ADDISON GRACE LANHAM -2yo- Bessemer City (W of Charlotte) NC

Mother, sex offender boyfriend charged in 2-year-old's death (with photos)Wednesday, Jul 27 2011

A mother and her boyfriend face charges of involuntary manslaughter following the death of a 2-year-old Bessemer City girl after an autopsy revealed the child died of a severe infection that was left untreated.

Shanna Dawn Lanham, 32, of 525 Abel Road and Jason Michael Wells, 33, of 1207 Edgewood Road #217, both of Bessemer City, were responsible for the death of Addison Grace Lanham on July 21, according to arrest warrants. They were both charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

Shanna is Addison’s mother and, on July 22, she identified Wells as a live-in boyfriend. Shanna Lanham said she had left her daughter with Wells, a registered sex offender, at the America's Best Inn in Bessemer City while she was at work at a local restaurant.

Capt. J.W. Human with Gaston County Police said authorities had been waiting on the medical examiner’s report to come in and, when it did, it revealed the cause of death to be a sepsis infection.

Sepsis is a medical condition often referred to as blood poisoning.

“What happened was the child had severe infection for several weeks now which ended up in her blood system. The infection moved into her blood system and moved around her body,” Human said. “Through the investigation, what we determined is that both those folks really grossly neglected to get her medical treatment.”

According to the warrant, Shanna Lanham and Wells caused Addison to be infected with MRSA, a bacterium normally found on the skin or nasal passages that cause infections.

Addison Lanham also had a broken leg that had been left untreated for one to two weeks, Human said.

A witness on the scene last Thursday had said the child appeared to have been beaten as she was removed from the motel room by emergency personnel. Her eyes were swollen shut. But Human said the child had not been beaten.

"Really, those were just signs of that infection," Human said. "That's how bad the infection was.”

Sepsis can be the result of bacteria, viruses and fungi in the body. Pneumonia, urinary tract infections and infections of the skin and abdomen can spread and lead to sepsis, according to emedicinehealth.com.

“It’s a sad case, unfortunately,” Human said. “It’s just sad all the way around. All it took was some medical treatment early on to really prevent this.”

Wells was originally charged on July 22 with failure to notify authorities of a change of address as a sex offender and baby sitting a child as a sex offender.

Wells is being held at the Gaston County Jail under a $1,750,000 secured bond. Shanna Lanham is being held under a $1 million bond.


http://www.shelbystar.com/news/death-56995-old-city.html

Another POS mother. Another POS boyfriend.

Another precious baby dead.

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. -- Family and friends in Gaston County were preparing Saturday to say their final good-byes to a toddler whose life was cut short.



The
funeral for Addison Lanham will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Ragan Wesleyan
Church in Gastonia, North Carolina. The two-year-old will be buried at
Westview Gardens in Bessemer City, North Carolina following the service.Friday
night, family and friends held a visitation and candlelight vigil to
remember Addison. Family members revealed how they tried to protect her.The
families of both Shanna Lanham and Jason Wells told Eyewitness News
they did everything in their power to save the young girl.Addison
died last week after an untreated infection entered her bloodstream,
killing her. The toddler also had a broken leg that went untreated,
police said.Addison’s mother, Shanna Lanham, and her mother’s
boyfriend, Jason Wells, were charged felony child abuse, involuntary
manslaughter and contributing to the delinquency of a minor."I'm
not justifying Jason, and I'm not justifying Shanna. God will deal with
them. We are here for Addison and Addison only," said Kim Wells, Jason
Wells' cousin.Kim Wells said she called the Department of Social
Services twice this year -- once in January and then again in April.
She said she told them if they didn't intervene, 2-year-old Addison
could lose her life.Wells said she also twice emailed Lanham's
probation officer, telling them she was abusing prescription medication
and neglecting her daughter."I blame Jason and Shanna for what
happened to Addison. But I blame DSS for allowing it to happen, because
they had ample opportunity to step in and save this child," she said.Lanham's
cousin, Stacey Drewery, said she called DSS twice in June and said she
was fearful for Addison's safety. She also said she called police
several times."I actually called 911 and asked them what would
happen if I took Addison out of the hotel room, and they said I could be
cited for kidnapping, even though I knew she was being abused. And
that's gotta change," Drewery said."I remember I slammed down the phone crying, thinking, 'Wow, really?'" she added. Drewery said she plans on pressing lawmakers to get them to make
it easier for extended family members to intervene if they suspect
abuse. She said she has started a petition she plans on bringing to her
local lawmakers in the upcoming weeks.Drewery told Eyewitness
News DSS that investigators told her when they tried to visit Lanham at
the America's Best Inn in Gaston County, she was never around.While DSS officials have defended their actions to Eyewitness News, Drewery said they didn't do their jobs."When
you give them the exact hotel and the exact room number like I did, and
then they say they still can't find them, sit there for five extra
minutes. Don't say that your time is more precious than that baby's
time," she said.Gaston County DSS officials said they are legally
prohibited from going into specifics but said that they have reviewed
their involvement in Addison's case."Everything looks like it's
been done by the books; we've got all the documentation," said Gaston
County DSS board member Tom Keigher."And as far as this
department doing its due diligence, I'm confident it'll come through
that way, that we did everything we were supposed to do," Keigher added. At Addison's visitation on Friday, dozens of people lit candles and bowed their heads in a moment of silence.Kim
Wells said she felt hopeless that more wasn't done to protect the
little girl. "And we, as a community, as a society, should not feel that
way when it comes to protecting a kid. We should not have to feel
helpless," she said.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/28708059/detail.html

