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Author Topic: 5 Year Old Jeremiah Oliver Missing in Fitchburg, MA - Not Seen Since September (REMAINS FOUND)  (Read 19422 times)
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« Reply #20 on: January 24, 2014, 08:30:57 PM »

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/01/23/report-two-child-protection-agencies-did-not-share-info-jeremiah-oliver-family-until-after-fitchburg-boy-disappeared/v8gOHqJCG31nwzBFOYHJXJ/story.html?rss_id=Top-GNP
Lawmaker slams state family agency in Fitchburg case

Two child protection agencies did not share info on Jeremiah Oliver’s family until after he disappeared
January 23, 2014

A leading state lawmaker today expressed outrage at the chief of the state’s child protection agency, who was testifying before a legislative panel about the agency’s failure to keep track of a 5-year-old Fitchburg boy who was reported missing in December and is feared dead.

“Your department lost track of a kid,” Representative David P. Linsky, chairman of the House Post Audit and Oversight Committee, told Olga Roche, commissioner of the state Department of Children and Families. “That’s inexcusable. That’s absolutely inexcusable.”

Roche, flanked by the department’s chief counsel, repeatedly emphasized that DCF fired the social worker, supervisor, and manager responsible for ensuring the well-being of the 5-year-old boy, Jeremiah Oliver.

She said the social worker’s failure to visit the boy’s home every month represented “a gross disregard of policies and procedures,” but also a “unique circumstance.”   

Asked by Linsky if she could assure the public that every one of the 36,000 children under DCF supervision is present, alive and healthy, Roche said, “Yes.”

Linsky said he believed many employees at the department did good work, but added, “Getting it right 99.9 percent of the time when we’re dealing with children just simply isn’t good enough.”
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« Reply #21 on: January 24, 2014, 08:34:32 PM »

http://www.masslive.com/news/boston/index.ssf/2014/01/oca_dcf_hearing.html
Lawmakers question Department of Children and Families, other state agencies in disappearance of Jeremiah Oliver
January 23, 2014


BOSTON --” Officials from the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, the Office of the Child Advocate and Service Employees International Union Local 509 faced a grilling from state representatives during a hearing regarding Jeremiah Oliver, the five-year-old Fitchburg boy who went missing while under the care of DCF.

Oliver has been missing since September 2013, though authorities were unaware of his disappearance until December.

Members of the House Post Audit and Oversight Committee as well as the Joint Committee on Children Families and Persons with Disabilities took DCF Commissioner Olga Roche to task for over three hours.

State Rep. David Linsky, chairman of the House Post Audit and Oversight Committee, repeatedly questioned Roche as to how it was possible for the boy to have slipped through the cracks.

"There has to be some accountability here. This is a situation where your department lost track of an innocent 5-year-old boy," said Linsky. "Did someone look at the record and say: 'You haven't seen Jeremiah Oliver. Why haven't you? Are you going to see Jeremiah Oliver?'"
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« Reply #22 on: January 24, 2014, 08:37:21 PM »

http://www.telegram.com/article/20140124/COLUMN44/301249909
Did budget let down Jeremiah Oliver?
January 24, 2014



Staggering under the criticism of letting one of its charges, 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver, fall between the cracks, the Department of Children and Families, according to some children's advocates, sustained another blow in Gov. Deval Patrick's proposed 2015 budget.

Pointing to Mass Budget & Policy Center data, children's advocates noted that adjusting for inflation, the state budgeted approximately $336 million for children and family services in fiscal 2009, while the 2015 budget provides $310 million for comparable services.

Erin Bradley, executive director of the Children's League of Massachusetts, was blunt in her assessment.

"We have a choice: Continue to ignore the needs of our most vulnerable kids until we suffer the shock of another missing or murdered child, or begin investing now in a system that will ensure their safety," she said.

Ms. Bradley might not make many friends among those who support significant cutbacks in government spending. Yet, if not mitigated by private or other community actions, these cuts can carry harsh consequences.

Indeed, given Jeremiah's case, it is appropriate to ask whether the 19 percent reduction in DCF spending, since across the board cuts were implemented in 2008, seriously impaired the state's ability to protect children.

