“We don’t get cases like this. She was the worst malnourished child I think we’ve ever seen,” Ken Betz, director of the Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory and Coroner’s Office, said Thursday.
Indicted were:
• Angela Norman, 42 and Makayla’s mother, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony; endangering children, a third-degree felony, and endangering children, a first-degree misdemeanor. The misdemeanor is in connection with Makayla’s sister, now 18, who was removed from the home after Makayla’s death.
• Mollie E. Parsons, 41, of Dayton, a licensed practical nurse who cared for Makayla eight hours a day, six days a week, was charged with involuntary manslaughter; failing to provide for a functionally impaired person, a fourth-degree felony, and a misdemeanor count of tampering with records.
• Kathryn Williams, 42, of Englewood and Mary K. Kilby, 63, of Miamisburg are both charged with failing to provide for a functionally impaired person and a misdemeanor count of failing to report child abuse or neglect. Williams, a registered nurse, supervised Parsons and was to visit the family home at 707 Taylor St., on a monthly basis. Kilby, also a registered nurse, supervised the management of Makayla’s case and was to visit the home every six months.
“They all failed to do anything,” said Montgomery County
Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck Jr. “All I can say is, this is criminal.” He described the family home as “vile, filthy” with Makayla covered in bed sores.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said his office’s Medicaid Fraud Unit was investigating at the request of the Dayton police, joining the FBI, the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ohio Board of Nursing.
“What happened to Makayla Norman is absolutely tragic,” DeWine said. “We will continue to offer any assistance needed in this case to help bring to justice those responsible for Makayla’s death.”
Heck said Parsons and Williams were employees of Exclusive Home Care Services, which had a contract for home care through the state Job & Family Services Department. Kilby worked for CareStar, which also has a contract with Job & Family Services to manage Medicaid cases. Heck said Kilby was responsible for checking on Makayla’s eligibility and that care was provided in accordance with Medicaid regulations.
Dayton police homicide detectives said Kilby visited the home five days before Makayla died.
CareStar referred a call for comment to Job & Family Services. An official with Exclusive declined comment Thursday afternoon.
Ann Stevens of the Montgomery County Department of Jobs & Family Services said Children Services had a referral on the family in December 2009, but was unable to substantiate any of the allegations. Children Services opened a case on the family after Makayla’s death and took temporary custody of her sister, Stevens said.
Detectives praised the cooperation of Exclusive in the investigation.
The Ohio Board of Nursing shows active licenses for Kilby and Williams . Parsons voluntarily surrendered her license Aug. 30.
The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office concluded Makayla died from nutritional and medical neglect complicated by her chronic condition, ruling the death a homicide.
“This victim looked more like a skeleton than a 14-year-old girl,” Heck said. “Not one of them did anything about it. If one had, we wouldn’t be here today.”
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