The Misery Machine - The Case of Raylee Browning

Starting point is 00:00:00 Rayleigh Jolin Browning was born on July 11th, 2010 in Beckley, West Virginia to parents Marty Browning and Janice Sellaton Ristin. On July 6, 2014, Janice would go on to marry Rayleigh's stepfather Jeremy Ristin. Rayleigh had many siblings and step-siblings, including Wyatt, Jace, Jaden, Jalen, Jacob, and Hallie. Rayleigh was a sweet girl who was described as quiet but kind. She had strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, and a sweet smile. Her mother referred to her as sunshine from the day she was born. To her, Raleigh was the brightest thing in the world. She was her sunshine.

Starting point is 00:00:39 Like many little girls, Raleigh wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. She longed to see the ocean and ride a horse. Raleigh's favorite holiday was Christmas. She loved Disney princesses, her favorite being Rapunzel. From the time Raleigh was born until she was two years old, she lived with her parents, Marty, and Janice. However, Janus had substance use issues. and her relationship with Marty quickly became toxic and abusive.

Starting point is 00:01:04 It ultimately led to the couple's separation. Soon, social services intervened, and a judge gave Janice and Marty a few months' time to clean up their lives. In September of 2012, they returned to court where a mediator set up a 50-50 custody arrangement for Rayleigh. From the ages of 2 to 4, Rayleigh spent Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with her mother in the remaining three days with her father.

Starting point is 00:01:27 During this time, Marty began a romantic relationship, with a woman named Julie Tichnum, a single mother of three and a local pageant queen. Soon the new couple moved in together. When Rayleigh was about four years old, Marty and Julie moved to Mount Lookout West Virginia, which lies within the boundaries of Nicholas County. Although this was in direct violation of their custody agreement, the couple took Rayleigh with them. Marty never told his ex-wife that they were planning to move

Starting point is 00:01:55 and did not provide her with their new address. When Janice tried to contact him, Marty ignored her calls and texts. Since Janice and Marty still shared a 50-50 custody split, and Janice had not seen Rayleigh for four months, she filed a complaint through family courts. Doing so, she was able to obtain Marty and Julie's new address in Mount Lookout. Throughout our story, Marty and Julie would go on to move twice more and fail to notify Janus of their whereabouts. Rather than punish Marty for contempt, he was rewarded. You see, over the next few years, Janice began having some personal legal issues, which she was battling in court.

Starting point is 00:02:34 Due to this, her time and interactions with Rayleigh were spotty and inconsistent. Eventually, Marty was given primary custody of his daughter during the weekdays, and Rayleigh began attending Mount Lookout Elementary School. Also living in Marty and Julie's Mount Lookout Home were Julie's three biological children and her sister, Sherry Tichnell. Rayleigh's time with her blended family was anything but the joyful and carefree childhood that most kids experience. According to one of Julie's biological daughters, she had many memories of her time with Rayleigh, and none of them were heartwarming. She described her Aunt Sherry as the boss of the household. She was the main caretaker for all four children, including Rayleigh. She claimed that Sherry had a particular dislike of her because she was of a different race.

Starting point is 00:03:21 She also had problems with Rayleigh because she was not Julie's biological child. Julie's daughter said that Rayleigh was just kind of there in the house and that she didn't interact with her very often. However, she did note that Rayleigh was often in trouble with Sherry. She said that Sherry often struck Rayleigh with her hands or other objects. She would push the little girl around, once pushing her into a cat litter box that was in the hallway. She also mentioned that Rayleigh was always being punished, even when she hadn't done anything that warranted punishment. Essentially, Rayleigh became the family scapegoat, which is a concept we've discussed at length in many episodes prior. Julie's daughter also noted that Rayleigh slept on a mattress on the floor in Sherry's bedroom.

