Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - 3-year-old tot girl begs Grandma not to go home, then 'mommy' and daddy murder her

Episode Date: July 29, 2020

A 3-year old Kansas girl is reported missing by her father. The investigation revealed that the girl's grandmother had made repeated calls to Child and Family Services, reporting a dangerous living situation. Days later, Olivia Jansen was found in a shallow grave, her small body covered in bruises from head to toe. She died of a brain bleed, according to investigators.Joining Nancy Grace today: Elisabeth Jansen - Olivia's Grandmother who reported the abuse to DCFS Ashley Willcott - Judge and trial attorney, Anchor on Court TV, www.ashleywillcott.com Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Beverly Hills Joseph Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics Jacksonville State University, Author of "Blood Beneath My Feet" Sierra Gillespie - CrimeOnline Investigative Reporter Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. A three-year-old little girl, Olivia, goes missing. What happened to Olivia? Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us. Take a listen to our friends at KCTV5. We have an active Amber Alert just into the newsroom.

This is for a missing three-year-old from Kansas City, Kansas. Greg Payne is live at the scene for us right now. And Greg, what can you tell us about these breaking details? Joe, as you had just mentioned, that Amber Alert just went off. Everybody here at the scene, their just went off. Everybody here at the scene, their phones went off. Officials say the three-year-old child was noticed missing by parents early this morning and they contacted police at around 8 30 a.m. The young girl, Olivia Ann Jansen, was last seen wearing pajamas. At this time, police say it's too early to

determine if she was taken or walked out of the home, the property extends quite a distance back off of Gibbs Road and is wooded. Fire officials are out there with search and rescue dogs, and police are continuing to search. Police say there was another scene, but it has been cleared they didn't release the location of that scene. Police say at this time there is no threat to people living in the neighborhood right now. And if you do have any additional information, they encourage you to contact the tips hotline. Well, I just learned a lot about missing three year old Olivia with me and all star panel, Ashley Wilcott, judge and trial lawyer, court TV anchor at Ashley Wilcott.com. We're now in psychoanalyst joining me out of Beverly Hills, Dr. Bethany Marshall. You can find her at drbethanymarshall.com. Joseph Scott Morgan, professor of forensics, Jacksonville State University,

author of Blood Beneath My Feet on Amazon, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter, Sierra Gillespie, and special guest joining us, Olivia's grandmother, Elizabeth Jansen. But first, I want you to hear how Olivia was reported missing. Take a listen to 41 Action News, Emma James. Police tell us this started when Olivia's father came into the station to report her missing at 8 30 this morning. They say he noticed she was gone and the front door was open around 5 30. So they're trying to figure out why it took several hours to make that report. Police say the last time her father saw her was around 11 last night.

We spoke with Olivia's step-grandmother today who tells us she is heartbroken. She just wants Olivia home. She's just special. She's a beautiful little girl. Sweet, vibrant. She's my sunshine. That's what we call each other sunshine police are asking anyone with information to call their dispatch number or their tips hot line you are hearing our friends at 41 action news discussing when the little girl first goes missing first of all to you Joseph Scott Morgan professor forensics Jackson State University Olivia goes missing from her own

home. Last seen around 11 o'clock the night before in her PJs. You know, it does happen. For instance, Elizabeth Smart went missing from her home. Isabel Solis went missing from her home. That's real. Polly Class, Mark Class's daughter, went missing from her home, all abducted and killed, not Elizabeth, of course, by people unknown to the parents. So it does happen, but it's very rare. So what would you do to analyze the home to find clues of whoever abducted Olivia, a three-year-old little girl from her own home. Yeah, look, if people are thinking that this is an outside perpetrator, that somebody has entered the residence in order to snatch that little girl, and you're right, this does happen. You've got all these creepers that are out there that take an eye

or take a liking to a small child. You would want to look and see if there were any signs of forced entry, were screens pried off of the window, was the door locked jimmied in any way. Did any of this stuff happen? You know, and at the end of the day, if you're failing that, then you have to look at people that are within the immediate circle who absolutely have total and complete access to this child. A three-year-old little child. And the reality is if the child, quote, wandered off on her own, how far could she get in her PJs? Out to Sierra Gillespie, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter. Sierra, I heard the reporter on the scene state that it was a big property and heavily wooded. What can you tell me about it?

Yeah, Nancy. So the area that she was in definitely was wooded. There could be different areas that she could have wandered off to. I mean, but again, as you said, this is a three yearyear-old girl. How far can she actually get? And what time did she actually leave the home? So if her father last saw her at 11 p.m., we could assume that she had left sometime in the night, early morning. Was it dark? How far is a little three-year-old girl going to get in the dark? And I mean, how far can she really walk on her own? Joining me is Olivia's grandmother, Elizabeth Jansen. She called police to do a welfare check. Elizabeth Jansen, thank you for being with us.

When you first heard that Olivia was missing, what did you think? I just knew that it was something bad for her father to be calling me. When he called you, what did he say? Well, he called me. I got a call at 9 o'clock. It was his phone ring, And I didn't answer it. I was like, oh, boy, oh, no. And then at 9.02 he called me again.

I was like, okay, something's happened. And I answered the phone. And then he just started ranting and raving about, Dad, just Olivia, I've done everything I can to take care of her, and just ranting and raving. And he told me he was going to screw his dad and just crazy. And then I just said, I just hung up the phone and I called my husband. So what he was saying didn't make any sense at all.

No, he's automatically blaming that his dad came and took her. And I was like, no, she has been here all night. You know, that was the first time I've heard from him since they kept her away from me. Why did they keep you? You love Olivia. You've been a constant in her life. Why did they try to keep you away from your granddaughter? I think there was a lot of jealousy and I think it was a way to hurt us.

It seems like him and Jackie were very mean. And Olivia loved us very much. And losing her mother, you know, temporarily, she clinged more to us than ever. And I think he really wanted to hurt us. You know, Ms. Jansen, my grandmother, Lucy, who I named my daughter after, helped raise me. We, I, would stay with my grandmother a lot because both my mom and dad were at work with ours. I mean, they didn't have any freedom to leave. My dad worked for the railroad, and my mom worked in payroll. They couldn't just go, oh, you know, I need to take my daughter to Girl Scout or I need to go home.

She's got a fever. Nothing like that. My grandmother, Lucy, my mama, took care of me and helped raise me. And I'm just trying to imagine your bond with little Olivia. So after he, Howard Jansen, calls you, all upset. Now, is he Olivia's bio dad? Yes, she resembles him quite a bit. Now, who is Jacqueline Kirkpatrick?

How does she fit into this picture? Olivia's mother was friends with her. But at that time, Olivia seemed crazy about Jackie, really crazy. And Jackie seemed the same. But as soon as it happened with Olivia's mother hitting that boy, hitting a run, and she was a little out of her mind at the time. So then she went to jail. And Howard III always had to have a woman. And Jackie was there.

And that's where he went. Right where Whitney was gone. So she moved into the home? No, no, no, no, no. She lived with her father and her three kids on Ottawa Street, and he moved in with them right away and the baby. And I thought everything was going to be just fine because she seemed to really be crazy about Olivia,

and Olivia seemed crazy about her. And then just things started getting kind of weird, you know, and I started watching, and then we didn't see her almost every day, and then March 6th at 2.07 was the last time I'd seen her. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Guys, we were talking about a beautiful little girl, Olivia. Olivia, three years old, goes missing. Let's go to Cut One.

KCTV 5 News anchor Joe Scioto, reporter Greg Pahey. We have an active Amber Alert just into the newsroom. This is for a missing 3-year-old from Kansas City, Kansas. Greg Payne is live at the scene for us right now. And Greg, what can you tell us about these breaking details? Joe, as you had just mentioned, that Amber Alert just went off. Everybody here at the scene, their phones went off. Officials say the 3-year-old child was noticed missing by parents early this morning and they contacted police at around 8 30 a.m. The young girl Olivia

Ann Jansen was last seen wearing pajamas. At this time police say it's too early to determine if she was taken or walked out of the home. The property extends quite a distance back off of Gibbs Road and is wooded. Fire is out. Fire officials are out there with search and rescue dogs and police are continuing to search. Police say there was another scene, but it has been cleared they didn't release the location of that scene. Police say at this time there's no threat to people living in the neighborhood right now. That's very interesting that the dad goes to the police station to report she's missing instead of calling 911 to get the search going. We're talking about the disappearance of Olivia Jansen straight to Sierra Gillespie, CrimeOnline.com investigative