The federal government's Child Maltreatment 2012 Report, for example, indicates several trends in the state since 2008 that perhaps merit a close look by investigators.

The number of child protective services responses to allegations of maltreatment in the state has declined since 2008, falling from 72,194 that year to 62,257 in 2012. During the same period, the number of child victims, any "child for whom the state determined at least one maltreatment was substantiated or indicated," dropped from 36,772 to 19,234.

Are these declines a result of smarter, more effective intervention efforts, or do they reflect a blind eye being turned toward some children in need of services?

These are important questions, especially in light of the impending move to family resource centers throughout the commonwealth as the frontline purveyors of faster intervention and more directed services for children and families.
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« Reply #23 on: January 24, 2014, 08:39:39 PM »

http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2014/01/mom_in_missing_fitchburg_boy_j.html
Mom in missing Fitchburg boy Jeremiah Oliver case ruled competent
January 24, 2014

ITCHBURG, Mass. (AP) — The mother of a 5-year-old Massachusetts boy who's been missing for months and is feared dead has been ruled competent to stand trial.

A judge Friday ruled that Elsa Oliver was competent to face charges including reckless endangerment of a child.

Her son, Jeremiah Oliver, has not been seen by relatives since September, but police learned of the disappearance only last month. The case led to the firing of three workers in the Leominster office of the state Department of Children and Families for not properly checking on the family.

 

Elsa Oliver's boyfriend also faces charges in the case. They have both pleaded not guilty.

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« Reply #24 on: January 24, 2014, 08:46:33 PM »

I have a real problem with the term "slipped through the cracks" in regard to 5 year old Jeremiah Oliver.  This child hasn't been seen since since September 2013, but wasn't reported missing until December 2013.  There was history here, and there were supposed to be monthly checks and etc.  Jeremiah didn't slip through the cracks like  a coin or a button or left behind like an umbrella on a bus.  This child dropped through a big, dark abyss!!  And why?  No matter if there were three people fired.  None of it will bring this boy back.  No matter if they know where the rest of the kids are and he's the first one lost.  He counts, and he's one too many gone missing!    jmho

http://www.masslive.com/news/boston/index.ssf/2014/01/oca_dcf_hearing.html
Lawmakers question Department of Children and Families, other state agencies in disappearance of Jeremiah Oliver
January 23, 2014

Quote
Oliver has been missing since September 2013, though authorities were unaware of his disappearance until December.

Members of the House Post Audit and Oversight Committee as well as the Joint Committee on Children Families and Persons with Disabilities took DCF Commissioner Olga Roche to task for over three hours.

State Rep. David Linsky, chairman of the House Post Audit and Oversight Committee, repeatedly questioned Roche as to how it was possible for the boy to have slipped through the cracks.
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« Reply #25 on: April 18, 2014, 04:42:24 PM »

DA: Body Found in Sterling ‘Consistent’ with Missing Fitchburg Boy’s
April 18, 2014 12:06PM


A body found this morning off of Interstate 190 in Sterling has the height and weight “consistent with that of Jeremiah Oliver,” the 5-year-old Fitchburg boy who has been missing since September, Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early said at an afternoon press conference.

Early said the clothed body was found “about 40 feet off the roadway” and in a “wrapped condition” inside the packaging of a “suitcase-like object.”

The family of Jeremiah Oliver has been notified, including the child’s father, Early said.

 

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/04/18/report-sources-tell-wcvb-body-was-discovered-connection-with-search-for-jeremiah-oliver/XvRr3LKAi0xkHYDCmaeWpK/story.html


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« Reply #26 on: April 18, 2014, 04:47:20 PM »

DA probes whether body stuffed in suitcase is Jeremiah Oliver
Friday, April 18, 2014


 
Authorities made the grim discovery about 9 a.m. today, approximately 40 feet from the highway’s southbound side.

“The body was found. It was in a wrapped condition. It was somewhat concealed from the elements, but I can’t go any further than that,” Early said. He declined to say whether there were signs of trauma, citing a pending autopsy and an ongoing investigation.

Authorities previously said Jeremiah is 3 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 40 pounds. The medical examiner’s office is expected to confirm the identity today or tomorrow, Early said.

