The relatives of a 5-year-old Glendale girl who police believe was murdered are preparing to sue the agencies that were supposed to protect her.
Jhessye Shockley was reported missing in October 2011 by her mother, Jerice Hunter.
Glendale police believe Hunter, who was once convicted of child abuse, actually killed Jhessye and disposed of the body.
Now, Jhessye’s family members are suing Child Protective Services and the Glendale Police Department claiming the agencies committed “gross negligence” when they failed to investigate possible abuse which ultimately led to the child’s “wrongful death.”
“We really wish we could sue them and they'd give baby Jhessye back,” said their attorney Dwane Cates, “but they can't.”
Cates told ABC15 his clients, Tycora Cole, Mahogany Hightower and Ida Vance, are asking for money because that is their only means of recourse for Jhessye’s future estate. “The only thing that the law provides for is for money and so we have to ask for money,” he said.
The relatives, who helped raise Jhessye before she was back in Hunter’s care, are asking for $3 million.
jeff jones posted at 8:55 am on Sat, Mar 9, 2013.
where were all these so called relatives when the child was being abused?
bubba posted at 10:03 am on Sat, Mar 9, 2013.
jeff jones: My sentiments exactly. To try to prosper from this tragety is vile and distasteful.
phxvato1202 posted at 10:24 am on Sat, Mar 9, 2013.
If i knew one of my relatives was abusing one of my family members not only would i report them but maybe give some abuse back to anyone hurting my little family members. This is a case that reeks of disgrace and money hungry relatives who did not protect the child any better than those they are accusing of failures. All these family members hear lately is ka ching, ka ching. I hope they lose the case for the sake of the money because they are as much to blame because they knew it and took no desisive action in which to protect the child. I would have taken the child from the abuser and driven straight to the police station and forced them to check it out and if there really was so much evidence and facts like they seem to have then I would have gone public with it, but they didn't do this until the child was missing and now they can claim we tried. but did they really try hard enough?
Leon Ceniceros posted at 12:09 pm on Sat, Mar 9, 2013.
SAY WHAT ?????
rabbitguy1964 posted at 5:39 pm on Sat, Mar 9, 2013.
Jesse's estate? What estate? These people could have filed for custody without CPS being involved and proved to the juvenile court judge that she shouldn't have been with her mother. Someone trying to get money after they did nothing to protect the girl.