reporter. So he says, let me understand the timeline. He says he hasn't seen her since the night before at 11 p.m. when she went to bed. And then what time does he get to the police station the next day? Yeah, Nancy, the timeline for this I think is very important. So as you said, 11 p.m. on Thursday, that's the last time he says that he saw her. Then I have several reports, one saying he woke up at about 5.30, and another saying he woke up at about 6.30 in the morning. So either way, sometime early in the morning is thing he woke up at about 6 30 in the morning so either way sometime early in the morning is when he woke up he says that the front door was open and he says that's when he realized

olivia wasn't around but it took him until about 8 30 in order to actually physically go to the police station and say my daughter is missing her missing. So it really took quite some time for him to physically go there. And again, that's the big question is why did he go to the station? Why didn't he dial 911 immediately right when he woke up to see, hey, she isn't here. We need help right away. And to you, Elizabeth Jansen, this is Olivia's grandmother. Isn't it true he, Olivia's bio you, Elizabeth Jansen, this is Olivia's grandmother. Isn't it true he, Olivia's bio dad, Howard Jansen, called you? Howard Jansen III called me in the morning at nine o'clock and

then at 9.02. But he also called his father, Howard Jansen II, raving in the remote. Okay, when you're saying Howard 2 and Howard 3. Howard 2 is my husband. He's the good one. He's Paw Paw. Okay,

that's what I call one of my grandfather's Paw Paw. So, Howard 3 is your son? Used to be. Used to be my stepson.

Ah, your stepson. So, he's not your bio son. Is that correct? Thankfully, yes. How long have you known Howard 3 he's not your bio son, is that correct? Thankfully, yes. How long have you known Howard III? Since he was two.

What's his personality? How did he turn into such an individual? Yeah, he was raised with all the best plastic spoon you could put in his mouth. I mean, we weren't rich, but he had everything. Once he got older and started babbling into drugs, and I'm not blaming the drugs, he's this way. Mean, hateful, quick temper, crude, rude, small animals, children, just a user, a mooch. Did you say mean to small animals? Just abusive if they made a mess on the floor or something.

You know, he had to be pulled away a couple of times from hurting a small dog at one point. And that concerned me, yeah. Straight out to dr bethany marshall psycho analyst joining us out of beverly hills at dr bethany marshall.com right there bethany i mean right there all sorts of alarms are going off in my head okay so the other night you know fat boy our pound puppy yes i do john david was hugging him so tight he nipped John David's ear. It didn't, of course, didn't bleed, but it scared him. And John David got so upset when his father, David, whacked the dog on the rear end with a magazine. It was The Economist, so it's not very thick at all.

He whacked him. Do you know both children started crying? Because this is after the dog, and I understand what happened. You know he's a mutt, but he's kind of a dachshund. He's kind of like a little monster dachshund. And he hugged him so tight

that he went, on John David's's ear and so david comes and whacks him on the rear end with a real everybody started crying and getting upset about the dog forget about john david my son but that's just anecdotal what i'm telling you is when a child, even a child starts mistreating an animal, that's a redor of sociopathic personality, juvenile delinquency, cruelty in adulthood. It's the number one thing we look at when we see an adult criminal. If they have cruelty to animals in childhood, then we begin to know that the criminality is a part of their own personality or their genetics, their own psychological makeup, rather than something situational, like, say, they stole something because they were hungry and they needed food. It's more that, no, they're a criminal.

There's all kinds of things I'm hearing about Howard III that are very alarming to me. The fact that he called Olivia's grandmother and was speaking sort of nonsense, gobbledygook speech. You know, Nancy, when people do that, they're always trying to cover something up. Haven't you learned that? I mean, haven't you seen that with individuals when they're lying or something's not quite right? They talk nonsense, so you can't really understand what they're saying. The fact that Howard III alienated little Olivia from her own grandmother speaks volumes of his cruelty to the grandmother and cruelty to little three-year-old little Olivia

who needed her grandmother so much. He also seems like a very jealous, envious man. I think Mrs. Jansen is right that he alienated Olivia from her just because he was jealous that Olivia loved her grandmother. So we have all kinds of red flags about Howard III's personality. To Elizabeth Jansen, this is Olivia's grandmother. Is it true that Olivia begged you not to have to go back to her dad's house yes that that's oh my god that's on my that's I that's every day I keep that yeah a little frown and you're not mad at me I'd be back I'd come back and told him called would have taken her from me anyways, you know.

