A move to Casa Pacifica
A makeshift memorial outside E.O. Green became a candlelight tribute to Larry. Stuffed teddy bears sit among wilting flowers. Messages attached to a flagpole promise to never forget him.
Larry impressed his friends as a kid who insisted on being himself, even if it meant being ridiculed. He was the guy who made them laugh, loved bugs and animals, and dished about the “Project Runway” TV show.
“He was really funny, and he could turn a bad situation upside down and make you happy,” Madison said. “He would do his best to cheer you up.”
At 5 feet 4 inches and 100 pounds, Larry was smaller than some of his peers. Family friend Phil Cohen said Larry “was a very positive kid.”
About four months before he was killed, however, Larry moved to Casa Pacifica, a residential facility near Camarillo for abused, neglected and emotionally troubled children. His father, Greg King, declined to discuss why, as have authorities, who cite confidentiality laws.
The autopsy showed no signs of previous injury or child abuse, according to the medical examiner.
Larry King holds a caterpillar in the palm of his hand while visiting the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., in December 2006.
Photo courtesy of Greg King
Larry King holds a caterpillar in the palm of his hand while visiting the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., in December 2006.
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Larry lived in the 45-bed emergency shelter. Specialists assess and treat children before a judge decides whether to reunite them with their families or place them in foster or group homes. Casa bused Larry to E.O. Green for classes, as required by law.
It was then that Larry began to wear makeup and earrings, although more than a year ago he had begun attending meetings of a support group for gay, bisexual and transgender youth at the Ventura County Rainbow Alliance in Ventura.
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/feb/24/it-doesnt-make-sense/?printer=1/
The boy’s unconventional family life was also fodder for gossip around the lockers of E.O. Green. Even though both his parents reside in Oxnard, about an hour’s drive northwest of Los Angeles, King lived at Casa Pacifica, a group home for abused, neglected, and emotionally troubled children. The facility houses kids until they are returned to their families or taken in by foster parents. The average stay at Casa Pacifica, according to staff member Melissa Flavin, is 30 days. King lived there for over four months.
Except for a few short sentences from King’s father to the Los Angeles Times about their grief, the King family has refused to speak to the media, including The Advocate, about Larry’s death or his living situation. “His dad, his name is Greg King ... I think that’s his foster father who adopted him,” says David Keith, spokesman for the Oxnard Police Department. “I don’t know where [Larry’s] natural parents are or even if they’re in the picture.”
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_1005/ai_n25152711
Specialistsassessandtreat children before a judge decides whether to reunite them with their families or place them in foster or group homes.
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