From the Editorial pages of



A beautiful little girl is dead. Her mother and live-in boyfriend
are jailed, charged with child abuse and involuntary manslaughter.
Across Gaston County and beyond, people touched by this horrible story
are asking:

What went wrong?

The answer lies somewhere amid the maze of unanswered questions and
obvious failure surrounding the July 21 death of 2-year-old Addison
Lanham.

That was the day Addison’s mother made a frantic — and revealing —
911 call seeking help for the child who was having difficulty breathing.
Between pleas for help, Shanna Lanham told the dispatcher she had been
treating Addison for boils on her face and that a bathtub fall caused
injury to the youngster’s private parts.

After her death, the medical examiner’s report revealed even more
about Addison’s health. Her leg had been broken a week or so earlier and
it had never been treated. Her death came from an infection, also left
untreated, that had entered her bloodstream.

The information creates a heart-wrenching, almost unbearable, picture
of a helpless little child in pain, and suffering at the hands of a
mother who did not care and a protective system that appears to have
failed.

Addison Lanham died despite the red flags of future tragedy that marked nearly every day of her short life.

• She was born to a mother who earlier bore a drug-addicted son,
  fortunately whisked away from the hospital and adopted by a loving
  family.
  
• Shanna Lanham had a history of drug abuse. At the time of Addison’s
  death she was on probation for a drug conviction. She failed a drug test
  after her arrest on Thursday.
  
• Lanham had rekindled her teen-age romance with Jason Wells and moved into a motel room with him and Addison.
  
• She stood by her man when he went on trial for a sex crime against a
  minor. Wells took a plea to sexual battery and is required to register
  as a convicted sex offender.
  
• Her friend, with whom she and Addison once lived, refused to provide
  shelter after Lanham took up with Wells. The friend didn’t want a
  registered sex offender around her own children and offered to keep
  Addison when Lanham left with Wells.
  
• Despite her boyfriend’s criminal history, she left Addison alone in his care while she went to her occasional job.
  

The dangerous circumstances of young Addison’s life led Wells’ own
family members to report their concerns to the Gaston County Department
of Social Services as far back as December 2010, family members say.

In keeping with their policies, DSS officials won’t talk about the
case, but have conducted a review. After a meeting on Thursday, DSS
board members said they are confident the department did everything
correctly.

But a post-review comment by County Commissioner Tom Keigher, who sits on the DSS board, prompts additional questions.

“This girl could have been saved,” Keigher said.

If that’s the case, then what went wrong that she was not saved?

A DSS report has been turned over to the District Attorney’s office.
Once the DA has signed off, the public will have more information, and
perhaps many of the questions in this case will be answered and the
people of Gaston County will know whether their agency failed a
beautiful 2-year-old named Addison.

One thing is clear at this point, however. Addison was failed by her
mother who pleaded on the 911 call for help for “my baby, my world.”

A woman can birth a child, but a mother does not leave her child’s
sickness and injury untreated, and a mother does not endanger the life
of her child by the company she keeps.

