Colton Brandt Turner, 2 YO, Last Seen by Others July 2014-Remains found

[MuffyBee]

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/affidavit-mothers-boyfriend-led-police-to-colton-t/nhMzp/
Affidavit: Mother’s boyfriend led police to Colton Turner’s grave
Updated: 11:53 a.m. Monday, Sept. 15, 2014 | Posted: 9:53 a.m. Monday, Sept. 15, 2014


An August booking photo for Michael Brandt Turner on an unrelated charge


Meagan Work

Meagan Work’s boyfriend led police to the shallow grave in Southeast Austin where authorities believe they found the remains of the Cedar Park woman’s 2-year-old son on Friday, according to an arrest affidavit made public on Monday.
Work, 20, and her boyfriend, Michael Brandt Turner, 29, have been charged with tampering with physical evidence, a second-degree felony that carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Work had told inconsistent stories about what happened to her son, Colton, police said. But after learning that Turner had showed police where the boy was buried, Work said Colton had died on July 7 after having a seizure the day before, according to the affidavit.
Work said Colton had hit his head on an air-conditioning unit inside a motel room on July 6 “as a result of Colton being assaulted,” according to the affidavit. The document does not say who allegedly assaulted the boy. Colton was unable to walk and was not acting normally afterward, the document says. Later that day, Colton had a seizure andWork and Turner brought him back to the motel room to nurse him back to health, the affidavit says. Work said that when she woke up on July 7, Colton was dead and they buried him.
Authorities apparently learned the boy was missing on Sept. 10, when a woman told Cedar Park police that she was concerned about Colton because she hadn’t seen him in some time.
She also said that she had seen photos that showed Colton with severe bruising on his back and on the side of his head.
Colton was known to last be in the care of Work, who detectives located at a Cedar Park home, and Turner, who was at the San Saba County Jail.
The affidavit reveals a tangle of conflicting information that police say they gleaned from Work and Turner, who appear to blame each other for not taking Colton to the hospital the day his health supposedly declined.
Work initially told police that Colton was with her friend in Sachse, which is about 25 miles northeast of Dallas. However, according to the affidavit, the woman Work was staying with said that Work had told her Colton was with family in East Texas.
When detectives confronted Work with the inconsistent stories, she told them that Colton had been kidnapped from her vehicle in the East Rundberg area of Austin, the affidavit says. Work said a purple blanket and her wallet were also stolen, the document says.
As investigators continued to interview Work, she changed her story again, according to the affidavit. Now, she told authorities that she had given Colton to an unknown couple at a fast-food restaurant. The man and woman had two children of their own, the affidavit says Work said, but she was unable to describe them and only gave a vague description of their vehicle.
Work was charged in Williamson County with abandoning a child.
Investigators then drove to San Saba County to talk to Turner.
Turner initially said that Work had told him that she gave Colton to friends at a fast-food restaurant. Later, however, he told investigators that Colton was dead, and that he was wrapped in a purple blanket and buried two to three feet in the ground, according to an arrest affidavit. The grave, which Turner said he would show to authorities, was covered in a pile of wood and a piece of sheet rock, the affidavit says.
Investigators drove Turner from San Saba to an undeveloped area on Felter Lane near Burleson Road where authorities spent Friday searching for Colton in Southeast Austin. After they parked, Turner led them into the wood line and they found the grave site, just as Turner described it, according to the arrest affidavit.
After finding remains there, Austin homicide detective Anthony Nelson interviewed Work.
She initially repeated her story about giving Colton to a couple at a restaurant but changed her story again when Nelson told her what Turner had told investigators, according to the affidavit.
Work said she and Colton were waiting for Turner outside of where he worked on July 6 when Colton had a seizure, the affidavit says. Turner drove them back to the motel room where they were staying and tried to nurse him back to health, it says. Work said she fell asleep and that when she woke up, Colton was dead.
When Nelson asked Work if there were any injuries on Colton’s body, she said he would most likely have a large bump on his head from falling down days before his death and that there would likely still be bruising on his body, the affidavit says. She wasn’t able to say who caused the injuries, the document says.
During a later interview, she said Turner had said they couldn’t take Colton to the hospital because they could get arrested, according to the affidavit. Back at the motel room they both knew his health was getting worse, she said, but they wanted time to think of the best way to get help without getting in trouble, the affidavit says.
“They even thought they could just drop him at the hospital, but feared that his DNA would be linked to hers,” the affidavit says.
Work also said that they first tried to bury him on July 7, with Work holding her phone up as a light, but that when they were finished around midnight she feared the grave wasn’t deep enough, according to the affidavit. She said they removed him from the grave and drove back to the motel room with his body in the bed of the truck, the affidavit says. They slept with his body lying on the room’s floor and then went to Felter Lane, where Turner buried Colton again, the affidavit says she told police.
When investigators again interviewed Turner, he also said that Work and Colton were waiting in his truck while he was at work on July 6, according to the affidavit. They had arrived at 9 a.m. that day, and a half-hour later he heard Work yelling for him to come outside, where he found Colton was not breathing normally, the affidavit says.
He said he planned to drive Colton to the hospital but that Work told him they couldn’t because they would “get into trouble and Colton would be taken away from them,” the affidavit says.
Turner said that he had noticed a bump on Colton’s head days before his death and that Work had “done something” to him, the affidavit says.
Though Turner is not Colton’s biological father, he told police the boy was “his son” and that Colton had been given his middle and last name.
Work remained at the Travis County Jail Monday with bail set at $250,000. The child abandonment charge in Williamson County has been dropped.
Turner is at the San Saba County Jail, where he was in custody after his probation was revoked, according to police and court records. Depending on what charges he faces there, he may be extradited to Travis County, an Austin police official said.

