Posted on 02/29/2008 9:42:27 AM PST by Born Conservative
Police suspected Darak Antonio Williams and Kashema Reddish knew more about the death of 3-year-old Kavannah Salvador than they were saying, but lacked sufficient evidence to detain the couple, authorities said Thursday.
The slain child’s mother and live-in boyfriend walked out of Scranton police headquarters a week ago. Kavannah’s death has since been ruled a homicide, but police have been unable to locate the couple.
“You can’t just hold people,” said Deputy District Attorney Michelle Olshefski. “At that point, it was a potential homicide. You’ve got to do an investigation. It’s not like TV, like ‘Law and Order,’ when you hold them.”
Ms. Reddish and Mr. Williams took Kavannah to the lobby of Community Medical Center at about 4 p.m. on Feb. 21, where nurses happened to be gathered for an event. The nurses then rushed the baby to the emergency room, where she was pronounced dead 40 minutes later, said Jane Gaul, a spokeswoman for the hospital.
Hospital staff then followed standard procedure and notified Children and Youth Services, the district attorney’s office, Scranton police and the coroner, she said.
Police questioned the couple at the hospital before taking them to police headquarters for more questioning, said Assistant District Attorney Gene Talerico. Investigators and medical personnel were suspicious from the beginning, but lacked sufficient evidence to establish probable cause, he said.
When Mr. Williams asked for a lawyer and left police headquarters, there was nothing stopping him, Ms. Olshefski said. Kavannah’s CAT scan results were ready around 11 p.m. and the autopsy results that determined a time of death came even later. The couple left during that window, Mr. Talerico said.
Neither police nor the district attorney’s office would comment on whether there was surveillance of the couple after they left.
“We did everything we could possibly do to prevent them fleeing,” Ms. Olshefski said.
As of Thursday, Ms. Reddish had not been charged. Mr. Wiliams has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
Mr. Williams was charged because he was with Kavannah that day, while Ms. Reddish was allegedly at work, Mr. Talerico said.
Children and Youth Services would not comment on the case. Their counterpart in Anchorage, Alaska, where the family came from, also would not release any information.
No one has claimed the little girl’s body yet, but Mr. Talerico said it’s likely that Kavannah’s maternal grandmother will get custody of her brother, 18-month-old Knowledge.
Cynthia Reddish Freeze, who said she is Ms. Reddish’s cousin, said Ms. Reddish’s parents were in Scranton. Other family members are staying at the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center, but they declined to speak with a Times-Tribune reporter.
“Kashema comes from extremely loving parents, with loving brothers, and a family that absolutely adores her,” Ms. Reddish Freeze wrote in an e-mail. “Therefore, we don’t understand what could have possibly happened in her life for this to happen.”
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19335463&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8
A crime has been committed. The police now feel that the parents have knowledge. But it may not be that simple.
Innocent until proven guilty - hope the truth comes out.
We don't yet know who did it, but at the very least, why did her mother not protect her? This from the article in post 1:
"A doctor’s report, cited in the affidavit, referred to “chronic and acute” injuries found on several parts of her body. Physical examination, which revealed 21 separate injuries, showed Kavannah suffered multiple abrasions, bruises, lacerations and contusions. She also had fractured ribs, traumatic injuries to her internal organs and brain, and was malnourished. “This was an ongoing abuse of this child for several years that was undetected to this point,” Chief Elliott said.
"
her brother, 18-month-old Knowledge ??????
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Not to mention mom “Kashema” and her cousin “Ms. Reddish Freeze”.
My thoughts exactly....
““We did everything we could possibly do to prevent them fleeing,” Ms. Olshefski said.”
B.S.
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