Addison Grace Lanham, the 2-year-old who died from an infection that
was left untreated, was laid to rest Saturday afternoon at Westview
Gardens in Bessemer City.

About 150 people attended Lanham’s funeral at Ragan Wesleyan Church
in Gastonia at 11 a.m. Saturday. Pews were packed with supporters,
friends, family members and others who never knew the toddler but felt
drawn to the service that celebrated her brief life and mourned her premature death.

Addison’s mother, Shanna Lanham, did not attend the funeral. She’s
being held at the Gaston County Jail facing charges of involuntary
manslaughter, child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a child.

Shanna Lanham’s mother and stepfather, Paula and Scott Bridges, were
at the funeral. Also in attendance were some of Addison’s aunts and her great-grandmother.



Paula Bridges places a rose on the casket of her 2-year-old
grandaughter, Addison Grace Lanham, during the interment service
at Westview Gardens Saturday.


Musician George Allen strummed a guitar and sang the Vince Gill
classic “Go Rest High on That Mountain.” Some mourners cried
uncontrollably; others remained emotionally strong, putting their arms
around others and embracing.

The Rev. Don Jewell preached the message and told the family that
little Addison Lanham is in a better place, free from pain and suffering.

“Today is not a day of mourning but a day of celebration,” Jewell
said. “Addison had not yet reached the age of accountability. She didn’t know what sin was.”

Jewell said that when Addison died, she ran into the arms of Jesus
and she wants everyone else to know that joy. He also spoke of the
unfathomable love of God.

“Addison’s life is not over. As a matter of fact, it’s just begun,”
Jewell said. “This little girl knew what pain was, according to what
we’ve heard. Praise God that she’s taken all she needs to in this world.
It’s sin that took Addison out of this world.”

Carrie Underwood’s song, “Temporary Home,” was played on speakers in
the church following Jewell’s message. He then said a prayer and
mourners walked behind Addison’s casket out of the church.

“I just want us to keep praying for the family because they definitely need our prayers,” Jewell said.

Surrounded by love

Mourners were able to view Addison’s body lying in the casket before
the funeral service. The child’s body was surrounded by colorful
balloons and stuffed animals. The small casket was light pink with white handles.

About 50 cars followed a white Cadillac hearse carrying Addison’s
body from Ragan Wesleyan Church to Westview Gardens, about 2 miles away.
About 25 motorcycles, being driven by members of the Gastonia chapter
of Guardians of the Children, also drove in the funeral procession. A
member of the motorcycle group spoke at the graveside service.

Scott Greene, owner of Greene’s Funeral Service in Gastonia, served
the family and also spoke a few words at the graveside service.

Doris Maltba of Gastonia and her sister, Carol Crane of Bessemer
City, said they’d followed the story of Addison’s death in the news and
wanted to come out and express their condolences.

“I’m still amazed at the (number of) people who came out,” Maltba said.
Mourners released hundreds of pink balloons at the cemetery. Some were moved to tears; others smiled with joy.
Carol Crane said she followed the recent Casey Anthony trial and saw similarities between Addison Lanham and Caylee Anthony.

“To me, a mother is still a mother and she had her, it was her
child,” Crane said. “I think that would be devastating not to be able to
attend your child’s funeral. We have to forgive. This was in God’s plans.”

Crane says that as future court proceedings reveal the details about
what happened to Addison, she’s putting her faith in the justice system.
Doris Maltba echoed those feelings.

“We don’t know what went on,” Maltba said. “Only they know what went on.”

Addison’s death

The toddler was taken from a room at America’s Best Inn in Bessemer
City on July 21 and died shortly afterward at Gaston Memorial Hospital.
Police say the cause has been determined to be a sepsis infection, often
referred to as blood poisoning. Authorities also say the child had a
broken leg than went untreated for one to two weeks.

The 2-year-old’s biological parents — Shanna Lanham and Raymond May —
are both in jail. May was charged in April with a dozen drug-related
charges and is being held on a $50,000 secured bond, according to arrest records.

Shanna Lanham and her boyfriend, Jason Michael Wells, were charged on
July 26 with involuntary manslaughter and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

On July 28, they were both charged with felony child abuse. Police
are now investigating the possibility that Addison Lanham was sexually assaulted.

Shanna said she left Addison in the care of Wells, a registered sex offender, while she was at work on July 21.

