The Misery Machine - The Case of Marissa Kennedy

Starting point is 00:00:00 Marissa A. Kennedy was born on October 29, 2007 in Middletown, New York. Her mother, Sharon Kennedy, was 22 years old at the time and never revealed the identity of the father. She later married Marissa's stepfather, Julio Carrillo, in 2015 when Marissa was just eight years old. Marissa was the firstborn, followed by three other siblings, two brothers and a sister. Her grandfather Joseph Kennedy and grandmother Roseanne Kennedy helped raise her. They called her the love of their lives. Marissa had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a wide smile. Her grandparents said she lit up the room whenever she walked into it.

Starting point is 00:00:41 Marissa loved going to the library and loved reading. Her favorite books were the Magic Tree House series when she was younger, and fantasy stories like Harry Potter when she got a little older. Her favorite color was purple. Marissa enjoyed swimming, dancing, and liked going to the aquarium. She liked building with Legos. Her grandfather said she would look at the Lego drawing and assemble the kit with almost no help. She liked to watch movies, especially Frozen.

Starting point is 00:01:08 Marissa loved going to car shows and would run from car to car. She liked to look under the hoods, examining the engines. She made friends easily and loved her family and friends. As we mentioned earlier, Marissa initially lived with her mother and her mother's parents, Sharon's father, Joseph, and her stepmother, Roseanne. Sharon was three years old when Roseanne married Joseph. According to Roseanne, Sharon did not talk until she was five. She did go to kindergarten, but she had such difficulty there that her parents placed her in a school for children of special needs. She went to school all year round, 12 months a year, and did well in small classes of 5 to 10 students.

Starting point is 00:01:46 She graduated high school with a type of diploma that was easier to get than a standard diploma. Sharon's first job was at a medical clerk's office, and she worked at a daycare. She struggled at these jobs and was eventually let go. She would only do exactly what she was asked to do and couldn't problem solve if anything was even slightly different than the instructions she was given. Sharon initially hid her pregnancy from her parents. They were very concerned when they found out because they didn't think she had the ability to take care of a child. They arranged for home lessons about how to feed and care for a baby. Once Marissa arrived, Roseanne and Joseph helped Sharon.

Starting point is 00:02:25 They all lived together in a home in New Windsor. After Marissa was born, Sharon got a job at Walmart. Roseanne said she loved working there. However, on multiple occasions, Sharon was almost fired for being too slow. Roseanne intervened, explaining Sharon's learning difficulties, and Sharon kept her job. Sharon met Julio while working at Walmart. The two began dating, but Sharon kept their relationship secret at first. When they found out, her parents were concerned because Julio was 20 years older than Sharon.

Starting point is 00:02:57 But when they met him, he seemed calm and easy to talk to. He was charming and had an answer for everything. He told people what they wanted to hear. Roseanne and Joseph hoped Julio would take care of Sharon. She had never lived on her own. They hoped he would help her like they had helped her. In July of 2015, Julio and Sharon got married. She took his last name becoming Sharon Carrillo.

Starting point is 00:03:22 For about a year afterward, they lived in an apartment in New York. During that time, Marissa spent four or five nights with her grandparents every week. Her grandparents enjoyed having her there and it gave her a chance to get used to her new family. Sharon and Julio soon had their first child together, a little boy. In the summer of 2016, the family moved to an apartment in Bangor, Maine. Joseph recounted seeing Marissa standing in the front yard before the move. She looked sad. He said he could tell she didn't want to leave.

Starting point is 00:03:51 After they moved away from their support system in New York, the family struggled. In 2016, police were called twice because of family fighting. That fall, Marissa was missing too much school. Julio said the absences were because Marissa was getting mental health treatment for behavior problems. The school made a truancy report with Maine's Office of Child and Family Services, or OCFS. They logged the report but decided no further action was necessary. In December, the school was trying to get in touch with Sharon and Julio,

Starting point is 00:04:22 but they weren't answering multiple phone calls. so the school submitted another report to OCFS. Now, around this same time, three more reports were submitted to OCFS from medical professionals concerned about Marissa and Sharon. Doctors wanted to admit Sharon for inpatient mental health treatment, but no bed was available. During this incident, doctors noted that Julio didn't allow Sharon and Marissa to speak

Starting point is 00:04:47 to anyone unless he was present. An OCFS caseworker did a home visit on December 9th. During the visit, Julio said Sharon's mental health was causing their problems. Sharon said she had appointment scheduled to manage her medication and participate in counseling. Marissa said she was fine and could talk to her parents if she was worried about anything. At this point, a pattern was beginning to form. Julio and Sharon would say what officials wanted to hear. They would sign paperwork.

Starting point is 00:05:15 They would promise to make changes and get help. But they wouldn't follow through with any of their promises. OcFS checked with the child welfare in New York to see if the family had a history of problems. Officials in New York had no record of reports. Child welfare had never been involved while Joseph and Roseanne were around to help. Later in December, the family met to discuss therapy. Julio did the majority of the talking and the doctor was concerned that Julio didn't want Marissa seeing a therapist by herself. But Marissa said she didn't want therapy.

