Wednesday will see the opening of State versus Martin Warren, a 36-year-old Seabeck man accused of killing his father, Russell M. Warren. Jury selection will begin the proceedings in Kitsap County Superior Court.
In all, there are six murder trials pending in Kitsap, counting Warren’s. Here are the other five:
State Versus Richeal M. Rhoades
Rhoades, 22, is charged with a variety of murder charges after her daughter, Brenda, was found dead due to neglect in December at her Jackson Park home. The trial, ongoing this past week, has its closing arguments Tuesday.
Clark, 33, is believed by authorities to have stabbed to death
Marty Smith, a Kitsap Mental Health Services employee who was
attempting to bring Clark in for a mental health evaluation in
November 2005 while at Clark’s home in Poulsbo. The trial is set to
begin Nov. 6, two days after the first anniversary of Smith’s
death.
State Versus Bryan Matsen
Matsen, 36, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of his wife, Evelyn Tumbaga Matsen, 34, and her son, Wahren Agonoy, 13, at their Woods Place home on Nov. 4, 2005. Prosecutors may also seek the death penalty if he is convicted. The trial is set to start in January 2007.
Forder, 44, is charged in Kitsap County Superior Court with homicide by abuse and first-degree manslaughter in the death of her 8-year-old son, Christopher Forder, on Nov. 24, 2002. The case wasn’t solved until late August this year when a family member came forward with new information about the boy’s death. Her trial is slated for Oct. 27.
State Versus Zachary James Santos
Santos, 20, is charged with the Aug. 5 shooting death of John Taueli, 23, in an East Bremerton parking lot. Kitsap Sheriff’s detectives found Santos at an apartment in Everett. The next court date in the case is Sept. 29.
Josh, Do you have the bill# for Marty’s Bill?
I find it odd that Rhoades was convicted of second degree murder and Forder is only charged with manslaughter. After hearing the torture that little boy went through for years you would think that woman if convicted should go to the chair. Rhoades was depressed and afraid to ask for help. Our judicial system appears way out of whack. I have strong suspicions the lesser charges filed on Forder are because she was an adoptive and foster parent. She was given a license by Washington to torture children. I think Forder’s crime is being minimized to save face for the most disfuntional department our Government has. Children and Family services routinly cover their Butts with the help of our courts. The Social workers that placed any kids with Forder should be fired and maybe even jailed. and it should be made public. Maybe if the state was not allowed to hide things behind the confidentiality clause less children would be hurt or killed at their hands. The Social worker that liked Marie Robinson enough to leave her kids to die is now back in the position to take or leave kids. the department just shuffled her to a different job till things quieted down. Now she will probably take every kid she gets a call about even if the child is in a safe home. This will help place kids with people like the Forders. we can’t forget the little adopted boy who was killed in Shelton for insurance money. I guess it is not as much of a crime to kill or torture a child that is not biologically related in Washington. Pretty disgusting.
Elaine,
I should clarify something from your blog post: Rhoades was indeed found guilty second-degree murder, but Kimberly Forder has been charged with not only manslaughter and also homicide by abuse — two seperate crimes.
Josh, She will still not get sent to the chair if found guilty. I think 2nd degree murder has a higher sentence range in Washington, than both of Forders charges combined. What about the other kids they adopted? Does the husband still have these kids supposedly protecting them? This really makes me sad. The bio parents of these kids must be frantic. We all need to step up to the plate and do something to stop our Government from taking kids from more times than not poor families and giving them to people like the Forders. It is for profit, not for the kids best interest. I recieve calls all the time from terrified parents with kids in fostercare that are bruised and The state does nothing. The most recent a little girl last week was badly bruised, the social worker made a Dr. Appointment 3 weeks out[I am sure so the bruises have time to heal]. And left this little girl in the same home. The Bremerton office of DCFS is so bad I actually picket the place. The State Auditor is preforming preformance audits. I have recommended they dig into Bremerton first. It is all about money and saving face. Elaine
The bio parents of these kids must be frantic. We all need to step up to the plate and do something to stop our Government from taking kids from more times than not poor families and giving them to people like the Forders. It is for profit, not for the kids best interest. I recieve calls all the time from terrified parents with kids in fostercare that are bruised and The state does nothing.
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The birth parents to children have their children taken away from them and put into foster care because they are poor?
I find that hard to believe.
