bloodrayne
02-09-2004, 06:38 AM
Authorities: Child Forced to 'Feed' Corpse of Foster Grandfather after his Death at their Home
By Anthony Johnson
(Elizabeth-WABC, February 3, 2004) — A New Jersey couple is accused of forcing a 13-year-old foster child to repeatedly feed the corpse of an elderly relative who died in the house months ago. Authorities don't have a clear motive in the case, but say the couple from Clark, New Jersey simply did something most of us would consider unbelievable.
New Jersey reporter Anthony Johnson is in Elizabeth with more on this bizarre story.
The family living in the house had a disgusting secret. A decaying body was inside an upstairs bedroom, and one of the couple's foster children was required each night to take food to the dead man.
Ted Romankow, Union County Prosecutor: "She didn't want to, I think, object to her responibility or her role -- that is, to feed grandpa -- because she was concerned that she might not remain there."
Apparently the 13-year-old foster girl had to deal with the stench, and swirled the food around in the plate to make it look like her 82 year old step-grandfather had been eating.
Ted Romankow: "She certainly wanted to show her mom and dad down stairs that she was doing what she was asked to do."
Although neighbors would not go on camera to talk about this case, they did tell us that during the past summer they smelled a strong odor emanating from that house. And police tell us that at one point in time before his death, the grandfather was found walking on the sidewalk right in front of his house but he was lost.
The first floor of the home was well kept, but the upstairs has been described as deplorable. Cops removed the body from the home last August, and say there is no doubt the couple knew that the elderly man had died.
All three of the children have been removed from the home, all of them were foster children. We contacted DYFS to find out when they were placed in the home, but DYFS would not call us back.
The couple that lived in the home, Donna and Kenneth Keaveney, have been charged with both elderly, and child abuse.
By Anthony Johnson
(Elizabeth-WABC, February 3, 2004) — A New Jersey couple is accused of forcing a 13-year-old foster child to repeatedly feed the corpse of an elderly relative who died in the house months ago. Authorities don't have a clear motive in the case, but say the couple from Clark, New Jersey simply did something most of us would consider unbelievable.
New Jersey reporter Anthony Johnson is in Elizabeth with more on this bizarre story.
The family living in the house had a disgusting secret. A decaying body was inside an upstairs bedroom, and one of the couple's foster children was required each night to take food to the dead man.
Ted Romankow, Union County Prosecutor: "She didn't want to, I think, object to her responibility or her role -- that is, to feed grandpa -- because she was concerned that she might not remain there."
Apparently the 13-year-old foster girl had to deal with the stench, and swirled the food around in the plate to make it look like her 82 year old step-grandfather had been eating.
Ted Romankow: "She certainly wanted to show her mom and dad down stairs that she was doing what she was asked to do."
Although neighbors would not go on camera to talk about this case, they did tell us that during the past summer they smelled a strong odor emanating from that house. And police tell us that at one point in time before his death, the grandfather was found walking on the sidewalk right in front of his house but he was lost.
The first floor of the home was well kept, but the upstairs has been described as deplorable. Cops removed the body from the home last August, and say there is no doubt the couple knew that the elderly man had died.
All three of the children have been removed from the home, all of them were foster children. We contacted DYFS to find out when they were placed in the home, but DYFS would not call us back.
The couple that lived in the home, Donna and Kenneth Keaveney, have been charged with both elderly, and child abuse.