Starting point is 00:05:47 Sharon told the doctor she wasn't happy with their services and was going to switch to a new. doctor, thus ending her relationship with the practice. It is uncertain whether or not Marissa was being coached here. But this was another pattern. Whenever it seemed like someone might hold them accountable, the couple would switch to a new provider. With this slate wiped clean, they could make more promises and would take months before their lives caught up to them. The next day, Sharon told the caseworker they had a new doctor, and they were going to make appointments for family counseling. On December 19th, Julio and Sharon met with the school and agreed to a plan to help Marissa get to class regularly.

Starting point is 00:06:25 School personnel told the caseworker the couple did not seem genuine. They only wanted to look like they were trying to fix the problem. By the beginning of the next year, Marissa had already missed several appointments, including one for medication management. On January 10th, a public health nurse visited the family at their apartment. For those unfamiliar, public health nurses make home visits to help monitor and treat illness, including mental health issues. Sharon and Julio said the right things to the nurse,

Starting point is 00:06:54 who noted in the report the couple was open to public health nursing. During the visit, the nurse found no signs of abuse. So on January 12th, OCFS closed the case. In early 2017, Sharon had her third child, another daughter. On April 3rd, Marissa had an intake appointment with a new doctor. Switching doctors meant Marissa hadn't gotten counseling, for three and a half months. At the session, only Julio spoke,

Starting point is 00:07:23 claiming Shara and Marissa had mental health problems. The doctor wrote a note excusing Marissa from school that morning, noting she was supposed to go back to school that afternoon. The school contacted the doctor, saying Marissa missed all of April 3rd as well as April 4th. Julio told the school that Marissa had been hospitalized. The doctor had no record of her admission, so they called the police and asked for a welfare check.

Starting point is 00:07:47 When police arrived, Julio told the officers that Marissa was sick. Now, as it turns out, Julio had told the doctor, the school, and the police all different stories. His lies worried the doctor who made a report to OCFS and subsequently an OCFS prevention worker was assigned to the case. On April 5th, a school official tried to talk with Marissa. She said she felt safe at home, but she also said she wasn't supposed to talk to anyone at the school. When Sharon came to pick Marissa up, a staff member told her Marissa wanted to stay for the after-school program. Sharon said she had to ask Julio. Afterwards, Sharon spoke briefly with Marissa.

Starting point is 00:08:28 Out of nowhere, Sharon and Marissa ran away, literally. They both ran out of the school and got into a car that Julio was waiting in. Staff were understandably concerned about this, so they told the OCFS prevention worker about the incident. They also mentioned Marissa's continued Truman. Later in April, a neighbor called police to report yelling in the home. Julio told police they had just gotten an eviction notice, and Sharon was upset. In mid-May, the doctor reported the couple for medical neglect. Sharon and Julio claimed Marissa had mental health issues, but they canceled her appointment.

Starting point is 00:09:04 Their excuse was that they took her to the ER. However, the ER had no record of any visit. Police were called for a welfare check, but they could not locate the family. A few days later, the police were back again for another welfare check. This time, a neighbor had called. The neighbor heard a man yelling. When the police arrived, the couple would not come to the door. The next day, that same neighbor called the police again.

Starting point is 00:09:29 Sharon had been screaming and Julio had been yelling at her. Among other things, the neighbor heard him call Sharon a slur for disabled people. On May 24th, police were called again by a neighbor. The neighbor witnessed Julio punching Marissa in the leg twice. Julio also yelled at Marissa while in the car. The neighbor said Sharon was crying and that Julio abused Sharon and Marissa on a regular basis. The neighbor also said Julio scared everyone in the building. On May 26, the school reported Marissa for truancy.

Starting point is 00:10:04 She had missed 29 days of school. Sharon and Julio were not following the plan they had agreed to. 19 of the 29 days were missed after the plan had been established. On May 31st, OCFS opened a new report based on the truancy report from the school. The previous prevention report was closed because of the new report. A new caseworker was assigned. That same day, the new caseworker attempted to make two unannounced visits, but no one would answer at home. Sharon called back later and arranged to meet the next day.

Starting point is 00:10:39 The caseworker planned to interview Marissa alone at the school and then meet with the rest of the family back at home. Sharon called back to explain that Marissa had a nervous condition and couldn't talk to strangers. The caseworker insisted she meet with Marissa alone. On June 1st, the caseworker met Marissa at school and the rest of the family at home is planned. At the school, Marissa said she did not feel comfortable talking alone. When the caseworker asked more questions, Marissa stared at her and said nothing. When the caseworker talked to the school staff, they explained their concerns. They also said Sharon and Julio were planning to switch schools.