Read more: http://www.gastongazette.com/articles/lanham-59554-bessemer-rest.html#ixzz1Ti158kOY

GASTONIA -- The Gaston County grand jury has indicted a Bessemer City couple in the death of a 2-year-old girl.The
Gaston Gazette reported that Shanna Lanham and Jason Wells were
indicted Monday on charges of involuntary manslaughter, felony child
abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a child. Addison Lanham
died from sepsis infection July 21 at Gaston Memorial Hospital.
Investigators say the girl also had a broken leg that had been untreated
for more than a week. Prosecutors say the three of them had been
living in a hotel.Police say the Gaston County Department of
Social Services had been contacted about the girl in May. The agency
would not release any information about the case.

http://www.wcti12.com/news/28743433/detail.html

Written by Matt Crabtree

I am a former Child Protective Service Investigator (CPS)
investigator and Child Abuse/Neglect consultant for the N.C. Division of
Child Development. I served as a CPS investigator in two counties
before going to N.C. Department of Child Development. I have been out of the field for six years.

The first item I would like to address is confidentiality.
Confidentiality is mandated by law period — no matter what happens, some
of the blanket will be lifted some will not, which leaves the case wide
open to speculation and armchair quarterbacking by folks who have no
experience in CPS, politicians needing to create attention to get votes,
and ambulance chasers. This reaction is truly understandable in a case
with this tragic end. There was a loss of a young child, the hurt of
family, and the hurt of the community and the forgotten impact of the
DSS staff involved with this case.

During my experience as a CPS investigator, I have been involved with
several reviews, fortunately not any of my cases, but as unit reviews.
These reviews are not to cover up anything but to expose any blatant
errors, such as; were time frames missed, protection plan reviews,
contact review, and collateral information review — witnesses, other
family, medical/psychological reports, drug tests, criminal record, etc.
This is only one of many case file examinations. In the reviews I was
involved with, there was always DSS council involved to insure legitimacy.

The police department/DA’s office also examines the case for any
criminal act committed. In the other county I investigated in, I was
partnered with a Detective and we initiated the investigation together. I
was an Abuse only investigator so to speak, and that county was divided
into four sections with one or two CPS investigators depending on size
of the law enforcement agency’s jurisdiction.

The Community Child Fatality Review Team is made up of related
professionals, not affiliated with DSS, that probe every aspect of the
case – why the decisions made were made – following all mandated N.C.
CPS policy and law. Did any decision not get made that should have been
under policy and law? Every aspect of the case is probed from the first
initial contact of the child into the system to the unfortunate death.
Basically DSS – the director, all staff involved in the entire case is
cross examined by the team to determine if anything could have prevented the tragedy.

There is also an examination of the case by N.C. DHHS, of which in
North Carolina, local DSS agencies fall. Those consultants will have the
case also from initial intake and scrutinize all decisions and actions
made by the local DSS. They are checking to see if all mandates,
protection under policy and law were provided, what resources were used
that the community offers for treatment, were those resources engaged
and followed up on, again another cross examination of DSS – all
involved in the case from the director and all under to determine if
there was a policy failure, a mandate failure, or a failure by DSS to
follow all mandates and policies.

I have to add the caveat that this was during my stint in this arena — this may have changed at this time.

I am impressed with a couple of Gaston County Commissioner and DSS
board member Tom Keigher’s statements in his published letter, 1) asking
all politicos and all not involved to not comment on this case.

Confidentiality is mandated, the confidentiality is a blanket for the
child and family, not for DSS, not for the commissioners, not to hide
anything. We may never know all the details of this case — but I guess
that is why all criminal TV shows are so popular, we want to, unless of
course, we are seeing this on a day in and out basis. 2) Mr. Keigher
stated (I am paraphrasing) that if, emphasizing if, any accountability on anyone
involved in this case including DSS staff, accountability will be held and exercised.

What is missed here is that Mr. Keigher reports (which is extremely
limited due to confidentiality) that at this time, there seems to be no
failure. I dare say that we are months from any conclusions. However,
that is good news in light of DSS being responsible for child protection
of this county, granted, it is not the final decision.

I have no knowledge of this case except what has been reported by
your newspaper. My motivation in writing this to educate, based on my
experience, the public, remember the child, remember the family, and
remember the DSS staff involved — they are also gravely affected by this tragedy.

