Zahra Baker & Tiffany Wright: Two North Carolina DSS Tragedies

Case Of Missing Zahra Baker Highlights North Carolina DSS Issues


Friends and family worried that 10-year-old Zahra Baker was in danger.

They saw bruises and a black eye. They questioned her parents. And they reported suspected abuse to the Department of Social Services.

Now, police believe the missing Hickory girl whose story has captured worldwide attention is dead. They are investigating her disappearance as a homicide and last week jailed her stepmother, who they say admitted writing a phony ransom note.

As the search for the girl entered its second week Saturday, people are left asking: Why didn't someone protect Zahra?

And the case raises fresh questions about North Carolina's long-troubled child protection system.

DSS officials in Caldwell and Catawba counties, where the Bakers most recently lived, say state law prohibits them from talking about any involvement they might have had with Zahra or her family. It's not clear how any abuse allegations might have been handled.

But the state's own reviews show it's not uncommon for children to die in North Carolina under suspicious circumstances while their families are under DSS supervision or had recent contact with social workers.

At least 137 children died during a recent five-year period in cases where abuse or neglect were suspected to have contributed - even though DSS had contact with their families within 12 months before they died, the Observer found. That's up from 119 deaths during the prior five years. And it comes at a time when child deaths overall in the state are at a record low.

Most of the 137 died from illnesses or accidents, but at least 26 became victims of homicide, usually committed by relatives or caregivers.

More than a decade ago, state officials began to pass reforms that were supposed to prevent such cases. They hired more social workers, lowered recommended caseloads and adopted a less confrontational approach with most families, which is designed to build cooperation.

The head of the N.C. Division of Social Services, Sherry Bradsher, said the changes have vastly improved the child protection system.

Instances of abuse recurring within six months in families under supervision has declined from about 7 percent in 2004 to about 5 percent in 2009.

"We have implemented so many reforms that are working," Bradsher said. "Workers feel better. Feedback from parents is better than it's ever been."

But state reports and interviews show long-standing problems persist.

Expert reviews of the child deaths found mistakes had been made by social workers and were often linked to inexperience and heavy caseloads. In more than half of the 137 deaths, social workers weren't thorough in evaluating a family or didn't follow state guidelines, the Observer found. In one child death in Rowan County, a state report shows, the case was given to a social work intern.

And case workers often have difficulty getting child protective service records for families who have lived outside their county. In cases such as Zahra's, whose family moved between counties, social workers may have limited information to assess a child's safety.

Tom Vitaglione said Zahra's disappearance should sound alarms about child protection in the state. He co-chairs the N.C. Child Fatality Taskforce, which recommends child safety improvements to the General Assembly.

"I am not comfortable with where things are," Vitaglione said. "I don't think DSS is comfortable either."

Troubling signs

Zahra's wide smile and story of overcoming adversity have drawn attention to her disappearance, reported Oct. 9. Family and acquaintances describe her as a polite child, courageous while coping with bone cancer, and memorable for her Australian accent.

At age 5, she lost her left leg below the knee to bone cancer, a condition that also left her hearing-impaired.

She moved to the United States last year with her father, Adam Baker, after he started an online romance with his wife-to-be, Elisa Baker of North Carolina.

Trouble soon began.

At a vigil for Zahra last week, family friend Lindsay Parker told the crowd that family members had reported suspected abuse of Zahra to the Department of Social Services on three occasions.

"They tried," Parker said of the family members. "They really tried."

Libby Brown, a spokeswoman for the Caldwell County Schools, told the Observer that staff had visited the girl's home and sought help for Zahra from an "outside partner" because staff was concerned. But she wouldn't elaborate, citing confidentiality laws.

Zahra attended the district's Granite Falls Elementary and Hudson Elementary, where she completed fourth grade in the spring.

Bobby Green said he lived next door to the Bakers for about a year in the Caldwell County town of Hudson, about 70 miles northwest of Charlotte.

Green, 27, who has two 8-year-old daughters, said Zahra often came over to play. He and his fiancée, Kayla Rotenberry, 23, said Elisa Baker would leave Zahra locked alone in the house for hours.

In the spring, Zahra came over for an Easter egg hunt. The girls searched the yard looking for red, yellow, and white eggs.

Rotenberry and Green said they noticed bruises on Zahra. But when they asked the girl about it she wouldn't say anything. When they asked her parents what happened, Green said: "It was always, Zahra fell down. Zahra fell out of bed. It was always, Zahra had done something."

Elisa Baker's attorney, Scott Reilly, wouldn't discuss specific allegations but said generally some people have "embellished, exaggerated or made up" stories of abuse.

He confirmed that DSS had received and investigated reports of child abuse against his client, but said social workers found the accusations "unsubstantiated."

Hasty investigations

Whenever a child dies in North Carolina and abuse or neglect is suspected to have played a role, the state convenes a review team to figure out what went wrong.

The team of DSS officials, police and other professionals review case files and recommend improvements in a public report that aims to prevent future deaths.

The Observer analyzed reports of the 137 child deaths between 2003 and 2008, which included asphyxiation, illnesses, drowning, shootings, car accidents and physical abuse.

Social workers were most often cited for errors, but so were law enforcement and others. Here are some findings from the newspaper's study:

In 71 deaths, reviewers said social workers were not thorough in their investigation of abuse or neglect allegations, or in resolving them. Sometimes they looked too narrowly at a single problem instead of all issues surrounding the child's welfare. In the 2007 death of a Mecklenburg baby, who accidentally suffocated while sleeping with someone on a couch, social workers were criticized for failing to assess risk, properly review prior child protective records and maintain sufficient contact with the family.

In at least 51 deaths - more than one-third - social workers weren't told about additional incidents of suspected abuse in those families. State law requires any resident who suspects child abuse or neglect to report it to DSS. Among those who did not, one report found, were Winston-Salem police, who didn't notify DSS about numerous domestic violence calls to the home where a 5-year-old died of an Oxycodone overdose.

Forty reports said social workers or others had trouble getting previous child welfare records, usually from outside their counties or states. A Richmond County case involving a child who died of physical abuse suggested that county social workers got limited information from the state's central registry of child services cases, but not enough detail and background. And social workers didn't follow up with the family's previous county DSS to learn more.

Twenty-seven reports found DSS was too thinly staffed and that caseworkers carried loads far beyond what the state recommended - which meant they didn't have enough time to spend with each family. In a 2006 Stanly County death, the social worker was new and carrying 25 cases; the state standard was 12.

In Caldwell and Catawba counties, where the Bakers lived, some social workers were carrying twice as many cases in recent years as the state recommended. The problem was highlighted in reviews of child deaths that occurred in those counties in 2006 and 2007. Current caseloads weren't available last week as DSS officials declined requests for interviews.

'In the Stone Age'

DSS leaders say reform efforts during the last decade have made kids safer.

They've bolstered training for social workers and adopted a holistic approach that aims to get more cooperation from families under scrutiny for abuse or neglect.

When children are not in imminent danger, the family-friendly initiative pushes social workers to offer services to help parents overcome problems such as substance abuse, unemployment and a lack of parenting skills.

Bradsher, the state DSS director, said the approach has helped protect children and kept families intact.

But child advocates counter that social workers continue to struggle with high caseloads and low budgets.

They note that North Carolina spends about $43 per capita on child protection, less than all but eight states, according a 2009 study by Every Child Matters, a Washington-based advocacy group.

Brett Loftis, who heads Charlotte's Council for Children's Rights, said children lack a strong constituency in politics.

Caseworkers simply do not have enough resources, Loftis said. "We are in the Stone Age as far as children go."






Tiffany Wright's Murder/ DSS Cover Up: 16 Important Facts


In this post I've listed 16 Important Facts in Tiffany Wright's Murder case.

Its a Fascinating, Cold-Blooded Murder case filled with Corruption and a Crime desperately seeking to be solved.

On September 14, 2009 Tiffany Wright, a 15-year-old, African-American pregnant teenager living within North Carolina's Foster Care system, was shot to death while standing at her school bus stop.

Her Autopsy reveals she was shot three times, including the head and abdomen.

Due to extreme Negligence, Charlotte DSS is TOTALLY responsible for Tiffany Wright's Death, just as they are TOTALLY responsible for the recent deaths of Orgal Orpata's two young African-American children.

Since the Charlotte Observer (Community nickname: "the Charlotte Disturber") is paid (by NC Democrats) to publish Partisan Lies on a regular basis, Charlotte's "Powers that be" are telling the Observer what to print to make Charlotte DSS appear favorable.

All the while destroying Tiffany's Character and attempting to make Royce Mitchell appear Innocent.

Please DON'T believe this propaganda!

Destroying Tiffany Wright's Character to free a Violent, Repeat Offender (Royce Mitchell) with a criminal background of Murder, is exactly what North Carolina & Charlotte DSS Officials are planning to do.

Why?

Its a Charlotte DSS Cover up.

Continuing reading and you'll learn more about this disturbing tragedy.


Now check out these 16 facts to decide whether or not you believe Charlotte-Mecklenburg County's DSS Dept is Legally & Solely Liable for Tiffany Wright's death:


1) Charlotte DSS Director Mary Wilson, is a friend of Charlotte County Manager Harry Jones, who is also friend of Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioner Chairperson Jennifer Roberts.

Some of those individuals listed are also Fraternity/Sorority associates, Masons and Church friends.


2) Tiffany Wright, Tiffany Wright's Family, Royce Mitchell and Mitchell's Co-Murder Conspirator Adrian Powell, all hail from Buffalo, NY. What a coincidence.


3) The City of Charlotte hired Royce Mitchell a dangerous Convicted, Violent Felon with an extensive Criminal History.

After serving 5 years in Federal Prison, he was released for "good behavior".

Mitchell's criminal past also includes stabbing people.

Yet....

He was released early for "good behavior"? Go Figure.


4) Royce Mitchell was Indicted for another Murder (in New York) but mysteriously acquitted at Trial.

I guess his Colombian Drug Lords paid off New York Prison Officials just like they probably tried to influence Charlotte Officials.


5) Royce Mitchell was also a Freemason which provided him with "Special" connections.

No doubt Mitchell's Freemason connections, his Light-Skinned, Bad Boy looks and most likely FEAR helped him land a job with the City of Charlotte despite his terrible past.

Can you believe someone with his background was hired by the City of Charlotte?

Well believe it because he was! Just like Marcus Jackson was.


6) Royce Mitchell's Wife filed a complaint against him for Domestic Violence (he beat her) and separated from him.


7) After his wife left him, Charlotte DSS Officials allowed Royce Mitchell a Convicted Felon with a dangerous criminal history which includes Drug Trafficking ($1M a year in Cocaine Trafficking) & Murder, to have temporary custody of Tiffany Wright after her Foster Care Mother died.

No one was residing in the home but this Violent Drug Dealer (Mitchell) and a 15-year-old girl of which NC DSS Officials didn't seem to care two cents about.

A recipe for Statutory Rape disaster don't you agree?


8) Royce Mitchell had Sex with Tiffany Wright and she became pregnant not longer after.

According to NC Statutes, this constitutes as Statutory Rape:

§ 14‑27.7A. Statutory rape or sexual offense of person who is 13, 14, or 15 years old.

(a) A defendant is guilty of a Class B1 felony if the defendant engages in vaginal intercourse or a sexual act with another person who is 13, 14, or 15 years old and the defendant is at least six years older than the person, except when the defendant is lawfully married to the person.

(b) A defendant is guilty of a Class C felony if the defendant engages in vaginal intercourse or a sexual act with another person who is 13, 14, or 15 years old and the defendant is more than four but less than six years older than the person, except when the defendant is lawfully married to the person. (1995, c. 281, s. 1.)


9) After Tiffany Wright reported to Charlotte DSS Officials she had Sex with Royce Mitchell, they still allowed her to remain in Mitchell's home for several more weeks before removing her.


10) Charlotte Police detectives interviewed Tiffany.

The detectives also recorded Tiffany's interview during which she admitted to having Sex with Royce Mitchell.


11) Despite her unstable, painful life, Tiffany's Teachers stated she was a good student, who dreamed of becoming a Lawyer like Michelle Obama (one of her idols).


12) Prior to her tragic death Royce Mitchell tried to influence and force Tiffany into having an Abortion because he thought the baby she was carrying was his. When she refused not longer after she was Murdered. Shot three times while standing at her school bus stop.

Strangely enough Tiffany Wright was shot after her Foster Care mother who usually waits with Tiffany at the bus stop until the bus arrives, went back in the house to get something.

Is this a coincidence? I think not.


13) Now Charlotte Law Enforcement Officials and the Charlotte Observer want you to believe Adrian Powell (the other Murder Suspect) is the real father of Tiffany's dead baby.

If you believe Adrian Powell (Murder Suspect no. 2) is the father of Tiffany Wright's dead baby, I have some swamp land in Florida I want to sell you.

If so than why did it take Charlotte's Medical Examiner Office & Charlotte DSS six months to reveal this fact?

What were they trying to hide?

(For the record I don't have any swamp land in Florida to sell.)


14) After Tiffany's death a Warrant was issued for Royce Mitchell's arrest.

The charge? Statutory Rape.

Since Mitchell was on Federal Probation, that illegal act violated his probation and landed him back in Jail per a Fair, Honest Federal Judge.