Starting point is 00:11:16 At the apartment, the caseworker met with Julio and Sharon alone. Sharon said she and Julio made all the decisions together. She said Marissa missed school because of medical appointments. They didn't allow Marissa to go on field trips because they were worried about her. Apparently, they thought Marissa might pass out because she was so skinny. They claimed to not withhold school as a punishment. Sharon admitted she sometimes yelled, screamed, swore. She knew it wasn't right, but she blamed it on her mental health problems.

Starting point is 00:11:46 She promised to find a doctor and get herself help. In his interview, Julio said Marissa missed school and field trips sometimes because of appointments and sometimes because she didn't want to go. She didn't like the school because they were always trying to talk to her about things. This is what Julio was claiming. He said Marissa's mental health made her difficult to manage. He admitted he yelled sometimes, but he claimed he never hit anybody, including Marissa. He would hold her sometimes to calm her during her outbursts.

Starting point is 00:12:18 Both Sharon and Julio said they were being evicted and looking for a new place to live. The caseworker found no signs of danger, but was concerned Julio seemed violent and controlling. The next day, the caseworker spoke to the grandfather. In their conversation, he said Julio was very controlling. He wouldn't let either Sharon or Marissa speak when he wasn't with them. He also said Roseanne would be in Maine soon and he would be happy to meet in person. The OcFS caseworker called the next week to arrange services for Marissa. Julio said she was having mental health crisis because her grandparents were sending her messages.

Starting point is 00:12:57 A few days later, the school told the caseworker that Marissa was unusually sleepy. Sharon said it was because of her meds. The school contacted her doctor who said that shouldn't be happening. They were concerned that parents were giving her incorrect medication. When the doctor tried a follow-up about the prescription, Sharon and Julio lied about which providers Marissa was seeing. When the caseworker met to discuss this issue, Julio said Marissa was a danger to herself and claimed her grandmother,

Starting point is 00:13:27 Roseanne was harassing her. He told the caseworker he had gotten a court order against Roseanne, but there was no evidence that this was true. He said they were working on figuring out Marissa's medications, but missed the first appointment. He said they were being evicted because of all the calls to police, which he blamed on Sharon's mental health issues. Sharon was present during this meeting, but she did not speak. Only Julio spoke this entire time. The caseworker passed all this information to her case manager, including her concerns about possible DV.

Starting point is 00:13:58 The case manager had similar observations, especially about how Julio dominated their conversations. In late June, Julio negotiated an extension on the eviction. The family could stay until July 31st as long as there were no more noise complaints. On June 26, Julio called the caseworker to say that Marissa was in crisis. He said she was having out-of-control tantrums causing injury. He said Sharon was afraid of her, and he was afraid she would hurt the younger children. Julio and Sharon wanted to hospitalize Marissa in an inpatient program. The caseworker said the couple should call crisis services, a department set up to provide urgent help, but Julio refused to do so.

Starting point is 00:14:43 During this time of crisis, the case manager had to close the case. Policy required an assessment within 30 days. The family had scheduled three appointments to complete an assessment, but missed all of them. On June 29th, OCFS sent a letter closing the case with no findings of abuse or neglect. The family was referred to the alternative response. program or the ARP, a community-based program that provided parenting classes and counseling at home. This program was designed for families who are not considered high risk for CA in the home. It is unclear why they were placed in this type of program after the multiple reports from the police,

Starting point is 00:15:20 the school, and medical professionals. In the meantime, Sharon and Julio had hospitalized Marissa for her mental health issues, as they put it. Now with their case closed, they wanted to discharge her, as, according to them, they had been evicted and were moving back to New York. However, the eviction had been moved to the end of July, and the family never moved back to New York, so this was at least partly untrue. Marissa was discharged into her mother's care on July 5th. But the case closed, there was no reason to stop Sharon from taking her home. Around mid-July, OCS received several reports about Marissa.

Starting point is 00:15:56 Her parents took her to the ER five days in a row, but left before any treatment plan could be put in place. Julio and Sharon stopped returning phone calls. They didn't talk to anyone at OCFS until September. In August, Sharon and Julio moved to a condo in Stockton Springs, Maine. A small town located 40 minutes south of Bangor near the Penobscot Bay. The condo was owned by Joseph and Roseanne. At the condo, all the children were sharing a bedroom with Sharon and Julio. When Joseph heard about the arrangement, he told Julio and Sharon to move Marissa to the second bedroom.

