Tuesday, December 26, 2006
The Shame and the Pain
.
Ricky Holland's siblings face long therapy
Judge revokes mother's parental rights
December 19, 2006
BY JACK KRESNAK
Lisa and Tim Holland, convicted of murdering Ricky Holland, left, have lost or given up parental rights to his four siblings.
LANSING -- The four siblings of Ricky Holland, the former foster child murdered by Tim and Lisa Holland in 2005, were traumatized by Ricky's death and the destruction of their family, a state social worker told an Ingham County Family Court judge on Monday.
The children -- boys ages 4 and 3 and girls 4 and 2 -- will require therapy for the foreseeable future "due to the amount of emotional issues the children have experienced," Robert Payne, a foster care worker for the Ingham County Department of Human Services, testified.
"There is no end in sight at this time," Payne said of the DHS-funded therapy the children get twice a week.
Payne testified during a trial Monday before Judge Janelle Lawless, who then terminated Lisa Holland's parental rights to Ricky's four siblings.
Earlier in the day, Tim Holland voluntarily surrendered his rights.
Lisa Holland, who will turn 34 this week, was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse in the death of 7-year-old Ricky and is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole.
Tim Holland, 37, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, testified against his wife and was sentenced to 30-60 years in prison.
The Hollands adopted Ricky after taking him in as a foster child.
Payne told the judge that the four Holland children are angry that they do not live with their parents and still grieve for Ricky, who died in the family's home outside Williamston. Two paternal aunts are caring for them.
"They experienced or saw a great deal of physical and emotional abuse in the home," Payne said, though Lawless struck the statement from the record because of an objection from Lisa Holland's attorney, Michael Nichols.
Nichols' arguments to not terminate Lisa Holland's parental rights were that the children should still know that their mother cares for them and that, if she wins an appeal of her convictions, she possibly could provide them a home someday.
Nichols gave Lawless a transcript of a portion of a statement Lisa Holland gave Ingham County sheriff's deputies on Jan. 26 in which she repeatedly expressed concern about the children's welfare and caretakers.
But, Lawless said, "The children not only need but they deserve to have a safe, proper and loving home. Miss Holland clearly cannot provide that."
The judge said there is a bond between Lisa and the children, but not necessarily a healthy one, and the children should not have to wait too long for a permanent home.
The children are in the legal custody of the Michigan Children's Institute, a division of the DHS, awaiting adoption planning and approval. No adoption is yet pending.
Ricky's mom seeks body
Birth mother wants to bury boy state says was victim of murder
Karen Bouffard / The Detroit News
"I loved him," says birth mom Casey Jo Caswell, who was 16 with a ninth-grade education when she gave birth to Ricky. See full image
MASON -- The Ingham County medical examiner doesn't know exactly what killed Ricky Holland, but he knows that it was murder.
Which makes Casey Jo Caswell, the 7-year-old boy's birth mother, even more determined to reclaim the remains of her child -- whom prosecutors say was killed by his adoptive parents -- and give him a decent burial.
Ingham County Medical Examiner Dean Sienko released the results of Ricky's autopsy Tuesday in Lansing, at the same time as the preliminary hearing was under way in nearby Mason for Tim Holland, 36, and Lisa Holland, 34, who adopted Ricky in 2003.
While some relatives have phoned the medical examiner's office inquiring about Ricky's remains, according to Sienko, Caswell is the only relative so far to step forward with a formal request to claim them. Sienko said he cannot release Ricky's body to anyone until he determines the legal next of kin, which is a complicated issue.
"I asked, 'Please, can I get the remains so he can get what he deserves, instead of getting buried by a family that (allegedly) killed him?' " said Caswell, of Lansing, who was a 16-year-old with a ninth-grade education when she gave birth to Ricky. Child protective services workers took Ricky -- who was 3 -- because she was unable to care for him.
"I loved him," said Caswell, now 25.
Ricky Holland's siblings face long therapy
Judge revokes mother's parental rights
December 19, 2006
BY JACK KRESNAK
Lisa and Tim Holland, convicted of murdering Ricky Holland, left, have lost or given up parental rights to his four siblings.
LANSING -- The four siblings of Ricky Holland, the former foster child murdered by Tim and Lisa Holland in 2005, were traumatized by Ricky's death and the destruction of their family, a state social worker told an Ingham County Family Court judge on Monday.
The children -- boys ages 4 and 3 and girls 4 and 2 -- will require therapy for the foreseeable future "due to the amount of emotional issues the children have experienced," Robert Payne, a foster care worker for the Ingham County Department of Human Services, testified.
"There is no end in sight at this time," Payne said of the DHS-funded therapy the children get twice a week.
Payne testified during a trial Monday before Judge Janelle Lawless, who then terminated Lisa Holland's parental rights to Ricky's four siblings.
Earlier in the day, Tim Holland voluntarily surrendered his rights.
Lisa Holland, who will turn 34 this week, was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse in the death of 7-year-old Ricky and is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole.
Tim Holland, 37, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, testified against his wife and was sentenced to 30-60 years in prison.
The Hollands adopted Ricky after taking him in as a foster child.
Payne told the judge that the four Holland children are angry that they do not live with their parents and still grieve for Ricky, who died in the family's home outside Williamston. Two paternal aunts are caring for them.
"They experienced or saw a great deal of physical and emotional abuse in the home," Payne said, though Lawless struck the statement from the record because of an objection from Lisa Holland's attorney, Michael Nichols.
Nichols' arguments to not terminate Lisa Holland's parental rights were that the children should still know that their mother cares for them and that, if she wins an appeal of her convictions, she possibly could provide them a home someday.
Nichols gave Lawless a transcript of a portion of a statement Lisa Holland gave Ingham County sheriff's deputies on Jan. 26 in which she repeatedly expressed concern about the children's welfare and caretakers.
But, Lawless said, "The children not only need but they deserve to have a safe, proper and loving home. Miss Holland clearly cannot provide that."
The judge said there is a bond between Lisa and the children, but not necessarily a healthy one, and the children should not have to wait too long for a permanent home.
The children are in the legal custody of the Michigan Children's Institute, a division of the DHS, awaiting adoption planning and approval. No adoption is yet pending.
Ricky's mom seeks body
Birth mother wants to bury boy state says was victim of murder
Karen Bouffard / The Detroit News
"I loved him," says birth mom Casey Jo Caswell, who was 16 with a ninth-grade education when she gave birth to Ricky. See full image
MASON -- The Ingham County medical examiner doesn't know exactly what killed Ricky Holland, but he knows that it was murder.
Which makes Casey Jo Caswell, the 7-year-old boy's birth mother, even more determined to reclaim the remains of her child -- whom prosecutors say was killed by his adoptive parents -- and give him a decent burial.
Ingham County Medical Examiner Dean Sienko released the results of Ricky's autopsy Tuesday in Lansing, at the same time as the preliminary hearing was under way in nearby Mason for Tim Holland, 36, and Lisa Holland, 34, who adopted Ricky in 2003.
While some relatives have phoned the medical examiner's office inquiring about Ricky's remains, according to Sienko, Caswell is the only relative so far to step forward with a formal request to claim them. Sienko said he cannot release Ricky's body to anyone until he determines the legal next of kin, which is a complicated issue.
"I asked, 'Please, can I get the remains so he can get what he deserves, instead of getting buried by a family that (allegedly) killed him?' " said Caswell, of Lansing, who was a 16-year-old with a ninth-grade education when she gave birth to Ricky. Child protective services workers took Ricky -- who was 3 -- because she was unable to care for him.
"I loved him," said Caswell, now 25.
# posted by Senior Mom @ 9:14 PM 
