And another adoptee dies
Today's Chicago Tribune runs a story about yet another case in which an adoptee dies under suspicious circumstances. In this case the boy was no longer living with his adopters, an elderly couple from Crete Illinois that had died previously, but was living with relatives of the couple.
from: chicagotribune.comCrete police probe death of 12-year-old boy
DCFS had previous contact with family, officials say
July 21, 2008
Emma Graves Fitzsimmons and Lolly Bowean
Chicago TribuneAuthorities on Monday were investigating the weekend death of a 12-year-old special-needs child from Crete whose family had been the subject of abuse allegations, most recently in April.
Paramedics were called to the Crete home about 7:40 p.m. Friday because the child, Kevin Johnson, was unconscious and not breathing. He died Sunday morning at Children's Memorial Hospital, Crete police said.
The case was classified a death investigation pending results from an autopsy set for Tuesday, said Police Chief Paul VanDeraa.
No one was in custody in connection with the boy's death, and his two caretakers have been cooperative with police, VanDeraa said.
"It's a tragedy for any 12-year-old to die of any cause," the chief said. "As a parent, it grieves me to see that this boy isn't going to reach his 13th birthday."
Kevin and his three biological brothers were adopted in 2000 by an elderly Crete couple who gained custody of the siblings after they were removed from their biological parents, authorities and a family member said.
After the couple, Ola and Lester Johnson, died, two relatives of the Johnsons took in the boys, family members said. Kevin and his brothers had since lived with their new guardians and the guardians' five children in a house in the 3400 block of Beckwith Lane.
After Kevin's death, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services removed the remaining eight children, from 2 to 17 years old, VanDeraa said.
The boy's male guardian told police Kevin suffered from seizures.
DCFS officials said the guardians were seeking legal custody of the boys. The agency had contact with the family in 2007 and 2008, said Kendall Marlowe, a DCFS spokesman. In 2007, the agency was called to investigate allegations that another child in the home had abused Kevin, said Marlowe, who said he did not know the details of the investigation.
DCFS was asked to look into allegations in April that the guardians were abusing Kevin, Marlowe said. The second case remains open and had not yet been looked into, he said.
Despite the allegations, Kevin and the other children had not been removed from the home, he said.
"This is a very complex case," he said. "We're deeply saddened by this tragedy."
VanDeraa said police were called to the house twice in 2007. On one occasion, police requested that DCFS investigate, but VanDeraa would not release details of that police report.
The new guardians could not be reached for comment.
On Beckwith Lane, neighbors appeared shaken by Kevin's death and the abuse allegations. They said the boys were more social when Ola and Lester Johnson were alive.
"The kids were very quiet," said Diane Woods, who lives a few houses from the Johnson family. "They weren't allowed to speak to anybody. It's just sad."
Kevin had just completed 6th grade at Balmoral Elementary School, where he was one of 12 special-education students in a small classroom, district officials said.
"Kevin was a very happy, easygoing young man," said Christine Putlak, director of special education for Crete-Monee School District. "He was an excellent student."
Devastated by Kevin's death, some of his distant relatives said they had not been able to see him or his siblings since they were under the care of their new guardians. On Monday, Ola Johnson's biological daughter, Penelope Neal, spent the day trying to locate Kevin's brothers and figuring out how she could help care for them.
"For them to go from their parents, to come here, be in a safe place for many years, then go through more . . . it's tough."
efitzsimmons@tribune.com
lbowean@tribune.com