>>
>> SHE
>> SHE USED TO ASK ME ALL THE TIME THAT I WILL NOT LET ANYONE
KILL HER.
KILL HER.
KILL HER. I SAID I WILL NOT LET ANYONE
KILLING HER.
KILLING HER. >> THE HEARTBREAKING STORY OF A
LITTLE GIRL WHO NEED
PROTECTION, BUT DID NOT GET IT.
THE QUESTIONS THAT RACES BUT
OTHER CHILDREN WHO NEED HELP.
IN A NEW INVESTIGATION, AJ
LOOKS AT HEAVEN'S STORY AND AN
ENDING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. >> HER NAME WAS HEAVEN.
>> SHE WAS A JOY.
>> RECORDS SHOW, SHE LIVED
THROUGH
THROUGH
THROUGH >> I COULD NOT IMAGINE WHAT SHE
HAD TO GO THROUGH.
>> A LITTLE GIRL CHILD
PROTECTION FAILED TO PROTECT.
>> SHE DID NOT HAVE TO GO
THROUGH IT.
THROUGH IT. >> IN THIS COURTROOM, HER
MOTHER, SMITH WAS CHARGED WITH
CHILD ABUSE AND SECOND-DEGREE
MURDER AFTER 11-YEAR-OLD HEAVEN
WAS FOUND BEATEN TO DEATH.
HEAVENS HISTORY OF HOW ACTUALLY
BEGAN YEARS AGO HERE IN
MINNESOTA.
MINNESOTA. >> IN 2015, WHEN HEAVEN WAS
JUST SEVEN, A RAMSEY COUNTY
JUDGE ORDERED HER MOTHER TO
GIVE UP CUSTODY OF THE LITTLE
GIRL.
GIRL.
GIRL. ACCORDING TO THESE COURT
RECORDS, THERE WERE CONCERNS
BACK THEN ABOUT PHYSICAL ABUSE
AND NEGLECT.
AND NEGLECT. HER MOTHER APPARENTLY UNABLE TO
PROTECT HEAVEN FROM SEXUAL
ABUSE AND UNABLE TO MEET HER
SPECIAL NEEDS.
SPECIAL NEEDS. BORN PREMATURE AND DIAGNOSED
WITH CEREBRAL PALSY, HEAVEN WAS
DEVELOPMENTALLY DELAYED AND HAD
BEHAVIORAL ISSUES.
BEHAVIORAL ISSUES. >> SHE HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF
OUTBURSTS.>> CHILD PROTECTION
PLACED HER WITH HER AND FOR
MORE THAN A YEAR AND SHE SAYS
THERE WAS REMARKABLE
IMPROVEMENT.
IMPROVEMENT. >> IF YOU PAY ATTENTION TO
HEAVEN AND HE TALKED TO HEAVEN,
HEAVEN WAS VERY TEACHABLE. ALL
IT TOOK WAS PATIENT'S.
>> STILL, THERE WERE TROUBLING
ECHOES OF PAST ABUSE AND FEAR.
>> SHE USED TO ASK ME ALL THE
TIME THAT I WILL NOT LET ANYONE
KILL HER.
KILL HER.
KILL HER. >> HER GRANDMOTHER REMEMBERS A
QUESTION THAT STILL HAUNTS HER.
>> ARE YOU GOING TO LET
SOMEBODY KILL ME?
NO, I WILL NOT ANYONE KILL
YOU.>> HEAVEN WAS DOING WELL,
BUT UNDER MINNESOTA LAW, ONE OF
THE GOALS IS TO TRY TO REUNITE
KIDS WITH THEIR PARENTS.
>> HEAVEN WAS RETURNED TO HER
MOTHER FOR SEVERAL MONTHS ON A
TRIAL BASIS.
TRIAL BASIS. AFTER A REPORT SAYING SMITH HAD
MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS,
A JUDGE APPROVED RETURNING
HEAVEN FULL-TIME.
HEAVEN FULL-TIME. CHILD PROTECTION RECOMMENDED
DISMISSING THE CASE, EVEN
THOUGH KARE 11 DISCOVERED HER
SCHOOL WAS STILL RAISING
CONCERNS ABOUT HEAVENS
CONTINUED CARE AND CONDITION.
HEAVENS AND WARNED OF EVEN
WORSE.>> I TOLD HER, I SAID
HEAVEN IS NOT GOING TO LIVE
LONG IF YOU SEND HER BACK THERE.
>> AFTER THE CHILD PROTECTION
CASE AGAINST SMITH WAS
DISMISSED, SHE MOVED TO VIRGINIA
. THAT IS WHERE EARLIER THIS
YEAR, HEAVENS HAND WAS BURNED
SO BADLY, SHE WAS HOSPITALIZED
AND HAD THIS SKIN GRAFT.