15) The Charlotte D.A.'s Office and Charlotte's Criminal Justice System has a long history of practicing Racial Discrimination, including intentionally failing to prosecute Killers of Charlotte's Black Youth.


16) The Charlotte Observer, NC DSS, Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Commissioners, Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Manager and Charlotte DSS are now involved in a Cover-Up of Tiffany Wright's horrible, premature Death.

A death caused through NO fault of her own!


If Tiffany were related to a Black Fraternity/ Sorority or Black NC Politician, it would have been a different story. Unfortunately she wasn't.

During Tiffany's young life she was Molested on numerous ocassions and had engaged in many sexual encounters.

To Tiffany having sex with Royce Mitchell and maybe Adrian Powell was normal because NO One had taught her differently.

What about her Foster Mother you ask?

Its obvious she had not.

Please understand I'm not attacking Tiffany Wright's Foster Mother, Alma Wright's character but most of the time people just adopt or raise Foster Care Children to receive a Check from DSS, not because they really love them.

Charlotte's current D.A. Peter Gilchrist, a man widely known for NOT doing anything to punish Killers of Charlotte's Black Youth, didn't want to do anything to bring Royce Mitchell to Justice.

Peter Gilchrist considers ALL of Charlotte's Black Youth to be "thugs" who don't deserve to live, much less walk on the same of the sidewalk he walks on.

Gilchrist claims because Tiffany was dead she couldn't defend herself.

Let's see how many Killers of dead White Women has Peter Gilchrist prosecuted?

I'll remind you of one, Kim Thomas.

Kim Thomas was a Wealthy, White Charlotte Woman murdered in 1990.

Charlotte's Criminal Justice System prosecuted and punished Kim's Killer even though she wasn't alive to "Defend" herself either.

Kim Thomas' Wealthy White, Influential husband was eventually charged with her Murder but the charges were dropped after he raised a ruckus.

A Black Man was later linked to her death and imprisoned.

Now a New probe has been opened into the Kim Thomas Murder Case.

All of this "Justice" has taken place and yet Kim Thomas NEVER testified to defend herself because she's DEAD! Just like Tiffany Wright.

In addition there were no Character Assassination tactics being used against Kim Thomas, as in the case of Tiffany Wright.

How was Charlotte's D.A. able to prosecute someone for Kim Thomas death but yet NOT do so for Tiffany Wright's?

Both were Murdered, neither could testify to defend themselves, however their cases were handled with different levels of Justice.

So other than Racism what's Peter Gilchrist's excuse?

I presume that since Tiffany Wright was Black and Poor, she wasn't a victim of Statutory Rape.

No since Tiffany was Black, she was just a Whore in Peter Gilchrist's, in the eyes of Charlotte DSS and in the eyes of Charlotte Observer Editorial Staff.

Did Charlotte Police botch Kim Thomas's case? NO!

Did Charlotte Police botch Tiffany Wright's case? NO!

Charlotte Racist D.A.'s Office did!

(North Carolina's Criminal Justice System is extremely Racist. No doubt Gilchrist is a part of that racism. How else can he explain NOT doing anything to punish Killers of Charlotte's Black Youth?)

Even though the Charlotte Police had collected evidence linking Royce Mitchell to Tiffany Wright's Murder and despite Mitchell's terrible, Violent past Gilchrist claimed "he didn't have a case".

Even though Charlotte's Police department presented ALL their evidence to Peter Gilchrist and was willing to fully cooperate, he still claimed "he didn't have a case".

I wonder which North Carolina and Charlotte's "Powers that be" influenced him NOT to pursue this case.

I wonder if any of Royce Mitchell's Freemason or Drug Lord Connections also influenced Peter Gilchrist NOT to prosecute Royce Mitchell.

Don't forget Royce Mitchell a $1Million a year Drug Dealer, was previously Indicted for Murder in New York but somehow mysteriously acquitted at Trial.

Also Don't forget that Gilchrist is a part of North Carolina's Racist Criminal Justice System.

Thanks to a Federal Judge and Federal Prosecutors, at his Probation Violation Hearing, Royce Mitchell was found to have violated his Probation for sleeping with Tiffany (Statutory Rape).

He was than sent back to jail for a measly 30 months.

Now its time to charge him with Murder.

Do I believe Royce Mitchell is directly linked to Tiffany's Murder? Yes!

Do I believe Royce Mitchell paid Adrian Powell to shoot and kill Tiffany? Yes!

Do I believe Adrian Powell is the real father of Tiffany's baby? No!

Do I believe Royce Mitchell is the REAL father of Tiffany's baby? Yes!

Do I believe Royce Mitchell should spend the rest of his life in Prison? Yes!

Do I believe Adrian Powell should spend the rest of his life in Prison too? Yes!

Do I believe Charlotte Officials are afraid of Royce Mitchell? Yes!

Do I believe the Federal Gov't needs to remain involved in this Murder case because the local Legal System is Corrupt & Racist? Yes!

Do I believe Charlotte DSS is solely responsible for Tiffany death due to their extreme Negligence?

Yes and they know it which is why they are trying to destroy her name with these Charlotte Observer Character Assassination articles.

Do I believe there is definitely a Charlotte DSS Cover Up taking place? Yes!

Double Jeopardy won't allow the American Criminal Justice to try Mitchell again for the previous Murders (he was acquitted at Trial) but his past is proven to be extremely Dangerous and Violent.


Since the people responsible for Tiffany's death are Corrupt Democrats and Pres. Obama is a Democrat known for slinging "Chicago Politics" because he only cares about the next election, its obvious we can't count on him to help.

Pres. Obama is so desperate for votes to pass his Health Care Plan which is going to hurt our nation more so than help it (Debt), I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't somehow involved in Tiffany Wright's Murder Case Cover Up just to get enough votes.

What about Charlotte's Black Leaders?

Forget It!

With the exception of perhaps one or two people (Its NOT Mayor Anthony Foxx!), Charlotte doesn't have any real, Bold, Black Leaders who are willing to stand up for our Black Youth.

Certainly NOT the tired local NAACP! (Charlotte's NAACP is a Joke.)

Tiffany Wright's Killers WILL be bought to Justice along with everyone involved in the cover up of her Murder.

God Almighty is going to deal with them before they leave this Earth and on Judgment Day.


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Sources: CNN, McClatchy Newspapers, Nancy Grace, WCNC, Youtube, Google Maps

Shaniya Davis: Raped & Choked To Death...McNeill Will Burn But Where's Gov. Bev Perdue?

The recent deaths of Shaniya Davis and Tiffany Wright have cast a negative national spotlight on North Carolina's Human Trafficking, Sex Slavery Problem and how poorly NC DSS' System works to protect children. Especially Black Children.

Even Nancy Grace became emotionally involved in the murder case surrounding Shaniya's death.

