New missing-girl files released
Posted on 05/26/2002 11:47:08 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP
New missing-girl files released
Florida lawyer had asked about child's caseworker in August
05/26/2002
MIAMI - A lawyer representing the Florida Department of Children and Families made an urgent plea last August for information about Rilya Wilson, a Miami girl under state protection who had vanished seven months earlier, child-welfare records show.
Even with the plea, however, the girl's absence went unnoticed by the state for eight more months.
The records, released late Friday under court order, also show that the Miami-Dade police are investigating the girl's guardian, Geralyn Graham, and her caseworker, Deborah Muskelly.
Ms. Graham told the police that a child-welfare worker took Rilya from her home in January 2001, and Ms. Muskelly has been accused by the state of falsifying documents reporting monthly visits to Rilya that never took place.
According to the newly released records, Carmen Pintado, a lawyer representing the state child welfare agency, wrote to the department last August pleading for information about Rilya. "Help!!!" she wrote. "Who is the caseworker on this case?"
The state's mishandling of the case has turned a spotlight on an agency that has been a frequent target of criticism. Gov. Jeb Bush has appointed a committee to examine the case, beginning Sunday with a two-day review of findings. The panel will report Tuesday to Mr. Bush.
A request for a court order to take custody of Rilya, dated April 22, provides the most telling sign of how severely the girl's case was mismanaged. In making its appeal to juvenile family court, the state lists its reason as "the child was abducted by person or persons unknown."
The records also reveal that in the month Rilya disappeared, January 2001, her caseworker, Ms. Muskelly, wrote that the girl and a sibling were "very happy and well cared for."
"This is what happens when an agency spins out of control and into chaos because they've got too many children to care for," said Richard Wexler, executive director of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform. A representative for the Florida Department of Children and Families declined to comment. Child welfare officials could not be reached Saturday.
The documents reveal that police officials wanted parts of the girl's case file to remain sealed because they were concerned about thwarting an investigation into possible criminal activity by Ms. Muskelly and Ms. Graham.
The documents related to the girl's case include a request from Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the state attorney for southern Florida, for some of the girl's records to be sealed because they could compromise a criminal investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This article is blatant NY Slimes BS.
According to today's (South Florida) Sun-Sentinel, the local DCF office had two court orders in Rilya's file -- one bogus, declaring Graham to be related to the girl, and one that said she wasn't related. There were pictures of them in today's papers, and IMO they were both bogus, since neither had the name of the child on them. In other words, they were "blank checks" for custody.
The caseworker, who since "resigned" after falsifying records on another case is being investigated for both malfeasance and criminal charges.
The DCF has been an cesspool for years, under the Dem State Machine Chiles created, and riddled with abuse. The caseworker is black, as are Rilya and Graham -- so, of course, the blame must be shifted to the "system," rather than have them share the responsibility. Graham is a smooth operator who has used 38 names and dozens of SS numbers, and been convicted of fraud. Muskelly (the case worker) was caught on camera briefly and she is a hostile piece of work. My guess is that Muskelly is up to her ears in fraud also, and this may just be the tip of the iceberg (that we may never hear about)of major fraud in her office. But let's just blame it on the Governor, right?
Link to Sun-Sentinel article: Rilya file contains alteration
If this case isn't proof that the state should not (and can not, obviously) be responsible for child welfare, I don't know what is.
Isn't a Wexler, Robt ?, a demoRAT rep.in congress? Any relation?
If so, we know where this is going.
It always struck me that the 'grandmother' didn't try to contact her 'granddaughter' for more than a year.
Don't know if you are in S. Fla or not.
I noticed that Graham lived in W. Kendall. I am curious as to the exact location. I used to live there.
The Police director Carlos Alvarez has expressed frustration saying, "We can't take aynbody at their word. Everybody involved in this case is being investigated Nobody is immune."
The DemocRATs smell blood & want to blame JEB for this whole mess while don't even know if Graham made up the story that a caseworker took the child.
Meanwhile, it was okay to point a gun at Elian, drug him and send him back to Castro's Cuba. That's the missing child that lots of Floridians remember fondly. Wasn't it curious that when Jimmy Carter was in Cuba, he didn't ask to meet with Elian? I thought Carter had unlimited access. Apparently not. Maybe Elian still misses Mickey Mouse, no matter what they've tried to de-program him.
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