Starting point is 00:04:07 Sometimes she was forced to wear pull-ups long after she was potty trained. One horrific memory Julie's daughter recalled was when she heard a loud bang sound coming from the room that Sherry shared with Rayleigh. She said that she didn't see the little girl again until the next day. When Rayleigh eventually resurfaced from the room, she refused to walk or stand on her own. She looked more upset than usual. Sherry's response was to tell Rayleigh, suck it up, Buttercup.

Starting point is 00:04:35 Most people would have been carrying or nurturing to Rayleigh's pain, but Sherry insisted that she was behaving that way for attention. Acting out for attention was a theme that came up often in our research of Rayleigh's case. According to reports, the adults in the household claim that Rayleigh began picking at her skin in order to garner a reaction. They also claim that she urinated on mattresses and random objects in the house. However, it's unclear whether or not any of these claims are true, as you'll soon see, Marty, Julie, and Sherry are not the most reliable narrators. Eventually, the adults in the home decided to take Rayleigh to the hospital to be examined. When asked what happened to the little girl, Sherry told the doctors that Rayleigh kicked her.

Starting point is 00:05:18 the wall and broke her femur. She also told the doctors that Rayleigh was a difficult child with tantrums and meltdowns. This was not the first time that Rayleigh had been in the hospital for a suspicious injury. Allegedly, Rayleigh had been seen several times between 2011 to 2018 for an array of injuries. The doctors contacted Child Protective Services and soon CPS began investigating Rayleigh and the adults in the house. In preparation, for the CPS investigation, Sherry told Julie's daughter to lie to the caseworkers if she was questioned about how Rayleigh had broken her femur. Even though she knew it was wrong, she was afraid to tell the truth and therefore did what her aunt Sherry asked her to do. When questioned,

Starting point is 00:06:04 she told the CPS caseworkers that Rayleigh kicked the wall and caused the injury to herself. Julie's daughter was not the only one who noticed things were out of place with Rayleigh. Her teachers at Mount Lookout Elementary School noticed that she was covered in bruises and was chronically hungry. Marty, Julie, and Sherry told the school that Rayleigh had an eating disorder. Allegedly, they said she would binge food, purge, and then binge again. They also told the school that Rayleigh had a mood disorder and was a danger to herself. These were the ridiculous reasons that were given to explain Rayleigh's bruises and constant hunger. According to Carrie Silla Birdie, who was one of Rayleigh's teachers, she was a very normal, happy, happy, go lucky, fun-loving child.

Starting point is 00:06:51 I saw Rayleigh every day. Now, to her, things did not add up. She never witnessed any of these behaviors from Rayleigh. According to Mrs. Silberty, she saw her in gym, health, or art class every day. She also had lunch duty with Rayleigh's class. When she was in the classroom with Rayleigh, she was like every other student, she sat and did what was asked of her. However, she saw a shift in Rayleigh's behavior when they were outside or in gym class. Unlike the other kids her age, Rayleigh was clinging and craved adult attention.

Starting point is 00:07:21 She did not like playing with kids her own age and wanted to be with an adult. She also recalled that at the end of the school day, Rayleigh asked to stay at school. Mrs. Siliberti said, she would hang on me. She would put her arms around my waist and lock her legs around my legs. She would say, I love you. Would you be my mommy? it was so obvious she wanted to stay at school. Mrs. Siliberti was aware that Raleigh lived with her father, stepmother, and Sherry.

Starting point is 00:07:49 She would also visit her mother on the occasional weekend. One day, she recalled Raleigh being very upset. She told the teacher she would no longer be allowed to see her mother. Allegedly, her mother didn't want to see her anymore. She didn't love her. She was having a new baby to replace her. Although this was obviously very concerning, This is Silla Birdie did not press Raley for more details.