Hmmm, no offense but I guess Gov. Bev Perdue didn't think these poor Black girls mattered to anyone.

After all they were NOT Caucasian and their families weren't Wealthy.

Wrong!

Black Children are not Slaves or bits of trash to be thrown into shallow graves!

It does matter when a Black Child is Abused, Raped or Murdered, just as it matters when a Caucasian child is Abused, Raped or Murdered because they are ALL still Human Beings made in God's image!

Thank goodness people like Nancy Grace doesn't care about the Ethnicity of a Child. She just cares about the welfare of Children in general.

To make matters worse not only has Nancy Grace gotten involved but Newsweek Magazine recently published a story detailing how when a Black girl or woman is raped or murdered in North Carolina, both the local media and State Officials including the Governor, basically ignores it.

This includes NOT issuing Amber Alerts for Missing Black Children until days after they are reported missing versus immediately when Caucasian Children are reported missing.

Gov. Perdue have you no shame by not addressing this issue?

How many Press Conferences would you have held by now if one of those young girls had been Eve Carson or someone who looks like Eve Carson?

Your silence on the state's Serious Human Trafficking, Sex Slavery Problem and extremely Dysfunctional DSS System is not only making North Carolina look bad, but its making YOU appear very Cold-Hearted.

Your silence also helps to prove that when it comes to Negative Racial Relations (Caucasian vs Minorities) the South hasn't changed...much.

Gov Perdue I understand your schedule is quite busy however if you really cared couldn't you have sent a State Representative to speak on your behalf?

Why can't I just forget about all of this or ignore it? (like North Carolina State Officials do)

When I was a young girl I too was brutally raped (by a neighbhorhood "friend"), almost to the point of death.

God's Mercy is the only reason why I didn't end up like Shaniya Davis or Tiffany Wright.

The individual who raped me stole my innocence, my self-esteem and my trust of adults.

While I was able to rebuild my Confidence level, unfortunately many Women never do.

Perhaps now you'll understand why I can't ignore such sensitive issues as Child Abuse and Statutory Rape.

God will NOT allow North Carolina's Human Trafficking, Sex Slavery Problem and NC's extremely Dysfunctional DSS System to remain hidden.

Nor is he going to allow the numerous unsolved Murders of Black Women/Black Children killed in NC to remain hidden.

North Carolina your dirty laundry is being aired as it relates to how this state treats Black Women and Black Children.

You've been busted!

Since ignoring this problem is no longer an Option, going forward what are you going to do about it?

Shaniya and Tiffany you did not die in vain.

God will use your deaths to show the World that North Carolina is a still deeply Racist, Southern State.

I could also talk about North Carolina's Racially Segregated Public Schools and how wide the Achievement gap is between Minority Students and Caucasian Students, however that's a different topic.

In reference to North Carolina's current "reputation" I'm not proud of these embarrassing facts. Are you Gov Perdue?

Thank you Nancy Grace for caring.















Murder, rape charges pending in Shaniya Davis case



Murder and rape charges will be filed against a North Carolina man in the death of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis, police said Thursday.

Mario Andrette McNeill had already been charged with kidnapping the Fayetteville, North Carolina, girl. She was reported missing last week, and her body was found Monday beside a road near Sanford, about 30 miles northwest of Fayetteville.

Preliminary autopsy results indicate the child was asphyxiated, Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine told reporters Thursday, but testing is still being completed and a final report has not been issued.

McNeill will be charged with first-degree murder and rape of a child, Bergamine said. The new arrest warrants were being served Thursday night.

The girl's mother, Antoinette Nicole Davis, has been charged with human trafficking and other offenses. Police have said they believe Davis was prostituting the child.

According to police, surveillance video taken November 10 from a hotel in Sanford, North Carolina, shows Shaniya in the company of McNeill.

Authorities had said Wednesday they would need to determine where Shaniya was killed before filing additional charges. Fayetteville is in Cumberland County, while Sanford is in Lee County. Bergamine said Thursday jurisdiction in the case would remain in Cumberland County. "We started it from the beginning and wanted to finish it out," he said.

Police still are not sure exactly where Shaniya was killed, Bergamine said. Police earlier had said they believe the child was alive when she left the hotel.

"Current charges on Ms. Davis are standing as they are right now," Bergamine said. But he told reporters the investigation was ongoing.

He and other officers spoke about the emotional toll the investigation has taken on them. Grief counseling has been under way for officers at the department, he said.

"It's been a tough case," said Fayetteville Police Capt. Charles Kimball, the toughest in his 14 years, he said. "Our mission was to find Shaniya and we did it."

"This case here has reached out and touched all of us," Bergamine said.

Shaniya's father, Bradley Lockhart, made a tearful appeal before reporters Tuesday afternoon, asking that "everybody makes it a point not to ignore, to look past a situation where a person, a child, or anybody might be in danger ... so that we don't have another tragedy like Shaniya."

The girl went to her mother's last month, he said.




Shaniya Davis deserved a chance to grow up


What happened to Shaniya Davis shouldn't have happened. The 5-year-old giggly cherub should be alive and looking forward to first grade next year. Instead, despite hopes, prayers and a legion of searchers, her lifeless body was pulled from a thicket of kudzu along the border of Lee and Harnett counties, 30 miles from Fayetteville.

Police are still trying to piece together what happened to the little girl who disappeared from her Fayetteville home a little more than a week ago. But they think they know part of the story.

They've arrested Shaniya's mother, Antoinette Davis, who reported the youngster missing. Police have charged Davis with human trafficking, felony child abuse and making a false report. Mario McNeill, caught on a surveillance video carrying Shaniya toward an elevator at a motel in Sanford the morning she was reported missing, was arrested and charged with kidnapping.

The charges are horrifying, particularly those against the mother. Mothers are supposed to love and cherish their children, not push them into sexual servitude.

Davis' relatives don't believe she's involved, and it's still early in the investigation. But if the charges are proven to be true, Davis would be as responsible for her daughter's death as anyone else involved - and would deserve to be treated as such.

Sadly, human trafficking is not unusual in North Carolina. If Shaniya is a victim of it, she joins thousands of others law enforcers suspect are being victimized. Last month, the Observer reported Charlotte has become a center for sex trafficking along the East Coast. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has now stationed agents here to focus on human trafficking, smuggling and exploitation.

Law enforcers say North Carolina is a particularly attractive site for sex trafficking due, in part, to the presence of military bases, interstates and a large immigrant population. N.C. lawmakers were concerned enough to approve a bill in 2007 making human trafficking a felony offense and offering state assistance to victims.

We repeat what we said last month about human trafficking. It is a vile, loathsome activity that we must all work to rid our communities and state of. If you suspect trafficking, abuse or sexual exploitation, report it immediately.