http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/news/documents/2014/09/15/Meagan_Work_affidavit.pdf
Meagan Work's Arrest Affidavit

http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/news/documents/2014/09/15/Michael_Turner_arrest_affidavit.pdf
Michael Turner's Arrest Affidavit

[MuffyBee]

     

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2014/09/15/new-details-emerge-in-2-year-olds-death/15661737/
Details emerge in 2-year-old's death
September 15, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* Colton had a seizure after hitting his head on an AC unit in a motel

* Mother didn't want to take him to the hospital for fear of police involvement

*Mother: Colton died the morning of July 7

*Mother's boyfriend led police to Colton's grave


 
Turner told investigators that after Colton died, he was wrapped in a purple blanket and buried approximately two to three feet in the ground, with wood and sheet rock placed on top of the grave. Turner showed police where the grave was off of Felter Lane in Austin.

After Turner led police to the grave, detectives then interviewed Work. She told police that sometime in early July, she and Colton were waiting for Turner outside of where he worked when Colton had a seizure. She said she yelled for Turner, who got into the car and drove them back to the motel room where they were staying. Turner told police that Meagan told him they could not take Colton to the hospital because they would "get in trouble and Colton would be taken away from [them]."

Police said Work told them they attempted to care for Colton at the motel, then she fell asleep. When Work woke up the morning of July 7, Colton was dead. She said she and Turner waited until it got dark to bury Colton's body. When they tried to bury him, the grave was too shallow because Turner was using a knife to dig, so they drove back to the hotel and waited until the next night. Work told police around 6 or 7 p.m. on July 8, they took Colton's body to Felter Lane to bury him, borrowing a shovel from a man nearby to make the grave deeper.

Work told police that on July 6, Colton hit his head on an air conditioning unit inside of the hotel room as a result of being assaulted. She said Colton could not walk and was not acting normal.

 

Police initially received a welfare call on Wednesday afternoon from a friend of Work's who was concerned about Colton. She said she had not seen the boy in "some time" and had photos of Colton depicting severe bruising to his back and left side of his head. Police said the photos appeared to be in "various stages of healing, which suggested continued abuse."

