Chinese girl in custody dispute

A court will decide whether the adopted 7-year-old will live with her aunt or with foster parents.

Rockford Register Star

Seven-year-old Bethany Scudder is a bright, beautiful, healthy child, but she's seen more than her share of tragedy in her short life - and now she's the subject of a custody fight.

Abandoned at birth in China, Bethany was adopted at the age of 2 by Sandra Scudder of Loves Park. Scudder adopted another Chinese child three years later and named her Esther.

In June 2002, Esther died of brain injuries allegedly caused by shaking.

Sandra Scudder was arrested and charged with killing the 22-month-old, but she said the injury was caused when the child fell at church.

The case never came to trial. Scudder died last year of cancer.

A court will decide soon whether Bethany will stay with the foster parents who took her in after her mother was charged with a crime or go to Florida to live with Scudder's sister, who was named guardian of the child in Scudder's will.

By law, that decision is supposed to be made in the best interests of the child.