Yet even if Shaniya's case turns out not to have involved human trafficking, something went terribly wrong for her to have turned up dead just a month after going to live with a mother with a troubled past. Shaniya's father, Bradley Lockhart, is anguished and regrets giving the girl's mother a chance to raise the daughter he had custody of for five years. But she had a job and seemed to be getting her life together. He had no crystal ball to tell him things would turn out so badly so quickly.

Still Shaniya's death is a warning to all adults of the critical responsibility we share for the safety and well-being of children. We must be vigilant and look for signs that parents or others might be putting kids in harm's way. We must be willing to report our suspicions of wrongdoing, even about those close to us.

Happy, giggling, caring little girls like Shaniya deserve every chance to become happy, caring adults. We've got to do more to help them get that chance.







Police seek help finding missing NC girl


A teenage girl on her way to a friend's house Sunday disappeared in Gastonia, and police are asking for the public's help in finding her.

Authorities say 15-year-old Kenesha Sanders of Gastonia left her house to visit a friend. But she never arrived there, and hasn't been seen or heard from since.

Police say Kenesha is 4-feet-3 inches tall and weighs 85 pounds. They haven't said whether they suspect foul play.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call Gastonia Police Detective Marty Smith at 704-866-6939 or 704-866-6702.





No Murder charge yet in Shaniya Davis' Death


A week after a 5-year-old Fayetteville girl disappeared and a day after her body was found near Sanford, police are still trying to sort out the evidence in the case to determine who to charge in her death.

Shaniya Nicole Davis was reported missing from her home, at 1116-A Sleepy Hollow Drive, by her mother last Tuesday morning. Volunteer searchers found her body Monday afternoon in some woods off N.C. Highway 87 near the Lee-Harnett county line.

Two people have been arrested in Shaniya's disappearance – charges against a third person were dropped – but no one has been charged with killing her.

Lee County authorities have referred all questions to the Fayetteville Police Department. The department has a news briefing scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, but it's unclear whether new charges will be announced then.

Police arrested Mario Andrette McNeill, 29, on Friday and charged him with first-degree kidnapping in the case. Investigators said McNeill has admitted to taking Shaniya from her home, and hotel security video from a Comfort Suites in Sanford last Tuesday shows the girl being carried by a man believed to be McNeill.

Shaniya's mother, Antoinette Nicole Davis, 25, was arrested late Saturday and charged with human trafficking, felony child abuse–prostitution, filing a false police report and obstructing a police investigation. Arrest warrants state that Davis "did knowingly provide Shaniya with the intent that she be held in sexual servitude" and she "did permit an act of prostitution with Shaniya."

After those arrests, police wouldn't comment on Shaniya's whereabouts. On Sunday, investigators received "reliable information" that Shaniya's body had been dumped off N.C. 87, which led to an extensive search of the area and the discovery of a child's body.

The body was removed from the woods late Monday and sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Chapel Hill to determine a cause of death. The medical examiner confirmed Tuesday that the body was Shaniya's.

Police wouldn't say whether McNeill, who is described as a former boyfriend of Davis, provided the information that prompted the search, but they made clear Monday that the information didn't come from an outside tip.

Both McNeill and Davis are being held in isolation at the Cumberland County Detention Center for their protection, authorities said.

Authorities confirmed Tuesday that Davis is pregnant and that Clarence Coe is the father of the child.

Davis initially accused Coe of kidnapping Shaniya, but police dismissed the charge and released him from jail after determining the information to be false and then arresting McNeill.
Father to speak with media

Shaniya's father, Bradley Lockhart, plans to speak with reporters at his Fayetteville house at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Lockhart attended a candlelight vigil for Shaniya Monday night and cried out as people held him up.

"Lord, I come to you with open arms, and it is hard. It is hard," Lockhart said, his legs shaking and tears in his eyes as he spoke to the crowd of about 500. “Don’t give up on me, and don't give up on Shaniya."

During a Monday morning interview on CBS' "Early Show," he said he and his sister had been caring for Shaniya until a few weeks ago, when she went to live with her mother. Davis had worked to get her life together and had been working for at least six months and gotten a place of her own, he said.

"She had asked if she could be a mother, and I felt she was sincere in asking, and I figured to give her a chance," he said.

Cumberland County Schools officials said Shaniya was a kindergarten student at Morganton Road Elementary School until October, when she was taken out of the school and wasn't enrolled elsewhere. No reason was given for the move.

A search of court records turned up no previous criminal charges against Davis, but she has been investigated by the Cumberland County Department of Social Services.

Her uncle, Michael Davis, said DSS looked at her with regard to her 7-year-old son, not Shaniya. The case was closed, and Antoinette Davis was able to retain custody of the boy, her uncle said.

DSS Director Brenda Jackson has declined to comment on her agency's involvement with the Davis family.

Antoinette Davis worked in the kitchen at Carolina Inn at Village Green, an assisted living facility in Fayetteville.

CES, a South Carolina-based staffing company that has a contract with Carolina Inn, hired her in June 2008 after an extensive background check, an official said. She had a good employment record at both Carolina Inn and the Haymount Nursing Rehabilitation Facility, but she is no longer employed by the company, the official said.






Young Girl in Child Prostitution case found dead


Authorities in North Carolina say they have found the body of a 5-year-old girl who disappeared a week ago.

Fayetteville Police spokeswoman Theresa Chance told The Associated Press on Monday that searchers found the body of Shaniya Davis off a road southeast of Sanford in the central part of the state.

Two people have been charged in Shaniya's disappearance, including her 25-year-old mother, Antoinette Davis. Police have charged Davis with human trafficking and felony child abuse, saying Shaniya was offered for prostitution. Davis was due in court Monday afternoon.

Authorities have also charged 29-year old Mario Andrette McNeill, who was seen in surveillance footage carrying Shaniya at a Sanford hotel.

Shaniya's mother reported her missing last Tuesday.

Authorities have said McNeill admitted taking the girl, though his attorney said he will plead not guilty to the charge. Police have not said if McNeill and Davis knew each other.

Shaniya's father, Bradley Lockhart, said he raised his daughter for several years but last month decided to let her stay with her mother.

"I should've never let her go over there," he told The Associated Press on Saturday.




"Precious" girls without a happy ending


The movie sensation "Precious" ends with the line "for precious girls everywhere." Director Lee Daniels's story of Precious, a poor, abused, illiterate and overweight African American teenager, is indeed a tribute to the forgotten girls living at the edges of U.S. society. When was the last time that a teen mother in Harlem, raped and impregnated by her father, brutally abused and exploited by her mother, and left behind by a dysfunctional educational system, emerged as the hero of any movie -- especially a movie with a high-profile cast that is generating Oscar buzz?

