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$901,000 awarded after toddler's death

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By Sharahn D. Boykin

SALISBURY -- A civil jury awarded $901,000 to the biological family of a toddler killed while in foster care.

The jury delivered the verdict Tuesday, one day after the child's family had dropped its wrongful death case against the state, in court, leaving the man accused of causing the child's death as the focus of the trial.

According to court records, the child's mother, Tasha Allen, was awarded $360,000; her father was awarded $240,000; and her grandmother was awarded $301,000.

In court, Edson Brown, a 47-year-old Salisbury man, was seated at the defense table again in connection with a case related to the death of 2-year-old Kyla Edwards. However, this time, Brown elected to represent himself during the civil proceedings.

"I empathize with this family for their loss," Brown told jurors. "We were a family longer than they were."

Brown was living with the child's foster mother, Madgeline Dashield, and two other foster children at the time of Edwards' death, according to court documents. On Dec. 19, Brown picked up Edwards and the other foster children from day care. Later that evening, when Dashield arrived home, she discovered Edwards was unresponsive, and the couple drove her to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, according to court testimony.

"How this baby died is more tragic than her death," said J. Wyndal Gordon, the attorney representing Edwards' biological mother.

Members of Edwards' biological family alerted Social Services employees when they observed physical signs of abuse on the toddler, Gordon said in court. According to the civil complaint filed, Wharton observed a black eye and a large bruise on the child's nose, lip and chin. Bruises were also found on her chest and upper torso.

"The Department of Social Services ignored their warnings," Gordon said during opening arguments. "In the meantime, their worst fears became a reality."

Brown entered an Alford plea, an acknowledgment by the defendant that the state has enough evidence for a conviction, to second-degree murder in June 2007. A Wicomico County Circuit Court judge sentenced him to 30 years in prison, according to court documents.

sboykin@dmg.gannett.com 410-845-4656

2009 Sep 16