EVEN MORE COMPLAINTS
COMING TO LIGHT AS WE KEEP
DIGGING INTO THE IN-HOME DAYCARE
WHERE TWO CHILDREN DROWNED.
KRISTIN:
THAT TRAGEDY HAPPENING
FRIDAY.....
- THE TWO TODDLERS - BROTHER AND
SISTER TWINS - NOT QUITE TWO
YEARS OLD - FOUND IN THE
DEEP END OF THE SWIMMING POOL.
LORI:
ONE OF THOSE COMPLAINTS RECEIVED
BY D-H- S... THAT THE
OPERATOR JENNIFER SALLEY HAD A
HISTORY WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN'S
SERVICES... AND HAD BEEN PAID
FOR
CHILD CARE WITH PAIN MEDICATION.
THAT'S IN A COURT DOCUMENT
APPLYING FOR A RESTRAINING
ORDER TO HAVE THE OM BABY
DAYCARE SHUT DOWN.
THE DOCUMENT OFFERS NOTHING TO
BACK UP THE ALLEGATION.
KRISTIN:
THAT'S JUST ONE OF SEVERAL
COMPLAINTS IT CONTAINS... ALONG
WITH RESULTS OF INSPECTIONS...
GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO
JANUARY.
THEY SHOW FOR MONTHS THAT OM
BABY'S STAFF KNEW FOR MONTHS
THAT
THERE WERE TOO MANY CHILDREN
BEING CARED FOR IN THE HOME TO
COMPLY WITH STATE LAW REQUIRING
A
CHILD CARE LICENSE.
KRISTIN:
PROVIDERS ARE ALLOWED TO OPERATE
WITHOUT A LICENSE IF THEY
STICK TO FOUR OR FEWER UNRELATED
CHILDREN AT A TIME - AND THE
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
DOES NOT BELIEVE OM BABY WAS IN
VIOLATION WHEN THIS HAPPENED.
LORI:
OUR TOP STORY - WATE 6 ON YOUR
SIDE REPORTER ERIN BARNETT
SPENDING THE DAY IN THAT
NEIGHBORHOOD AGAIN.
ERIN JOINS US FROM THE NEWSROOM
- TELL US WHAT YOU
HEARD FROM NEIGHBORS.
ERIN:
KRISTEN AND LORI - WE TALKED TO
MORE THAN A DOZEN PEOPLE WHO
LIVE NEAR THE HOUSE WHERE THIS
ALL HAPPENED - ALL OF THEM
SAYING
THEY ARE HEARTBROKEN NOW JUST
WAITING FOR MORE ANSWERS AS
THE INVESTIGATION UNFOLDS.
CAROL HUFFAKER, NEIGHBOR :14
MY FIRST EMOTIONS WERE TEARS, I
JUST
COULDN'T IMAGINE HOW SOMETHING
LIKE THAT COULD HAPPEN
CAROL HUFFAKER SAYS THERE'S BEEN
A SOMBER FEELING ACROSS THE
NEIGHBORHOOD -
:58 THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY
PEOPLE STOPPING AT THE FRONT OF
OUR HOUSE OR WALKING IN THE
NEIGHBOR AND THEY JUST WANT TO
TALK ABOUT IT..
HUFFAKER WHO LIVES CLOSEBY HAS
NEVER MET THE DAYCARE
OPERATOR JENNIFER SALLEY BUT AS
A GRANDMOTHER OF
TWIN GRANDAUGHTERS - SHE SAYS
THE EMOTIONS HAVE
BEEN OVERWHELMING .. CAROL
HUFFAKER, NEIGHBOR
1:54
SO CLOSE TO HOME YOU DO NOT
EXPECT IT
THESE COURT DOCUMENTS
OUTLINING COMPLAINTS FILED WITH
THE DEPARTMENT OF
HUMAN SERVICES AGAINST SALLEY
CHILDREN FROM INFANT TO SCHOOL
AGERS."
ALLEGATIONS SHE WAS WATCHING
MORE THAN THE ALLOWED AMOUNT OF
CHILDREN -
CALLING HER
"...THE NUMBER YOU DIALED HAS
BEEN
CHANGED, DISCONNECTED OR NO
LONGER IN SERVICE..."
MANY QUESTIONS LINGERING.. CAROL
HUFFAKER, NEIGHBOR
:39
I KNOW THERE ARE MORE QUESTIONS
THAN ANSWERS
AS POLICE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
CHILDREN SERVICES CONTINUE TO
INVESTIGATE.
NEIGHBORS SENDING THEIR
CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY -
PRAYING FOR PEACE AND CLOSURE IN
THE DAYS AHEAD...
CAROL HUFFAKER, NEIGHBOR 1:22
JUST VERY SADDENED, JUST VERY
SADDENED AND MY HEART GOES OUT
TO ALL INVOLVED
ERIN:
ALSO IN THESE COURT DOCUMENTS -
COPIES OF LETTERS THE
DAYCARE SENT TO SOME OF THE
PARENTS BACK IN MARCH.
LETTING THEM KNOW DHS HAD
VISITED THE HOME AND TOLD SALLEY
SHE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO CARE FOR
MORE THAN 4 CHILDREN AT A TIME
WITHOUT A LICENSE.
THE LETTER STATES SHE WAS
WORKING
TO GET HER LICENSE - AND ADMITS
SHE WAS REGULARLY CARING
FOR 11 UNRELATED CHILDREN.
KRISTIN AND LORI - THE
DEPARTMENT
OF CHILDREN SERVICES TELLING ME
TODAY THEY ARE STILL
INVESTIGATING. DCS SPOKESMAN ROB
JOHNSON TELLING ME
INVESTIGATIONS
LIKE THESE CAN TAKE SEVERAL
MONTHS.
KRISTIN:
AND TONIGHT WE HAVE A STATEMENT
FROM THE MOTHER OF THE TWINS -
AND
INFORMATION FROM THE HOSPITAL -
CLEARING UP SOME OF THE
CONFUSION YOU MAY HAVE SEEN ON
SOCIAL
MEDIA SURROUNDING THE DEATHS.
LORI:
THEIR NAMES - ELYSSA AND ELIJAH
OREJULA.
ELYSSA DIED FRIDAY.
EAST TENNESSEE CHILDREN'S
HOSPITAL TELLING US THAT BRAIN
DEATH FOR ELIJAH WAS DECLARED
SUNDAY... HE HAD BEEN ON LIFE
SUPPORT TO SERVE AS AN ORGAN
DONOR UNTIL TODAY.
KRISTIN:
THEIR MOTHER AMELIA
WIEAND SAYING IN A STATEMENT
QUOTE THEY WERE SOUL MATES AND
NEVER APART. EVEN IN DEATH THEY
WERE TOGETHER.
HE WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN
COMPLETE HERE ON EARTH WITHOUT
HIS
OTHER HALF. I KNOW RIGHT NOW
THEY ARE IN HEAVEN BEING
MISCHIEVOUS AND GIGGLING.
A GO-FUND ME ACCOUNT HAS BEEN
SET UP TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY'S
FUNERAL EXPENSES AND MEDICAL
BILLS -
WITH MORE THAN 24-THOUSAND
DOLLARS RAISED SO FAR TOWARD THE
30-THOUSAND DOLLAR GOAL.
WE'VE POSTED A
LINK IF YOU'D LIKE TO DONATE AT
WATE
DOT COM AND THROUGH OUR APP -
UNDER THE AS SEEN ON WATE
SECTION.
LORI: