Loss of the innocent

By Nate Smith, Staff Writer

June 19, 2009 09:09 pm

— The tragedy that was the end of Jalen Blake’s life could have been prevented.
That is the conclusion found in separate investigations in the Department of Children’s Services files by both The Indianapolis Star, and the Times-Herald.
Blake, then 2 1/2, was allegedly killed by his mother, Vadney, following her alleged battering of him in a Haysville home on June 27, 2008. Vadney, who according to police records tested positive for methamphetamine and failed a voice stress analysis before her son’s death, has been charged with battery resulting in death in Dubois County.
But, according to records obtained through the Marion County Superior Court and the state Department of Child Services, Jalen Blake should have been removed from Vadney’s care, almost three weeks before she allegedly killed her son because he tested positive for meth on June 6.
“After the child’s death the Department learned that services were not put into place by the (case manager) and that this case manager did not share results of the drug screen with management,” the DCS report of the abuse said.
According to the files and confirmation by the state DCS, Daviess County child services officers John Potts and Leslie Heshelman knew Jalen Blake tested positive for meth on June 9 and did not inform Melinda Berry, the local DCS director, until after Jalen’s death.
But, Berry knew of the voice stress analysis on June 2.
“Both (Berry and Heshelman) knew (the test) was requested but did not specifically follow up on the results,” Ann Houseworth, DCS spokesperson, said.
It is the policy of the state to remove a child from the parent or parents if the child tests positive for drugs. A possible reason for Potts’ nondisclosure is that he knew the Blake family. Justin Blake, Jalen’s father, who was incarcerated at the time of his death, knew Potts from school.
Justin said he did not know his wife was doing meth with another man, Jeff Truelove, and feels now that his son should have been taken away from her.
“They (DCS) kind of lied about things and it’s not right,” Justin said. “That was a pretty bad situation and you would think they would remove them.”
As does Jalen’s grandfather, John Blake.
“I don’t know why it didn’t happen anyway,” John said. “Apparently, they (DCS officials) knew.”
Houseworth called the incident “a tragedy” and said her department “has engaged in a thorough examination of the case involving this child.”
The mother
Before the death of her son, Vadney Blake could have been considered just a single mother living with the worries many face. A combination of poverty, drugs and shady characters may have led to Vadney becoming the other main character in this tragedy.
According to court records by the DCS and court affidavits, she had been let go from her job at NASCO on May 23, 2008. The family had no real home of their own. Vadney and Jalen had been living at the home of Justin’s parents, John and Glenda, or with Vadney’s mother, Linda Kelly.
The DCS record said Vadney had worked at NASCO for two years, but Vadney told investigators that the company “had treated her differently when they found out she had a learning disability,” and said she was slow on the machines in the plant.
But, according to court records, her firing was after Vadney had started seeing Jeff Truelove. Vadney told Daviess County investigators during the week of May 19, she and Truelove started smoking meth together. Family members said in the DCS file that Blake “had started changing two to three weeks” before Jalen’s death.
It was on May 26 when Jalen stayed with Vadney and Truelove at the cabin. They had smoked meth in front of him, also in the parking lot of the Glendale Dam on CR 825S, near Kelly’s home, on May 28.
It was on May 29 that Jalen was taken for the first time to Jasper Memorial Hospital and DCS was first called by doctors and the emergency room staff.
The next day, May 30, Jalen took a drug test at the office of Dr. Merle Holsapple of Montgomery. The nurse practitioner working at the office said his injuries were suspicious but nothing suggested abuse.
Records show Potts had tried to start an “Informal Adjustment” with Vadney, dated May 30. An informal adjustment is a safety plan for Jalen. In that plan, it said Vadney was to submit to regular drug tests and seek any medical attention for Jalen.
On June 2, both Berry and Heshelman asked Vadney to take a voice stress analysis given by Daviess County Sheriff’s Detective Gary Allison. She was given three sets of questions related to Jalen’s injuries and Berry was contacted about the results. Berry then asked for Vadney to come to the local DCS office.
It was on June 6 that the local office was faxed results of the positive drug screen. Houseworth said a receptionist in Holsapple’s office called Heshelman with the results.
On June 9, Potts met with the family to talk about the positive drug screen and start the informal adjustment. Vadney did not sign the report, saying she wanted to consult with an attorney before signing. According to Jalen’s file, Vadney got upset about Jalen’s positive drug test and said she did not know how it got into his system.
Before Vadney’s admission of the meth and the affair with Truelove, it was assumed by the family he could have gotten into trash at Glendale Fish and Wildlife Area and ingested meth that way.
Jalen went to Dr. Holsapple’s office again, on June 17, for vomiting and again on June 19. Jalen was taken to Daviess Community Hospital and after a CT scan of his head and receiving fluids, he was released to his mother. According to the records, Holsapple noted in his report that “he was wondering if this was more of withdrawal from methamphetamine.” A urine sample was not able to be collected.
He was taken back to DCH on June 22, to Holsapple’s office on June 23 and had an EEG test performed on June 25 at DCH.
Those tests reported nothing on June 26, the day the incident in Haysville allegedly occurred.
“Forgive me”
It is from the investigation by Daviess and Dubois county investigators, along with some insight from the DCS file, that it was learned what Vadney allegedly did on the night of June 26.
According to the Dubois County affidavit, on that night, Jalen woke with Vadney at Truelove’s house in Haysville, according to the timeline at about 10:55 p.m. She told investigators she was drinking at the house.
“Vadney claimed the reason she got angry then was because Jeff (Truelove) was yelling at her because (Jalen) woke up and she went and laid down with him (Jalen),” the affidavit said. “She said Jeff told her she babied (Jalen) too much.”
It is then when, according to the affidavit, that Vadney “snapped.”
“She swung it (a Home Interiors candle) twice and dropped it once (on Jalen’s head,)” the affidavit said. “She agreed that for a few seconds she snapped because her ‘old man’ had been hounding her all day and that she ‘took it all out on (Jalen).’”
Vadney gave investigators conflicting stories before she confessed, according to the affidavit. She said the Home Interiors candle she used to hit Jalen had dropped and she intended to throw the candle at Truelove when it dropped.
At one point, while looking at pictures of Jalen, Vadney said, “Forgive me.”
When asked for what, Vadney told investigators “For taking my anger out all on you. I wish there was a way I could do it without talking or writing it.”
On the morning of June 27, Vadney said Jalen was having seizures. It was not until 1:30 p.m. on June 28 that Vadney, along with her mother Linda Kelly, took Jalen to Jasper Memorial. Kelly did call 911 twice, but Jalen seemed to get better, then worse.
He had a temperature of 103.1 and gray matter was found in a CT scan of his brain, signaling a lack of oxygen.
At 5:36 p.m., he was airlifted to Riley Hospital in Indianapolis, where he had to be resuscitated three times. DCS records reported a nurse overheard the family saying that Jalen had been seizing for six hours.
“You know how (Vadney) is, she was probably watching TV,” the report said.
Charges are filed after Jalen succumbs to injuries. Part 2 in Monday’s paper.