Starting point is 00:16:32 room on the main floor. Julio said he would, but he never followed through. Joseph also told Julio they wanted to help take care of Marissa. Sharon's brother said Marissa could come live with his family in New York and go to school there. Julio agreed that it was a good idea. According to Joseph, Julio said, it would be nice and he would talk to Sharon about it. That's what I got from him every time I ask. He'd smile and yes you to death. Around the same time, Joseph and Roseanne visited Maine and spent 10 days with Marissa. Their goal was to do everything she wanted to do. During the trip, Joseph and Roseanne noticed Marissa seemed to check with Julio before making any decisions. They asked her if she wanted to play mini golf at Pirates Cove

Starting point is 00:17:18 on Mount Desert Island, an activity she had always enjoyed. She looked at Julio and waited until he nodded. Then she said yes. Joseph and Roseanne also took the family out to eat and spent time with Marissa. She built a Lego castle with her grandfather, and she went shopping and bought a new purple outfit to wear on her first day of school. She built a complicated marble run with them. Her grandparents captured video of Marissa smiling as the marbles raced along the tracks. It's comforting to think about how much Marissa must have enjoyed this visit, but it is devastating to think about how hard it must have been once her grandparents left in mid-August. On September 1st, OCFS received a report that Marissa had been hospitalized three times since July.

Starting point is 00:18:03 She had also been to the ER seven times. Sharon and Julio weren't taking her to appointments, weren't following up on referrals, and weren't responding to phone calls. They agreed to in-home services, but wouldn't answer the door when ARP workers visited. By October 3rd, Marissa had been hospitalized again. While in the hospital, she was diagnosed as autistic. On October 9th, Julio canceled one of Sharon's doctor's appointments. During the call, the doctor heard screaming in the background. When asked, Julio said Sharon was in crisis.

Starting point is 00:18:38 He promised he would take her to the ER for evaluation. However, it is unclear whether or not he took her. An ARP caseworker tried to reach Julio the next day, but could not reach him. Two days later, on October 11th, ARP closed. the case because the clients refused services. On October 18th, police were called because Sharon was threatening to self-cancel while holding a large knife. At the time, Marissa was still at the hospital. Police saw the two younger children and noted that they were safe. Sharon, now two months pregnant, was taken to the ER for evaluation. Two days later, the ARP staff met with Julio at the Stockton Springs

Starting point is 00:19:18 condo. He said Sharon was in the hospital because she had a baby. bad tantrum. He said they had a plan in place for Sharon. She was going to get counseling. The ARP staff noted the toddlers seemed safe. They offered Julio services and he agreed to participate. By October 26th, Sharon was out of the hospital. While Julio was at work, she met the ARP caseworker Susan Weber. She was new to this case and was assigned only a few weeks earlier. Sharon told Suzanne she was changing doctors again but had an appointment with a new provider the next day. She also signed paperwork and agreed to targeted case management for Marissa. She said her relationship with Julio was strong and he was very supportive.

Starting point is 00:20:01 Basically, she told Suzanne everything a caseworker would want to hear. During the meeting, Sharon called Julio to talk about housing. They had told Joseph and Roseanne they would only stay at the condo for a couple weeks until their new apartment was ready, but it had already been a couple months. Joseph and Roseanne wanted to see Marissa for her 10th birthday on her. October 29th. They had purchased tickets to a magic show. Julio and Sharon told them Marissa was in the hospital in Belfast, but refused to let them know which one. This fact seems a little weird to us because Belfast, which is a quaint Bayside town just south of Stockton Springs, has only one hospital,

Starting point is 00:20:41 Waldo General. After Sharon signed all the paperwork and made many promises to their caseworker Suzanne, the family stopped contact with the agency. Suzanne called multiple times in mid-November, but the calls did not go through because the phone numbers had been disconnected. Joseph and Roseanne were having similar struggles. Reaching Marissa and Sharon by phone became harder and harder. At first, Polio just listened in on their phone calls and told Marissa what to say. Later, he would say they couldn't come to the phone or he wouldn't answer. Julio also changed his phone number frequently without telling anyone, sometimes as often as every two weeks. The grandparents would have to wait until he called to find out his new number, and his explanation was

Starting point is 00:21:27 always the same, that he had gotten a new phone. That's a lot of new phones. On November 27th, Suzanne made a surprise visit at the Stockton Springs condo. Julio answered the door and said the family had spent the last two weeks living in a homeless shelter, but had decided to move back to the condo. This was a lie, and later it was revealed that the family had been visiting Julio's relatives in New York for Thanksgiving. While there, Suzanne explained that the name of the case manager Sharon had given in the previous meeting had to be incorrect because no one by that name worked for the agency.

Starting point is 00:22:02 They corrected the mix-up and Sharon signed new paperwork for another agency. By this time, Marissa was home from the hospital, and she spoke briefly with Suzanne. The family said Marissa would be going back to school the next day. Sharon and Julio both participated in counseling while Marissa was in the hospital, but now that she was home, they stopped. Due to this, the hospital made another report to OcFS in late November. Hospital staff said Marissa was sweet and kind during her stay. It was never a danger to herself and was not aggressive. Her behavior did not match the violent behavior Julio claimed she exhibited at home. In early December, Suzanne met with.

