Ex-Caseworker Faces New Charges In Boy's Death
Prosecutor: Woman Lied About Doing Background Check
INDIANAPOLIS -- A Marion County grand jury Thursday indicted a former social services caseworker on neglect and obstruction of justice charges in connection with a boy's 2002 death.
Denise Moore (pictured, left) is accused of failing to conduct a criminal history background check when she helped place Anthony Bars and his twin sister with adoptive parents, and lying later about doing a background check.
Anthony was 4 when he died in January 2002 of dehydration while in the care of L.B. and Latricia Bars, authorities said.
A judge in December sentenced Latricia Bars to 13 years in prison and L.B. Bars to eight years for child neglect. Anthony's sister and the couple's other children have been placed in other homes.
Moore, who was fired this year from her job at the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration as a result of the case, also is accused of misclassifying Anthony and his sister the children as relatives of the Bars.
Last month, Moore was charged with misdemeanors in connection with the case: two counts of official misconduct and one count of transmitting false information in an adoption proceeding.
Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said he wants to consolidate Thursday's charges with the ones filed last month.
The neglect charges facing Moore carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, RTV6 reported.
Though an autopsy after Anthony's death showed he died of dehydration, a medical examiner also found the boy had head injuries and a broken collarbone.
The couple told police the child had fallen down a flight of stairs the day before. Authorities said the couple did not take the child to a hospital until he already was dead.
Brizzi said a background check would have found at least two other cases of substantiated abuse in the Bars' home. A background check also would have found that L.B. Bars had a prior felony battery conviction for whipping his daughter with an extension cord, the prosecutor said.