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Angela Norman, Ohio mom of dead 28-pound, disabled teen, gets 9-year sentence

CBSnews.com

May 17, 2012

(AP) CINCINNATI - The mother of a 14-year-old girl who had cerebral palsy and weighed 28 pounds when she died last year was sentenced Thursday to nine years in prison.

Angela Norman was sentenced in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court in Dayton, about an hour north of Cincinnati, county prosecutor's spokesman Greg Flannagan said. Norman, a Dayton resident, pleaded guilty last month to a first-degree felony count of involuntary manslaughter and to single misdemeanor and felony counts of endangering children.

Authorities say Norman's daughter, Makayla, had numerous bed sores and showed other signs of neglect when she died March 1, 2011. The girl died from nutritional and medical neglect complicated by her chronic condition and was the "worst malnourished child this office has ever seen," the coroner's office director, Ken Betz, said.

Norman's attorney didn't immediately return a call for comment Thursday.

County prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. has said the 43-year-old Norman didn't provide sufficient food or proper care for the child, resulting in her death.

Charges also were filed against three nurses who authorities said were to administer or monitor the girl's care. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and are scheduled for trial in the next few months.

The teen was confined to her home and was supposed to be cared for by her mother and one of the other defendants, a licensed practical nurse whose job was to administer care to the girl six days a week, according to the prosecutor. The other two defendants were to visit the home and assess the girl's health, the prosecutor said.

Mollie Parsons, Ohio Nurse, Convicted Of Involuntary Manslaughter In Malnutrition Death Of Disabled Teen

By Amanda Lee Myers - HuffingtonPost.com

November 6, 2012

CINCINNATI -- An Ohio nurse was sentenced Tuesday to the maximum 10 years in prison after she unexpectedly pleaded guilty in the malnutrition death of a 14-year-old girl who had cerebral palsy and weighed 28 pounds when she died.

Mollie Parsons, 42, had been set to go to trial Wednesday in the 2011 death of Makayla Norman. Instead, Parsons pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, failing to provide for a functionally impaired child and tampering with records.

The plea was not part of an agreement with prosecutors and did not win Parsons leniency. She had faced as little as three years in prison.

It was Parsons' job to administer care to Makayla six days a week at her Dayton home, where she lived with her mother, prosecutors said.

The teen had numerous bedsores and was living in filthy conditions when she died from nutritional and medical neglect complicated by cerebral palsy in what a coroner said at the time was the "worst malnourished child" his office had ever seen, authorities said.

"She basically starved to death," Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck said Tuesday. Parsons "had a duty, a responsibility, an oath that she took as a nurse to care for people, and in this particular case, this is one of the most dependent victims she would ever come in contact with in her entire life, and she simply failed to do anything.

"It's one of these cases that cries out for justice," Heck added.

Parsons' attorney, Jon Paul Rion, did not return a call for comment Tuesday.

Heck speculated that Parsons changed her plea to guilty to avoid having any more details about Makayla's death come out at trial.

The girl's mother, Angela Norman, is serving a nine-year sentence stemming from her death. Two other nurses with less significant roles in the girl's care, Mary Kilby of Miamisburg and Kathryn Williams of Englewood, were sentenced to up to five years of probation in the case last month.

Prosecutors say Williams was supposed to supervise Parsons, visit and inspect the living conditions, and do a physical assessment of the girl every 30 to 60 days, and Kilby was scheduled to visit every six months to check on conditions in the home and assess the girl's health, needs and care.

Ohio mom pleads guilty in starvation death of disabled daughter

By Arthur Weinreb - DigitalJournal.com

April 8, 2012

Dayton - Prior to going to trial, the mother pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in the death of her 14-year-old daughter who suffered from cerebral palsy.

On Friday, Angela Norman, 42, appeared in the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court before Judge Mary Katherine Huffman. Norman entered pleas of guilty to two felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and endangering children in the death of her daughter. She also pled guilty to a misdemeanor count of endangering children in relation to another daughter.

Makayla Norman died on March 1, 2011. Norman was arrested on Nov. 16, 2011 after being indicted with three other women. The other three, two of whom were registered nurses, were all responsible for the care of the severely disabled Makayla.

The guilty pleas came less than two weeks before the four defendants were scheduled to go to trial.

As reported by the Dayton Daily News, on the day she died, the 14-year-old weighed 28 pounds. She was covered in lice, bedsores, and her skin was caked in dirt. At a hearing in an unsuccessful attempt to lower Norman's $250,000 bail, evidence was adduced that one of the defendants, Molly E. Parsons, a licensed nurse, wrote in her notes before she left on the day Makayla died, that the girl was in good health. Ten minutes after she left, Norman called 911 and reported her daughter was not breathing.