Starting point is 00:22:41 with a family again. Marissa had been to the ER two more times, but hadn't been hospitalized. The family was switching counselors yet again, so Suzanne filled out the appropriate paperwork. Julio told Suzanne the new case manager was referring the family to home and community treatment services. Suzanne described Julio as pleasant and charming. She later said she took what he said at face value. She never checked a see if Julio was telling the truth when he gave excuses for missing appointments. She never checked any hospital or other records to see if they matched the information Julio provided. While six months pregnant in early January of 2018, Sharon was hospitalized for ideation, the kind that might lead someone to self-cancel.

Starting point is 00:23:30 Her primary doctors submitted a report to OCFS. They were concerned because Sharon was pregnant and had two very young children, a one-year-old and a two-year-old. On January, January 9th, Suzanne scheduled an appointment to meet with a family. They agreed to meet later that day, then called back to reschedule for the 12th. A few days later, Sharon called and said now she couldn't meet on the 12th because she had a counseling appointment that day. Meanwhile, Suzanne called Sharon's case manager because of some missing paperwork. To her surprise, the case manager had never heard of Sharon or Marissa. Sharon's counselor called Suzanne on the 12th, the day Sharon supposedly had an appointment to say Sharon canceled her appointment. for the day. In fact, they were dropping her as a patient altogether because this was her third cancellation. Sharon had only gone to two sessions since December 15th. Once again, the couple was failing to keep their promises. A week later, Suzanne went to the Stockton Springs condo, but no one was there. Julio texted her to say they were running late in an appointment. The meeting was rescheduled for January 24th. That day, Suzanne met with the family. Even though Sharon and Julio agreed to targeted caseman,

Starting point is 00:24:41 almost three months ago in October, Marissa still was not enrolled. Suzanne had them complete another referral form, and despite having agreed to home and community treatment services almost two months before, they still were not participating. Suzanne also recommended child development services, or CDS for short, for the younger children. She drafted another plan, and Sharon and Julio signed it. On February 2nd, Julio called Suzanne because Sharon was once again struggling with her mental health. She told him to call the policer crisis services and also directed him to Sharon's case manager. She did not follow up. When the child development services team evaluated the toddlers almost two weeks later, they were worried that one of the kids was mimicking Sharon's behavior.

Starting point is 00:25:28 They told Suzanne, who scheduled a meeting with a family a few days later. On February 23rd, Suzanne met with Sharon, Julio, and Marissa in the basement of the condo. Sharon and Marissa were already seated on the couch when Suzanne arrived. The two younger children were sleeping. Marissa sat next to Sharon. Suzanne thought she looked tired and noticed a bruise and scratches by her left eye and another bruise on her arm. She asked Marissa how she got these bruises, but Marissa refused to answer.

Starting point is 00:25:56 Julio told Suzanne that Marissa had been seen by crisis because she was a danger to herself. This was untrue. He said she was sleepy and quiet because she had been so emotional. Suzanne believed his explanation and thought the little girl had fallen asleep during the meeting. It was revealed that Julio had carried Marissa downstairs and propped her up on the sofa before Suzanne's visit because Marissa could no longer walk or sit up by herself at this point. In fact, she may have been slipping in and out of consciousness during the meeting and not drifting in and out of sleep like Julio had claimed.

Starting point is 00:26:30 During the meeting, Sharon told Suzanne that Marissa still did not have a targeted case manager. four months after promising to enroll her. And Sharon still didn't have a counselor. Suzanne filled out more paperwork. She discussed extending their ARP services and explained the recent CDS findings. And then she left. Two days later, at 2.40 p.m. on February 25, 2018,

Starting point is 00:26:56 Julio called 911. He told the operator he had found Marissa on the basement floor of the Stockton Springs condo. He said he found her near. the furnace, unconscious and barely breathing, blood dripping from her mouth. Julio said Marissa had gone down the basement several hours before to watch movies. EMS responded 16 minutes later. They found Marissa upstairs in her parents' crowded bedroom.

Starting point is 00:27:23 In addition to the bed, the room held two cribs and a mattress on the floor. According to police reports, Marissa was on the floor next to the mattress. According to Sharon, the 911 operator told them to move her there, and that is where paramedics found her. They tried to perform CPR, but her body would not take a breath and her eyes were fixed. She was cold to the touch. There was nothing paramedics could do for her, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Marissa's forehead was swollen and bruised above her left eye. Her mouth was full of brownish liquid, and she had brown stands under her.

Starting point is 00:28:02 her nose. Beneath her colorful pajamas, her whole stomach appeared to be bruised. She had multiple other bruises all over her body and many open wounds on her knees. Corporal Darren Moody of the Waldo County Sheriff's Office investigated the scene. The same brownish liquid found on her body was also on the mattress next to her and the blanket that covered her. The brownish liquid was found in many other areas of the home. Here the light switch in the upstairs bathroom on the bedroom door in the laundry room and next to the kitchen sink. In the living area, there was a large dried puddle on the floor. The liquid was found on a chair and on a shirt nearby.

