District Attorney Slams CPS Lies Deceit Coverup In 5YO Serenity Deal Death Case - Oklahoma DHS

Aug 15, 2011, Oklahoma. Pottawatomie County District Attorney Smothermon Blasts OKDHS In Child Abuse Death Case; Critical Information Uncovered by DA Withheld From DA + Courts. The case of a child's death in Oklahoma City, with ties to both Pottawatomie and Lincoln counties through DHS and court proceedings, has prompted further investigation by District Attorney Richard Smothermon's office, with findings showing critical information was withheld that could have changed the outcome of the case.
Serenity Deal, 5, died June 4 at her father's home in Oklahoma County. At the time, she was in state custody and placed with her father, Sean Brooks, who is now charged with her murder in Oklahoma County District Court.
DHS was part of her case, with both Lincoln County + Pottawatomie County DHS involved.
DHS released its report Aug 10; that report prompted DA Smothermon to issue a response.
Immediately following the child's death, Smothermon's office began investigation into the action of all parties involved in the juvenile proceedings. While the investigation is ongoing, the DHS report issued last week is "incomplete and intentionally misleading," Smothermon said during a press conference Monday.
"In its reports and its public comments through a spokesperson, DHS states that the district attorney and the district judge approved the return of Serenity Deal to Sean Brooks," he said. "This assertion is misleading and is a deliberate attempt to shift blame from DHS itself."
Smothermon said the DHS report fails to point out that the DA's office and court were not informed about the evidence of child abuse that DHS had before she was placed with Brooks.
"My investigation has uncovered critical information that was purposely withheld from the district attorney and the court that almost certainly would have changed the outcome of the case," Smothermon said.
Withheld information includes concerns of the foster mother and Lincoln County DHS workers. Lincoln County DHS worker Donald Wheeler e-mailed his concerns to the Pottawatomie County DHS worker "no less than 12 times" in the 2 months before the child was placed back with her father, he said. Concerns included injuries to the child during her visits with Brooks.
"The concerns of the foster mother and Lincoln County DHS workers Donald Wheeler + Wesley Priest should have been viewed as critical information, yet information was never relayed to the district attorney or the court," Smothermon said, adding Wheeler and Priest were the only DHS workers trying to do the right thing.
Wheeler committed suicide last month, and Priest resigned July 1.
Smothermon said the most glaring example of withheld information surrounded a Jan. 21 incident where Brooks returned Serenity to foster parents with bruising, which Brooks said was a fall from her car seat.
Smothermon said photos were taken and entered into the DHS computer system, but his office or the courts were never given those photos or other evidence, he said, which proved fatal.
Last Friday, Smothermon said his office was provided those photos for the first time. He said they graphically depict severe bruising to the child.
"It is important to note that while it is DHS policy to include all investigative reports and photographs of injuries in DHS reports to the court, that was not done in the case," Smothermon said, adding, "Those pictures are unmistakable child abuse."
"It's the opinion of this office that had these pictures been provided to the DA's office or the Court, this office + the district judge would have vehemently objected to the placement of Serenity Deal with Sean Brooks," he said.
http://www.news-star.com/news/police_and_fire/x1837741480/Smothermon-responds...
and http://www.koco.com/index.html

Aug 15, 2011. Pottawatomie County District Attorney Blasts Oklahoma Dep't of Human Services for its handling of the Serenity Deal case. 5YO Serenity was found dead earlier this year, inside her father's Oklahoma City apartment. DA Richard Smothermon says during his investigation, he found that DHS failed to inform his office and the courts of a November 2010 incident where Sean Devon Brooks, Serenity's father, dropped her off at her foster home with severe bruises and that lead to her death. Smothermon says had DHS followed its own policies and informed his office or the courts of the apparent abuse, Serenity would have been kept away from her father, who is charged with first-degree murder for Serenity's death.
More and District Attorney Richard Smothermon's Statement At: http://www.news9.com/story/15271721/pottawatomie-county-da-blast-dhs-for-with...

http://newsok.com/serenity-deal-story-gets-more-maddening-at-every-turn/artic...

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• Serenity Deal
• CPS
• DHS
• CYF
• DCYF
• kinship care
• foster care
• foster home
• adoption
• child welfare
• child protective services
• child abuse
• crimes against children
• Shawnee
• Pottawatomie County
• Lincoln County
• Oklahoma County
• Oklahoma City
• Oklahoma
• Sean Brooks
• Donald Wheeler
• Richard Smothermon
• Mike Sanders
• Wesley Priest
• domestic abuse
• domestic violence
• child trafficking
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[ech0dancer]

very sad.

rest in peace little girl

[JesusGodHolySpirit3]

Poor Serenity... This is my childs name also and I feel so sad for this little girl Fucking Brooks and her mother who didn't protect her from being abused! SICK fucking devil!! Fucking case workers I am glad one case worker died because of her shame!

[atwitsend]

Wheeler suicided IMHO to keep his mouth shut