Starting point is 00:08:11 In addition to Raleigh's clingingness and desire to stay at school, Mrs. Silliburdy also noticed that Ralee had some strange eating habits. She said that Ralee, like other students, was offered lunch and breakfast every day at school. However, due to her alleged binge eating disorder, Sherry told the teachers that Ralee was not allowed to have breakfast at school. Instead, she would be fed at home. In fact, the school nurse had been given. given a handwritten note claiming that a pediatrician had ordered that Rayleigh not eat extra snacks

Starting point is 00:08:43 due to the supposed binge eating. Mrs. Silberty never saw any signs that Rayleigh was throwing up at school or that she had an eating disorder. She only saw a very hungry little girl. She said, if we had something like mashed potatoes and gravy, she would lick her tray. She would liquor tray, eat every bite. Raleigh enjoyed all food except for tomatoes and never threw up at school. This, plus many other indicators, led Mrs. Siliberti to suspect that Raleigh was being abused at home. Shortly after the incident in which Ralee's leg was broken, one of the adults in the house called her school and told officials the same story they had provided to the doctors and to CPS caseworkers, that Raleigh had broken her femur during a temper tantrum. As teachers are mandated reporters,

Starting point is 00:09:32 Mrs. Siliberti contacted child protective services. A mandated reporter is a person who, because of their profession, is legally required to report any suspicion of CA or neglect to relevant authorities. These laws were put in place to prevent children from being abused and to end any possible abuse or neglect at the earliest possible stage. To Mrs. Siliberti, the fact that Raleigh had broken a femur bone was a very concerning. She said, a broken femur is a significant injury. It's not a common injury, and the explanation for the injury did not fit the injury. Now the femur is the only bone in the thigh. It's the longest and strongest bone in the body.

Starting point is 00:10:14 It runs from the hip to the knee, and it's a critical part of a person's ability to stand and move. Because of the strength of the femur, it usually takes severe trauma like a car accident to break it. Although there are obviously exceptions here, generally speaking, kids do not just trip and fall or kick a wall and break their femur as a result. Another aspect of Rayleigh's life that suggested abuse was her clothing. Mrs. Scylla Birdy said that Rayleigh's clothes were too small,

Starting point is 00:10:40 were not appropriate for the temperature outside. In August, she wore long sleeves and pants, even on one of the hottest days of the year. On one such day, she gave Rayleigh a t-shirt so she could take off the pink sweatshirt that she wore most days. While Rayleigh was changing into the t-shirt, she saw marks and bruising on her body. When Rayleigh returned the clothes later on,

Starting point is 00:11:00 she told Mrs. Siliberti that she was not allowed to wear any clothes that teachers gave her. The summer after kindergarten was rough on Raleigh. When she returned to school, she had lost a noticeable amount of weight. She looked unhealthy, with black circles around her sunken eyes, sunken cheeks, and pale skin. Within three months of starting first grade, Marty and Julie withdrew Raleigh from public school to become homeschooled with the help of a family friend, L'nai Castle. Mrs. Silliburdy and her other teachers lost contact with Raleigh after that day. Without mandated reporters looking out for her, Raleigh's life became a living hell.

Starting point is 00:11:39 Just like they had before, Raleigh was uprooted to a new home, and her mother Janice was none the wiser. The family moved to a home on Park Street in Oak Hill, West Virginia, which lies within the boundaries of Fayette County. Julie's daughter reported that during the day, Sherry forced Ralee to walk the hallways of the house from the time she was awake until she went to bed. She said there were many days that Rayleigh would go hungry and not be allowed to eat. She recalled that eventually Rayleigh learned she could sneak out of the room at night while Sherry was sleeping and go to the kitchen to get something to eat. Once the adults in the house realized that Rayleigh was sneaking out at night to get food, put an alarm and lock on her bedroom door. Julie's daughter also recalled that on one occasion she had walked past the bathroom

Starting point is 00:12:24 and briefly glanced inside. There, she saw Rayleigh drinking from the toilet after the adults refused to give her any water. Some reports have indicated that she was refused liquids for up to three days at a time. Additionally, it's been reported that Rayleigh was beaten with metal objects, belts, and wooden spoons. In 2018, Rayleigh became sick a few days before Christmas,

Starting point is 00:12:47 her favorite holiday. According to Julie's daughter, she did not see anyone take Rayleigh food, water, or medicine as she languished on the floor. She said Sherry accused Rayleigh of faking the sickness, that she was just looking for attention. Due to this, she refused to give her anything to help her feel better. Around Christmas Eve, Rayleigh's breathing worsened.