Where does the ‘Profit’ you speak of, go? To the social worker? Not the ones I know.
To the foster parents?
Why didn’t the social worker take the badly bruised child to the emergency room for immediate treatment?
If the agency is so indifferent to the very children they exist to protect, why haven’t you filed a lawsuit charging DCFS with gross negligence?
Or started a petition of concerned citizens for the safety of children… ?
Here and now is the time.
Oh sharon you are not alone in wanting to believe that Child protective services protects children. The state recieves hefty Federal Bonuses for the adoption of foster children to non family members. The incident involving the bruised child is so common it is unconcionable for a kind hearted person to even fathom. It is very real. The state sets aside a general fund to cover lawsuits. People that are not poor rarely ever have their children removed. they can afford good attornies. there are many good social workers and no they do not recieve the money. But if you’re in the apple business you must always have a supply of apples or you do not have a job. It is an industry larger than you think. I do everything in my power to help make changes to protect the kids that are not being protected. The families I come in contact with have been destroyed by DCFS, the children if they are lucky enough to get to go home are so emotionally damaged it takes years to recover. I know many good social workers and I know good foster parents as well. unfortunetly there are some not so good ones that ruin the lives for many of the people they come in contact with.The social worker that did not take the child to the doctor is the majority in Bremerton. The foster parent may be the one beating this child so they are not going to take her. The social worker looks bad for placing the child in an abusive placement and covers her rear. This incident has been reported to the police. They usually just ask the social worker. This is how we end up with dead kids like Christopher Forder. Sad but true. Sorry for being the bearer of bad news. But before you believe this couldn’t possibly be true sit at the CPS office and talk to the clients in the dependency courts and then dig a little deeper and find out if what the courts are being told by the social Workers and GALs is really the truth. I do it all the time. More times than not I have found that plain and simple they lie.
Hmmm…very interesting thoughts, too bad they’re not true.
Yes, the state does receive federal subsodies for some adoptions, but that federal money goes towards paying adoption support (money that adoptive families get for adopting high-needs children).
And if the information presented in dependency courts is grossely inaccurate, wouldn’t the parents’ defence council present correct information? Is it possible that whoever you are getting your information from is not true? Social workers, assistant attorney generals, and judges do not sign off on dependency petitions because we get paid to do so. We do it to protect kids. With the shortage of foster homes out there, it’s insane to suggest that the state removes children from homes for no reason. The state removes children from their parents’ care only after their parents FAIL to participate in any of the services offered to them (such as drug treatment, parenting classes, in-home therapy, etc). And once a child is removed, parents have further opportunities to correct their parental deficiencies. It’s only after the FAIL TO ENGAGE IN SERVICES FOR AT LEAST 12 MONTHS that a petition to terminate their parental rights is filed, and if termination is granted, the child can subsequently be adopted.
I believe anonymous is correct … but find it difficult to put credence in folks hiding behind anonymity.
anonymous needs to clarify the adoption process too.
It is my understanding the state pays the adoptive family to adopt the child and also pays all medical and dental for that child.
How then, if the adoptive family gets paid for taking the child… how is that any different than being a foster family to that child? Does the adoptive family make more money than the foster family?
What is the difference?
I always thought adoptive children were taken care of by the adoptive family…the state had nothing to do with it.
Which is right?
If the adoptive family gets paid for the child, how can the child ever feel a real part of the family? IF the family has other children the ‘natural’ way… and no one pays for them, wouldn’t the state paid child feel apart?
Actually I know of a family getting paid to adopt a child. I know that family has used that money at times to support the whole family.
It does not seem right to me but, I do not know, I am asking.
Sharon–you are correct, many times the parents’ that adopt children from the foster care system are provided with a small financial subsody (federal money) as well as a medical coupon until the child turns 18. However, the large percentage of children adopted from the foster care system are born positive for illegal drugs (cocaine, methamphetamines, heroin, oxycontin, etc). These kids can have lifelong effects based on the prenatal exposure, such as physical therapy or sensory integration issues. Other times kids must be in counseling to help them deal with the physical or sexual abuse or neglect they suffered at the hands of their parents. 99.9% of the kids are adopted by families that love and nurture them as if they were their own biological children and the financial subsody has nothing to do with it (and we’re talking about $400/month).