The public gets to openly criticize and walk away. The intake worker,
the investigator, and the supervisor don’t, they have to move onto the
next case where parents or guardians have failed to protect and care for their own children.

If all case decisions made were correct, the DSS staff involved are
left only to that fact – they will always second guess, even if all
actions were completed perfectly, and have to live with what happened
for the rest of their lives.

I was fortunate not to have any deaths on my caseload but the
decisions I made still haunt me, and probably haunt anyone having to
make those types of decisions on a day to day basis.

Read more: http://www.gastongazette.com/articles/child-59741-investigator-development.html#ixzz1UMaMg8au

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. -- Since their
2-year-old granddaughter, Addison Grace Lanham, died on July 21, Scott
and Paula Bridges have wondered what the next day will hold.



They
went from a life outside the spotlight to being thrust into the middle
of a story that has tore at the hearts of countless people and left the
community with many unanswered questions. Why did a little girl have to
die from an infection that is easily treatable? Why didn't Addison's
mother take her to a doctor or a hospital? How did the child end up with
a broken leg and other wounds on her body before she died? And, the
biggest question of all, did the Gaston Department of Social Services
drop the ball by not intervening quickly enough after getting at least
six calls from family members warning that the girl's mother had placed
her in harm's way by living in the same place with a registered sex
offender?The Bridges don't have answers for those questions. But
Paula Bridges saw a different side of their daughter, Shanna Lanham, the
mother of Addison who now sits in prison on charges of felony child
abuse.Paula Bridges, 54, works with the U.S. Postal Service in
Dallas while her husband, 48-year-old Scott Bridges, is Shanna’s
stepfather and is a self-employed home repairman.In the wake of
Addison’s funeral and burial on July 30, Paula and Scott say they want
to thank the community for the kindness they’ve been shown.“We
just want to tell how much we appreciate all the support,” Paula Bridges
said. “It shows that there really are a lot of great people in this
world.”Scott said one of the things that touched them the most at
Addison’s funeral was when the Gastonia chapter of the Guardians of the
Children motorcycle group showed their support.“They advocate
against child abuse. Most of the time, bikers are stereotyped as rough
people,” he said. “One prayed and read scripture at the graveside. The
support has been unbelievable.”Paula says they’ve received letters and cards of support from people they don’t even know.“This world is bad but there are a lot of great people. We were just in awe of the support that we got,” she said.The
Bridges said that their pastor, the Rev. Don Jewell of Ragan Wesleyan
Church in Gastonia, did an excellent job speaking at Addison’s funeral.
The couple says that Jewell has continued to offer spiritual support and
they’re deeply appreciative for that.“I mean, it was handled
very professionally. He done a great job. We thanked him on Sunday,”
Scott said, adding that funeral director Scott Greene of Greene’s
Funeral Service did a fine job planning Addison’s funeral.
Shanna in jail
Shanna and Addison lived with the Bridges at their Bessemer City
home for about a year and a half, Paula Bridges said. When Addison was
born, she was brought to the Bridges home from the hospital.About
four-and-a-half months ago, Paula says that Shanna and Addison left
their home. They moved into the America’s Best Inn in Bessemer City.
Shanna said they were later joined by her boyfriend, Jason Michael
Wells, a registered sex offender.“I knew Shanna wanted to get her life back together,” Paula said.Wells
faces the same charges as Shanna in the wake of Addison’s death. Shanna
said she’d left Addison in a motel room with Wells while she was at
work on July 21, the day Addison died.Police say that a medical
examiner’s report indicated the toddler died of a blood infection and
that she had infections that had gone untreated.Paula Bridges said Shanna was at her and Scott’s home when police came to arrest her on July 26.“We knew charges were coming, we just didn’t know when,” Scott said.Paula
plans on traveling to the Gaston County Jail to visit Shanna but hadn’t
as of Friday evening. Paula’s other daughter, Aleta Bridges, has been
to visit Shanna in jail.
DSS investigation
Paula said she didn’t know anything about the DSS investigation
against Shanna or how long it had been going on. She hadn’t seen Addison
in about four-and-a-half months.Scott Bridges said he believes
Addison’s death should be looked into. Paula says they’ve been keeping
up with how the DSS investigation came to be by reading The Gazette.According
to police, DSS officials have been investigating Shanna since May or
June. Paula Bridges says that Shanna had another child that was adopted
by other folks and now that Addison is dead, she’s left without any
grandchildren.“She was the sweetest, lovingest thing you’d ever
seen and then, she wasn’t here. I missed it,” Paula said. “She was a
very loving little girl. We could fix supper at night.”DSS
officials recently handed over a report on Addison to the District
Attorney’s Office, where it could become public record if signed off by
District Attorney Locke Bell.
Death’s shock
Paula described Shanna Lanham as a loving mother who, while she was living with them, tended to Addison’s needs.“I
do know that Shanna loved her daughter with a passion. I think she
didn’t make the right choices,” Paula Bridges said. “When they were
here, Addison could fall and scratch her knee and she’d say, ‘Oh, we
need to go to the hospital.’ That’s the way she was with her.”Paula said when she heard that Addison had died, “It was a shock. It was a very big shock.”Scott
says he’s the type of person who wants to know both sides of an issue.
He and Paula might be present for some of Shanna’s court dates but they
don’t think they’ll be very much involved in the proceedings.“Regardless
of how it comes out, there has to be forgiveness,” Scott Bridges said.
“I think (District Attorney) Locke Bell will do a fine job.”Paula
said that when Shanna was arrested, making the arrangements for
Addison’s funeral became her responsibility. The police investigation
also took a toll on the Bridges.“You don’t get no sleep there for
nine days when the investigation was going on,” Scott Bridges said. “A
lot of people judge without knowing both sides.”

