Manslaughter charges dismissed against social workers in boy's death
DETROIT — A judge tossed the felony charges against two Michigan social workers accused of causing the death of a 3-year-old boy by failing to do their jobs, saying "justice in this case requires that this case be dismissed."
Judge Kenneth King of Detroit's 36th District Court, who presided over a preliminary examination, dismissed the involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse charges against Child Protective Services worker Elaina Brown, 24, and her supervisor, Kelly Williams, 47.
“I’m not in the business of doing what’s popular,” said King. “I’m going to do what’s right.”
Prosecutors charged Williams and Brown in connection with the death of Aaron Minor, whose decomposing body was discovered in a vacant apartment in May. His body was found about a month after Brown went to the child's home to investigate a report that the child could be in danger.
“Nobody was ever able to say that the child was abused or neglected,” King said while explaining his decision. “Or that there was a threat to abuse or neglect the child.”
The defendants — who still face a misdemeanor count of willful neglect of duty and are on paid leave from their jobs — hugged their attorneys and supporters who packed the courtroom when the hearing concluded.
Brown and Williams both declined to comment leaving court. Their attorneys said they will seek to get the final charge tossed, too.
“They felt a sense of relief today with the decision,” said Tim McDaniel, one of Brown's attorneys. “But they realize they’ve gone through a really tough, tough time.”
Prosecutors are reviewing the court's decision “for a possible appeal,” a spokesman for the office said in an email Thursday.
An email from a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesman said the agency “appreciates Judge King’s consideration of the facts in this case and the decision to dismiss the charges after hearing evidence presented during the preliminary examination.”
Prosecutors allege Brown, a social services specialist hired in 2015, and Williams, a services program manager hired in 1995, were "grossly negligent and reckless in performing their duties" and failed to properly follow up in the Detroit boy's case.
But defense attorneys argued Wednesday there wasn’t any testimony during three days that said the workers did not follow policies and procedures.
King said “hindsight is 20/20” but he doesn’t think there is anything that would have forewarned the workers and said there was insufficient evidence to send the case to Wayne County Circuit Court to proceed to trial.
He said he stayed up until 3 a.m. Thursday reading documents in the case, calling cases such as these “very sad, very tragic.”
According to testimony, Child Protective Services workers went to the home a day after receiving a complaint that the boy's mother, Deanna Minor, who suffers from mental health issues, wasn't taking her medication.
A district manager for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Brown reported the child appeared “fine” when she saw him April 21 and April 22.
Prosecutors said more information came in to the child protective agency after the initial visits, including a report May 6 that Minor had not seen mental health professionals and was at risk of losing her housing. A few days later, Brown sent a letter asking Minor, to contact to her within 24 hours, but Minor never did and Brown didn't see the child again.
About a month later, on May 25, Aaron’s body was discovered by an apartment maintenance worker. The medical examiner's office ruled his death a homicide but the cause is unknown. The doctor who performed the autopsy said the child may have been smothered.
King explained that if the medical examiner can’t say how Minor died then “we can’t make the leap” to say that Brown or Williams caused his death.
Minor was charged with felony murder, second-degree murder, child abandonment and concealing the death of a person in connection with her son's death, court records show. She has been found not competent to stand trial and ordered to treatment.
Police found her in a psychiatric ward at a local hospital after her son’s body was discovered.
Follow Elisha Anderson on Twitter: @elishaanderson