TOWN
TOWN OF
TOWN OF STOCKTON4@ SPRINGS -- AND ACROSS MAINE -- WERE ROCKED BY THE NEWS OF
DEATH OF A 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL.4@
MARISSA KENNEDY WAS FOUND BEATEN
TO DEATH... AND POLICE WOULD
LATER SAY SHE HAD SUFFERED
MONT4@HS OF ABUSE AT THE HANDS
HER 4@
MOTHER AND STEP-FATHER. 4@
NEWS CENTER'S SAMANTHA YORK HAS
BEEN FOLLOWING THE4@
CASE SINCE THE BEGINNING AND
JOINS US WITH MORE ON HOW THE
PAST YEAR HAS AFFECTED NOT ONLY
THE GIRL'S EXTENDED FAMILY--4@
BUT THE STATE AGENCY THAT HAS
ADMITTED MISTAKES WERE
MADE.
MADE.
MADE. PAT
MADE. PAT AND AMANDA -- SINCE
MARISSA'S DEATH A YEAR AGO -- THE DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HAS
BEEN UNDER A MICROSCOPE.
IT SAYS IT HAS TAKEN STEPS --
WITHIN CHILD PROTECTIVE
SERVICES --- TO MAKE SURE A CASE
LIKE MARISSA'S DOESN'T HAPPEN
AGAIN.
BUT A REPORT RELEASED BY THE
OFFICE OF PROGRAM
EVAULATION AND GOVERNMENT
ACCOUNTABILITY -- OR OPEGA --
INDICATES THAT THERE'S A LOT
MORE WORK TO BE DONE. 4@
MEANWHILE, AS THE TRIAL OF
MARISSA'S PARENTS EDGES
CLOSER, OTHER RELATIVES ARE
HOLDING ONTO THE HOPE THAT
THEY'LL 4@
GET SOME ANSWERS. 4@
IT WAS THE CALL THAT CAME TOO 4@
LATE. 4@ AND A CALL THAT WOULD FORCE THE
STATE TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT HOW
WE PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.4@
SHE'S TURNING PURPLE AND PUKING
BLOOD.4@
MARISSA KENNEDY WAS JUST 10-
YEARS-OLD.WHEN POLICE FOUND HER
BEATEN TO DEATH IN THE BASEMENT
OF THIS STOCKTON SPRINGS CONDO.
THEY WOULD LATER SAY THIS WAS
THE END OF MONTHS OF ABUSE
MARISSA SUFFERED AT THE HANDS OF
4@
4@ HER
4@ HER MOTHER AND STEPFATHER.SHA RON AND JULIO CARILLO.
IT'S HARD DEALING WITH THE LOSS.
A LOSS MARISSA'S GRANDFATHER.JO
E KENNEDY.AND HIS ENTIRE FAMILY
HAS DEALT WITH SINCE THAT DAY...
FEBRUARY 25TH, 2018.
I WILL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN WILL
4@
4@ NEVER
4@ NEVER GET TO HOLD HER -- IT'S JUST A PAIN I WOULDN'T WISH ON
ANYBODY.
WHEN WE SPOKE WITH HIM LAST MAY,
KENNEDY SAID HE WANT4@ED MAINE
TO FIX WHAT HE CALLS AN 4@
INEFFICIENT CHIL4@D SERVICES
SYSTEM. TO ENSURE THAT WHAT
HAPPENED TO MARISSA NEVER
HAPPENS TO ANOTHER CHILD.
WHETHER THE CASE WORKERS ARE
OVERWORKED...OR
WHETHER THIS JUST FELL THROUGH
THE CRACKS...I JUST
DON'T KNOW.
IN THE PAST YEAR LAWMAKERS AND
WATCHDOG AGENCIES LIKE4@
OPEGA HAVE WORKED TO ANSWER
THOSE QUESTIONS.TURNI 4@
NG DHHS ON ITS HEAD.
THE BIGGEST FINDINGS COMING OUT
LAST FALL
THIS WAS A CRISIS.
OPEGA FOUND THE DEPARTMENT TO B@
EXTREMELY UNDERSTAFFED,
WORKLOADS FOR CASE WORKERS WERE
TOO HEAVY.4@
ON TOP OF THAT... STAFF TRAINING
WAS LIMITED, FOSTER FAMILIES
WERE FEW AND FAR IN
BETWEEN...AND THE COMPUTER4@
SYSTEM WAS OUTDATED AND
INEFFICIENT.
THESE YOUNG CHILDREN SHOULD NOT
HAVE DIED. PROMPTING FORMER
4@
4@ GOVERNOR PAUL LEPAGE TO INTRODUCE FIVE EMERGENCY
BILLS...WITH THE HOPES OF
RESOLVING THOSE ISSUES...BUT HAS
ANYTHING CHANGED? 4@
A REPORT RELEASED JUST LAST WEEK
BY OPEGA SHOWS
STAFFING AND PAY HAVE
INCREASED...
BUT THERE ARE THINGS THAT
FRUSTRATE THE DEPARTMENT THAT
STILL HAVEN'T BEEN FULLY
ADDRESSED... LIKE CASELOADS AND
PLACING CHILDREN IN SAFE
ENVIRONMENTS. 4@
WE'RE SEEING THE ENTIRE SYSTEM
IS OVERWHELMED AND OVER 4@
STRESSED AND THAT DOES NOT
CREATE A VERY SUSTAINABLE
PROCESS TO PROTECT CHILDREN OF
MAINE.
EVEN A YEAR LATER...LAWMAK4@ER S
ARE WORKING TO FIND A
SOLUTION...AND IN THE
MEANTIME...PEOPLE LIKE JOE
KENNEDY WILL BE WATCHING...AND
WAITING.4@
IF ONE CHILD'S LIFE IS SAVED IT
WOULD GIVE ROSEANNE AND MYSELF A
LITTLE BIT OF HAPPINESS MAYBE A
LITTLE BIT OF CLOSURE...BUT WE4@
DO MISS OUR GRAND-DAUGHTER.
4@
4@ THERE
4@ THERE IS A PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED WITH OPEGA AND DHHS 4@
STAFF COMING UP ON MARCH
EIGTH...LAWMAKERS EXPECT TO HAV@
AN EVEN BETTER HANDLE ON IF THE
CHANGES ARE MAKING A
DIFFEREN4@CE.
AS4@ FAR AS THE CARRILLO'S --
RECENTLY, SHARON'S LAWYER 4@
A MOTION FOR SEPARATE TRIALS
EARLIER THIS MONTH... ACCUSING
JULIO OF ABUSING BOTH HER AND
MARISSA...SAYING SHE HAD NO PAR@
IN MARISSA'S DEATH.
I REACHED OUT TO JULIO'S
ATTORNEY FOR AN UPDATE OR
STATEMENT
MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT HAVEN'T
HEARD BACK.
THEIR TRIAL IS SET FOR THE END
OF AUGUST...BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR
YET 4@
WHETHER THEY WILL BE TRIED
TOGETHER OR SEPERATELY. 4@