Work is in the Travis County Jail on a $250,000 bond. Turner is in the San Saba County Jail.

[MuffyBee]

And if you believe Meagan Work's story (latest version of the story ,  I got a bridge to sell ya'...      If little Colton had a seizure, it would have been from whatever abuses he had suffered up to that point.  She was afraid to take him to the ER because they would be arrested, and I believe that part.  Colton's little body would have shown the horrors he had been subjected to.  JMHO 

http://kxan.com/2014/09/15/mom-colton-turner-had-a-seizure-and-was-buried/
Mom: Colton Turner had a seizure and was buried
September 15, 2014

AUSTIN (KXAN) – When it appeared 2-year-old Colton Turner was having a seizure, his parents took him to a motel because they were afraid of being arrested if they took him to a hospital, court documents show.

Meagan Work, the boy’s mother, and Michael Brandt Turner, Work’s boyfriend, both face a charge of tampering with physical evidence after police found Colton Turner’s body buried near Felter Lane in Southeast Austin.

According to the probable cause document in the case, Work and Colton went to work with Turner on July 6th or 7th. Shortly after he started working, Turner told police he heard Work yelling for him. He ran outside and found Colton was not breathing normally. Investigators indicate he may have been having a seizure. Turner told investigators he climbed into the car and was going to drive the toddler to the hospital but Work told him they’d get in trouble and Colton would be taken from them.

Instead, Turner drove to a motel where Work put ice on Colton’s head because he seemed hot.

Work told investigators she fell asleep and discovered Colton was dead the next morning. She and Turner waited until sundown to bury Colton. The pair wrapped him in a purple blanket and buried him in a shallow grave that Turner dug with a knife. Then, they decided to move Colton’s body to a different, deeper location off of Felter Lane. Turner borrowed a shovel to dig the grave and then covered the site with wood and sheet rock.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/26534198/new-details-emerge-in-the-death-of-two-year-old-colton-brandt-turner
New details emerge in the death of two year old Colton Brandt Turner
Posted: Sep 15, 2014 10:14 AM CDT
Updated: Sep 15, 2014 10:35 AM CDT

[MuffyBee]

 
http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/26526213/home-videos-show-colton-turner-spending-time-with-parents
Home videos show Colton Turner spending time with parents
Posted: Sep 13, 2014 8:59 PM CDT
Updated: Sep 14, 2014 2:18 PM CDT

Home movies, released to FOX 7 by Colton Turner's family members, show the 2-year-old spending time with his parents.

Family members said Colton was a sweet, happy little boy who was loved by his dad.

On May 31, 2014, Colton, his mother Meagan Work and his father Brandon Pelfrey spent the day driving through the mud in Pelfrey's back yard. Pelfrey's family didn't know it at the time, but that would be one of the last times they would ever see the little boy alive again and they said its how they will always remember him.

Colton was just two years old when police found what they believe to be his remains in a wooded area in south east Austin.
 
Colton's father's family says Pelfrey had tried to get his son back in the past, but Work wouldn't let him near the child.

Now pictures and videos are all Colton's family have left to remember him by.

Colton's grandmother on his father's side said they are meeting with a funeral home Saturday to make arrangements for Colton.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/26526213/home-videos-show-colton-turner-spending-time-with-parents
Home videos show Colton Turner spending time with parents
Posted: Sep 13, 2014 8:59 PM CDT
Updated: Sep 14, 2014 2:18 PM CDT

Home movies, released to FOX 7 by Colton Turner's family members, show the 2-year-old spending time with his parents.

Family members said Colton was a sweet, happy little boy who was loved by his dad.

On May 31, 2014, Colton, his mother Meagan Work and his father Brandon Pelfrey spent the day driving through the mud in Pelfrey's back yard. Pelfrey's family didn't know it at the time, but that would be one of the last times they would ever see the little boy alive again and they said its how they will always remember him.