Dear Anonymous, the “We” in your letter tells me you are in the child stealing business. Whether or not you are doing this out of compassion or the want to believe that all these kids in dependency’s really belong belong in a dependency. The Lawyers (especially in Kitsap) are the poorest I have ever seen. Hopefully since OPD took over and They ARE Being Watched, it will make a difference in the representation the families receive. I doubt it! But I have faith. I have personal knowledge of the lies that Social workers have told Judges. I even have a Whistle Blower Social Worker out of our Bremerton office that I guarantee will Speak out about the Corruption, Lies and Personal Feelings towards CLIENT’S that have resulted in TPR’S . All kids that are taken from their families are special needs. Kitsap Mental Health makes a killing off these kids. I believe the Pay for ADOPTED KIDS is $840.00 per month. {SPECIAL NEEDS INCLUDES HAVING SIBLINGS} HMMMMMMMM
I know many parents that engaged in services. and still never get their kids back. I have even gone to the level of finding a whistle blower out of the Bremerton Office that will tell if The Social Worker does not like the parent they lie and keep the kids. I sit in the courts for many dependency hearings and never once have I heard a Judge ask for the proof a Social worker has backing the allegations they presented to the courts to have the children removed. I wish more than anyone that all social workers were good and honest. I would like to believe they are all truly looking out for these kids. BUT look at the Boys on the Peninsula that were tortured by their foster father and look at the little adopted boy in Shelton that was killed for life insurance money. The Forders. The little girl that was in a Bremerton foster home that was raped repeatedly and even after a SANE exam. Was left for more abuse in that home. The GAL is still a GAL here in Kitsap that did nothing to protect that little girl with medical documentation of the sexual assaults.Neither did the Social worker. That family will be getting a part of the general fund that is set aside for the lawsuits. The 8 little boys will also get a part of the fund. The 99.9 percent of children being adopted to loving families is more like 50 percent. There is never a DNA bond in adoptive families. And if Foster care is so much better for these kids why do so many runaway or why are there so many foster kids sitting in our Juvenile detention centers. The safe families act is structured to adopt kids not reunify. Some troubled families take a little longer than the alloted time to pull their lives together. These kids suffer for the rest of their lives from the trauma that is inflicted on them when they are jerked from a family they love. Read a book called Chosen Children it is available online. Almost every Serial Killer is an Adoptee. Pretty scary, So the next time you see me sitting in that court room remember I am there because I care about the kids that are not being protected and I am doing whatever it takes to help make changes so there are not more little boys being tortured and there are no more Forders. And so that when a Social Worker presents unfounded allegations to the courts they are held accountable. I know there are kids that need help but right now our system is doing more harm than good in most cases. in 2003 Washington submitted to the Federal Government the numbers to collect the Federal adoption bonus. It was 98 percent of adoptions were foster to adopt to strangers not kinship and 2% of the adoptions were stepparent adoptions. Why was there 0% kinship adoptions? MONEY, that is why.
Dear judge or Commisioner’ AKA anonymous, I truly respect you, I was brought up in an era where people were honest. decent. and caring people. What has happened to the eliminate these values? Thankfully I had enough time to instill these values on my own children,,by the time they were four years old they had learned true values. My all time favorite quotes from my kids are “we have family that makes us rich’ and Mom you never give up hope. My reply was I have FAITH” My kids were taken by the State and lived in alleys and ate out of dumpsters at 11 years old. To this day they go to jail for trying to come home. If only somebody would have listened to them’ or the Social Worker that despised me back then had been required by a Judge to show proof that the mandated reporter was honest and I had been able to afford a good attorney these kids would have never suffered.We lost everything except our Love and Faith. Thank God that they have not lost the things money cannot buy. So many people I come in contact with are on the edge of giving up, Every hope!I cry so many tears for them, and go to what ever extreme it takes to save their kids from what my own have lived at the hands of WASHINGTON. we are all human and we all err! Is LAW so above just saying HMMMM maybe we made a mistake! In the dependency courts I hear the word insight so many times, Is there really Insight on the part of the trusted GAL’S and Social Workers all of the time,Impossible!! Personality is involved in every job there is. Please for the sake of these kids make certain that enough time and help is given to these families. The way things are with our system now it is more destructive than helpful , change is hard but it never happens if nobody makes it happen.