I never would have imagined this, never. When she begged you not to go back. Most of the times, yeah, and her papa. What would you say to her? I told her my door is always open. I am always here waiting for her, that I'd always be here. And I was hitting the door jam on the wall and i told her i said anybody keeps you away from me i'll hurt them and uh that would always make her kind of smile and i told her me and papa are always papa's at the shop and me ma's at the house

on sunshine street that's what she called it, Sunshine Street. She called where you live Sunshine Street? Me and her called each other Sunshine. She called Papa Haney. But we always said it was Sunshine Street that we lived on. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Guys, we're talking about a three-year-old little girl, Olivia Jansen, who goes missing in the middle of the night. This is a major clue. Take a listen to our friends at 41 Action News, Ariel Rothfield. Neighbors and family members tell us off camera,

this is where Olivia lived in a home up the street with her father and his girlfriend and has been living here since the beginning of the year. Now on Facebook, Olivia's father wrote he planned on marrying his girlfriend on July 4th. We haven't been able to confirm that was official. Now, police do tell us that the father is at police headquarters and is cooperating. Canines have been brought to both locations in order to help search for Olivia. This neighborhood right here is primarily residential where homes back up to one another. We do know that police towed a silver car from this neighborhood earlier today.

Police would not explain why or how the car was related to this investigation. But again, there are a lot of missing pieces and moving parts to this investigation. And of course, anybody with any information about Olivia or might have seen or heard anything is asked to call 911 immediately. You know, Joseph Scott Morgan, Professor of Forensics, Jacksonville State, and author of Blood Beneath My Feet. You know what? I never have claimed to know a lot, but I do know this.

When the police take your car and they won't give it back, you have a problem. Yes, you do. You certainly do. And the reason is, is that anything that enters into a vehicle, a contained space like that, is that you can't, you can't overestimate the value of that from a forensic standpoint, because every bit of trace evidence that's contained within that contained area is going to point you in some particular direction. You don't necessarily know what, but you have to keep it safe and you have to analyze it to look for every possible clue, whether it's any kind of body fluid,

including blood, anything, any scuff mark that's in that location, any residues that might be left behind, anything, or just looking for, say, pieces of rope or cord or stains of any kind, it is essential that you get that vehicle, lock it down, and you do not allow anybody else to have access to it. In the last hours, the people of that city take to the streets there in Kansas City, take to the streets over Olivia's case. And this is why. Take a listen to our friends, Kansas City, Fox 4, Zach Summers. After nearly a 12 hour search at two homes connected to Olivia Jansen, investigators discovered her body off a trail just 10 blocks away from where her father says he last saw her. We wanted to find her alive and safe. We did. It's terrible.

Officer Tom Tomasek with KCKPD says the little girl may have been buried. My understanding, the body isn't just laying there. Olivia's father told police his daughter was at their home off Gibbs Road around 11 o'clock last night around 5 30 this morning, apparently found a door wide open and his daughter nowhere to be found. He reported her missing three hours later. We have had several stories throughout the day. Um, none of them made very much sense. So I think unfortunately to find her where she is, the way she is, I don't think it was too unexpected. You know, they say that so calmly.

It wasn't unexpected. You know why it wasn't unexpected? Because multiple complaints have been made to the Department of Children and Family Services DFAX and this child is now dead. I want you to take a listen to this. KCK police records show officers responded to the home on Ottawa Street where Olivia lived with her dad and Kirkpatrick for a suicide investigation. It was one of six calls to that house since the beginning of the year for things including juvenile abuse and a welfare check. He family said they had been in the house since one of 6 calls to that house since the beginning

of the year for things including juvenile abuse and a welfare check. He said that they knocked on the door. Nobody answered. And that was all they could do. So I needed to call DCF which she did this

email confirmation of that call from Kansas Department for children and families telling Jansen the incident or circumstance you reported was assigned for investigation. 17 days the child was found dead in a wooded area near South 34th and steel in KCK. I knew when I got that call from him that he had done something. I knew that what I had feared was

true. Howard. The 3rd first telling police the child was gone when he woke up Friday morning. Their investigation leading to his and Kirk Patrick's arrest shortly after Olivia's body was discovered. Another child who slipped

through the cracks. Jansen says I needed something to help me. I needed something to help me. I needed something to help me. I needed something to Their investigation leading to his and Kirkpatrick's arrest shortly after Olivia's body was discovered. Another child who slipped through the cracks, Jansen says. I needed someone to point me in the right direction and I didn't have any help. I just want everybody to know her story. You know, I just don't want her to be forgotten. Joining me right now, Elizabeth Jansen. This is Olivia's grandmother who took care of her.

