Autistic Child Murdered

In the early morning hours of Thursday, March 21st, 2007, a mother dialed 911. An ambulance rushed her little boy to a Tucson, Arizona hospital. Brandon had autism. Autism is a medical, developmental disorder. He was enrolled in the special needs program at Keeling Elementary School, in Tucson, Arizona's Amphitheater School District. Autism had nothing to do with Brandon's emergency.

As his injuries were assessed, evidence quickly mounted that this child had been abused for months. Marked wrists and ankles showed he had been tied-up. Clothes hanger impressions shouted their own tale. His anal area also showed injury. His blistered and bleeding feet cried-out, trying to heal from being dipped into boiling water. The dozen, adult-strength, 12-hour Tylenol PM, which his mother admitted she fed him, may have been the deciding factor in his ultimate death that morning. Brandon Williams was only nine years old.

Three people now sit in Pima County Jail, in Tucson, Arizona with various charges against them. Within 24 hours of Brandon's tragic death, his mother, Diane Marsh, not only faced several charges of child abuse, but also one count of first-degree murder. A week later, a homeless woman and man, staying in Marsh's home, faced their own charges regarding Brandon's abuse and death. Flower Thomson faces the same charges as his mother. Mark Moss is charged with failure to report Brandon's abuse, along with unrelated charges. Thomson and Moss said they were afraid they'd have no place to live, if they reported Marsh's actions against her son.

By April 12, 2007, all three adults had their initial, individual court hearings through video. The women admitted participating in Brandon's long-term abuse, claiming they were disciplining him. The man admitted knowing and choosing not to stop the women or report the abuse.

Long before Brandon's death, the Marsh family's troubles were out of control. About two years ago, Brandon's father was charged with child abuse, for choking one of Brandon's older brothers. Between December of 2005 and September of 2006, an eight month period, Marsh lost her two older sons to foster care. However, Brandon remained in her custody. Less than a month later, in October 2006, Brandon's school could not contact or locate him or his mother, so were obligated to contact Child Protective Services (CPS).

Child Protective Services' case managers followed numerous leads to find Brandon and his mother for six months. The sheriff's department also became involved when a missing person report was filed on the mother. A deputy located Brandon and his mother. Unfortunately, the deputy may have been unaware of the CPS investigations and abuse reports already underway. When the deputy asked the mother about the extensive bandages on Brandon's legs, the mother had a plausible explanation, so a report was not made to CPS. Then Brandon died.

Murder is never acceptable. Brandon Williams' murder is beyond unacceptable on 6 tragic levels:

Level 1: CPS removed his older siblings from a bad situation, but left him.

Level 2: When the school reported to Child Protective Services, CPS tried to no avail in searching for Brandon.

Level 3: When the sheriff's department received the missing person report on his mother, a deputy found her and Brandon, but did not seem to be privy to their recent history, or the deputy surely would have been significantly alarmed by Brandon's leg bandages.

Level 4: Two other adults in the home could have stopped the abuse.

Level 5: Brandon's mother abused him to death.

Level 6: Some will try to excuse this tragedy, because of Brandon's autism. Autism is not a justification for murder. Autism is a medical, developmental disorder. Many parents raise autistic children without even contemplating murder.

The Pima County justice system in the state of Arizona remains under America's microscope. Court rulings on the three charged adults are eagerly anticipated.

It is too late to save Brandon Williams, but his story may save other children from the same fate, whether they have developmental disorders or not.

Bibliography:
Autistic Boy Dead: Mother Charged, KVOA-TV News, Tucson, Arizona, by Lorraine Riviera and Ed Tribble, April 3, 2007, http://www.KVOA.com
Multiple Attempts by CPS Failed to Find Brandon, Reports Show,Tucson Citizen, by Sheryl Kornman, April 11, 2007, http://tucsoncitizen.com
Little Brandon Williams Deserved Better, Arizona Daily Star, "our view" editorial, April 13, 2007, http://www.azstarnet.com