Starting point is 00:28:41 It was also found in eight places on the staircase. Police separated Sharon and Julio. Detective Scott Quintero and Jason Andrews interviewed them one at a time. In her first interview, Sharon's story was similar to what Julio told the 911 operator. She said Marissa went to the basement to watch a movie. She'd been down there for about three hours when Julio went to check on her. She said Marissa had a history of hitting herself, pinching herself, and pulling out her own hair. Sharon said Marissa had maybe fallen from a chair or hit a metal tank.

Starting point is 00:29:16 She could have gotten into the toolbox that was stored there. She told detectives that Marissa had figured out that her parents were not down there watching her. So in her words, this is a good time for her to hurt herself way more than she used to. She insisted they had not hurt the little girl, but later in the interview when confronted with Marissa's many injuries, she admitted to spanking her and forcing her to kneel until she calmed down. She also said she didn't know how Julio punished Marissa when she wasn't in the room. When detectives interviewed Julio, he started with the story he told the 911 operator. He also told them that he was in the process of trying to adopt Marissa. detectives told him that Sharon had told him everything, which was of course not true,

Starting point is 00:30:01 and he soon admitted that he hurt Marissa. However, he said that Sharon had helped him and that the beatings had begun near the end of October. He said they made Marissa kneel on the tile floor because it would hurt more than the carpet or the wood in the other rooms. While kneeling, she had to hold her hands in the air while they whipped her 10 to 15 times with the belt. Julio said Sharon also whipped Marissa. He showed detectives the belt they used. He said they also hit her in the stomach, face, and forehead with their open hands and fists. About three weeks before her death, Julio said he hit Marissa with a metal mop from the kitchen.

Starting point is 00:30:42 He hit her ribs so hard, the mop broke in half. He said he and Sharon took turns beating the little girl multiple times every day until she could no longer walk. or speak without slurring. He claimed he stopped beating her around February 22nd, but he thought Sharon had administered one final punishment because she believed Marissa was only pretending that she couldn't walk or speak clearly. He also told detectives that he and Sharon staged the scene in the basement

Starting point is 00:31:11 to make it look like Marissa had hurt herself. Julio carried her unresponsive body downstairs and set it on the concrete floor. After two or three hours, he brought her upstairs. When he placed her in a folding chair, blood began leaking from her mouth and nose, a large quantity of blood. This was the brown fluid detectives would later find. DNA showed it was Marissa's. He said Sharon tried to clean up the blood, and then he called 911.

Starting point is 00:31:41 When detectives interviewed Sharon the second time that day, they told her Julio had been honest with them and they knew she was lying. They told her that Marissa's injuries did not match her story. They said, something happened to Marissa. We all know there was something you haven't shared. During her second interview, Sharon admitted she had helped Julio punish Marissa since the end of October. She mentioned many of the same things Julio had confessed to. She added that Marissa was sometimes locked in a small closet for hours as punishment. The next day, Detective Andrews interviewed Sharon for three more hours at the police barracks in Bangor.

Starting point is 00:32:19 They discussed text messages allegedly sent by Roseanne, Sharon's stepmother. Sharon said Roseanne told the couple they needed to punish Marissa via these text messages and included instructions to do so. According to Sharon, Roseanne told them to have Marissa take off her shirt and kneel on the tile floor. Rosam made them tell Marissa to hold her hands above her while they beat her with a belt and punched and hit her. Sharon said she never saw these messages. She said Julio read them to her. The detective told Sharon that he thought the messages were fake. And eventually, Sharon admitted that they were. This, though, was not entirely true. Roseanne never sent any such messages, but police would later find messages on one of Julio's many

Starting point is 00:33:04 phones. According to investigators, the messages were created on Julio's phone. When Detective Andrews asked why Sharon and Julio were punishing Marissa, Sharon said it was because Marissa told lies and was jealous of her younger siblings. Marissa had also told Sharon she wanted Roseanne to be her mother. and this made Sharon very angry. Sharon told Detective Andrews about another punishment she gave to Marissa. While the girl knelt on the tile floor, Sharon would stand on the back of her calves using her body weight to grind her feet, shins and knees into the floor.

Starting point is 00:33:38 Before Marissa lost the ability to speak, she told Sharon, it feels like I'm dying. Sharon said she should have listened and gotten Marissa help, but she and Julio were afraid they would lose their two other children. She said Julio made the decision more than she did. She also told Detective Andrews she was the most terrible mother in the world. After their confessions, Sharon and Julio were arrested on February 26, 2018,

Starting point is 00:34:05 and charged with depraved indifference homicide. Sharon was seven months pregnant at the time of her arrest. She cried throughout much of her first court appearance. Julio expressed no emotion. Bale was set for each of them at 500,000. thousand dollars cash, but they were unable to post bail and remained in jail. On May 24th, 2018, Sharon gave birth to a baby boy a while behind bars. The police investigation of Julio revealed he had told co-workers at Tozier's market about Marissa. He told them she was hard to manage