The little girl begged grandmommy not to send her back to the home. But grandma Meemaw's hands were tied. As a matter of fact, at a certain point, her own son would keep the little girl from her. Jealous that little Olivia loved her grandmother so much. Elizabeth Jansen, you were told, hey, if you want to do something about it, call D-Facts, and you did, didn't you? Yes, ma'am. What happened?

I was on the phone with them for 23 minutes, and they were nice. I just had to tell them everything I could think of, and I think it was a couple of days, I think it was on a Thursday, we got the email saying, you know, I could send in more information, but I wouldn't be contacting them about anything. Okay, so you got an email and that was it? That's it. What all did you tell them? I told them about the drugs. I told them about that I had heard she was wearing a wire to, that she had gotten another drug dealer in trouble.

I knew that there were drug dealers after them because they owed money. I told them that she was a sex worker. I believe I remember to say that. But I told them about I thought they would be abused or she would be abused. I told them about July's temper. And I told them that I didn't want her to go into foster care. I wanted to turn this in by me and her pawpaw so that she would have a safe place to come to when they got her out of there. And it didn't happen. You know when you're told, call

D-Fax if you want to do something, and the grandmother does, and then the baby still ends up dead? And forever, forever, this is going to be on her mind, Elizabeth Jansen's mind, that Olivia would beg her every time

not to have to go back home to her bio dad and his girlfriend. Right now people have actually taken to the streets in Kansas City protesting over the death of Olivia Jansen, a three-year-old little girl. I'm looking at a video right now. DCF failed Olivia and does not care about our children. Protesters say Kansas Department Child Services received five notifications concerning Olivia's case and did nothing until her body is found.

To Sierra Gillespie, joining me, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter. Tell me about the discovery of Olivia's body. Yeah, Nancy. So at about 6.30 on Friday, July 10th, is when the Amber Alert was called off. Her body was found less than two miles from her home, where her father had said she had gone missing sometime between 11 p.m. on Thursday and then early Friday morning. We're still waiting for an autopsy report to completely confirm exactly how she died. And something we did hear in one of the reports we listened to earlier, she was somewhat buried in a bit of a shallow grave. But the really important thing I think here that we need to focus on

is that the police officer said this wasn't unexpected. This is something that unfortunately they expected to find. And it was so sad that she was found just so close to home. crime stories with nancy grace guys we were talking about a three-year-old little girl all the red flags were there nothing was done her grandmother who is with us today tried everything to save three-year-old Olivia. But now Olivia is dead, no matter what grandma did. D-Fax had gotten multiple calls, but had left the child in the home, not even bothering to investigate the grandma's last call. Take a listen to Action News reporter Andre Gutierrez. The baby was always so unhappy to go home. She would frown and say, you love me, you're not mad at me. I come back, I come back,

and I told her I will hurt anybody that keeps you away from me. That was back in March, the last time Elizabeth Jansen says she saw her granddaughter. Recently, she and Howard Jansen II grew worried over Olivia's well-being. They say they called KCK police and eventually the Kansas Department for Children and Families, better known as DCF. Because they wouldn't do anything other than knock on the door. And so I was on the phone with them June 22nd for 23 minutes, telling them everything that I could think of to tell them. And then they sent me an email on Thursday that said I could send more stuff to them. But as far as that, for me to know anything, they wouldn't be contacting me.

Then both of them got a heart-wrenching call Friday from Olivia's dad. My stepson called me at 9 o'clock in the morning, ranting and raving. Then he called me, too, about the same time. You know, just screaming, the baby's gone, the baby's gone. First reported missing, police would eventually find Olivia's body buried in a wooded area hours later. Guys, we are talking about a gorgeous three-year-old little girl now dead. Joining me, in addition to her grandmother, Elizabeth Jansen, Ashley Wilcott, judge and trial lawyer, her specialty, juvenile law, anchor Court TV,

at AshleyWilcott dot com. Ashley, weigh in. OK, Nancy, here's what I want to say. This is a case in which you have lots of different individuals, the father, the girlfriend. He has two homes. So you have different crime scenes. We know what's really important is always the chronology. What happened when?