Makayla was rushed to Dayton's Children's Medical Center where she was pronounced dead minutes after arrival.

At the hearing to have the bail lowered, Det. Rebecca Rose, with Dayton's homicide squad, told Judge Huffman,

She was a skeleton with skin draped over it. It was horrific.

The detective also testified,

Makayla was totally dependent on her caregivers. When she died, she was half her previously recorded body weight.

All she was given was five or six cans of Ensure a day; fed to her through a feeding tube.

Dayton police found Norman's home in deplorable condition. Dead bugs and fecal material were found throughout as well as piles of dirty dishes and garbage. Makayla's sister was removed from the home.

Ken Betz, of the Miami Valley Coroner's Office, was quoted in the Dayton Daily News as saying,

We don't get cases like this. She was the worst malnourished child I think we've ever seen.

As reported by WHIO TV, Norman's attorney tried to enter into a plea bargain but prosecutors refused. Norman is due back in court on April 24 for sentencing.

'The worst case we've ever seen': Mother admits killing 14-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy after refusing to feed her

Makayla Norman, 14, was riddled with bed sores
Girl weighed only 28 pounds when she died
'She was the worst malnourished child this office has ever seen', said coroner

DailyMail.co.uk

April 6, 2012

The mother of a 14-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who weighed 28 pounds when she died has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter at a court in southwest Ohio.

Angela Norman, 42, of Dayton, Ohio, is accused of allowing her daughter to die through neglect in the worst case of malnutrition the county coroner had ever seen.

Makayla Norman was covered in bed sores and showed other signs of neglect when she died on March 1, 2011, said court authorities.

Mrs Norman pleaded guilty to a first-degree felony count of involuntary manslaughter and to single misdemeanor and felony counts of endangering children at Montgomery County Common Pleas Court in Dayton, north of Cincinnati.

The county coroner's office attributed the teen's death to nutritional and medical neglect complicated by her chronic condition.

'She was the worst malnourished child this office has ever seen,' said Ken Betz, director of the coroner's office.

Angela Norman was indicted on the three counts last November.

Three nurses who authorities said were to administer or monitor the girl's care also were charged.

Norman remained in jail with bail set at $250,000. Her attorney did not immediately return a call to his office.

Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. said that Angela Norman did not provide sufficient food or proper care for the child, resulting in her death.

The two felony counts were related to Makayla Norman's death.

The misdemeanor count of endangering children involved another daughter, the prosecutor said.

Norman had been scheduled for trial April 18 with the other three defendants who have pleaded not guilty in the case.

Mollie E. Parsons, 42, of Dayton, is charged with involuntary manslaughter, failing to provide for a functionally impaired person and tampering with records.

Kathryn Williams, 42, of Englewood, and Mary K. Kilby, 63, of Miamisburg, both registered nurses, are each charged with failing to provide for a functionally impaired person and failing to report child abuse or neglect.

The teen was confined to her home and was supposed to be cared for by her mother and Parsons, a licensed practical nurse who was supposed work six days a week at the home, according to the prosecutor.

Williams was paid to supervise Parsons, visit and inspect the living conditions, and do a physical assessment of the girl every 30 to 60 days.

Kilby was scheduled to visit every six months to also check on conditions of the home and assess the girl's health, needs and care, the prosecutor has said.

An agreement has not yet been reached on a specific sentence for Norman. Sentencing is set for April 24.

Starved 14-year-old was covered with lice, bedsores, says officer

Shocking details of girl’s condition revealed during bond hearing.

By Doug Page - DaytonDailyNews.com

December 14, 2011

DAYTON — Two minutes after a nurse said she left for the evening, noting her 14-year-old patient was in good health with stable vital signs, fed and resting comfortably, the teen’s mother was on the phone to 911 saying her daughter was in distress.

Thirty minutes later, Makayla Norman was dead, the victim of nutrition and medical neglect, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.

When 14-year-old Makayla Norman died March 1, her 28-pound body was infested with lice, covered in bedsores, her skin caked in dirt, according to testimony during a court hearing Tuesday.

Her caregivers — Mollie E. Parsons, 41, of Dayton, a licensed practical nurse and Makayla’s mother, Angela Norman, 42 — were indicted last month on charges of involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony.

Both are in the Montgomery County Jail under $250,000 cash bond.

Graphic new details surfaced during a hearing in which Parsons requested her bond be lowered to $25,000 Tuesday.

Parsons was to work from 3 to 11 p.m. six days a week caring for Makayla, who had cerebral palsy, while Norman provided the care the remainder of the time.

“(Parsons) was rarely there,” Dayton homicide Detective Rebecca Rose testified Tuesday.