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/28798645/detail.html

Will anyone ever have to answer for what happened to Addison?

August 16, 2011 6:54 PM

Members of the local child fatality task force were briefed immediately following the death of 2-year-old Addison Lanham.

Word spread quickly about the bright-eyed child who died of an untreated infection that took over her tiny body.

Her mother and her mother’s boyfriend were arrested within a matter of days.

Officials told media outlets the specifics of any investigation by
the task force and the Department of Social Service would not be made
public because of confidentiality laws.

But North Carolina general statute says otherwise.

According to law, when a child dies the findings of the case and any
investigation by the Department of Social Services can and should be
made public. There is, however, some wiggle room allowed in regards to
when reports are released.

Addison’s death

Addison Lanham died July 21. A distressed Shanna Lanham made the 911 call about her daughter.

Lanham told the operator that her daughter wouldn’t wake up, that her
face was swollen and that she recently hurt her private parts getting
out of the bathtub.

Emergency crews responded, but the child was later pronounced dead at Gaston Memorial Hospital.

An investigation ensued and within days, Shanna Lanham was charged
with contributing to her child’s death. Her live-in boyfriend, Jason
Wells, was also arrested.

Wells was previously convicted of sexual battery in 2010, and had to register as a convicted sex offender.

There have been no charges filed to indicate sexual abuse in Addison’s case, but the investigation is still open.

Lab results and details from the state Medical Examiner’s Office will
determine whether or not Addison was sexually abused, according to
Gaston County Police Capt. J.W. Human.

History with DSS

Social workers had an active investigation of Shanna Lanham under way when the toddler died.

Gaston County DSS Director Keith Moon will not comment on what involvement his department had in the Lanhams’ lives.

Human verified that Shanna Lanham was under investigation. He
believes that Lanham was ducking the department and possibly neglected
her daughter’s need for medical attention because she believed DSS would
take her child away.

Addison was Lanham’s second child. She gave birth to a baby boy five
years ago. That child never went home from the hospital with Lanham. He
was taken in by a friend of the family and later adopted.

Human said he thought Lanham had some dealings with DSS back with her first child.

Social workers step in when a report is made. Four intake workers handled about 4,000 cases in 2010 in Gaston County.

Those four individuals work with supervisors to prioritize each case.
The highest level of concern gets a social worker assigned immediately
and a well check is conducted without delay. Others are set at a level
to be checked within 24 or 72 hours.

Gaston County DSS has about 20 people assigned to the duty of
conducting well checks on at-risk children, according to Cheryl Harris
with DSS.

“This is our staff that gets on their white horses and goes and checks on the kids,” she said.

The Addison file

Harris would not say how Addison was prioritized or whether a social worker located the family to ensure the child’s safety.

DSS investigation files are confidential unless a child dies. At that point, the case can be made public.