Starting point is 00:34:40 and that she had been in and out of the hospital. He said she was often a danger to herself. Four months before she died, he came to work crying and said Marissa was dead. He said, she had beat her head against the wall and died from her injuries. His coworkers expressed their sympathy by gathering food and raising money for the family. He even used his grief over her supposed death as a reason to call out of work. On Marissa's birthday in October of 2017, he said he was having a tough time and could not come to work. Leo pled guilty to depraved indifference homicide on July 22, 2019. The then-52-year-old was sentenced to 50,

Starting point is 00:35:20 years in prison. According to prison records, he's currently serving his time at the main state prison in Warren, although there is a notation that he's currently in New Hampshire. Sharon's trial began on December 6, 2019. Julio was called to testify, but refused to answer any questions citing the Fifth Amendment. Julio's many cell phones, however, revealed a great deal. Sharon's father Joseph found a stash of phones at the Stockton Springs condo after the couple's arrest. He gave the phones to Sharon's attorney and the attorney gave them to the main state police. The nine phones contained photos and videos documenting the injuries and violence Marissa suffered. Over 17 photos were shown to the jury. One photo showed scratches on her arm. Another was a close-up of extensive

Starting point is 00:36:11 bruising on her legs and hip. A full-length photo showed Marissa sitting nude in a chair. with a black eye and bruises all over her body. Two photos showed Marissa wearing nothing but underwear, kneeling with her hands in the air. This was the punishment position Sharon had described to the police. In the first photo, only Marissa appeared. In the second photo, more of the room was revealed, and Sharon appeared behind her in the same position.

Starting point is 00:36:40 Many of the photos were taken the day before her death, documenting the wounds all over her body. The videos showed Julio's cruelty. In them, he taunted Sharon and Marissa. In one of the videos, Julio said Sharon had been screaming since 8 that morning. He said he was recording for proof. Sharon continued to scream and cry. At one point, she screamed, I'm doing nothing wrong.

Starting point is 00:37:06 Leave me alone. He said he wouldn't stop until she calmed down. He threatened to call the police. To the camera, he said, Sharon Carrillo needs to be put away for a long time and lose custody of all her kids. I hope that she loses all her kids. Thanks for listening. In another video, a pajama-clad Marissa tried to swat the phone out of Julio's hands. He threatened to send the video to the hospital to show them her behavior. Marissa continued to scream, cry, and even growl. He told Sharon to pack up Marissa's clothes because they were going to take her

Starting point is 00:37:40 to the hospital again. The most damning testimony during the trial came from Chief Medical examiner Dr. Flomondbaum. To help the jury understand what Marissa went through, Dr. Flomond Baum explained the three types of blunt force trauma, contusions, laceration, and abrasions. Contusions are bruises, areas of bleeding under the skin caused by a blow. Lacerations occur when the skin is ripped open by a blow. Abrasions are scrapes, damaging the skin and showing the direction of the blow. He said there were between 40 to 50 blunt force trauma injuries on Marissa's body. She had contusions, lacerations, and abrasions. The injuries extended from head to toe and covered most of her body.

Starting point is 00:38:21 Some of the lacerations were the size of golf balls. He said her injuries were consistent with months of severe physical abuse. Some of these injuries were pattern, which meant analysts could not tell what object caused them. Some of them were consistent with injuries inflicted by knuckles or toes. Others matched the metal buckle of the belt Julio had shown detectives. The buckle also had spots of Marissa's blood on it. The deep infected wounds on Marissa's feet, shins, and knees were consistent with the pressure being placed on the back of her calves, perhaps by a person standing on them.

Starting point is 00:38:57 Marissa had internal bleeding as well. She had a subdural hematoma which is bleeding in her brain and a laceration of her liver. She had multiple broken ribs that were starting to heal. While the brain and liver bleeding could have been fatal on their own, Dr. Flomondbaum said it could have been treated by a doctor had Sharon and Julio gotten her medical help. And during her autopsy, he determined this was not the cause of her death. The chronic stress was damaging her body. Her hair was falling out. Her lungs had built up fluid. And her thymus gland, which helps fight infections, had shrunk. Being injured and even being afraid that you're going to be injured can

Starting point is 00:39:35 trigger a surge of adrenaline. This is called the fight or flight reflex. Pain can also trigger this reflex. Marissa was in constant pain from her many injuries and infected wounds. When that adrenaline is surging day after day, it can damage your internal organs. Marissa had been in a constant state of fight or flight for months. This damaged her thymus, making it harder for her to fight off infections. It also damaged her heart. Every time adrenaline course through her body, it made her heartbeat faster and faster. Eventually it could not keep up. Cells in her heart were damaged and died. When adrenaline causes heart cells to die, the cells look foamy. Dr. Flomenbaum said Marissa had a lot of these foamy cells.

