JESSICA SCOVIL
Foster mom indicted in baby's death
Wendy Osborne, 29, Nicholson, was indicted Monday by a Jackson County Grand Jury on two counts related to the Sept. 2 death of 9-month-old Jessica Scovil.
Osborne was indicted for involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct in the death of Scovil, who was in foster care at the Osborne home at the time of the incident. Scovil died of heat stroke after having been left in Osborne’s van at their home on Hwy. 334 in Nicholson. Officials said they are working through Osborne's attorney for booking her next week.
Osborne had returned home around 2 p.m. on Sept. 2 and taken two 3-year-old children into the house, laving Scovil in the closed van. Around 5 p.m., Osborne awoke from a nap and realized the baby was still in the vehicle. She found the baby unresponsive and called 911, according to authorities.
The child’s body temperature was above 108 degrees when tested at BJC Medical Center later that day. Two other foster children in the home, both teenagers, were taken by DFACS to another location after the incident.
Osborne had been active in foster care in the county and had helped with training new foster parents.
Scovil had been temporarily removed from the care of her birth mother and the family had been working to regain custody at the time of the incident.
A drug test on Osborne came back negative in October. The foster parent said she had been sick with strep throat at the time of the incident and was taking medication.
Osborne had returned home around 2 p.m. on Sept. 2 and taken two 3-year-old children into the house, laving Scovil in the closed van. Around 5 p.m., Osborne awoke from a nap and realized the baby was still in the vehicle. She found the baby unresponsive and called 911, according to authorities.
The child’s body temperature was above 108 degrees when tested at BJC Medical Center later that day. Two other foster children in the home, both teenagers, were taken by DFACS to another location after the incident.
Osborne had been active in foster care in the county and had helped with training new foster parents.
Scovil had been temporarily removed from the care of her birth mother and the family had been working to regain custody at the time of the incident.
A drug test on Osborne came back negative in October. The foster parent said she had been sick with strep throat at the time of the incident and was taking medication.
WHEN SHE GOT THE OTHER TWO CHILDREN OUT OF THE CAR
SHE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE BABY,YOU WOULD THINK THE BABY
WOULD HAVE BEEN FIRST ANYWAY I DO THINK SHE HAS TO ANSWER FOR THE CHILDS DEATH.
glad to see this isn't gonna be swept under the rug, yes
we all have to pay the pentely for our action I know I
have in life, and I still don't see how this took place,
only she and the man upstairs knows, but we all have our
own opinion and I myself know that it should have not went
down this way, and know JUSTICE will now take place. Thanks!!
There is always a reason and a purpose for everything that happens to anyone and we are still looking for the reason and purpose of this.
All we can say in defense is we loved little Jessica alot and she blessed everyone she came in contact with. That was her purpose indeed!
And we also love Wendy and Chris.
We truely feel for the birth parents and are sorry for what happened.
No one woke up that morning and said this would happen.
Right now our every prayer needs to be for Wendy and her family as well as the birth family.
No one or nothing can bring this little girl back.
Making an example out of an accident is crazy.
Everyone has suffered and paid the price for what has happened.
We need to concentrate on the now and what can we do to help future children such as a device to alert someone that a child is in the car..
PLease stop bashing her and let her alone.
SHe pays every minute of every day for this and will until she dies.
Jessica's mom and dad also pays every minute of every day.
We all need to come together for both families.
This is not the first time something like this happened and unfortunatly this will not be the last.
Children can be born drug addicted and suffer the ultimate price for a parents mistake and nothing is done to the birth parents.
You have to learn as a parent to forgive and concentrate on how we can change the system. And actually get a system to fight for the children correctly as well as the parents.
Look at the whole and not half.
Now that is off my chest...YOu said "If she felt that bad why not call a grand parent or friend?" Well...all of her family works to provide for their family. Secondly ...like you said it was only strep throat. The question we need to ask is why did the doctor have her take the medicine there knowing she had to go from Athens to Nicholson. Yes I know if she was able to make it home well then how could she forget the kids??? Well have you ever stoped to think about how long medicine takes to kick in. The medicine may have fully kicked in right as she got home and that is how she made it home but didn't get the children out.
Like Heather said...put yourself in her shoes and see if you could handle it. If you would like people saying things like that about you. If you could stand going from day to day knowing people are casting judgement on you for what happened that tragic day. I have watched both Wendy and Chris love for not only thier children but for other children as well. I've watched Wendy keep crying children in the nursery, seen Chris keep kids in the back wathing a movie while a singing was going on, and even heard of Wendy going over to a crying young boy one Sunday during service, of her giving him a Kleenex, and comfort him as his family was in the alter praying. If this doesn't show the TRUE LOVE these two parents had for Jessica, her two adopted children, and all her previous foster children...well then you need a reality check.
Always bear to the verse "I can do all things througt Christ who strengthens me." He will give you the strenght to make it though what you are going through. Never stray away from Christ and remember that everyone at church loves you and cares for you deeply. Always know that we will be there to support you and help you. Remember to never lean upn your own undertanding but upon Christ. And lastly, always remember the choruses of these songs:
Hold on child you'll get though this trial,
God's gonna give you a testimony.