Witnesses told detectives Parsons, who surrendered her nursing license in August, was seen only three to four days a month at the Norman’s residence, Rose told Common Pleas Judge Mary Huffman. Each time Parsons arrived, witnesses told police the woman would honk her horn, and Makayla’s mother would join her on a shopping trip, Rose testified.

Rose said the daily records kept by Parsons indicated Makayla was in good health with no problems and had been fed when Parsons left at 10 p.m. the day of her death. Two minutes later, Makayla’s mother called 911 saying Makayla was having difficulty breathing. The child was rushed to the Children’s Medical Center of Dayton where she died at 10:30 p.m., Rose said.

Rose said — based on witnesses’ statements — Parsons was at the house that night.

“Makayla was totally dependent on her caregivers,” Rose said. “When she died, she was half her previously recorded body weight.”

Afflicted with severe cerebral palsy since birth, Makayla could not walk, talk nor in any way care for herself, Rose testified. Her only daily source of nutrition was five to six cans of Ensure, which her caregivers were to feed her through a feeding tube.

Citing medical records, Rose described Makayla’s state at death: her hair, eyebrows and lashes were infested with lice from nit to adult stages; her teeth covered with plaque; there were growths on her tongue; open bedsores covered her from “her ears to her ankles”; her skin was caked with dirt; and her colon was so impacted with fecal matter her abdomen had a prominent bulge. The open bedsores around Makayla’s hips where her diaper rested were caked with feces, Rose testified.

“She was a skeleton with skin draped over it,” Rose testified. “It was horrific.”

Judge Huffman asked Rose if Parsons was bound by law to report such conditions? “Yes,” replied Rose.

Pointing to the horrific nature of the crime and the apparent weight of the evidence, Huffman refused to reduce the bond, adding a stipulation that if Parsons was able to post the $250,000 bond, she be placed under electronic monitoring once released.

In addition, Parsons also was indicted on charges of failing to provide for a functionally impaired person, a fourth-degree felony, and a misdemeanor count of tampering with records. Norman faces an additional charge of endangering children, a first-degree misdemeanor in connection with Makayla’s sister, now 18, who was removed from the home after Makayla’s death.

The detective also testified as to what investigators from the special victims unit found when they went to home the next day: garbage and dirty dishes piled everywhere, fecal matter throughout the house, dead bugs in the refrigerator; no running water, but working Internet and telephone service paid for by Parsons. The conditions were so deplorable that detectives had Children Services remove Makayla’s sister from the home.

Rose also testified that Children Services had investigated a referral in 2009 from medical personnel about Makayla, but the investigation proved “inconclusive.”

In 2004, Makayla’s mother withdrew from the Dayton Public Schools to home-school the child. On questioning by the Dayton Daily News, school officials admitted they violated their own policies, failing to follow up on Makayla’s progress during her final seven years.

Two other nurses — Kathryn Williams, 42, of Englewood and Mary K. Kilby, 63, of Miamisburg — were both indicted on charges of failing to provide for a functionally impaired person and a misdemeanor count of failing to report child abuse or neglect. The later charge was dismissed without prejudice and the former reduced to a first-degree misdemeanor. Both were released on $10,000 bond and placed on electronic monitoring.

Williams, a registered nurse, supervised Parsons and was to visit the family home at 707 Taylor St., on a monthly basis. Kilby, also a registered nurse, supervised the management of Makayla’s case and was to visit the home every six months.

Homicide detectives have said Kilby visited the home five days before Makayla died.

Four indicted in disabled teen's death, including mother and nurse

By Lou Grieco and Doug Page - DaytonDailyNews.com

November 18, 2011

DAYTON — The indictment Thursday of a mother and three nurses in what one official called “the worst malnourished child I think we’ve ever seen” is just the beginning of the investigation into how the system failed Makayla Norman, said state and local officials involved.

Makayla, who had cerebral palsy , was covered in bed sores, living in filth and starved to the point the 14-year-old looked more like a skeleton than a teenager, weighing 28 pounds when she died March 1 just minutes after medics got her to Children’s Medical Center of Dayton, officials said.

“We don’t get cases like this. She was the worst malnourished child I think we’ve ever seen,” Ken Betz, director of the Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory and Coroner’s Office, said Thursday.

Indicted were:

• Angela Norman, 42 and Makayla’s mother, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony; endangering children, a third-degree felony, and endangering children, a first-degree misdemeanor. The misdemeanor is in connection with Makayla’s sister, now 18, who was removed from the home after Makayla’s death.

• Mollie E. Parsons, 41, of Dayton, a licensed practical nurse who cared for Makayla eight hours a day, six days a week, was charged with involuntary manslaughter; failing to provide for a functionally impaired person, a fourth-degree felony, and a misdemeanor count of tampering with records.

