DCFS failed Amanda twice; deputy told about neglect back in 2008
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[New information has surfaced about the miserable life of two-year old Amanda Runyon-information that again indicates inadequate performance by Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
It was reported last week that a Marissa man, Eddie Runyon, 23, had left his job in Kentucky to be at the bedside of his daughter at Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis after she required emergency surgery for the removal of a portion of her intestines due to a brutal beating by Kraig Monroe, 24, the boyfriend of the child's mother, Dawn Obptande, 25.
St. Clair County authorities wouldn't release Obptande's name as she has not been charged, but her name was listed in Kennedy's report.
At the time, Amanda was still recovering from a broken leg, which had been treated at a Belleville hospital after a daycare worker reported it to DCFS, which didn't remove Amanda from Monroe's condemned mobile home nor notify police of the neglect of the serious injury by Obptande.
Now, it has been learned that Randolph County Sheriff's Deputy Rick Kennedy had reported to DCFS in July, 2008 that then ten-month-old Amanda Runyon was living in a trailer in Coulterville in unsanitary conditions with a registered sex offender.
The sex offender was Amanda's mother's brother, Billy Obptande, who was convicted of statutory rape. When Obptande was 22, he had sex with a girl under the age of 17. He was the biological father of Jason Smith, who was murdered when he was nine-weeks old, along with his mother, Nicole Willyard, and two of her friends by Willyard's boyfriend Jason Smith, who is now serving life in the Department of Corrections.
It isn't clear if DCFS investigated the complaint or not. DCFS spokesman Kendall Marlowe said no investigation was undertaken, while another DCFS spokesman Jimmie Whitelow said the department conducted a limited inquiry into the matter.
Records of any investigation into the complaint would have been expunged, according to Whitelow, who said that by law any investigation found to be unfounded must be expunged from the system.
According to Kennedy's report, he'd learned that Dawn Obptande had dropped Amanda off at her father's saying she couldn't take care of the baby anymore and for him to keep her. She showed up a few days later demanding Amanda's return and the father, Eddie Runyon, refused. Obptande then called the Randolph County Sheriff's Department.
Kennedy investigated and was told by Eddie Runyon that when Amanda's mother had brought the baby to him the baby was dirty and didn't have any clothes or diapers. Kennedy notified a DSCFS caseworker Ken Beams, who subsequently told Runyon to return Amanda to Obptande.
Then, Kennedy checked out the Coulterville residence and reported the situation to DCFS. He said two days later he received a call from DCFS caseworker Richard Fulton and was told DCFS had investigated the situation and found no threat to the child.
Meanwhile, Amanda remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition. One fourth of her intestines were removed. Monroe is in jail on charges he repeatedly, over a period of four days, punched the baby in the stomach for crying.
He and Obptande were living in a trailer outside Belleville with Amanda and three other children, a pit bull dog and drug paraphernalia without a required occupancy permit.
St. Clair County Sheriff Merle Justus said the DCFS should have acted sooner to protect Amanda.
Runyon plans to stay at his daughter's side until she's released from the hospital. A family friend, Leslie Foertsch of Marissa, who went to high school with Runyon, has established a trust fund account to help with medical costs for Amanda and to help with Runyon's living expenses while he remains in the area awaiting Amanda's recovery.
The account has been set up at Regions bank. Donations may be made at any branch of the bank; checks should be made payable to Amanda Runyon.