Starting point is 00:40:18 According to the doctor, there were also very recent cells that showed her heart was contracting way too hard. The heart just couldn't keep up. He said each of the injuries alone were survivable, but together, the constant stress, the pain, the infection, and bleeding was too much for her heart to bear. altogether, the condition is called battered child syndrome. Her cause of death was heart failure associated with batter child syndrome after months of abuse. Sharon's attorneys argued she wasn't responsible for what happened to Marissa because she was also being abused by Julio. Prosecutors argued that the DV she suffered didn't mean she wasn't responsible for the action she committed. Sharon was found guilty of depraved indifference homicide on December 18, 2000.

Starting point is 00:41:07 In February of 2020, she was sentenced to 48 years in prison. Mr. Forbitt, have you agreed upon a verdict? Yes. Mr. Foreman, what saved? Now, Sharon wanted a divorce from Julio before her trial, but she couldn't because she discovered their marriage was never legal. In fact, Julio was still married to a woman in Kentucky. When he married Sharon, he had committed bigamy.

Starting point is 00:41:52 Instead of a divorce, she needed to get the marriage annulled. She received her annulment on December 20th, two days after she was found guilty of Marissa's homicide. Lawyers appealed Sharon's conviction. They argued she was a victim of DV and said her intellectual disabilities and low IQ allowed Julio to manipulate her. On April 1st, 2021, the court upheld Sharon's conviction. She's currently being held at the main correctional center in Wyndham. Julio's wife, Kathleen Carrillo, described him as friendly and outgoing in public. but dangerously angry at home.

Starting point is 00:42:27 He often beat her. It was also controlling and kept her isolated. She was not allowed to leave the house without him. He was convicted of DV in Kentucky and had to attend anger management classes. She said the classes didn't do any good. Sadly, Kathleen was not able to testify in Sharon's appeal because she passed away in September of 2018. Now that both of their parents are behind bars and will likely never leave prison, The two younger children and the baby boy born while Sharon was in jail were adopted by Julio Carrillo's parents.

Starting point is 00:43:00 In Maine, vigils from Marissa Kennedy were held in Belfast, Bangor, and Stockton Springs during the month of March 2018. At the vigil in Bangor, blue and purple balloons were released into the sky. Marissa's favorite color was purple, and royal blue is the color of CA awareness. Anyone who knew her described her as sweet. She was very bright. She loves school. She loved to read. It's just heart-breaking.

Starting point is 00:43:27 And I just don't understand how someone could do such a thing to someone that was a loving person. I wish I could have just had some power to know that this was going on and tell at least someone. I couldn't imagine an innocent life

Starting point is 00:43:45 being taken the way it was and how she suffered. I want them to know the signs of their classmates. I want them to know if something's going on that they need to reach out and to be honest about everything. On March 7th, the staff and students at Searsport Elementary School wore Royal Blue in her honor. Matching ribbons were hung around Searsport in Stockton Springs, on trees, poles, homes, and buildings in the two towns. In Bangor, the Fairmont School Parent Teacher Organization built a

Starting point is 00:44:16 buddy bench as a memorial to Marissa. The bench, located in Cascade Park, is designed to to help children find a buddy. If a child sits there alone, it means they are lonely and could use a friends. Marissa's grandmother, Roseanne, told a story that gives the buddy bench a little extra meaning. One spring, a brood of cicadas emerged near their home. Marissa was fascinated by the noisy insects, not afraid of them at all. According to Roseanne, they were all her buddies. She'd say, hi buddy, hi buddy. It rained the day they dedicated the bench, but the community came out anyway. A grandfather appreciated the support.

Starting point is 00:44:56 He said, there was a mass of people there, people that came out to honor this little girl. Maine's Office of Child and Family Services and the larger Department of Health and Human Services were harshly criticized for their failure to protect Marissa. Social workers contacted Sharon and Julio over 20 times between October of 2016 and February 2nd of 2018. The couple also had a long history of DVA.

Starting point is 00:45:21 issues with reports from the Bangor Police Department, Waldo County Sheriff's Office, and the Maine State Police. OCFS had gotten a multitude of warnings from neighbors, school officials, doctors, hospitals, counselors, and Sharon's own parents. Their own caseworkers and case managers were concerned by Julio's controlling behavior, but still, they did nothing to protect Marissa. They believe lie after lie and never held Sharon or Julio accountable. In response to this criticism, the agency had added more staff, improved training, hired clinicians to consult with the caseworkers, modernized their computer systems, and updated the CA telephone system so more people can talk to a person and report their concerns without long hold times. Some, including OCS employees, think it isn't enough.

Starting point is 00:46:09 Caseworkers and supervisors who were surveyed regarding the changes in 2019 said more still needs to be done. Marissa's grandfather also wants Maine to make changes to protect. children like Marissa. Joseph said this. Roseanne and myself a little bit of happiness, maybe a little bit of closure, but we do miss our granddaughter.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Marissa Kennedy

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