Colton was just two years old when police found what they believe to be his remains in a wooded area in south east Austin.
 
Colton's father's family says Pelfrey had tried to get his son back in the past, but Work wouldn't let him near the child.

Now pictures and videos are all Colton's family have left to remember him by.

Colton's grandmother on his father's side said they are meeting with a funeral home Saturday to make arrangements for Colton.

I meant to mention in my previous post you can see the video clips in the article.  Hearing Meagan Work saying "Say hi, look at the camera..." to Colton in a saccharin sing song voice makes  me     

[MuffyBee]

Go Fund Me account for Colton's funeral:

http://www.keyetv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/website-used-raise-funds-colton-turners-funeral-20803.shtml
Website Used to Raise Funds for Colton Turner's Funeral
September 15, 2014

Cook, Walden Davis Funeral Home has stepped up to help plan the funeral of Colton Turner. "He may not have been honored in life but he will be honored in death," said Kevin Hull, the vice president of Cook Walden Davis Funeral Home.  As more details emerge about the death of two-year-old Colton it's clear he wasn't honored in life. "We needed to do something that was above and beyond because again no parent should have to bury their child," Hull said.  The funeral home set up a GoFundMe account to raise money to cover the costs. More than $5,000 for the cemetery costs was raised in just one day. People nationwide have stepped up to help.
 



To Donate:

http://www.gofundme.com/egtqsk

[texasmom]

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/26526213/home-videos-show-colton-turner-spending-time-with-parents

Just watched the home movie, he was so precious!   

That sweet little face...

I'll never understand, especially his own mother.  There's no excuse.

 JMO

 

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2014/09/15/new-details-emerge-in-2-year-olds-death/15661737/

 



Colton Turner
(Photo: KVUE)

[darla]

Poor sweet baby, he didn't ever have a chance! Where were the grandparents for this precious Angel!

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/affidavit-mothers-boyfriend-led-police-to-colton-t/nhMzp/

[MuffyBee]

BBM  Too little too late.      

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/crime/2014/09/16/cps-received-multiple-reports-before-toddler-death-cedar-park-austin/15709161/
CPS received multiple reports before 2-year-old's death
September 16, 2014

CPS had received four total complaints beginning when Colton was about six months old, according to the sources.

AUSTIN -- Texas Child Protective Services received multiple reports that 2-year-old Colton Turner may be the victim of abuse in the weeks and months before he was found dead in a shallow grave, law enforcement sources have confirmed to the KVUE Defenders and Austin American-Statesman.

CPS had received four total complaints beginning when Colton was about six months old, according to the sources.


Two of the complaints had been resolved, but it was not immediately clear how. The other two were open and on-going when investigators discovered Colton's body in Southeast Austin last week.

Colton's mother, Meagan Work, remains a person of interest in his death.

The sources said it's unclear whether one person filed the reports, or whether CPS received reports from several people concerned about Colton's welfare.

CPS officials said Monday they have opened an internal investigation into the agency's handling of the complaints.

At a news conference last week, Police Chief Art Acevedo said part of his department's investigation would include a review of whether Colton's family had any contact with state protective agencies to "make sure there were no signs that were missed."

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/26534198/new-details-emerge-in-the-death-of-two-year-old-colton-brandt-turner
New details in the death of two-year-old Colton Turner
Posted: Sep 15, 2014 10:14 AM CDT
Updated: Sep 15, 2014 6:30 PM CDT

Austin Police want access to Meagan Work's Facebook account. On Monday a judge signed off on a search warrant where police say Work has pictures that show alleged abuse. It's part of the ongoing investigation homicide detectives are working on.
 

Link to Search Warrant:
http://ftpcontent3.worldnow.com/ktbc/PDF%20Files/Work%20Search%20Warrant%20.pdf

[MuffyBee]

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/court-hearing-set-for-colton-turners-mother/nhNqX/
Court hearing set for Colton Turner’s mother
September 16, 2014

The first court hearing for the mother of Colton Turner, Meagan Work, has been set for next week, according to court records. Work is accused of helping bury her 2-year-old in a shallow grave in Southeast Austin after the child died while she slept.
Court records state Work, 20, is due for her first appearance in court in the 167th District Court on Aug. 23 at 9 a.m. Her attorney is listed as Darla D. Davis.
 