• Kathryn Williams, 42, of Englewood and Mary K. Kilby, 63, of Miamisburg are both charged with failing to provide for a functionally impaired person and a misdemeanor count of failing to report child abuse or neglect. Williams, a registered nurse, supervised Parsons and was to visit the family home at 707 Taylor St., on a monthly basis. Kilby, also a registered nurse, supervised the management of Makayla’s case and was to visit the home every six months.

“They all failed to do anything,” said Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck Jr. “All I can say is, this is criminal.” He described the family home as “vile, filthy” with Makayla covered in bed sores.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said his office’s Medicaid Fraud Unit was investigating at the request of the Dayton police, joining the FBI, the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ohio Board of Nursing.

“What happened to Makayla Norman is absolutely tragic,” DeWine said. “We will continue to offer any assistance needed in this case to help bring to justice those responsible for Makayla’s death.”

Heck said Parsons and Williams were employees of Exclusive Home Care Services, which had a contract for home care through the state Job & Family Services Department. Kilby worked for CareStar, which also has a contract with Job & Family Services to manage Medicaid cases. Heck said Kilby was responsible for checking on Makayla’s eligibility and that care was provided in accordance with Medicaid regulations.

Dayton police homicide detectives said Kilby visited the home five days before Makayla died.

CareStar referred a call for comment to Job & Family Services. An official with Exclusive declined comment Thursday afternoon.

Ann Stevens of the Montgomery County Department of Jobs & Family Services said Children Services had a referral on the family in December 2009, but was unable to substantiate any of the allegations. Children Services opened a case on the family after Makayla’s death and took temporary custody of her sister, Stevens said.

Detectives praised the cooperation of Exclusive in the investigation.

The Ohio Board of Nursing shows active licenses for Kilby and Williams . Parsons voluntarily surrendered her license Aug. 30.

The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office concluded Makayla died from nutritional and medical neglect complicated by her chronic condition, ruling the death a homicide.

“This victim looked more like a skeleton than a 14-year-old girl,” Heck said. “Not one of them did anything about it. If one had, we wouldn’t be here today.”

Lawyer: Mom starved 28-lb. teen girl to death

CBSnews.com

November 18, 2011

CINCINNATI - A mother and a nurse were charged Thursday in the death of the woman's 14-year-old daughter, who had cerebral palsy and weighed only 28 pounds, a prosecutor said.

A Montgomery County grand jury in Dayton indicted the mother and the nurse on involuntary manslaughter charges. Two other nurses were indicted on lesser charges of failing to report child abuse or neglect. All were being held in the county jail, prosecutors said.

"This is a tragic and sad case wherein four adults were responsible for the care of this 14-year-old special-needs girl, and they all utterly ignored and failed to do so," county prosecutor Mathias Heck Jr. said in a statement. "The conduct of these four defendants transcends all bounds of human decency."

Heck said that the girl undoubtedly would still be alive "if just one of these defendants had acted responsibly."

Makayla Norman died March 1 from nutritional and medical neglect complicated by her chronic condition, the county coroner's office ruled.

"She was the worst malnourished child this office has ever seen," Ken Betz, director of the coroner's office, said Thursday.

Authorities have said that the teen died minutes after paramedics rushed her to a hospital.

She had numerous bed sores and showed other signs of neglect, and the prosecutor described the home as vile and filthy.

The girl's mother, Angela Norman, also was indicted on a felony count and a misdemeanor count of endangering children. No attorney was listed for Norman, whose age was listed as 42 in jail records.

Mollie E. Parsons, 41, of Dayton, was indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter, failing to provide for a functionally impaired person and tampering with records. Kathryn Williams, 42, of Englewood, and Mary K. Kilby, 63, of Miamisburg, were each charged with failing to provide for a functionally impaired person and failing to report child abuse or neglect. No attorneys were listed for them.

The teen was confined to her home and was supposed to be cared for by her mother and Parsons, a licensed practical nurse whose job was to administer care for the girl six days a week, according to the prosecutor.

Williams and Kilby are registered nurses, the prosecutor's office said. Williams was paid to supervise Parsons and visit and inspect the living conditions and do a physical assessment of the girl every 30 to 60 days. Kilby was scheduled to visit every six months to also check on conditions of the home and assess the girl's health, needs and care, the statement said.

Children's services had a referral on the family in September 2009, but it was unable to substantiate any allegations, Ann Stevens, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Department of Job and Family Services, said Thursday.

Stevens said she could not provide any additional information because of confidentiality requirements, but she said the department would have assisted the police and the prosecutor's office in their investigation of the girl's death.