I cannot recall another opportunity raised by popular culture that invited us to thoughtfully address the largely hidden issues of incest, violence and girls at the margins. As the executive director of a national organization that works to raise awareness about and to reduce violence against vulnerable women and girls, I am moved and grateful that attention is finally being paid to our forgotten girls.

But this movie is in many ways a fairy tale. The character Precious gets to be saved by a caring caseworker and a loving teacher. In real life, poor, undereducated and sexually victimized girls are most likely to end up in the juvenile justice system.

I see it all the time. There is the 13-year-old who became pregnant to stop her uncle from raping her -- a girl whom I met not at an incest survivors group but in a girls' detention facility. Or the girl raped so many times by age 13 that she feels worthy of being prostituted and cannot see a life for herself beyond jail. Or the girl who was kidnapped by a pimp, repeatedly raped by him, prostituted by him -- only to be arrested and placed behind bars for prostitution.

Girls in the United States are subject to violence with horrifying frequency. One in three American girls will experience sexual violence by age 18, regardless of race or class. Girls ages 16 to 19 across the ethnic and economic spectrum are four times more likely than others to be victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. No girl is safe from being raped, exploited or abused.

Yet when girls in economically stable families are hurt by sexual violence, the protective layers of functional schools, safe neighborhoods and access to mental-health services tend to buffer them from further exploitation. For girls at the margins, sexual violence often funnels them into the criminal justice system.

Sex Trafficking or running away from abusive homes and foster-care placements are the primary reasons for girls' incarceration. These girls are not being detained for violent offenses or because they are becoming gang-bangers or murderers. Girls are ending up behind bars after the damage they endure from rape and sexual abuse. A recent Oregon Social Learning Center Study of Chronically Delinquent girls found that the median age of the first sexual encounter among detained girls was 7.

The judges sentencing these girls to detention aren't necessarily another bad guy in their stories. Often, judges don't want to return girls to abusive homes or to a ruthless pimp, so they detain the girls as a way to keep them safe.

Unfortunately, detained girls often endure sexual violence and exploitation behind bars. Many girls are placed in solitary confinement, where self-mutilation often occurs. Some facilities require girls to shower in front of male guards or subject them to cross-gender strip searches. Girls in detention facilities are also routinely sexually coerced or abused by staff. While girls make up only 11 percent of the population of state-operated juvenile facilities, they account for 34 percent of the victims of sexual violence in these facilities.

There are few model programs for vulnerable and abused girls. So the vast majority of abused girls don't have access to trauma-recovery residential programs, comprehensive mental health services or safe alternatives to detention. They are expected to simply "deal with it" -- as if there is something inevitable about being poor, female and abused.

I hope that Lee Daniels's movie will change how girls at the margins are treated. Maybe, at long last, they will be considered precious girls -- who deserve love, safety and healing. I hope this because right now, these precious girls everywhere are denied the happy endings of Hollywood movies.





Police now searching for body of missing N.C. girl


FAYETTEVILLE Authorities in North Carolina say they are now searching for the body of a missing 5-year-old girl.

Fayetteville Police spokeswoman Theresa Chance said Monday officers are searching along a central North Carolina highway based on "reliable information" that indicated the body of Shaniya Davis may have been dumped there.

About 200 searchers fanned across several miles southeast of Sanford. Some walked along roads, ravines and fields while others drove on four-wheelers.

Shaniya has been missing since Nov. 10. Her mother, 25-year-old Antoinette Davis, has been charged with human trafficking and felony child abuse. Police have also charged 29-year old Mario Andrette McNeill, who was seen in surveillance footage carrying Shaniya at a Sanford hotel.

Authorities acted on a tip Sunday and searched a wide area in south-central N.C. trying to find Shaniya. Capt. Charles Kimble of the Fayetteville Police Department said several agencies spent the day looking for signs of Shaniya between Spring Lake and Sanford, which are about 25 miles apart. The N.C. Highway Patrol sent a helicopter to aid in the search, Lt. Everett Clendenin said.

Kimble would not elaborate on what information officers had received. They suspended the search at dark. The area included woods and some homes, police said.

Earlier Sunday, authorities arrested Antoinette Nicole Davis, Shaniya's mother. The charges against Davis are related to her daughter's disappearance, said Theresa Chance, a spokeswoman for Fayetteville police.

Shaniya hasn't been seen since Tuesday, when a surveillance camera recorded the man charged in her kidnapping carrying the girl into a hotel room.

According to arrest documents cited by The Fayetteville Observer, Davis "knowingly provide(d) Shaniya Davis with the intent that she be held in sexual servitude" and she "permit(ted) an act of prostitution."

Shaniya had only been living with her mother since last month. Davis reported the girl missing Tuesday morning from a mobile home community in Fayetteville, and authorities began searching nearby wooded areas.

Camera footage showed Mario Andrette McNeill carrying Shaniya into a hotel room, and he was arrested and charged with kidnapping on Friday. A kidnapping charge against a man described as Davis' boyfriend was dropped.

Authorities have said McNeill admitted to taking the girl, though his attorney says he will plead not guilty to the charge. They have not said if McNeill and Davis knew each other.

Police said a hotel worked spotted a child matching Shaniya's description at the hotel in Sanford, about 40 miles from Fayetteville. Relatives helped confirm that the child on the recording was Shaniya.

Fayetteville police officer Brian Gainey said Davis did not have an attorney and was scheduled to appear in court today.

Shaniya's father, Bradley Lockhart, told The Associated Press that he raised his daughter for several years but last month decided to let her stay with her mother.

"I should've never let her go over there," he said Saturday.

Lockhart said he did not know McNeill.




Police say 2nd suspect admitted kidnapping NC girl

A North Carolina man has admitted to kidnapping a 5-year-old girl, authorities said Friday, but investigators still have not found the child more than three days after she disappeared from a mobile home park.

Mario Andrette McNeill, 29, admitted to taking Shaniya Davis, said Fayetteville Police Department spokeswoman Theresa Chance. He was charged with kidnapping while authorities dropped charges against another man, Clarence Coe, who was initially arrested in the case.

"We're hoping we find her alive," Chance said at a news conference. "We found Mr. McNeill, and Miss Davis was not with him."

Surveillance footage had showed McNeill carrying Shaniya into a hotel room on Tuesday morning, when she was reported missing from a mobile home park. A hotel worker called police to report seeing a child matching Shaniya's description, but by the time police got there, McNeill had left.

McNeill faces a first court appearance Friday afternoon.

Investigators had used police dogs but could not pick up the child's scent during a search of the neighborhood. They found a blanket that may have belonged to Shaniya in a garbage can outside a neighbor's home.

Shaniya's father, Bradley Lockhart, made a tearful appeal Thursday for his daughter's safe return.

"Shaniya, if you're listening to daddy, I miss you so much, honey," he said. "I'm waiting for you. I'm not going to give up. You don't give up either, honey."





