cerebral palsy, dies. Again, officials become alarmed and ask for removal of the remaining children, but the request is denied.
  • July 1993, the inquest: The county's first inquest in a decade produces inconsistencies between experts' testimony and family members' stories about the deaths, and Judge Hagler removes himself from the case, citing innuendos about his objectivity.
  • August 1993, the charge and the removal: The family's eldest son, James, then 17, is charged with delinquency by reason of involuntary manslaughter because he was supervising Hannah at the time of the injury that caused her death. The new judge in the case, Richard T. Cole, orders Samuel, then 5, and Isaiah, then 11, removed from the Carroll home and placed in foster care.
  • October 1993, the exhumations: Despite the Carrolls' protests, the bodies of Mollie and Josiah are exhumed from their Preble County graves to allow further investigation of their deaths.
  • November 1993, the trial: After a three-day trial, Cole acquits James of all charges. The family then spends several days trying to convince Cole to return Samuel and Isaiah to the home.
  • December 1993, the custody ruling: In a harshly worded decision, Cole tells the Carrolls that their two handicapped children will stay in foster care at least for a while because the Carrolls have no plan to care for them and have refused outside help.
  • April 1994, the battle resumes: The Carrolls again argue to get their children back, and they also ask that their probation be lifted. They're denied on both counts.
  • May 1994, home visits begin: Previously visiting Samuel and Isaiah at the Children Services Board's office, the Carrolls are elated to have their children come to their home for visits.
  • June 1994, a new accusation: Officials file for permanent custody of Samuel and Isaiah and ask that James be kept separate from them. Prosecutors say Isaiah, who cannot speak, implicated James in Josiah's death. After a lengthy custody hearing, Cole rules that home visits can resume as long as James is not present.
  • November 1994, in court again: Questions linger about the deaths. Meanwhile, officials try to get permanent custody of Samuel and Isaiah, saying that the Carrolls, even after more than a year of working with Children Services, still fail to acknowledge how much care the youngsters need. The Carrolls say, however, that they're determined to demonstrate that the children would do best living with them.
  • May 1995, Samuel and Isaiah return to the Carrolls
  • October 1997 Carrolls regained the right to home school Samuel and Isaiah

Despite being called a homicide, no one was ever charged in the case of Noah.