Starting point is 00:13:10 Julie's daughter became scared when Rayleigh sounded, as she put it, like a pug. She said it sounded like she was fighting for air or snoring. Julie asked Rayleigh if she felt sick enough to spend Christmas in the hospital. Rayleigh said that she was, but nobody took her for help. After days of fever, trouble breathing, lack of food, water, or medicine, things took a turn for the worse. On December 26, 2018, Sherry called 911. Emergency services were dispatched to the home for a report of a child having a seizure. Angela Coleman and EMT worker observed Ray Lee as she was carried out of the Oak Hill residence by Sherry.

Starting point is 00:13:50 According to Sherry, Rayleigh had simply fallen while getting out of the shower. EMT Coleman described Sherry as emotionless as she handed Rayleigh's lifeless body to the other EMT on the scene. Rayleigh's body was blue and appeared that she was not breathing. She was observed to have splotches all over her body after another EMT lifted Rayleigh's shirt in order to attach a defibrillator pad. The pair attempted to resuscitate her, but unfortunately they were unsecreted. Ultimately, Rayleigh was taken by ambulance to Plateau Medical Center in Oak Hill, West Virginia. Rayleigh arrived at the emergency room of Plateau Medical Center at 1155. Dr. Dilup Godasara was the attending physician who led the treatment of Rayleigh.

Starting point is 00:14:36 He said a team of nurses worked to resuscitate Rayleigh, giving her ivy fluids and medicine, checking her heart rhythm, attempting CPR, and performing other life-saving measures. Rayleigh was so cold when she arrived at the hospital that her temperature did. did not register with hospital equipment. She was not breathing and had no pulse. Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain. 32 minutes after she arrived at the ER, Rayleigh Jolin Browning was pronounced dead at 1227 p.m. Members of the team who attempted to save Rayleigh said there were bruises, scratch marks, burns, and scabs all over her body. According to some sources, she had injuries consistent with SA. These injuries led the medical staff to

Starting point is 00:15:20 believe that Rayleigh had been abused. As a result, they did not allow Marty or Julie to see her body after she was pronounced dead. One of the nurses, Tamara McGuinness, said she felt the need to protect Rayleigh's body. That in her 18 years of nursing, she had never seen a child's body look the way Rayleys did. When questioned by the police, Sherry said she woke up at 9 a.m. on December 26. She claimed to have served Rayleigh breakfast in her bedroom and administered three prescriptions. Next, she said that Rayleigh got in the shower at 10.30 a.m. and that her nose started to bleed. Sherry said the nosebleeds had started several weeks earlier, and that a doctor had told her they were the result of Rayleigh's medication. She was unsure whether she cleaned up the

Starting point is 00:16:06 nosebleed in the shower or out of the shower with toilet paper. Next, Sherry told police that Rayleigh fell when she got out of the shower. She said she carried Rayleigh to the bedroom, laid her on a mattress that was on the floor, and propped her up with pillows. According to Sherry, Rayleigh was shaking uncontrollably and her pupils were small. She told the police that Rayleigh's blood sugar often dropped, but it was not checked daily. Mind you, there was no indication that Rayleigh suffered from diabetes or any other ailment that would require that her glucose be monitored. They just weren't feeding her appropriately. According to Sherry, she called 911 immediately. Afterwards, she called Marty at work and told him to go directly to the hospital.

