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    UPDATE: Andrea Kelly, Dana Poindexter, Laura Sommerer, Julius Murray, Mickal Kamuvaka and Daniel Kelly

    FOUR DANIEAL KELLY SOCIAL-SERVICE WORKERS FOUND GUILTY
    excerpts from an article by Nathan Gorenstein – The Philadelphia Inquirer

    Two administrators and two caseworkers from a city-funded social service agency were convicted today of health care fraud and conspiracy charges stemming from the death of Danieal Kelly, the 14-year-old with cerebral palsy who died of bedsores and malnutrition at her mother’s apartment.

    While the verdicts ended a month-long federal trial, they are not the final legal acts stemming from the West Philadelphia girl’s death in August 2006 and the ensuing investigations into the agency, MultiEthnic Behavioral Health Inc., and the city’s Department of Human Services.

    Mickal Kamuvaka, 60, a MultiEthnic co-founder who served as day-to-day manager, had no reaction as the verdict was read and declined comment afterward. She still faces a city charge of involuntary manslaughter, as does Julius Juma Murray, 52, the caseworker assigned to the Kelly family and who was also convicted today. Murray also faces trial on federal immigration charges.

    An overhaul of the city’s Department of Human Services that started after the disclosure of treatment failures in Kelly’s death is also continuing. DHS used federal funds to have MultiEthnic provide in-home care for the teen and other at-risk children.

    The U.S. District Court jury of seven men and five women also convicted Solomon Manamela, 52, another agency co-founder, and caseworker Mariam Coulibaly, 42.

    Coulibaly was acquitted on three of 20 charges, and Murray was acquitted on three of 19 charges.

    The four face sentences ranging from three to more than seven years.

    According to court testimony, the federal investigation started after William McDonald, a criminal investigator from the Department of Health and Human Services, read a lengthy article in The Inquirer about Danieal’s death.

    The fallout from that incident, and other failings earlier reported by The Inquirer, prompted then-Mayor John Street to fire the commissioner and top deputy of DHS. Mayor Nutter later discharged other employees and installed a child advocate, Anne Marie Ambrose, as DHS commissioner.

    Murray had claimed, and agency records said, that he had visited the West Philadelphia home on July 24th 2006, less than two weeks before Danieal died Aug. 4. But prosecution witnesses testified that the odor from Kelly’s massive bedsores – the odor of decaying flesh – would have been impossible to miss.

    The jury found that the defendants fabricated paperwork for home visits that never happened, and when a federal investigation started, tossed out or shredded documents sought by the government.

    “Danieal Kelly starved, and to put it bluntly, rotted to death in her bed,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Bea Witzleben said after the verdict. Deliberations extended over parts of two days.

    From July 2000 through December 2006, the city paid MultiEthnic some $3.7 million for services it was supposed to have provided to more than 500 families over that time period.

    Some of those services were delivered, as defense witnesses testified.

    “We’ve never alleged they provided no services at all,” said Witzleben, who prosecuted the case with Assistant U.S. Attorney Vineet Gauri. Rather, she said, agency workers encountered some cases “that were very difficult to work with . . . and they chose not to do so.”

    Andrea Kelly, the teen’s mother, was caring for eight of nine children in the first floor of a rowhouse in the Mantua neighborhood. She pleaded guilty in state court to third-degree murder and child endangerment, and was sentenced to up to 40 years in state prison.

    Testimony from coworkers described Kamuvaka and Manamela as frequently failing to provide training and supervision to agency workers. Kamuvaka, in particular, was said to have condoned the creation of false records.

    Her attorney, William Cannon, said Kamuvaka “was very disappointed” by the verdict and repeated his courtroom defense that she and other managers were the victims of their own staff, “social workers who did her in” by faking reports and not providing services.

    Paul J. Hetznecker, Manamela’s attorney, said his client was “scammed” by his own employees, though he conceded there was “significant” mismanagement.

    “But that doesn’t take away from the dedication Solomon Manamela has had” to social work, Hetznecker said. Kamuvaka holds a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, and like Manamela has had a career in social work.

    Manamela and Coulibaly also declined comment. Murray is being held on the federal immigration charges.

