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CEDARVILLE PAIR'S ADOPTEES RETURN

December 24, 1992

Janice Haidet

Dayton Daily News

A Cedarville couple is getting the best Christmas present they could've imagined: their adoptive children are being returned to them.

Greene County Juvenile Court Judge Robert A. Hagler on Wednesday ordered three handicapped children returned to Kathleen and Timothy Carroll. "I'm delirious. This is just too wonderful for words." said Kathleen Carroll.

The adoptive parents of 10, the Carrolls had seen four children die within three months. They still face involuntary manslaughter charges in the September death of 6-year-old Hannah, who died after apparently ingesting household bleach.

"The return of custody would be in their best interest emotionally and physically," said Hagler following the ruling that returned Samuel, 4, a Down syndrome child, and two boys with motor impairment, Isaiah, 11, and Josiah, 10, to the Carroll home on Straley Road.

Before the Wednesday ruling, Judge Hagler spent more than three hours in conferences Tuesday with Greene County Prosecutor William F. Schenck and with attorneys, including John H. Rion of Dayton, representing the Carrolls.

"I don't agree with the decision. I understand the decision, but I still have some concerns," Schenck said.

Hannah died Sept. 21 of burns to her skin and lungs. After Hannah's death, an infant girl, Chloe, was returned to foster care. The girl, who was born with a underdeveloped brain, died in Columbus shortly thereafter. In November, another Carroll child, Noah, a 3-year-old crack baby, died. The deaths of Chloe and Noah were not considered suspicious.

But officials were concerned about the death of Mollie, a 3-year-old with severe mental retardation. She was found dead in bed on Dec. 9 - and appeared to have been that way for 12 hours before emergency crews were called.

Officials removed the remaining children from the home that day.

Two boys without handicaps, James, 16, and Hosea, 9, were returned to the home two days later.

Since Hannah's death, Greene County Children Services has been involved in the case; on Wednesday, the court ordered Children Services to continue protective supervision of all the Carroll children.

A custody review hearing is set for Jan. 15, four days before the Carrolls are set for trial on the charges in Hannah's death.