Police: Foul play suspected in Fayetteville girl's disappearance


Cumberland County authorities say foul play is suspected in the disappearance of Shaniya Nicole Davis. The 5-year-old girl went missing from her home, 1116-A Sleepy Hollow Drive in Fayetteville, Tuesday morning.

An Amber Alert was initiated for Shaniya just before noon, Lt. David Sportsman said.

Police responded to the home around 6:50 a.m., and Shaniya's mother told officers that she last saw her daughter at 5:30 a.m. The mother’s boyfriend and her sister, along with an infant and Shaniya's 7-year-old brother were also in the home when the girl went missing.

“There is definitely something not right about the situation. Foul play is suspected,” Fayetteville police spokeswoman Theresa Chance said Tuesday evening.

It is unclear how the child left the home.

"The circumstances surrounding her disappearance are very odd. A 5-year-old usually...(is) not awake at 5:30 a.m. normally, and they just wouldn't leave their home," Chance said. "If she would have wandered out of her home, she would be around here somewhere."

Chance said the family has a history with the Department of Social Services.

"There have been major DSS issues with this family – who has custody, switching back and forth," Chance said.

Chance said it's unknown whether the child's disappearance is related to those issues. Police said Shaniya's father flew in from out of state Tuesday afternoon and was talking to investigators.

"We're treating this as a child in danger, with the information we have," Chance said.

Chance said police have been called to the home before. This summer, officers served a search warrant at the home and found a variety of drugs inside.

The family was not allowed inside the home Tuesday evening after it was deemed a health hazard due to extensive sewage leaks, authorities said.

Police K-9s, firefighters and sheriff's deputies searched the area throughout the day Tuesday.

“We are searching for her and hoping to find her alive, but we just don't know at this point,” Chance said.

Chance noted that search dogs did not pick up Shaniya's scent, which they would have if the child was wandering around outside.

Shaniya is described as 3 feet tall and 40 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt with pink underwear. She is thin and has a scar on her foot.

Fayetteville police say three registered sex offenders live in the neighborhood. Theresa Chance said the offenders, along with everyone else in the neighborhood, have been interviewed.

The sex offenders are not considered suspects, Chance said.

Anyone with information is urged to call Fayetteville police at 910-433-1856 or call or call 911 or *HP.





After Amber Alert, Incest charge


A Mooresville man who sparked an Amber Alert when he disappeared with his 12-year-old pregnant adopted daughter and her 11-year-old sister now faces rape and incest charges.

Mathew Charles Hess, 40, had already been charged with misdemeanor child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile after, authorities say, he took his two adoptive daughters to Tennessee despite the condition of the daughter who was nine months pregnant.

Now he faces additional charges in Lincoln County - indecent liberties with a child, first-degree rape and felony incest between near relatives. Details of the charges were unavailable. Authorities haven't said whether they believe Hess is the father of the older daughter's baby.

Hess and his wife, who is the girls' biological mother, are separated, authorities said. The girls were living with Mathew Hess in Lincoln County when the older girl became pregnant.

The Observer published the girls' names when they were the subject of a large-scale search, but is not naming them now because authorities say at least one was a victim of a sex-related crime.

Authorities believe Hess drove away with his daughters on Sept. 24 after leaving a note for his wife saying he was taking them to school. The girls' mother called authorities soon after, when the pregnant daughter didn't show up for a doctor's appointment.

Last week when the pregnant girl missed an important medical procedure, authorities issued a nationwide Amber Alert.

A motorist in Tennessee who saw the alert on an interstate sign recognized the family's faded green Ford Explorer and called the Tennessee Highway Patrol on Wednesday. Less than half an hour later, the search was over. Social services took temporary custody of the girls.

Two members of the Iredell Sheriff's Office's warrant squad drove to Tennessee on Friday and brought Hess back to North Carolina. His first court date for the Iredell County charges is Nov. 16 in Statesville.

Now, he's in Iredell jail under a $12,000 bond. He's also deemed a flight risk because of the charges in Lincoln County.




How system failed 15-year-old girl gunned down at a Charlotte, NC School bus stop

Tiffany Wright stood alone in the dark, waiting for her school bus.

It was just before 6 a.m., and her foster grandmother had walked back home to get Tiffany's water bottle.

Tiffany, 15, was eight months pregnant but determined to stay on track in school. She wanted to be a lawyer. And after just a few weeks at Hawthorne High, she had impressed teachers as smart and ambitious, despite a difficult childhood.

At 5:51, Tiffany sent a text.

"Wheres the bus?"

One stop away, replied her friend, already on the bus.

At 5:55, as the bus lumbered toward Tiffany's stop, people began calling police to report gunshots.

A school bus dispatcher radioed Tiffany's bus driver: Change course - something's happening ahead.

Tiffany lay dead in the road, shot in the head, that morning, Monday, Sept. 14. Her baby girl was delivered at the hospital and lived a week, but died Sunday.

Nobody's charged in the killings, but police call Tiffany's adoptive brother, Royce Mitchell, a "person of interest."

In the months before she died, local agencies took steps aimed at stabilizing her home life and keeping her safe. But her story exposes failures in the system that was supposed to protect her.

Among the missteps:

•In February, a Mecklenburg court clerk appointed Mitchell as Tiffany's temporary guardian — even though he was a felon who served time in federal prison. He was also tried in 2006 for murder, but found not guilty. And last year, he was accused of domestic violence, though the case was dismissed.

•In July, social workers told police that Mitchell, 36, might have committed statutory rape with Tiffany, but police didn't question him about it for seven weeks, and didn't charge him with the rape until after Tiffany was killed.

•This month, Mecklenburg social services failed to cut off communication between Tiffany, who was in foster care, and Mitchell, said a source close to the investigation.

On the day of Tiffany's killing, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police jailed Mitchell for statutory rape and indecent liberties with a child, naming Tiffany as the victim.

Police defend their work, saying they followed the industry's best practices - which takes time. Police didn't feel a need to rush, they say, because they believed Tiffany was secure, hidden in a foster home with no threat to her safety.

Police say it's hard to prove statutory rape: Of the 262 reports of statutory rape police received over three years, only 16 percent - 42 cases - were accepted by prosecutors.

Experts say statutory rape cases are complicated because they involve victims ages 13, 14 or 15 who often consider themselves voluntary participants in sex with someone at least six years older. So victims can be reluctant to help police.

But child advocates say in cases like Tiffany's, police should act more aggressively. An immediate arrest sends a signal to a suspect and can persuade them to stay away from victims.

"The cases may be difficult to win, but they're not difficult to charge," says Brett Loftis of Charlotte's Council for Children's Rights.

