wexwimpy
August 19th 04, 03:55 PM
Police Arrest Caretakers In Rilya Wilson Case
Girl Disappeared Three Years Ago
POSTED: 10:59 am EDT August 18, 2004
UPDATED: 2:06 pm EDT August 18, 2004
MIAMI -- A 4-year-old foster child, whose unsolved disappearance
rocked Florida's child welfare agency two years ago, was caged, tied
up and locked up, authorities said Wednesday in announcing abuse
charges against the girl's two caregivers.
Geralyn Graham was charged with kidnapping and three counts of
aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm for actions in the
months leading up to the 2001 disappearance of Rilya Wilson. Graham is
already serving a prison sentence in an unrelated fraud.
Her roommate, Pamela Graham, was charged with child abuse causing no
great harm and child neglect.
Given the investigation and the nature of the charges, officials are
left with only hope that the girl is still alive. The state Department
of Children & Families discovered in April 2002 that Rilya was missing
and that its caseworkers had not made required visits to check on her
for at least 15 months.
Geralyn Graham, 59, punished the girl by locking her in an animal
cage, tying her to her bed and confining her in a laundry room at
various times in the last five months of 2000, the arrest report said.
She could get a life sentence if convicted.
Pamela Graham, 39, who is cooperating with investigators, is accused
of failing to protect the girl from the abuse. She could get 10 years.
"We would hope that Rilya Wilson is alive," Miami-Dade police director
Robert Parker said. "But in actuality, we fear that actually she's not
alive."
State Sen. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, who has championed the
nationwide search for the girl, said she asked the police officer who
notified her of the new charges "did they still think she was alive.
They said, 'No."'
The time frame for the charges stop short of the date of her suspected
disappearance. The Grahams say the 4-year-old girl was taken from
their home by a DCF worker in January 2001. Parker emphatically denied
that.
"This was really a lie, and I emphasize it was a fabrication and a
concoction," Parker said. "This is concrete."
Contacted before the arrest announcement, Brian Tannebaum, Geralyn
Graham's attorney, said he was told a few weeks ago that a new
prosecutor had reopened the inquiry into Rilya's disappearance and
wanted to interview his client. He said she did not want to talk to
anyone in the renewed investigation.
"In my opinion, does she know what happened? Yes," Parker said. He
said he hopes the charges will persuade one of the women to tell the
truth about Rilya's disappearance.
Geralyn Graham Sentenced
Geralyn Graham was arrested in jail on the same day she was due in
court for a report on her medical condition. She is brought into court
in a wheelchair and is debilitated by chronic illness. Pamela Graham
was arrested at the prosecutors' office.
Geralyn Graham is serving a three-year sentence for fraud in the
purchase of a sport utility vehicle under a friend's name. Authorities
said she has used 46 names, 15 Social Security numbers and 13 dates of
birth. She went to prison in Tennessee for welfare fraud in the 1980s.
The kidnapping charge ties into court papers that were altered to
indicate Geralyn Graham had custody of Rilya as part of an alleged
welfare fraud scheme to pocket state benefits for the girl.
Pamela Graham had custody of the girl and was receiving state aid as
her caregiver, while Geralyn Graham claimed to be her grandmother. The
women initially identified themselves as half-sisters, but Pamela
Graham told co-workers that Geralyn was her wife.
No criminal charges have been filed relating directly to Rilya's
disappearance, which led to management changes and a blue-ribbon
committee's investigation of DCF.
DCF spokesman Bill Spann called that statement by police "an important
development," but said that "as a result of the Rilya Wilson case the
department has made numerous, significant improvements to ensure this
type of tragic crime cannot be repeated."
Rilya's last assigned social worker, DeBorah Muskelly, was placed on
probation for official misconduct and agreed to repay the state $2,736
for filing false timesheets under an agreement reached in April. She
was teaching during DCF work hours, including time she was supposed to
be checking on the girl.
http://www.nbc6.net/news/3662919/detail.html
Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at http://www.aclu.org/action.