Let's talk about this DCS report. Thank goodness it was reported. That's the first step. It was assigned for investigation. That's the second step. But here is where we need a chronology to really explain what happened. This child was found dead 17 days later. Nancy, you know as well as I do, 17 days. 17 days is a lifetime in the life of a child. What did DCF do or, more importantly, not do during those 17 days? That's what I want to know. That's the chronology that I'm concerned about, because I would suggest that given it was 17 days, things were not done that should have been done. Joining me, Elizabeth Jansen, this is Olivia's grandmother who is also seeking justice. And now people in Kansas City, Kansas, are actually taking to the streets in protest outside the Department of Children and Family Services building with signs. I'm looking at them right now.

Justice for Olivia. Baby girl. We are here for her. D-Fax failed the children. D-Fax failed children again. I mean, what will it take until somebody listens? How many children have to die when D-Fax refuses to intervene? Elizabeth Jansen, what is D-Fax saying now? And I'm not blaming them for, well, I take it back. I kind of am blaming them for the murder. I know Howard Three and his henchperson Lover are responsible for

the death, but in my mind D-Fax was part and parcel of it. They dropped the ball. I don't want to say too much about them because I don't want to jeopardize what we're going through trying to convict them. But they dropped

the ball. Joseph Scott Morgan, professor of forensics, Jacksonville State, and author of Blood Beneath My Feet. Explain to me how we're going to get a cause of death on this little girl. I don't know what is taking so long as far as the specific COD on this particular child's death. I think that maybe they're factoring in all of the pre-existing maybe trauma that she endured. Remember, she's been kept away from her grandmother for some period of time. Those individuals that would be able to look in on her and check on her, and they're probably trying to marry up a timeline of ongoing abuse, I would imagine, that culminated in her death eventually. That's the only thing that I can imagine that's

going on. Plus, you know, the standard fare where they're waiting on toxicology as well. When you say waiting on toxicology, could you please explain that? Yeah. And I think that this is key here, Nancy, because of what Grandma had mentioned just a few moments ago, is that there may have been drugs in this household. And we really need to dig deep into that. Because if there were drugs in this household, you know, what if drug dealers are after him? What if he's, you know, you never know. So you've got these drugs that might be in

the household. Was she subjected to these? Were they manufacturing drugs like meth in the household? Was anything else going on? Had she been exposed to anything? And if she had been, then you want to check into her system and see what's going on. Hey, here's another thought too. Maybe she accidentally ingested something and she wound up dying. You never know because every, you know, at every turn for this precious little baby is a hazard in this environment. It is a lethal environment. When you consider all of the people that dad, her dad made a free will choice to associate with and engage in a lifestyle he was engaging in, it put her at risk, not just daily, Nancy, but minute to minute. Nancy? Yes, jump in.

Joe Scott Morgan is absolutely correct. Court papers just released say that she was badly injured and it would have been apparent to anyone that saw her that she suffered great physical abuse. The autopsy says that this little three-year-old girl was covered in bruises from head to toe. Her face, her arms, her legs, all covered in bruises. She also had a small cut on the back of her head, and an autopsy revealed significant bleeding on the back of her brain, which caused her death. Come on, stars. I just wanted to add real quickly, child abuse is a vastly underreported crime. And the reason for that is when neighbors, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins notice

signs of abuse, they will typically fear that if they report the abuse, that they'll say to themselves, well, maybe I made it up. Maybe I'm imagining it. I don't want to get that parent in trouble. What if the child's removed from the home and it ruins the child's life and it's my fault? These are the self-proclaimed narratives of people who look the other way and do not report child abuse. So by the time a report is actually lodged with DFACs, it is very serious. For every report filed, there are potentially dozens that have not been filed. So the fact that DFACs sat on this, did not take it seriously, let so much time pass. As Joe Scott Morgan so eloquently said, the report was just the tip of the iceberg of other lack of reports of people in the household, drugs coming

in and out, money that was owed, jealous stepmother, sociopathic father. And so this was the canary in the coal mine, the report. And then it slipped through the cracks. That is what the tragedy is about this entire situation. Guys, the biological father, Howard Jansen, and his girlfriend, Jacqueline Kirkpatrick, are in jail right now, charged not only with first-degree murder, but other related charges. You know who else ought to be there behind bars? Department of Family and Child Services. That's who. We wait as justice unfolds. Nancy Grace, Crime Story, signing off. Goodbye, friend. This is an iHeart Podcast.