The body “was wrapped in a blanket-type object” and was also packed in a “suitcase, duffel bag type material,” Early told reporters.

He declined to say how authorities were led to the scene.

 

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/04/da_probes_whether_body_stuffed_in_suitcase_is_jeremiah_oliver
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« Reply #27 on: April 18, 2014, 04:57:23 PM »

Body found off Rt. 190 consistent in height, weight of Jeremiah Oliver
Updated: Apr 18, 2014 3:57 PM EDT

(Photos of area)
http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/25283468/2014/04/18/body-found-off-rt-190-in-sterling



Body found is 'consistent' with missing 5-year-old boy
April 18, 2014, 1:00 pm


(Video of search)

 
"It appears to be a homicide," he said.
 

http://www.necn.com/04/18/14/Body-found-is-consistent-with-missing-5-/landing.html?blockID=865277&feedID=11106
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« Reply #28 on: April 18, 2014, 05:02:13 PM »

   Bagged up and discarded on the roadside   

Little Jeremiah can now be given a proper burial.  I hope his remains help provide evidence to bring punishment to those that harmed him. 
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« Reply #29 on: April 19, 2014, 05:12:24 PM »

DA Confirms Body Found is Missing Fitchburg Boy

Update (April 19), 4:35 p.m.: The Worcester County District Attorney’s office has identified the body found off of I-190 as Jeremiah Oliver, according to NECN.

The autopsy is not complete, but the DA’s office has made the identification, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

 

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/04/18/report-sources-tell-wcvb-body-was-discovered-connection-with-search-for-jeremiah-oliver/XvRr3LKAi0xkHYDCmaeWpK/story.html
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« Reply #30 on: April 19, 2014, 05:35:13 PM »

DA Confirms Body Found is Missing Fitchburg Boy

Update (April 19), 4:35 p.m.: The Worcester County District Attorney’s office has identified the body found off of I-190 as Jeremiah Oliver, according to NECN.

The autopsy is not complete, but the DA’s office has made the identification, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

 

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/04/18/report-sources-tell-wcvb-body-was-discovered-connection-with-search-for-jeremiah-oliver/XvRr3LKAi0xkHYDCmaeWpK/story.html

Thank you for posting the confirmation of what we already strongly suspected Samantha.   

 Little Jeremiah should be getting ready for an Easter egg hunt and chocolate bunny rabbits and Peeps.  Instead, someone stole his life from him.     May he rest in peace.   an angelic monkey
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« Reply #31 on: April 19, 2014, 07:41:33 PM »

http://fox8.com/2014/04/19/mystery-surrounds-disappearance-death-of-5-year-old-boy/
Mystery Surrounds Disappearance, Death of 5-Year-Old Boy
April 19, 2014

 
The case raised questions about the state’s role as it relates to Jeremiah’s care, with Massachusetts Department of Children and Families Commissioner Olga Roche admitting that there had been “a serious failure.”
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Jeremiah Oliver” Roche said Saturday. “DCF continues to focus on caring for Jeremiah’s siblings to ensure they are receiving the support they need during this very difficult time.”
In March, Jeremiah’s mother, 28-year-old Elsa Oliver, and her boyfriend, 22-year-old Alberto Sierra, were indicted by a grand jury on charges related to Jeremiah’s disappearance as well as on charges of child abuse. Calls to the attorneys for both were not immediately returned Friday.
The district attorney’s office did not speculate Saturday on whether they might face additional charges now that Jeremiah has been confirmed dead.
The last documentation of state authorities’ interaction with Jeremiah was in May 2013, according to Department of Children and Families spokesman Alec Loftus.
In June, Loftus said, the social worker was told that Jeremiah had moved to Florida to live with his grandmother but did not follow up or verify that.
The last visit to the home was in November, when the social worker left behind a business card indicating it would be the Department of Children and Families’ final visit, according to Loftus.
On December 2, Jeremiah’s 8-year-old sister told counselors at her elementary school that her mother’s boyfriend, Sierra, had abused her, according to a police affidavit.
After those statements, the girl and another brother were taken into protective custody, according to the affidavit.
It was in December that authorities realized that the boy was missing.
Roche fired the social worker and supervisor assigned to his case because they did not conduct the required in-person, monthly checks on the family, according to a statement released that month.
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« Reply #32 on: April 19, 2014, 07:44:20 PM »

http://www.wcvb.com/news/autopsy-to-id-dead-boy-body-cast-off-side-of-road/25562966#!EZatb
Body ID'd as missing Fitchburg boy
Jeremiah Oliver missing since September
April 19, 2014

 
Jeremiah was last seen by relatives in September but wasn't reported missing until December. Authorities have said they feared he was dead.

