Parents of missing teen to face judge over custody of other children

By Catherine Bilkey and Kathryn Burcham

SALISBURY, N.C. —The parents of a missing Rowan County teen will face a judge in the fight for custody of their other children.

On Friday, Rowan County sheriffs deputies served Sandy Parsons with a civil summons from DSS in juvenile court.

The Parsons' family attorney told Channel 9 it involves the future custody of the Parsons' two youngest children, Tobie and Sadie.

"They'd love to have the kids come back; that's what they've been working toward all the time," said Carlyle Sherrill.

The children have been temporarily placed with their maternal grandmother after their older brother James filed a missing persons report for Erica.

Sherrill said DSS has been investigating if Sadie and Tobie had suffered any sort of abuse or neglect. Eyewitness News asked Sherrill if he thought there was any abuse towards the two kids. He said "no."

In search warrants returned Thursday, investigators said the children's adoptive sister, Erica, had suffered years of mental and physical abuse, allegedly at the hands of her adoptive mother Casey Parsons. Sherrill had responded to those allegations Thursday.

"Anything anybody says they can stick in there to get probable cause so we don't put any trust in that at all," Sherrill told cameras.

Casey, who had reportedly been admitted to the hospital to undergo emergency surgery on her stomach Thursday, returned home on Friday for a short time before packing items into a car and leaving again.

Court officials could not say if a court date had been set in the matter, because all proceedings in juvenile court are closed. Sherrill told Eyewitness News he will not be representing the Parsons in that case.

"The reason being I have represented both the Parsons at this point in time," Sherrill said. "And in what we call abuse and neglect court, each parent is entitled to an attorney themselves. And I've indulged in confidences with both of them so it wouldn't be fair, in case they're pitted against each other, to know both sides."

Dr. Phil has picked up the search for Erica and is putting together a two-part special.

The first will air on Channel 9 Tuesday at 4 p.m. and Part 2 will air at the same time Wednesday.

Both specials will be followed by Eyewitness News at 5 p.m.