Girl Disappeared Three Years Ago
POSTED: 10:59 am EDT August 18, 2004
UPDATED: 2:06 pm EDT August 18, 2004
MIAMI -- A 4-year-old foster child, whose unsolved disappearance
rocked Florida's child welfare agency two years ago, was caged, tied
up and locked up, authorities said Wednesday in announcing abuse
charges against the girl's two caregivers.
Geralyn Graham was charged with kidnapping and three counts of
aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm for actions in the
months leading up to the 2001 disappearance of Rilya Wilson. Graham is
already serving a prison sentence in an unrelated fraud.
Her roommate, Pamela Graham, was charged with child abuse causing no
great harm and child neglect.
Given the investigation and the nature of the charges, officials are
left with only hope that the girl is still alive. The state Department
of Children & Families discovered in April 2002 that Rilya was missing
and that its caseworkers had not made required visits to check on her
for at least 15 months.
Geralyn Graham, 59, punished the girl by locking her in an animal
cage, tying her to her bed and confining her in a laundry room at
various times in the last five months of 2000, the arrest report said.
She could get a life sentence if convicted.
Pamela Graham, 39, who is cooperating with investigators, is accused
of failing to protect the girl from the abuse. She could get 10 years.
"We would hope that Rilya Wilson is alive," Miami-Dade police director
Robert Parker said. "But in actuality, we fear that actually she's not
alive."
State Sen. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, who has championed the
nationwide search for the girl, said she asked the police officer who
notified her of the new charges "did they still think she was alive.
They said, 'No."'
The time frame for the charges stop short of the date of her suspected
disappearance. The Grahams say the 4-year-old girl was taken from
their home by a DCF worker in January 2001. Parker emphatically denied
that.
"This was really a lie, and I emphasize it was a fabrication and a
concoction," Parker said. "This is concrete."
Contacted before the arrest announcement, Brian Tannebaum, Geralyn
Graham's attorney, said he was told a few weeks ago that a new
prosecutor had reopened the inquiry into Rilya's disappearance and
wanted to interview his client. He said she did not want to talk to
anyone in the renewed investigation.
"In my opinion, does she know what happened? Yes," Parker said. He
said he hopes the charges will persuade one of the women to tell the
truth about Rilya's disappearance.
Geralyn Graham Sentenced
Geralyn Graham was arrested in jail on the same day she was due in
court for a report on her medical condition. She is brought into court
in a wheelchair and is debilitated by chronic illness. Pamela Graham
was arrested at the prosecutors' office.
Geralyn Graham is serving a three-year sentence for fraud in the
purchase of a sport utility vehicle under a friend's name. Authorities
said she has used 46 names, 15 Social Security numbers and 13 dates of
birth. She went to prison in Tennessee for welfare fraud in the 1980s.
The kidnapping charge ties into court papers that were altered to
indicate Geralyn Graham had custody of Rilya as part of an alleged
welfare fraud scheme to pocket state benefits for the girl.
Pamela Graham had custody of the girl and was receiving state aid as
her caregiver, while Geralyn Graham claimed to be her grandmother. The
women initially identified themselves as half-sisters, but Pamela
Graham told co-workers that Geralyn was her wife.
No criminal charges have been filed relating directly to Rilya's
disappearance, which led to management changes and a blue-ribbon
committee's investigation of DCF.
DCF spokesman Bill Spann called that statement by police "an important
development," but said that "as a result of the Rilya Wilson case the
department has made numerous, significant improvements to ensure this
type of tragic crime cannot be repeated."
Rilya's last assigned social worker, DeBorah Muskelly, was placed on
probation for official misconduct and agreed to repay the state $2,736
for filing false timesheets under an agreement reached in April. She
was teaching during DCF work hours, including time she was supposed to
be checking on the girl.
http://www.nbc6.net/news/3662919/detail.html
Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at http://www.aclu.org/action.