Documents

Title Publication date
CARROLLS WILL HOME-SCHOOL DISABLED SONS 1997 Oct 21
CARROLLS' CRUSADE CONTINUES 1996 Apr 3
NO HOME-SCHOOLING FOR 2 DISABLED BOYS, JUDGE TELLS FAMILY 1995 Aug 10
JUDGE SAYS RULING WILL BE SPEEDY 1995 Jul 8
2 CHILDREN RETURNED TO CARROLLS' CUSTODY 1995 May 19
OFFICIAL SAYS CARROLLS CLOSE TO GETTING SONS 1994 Dec 20
CARROLL SON MEETS WITH GRAND JURY 1994 Dec 1
PROSECUTOR TO CONTINUE PROBE OF CARROLL DEATH 1994 Nov 30
CARROLL CASE NOT EXACTLY ONE OF A KIND 1994 Nov 30
CARROLLS GET 2 FOR HOLIDAYS 1994 Nov 29
CARROLL FAMILY CUSTODY CASE BACK IN COURT 1994 Nov 28
JUDGE ALLOWS PICTURES OF FOSTER KIDS 1994 Jul 30
PROSECUTOR TELLS CARROLLS: NO MORE PICTURES 1994 Jul 27
GREENE JUDGE OKS SOME CARROLLS' VISIT WITH ADOPTED SON 1994 Jul 7
JUDGE TO LET CARROLLS TALK TO ACCUSING SON 1994 Jul 6
THERAPIST CONDUCTS INTERVIEW 1994 Jul 1
SPEECH THERAPIST TO INTERVIEW BOY, TESTIFY IN START OF CARROLL TRIAL 1994 Jun 30
ISAIAH CARROLL'S LIFE IS IMPONDERABLE 1994 Jun 22
CARROLLS SEEK TO INTERVIEW ACCUSING CHILD 1994 Jun 15
BOY SAW SLAYING, HE TELLS 1994 Jun 14
CARROLLS' WISH COMES TRUE TODAY 1994 May 20
CARROLLS TO GET HOME VISITS WITH KIDS 1994 May 19
CARROLLS TRY TO REGAIN CUSTODY OF 2 CHILDREN 1994 Apr 30
NEWS COVERAGE UNFAIR, CARROLL TELLS AUDIENCE 1993 Dec 18
2 CARROLLS STAY IN FOSTER CARE 1993 Dec 7
CUSTODY DECISION STILL UP IN THE AIR 1993 Nov 28
CARROLLS: GIVE BACK CHILDREN 1993 Nov 27
2ND DEATH OF CARROLL CHILD RULED HOMICIDE 1993 Nov 25
CUSTODY FIGHT 'RELIGIOUS WAR,' CARROLLS SAY 1993 Nov 24
CARROLLS SEEK CUSTODY 1993 Nov 23
CARROLL SON ACQUITTED 1993 Nov 4
CARROLL'S DEFENSE RESTS 1993 Nov 3
EXPERT QUESTIONS STORY 1993 Nov 2
NEW JUDGE SOUGHT IN CARROLL CASE 1993 Oct 28
SON FACES 5 MORE CHARGES 1993 Oct 26
EXHUMED BODIES ADEQUATE FOR TESTING, PROSECUTOR SAYS 1993 Oct 21
'IT'S JUST WRONG,' ADOPTIVE MOM SAYS OF EXHUMATION 1993 Oct 20
2 BODIES OF CHILDREN EXHUMED 1993 Oct 19
GREENE PROSECUTOR APPEALS EXHUMATION DELAY 1993 Oct 16
CARROLLS WIN DELAY OF EXHUMATIONS 1993 Oct 15
AUTHORITIES TO EXHUME CHILDREN 1993 Oct 13
PREBLE JUDGE CONSIDERING CARROLL EXHUMATIONS 1993 Oct 9
EXHUMATIONS PUT ON HOLD 1993 Sep 30
JUDGE WON'T ALTER STATUS OF CARROLLS 1993 Sep 11
JUDGE TO GET NEW PLAN FOR CARROLL CHILDREN 1993 Sep 10
DEATH CASE TWISTS 1993 Sep 9
DEATH CALLED HOMICIDE 1993 Sep 2
2 CARROLL CHILDREN TO STAY IN FOSTER CARE FOR NOW 1993 Aug 31
CARROLLS TO TRY AGAIN TO REGAIN 2 BOYS 1993 Aug 28
CARROLL BOY FAINTS DURING VISITATION 1993 Aug 27
GREENE COUNTY RESPONDS TO CARROLLS' MOVE FOR WRIT 1993 Aug 25
CARROLLS CHALLENGE ORDER 1993 Aug 24
CARROLLS LOSE 2 CHILDREN 1993 Aug 18
A VIEW FROM THE COURTHOUSE LOBBY 1993 Aug 18
CARROLL CASE OPTION URGED 1993 Aug 14
GREENE JUDGE EXPLAINS DECISION ON CARROLLS 1993 Aug 10
CARROLL QUESTIONS LINGER 1993 Aug 9
JUDGE LETS CARROLLS KEEP CHILDREN 1993 Aug 7
PEOPLE NEED AN EXPLANATION FROM JUDGE ON CARROLL DECISION 1993 Aug 7
JUVENILE CHARGED IN DEATH 1993 Aug 6
CARROLLS MAY LOSE CHILDREN 1993 Aug 4
TIME TO GET THE KIDS OUT OF THE CARROLL HOUSE 1993 Aug 4
CORONER ORDERS CARROLLS TO TESTIFY 1993 Aug 3
WE MUST FIND A WAY TO PROTECT CHILDREN 1993 Aug 1
PROFILE OF THE CARROLL FAMILY 1993 Aug 1
INQUEST RAISES MORE CONCERN ABOUT CARROLLS 1993 Aug 1
JUDGE STEPS ASIDE 1993 Jul 31
GIRL TRIED TO PROTECT SELF 1993 Jul 30
EXPERTS CAST DOUBT ON CARROLLS' STORY 1993 Jul 29
INQUEST POINTS TO BUSY HOME FOR HANDICAPPED 1993 Jul 28
INQUEST INTO CEDARVILLE CHILDREN'S DEATHS SET TO BEGIN 1993 Jul 24
INQUEST POSTPONED IN CEDARVILLE DEATHS 1993 Jun 26
LAWYER TOLD DEPUTIES TO LEAVE CARROLL DEATH SCENE 1993 Jun 23
INQUEST SET FOR CEDARVILLE FAMILY 1993 Jun 22
CEDARVILLE FAMILY LOSES 5TH CHILD 1993 Jun 16
CARROLLS PLEAD TO LESSER CHARGE, GET PROBATION 1993 Jan 20
HEARING TODAY TO DECIDE IF COUPLE WHOSE DAUGHTER DIED GO TO TRIAL 1993 Jan 19
CEDARVILLE PAIR'S HEARING PUT OFF UNTIL JAN. 19 1993 Jan 9
HOME FOR CHRISTMAS 1992 Dec 24
ISSUES MUST BE FACED IN CARROLL CASE 1992 Dec 13
2 BOYS BACK HOME WITH CEDARVILLE PARENT 1992 Dec 12
PARENTS AWAIT CHILDREN'S FATE 1992 Dec 11
ADOPTION LIMITS MAY BE SET 1992 Dec 11
CEDARVILLE COUPLE SEE 4TH CHILD DIE 1992 Dec 10
NATURAL CAUSES CITED IN 3-YEAR-OLD'S DEATH 1992 Nov 17
CEDARVILLE PAIR LOSES 3RD CHILD 1992 Nov 16
'NOBODY BELIEVES US' 1992 Nov 15
JUDGE ASKED TO THROW OUT INDICTMENT IN CHILD'S DEATH 1992 Oct 23
PARENTS OF DEAD GIRL INDICTED 1992 Oct 17
JURY PROBES GIRL'S DEATH 1992 Oct 15
OFFICIALS SEEK MORE DATA ON DEATH OF GIRL 1992 Sep 26
GRIEF AFTER CHILD'S DEATH 1992 Sep 24
GIRL DIES AFTER TOYING WITH BLEACH 1992 Sep 23

Location

Cedarville