Work and her boyfriend Michael Brandt Turner, 29, are both charged with tampering with physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse, a second-degree felony. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison.
No hearings have yet been scheduled for Turner. He was booked into the Travis County Jail late Monday night.

[MuffyBee]

http://kxan.com/2014/09/16/texas-cps-had-involvement-with-colton-turner/
Texas CPS ‘had involvement’ with Colton Turner
Published: September 16, 2014, 1:56 pm    Updated: September 16, 2014, 2:54 pm

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The timeline on when the Texas Division of Child and Protective Services first learned about abuse complaints involving Colton Turner remains unclear. But CPS Spokesperson Julie Moody tells KXAN the agency ‘had involvement’ with Turner’s mother, Meagan Work. Work, along with her boyfriend and son’s namesake, Michael Brandt Turner, are both being held in the Travis County jail on $250,000 bond, jail records showed Tuesday. They are both charged with tampering with evidence. Police have said further charges could be brought.

Moody also confirms to KXAN CPS staff decided last Friday evening to conduct an internal review into how its investigators handled any complaints. Law enforcement sources told KXAN Monday there were four known abuse complaints made to CPS regarding Colton’s well being. An Austin Police warrant affidavit released Monday requesting a search of Work’s Facebook page contends CPS ‘was advised’ of photos showing bruises and injuries on Colton’s back and face.

Moody would not confirm whether there was an active investigation into abuse complaints or that its staff could not find Meagan Work, as police officials indicated. A team of Cedar Park Police patrol officers and detectives located Work in hours, Chief Sean Mannix told KXAN Monday. Colton’s body was recovered in a shallow grave in Southeast Austin 42 hours after detectives received their first tip from the public the little boy had not been seen since midsummer. They were led there by Work’s boyfriend Michael Turner, the affidavit contends.

CPS will also conduct a standard death investigation. State law also requires CPS staff to fill out a form 2059 – a Summary of Client Needs. It could reveal more about how Colton was living before he disappeared – providing it turns out there was an investigation then. Police say his mother Meagan Work was living in her green Dodge pick-up truck for months when she was located last week. That truck has been through a forensic examination and is now in police lock-up, law enforcement officials confirmed.

CPS to be reviewed by Inspector General commission

KXAN also confirms the Office of Inspector General of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission will review the Turner case. A spokesperson says the OIG has been reviewing child death cases where there was prior CPS history since late 2012.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/clip/10589399/michael-turner-booked-in-the-travis-county-jail-on-250000-bond
Michael Turner booked in the Travis County Jail on $250,000 bond

Video

[MuffyBee]

September 16, 2014 Tweets
https://twitter.com/keyetv

 keyetv retweeted
 Lydia Pantazes @Twydia  ·  14m
A memorial across the street continues to grow in honor of 2-year old #ColtonTurner @keyetv @TelemundoAustin

[MuffyBee]

September 16, 2014 Tweets
https://twitter.com/NoelleonFOX7

Noelle Newton @NoelleonFOX7  ·  1h
CPS still not giving media any case history on Colton. A spokesperson says they are doing an internal review and there's no time table.

 Noelle Newton @NoelleonFOX7  ·  1h
.@CedarParkTX Police Chief Mannix says he knows of 4 CPS cases involving Colton. Agency first had contact when Colton was around 6 months.

 Noelle Newton @NoelleonFOX7  ·  1h
Memorial for #ColtonTurner across from the Cedar Park Police Department.

[cadillac]

The system failed this precious child.

And so did those around him - and I'm not referring to the two in jail.

[MuffyBee]

The system failed this precious child.

