Health Impact News Comments

A tragic story was back in the news this week in Texas. The foster parent of 2-year-old Alex Hill was sentenced to life in prison for the death of the young child who was taken away from her parents’ home.

Alex Hill was reported to have been taken away from her biological parents because her father admitted to using marijuana at night after the child was in bed. With no evidence of abuse, CPS took custody of the child and placed her in a foster home with Sherill Small. Sherill Small reportedly admitted to police that she had slammed the child onto the floor, saying it was an accident.

It was also discovered that Sherill Small’s husband, who lived in the home while the child was there, was himself a recovering crack cocaine addict and admitted to multiple drug charges.

So here we appear to have another case where social services removed a child from a loving home with no sign of abuse, and then put the child into an abusive foster home, with the child tragically being murdered.

Excerpts from Fox43:

On Tuesday Alex’s foster mother, Sherill Small, was sentenced to life in prison for the July 2013 death of the little girl, who would have turned four on Friday.

Alex’s parents, Joshua Hill and Mary Sweeny, had reported bruises on their child during visitations, but were never told about Small’s numerous violations.

Four months before Hill was set to regain custody he received a call that Alex was in the hospital. Small admitted to police that she had slammed the child onto the floor, saying it was an accident.

Alex’s autopsy revealed several bruises all around her body, and a medical examiner stated her head hit the floor so violently that she had “subdural hemorrhaging, subarachnoid hemorrhaging, and retinal hemorrhaging in both eyes,” according to court testimony.

What may be one of the most frustrating parts of the case, Sherill Small’s husband who lived in the home while Alex was there, was himself a recovering crack cocaine addict and admitted to multiple drug charges.

The couple admitted this information during the home study portion of their foster application, but their home was still considered a “safe environment.” (Source.)

The family has a memorial Facebook Page setup to honor their daughter: Justice for Alex Hill.

 

Published on November 14, 2014