Starting point is 00:16:48 According to the police report, Sherry drove Julie's children to a house and mount lookout after Rayleigh was taken away by ambulance. Rayleigh's autopsy was performed at Plateau Medical Center in Fayette County in December 27, 2018, by Dr. C. Meton-Soviceman and Dr. Alan Mock, both chief medical examiners for the state of West Virginia. During the autopsy, they could not determine if she died as a result of homicide or natural causes. So her manner of death was listed as undetermined. Rayleigh had severe necrotizing bronchonimonia, which is an infection that causes lung tissue to die. Her cause of death was likely a period of sepsis, where the lung infection spread into the blood.

Starting point is 00:17:32 Her lung was in the beginning stages of fibrosis or scar tissue, which takes a few days to appear. Rayleigh's shortness of breath would have been obvious to everyone around her. This type of pneumonia can cause disruption and coagulation, which can cause blood to pool on the surface of her skin, giving a rash or bruise-like appearance. In addition, her skin would have looked ashen. It was determined that dehydration and malnutrition

Starting point is 00:17:57 would have made a patient more vulnerable to sepsis and Rayleigh was below the fifth percentile for weight. The report also included that aside from the discoloration caused by the infection, Rayleigh had injuries to her body that included bruises, burns, and lacerations. One particular burn on her right leg looked like it could have been caused by a lit cigarette. In addition, Rayleigh's autopsy revealed that she was on an alarming number of strong psychiatric medications. At just eight years old, Rayleigh was taking seven medications normally prescribed for mood disorders in autism. It's unclear if Rayleigh was indeed autistic or suffered from any sort of actual psychiatric condition.

Starting point is 00:18:39 It is more likely that the adults in her life use these methods. medications to subdue and control Rayleigh. More on that in a bit. Due to the circumstances surrounding Rayleigh's death, the Oak Hill Police Department launched a full-scale investigation. Almost a year later on Monday, December 9th, 2019, Sherry was arrested and charged with child neglect or CA resulting in death, as well as death of a child by a parent, guardian, or custodian. Both were felony charges. Julia Marty turned themselves in and faced the same charges. Bond was set at $100,000 for each of them. Tichanel sisters managed to post bond on December 14th while Marty posted bond on December 26, a one-year anniversary of Rayleigh's death.

Starting point is 00:19:25 Oak Hill Police Chief Mike Wiseman said the department investigation had been initially slowed because the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources did not provide Rayleigh's records to police. At the time of her arrest, Julie was the reigning Ms. Oakley Festival. Following her arrest, pageant official stripped her of the title. During a search of the family home, a claw hammer and an adult toy were found in the room that Rayleigh shared with Sherry. During the trial, two family members were called to serve as witnesses. Julie and Sherry's sister, Angela Young, testified that the trio asked her to lie and say that Rayleigh had been healthy on Christmas of 2018. Angela said she refused to do that because she had not seen Rayleigh that day, in person or by video call.

Starting point is 00:20:10 call. Julie's daughter also testified about how Rayleigh was mistreated in the home. She walked the jury through her years of pain and how Rayleigh's basic human rights were denied. She was clear that the adults knew what they were doing was wrong and they continued to abuse and neglect her until the day that she died. Medical personnel who were there the day Rayleigh was rushed to the hospital also testified. They reported that Julie arrived at the hospital prior to Marty's arrival from work. When Marty finally arrived, he appeared rattled and upset. However, Julie did not appear phased. She had the gall to ask how long the procedures usually take.

Starting point is 00:20:49 This was after that she learned that Rayleigh was already dead. There was no doubt in the minds of many that Rayleigh died because she did not receive treatment for her illness. Several medical experts testified that Rayleigh would have had a fever and felt sick for over a period of days. Dr. Allen Mock testified that a great woman. aggressive antibiotic therapy and other treatments, up to mechanical ventilation, would have saved her life. He said that a walk-in clinic or physician would have been able to treat Rayleigh if her caregivers had sought help for her. However, during the trial, Moore was uncovered about her medical and psychiatric background.