Don't let go, this burden's not you own.
God's gonna give you a testimony.
Take a look at your life and you'll realize,
when you've keep the faith and your heart satisfied.
You'll tell us how you made it by God's grace ONLY!!!
God's gonna give you a Testimony!!!
Even though the journey's long
And I know the road is hard
Well, the One who's gone before me
He will help me carry on
After all that I've been through
Now I realize the truth
That I must go through the valley
To stand upon the mountain of God
I will praise you in this storm and I will lift my hands.
For you are who you are, no matter where I am.
And every tear I cry, you hold in your hands.
You've never left my side, although my heart was torn.
I will praise you in this storm.
She truelly loves children with all her heart!
If you research this thing happens alot to every day people.
I understand people are severly upset, and I am also but, until you know the whole, and not half, don't judge.
What happened is so awful to happen to anyone.
She is held accountable every day. And will until the end of time.
What happened is unforgivable to some but as a christian we learn to forgive everyone no matter what the cost.
As far as comparing this to a drug addicted child is not silly, when this child is suffering for the rest of their life with severe handicaps.
As far as a device, we have them to let us know a child is behind a vehicle why not inside a car.
ANything we can do to help and prevent this from happening again is worth a shot so someone will not have to go through this torment again.
Just remember she will be judged everyday of her life and is trying to cope everyday.
I know you are mad and upset but, think of how you would want to be talked to if something like this happened to you.
No one has a reason of how or why, but how can we help both parties in this situation is what needs to be focused on.
I can honestly say if I personally did not know this woman I would probably be in your shoes saying the same thing. It makes you stop and step back and take a whole look at the situation.
Please pray for peace for both families, they really need it.
Yes we all know Jessica would be a year old but now she is with GOD celebrating.
Wendy is being treated differently, the woman up North that left her child in the van all day long, got off scott free. As well as others.
Wendy does think she needs some form of punishment, but to make an example of her is not right.
She is a true woman of GOD and just like in Job in the bible her faith will outlast all trials in her life!
Praise God for true people in the world!!!
Wendy we know the truth and know who loves you.
What I meant was, we have lost focus here. It should mainly be on the birth parents, that is secondly; and of course the baby deserves the most sympathy. I really & truly have more sympathy for the suffering & sheer terror that that child must have went through than I do for the person who is responsible, intentionally or not, for that terror. I 'discern' here that some of you are the same folk who rally against the death penalty because of sympathy for the murderer rather than having it for the 12 year old girl he tortured, raped & killed(don't get all huffed up yet, I'm only talking example here and no, I don't want to hear anyones whines that this is different b/c I already know how & why it is). I had the strong urge to make this comparison shortly after I read the that some poor misguided souls have set up a fund to help w/ the fister mother's attorney's fees. How about let's set up a fund for the the babies birth family? If anyone knows the pain of being judged, I can guarantee you it's them and if anyone knows what kind of suffering that that kind of judging & false accusations brings about it is baby Jessica. However, she didn't get to live to tell the tale.
same as I do. My heart and prayers go out to Jessica's
parents and the rest of her family members.
It is my prayer that none of you that are perfect never have to endure what both these couples that has been effected by this lose has gone through. The birth parents were not perfect or Jessica would not have been in Wendy and Chris's care. And Wendy is not perfect nor has she ever claim to be but she is having to live with what has happen and will live with it for the rest of her life. I just wish I had a fraction of her faith, strength and love for everyone. Chris and Wendy I love you both and pray for God's strength to you and we know that God knows the reason for this that tragic lose. To all of you that ask why she drove from the drs. office..... shouldn't the dr. be responsible or the sample meds. he gave her? Shouldn't he have ask if she was driving? Shouldn't he have told her what the side effects were? Shouldn't he be held responsible also? There are so many unanswered question that only our good Lord knows the answers to. Again I pray that God be with you and all that is affected by this.
In the meantime, there's no need to be mean to Wendy.
Iam sick of all her friends making excuses for her. It is what it is,she went to bed while she let an inocent baby cook to death. She should be upset and hurting becasue she killed a baby.
Not like this one, but similar. There is not one person that has
the right judge Wendy. She did not do it on purpose Im sure, but
in all reality Wendy was very irresponsible in the whole situation.
Sending Wendy to jail for life or punishing her in such manner
will not heal the hurting hearts or fix what happened. I think
the best thing for her would be to not allow her to parent foster
children any more. An adult should be more responsible than this.
Everyone just please remember that Jessica is in Heaven with the
Father. She is not hurting or sad. Jessica is at peace & very
happy with Jesus. Jesus is the best parent a person could ever
wish for. I have to remember this as well when I get down about
loosing my dear Daughter. The family is all in my prayers. People
please just let this little girl rest in peace & leave the family
alone. Yes everyone has their opinions, but keep them to yourself.
I know Wendy is having it hard enough on her without your
comments. May God Be with This Family!
and god bless little Jessica.
