NEW DEVELOPMENT IN OUR I'M
TEAM INVESTIGATION SAVING BABY
LIBERTY CUSTODY CASE HANGS IN
THE BALANCE AND SAFETY REMAINS
IN QUESTION, HER BIOLOGICAL
FATHER HAS NOW ADMITTED GUILT
BEFORE A JUDGE AND HAS BEEN
TOLD HIS PUNISHMENT.
HORN BECK WILL SPEND 9 MONTH
INS JILL FOR VIOLATING
PROBATION TWICE TIED TO BEATING
OF THE BABY BIOLOGICAL MOTHER.
>> HOWEVER THAT IS NOT WHAT
PROMPTED OUR MONTH LONG
INVESTIGATION.
THE I-TEAM GOT INVOLVED WHEN
LIBERTY WAS MOVED FROM ONE HOME
WITH RELATIVES DEEMED SAFE AND
LOVING AND PLACED IN ANOTHER
RELATIVE'S HOME WHERE THERE'S A
HISTORY OF ABUSE.
WE WANTED TO KNOW HOW THAT
COULD HAPPEN.
LINDSAY HAS UPDATE ON HER
CONTINUING INVESTIGATION.
>>Reporter: WEEKLY WE TINY GET
E-MAILS ASKING US ABOUT THE
SAFETY OF LITTLE LIBERTY BELL.
TONIGHT ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS
HER CASE IS STILL ONGOING AND
SHE IS STILL IN THAT HOME TIED
TO ABUSE.
THAT'S THE HOME PWLOJING TO
PATERNAL UNCLE AND AUNT CHRIS
AND SHAWNA HORN BACK.
WE TOLD YOU WHEN LIBERTY WAS
MOVED TO THAT HOME CHRIS HORN
BACK HAD AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT
FOR HIS ARREST ALSO FOR
VIOLATING PROBATION TIED TO
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON HIS WIFE.
SO WE WANTED TO KNOW HOW TWO
BROTHERS FACING SIMILAR CHARGES
CAN EACH GO BEFORE A DUVAL
COUNTY JUDGE AND BRADLEY HORN
BACK SENTENCED TO NINE MONTHS
IN JAIL AND CHRIS HORN BACK IS
HANDLED A BABY.
COP CONVICTED FELON BRADLEY
ISN'T GETTING OUT OF THE JAIL
JUMP SUIT ANY TIME SOON AFTER
JUDGE SENTENCED HIM THIS
MORNING TO 2 70 DAYS BEHIND
BARS.
FOR TWICE NOT COMPLETING COURT
ORDERE COUNSELING.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS A CRITICAL
THRE THROUGHOUT LIBERTY
BELL'S CASE.
WHEN SHE WAS BORN HER MOTHER
TOOK HER TO A SAFE HOUSE SHE
SAID TO ESCAPE BRADLEY HORN
BACK'S ABUSE.
LIBERTY WAS EVENTUALLY PLACED
WITH HER MATERNAL AUNT AND
UNCLE GINGER AND KEENAN
PHILLIPS.
HOME DEEMED SAFE BY LIBERTY'S
GAL.
FOUND TO BE A LOVING AND FAMILY
LIKE ENVIRONMENT.
WHERE LIBERTY WAS THRIVING FOR
10 MONTHS.
RIGHT BEFORE GINGER AND KEENAN
COULD FILE TO ADOPT LIBERTY
DUVAL COUNTY JUNE DAVID GOING
SIGNED THIS ORDER REMOVING HER
FROM THAT HOME AND PLACING HER
WITH CHRIS AND SHAWNA HORN BAC
WITH CHRIS AND SHAWNA HORN
BACK.
AS WE HAVE UNCOVERED AT THAT
TIME CHRIS HORN BACK ALSO HAD
AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT FOR HIS
ARREST FOR DOMESTIC BATTERY ON
HIS WIFE SHAWNA THAT WARRANT
FOR ALSO NOT COMPLETING COURT
ORDERED COUNSELING.
WE HAVE ALSO UNCOVERED THEIR
FATHER CHRISTOPHER WAYNE HORN
BACK IS ALSO A CONVICTED
DOMESTIC ABUSER.
WHICH ELLEN THE CEO OF HUBBARD
HOUSES IS A WARNING SICHBILITY
EACH OF THEM HAVE DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE ON SEVERAL WOMEN.
NOW IS THAT RARE OR NO?
>> IT'S NOT RARE FOR FAMILY
MEMBERS WHO GREW UP WITH
VIOLENCE TO THEN TURN AROUND
AND REPEAT THAT VIOLENCE.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT
THERE'S EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION
AND YOU CAN'T ASSUME THAT
BECAUSE SOME ONE SAYS IT WON'T
HAPPEN AGAIN THAT IT IS NOT
GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
>>Reporter: THAT EFFECTIVE
INTERVENTION IS COURT ORDERED
COUNSELING.
AND IT APPEARS NEITHER BROTHER
COMPLETED IT.
WE ASKED ATTORNEY GENE NICHOLS
NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE CASE
HOW THE BROTHERS COULD HAVE
GOTTEN DIFFERENT OUT COMES.
>> THIS MAY HAVE BEEN ONE THAT
TO A CERTAIN ACCIDENT SLIPPED
THROUGH THE CRACK BECAUSE OF
TECHNICALITY.
>> Reporter: THE TECHNICALITY
NICHOLS EXPLAINS IS CHRIS HORN
BACK WARRANT WAS FROM 2013.
BUT THE PROBATION AT THAT TIME
COULD ONLY LAST 12 MONTHS.
BEYOND THAT THE JUDGE LOSES
JURISDICTION.
LIBERTY CASE HAPPENED THREE
YEARS LATER.
BUT HE SAYS THE COURT TODAY
COULD STILL ORDER THAT
COUNSELING.
>> BUT IN REGARDS TO ANY
CUSTODY HEARING AND IN THE
JUDGE IN THAT CASE THEY
ABSOLUTELY CAN SUGGEST OR FORCE
HIM TO TAKE THOSE COURSES IF
THEY BELIEVE THEY ARE NECESSARY
ESPECIALLY IF THEY WEREN'T
COMPLETED AT FIRST.
>>Reporter: THE LATEST
CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST BRADLEY
HORN BACK IS WRAPPED UP.
AS I MENTION EARLIER SO MANY
ARE E MAILING ME PERSONALLY AND
THE I-TEAM BEG TO GO KNOW THE
LATEST ON LIBERTY CUSTODY CASE.
NONE OF THE PARTIES INVOLVED
HAVE SPOKEN TO US ON CAMERA
SINCE THE CASE WAS REOPENED
BACK IN DECEMBER SO WE CAN ONLY
ASSUME THEY WERE INSTRUCTED NOT
TO TALK TO THE MEDIA ANY LONGER
WHILE THE CASE IS ONGOING.
I DID CHECK THOUGH THE PETITION
THAT IS DIRECTED AT JUDGE DAVID
GOODING YOUR HONORING HIM TO
RETURN LIBERTY TO THE PHILIP