Starting point is 00:21:27 When questioned about the strong psychiatric medicines Rayleigh was on, Dr. Allen Mock reported that Rayleigh's caregivers had provided information to her psychiatrist, which contradicted reports by her teachers. He said, most telling to me are reports from the schools because the schools are independent and they can make observation. When the school denies any disruptive behavior,

Starting point is 00:21:49 makes me question the diagnosis and the veracity of the parents' accounts. Another strange detail that Dr. Mock reported was that the caregivers told Rayleigh's psychiatrist that she was binge eating, despite being underweight. These, among many other details, did not add up. A second expert, Dr. Joan Phillips, testified that Rayleigh's records show she was

Starting point is 00:22:11 the victim of medical abuse. Dr. Phillips said she had practiced for 22 years as a pediatrician and had never seen a child, Rayleigh's age, on that many psychiatric drugs. She said it appeared that Rayleigh's caregivers had withheld information from some of Rayleigh's doctors and gave false information to others. Medical abuse, formerly known as Munchausen by proxy, occurs when a caregiver lies to medical providers so that a child receives unnecessary medical procedures and medicines. Raleigh had also been diagnosed with autism, an eating disorder, a binge eating disorder, behavior disorder, self-mutilation, borderline personality disorder, anxiety disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. During closing arguments,

Starting point is 00:22:56 special prosecutor Brian Parsons left jurors with more questions than answers. He told the jury that Rayleigh was already dead when Sherry called 911 on December 26, 2018. He pointed out that when Rayleigh arrived at Plateau Medical Center by ambulance within 15 minutes of the call, ER staff could not get a temperature because medical thermometers do not record temperatures lower than 84 degrees. How could her temperature plummet from above 98.6 to 84 degrees in that short amount of time? It was obvious that Rayleigh had been dead for hours at least. He left the jury with these lasting powerful statements,

Starting point is 00:23:32 that Rayleigh's last words on the record at least were, I want to go to the hospital. She was desperate to save her own life. He then reminded the jury that Fayette County would be judged by how they treated Rayleigh after her death. He said, I implore you, don't let Rayleigh down. Jurors entered deliberations on the sixth day of the trial. It should be noted that special prosecutor Parsons had to be appointed in the case in order to avoid a conflict of interest.

Starting point is 00:23:59 As it just so happens, Mrs. Siliberti's husband, Anthony, happened to be the Fayette County prosecuting attorney. As Mrs. Silberty was a witness in Raley's case, the change in counsel was needed. In the end, jurors found Marty, Julie, and Sherry not guilty of CA resulting in death. However, they were found guilty of child neglect resulting in death. On Friday, August 12, 2022, Judge Paul Blake sent

Starting point is 00:24:26 the three adults to three to 15 years in prison. All are eligible for parole after three years. During and after the trial, the lack of support and follow-up from CPS left people feeling uneasy and wondering if by dropping the ball they were partly to blame for the death of Rayleigh Browning. The argument focused on how the system set up to protect Rayleigh failed because her caregivers knew how to abuse the system. Based on court documents, Nicholas County CPS failed to provide help for Rayleigh, despite teachers, and others having made more than a dozen referrals.

Starting point is 00:25:00 Over the course of the year and a half that Rayleigh attended Mount Lookout Elementary School, Mrs. Siliberti said she made a referral to CPS because of Rayleigh's broken femur. Another referral was made after Rayleigh showed her bruises and scabs on her legs. There was an additional referral made by Rayleigh's first grade teacher after she observed a handprint on Rayleigh's upper arm. Mrs. Siliberti said she has no recollection of ever being interviewed by CPS for those referrals. though she does remember sitting in when Rayleigh was interviewed by CPS. She said the interview was conducted by Joseph Sorrent, a CPS supervisor.

Starting point is 00:25:35 After interviewing Rayleigh, Mr. Sorrent said, I do not believe Rayleigh is an abused child. I believe she is a targeted child, and I believe that the children are very well coached. CPS employee Brianna Baker testified that she was part of at least two referrals that investigated the alleged abuse Rayleigh received while in the Browning Titchinel home. She said those claims of abuse were found to be unsubstantiated. Special prosecutor Parsons asked Ms. Baker about the referral Rayleigh's teacher, Mrs. Silberty testified to have

Starting point is 00:26:08 made regarding Rayleigh's broken femur. Ms. Baker said she was never notified of such a referral. Mrs. Silberty stated she completely disagreed with CPS workers' assessment of Rayleigh's case. During the trial, a CPS worker who took the stand could not even provide basic information about Rayleigh's case. Because Rayleigh was pulled from public school to be homeschooled by Sherry, there were no additional referrals made to CPS. L'nai Castle, a family friend, said she would often help homeschool the children. She claimed that she did not see signs that Rayleigh was abused or neglected. Ms. Castle said she had been informed of Rayleigh's overeating habits and, also observed on one occasion, Rayleigh eating until she vomited and then later asking for more food.

Starting point is 00:26:55 She also testified that she was in the home off and on in the three days prior to Rayleigh's death. Miss Castle said during that time, Rayleigh had a sniffle, but she did not consider Rayleigh to be sick. In response to the suspected negligence of Nicholas County CPS in the case of Rayleigh Browning, a new law was sponsored by the House of Delegates, known as Rayleigh's Law, or HB-4440. This law would prevent people who have an open CPS case, from homeschooling. In addition, it would also prevent people who have a criminal record of CA, neglect, or DV from homeschooling. A national homeschool legal defense group opposes the bill. State law does not require homeschool educators to report suspected CA or neglect, surprisingly.

Starting point is 00:27:46 By contrast, teachers and public school administrators are mandatory reporters of CA. State law does not require a homeschool education cooperative or associate. to verify that member students were legally withdrawn from public school. There are many more areas that need to be regulated when it comes to homeschooling. This law is a good start for the state of West Virginia and for other states to look to as an example. It is far too easy to pull a child out of public school away from mandated reporters and keep them isolated in the home where abuse often escalates to homicide. According to Rayleigh's former teacher, Mrs. Silliburdy, public school teachers are all. often the only safety net these children have.

Starting point is 00:28:28 It's absolutely not my intention or the intention of this law to take any rights away. The intention is to protect innocent children. To be clear, we do support parents who want to homeschool their children. However, homeschooling does not allow for third parties, such as those at a public school, to witness signs if they suspect a child is being neglected or abused. homeschooling is not the issue here.

Starting point is 00:28:56 The issue is abusive parents wanting to trap their children at home where they have little to know opportunity to seek help. Raleigh's funeral was held on January 12, 2019, at Tyree Funeral Home in Oak Hill, West Virginia, with Pastor Richard Allen officiating. She was laid to rest at Lee Webb Cemetery near Dothan. Her black granite headstone displays an etching of the little girl's smiling face in happier times. an image of Rapunzel, in the words,

Starting point is 00:29:26 Step lightly, My Sunshine rests here. Janice posted a poem by Liz Newman on her Facebook page in memory of her sunshine, Rayleigh Jolin Browning. It read, My heart, in all its brokenness, will always look for you, chasing down a familiar sense, following the trail of a favorite memory,

Starting point is 00:29:49 relentless in its pursuit. Every morning, feeling, the ache of that now familiar wound, of navigating a life, a story, whose chapters were too few. But what a legacy you've left in the chapters you were here, and what a story that you've left, a love that perseveres. My heart and all its hopefulness will always look for you. Cherishing these, sometimes painful memories, holding them tightly to feel you with me too. Your absence brings a deep and lingering ache, but your love persists here too, a bond that will never break, that will comfort and continue. So it seems, no matter what I do, my heart will always look for you, in everything I do, and every memory old and new, my heart will always look for you.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Raylee Browning

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