DSS is to consult with the district attorney’s office about releasing such information.

Gaston County DSS Director Keith Moon sent a summary of the case to Gaston County District Attorney Locke Bell July 29.

“Mr. Bell requested that the department not release the summary. As
recently as Aug. 15, 2011, Mr. Bell has informed the department that, in
his opinion, releasing the summary may jeopardize the pending
investigation of the case and might jeopardize his ability to prosecute
the case,” Moon wrote in an email to The Gazette.

But all of the information will be revealed eventually, Moon said.

Once Lanham’s and Wells’ criminal cases have been settled, the
district attorney would have no reason to keep the information out of
the public eye.

A state child fatality task force should also release findings from an investigation of Addison’s death, Moon said.

Investigating the process

Any child who dies in Gaston County doesn’t go unnoticed. A local
task force reviews the death regardless of whether it was a homicide or
an accident and whether or not DSS was ever involved.

Members of Gaston’s child fatality protection team include: Alice
Ragan, retired from Gaston County Schools; Chris Hendricks, Gaston
Emergency Medical Services; Capt. Jay Human, Gaston County Police
Department; Cheryl Harris, Gaston Department of Social Services;
Detective Eric Wiggins, Gastonia Police Department; Dr. John Watts,
medical community; John Garland, Pathways; Kelsie Costner, Department of
Social Services; Susan C. Starcher, Gaston County Health Department;
and Susan Neeley, Gaston County Schools.

The local team meets four to six times a year.

“Unfortunately there are always several fatalities for us to review when we get together,” said Harris.

Some team members are more active than others. If someone is unable
to attend, an alternate from the same department is typically selected,
according Harris.

The team reviews each case and returns a report of its findings.

These findings are not made public, according to Harris. The only
information that is generally released to the public is in regards to
what policies and procedures might be changed or amended as a result of
the investigation.

Its findings are submitted to the Department of Health and Human
Services and may take a year before showing up in a final report.

Investigations at the local and state level scrutinize the actions
and practices that led up to the child’s death. If any one particular
employee is found at fault, that person can face disciplinary action,
though it probably won’t be made public, said Harris. In North Carolina,
employee records are kept confidential.

The primary purpose of the review is to prevent future child fatalities, Harris said.

Social workers try to protect children at each turn, but tragedies still happen.

“There’s no agency or provider in this community that sleeps with the
parents each night to be sure to protect these children,” she said.

Next step in justice

Shanna Lanham was arrested July 26, charged with child abuse,
involuntary manslaughter and contributing to the delinquency of a child.

She remains in Gaston County Jail under a $1.1 million bond. She has
been assigned attorney Gus Anthony through the Public Defender’s Office.

Wells was arrested the day after Addison’s death for failing to
register as a sex offender. He later racked up additional charges, the
same as his girlfriend. He is being held on a $1.85 million bond.

Wells also applied for a public defender and has been assigned to Cindy Letorney.

http://www.gastongazette.com/articles/child-60022-addison-mother.html#ixzz1VFHzfLlv

A Gaston County probation officer resigned Wednesday afternoon, exactly
one month after Department of Corrections officials began investigating
whether he ignored pleas for help from the relatives of a 2-year-old
child who died in a motel room.Probation Officer Carlton Whit Ogg tendered his resignation before DOC investigators could hand down any punishment.Police
said two-year-old Addison Lanham, 2, died in July from an infection and
a broken leg. Addison's mother, Shanna Lanham, and her boyfriend, Jason
Wells, are charged with manslaughter.Kim Wells, Jason Wells'
cousin, provided Eyewitness News on July 31 with a Facebook email
exchange between herself and Officer Ogg.She told Eyewitness News
she called Ogg several times but her messages weren't returned, so she
found him on Facebook. She wrote things including "I don't know if that
baby is eating;" "Shanna is strung out on crack and Xanax;" "Addison her
daughter doesn't have any clothes;" and "Please help Addison.""Why
wouldn't you be concerned about an infant not eating? And drugs being
used in front of them? Why would you not go check?" Kim Wells said last
month.In the Facebook exchange, Ogg responded one time, asking Wells how she knew about the alleged drug use.After
Addison's death, family members provided Eyewitness News with a copy of
the messages, and on August 1 the Department of Corrections opened an
internal investigation.On August 19, a DOC spokesman said the internal review was complete and that officials were reviewing possible consequences.On
Wednesday, Officer Ogg resigned, but before investigators handed down
any potential punishment. It's unclear if Ogg would be able to keep his
pension and benefits because he resigned.Lanham's cousin, Stacey Drewey, said says she's glad Ogg is no longer a probation officer but is disappointed with the process."He's
going to walk away without anything happening to him. He resigned from
his job, and he can go out and get another job somewhere else," Drewey
said. "There's no punishment. He's going to get away scot-free because
he handed in his resignation."Eyewitness News stopped by Ogg's house, but he wasn't home.Both Shanna Lanham and Jason Wells are charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony child abuse.Shanna
Lanham will have a court hearing in Gaston County on Friday for a
probation violation. Jason Wells was recently transferred to a prison in
Raleigh. Family members said that's because he was receiving death
threats and officers feared for his safety.
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/29044567/detail.html