Early said the body was found at about 9 a.m. Friday by a police search team about 40 feet off Interstate 190 near Sterling, which is about 12 miles from Fitchburg. He said it was wrapped in blanket-like material, and packed in material that resembled a suitcase.

"It appears to be a homicide," Early said at a Friday news conference.

He would not say what led authorities to the location, or how long the body may have been there. He said the site is near an area that is regularly mowed on the side of the highway but would not have been visible to passing cars.

Jeremiah's mother, Elsa Oliver, 28, pleaded not guilty in March to charges including kidnapping, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and reckless endangerment. Her boyfriend, Alberto Sierra, 23, pleaded not guilty to similar charges.

The family was being monitored by state social workers since 2011. And after Jeremiah's disappearance, their case led to intense scrutiny of the state DCF.

Three employees of the agency — a social worker, a supervisor and an area manager — were fired after an internal investigation. Officials said the social worker had not made required monthly visits to the family.

The governor asked the Child Welfare League of America to review DCF but resisted calls from some lawmakers to fire Olga Roche, the agency's commissioner.

In an initial report filed by the league last month, it recommended that Massachusetts take a number of steps to shore up its child welfare system, including boosting staffing levels to reduce social worker caseload.

A separate report from the state's Child Advocate, Gail Garinger, suggested that state social workers missed nearly one in five home visits during a recent 12-month period, though state officials said the figure was likely overstated.

Roche assured state legislators in January that DCF had accounted for the safety of all other young children in its care.

Oliver and Sierra, who were indicted by a Worcester County grand jury, are both being held on bail — $100,000 for Oliver and $250,000 for Sierra.

Three other people have been charged with interfering with a criminal investigation and misleading police in connection with the case.
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« Reply #33 on: April 19, 2014, 10:40:06 PM »

Really sad for this little child and his siblings. Thank goodness the little girl was brave enough to tell someone that she was being abused. Otherwise who knows what would have happened.
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« Reply #34 on: April 19, 2014, 10:52:16 PM »

Really sad for this little child and his siblings. Thank goodness the little girl was brave enough to tell someone that she was being abused. Otherwise who knows what would have happened.

I agree with you Cookie.  The little girl was brave to let someone know she was being abused.  It could have gotten even worse from there, and we don't know yet if other bad things may have occurred in the children's lives. 
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« Reply #35 on: April 19, 2014, 11:21:28 PM »


Thank you for posting the confirmation of what we already strongly suspected Samantha.   

 Little Jeremiah should be getting ready for an Easter egg hunt and chocolate bunny rabbits and Peeps.  Instead, someone stole his life from him.     May he rest in peace.   an angelic monkey

Yes.. Unfortunately this was the outcome we expected.

I feel bad.. But the emotions and reactions of Jeremiah's family don't ring true when you take into account the time before anyone even knew he was missing (or what he was being put through before) I know the "mother" had custody and it may have been hard to see him... But where was all of this concern before the cameras were around?


This is honestly the 5th (at least) time Jeremiah's uncle has collapsed or had an outburst in public about his nephew. It must be so hard to lose a loved one like this... But also it seems contrived when I think.. where was this concern and caring while he was alive. Why didn't anyone protect him... Why didn't anyone else in the family know he was missing.

Uncle Collapses at Jeremiah Oliver Vigil
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/04/19/uncle-collapses-jeremiah-oliver-vigil/5yqt8nUXQ8lHf6eKwXihTN/story.html?p1=Must_Reads


I'm sorry.. I hate to speak ill of the family.. But I think both the state and family failed Jeremiah.
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« Reply #36 on: April 20, 2014, 08:19:16 AM »


Thank you for posting the confirmation of what we already strongly suspected Samantha.   