SMITH CLAIMED IT WAS AN
ACCIDENT.
ACCIDENT.
ACCIDENT. VIRGINIA AUTHORITIES APPARENTLY
UNAWARE OF THE HISTORY OF ABUSE
IN MINNESOTA FAILED TO
INTERVENE.
INTERVENE. FOUR MONTHS LATER, HEAVEN WAS
DEAD.
DEAD.
DEAD. >>
DEAD. >> I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. I
HAPPEN. I KNEW HEAVEN WAS GOING TO BE
THE ONE.
THE ONE.
THE ONE. >> THESE REPORTS DOCUMENT THE
TORTURE, LETHAL BLUNT FORCE
INJURIES TO THE HEAD AND TORSO
THAT KILLED HER.
BEFORE THAT, 23 BROKEN BONES IN
VARIOUS STAGES OF HEALING FROM
AT LEAST FOUR PREVIOUS
TRAUMATIC EVENTS, A CLASSIC
HALLMARK, AN EXPERT WROTE OF
CHILD ABUSE THAT MAY HAVE DATED
BACK YEARS.
BACK YEARS. IN COURT, SMITH HAS PLEADED
GUILTY TO FELONY HOMICIDE AND
IS AWAITING SENTENCING.
HER BOYFRIEND, HARRIS HAS ALSO
BEEN CHARGED, BUT PROSECUTORS
HAVE NOT DETAILED WHO THEY
THINK DELIVERED THE FATAL
BLOWS.
BLOWS.
BLOWS. >>
BLOWS. >> WHAT WE WORRY ABOUT IS THE
LACK OF CONSISTENCY AND
PRACTICES ACROSS THE STATE.
>> RICH IS THE DIRECTOR OF SAFE
PASSAGE FOR CHILDREN, A GROUP
THAT ADVOCATES FOR KIDS.
HE SAYS MINNESOTA RANKS NEXT TO
LAST IN STATE FUNDING FOR CHILD
PROTECTION AND FOSTER CARE.
CHILDREN AREN'T EVEN GREATER
DANGER -- ARE IN DANGER WHEN
THEY MOVED BECAUSE RECORDS OF
ABUSE DO NOT ADAMANTLY FOLLOW
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. >>
THEM. >> THERE IS NO CLEARINGHOUSE.
THERE IS A LOT OF CONCERNS
ABOUT CONFIDENTIALITY, BUT WE
THINK YOU HAVE TO BALANCE THAT
MORE ON THE SIDE OF THE CHILD
AND BE ABLE TO REALLY QUICKLY
FIND OUT IF THERE HAS BEEN A
PRIOR HISTORY.
PRIOR HISTORY. >> MANY CHILD PROTECTION
RECORDS ARE CONFIDENTIAL IN
BOTH MINNESOTA AND VIRGINIA, SO
OFFICIALS WILL NOT DISCUSS THE
DETAILS OF HEAVENS CASE OR THE
WARNINGS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN
MISSED.
MISSED.
MISSED. >> THAT IS WHERE WE HELD HER
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL.
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL. >> THAT WAS ALONG THE STREET
WHERE HEAVEN ONCE PLAYED.
THOSE WHO LOVE HER STILL
QUESTION WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
DONE TO SAVE HER.>> I WOULD
TELL HER I AM SORRY.
I REALLY MISS HER.
>> NOT AN EASY STORY TO WATCH
AND IT WAS NOT AN EASY STORY TO
TELL.
TELL.
TELL. THAT ARE A LOT ALLOWS THE
RELEASE OF ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ABOUT CHILD
PROTECTION CASES IN WHICH A
CHILD DIED.
CHILD DIED. BASED ON THAT LAW, TOMORROW,
KARE 11 WILL BE FILING A
REQUEST WITH RAMSEY COUNTY TO
RELEASE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
THE WARNINGS THEY RECEIVED AND
THE ACTIONS THEY TOOK.
>> I AM DUMBFOUNDED THAT THOSE
RECORDS DO NOT TRANSFER FROM
STATE TO STATE TO PROTECT THOSE
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. THAT IS AMAZING TO ME.
>> UNLIKE A CRIMINAL RECORD
THAT IS EASY TO FIND, CHILD
PROTECTION RECORDS ARE NOT AS
EASY, AND OFTEN DO NOT FOLLOW
ACROSS STATE LINES.
>> THAT PROTECTS THE PARENTS
MORE THAN IT DOES THE CHILDREN.
>> THAT IT DOES.
THERE IS NO NATIONAL
CLEARINGHOUSE FOR CHILD ABUSE
AND FOR FAMILIES.
>> IT IS EXCUSABLE THESE