24-year-old Elaine Brown, and 47-year-old Kelly Williams are facing some very serious charges for the role the state believes they played in the abuse and death of a Detroit toddler. The two social workers are accused of failing to follow up on the case of 3-year-old Aaron Minor, after finding him inadequately cared for in his mother’s home.
According to court records, little Aaron’s body was found by a maintenance man who was apparently drawn to the apartment due to the foul odor that was emanating from it. Once inside, he found the decomposing remains of a small child on a bed. Police say that Aaron had been dead for about a week before his body was found.
His mother, 28-year-old Deanna Shanta Minor, had been hospitalized about a week earlier. Police records show that a neighbor called 911 and reported a woman had collapsed on her front lawn. She was transported to hospital, where she spent several days in a psychiatric ward before being released. It is still not clear if Aaron was already dead when she was transported to hospital or not, and if anyone ever asked her if she had a child unattended at home while she was in the hospital.
At the time that Aaron’s body was found, no one knew who his mother or father were, or how to contact them. The apartment was empty. Police were able to locate Aaron’s father, but as he had been incarcerated for some time, he was not considered to be a suspect. Investigators finally found Deanna in a Downriver crisis center, where she was receiving care for what her family said was severe depression. As a result, Deanna Minor was charged with Felony Murder, Second Degree Murder, First and Second Degree Child Abuse, and Failure to Report a Dead Body.
According to the prosecutor’s office, CPS worker Brown received a referral in April of this year from a mental health worker providing care to Deanna Minor. Brown visited the apartment and discovered that there wasn’t enough food to adequately feed a toddler. She reported this fact to her supervisor, Williams. CPS sent a letter to Deanna Minor, asking her to contact the agency. But she didn’t, and no one ever followed up with her or checked on Aaron Minor’s well being again.
Months have passed, during which time the prosecutor’s office gave “careful thought and deliberation” to whether or not Brown and Williams should be held accountable for their inaction. In a statement made by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, she says that “We did not make this decision lightly. We must seek to hold these defendants responsible for their alleged inaction. The ultimate result in this case was the death of a child that never should have happened.”
Both Brown and Williams have been charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, Second Degree Child Abuse and Willful Neglect of Duty. These are very serious charges, and if convicted, these two women can expect to spent the remainder of their lives in prison. We will be watching this case very closely, and will keep you updated on it’s progress.