And so did those around him - and I'm not referring to the two in jail.

Yes, I believe they did too.  JMHO

[MuffyBee]

I really hope this isn't going to be Meagan Work's defense.  There are plenty of folks that endured a poor start in life and over came it.  There are plenty of folks whose folks were abusive.  That doesn't mean one can't change and want and do better for their children. What is a person doing being the parent of a little boy when they've been charged with cruelty to animals?  Really?!  Not much of a step up and over!  CPS failed.  The adults around little Colton failed and he paid for it with his life.  JMHO

http://ux.kvue.com/story/news/local/2014/09/16/meagan-works-family-history/15742015/http://ux.kvue.com/story/news/local/2014/09/16/meagan-works-family-history/15742015/http://ux.kvue.com/story/news/local/2014/09/16/meagan-works-family-history/15742015/http://ux.kvue.com/story/news/local/2014/09/16/meagan-works-family-history/15742015/
Meagan Work's family history following death of son, 2
September 16, 2014

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas -- We're learning more about Colton Turner's mother, Meagan Work.

A 17-page report details an investigation into her parents back in 2007, leading up to when the state put her and her siblings in foster care
The Department of Family and Protective Services report details what life was like for the then-13-year-old girl.

That's when the DFPS began an investigation into her parents, Tayleen and Sidney Work.

Criminal records show both have a lengthy criminal history. Tayleen's includes multiple arrests for possession, DWI and theft. Sidney for theft, possession, public intoxication and cruelty to animals.

According to the report, caseworkers went to the family's home and found dirty dishes, dog feces on the carpet and numerous hypodermic needles on the floor in their bedroom. The report says Tayleen got the needles because she had diabetes.

Drug tests for both parents came back positive for cocaine, although it details how the two dyed their hair to try to alter the results.

The paperwork shows Sidney completed a sex offender evaluation and contained four out of five risk factors and that he not be allowed unsupervised contact with his children.

The girls went to live with other family for about nine months, then in foster care for about year.

The report also says therapists diagnosed Meagan with Adjustment disorder, mixed anxiety and depression.

Friends tell KVUE Meagan's mother died earlier this year. They also say Meagan is homeless, living in hotels and with friends and she's four months pregnant.

Meagan also has a criminal history including assault and cruelty to animals.

[MuffyBee]

http://kxan.com/2014/09/16/funeral-plans-proper-burial-for-colton/
Funeral home plans proper burial for Colton Turner
September 16, 2014

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — There was so much about Colton Turner that Sue Anne Spry did not know. But she knew what she could see.

“He was a beautiful child,” said Spry.

Colton’s babysitter was a friend of Spry’s family. Often times, the babysitter would bring Colton over to her home where he would become the center of attention.

“He was like any 2-year-old,” said Spry. “He loved to play and hang out with my daughters. They are teenagers and they doted all over him.”

But for all the affection they showered upon Colton, there were still many things about his life that remained hidden from view. His mother, Meagan Work, was a stranger whom they never met nor heard about. They were oblivious to any potential Child Protective Services investigation which may have been happening around Colton. And they never saw bumps of bruises like the ones that have surfaced in pictures during the last week.

“I saw no physical signs on him at all,” said Spry. And as of eight months ago, she and her family never saw Colton at all. When the arrangements between the family, babysitter, and Colton changed, it seemed he had exited Spry’s life. “I was actually sad when he did not come around anymore. I missed him when I did not get to see him.”

But that was until last week when she saw Colton on Facebook. Along with everyone else.

“I saw on Facebook that he was missing and I was devastated.”

Sue Anne is a manager at Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home and now, as one of the people who got to know Colton during his short life, she will help plan his funeral service. A time, date, and place have not been selected but his services will be made open to the public; the same public helping donate to an online fund.

“I didn’t know you, but your smile warms my heart. So sorry you had to go so soon,” said one comment on the GoFundMe.com website, one of the more than 200 donations. The page reached its goal of $10,000 in less than three days.