I just wanted to say that i just went through a dependancy and my rights were terminated and NO the court appointed lawyers do not tell the truth. either you have to remember who they have lunch with everyday, i will never believe that CPS is looking out for the best interest of the children, this is from my own personal experince and NOT hearsay. But it’s very true that the state gets money for kids and so do the adoptive paerents even if they are family, my parents are so i know that to be true. thanks.
Dear Annoymous,
What’s the matter?
Cat got your tongue?
Sharon…are you still out there?
Sounds like MS. Wolcott-Ehrhardt has done her homework.
Check it out!!
I have!!
I am really wondering about the cps and all involved in the removing of children. I have a nephew who has a little girl that some of these people are trying to get him to let her be adopted, even tho the grandmother has said and told these people she will take her and the rest of our family. We cannot figure out what is going on and when my sister tries to talk to these people they won’t return her calls (she’s the grandma) its almost like they have a friend that wants kimmi or somthing, the child is in foster care. right now, the whole thing makes no sense to us and who the heck do you go to or call in a situation like this?
The more exposure this department gets the better. At 2 AM drinking tea I am outraged that people haven’t put a stop to the abuse of power within the children’s administration. So many people know or are someone that has suffered at the hands of cps and it still goes on. EVERYONE THAT HAS AN EXPERIANCE THAT IS NOT SO KOSHER NEEDS TO BRING IT TO PUBLIC ATTENTION.This baby is more than likely already in an adoptive home. My plan is to put a screeching halt to this abuse. Everyone just needs to leave their fear behind and remember lies exposed are lies not worth reading. There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and to pursue it steadily. HMMM maybe George was on to something.
Sally, You need to go to constituent relations. And speak with a woman named Cheryl Rich, also Mary Mining the ombudsman. My own experience with these two people has been good. Contact every State Representative and Senator you can find. Do not give up. I am sure if this is in Kitsap you are up against a lot. Even in Olympia they are aware there are huge problems here. You need to have all family members notify the Social worker by registered mail and email that they are available to take this child. If you do not get a response, go to the Area Administrator and the Regional Administrator. They need to know if their employees are not diligently seeking a family for this child. I believe it is policy to place children with kin when there is kin able and willing to take a child in. There is a lot of this going on. It is wrong! So do not stand for it or this child could be lost forever. There is also an organization called Washington Families United that advocates for families. They are in Olympia. Just google them.
“Dear Annoymous,
What’s the matter?
Cat got your tongue?
Sharon…are you still out there?
Sounds like MS. Wolcott-Ehrhardt has done her homework.
Check it out!!
I have!!
Posted by: CC Tillett | October 28, 2006 10:07 PM
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…well, CC Tillett, you forgot to tell us what you checked out and your conclusion.
If EW-E has the facts straight why hasn’t she gone to an attorney and sued?
Too many of us throw accusations on an emotional level without proof.
If I understand correctly, her children were taken from her without justification and not returned.
Why hasn’t she sued to get them back?
There are good, competent legal counsel folks available that would love to take a case and be handed a handful of documented proof that wrongdoing was/is/taking place.
________________________
“… You need to go to constituent relations. And speak with a woman named Cheryl Rich, also Mary Mining the ombudsman….”
__________________________
Good post…offering concrete help to Sally…and legitimate contact persons to assist. That is helpful.
Dear Anonymous,
Please sit down, strap in and hold on tight! It is going to be a very bumpy ride.
What I have checked out is a whole lot of info that you will see on the front page of every Rag this side of the Mississippi! It is coming soon! Emotional conclusions are not a factor with EWE. Google her.
Well Anonymous, I almost thought you had disappeared. I am far from emotionally casting stones. My children have suffered at the hands of the very people we are supposed to trust. As for suing, they will. And by the way, could you pass on the name of a good Attorney that is chomping at the bit for a case like ours? This should be one that does not eat lunch with the Social workers or sit and mingle at the round table in the Juvenile Courthouse. HMMMM This might be a problem in Kidnap County. No Pun intended. Oh by the way, if things go as planned, there will be a lot of smiling families. Sorry can’t say more. You will see it on Live at 5.
Anonymous, Forgot to fill you in on the Bill passed in California in January 06.
California’s State Legislature passed a law allowing teens in care to ask the courts to allow them to return home years after their parents lost their rights.
The new law applies to teens who seemed destined to remain in foster care until aging out, and whose parents’ circumstances have changed.
