South Carolina Injury Lawyer Blog

In an extremely sad case of apparent disregard of a 60-year-old Columbia wife and mother, her husband and daughter have been charged of abusing or neglecting a vulnerable adult in the mother's death. Lexington County deputies arrested the pair on December second and according to a Columbia news source their bond has been set at $75,000 after a hearing last Tuesday.

A Lexington County Sheriff indicated that this was the most severe adult abuse he has seen in his 43 years as an officer. When arrived at the hospital on December first, the mother weighed all of 48 pounds and was riddled with maggot infected bedsores. Due to diabetes-related complications, the mother had both legs amputated, had been bedridden for the past 14 years and primarily under the care of her husband and daughter.

According to the Lexington County Coroner, the autopsy was inconclusive as to the exact cause of death, but more test are to be conducted in an effort to determine what happened to the woman.

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Charleston child sexual abuse attorneys recently learned that a South Carolina charter school teacher was arrested and charged with having sex with a 15-year-old student high school student. The teacher allegedly had sex with his 15-year-old student in a wooded area near the school’s premises on March 20, 2010.

The teacher taught business and computer skills at Calhoun Falls Charter School. He was charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor and preforming a lewd act on a minor. He was arrested and charged after one of the young girl’s family members allegedly found conversations between him and the child. After discovering the conversations, the family member contacted police. Police investigated the conversations and then made the arrest.

The teacher is currently on administrative leave from Calhoun Falls Charter School while he awaits trial in Abbeville County’s jail. The young girl’s name has not been released in order to protect her privacy.

Source: The Post and Courier- “Charter school teacher arrested.” April 1, 2010.

South Carolina child injury and wrongful death lawyers report that the Sumter couple that starved their 16-month-old son to death will serve over 20 years behind bars. Marketta McCray, 24 years old of Sumter county, and Kevin Isaac, 26 years old also from Sumter county, both pled guilty to homicide by child abuse Monday, March 1, 2010.

When the couple’s 16-month-old son died he did not even weight 9 pounds, which is half the average body weight for a child his age. After learning of the child’s death and malnourishment, authorities investigated the couple’s other children. The victim also had a twin brother, which authorities discovered was also severely malnourished. McCray and Isaac’s three older children were healthy.

When the couple appeared in court, lawyers asked them why their two youngest children, twins, were starved. The couple told the judge and the court that they did not know why. The judge sentenced Marketta McCray, the mother, to 29 years in prison and Kevin Isaac, the father, to 25 years in prison.

According to the 2007 Kids Count state profiles of child well-being administered by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, South Carolina ranked 46th in the nation in the overall-well being of children. The latest statistic sheet released by the Children’s Trust of South Carolina, reported 16,898 cases of child abuse. This number is expected to have tippled in size, making it closer to 50, 694 cases.

Source: The Post and Courier- “Sumter couple get more than 20 years in starving death.” March 2, 2010.

South Carolina child injury and death lawyers would like to remind parents to talk to their children about appropriate and inappropriate interactions with adults and school staff. A new charge was brought the janitor formerly employed by Harleyville-Ridgeville Elementary School janitor.

The janitor was accused of writing a three-page love letter to an 11 year old female student. January 7, he was charged with delinquency of a minor after authorities investigated allegations of a love letter given to a female student. He is currently in Dorchester Country Detention Center being held without bail.

The new charge the janitor faces is first degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, after allegations were made that he had sexual conduct with the same 11 year old female student. The alleged sexual conduct is reported to have taken place before the janitor wrote the three-page love letter. Dorchester County School District 4 spokeswoman said that Williams is no longer an employee of the school district.

Source: The Post and Courier- “Ex-janitor charged with sex crime.” March 5, 2010.

Several employees at Knightsville Elementary School in Summerville, South Carolina have been charged in connection with supposed child abuse of an autistic student that took place at the school.

Teacher aide Heather Martin is accused of covering the nose and mouth of an autistic student to keep her quiet, dragging another student by the hair, throwing school supplies at another child, and grabbing another student in the genital area.

Former principal and vice principal of the school, Anita Ruff-Putillion and Mary Rita Watson are each accused of one charge of failing to report child abuse or neglect. A teacher at the school, Rebecca Jeanette Piersol Crosby faces three charges of neglect and four charges of failure to report a crime.

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