    Kamuvaka, Murray, Manamela and Coulibaly join Danieal’s mother Andrea Kelly and family friends Marie Moses and Diamond Brantley on the list of people who failed this poor child and have either been adjudicated or plead guilty in a court of law. Andrea Kelly took a plea deal for third degree murder and is currently serving a 30 year term, while Moses and Diamond plead guilty to lying to the Grand Jury – They were at the Kelly home the morning Danieal was found starved to death and covered in maggot infested sores, but testified that they saw Daniel and she was happy and healthy – they received probation, probably because they were just so God-awful stupid.

    Next up is Julius Murray’s and Mickal Kamuvaka’s trial on involuntary manslaughter charges. We here a PYSIH hope their juries shown them all the sympathy and compassion that was shown to young Danieal during the last few weeks of her life.

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    Filed under Updates | . Written on March 3rd, 2010 by Max The Cat


    12 Comments »

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    12 Responses to “UPDATE: Andrea Kelly, Dana Poindexter, Laura Sommerer, Julius Murray, Mickal Kamuvaka and Daniel Kelly”

    1. Mulch says:
      March 4, 2010 at 1:16 am

      HOLY SHIT! this is a vary bad one isn’t it? Again people of trust being lazy, collecting paychecks and doing nothing.

      We are seeing more of these cases lately? Mothers starving thier children. Is there mre cases in the last years or are they just now coming to light.

      My daughter is coming up this weekend. We will cuddel on the sofa under a thick warm blanket and watch some movies. On Saturday we’ll go to the zoo after supper where she wants later more movies and cuddeling. On Sunday breakfest at McD’s (don’t give me any crap on this :-) ) then to the flea markets then to BK for hot brownies. After that I take her to the train station so she can go home to her mom.

      I love every second with my daughter. Sadly it’s never enough. But I call her every day. I still her her with homework. I am still a part of her life. I am fighting for that every single day.

      I had a girlfriend that was sared of my relationship with my daughter. She had the balls to ask me to choose. No questions in my mind. “pak yer shit and git” I told her. She honestly thought I would choose her. I told her that the blow jobs wern’t that great and shut the door in her face.

      My girl now loves my daughter and my daughter loves her. They have a lot in commen and they talk all the time. When they are both with me they love making my life hell but in a funny good way.

      I would kill or die for my kid. Why is that concept so hard for some to understand and grasp.Fuck with my kid and I will break your legs. Endanger my kid and I will break your neck.

      Reply
      • Steph-Ann says:
        March 4, 2010 at 3:46 pm

        Awe. You sound like a great dad, Mulch. You make me miss my own all the more. Rest in peace daddy, and rest in peace little Daniel.

        Reply
    2. Budgiegirl says:
      March 4, 2010 at 3:40 pm

      The reading of the Grand Jury indictment that led the way to these pieces of shit being held to some accountability was very grueling and it was very upsetting. The author conveys his/her disgust at these “people” who were given the task of DOING THEIR JOB and looking out for those who cannot look out for themselves; namely, children. When I first read about the poor girl, I thought, well, maybe racism played a part in this. It isn’t something I automatically jump to in these cases, but I thought, the poor little girl had three strikes against her: she was female (strike one), disabled (strike two) and black (strike three). But the race issue wasn’t the key here. Like the author of the Grand Jury paper makes clear: the Department of Human Services (DHS) is riddled with corruption/lazy/self-serving jerk offs who are more concerned with covering their inadequacies than in protecting those in society who need our collective help.

      From what I can tell, there were three or four adults who TRIED to get these people to do their jobs, but they were fobbed off at every turn. It’s not your business. Butt out. Don’t bother me. These were the responses they got and they tried to help. Man, I can just guess at the level of frustration they felt. They did what they were supposed to do and reported the abuse and these assholes just let the girl die, and then had the nerve to retro-write reports like they had been actually doing something.

      It makes you wonder why we are supposed to play by the rules?

      I am happy that they are actually being prosecuted, but I hope that their sentences stick. In England, where the Child Services is just as much a joke as it is here, the social workers fired have been able to sue to get their jobs back and back pay. It is just sickening.