The woman charged with her daughter’s death was scheduled to appear in court Friday morning.
Shanna Lanham’s appearance was continued when Superior Court Judge Jesse Caldwell recused himself.
According to court officials, Caldwell once served as an attorney for Lanham’s mother.
Lanham and her boyfriend, Jason Wells, were charged with the July 21 death of 2-year-old Addison Lanham.
The toddler died from an infection in her blood stream due to neglect, according to police.
Shanna Lanham was on probation at the time of the child’s death. Her
Friday court appearance was on a violation of that probation.
She has not yet been arraigned on the charges connected to her
daughter’s death. Lanham and Wells have both been charged with felony
child abuse and manslaughter.
Both Lanham and Wells remain in jail on bonds higher than $1 million.
Lanham’s probation officer, Carlton Ogg, resigned this week.
On Aug. 19, a Department of Correction spokesman said the internal
review was complete and that officials were reviewing possible
consequences.
Read more: http://www.gastongazette.com/articles/daughter-60503-judge-addison.html#ixzz1WoQp1Rkb

Modified Fri, Sep 09, 2011 07:02 AM
Upgraded charges in death of Gaston County toddler

GASTONIA, N.C. -- More serious charges have been filed against a Gaston County couple in the death of a toddler earlier this year.

Thirty-two-year-old Shanna Dawn Lanham and 33-year-old Jason Michael Wells of Bessemer have been charged with second-degree murder. The couple originally had been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Lanham's 2-year-old daughter, Addison.

The girl died from a sepsis infection July 21. Investigators say the girl also had a broken leg that had been untreated for more than a week.

Gaston County Police Capt. J.W. Human says investigators are awaiting a report from the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Shanna Lanham said she left Addison with Wells while she was at work. The girl died that evening at the hospital.



Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/09/09/1472989/upgraded-charges-in-death-of-gaston.html#ixzz1XSslmuH8

Mom, sex offender plead guilty in 2-year-old girl's death

By Cleve R. Wootson Jr.
cwootson@charlotteobserver.com

Posted: Wednesday, Dec. 07, 2011

• 
  Shanna Lanham
  

More Information


The mother of 2-year-old Addison Lanham and her registered sex
offender boyfriend both pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder
in connection with the girl's death in July, according to the Gaston Gazette.

Shanna Lanham was sentenced to a prison term ranging from a
minimum of nine to 11 1/2 years. Her boyfriend, Jason Wells, received a
prison term of 10 years to 13 years. He also pleaded guilty to a
misdemeanor charge of watching a child despite being a registered sex
offender, according to the newspaper.

Wells was babysitting the 2-year-old when she became seriously
ill, then unresponsive at America's Best hotel. He called Lanham, who
rushed to the motel and then called 911.

Three family members told the Observer that they called DSS
officials more than six times this spring, pleading with them to remove
the girl from her mother's care. They said Addison was in danger, living
with drug users and a convicted sex offender.

"Shanna and her boyfriend were trying to avoid their
investigation," Gaston Police Capt. Jay Human told the Observer during
the investigation. "She worried that if she would go to the hospital,
it'd be reported, and they'd get back on their radar and they could find
her."

Human said Lanham met at least once with DSS and she signed an agreement promising not to allow Wells near her daughter.




http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/12/07/2833259/mom-sex-offender-plead-guilty.html#ixzz1ftL5acb6

It's something but it is not enough.