Jackson Farrey was born in El Paso. He died that same year, not even a year old, and simply disappeared. His parents, Jenna and Jeffery Farrey, also disappeared around the same time, but they resurfaced later here in Escanaba, Michigan, where they set up home with their son Blake. No one questioned anything, until baby Jackson’s body was discovered buried out in the desert in New Mexico.
CPS has known for a long time that something was wrong…
Further investigation shows that this family has a record with CPS, which means the agency knew that there were issues. So what was done about it? How were the problems handled, and why did it take finding an infant’s corpse out in the desert for anyone to realize that someone in the agency had dropped the ball? (After all, they know the baby was dead!)Good questions, and one that investigative journalists are starting to ask…
The agency refused to account for their actions…
In November of 2018, KFOX18 requested the records of this family under the Freedom of Information Act. By law, CPS has 10 days to comply with the request. Six months later, they still hadn’t turned over a single page to do with the family’s history with CPS, despite repeated attempts to get the info. So what gives? Why was the agency refusing to account for their actions in this case?
When they finally handed over the paperwork…
In the end, after months of waiting and asking and waiting and asking, KFOX18 tweeted about it and within two hours they’d received the report. Inside it were details about the family’s home, which the case worker said was filthy. The two children, according to the report, were malnourished and dirty and not properly cared for. And then Jackson died, and CPS apparently didn’t think this was worth following up on!
The details were heartbreaking…
According to the report, young Blake was so malnourished that he was severely undersized. “The deceased child’s sibling was the size of a 6 month old even though he is 19 months old.” says the report. The report also shows that the parents force fed baby Jackson on the night he died, so much in fact, that he aspirated on the food and suffocated to death. But they apparently never thought to call 911, or to check on him at any point that night. And once he was dead, they didn’t think it was important enough to report it. But CPS knew…
The parents are now both in prison…
Jenna is currently serving a 35 year prison sentence, while Jeffery is serving 20, both for negligent care that led to a child’s death. But what about CPS? What consequences will they face for leaving Blake with parents that murdered his younger brother and then buried his body in the desert and moved away? What follow up, or better yet, what reprimands are forthcoming for an agency that let these parents, who had a long history of neglectful and abusive parenting, keep their young son? Apparently none.