      Reply
    3. SD says:
      March 4, 2010 at 3:41 pm

      These people need to be held accountable for their part in failing Danieal. I hear too many of these type of stories where these workers fail miserably at their jobs and the victims are young children and they are the ones who ultimately pay. I can’t comprehend how these ass hats sleep at night, knowing they could have saved a child’s life but are just too damn lazy to do not only what they are paid to do, but do the right thing for the children. I would love to think that karma will pay a special visit to these people one day, but I cannot help wanting to speed up the process. I want to break these dipshits’ necks, one by one.

      Reply
    4. CP says:
      March 4, 2010 at 11:07 pm

      Glad to see that these demons at the department of social services are finally being held accountable for their actions…or rather, lack thereof. They get away with so much. I have seen so many children come through the ER who have been battered. We, as medical personnel, have an obligation to report it. Time after time, we see the same kids back in the unit because social services failed to place the child…or was completely lost in the cracks of the system. The system truly failed this little girl. I am happy that these people are getting their just desserts. They’ve earned themselves a nice cozy spot in hell.

      Don’t get me started on the mother. Animal.

      Reply
    5. Karen_Cupcake says:
      March 7, 2010 at 3:47 pm

      As a social worker, I am constantly disgusted by those who think that our profession is “the easy way out”. No, I don’t care if you labeled that client as “hopeless”; you will stick by them and try your best, because that’s what you’re being paid for, you dimwit. Of course you’ll end up dealing with dysfunctional families and individuals; that’s what we were trained for, you idiot. There is NO “easy way out” when it comes to social work -there’s pressure, sadness, a tad of danger, disappointment, an enormous need for continuous learning (surprise surprise, educating yourself does NOT stop when you graduate) and, finally, those success stories which constitute our glimmer of hope and keep us going.

      My friends would describe me as a ‘bleeding heart’, but when it comes to social work, I’ve long stopped giving a sh*t for those who slack off or cross the line and get canned (or, even better, arrested and convicted). Let ‘em rot. Our job is difficult enough without them giving us a bad name.

      P.S. Since I’m quite vocal about my beliefs, you can imagine I’m not exactly popular among colleagues. Oh well, at least I can sleep at night.

      Reply
      • CP says:
        March 8, 2010 at 12:58 pm

        Thank you for being one of the good ones and fighting the fight every day. I know your job is difficult. Thank you for caring.

        Reply
      • USS Yorktown says:
        March 8, 2010 at 1:22 pm

        At least you care and try hard.

        Reply
      • vcbecky says:
        March 8, 2010 at 1:47 pm

        Karen, all social workers should have something of a bleeding heart at least for the innocent children they’re trying to help. The strength necessary to do the job you do… it just blows my mind. You’re an amazing person. Don’t let anyone tell you different. If only more were like you, PYSIH would be at least half-empty!

        Reply
    6. Karen_Cupcake says:
      March 11, 2010 at 6:29 am

      Thank you all for the support. It’s often hard to make people see that we’re not all the same, especially when the news are filled with tragic stories of abuse or neglect that could have been avoided *if only* some social workers had done their job. I now work with adults but I am grateful for my days in child services; I remember this particular family when I was a trainee. They lived in filth, both parents unemployed and their social worker was not even helping them get a job, see that the kids are being fed etc. On top of that, the younger boy had belt marks all over his body!! I went back to that lady with lots of questions, mostly puzzled as to why nothing had been done yet to stop the abuse -which, judging from the marks, had been clearly going on for quite a while. Her response was “don’t tell or I might lose my job”. The nerve! Fortunately the first person I contacted was an amazing lad who came with me, saw the house and the kids and managed to remove them on the same day.

      I guess that’s why I read PYSIH. To remind myself what we’re up against. Thankfully, many people out there do care and that keeps my hopes strong.

      Reply
    7. Linda says:
      March 11, 2010 at 1:20 pm

      Karen, people like you are a hero.

      Reply
    8. V.XIII says:
      March 11, 2010 at 9:38 pm

      I bet they all rode around in big nice cars bought with state money paid to them for doing a job while they were going on their “home check” rounds, showboating like they were rich and high class or something… they were paid by the state and if the state removed a child, it was one less client they got paid for, yes they should burn in hell…

      Reply

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