I beleave in GOD but I don't go to church, Just because I don't go to church that don't make me no different than any of you so yall need to quit throwing that up, second I just want to know ( I have a three year old)how did the other 2 get out of there seat bealts and open the van door, they had to be in the back seat, Right, I just don't see how this occured, This might make some of yall mad but something just wasn't right with this, I think justice is on it's way for this and it should be, But as yall wanna talk about God he is the other one that knows what happend, Jessica is now missed for something she could do nothing about, and yes accidents happen but this just don't sound right. WE MISS YOU JESSICA MAY YOU ALWAYS BE IN OUR HEART.
but this child is gone,and that is the
bottom line,we as parents have to watch
over our children. weather we are sick or
not. the mother of this child was trying
to deal with a illness her self.she was
smart enough to ask for help,ms Osbourne
was her help,she should have ask someone
for help if she was that sick,family friend,
or even defacs.there was no reason for this
childs death i my self suffer from ms,copd
and bipolar2. i have 3 of my own, and i have learned,
it doesnt mean your unfit or weak if you ask
for help. but it does not matter how the other
2 children got out, and to say well the other
2 let them selfs out, says that if they hadnt
been old enough to get out own their on then
it would 3 babies in stead of 1, this lady
i am sure is truly saddened, and heart broken.
even so, to not charge her would realey be
unfair to the babies family,i am sorry if she
were not a FOSTER MOM she would have been
charged already.my heart goes out the the
mother of this child you deserve clouser for your loss ,and i hope you can find it.as far as
the foster mom goes what happened happend
fighting this will only hurt the ones who
lost this little angel.
We love you.
You said "If some of these unfit parents would be charged for not taking care of their children the foster system would be a lot smaller". Let me ask you something? If DFACS had one shred of evidence that any of the parents they mercessily chase have commiting any type of 'abuse' or 'neglect'(which BTW are both real crimes)towards their children, do you think for one moment that they wouldn't charge them in criminal court? Step back for a minute and think about what I just said before you deem anyone harrassed by DFACS as 'unfit.' And I apologize to you. A lot of folks just don't know this; but it's always good to 'read between the lines' and 'follow the money'. You can't charge someone w/ a serious crime such as child neglect or abuse based on hearsay & anonymous telephone calls; you need proof, otherwise known as evidence and if The Department of Family & Childrens Services had it, don't you think that they would present it? No? Well, ask yourself why on God's green earth would they hide it, therefore protecting someone that they themselves labeled as a 'child abuser' in the first place?
Simple Mom- Thanks for input, I am glad some one whith a real medical problem stepped foward to say this case was true neglect by the foster parent.
In my opinion; no, I take that back, it's a fact- no one is talking about this babies birth parents, or having much sympathy for them. So while so many are jumping on the 'don't judge the foster mother' bandwagon, let's all stop and remember the birth mother; and wonder if it was fair that she had her baby taken from her in the first place. Maybe she(birth mom)was unfairly judged by overzealous, as well as over-jealous social workers. Using my God given discernment, my money is on the sociopathic caseworkers at DFACS; by the way, that's not me judging, that's my knowledge.
The govt should use removal of a child as a very last resort but all things being equal it would be safe to assume the child was in danger in its biological parents' home for reasons we probably should not know.
Sometimes lives are lost trying to save lives. This can be a very cruel world and accidents do happen. No one is perfect and that goes for our foster child-care system.
I encourage all reading these articles to get involved and help out if you're able. Our community needs you.
You really are a idiot. You did not offend me in the least. People like you who think they are being cute or smart by ridiculing other people really irk me. This whole story is about a child who died at the hands of a foster mother. It would be no different if it were her real mother I would probably be even more upset. The child died because she was left in car on a hot day and the person who was entrusted to take of her failed to do so. End of discussion. She was charged, and should stand trial for it. As for the comment you made about the birth mother keeping her legs closed, that was really off color. Millions of people have mental diorders, and with the help of medication ang therapy can lead normal lives. It really sounds like you either need to grow up, or stop trying to tell people what they should be doing. Again MS makes it very hard fro people to use their hands, legs, and fingers, you nitwit. That's probabkly why she had a hard time spelling. You must be one of those people who think that having a physical or mental disability makes you better than them. You really should not make fun of people like that because what goes around comes around, and Karma can be a evil bi*ch.
People just because you know her, are her friend, relative, or church member does not make it any better. She neglected a child and should be charged for her bad decision and the untimly, unjust death of a innocent child.
JR-- I have read several of your postings and you sound extremly ignorant, even if you are making a valid argument, also before amking fun of some one;s spelling check your grammer. No one is perfect and I think misspelling a few words is the least of anyone's problems or concerns.
Also, I think this paper should have enough dignity to take these post off these websites. Put yourself in her shoes and see what you would think about people saying these things about you.
Those who talk trash about others should be careful because God just might send a test your way to see how you can handle it.
All things ALL THINGS happen for a reason and we may not see the reason but GOD and JESSICA know the reason why she was taken on that day. I believe that GOD took Jessica in her sleep that day and she is in Heaven happier than she ever was here.
I am not excusing what happened but I am saying that you all should back off and put yourself in the shoes of others before you run your mouth. GOD help you all!!