Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Jhessye Shockley: Family Seeks Millions


This is another "missing" child case we covered in which the mother was found deceptive in her statements about what happened to Jhessye.

We concluded that Jhessye was deceased and that the mother was responsible, as did police, who spent a great deal of resources scouring landfills for the child's remains.

Now, relatives are filing suit in the amount of $10 million dollars alleging that state officials did not do enough to stop the child abuse at the hands of the mother.

Family members who filed the motion, which will, if it goes forward, ask for 10 million dollars report that they are not in it for the money and are, therefore, willing to settle for 3 million dollars.

The family is accusing Glendale Police Department and Child Protective Services of gross negligence. Family members  reported to those agencies their suspicions of abuse suffered by Jhessye and her sisters at the hands of their mother, Jerice Hunter, but that nothing was done. 

 Jerice Hunter reported 5-year-old Jhessye missing in October 2011. Hunter now sits in jail charged with first-degree murder even though her daughter's body has never been found.  
"I know for a fact that me and my immediate family, we did everything possible," Vance said. "We did everything by the book to try to not only get Jhessye out of the home, but we were trying to get all of the children out of the home."
What is not yet known is what actions CPS took, and what actions were approved or disallowed by a court.  CPS records are confidential, and it is also not known what actions the family did take, or did not take, to protect Jhessye. 
By filing intent, with the price tag of 10 million, but telling media that they will settle for $3 million, allows the public to know what it is they are seeking.  If it is justice for Jheysse, they should support the prosecutor who charged the mother with first-degree murder, and recognize all the money spent searching for Jheysse, and the money spent in prosecuting the alleged killer. 
Ultimately, the family wants money.  
Money that will not bring Jhessye back.  

25 comments:

Unknown said...

Maybe those relatives need to sue the woman that actually did the murder.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
S + K Mum said...

So happy to hear that the mother is in prison charged with first degree murder!!! I hope she gets found guilty and suffers for the rest of her days.

I don't know what to make of the family doing this, perhaps it has to be done so that authorities listen and take note.....I would want to know what went on with the family and the CPS before I make up my mind. Also, which members of the family are suing (Jerices mother? father? or the relatives that cared for Jhessye before she went back to her mother?). The money won't bring Jhessye back.

Kids are forced to go to homes that are dangerous and we have seen the consequences. Jhessye, Dylan....I am sure there are more.

Poor Jhessye, still not recovered and laid to rest properly, heart-breaking :(

Sarah said...

I could never accept, much less pursue, money on the basis of a child's (or anyone's) death. I am sure there are circumstances out there where this might be totally appropriate, but at the moment I can't think of any. And, there may be situations where it is appropriate, but just not my own personal preference, and I understand that. But this situation is ridiculous.
How could they live "high on the hog" on some kind of award money made possible by the death of a little girl? I could not spend the money, or enjoy it. It would feel like exploitation to me--linking me to her death as a benefactor. There is nothing to benefit from here.

Even if someone I love died due to gross malpractice, I can see suing for money to cover costs of things like medical bills, funeral, etc., but I could not then take millions of dollars and live a lavish lifestyle funded by the death of someone I love. Maybe in a malpractice suit like that it would be appropriate for the guilty party to pay a very large sum--and I am ok with that--but I would give the vast majority of it away after basic needs and expenses were met. I can think of many great ministries right off the top of my head. The money could then be a legacy and a memorial instead of insult to injury.

Tania Cadogan said...

Breaking news there is a new Pope I just saw the smoke from the chimney and the bells are ringing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21758339

That was pretty quick

Lemon said...

That means Benedict XVI is officially the Dowager Pope of Vatican Abbey.

Tania Cadogan said...

LOL i wonder how long before he decids the new Pope is doing it all wrong ?

Tania Cadogan said...

Wouldn't it be funny if Benedict appeared and said TADA fooled ya hehe

Tania Cadogan said...

archbishop of buenos ares

Tania Cadogan said...

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio Buenos Ares

Lemon said...

They named the new pope after Nanna Frances.
Well done!

Anonymous said...

Please help find Ayla
Julie Moon said...
Maybe those relatives need to sue the woman that actually did the murder.

Right on Julie! Hopefully this common sense prevails!

Tania Cadogan said...

St Frances of Nanna :)

I was hoping the new Pope would be black, it would really upset catholic racists.

We have a new Pope Yaaaaaaaaaaaay

Oh crap he's black

we're conflicted, we're conflicted.

The new pope didn't look very happy till the end. It remninded me of Dave Allen doing backflips down the aisle when he was 'elected Pope'

I love his humor, he took the mickey out of the church big time.

He is must watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u6XXOELs_s

Jen said...

OT-Jodi Arias finally ends her time on the witness stand...and it was a VERY bad day for her.

Martinez made an incredibly simple but wonderful point which completely disproved Jodi's lie about running into the closet and retrieving 'Travis' hidden gun. He pointed out that the closet shelving, which she claimed to put her foot on the edge of to step up and reach the gun, was actually a floating shelf rated to support 40lbs and was supported only by resting on 4 adjustable pins sticking out of predrilled holes (space several inches apart under the shelves). If she stepped on the shelf, as she claims, it would have dumped or shifted upward under her weight and of course the closet is immaculate!

He ran her in circles all day, but I felt that point was the most important, as most people have experience with shelving like that, and know what she is saying isn't possible. She realized where he was going and tried to cover her self by saying she only stepped on the edge, but thats worse for her story considering the teeter-totter effect would be more extreme the closer to the edge she supposedly stepped.

Tania Cadogan said...

Hi Jen.