 Little Jeremiah should be getting ready for an Easter egg hunt and chocolate bunny rabbits and Peeps.  Instead, someone stole his life from him.     May he rest in peace.   an angelic monkey

Yes.. Unfortunately this was the outcome we expected.

I feel bad.. But the emotions and reactions of Jeremiah's family don't ring true when you take into account the time before anyone even knew he was missing (or what he was being put through before) I know the "mother" had custody and it may have been hard to see him... But where was all of this concern before the cameras were around?


This is honestly the 5th (at least) time Jeremiah's uncle has collapsed or had an outburst in public about his nephew. It must be so hard to lose a loved one like this... But also it seems contrived when I think.. where was this concern and caring while he was alive. Why didn't anyone protect him... Why didn't anyone else in the family know he was missing.

Uncle Collapses at Jeremiah Oliver Vigil
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/04/19/uncle-collapses-jeremiah-oliver-vigil/5yqt8nUXQ8lHf6eKwXihTN/story.html?p1=Must_Reads


I'm sorry.. I hate to speak ill of the family.. But I think both the state and family failed Jeremiah.

I totally agree with u.
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« Reply #37 on: April 29, 2014, 09:55:33 AM »

http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Child-welfare-official-resigns-after-kids-deaths-5437680.php
Child welfare official resigns after kids' deaths
April 29, 2014

BOSTON (AP) — The embattled head of Massachusett's child welfare agency resigned Tuesday under mounting pressure following the deaths of three children, with Gov. Deval Patrick saying it was impossible for her to continue in her job.

Olga Roche's resignation comes after calls from top Democratic lawmakers — including Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray — for Roche to be replaced as commissioner of the Department of Children and Families.

"I have accepted her resignation because I believe it is not possible for the agency to move forward in this environment with her at the helm," said John Polanowicz, secretary of the state's Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which oversees the DCF.

The agency named Erin Deveney as its interim commissioner. She has been working there for about 30 days following a stint at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Authorities say the family of a 2-week old Fitchburg baby who died over the weekend was being monitored by state child welfare officials. In the second case, a DCF spokeswoman says a fax from Grafton police about possible harm to a 4-week-old who later died was misplaced for six days.


The body of a third child, 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver of Fitchburg, was found off a highway in central Massachusetts this month. Jeremiah's family was also under DCF supervision at the time of his disappearance.

Patrick, who had earlier defended Roche, said Tuesday that Roche had offered to resign previously, but he had not accepted it. The governor said it was clear now that Roche had the expertise to do her job but no longer had the support of the public or her staff.

"I don't think the time is right, but it's necessary," he said. "She cannot garner the confidence of the public or her line staff."
 

Authorities say the family of a Fitchburg baby who died over the weekend was being monitored by state child welfare officials. They say 2-week old Bailey Irish was brought to the hospital on Saturday morning by her parents. She was pronounced dead a short time later.

In an unrelated case, a DCF spokeswoman says a fax from Grafton police about possible harm to another infant who later died, 4-week-old Aliana Lavigne, was misplaced for six days.

The agency said it's unacceptable that the fax went undiscovered. The department is trying to determine the best method of communicating reports electronically including linking faxes up to email for more timely delivery.

But the agency also said mandated reporters are required to verbally report allegations of abuse or neglect to DCF — something they said police failed to do.

The Grafton police chief acknowledged police should have called DCF, but he also defended his officers, saying the agency is trying to deflect blame.

In the third case, Jeremiah was last seen in September but wasn't reported missing until December. Police said his death appeared to be a homicide. The boy's mother and her boyfriend are facing charges in connection with his disappearance but not his death.
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« Reply #38 on: May 03, 2014, 07:19:56 PM »

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/dad-dead-boy-apologizes-saving-23577485
Dad of Dead Boy, 5, Apologizes for Not Saving Him
May 3, 2013

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« Reply #39 on: May 05, 2014, 02:18:26 PM »

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/dad-dead-boy-apologizes-saving-23577485
Dad of Dead Boy, 5, Apologizes for Not Saving Him
May 3, 2013




He needs to feel bad. He didn't do enough to save his boy. Absence as a father =fail!
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