The Ryan Luke Story

***FAIR USE*** Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

----------------------------------------

Ryan's name have been called alot lately because of Kelsey's story and for her records to be realsed.Ryan's law is being called but his story is slipping.

This is his story~
Ryan Aubrey Luke was born to his mother Wendy Luke in McAlester Oklahoma.His mother Wendy had a history of drug possession.

At the age of three months Ryan was seen with bruises and black eyes.

January 12th, 1995
Ryan is taken to the hospital with a spiral fracture of his left leg. Oklahoma Department of Human Services was called to investigate the possibility of child abuse.

January 27th,1995
Ryan is released from the hospital and a Judge places him in his grandfather Don Luke's custody. Social workers believed Wendy or her boyfriend Larry Tannehill abused Ryan breaking his leg.

Luke's grandfather continuously covered for Wendy. With out Oklahoma Department of Human Services knowledge he returned Ryan back to Wendy.

February 8th, 1995
While Ryan was still with his mother Wendy and her boyfriend Larry Tannehill were arrested in Kansas for weapon and drug charges.

March 5th,1995
While still in a full body cast for his broken leg and home alone with his mother Wendy and her boyfriend, Ryan was murdered.

His death was due to blunt force trauma to the head.

Wendy was charged with first degree murder but agreed for a lesser charge for testifying against two others accused in Ryan's death.Wendy was sentencded to 30yrs in prison.

Larry Tannehill was arrested for Ryan's murder but was eventually acquitted of all charges.

After Ryan's death a new law was passed in his name dedicated to children who suffer from abuse.

Main Factors of The Ryan Luke Bill are:
~A court must monitor a child involved in an abuse or neglect case for a year if that child is returned to parental custody.

~The law requires training for all Judges involved in such cases.

~ The Law Requires court-appointed special advocates to be available in all judicial districts and appointment of an attorney to represent the interests of children in abuse cases

~ Removing confidentiality from cases involving deaths and providing information to foster parents, law enforcement and child welfare agencies. This means confidential DHS records must be released when a child is murdered.

~* Requiring DHS to conduct criminal history investigations of prospective foster family members, and prohibiting placement of a child with any convicted sex offender or domestic abuser

* Permitting postponement of child placement rulings and reviewing when a child's welfare is endangered

Ten years after Ryan's death another Law was made after another two year old who lost her life to child abuse. Kelsey Shelton Smith-Briggs lost her life at the age of two-years old due to blunt force trauma to the abdomen.

Between Ryan's death in 1995 and Kelsey's death in 2005 abuse or neglect killed 123 Oklahoma children.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• ryan
• aubrey
• luke
• child
• abuse
• awreness
• prevention
• oklahoma
• mcalester