UNCC criminologist Paul Friday says: "Often, nothing is done in these kinds of cases because they're based on improper assumptions about the rationality of someone that age. But the minors are often unaware of disease, birth control and they can be exploited by someone."

Adopted by foster mother

Tiffany first entered the child welfare system as a toddler in Buffalo, N.Y., when her mother lost custody.

She was adopted at 4 by her foster mother, Alma Wright, an older woman with eight grown children, who was excited about raising another child.

One of Wright's grown sons was Royce Mitchell, a star quarterback in high school who'd gone on to play for a semi-pro team in Buffalo. But Mitchell also was indicted in 1999 as part of a drug trafficking ring and went to federal prison.

While he was in prison, authorities also charged Mitchell with an earlier murder, but a jury found him not guilty.

In 2004, Alma and Tiffany left Buffalo for North Carolina, settling near Kings Mountain. Tiffany made friends easily at school and church. She ran track at Bessemer City High School.

In 2007, Mitchell was released from prison and followed his mother to North Carolina.

But last fall, Alma Wright got sick. Friends at church helped out with Tiffany, inviting her for dinners and weekends. Tiffany spent time with Mitchell and his wife, too.

Alma Wright died Jan. 25, and Tiffany moved in with the Mitchells in Charlotte.

On Jan. 30, Royce Mitchell asked a Mecklenburg court to appoint him and his wife as Tiffany's guardians.

On his application, he wrote: "We are seeking guardianship because we were requested to do so by Mrs. Alma Wright before she died."

He wanted to transfer Tiffany to West Mecklenburg High School.

The court set a hearing for Feb. 5 and appointed a child advocate to study the situation and look after Tiffany's best interests in court.

There's no transcript of what happened in court, and the clerk who handled Tiffany's case declined to discuss his decision.

Frederick Benson, a Mecklenburg assistant clerk of superior court, appointed Mitchell the temporary guardian of Tiffany's welfare.

It's unclear if Benson, a lawyer, knew about Mitchell's criminal background. Court clerks are not required to perform background checks in guardianship cases, says Clerk of Superior Court Martha Curran. It's up to each clerk to decide what checks are necessary, and they often rely on court-appointed child advocates to advise them in such cases.

Tiffany's advocate, lawyer Martha Efird, declined to discuss her actions in the case.

It was in the weeks surrounding the Feb. 5 court hearing that Tiffany got pregnant, if hospital estimates are accurate.

But friends say Tiffany, who started at West Mecklenburg High in February, wouldn't realize for four or five months that she was pregnant.

On Feb. 27, clerk of court Benson ordered DSS to conduct a "home study" of the Mitchell household. Officials won't release their findings.

But Mitchell didn't keep custody long, according to several of Tiffany's friends in King's Mountain.

In late March, Mitchell left Tiffany at a group home called With Friends in Gastonia, according to Marlene Jefferies and Cruceta Jeffeirs, two adult family friends who watched Tiffany grow up.

The group home wouldn't confirm that. But the friends say the home reported to social services that Tiffany was abandoned. And she was soon back in foster care.

On March 31, Jeffeirs, a Shelby pastor, wrote a letter to Benson seeking custody of Tiffany: "My desire is to see Tiffany accomplish all the goals that she has set for herself and I believe she can do that in a stable environment with lots of guidance and love."

DSS officials in Gaston and Mecklenburg won't discuss Tiffany's case or answer questions about what steps they took to protect her.

But friends and family say Tiffany was eventually placed in the care of foster parent Susan Barber, in a townhome off Mallard Creek Road in Derita.

By July, it was clear Tiffany was pregnant, friends say.

Barber tried to shield Tiffany from talking to those she believed might be bad influences, according to Tiffany's cousin Brittany Page. But a source close to the investigation said Tiffany and Mitchell continued communicating.

Despite repeated attempts, Barber could not be reached.

As the school year approached, Tiffany prepared to change schools again, this time to Hawthorne High in Charlotte, which offers a special program for pregnant students.

Delayed Investigation

On July 27, social workers reported to police that Royce Mitchell might have committed statutory rape with Tiffany.

It took eight days for a detective to look at the case, and three days more for it to be officially assigned to Teresa Johnson, a detective with CMPD's youth crime and domestic violence unit.

Another 12 days passed before Johnson interviewed Tiffany.

It's unclear when detective Johnson discovered Mitchell's background, but it wasn't enough to ramp up the investigation. Investigators say they believed Tiffany was safe in a foster home and faced no threats from Mitchell.

Police say their performance in the case followed procedure and met standards.

Police interview alleged victims immediately if the crime has occurred within the previous 72 hours, so they can gather evidence that may remain. But in cases like Tiffany's - where months had elapsed since the alleged offense - police try to arrange just one interview when children and teen victims of abuse are involved.

Police acknowledge that strategy takes time but minimizes trauma and reduces the chances that young victims might be led into inaccurate testimony by repeated questioning.

Police also let such victims decide when they want to be interviewed at the county's child-victim center called Pat's Place. There, specially trained interviewers talk to victims, while social workers, psychologists, police and others watch from another room.

Tiffany chose an Aug. 19 interview. She didn't say much during the formal interview. But later that day, Johnson won her trust and obtained enough information to move forward with the investigation.

No response from Royce Mitchell

The next day, Aug. 20, the detective made her first call to Mitchell to ask him about the charge, she says. Johnson left a message and gave him a few days to call back.

When Mitchell didn't respond, she made calls over the next two weeks to social workers and a federal probation officer to ask Mitchell to come talk to police.

Police say they didn't immediately arrest him because they believed they could get better information if he talked voluntarily.

On Sept. 9, a federal probation official told Johnson that Mitchell was not coming in.

On Sept. 10, a team of social workers, police and other agencies held a standard follow-up meeting to discuss how to proceed in Tiffany's case.

On Friday, Sept. 11, detective Johnson phoned Mitchell's wife and left a message. She asked her to call back to discuss Tiffany, Johnson says, but didn't give details of the rape allegation.

That Monday, Tiffany was shot and killed.

As emergency vehicles rolled to the scene, Tiffany's school bus was diverted from its normal route. But the students could see flashing lights. Tiffany's friends on the bus, Cimone Black and Tamia Corpening, began to worry.

"I kept texting her phone...," Cimone said. Then she started calling, but all she got was voice mail.

The bus continued on to Hawthorne. For Tamia, the hourlong ride was excruciating.

Nobody said a word.



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Sources: Nancy Grace Show, Washington Post, NY Times, NY Daily News, MSNBC, CNN, CBS News, Fayetteville Police, McClatchy Newspapers, Charlotte Observer, WIVB, WRAL, Washington Times, CDF, Lionsgate Films, Under Privileged Journalism, Rainn, Amber Alert, Examiner, Wikipedia, Creepygif.com, Google Maps