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Details of child slaying case remain sketchy

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Police say child was shaken, had skull fracture

By SUE McCLURE and SHEILA BURKE

The Tennessean

SPRING HILL -- Sketchy details were all that emerged yesterday in the case of a young Spring Hill mother accused of killing her 20-month-old daughter.

Stunned neighbors and colleagues offered few glimpses into the lives of Jennifer Alvey and her husband, and the tragic death of their daughter, Emma Mei, whom they adopted from China as an infant.

Jennifer Alvey surrendered to Spring Hill police yesterday after being indicted Monday on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated child neglect and reckless homicide in the death of Emma Mei. She could spend 51 years in prison before being eligible for parole if she's convicted of the most serious of those charges.

Police say Alvey, 34, of 2037 N. Amber Drive, shook the toddler back and forth before striking her head on a coffee table. An autopsy report was incomplete yesterday, pending lab results.

But police said Emma suffered a skull fracture and was taken Oct. 19 by ambulance to the emergency room of Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Spring Hill police began their investigation after receiving a call from officials at the hospital, where the girl died Oct. 24.

Yesterday, Jennifer Alvey kept her head down as police escorted her to a patrol car for the drive north to the Williamson County Jail, where she was booked and remains with bail set at $250,000, according to a jail official.

Alvey's husband, Phillip, who investigators say was not home at the time the incident occurred, and her attorney, Mark Puryear, accompanied her to the Police Department.

"At this time, the family is still mourning Emma's death,'' Puryear said. "It is a very sad time for the family, and now, dealing with these indictments.''

After his wife was taken to jail, Phillip Alvey, head down and hand raised to cover his face, strode to his Lexus and drove away.

Jennifer Alvey will be arraigned on the charges in Williamson County Circuit Court at 9 a.m. Monday, according to Spring Hill police detective Sgt. Steve Cretin, lead investigator in the case.

At a news conference yesterday, authorities offered few additional details, and would not say how they know the child's head was hit on the table and that she was shaken.

Cretin was asked whether the mother told him the details or investigators gleaned them on their own during the investigation.

"I got it from the investigation, the totality of the investigation, all those facts are still ..." Cretin said before he was abruptly cut off by Williamson County District Attorney General Ron Davis.

"We don't need to be commenting on the facts of the case," the prosecutor told him.

Davis said there were details that he couldn't give at this time.

Cretin and Davis were asked whether Jennifer Alvey had a prior criminal record or if she had other children, but the prosecutor declined to comment.

The state Department of Children's Services was involved in the October investigation into Emma's death, but there were no prior investigations involving the child, a department spokesman said.

Emma was taken to Williamson Medical Center on Sept. 27, but there was no indication that she had been abused, an official with the hospital said.

"She was treated and released to home the same day with no indicators that would trigger our calling (the Department of Human Services)," said Laura Bustetter, spokeswoman for the medical center.

The Alveys adopted Emma through Bethany Christian Services in Nashville.

Jennifer Alvey could face more time if she's found guilty on other charges, said outside legal expert Ed Yarbrough, a Nashville attorney.

She was charged with first-degree murder because she is accused of killing while committing a felony, child abuse. Prosecutors could seek the death penalty, but that's not likely because there would have to be additional aggravating circumstances, Yarbrough said.

Meanwhile, neighbors and coworkers of the Alveys offered little about them yesterday, though one -- Charlie Fink, who called 911 the day Emma died -- said they were looking for a church to attend.

"Jennifer and Phil Alvey were kind and loving parents who truly adored Emma," said Bryan Follis, who lives next door to the Alveys in the Campbell Station neighborhood.

Both Alveys work, though it was unclear whether Emma had been in childcare.

Jennifer Alvey worked part time at the Bone and Joint Clinic in Franklin, said Cretin, the Spring Hill police detective.

"She's a medical assistant, I believe,'' he said.

No one at the Bone and Joint Clinic would discuss Alvey or her work there.

Her husband is a used car manager at Saturn of Cool Springs, according to the dealership's general manager, Bob Miles.

Asked how long Alvey had been employed at the dealership, Miles said, "I don't want to give out that information.'' o

Child abuse

Of the 366 child abuse cases that were investigated in Williamson County in 2004-2005, about 24% were found to be abuse or neglect. Below is a list of total investigations and incidents of abuse or neglect that were uncovered in the past two years:

Williamson County child abuse investigations

Fiscal year 2004-05: 366 total investigations, 86 found to be abuse or neglect.

Fiscal year 2003-04: 246 total investigations, 57 found to be abuse or neglect.

Tennessee child abuse investigations

Fiscal year 2004-05: 57,168 total investigations, 12,052 found to be abuse or neglect.

Fiscal year 2003-04: 42,148 total investigations, 8,455 found to be abuse or neglect.

SOURCE: Tennessee Department of Children's Services

GRAPHIC; PHOTO, CREDIT: JEANNE REASONOVER / STAFF: CAPTION: Jennifer Alvey is led to a police car by Spring Hill detective Sgt. Steve Cretin after she surrendered. Alvey has been indicted in the death of her 20-month-old adopted daughter. --- CAPTION: The investigation into Emma Mei Alvey's death began after she was taken to VU Children's Hospital.

2005 Dec 14