It is likely this law will follow into Washington the next Legislative session. There is a huge need for this to happen everywhere.If you are who I think you are, you would be a great person to show up in support of this, Also jury trials would be a good addition to the courts concerning children. Even insurance companies are allowed juries. Why not families? So why does proof not have to beyond a reasonable doubt? Civil? HMMMM There is only one color of law. Thanks for reading so much, and responding.
Annoymous did not post this, I did. Sharon O’Hara.
You are welcome.
____________________
“Dear Annoymous,
What’s the matter?
Cat got your tongue?
Sharon…are you still out there?
Sounds like MS. Wolcott-Ehrhardt has done her homework.
Check it out!!
I have!!
Posted by: CC Tillett | October 28, 2006 10:07 PM
_______________________
…well, CC Tillett, you forgot to tell us what you checked out and your conclusion.
If EW-E has the facts straight why hasn’t she gone to an attorney and sued?
Too many of us throw accusations on an emotional level without proof.
If I understand correctly, her children were taken from her without justification and not returned.
Why hasn’t she sued to get them back?
There are good, competent legal counsel folks available that would love to take a case and be handed a handful of documented proof that wrongdoing was/is/taking place.
________________________
“… You need to go to constituent relations. And speak with a woman named Cheryl Rich, also Mary Mining the ombudsman….”
__________________________
Good post…offering concrete help to Sally…and legitimate contact persons to assist. That is helpful.
Posted by: Anonymous | November 8, 2006 11:10 PM
______________________
Dear Ms.Wolcott-Ehrhardt,
I was doing some reading today about the Braam Settlement.
I thought you might be interested in knowing that the Supreme Court rejected the State’s argument, That children in foster care have no constitutionally protected rights or that the rights that they do possess are no greater than convicted criminals in prison.
It is difficult to understand how or why the state would think such things about the children that they protect.
I am thankful that the Supreme Court rejected the States’ argument.
Please answer this question or direct me to where I can find the answer myself, because I have searched for days.
Hey Elaine,
I Googled that Washington Families United place you told you told Sally about awhile ago.
Anyway there is an excellent article about jury trials located there, written by a Stella Hackney-Farias. And since you mentioned jury trials for parents…
CC Tillett
CC, It is refreshing to know that somebody really reads and researches things. The Braam Lawsuit is a wonderful thing. A beginning for so many changes that need to happen. Foster children have suffered so much. It is just a beginning. The lack of due process not allowing juries to hear these cases may very well have been a contribution to the horror stories these foster kids have lived. We have many kind hearted people that truly are out to help, the barriers are tremendous, when a family is trying to provide some kind of stability for a child often they are ripped away to only go on to another place to be ripped away over and over. Hopefully Jessica Bramm has made the changes needed in that department. The lack of the option of having a jury trial when the most important part of nature is at risk is scary. Sometimes even Judges are real people and have emotion. Like or dislike for a party of the case. When there is a panel of many personalities there is more liklyhood of fairness. That is why juries were established. there is so much more I believe should change. The Indian Child Welfare Act was established to protect Indian children from being basically torn from their culture. [Family] The tribal laws allow for more stringent proof before permanently severing a parent child relationship. Hopefully society will soon catch on to the importance of family and cultural relationships, just as the Indians have.
Well guys, its been 4 days and I have not heard a word from any of you. I know CC you are reading, reading and checking things out. Today I was forced to take a bus from Port Orchard to Bremerton. {CAR PROBLEM} In every Bus shed we passed there was a flyer from Washington Families United. They are expanding rapidly. Hopefully this organization will help stop another murder of an innocent child like Christopher Forder from happening. This blog is titled Murder in Kitsap.
Elaine,
I always research with a passion everything that you write.
I am not always a believer, until the research is completed.
Girlfriend ,you are truly a breath of fresh air when it comes to the things that you write on this site.
I read with much curiosity about the Native Americans’ rights.
In my job description and union contract, we have a “me too” clause. Whatever one group gets, so do all the others.
Rhoades got 18 years and she was depressed as diagnosed by Washington, Kitsaps and DCFS #1 shrink DR. O’Leary. This woman could possibly have the 7 children still alive returned to her. That is very scary.Even more scary are her supporters that would leave thier own kids in her care. DR. O’Leary routinely testify’s in termination of parental rights cases. Yet he was not credibale in a criminal court in the Rhoades case. That case was held in front of a Judge that uses his testimony as gold when terminating parental rights. Kitsap needs new Judges