You're right, those shelves are not fixed at all and any heavy weight placed on them above their limit will snap the support pins (which are tiny. They are usually a pin to slot into the holes and a flat pit on the end which the shelf sits on)

If eavy weights are placed on the front of the shelves the backs will lift up and the front pins will invariably snap.

I caught soe of the footage today, she was not a happy bunny, she tried to avoid yes or no answers, talking in circles or claiming not to know, even if seconds earlier she had just stated the info. The prosecuting attorney happily pointed this out to the jury and court and pinned her down to yes or no which she hated. She tried to nitpick words he used in the question and answer those whilst ignoring the actual question. There was a lot of i never said that, if you say so and so on.

She was getting annoyed with him and was looking daggers at him.

Her attorney kept shouting objection most of which was overuled.

She got decidedly cross when it was pointed out she shot him and he would not be able to get out why she then went to get the knife at the other end of the corridor.
If he is down with a head wound ( and the autopsy would show the severity of the injury either a glancing blow to the skull non fatal or a shot to the skull that was incapacitating or fatal.

If he was incapacitated or dead, bang goes her claim of him getting up and self defence.

She was asked about the camea and kept changing her story and saying she didn't know what he did with it as she was running ( again if she was running down the corrider why not run out the door?)

She also screwed herself up when asked about him picking her up and throwing her to the ground. her definition of being chased varied no end.

Pak31 said...

Are we supposed to think they aren't in it for the money because they don't want the 10 million but will take 3??? I laughed out loud at that one. 3 million is still a LOT of money.

Anonymous said...

Yeah Pak31, that did sorta provoke a laugh or three.

HOWSOEVER; IF this family did make numerous and many complaints to child protective agencies and in many cases to local police authorities, and can prove it, all while child protective services ignores their complaints and keeps their files under lock and seal; then their malfesance ought to be exposed and they should suffer the consequences for this child's death as well as the abuse of the other children left in the home.

Too many of these child services agencies ignore the cries and pleas of innocent helpless children even while reports are being made; while these children continue to be abused, tortured, raped (Haleigh Cummings comes to mind as one in question) and many killed, while frequently those who are aware of the abuse of the child cannot afford attorneys and court litigation to save the child, while child protective services keeps their hands tied, even sometimes in cahoots with the local sheriff's dept, and does nothing to protect the child. The result can be a dead child.

Anonymous said...

That quick-fix election of the new pope was probably the only one they could find in their midst who hadn't been seen exposed at their privately owned gay bath house or caught yet molesting and raping little boys. At their finest and as a whole, they are nothing more than another Jerry Sandusky.

How anyone could bow the knee or kiss the ring of these mere debased mortals totally escapes me. Think Jerry Sandusky and all those who covered up for him while children continued to be defiled, molested and raped for YEARS. Lives ruined.

There they all are, the simpletons, weak-minded overly emotional millions, out in the square swaying in frenzy-praise to these self proclaimed Father-God like creatures who don't even really believe in God otherwise they wouldn't be molesting and raping little boys OR commiting those acts God clearly defines as an abomination in his sight.

Will people ever learn? Nah....

JerseyJane said...

Lil' J was in Granny's care, and Gooood Old Granny gave her back into the arms of the abuser(granny's daughter).... Right after the abuser got out of jail for child neglect, abuse, whatever was the charge.....

I ask, why no charges brought against Granny? Maybe, this lawsuit wouldn't exist if the authorities would have produces charges against loud-mouthed granny. Back then, they let loud-mouthed granny run the show and she is the one that GAVE her grandbabies back to the abuser(her daughter)...

Just one big barrel of trash, them folk. Poor, sweet children are always the victims... The children were in another state with Granny and Granny gave them back!!
She is a young Granny(40's,50's). I'm not being disrespect of the name Granny, I am pissed the authorities never brought charges on HER actions of turning them over to an abuser... So disgusted... The people bringing the charges, had lil' J for first couple years, and then Granny took over, then the bait and switch... Soooo, maybe the sue job will really bring an award... I don't agree with it. I am just telling u what I know in the case..

Anonymous said...

JerseyJane, I made the earlier post saying that if there had been numerous complaints made to the child protective agencies concerning little J's abuse that they ought to be held liable for it, and I still mean that; however, I believe you are right in your recollections of this granny. As I recall she is the one who handed this child back over to her known to be abusive daughter seemingly without a concern in the world for little J.

Also, if memory serves me, I believe she publically denied that little J had ever suffered any abuse, then tried to plead the race card to benefit her daughter's abuse of this pathethic little girl.

Now granma tells an entirely different story. I don't think either she or her family has a leg to stand on in their lawsuit even if the child protective agencies were direlect in their duties. How could they expect to prevail at this late date? Don't think so!

sidewalk super said...

The granny did hand the grandchild back to her murdering daughter and then proceeded to get way too much air time by claiming the case wasn't being pursued because all the principals were black and the city didn't care about black people.

Somehow, I suspect there is a rabble rousing attorney busy stirring here. And some incredibly unaware and greedy family members.

Statement Analysis Blog said...

sidewalk super!

Lemon said...

If they weren't in it for the money, they would settle for an apology, such as "We're sorry you let your grand baby get stole, disposed of, abused, and treated like trash, witch."

pythia serpentis said...

cps should protect kids with parents in and out of prison and blatently suffering from substace abuse issues. The kids should have been in state custody. Idk how suing will change anything, yet I hope it at least puts some pressure on the state to act on other cases BEFORE the kid is dead or missing.

prayers4missing said...

Princess Jessie was being cared for (and very well) by extended family members until the state made them give her back to the horrible granny. Granny then allowed the "mother" to take the kids from her.

The family suing is the family who had taken care of Princess J for years, and who had reported the abuse over and over again to authorities.

I really hope they win because the state royally messed up!