MIKE KEM

         CHRISTIAN COUNTY CLERK MIKE KEM SAYS VOTER TURNOUT HAS BEEN LIGHT THIS MORNING, WITH ONLY ONE NOTED PROBLEM IN THE ELECTION.

         A MACHINE MALFUNCTIONED AT THE CONCORD PRECINCT, BUT THAT WAS QUICKLY DEALT WITH AND THE VOTE PROCESSING MACHINE HAS SINCE BEEN REPLACED, ACCORDING TO KEM.

         KEM SAYS HE’S STICKING WITH IS PREDICTION OF A 17 TO 18 PERCENT TURNOUT, BUT SAYS THERE ARE DOUBTERS WHO BELIEVE THOSE NUMBERS MAY BE HIGH. KEM SAYS HE MAY HAVE TO CHANGE HIS PROGNOSTICATION LATER IN THE DAY IF THINGS DON’T PICK UP.

          ONE BRIGHT SPOT WAS VOTER TURNOUT AT THE COURTHOUSE PRECINCT AS OF ABOUT 9AM—WHERE 20 VOTERS HAD CAST BALLOTS IN THE FIRST THREE HOURS. KEM SAYS THAT IS PRETTY HIGH FOR THAT PRECINCT.

            KENTUCKY RESIDENTS CAN VOTE UNTIL 6 P.M. FOR THEIR STATEWIDE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS AND ELECTION COVERAGE WILL BEGIN ON THE WHOP FAMILY OF STATIONS AT 6 P.M.

 11/08/2011/AM

   Davis                             Hoskins                 Gray

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            HOPKINSVILLE POLICE HAD BEEN INVESTIGATING SEVERAL VEHICLE BREAK-INS FROM THE LAST FEW DAYS AND CAUGHT THREE ALLEGED PERPETRATORS THIS MORNING.

            IT’S NOT IMMEDIATELY KNOWN IF THE THREE ARE THE PERPETRATORS FROM THE WEEKEND INCIDENTS IN VARIOUS RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT OFFICERS ARRESTED 19-YEAR OLD BOBBY ROSS HOSKINS, 26-YEAR OLD SCOTT GRAY, JR. AND 18-YEAR OLD GREGORY DAVIS OF HOPKINSVILLE.

            OFFICERS HAD RESPONDED TO A VEHICLE BREAK-IN NEAR BARK RIDGE CIRCLE AND FOUND A VEHICLE ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE THE AREA WITH THREE MEN INSIDE. ONCE STOPPED, POLICE REPORTEDLY LOCATED SEVERAL SCREW DRIVERS, PAIRS OF GLOVES AND A FLASHLIGHT.

            THE TRIO WAS CHARGED WITH RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY AND POSSESSION OF BURGLARY TOOLS. POLICE SAY THEY ALSO FOUND STOLEN CAR SPEAKERS IN THE VEHICLE THE SUSPECTS WERE RIDING IN.

            OFFICER PAUL RAY SAYS THE THREE ARE BEING LOOKED AT AS POSSIBLE SUSPECTS FROM THE PREVIOUS BURGLARIES. HE ALSO SAYS THE ONE THING MOST OF THE VICTIMS HAVE HAD IN COMMON IS THAT THEY ALL LEFT THEIR VEHICLES UNLOCKED.

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            A PIZZA DELIVERY MAN WAS ROBBED AT GUNPOINT ON KRAFT STREET LAST NIGHT.

            THE 52-YEAR OLD VICTIM WAS MAKING A DELIVERY AT 500 KRAFT STREET AROUND 7:20 WHEN TWO JUVENILE BLACK MALES APPROACHED HIM WITH A GUN AND DEMANDED MONEY. 

            THE RESIDENTS OF THE APARTMENT HAD STATED THEY DID NOT ORDER A PIZZA AND THAT’S WHEN THE SUSPECTS APPROACHED. THERE WERE APPARENTLY NO WITNESSES TO THE INCIDENT, WITH THE SUSPECTS GETTING AWAY WITH ONLY 20 DOLLARS CASH, A 180 DOLLAR HEATWAVE PIZZA BAG AND PIZZA.

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Amy Dye

        A FRANKLIN COUNTY CIRCUIT JUDGE RELEASED SOME OF THE TERRIBLE DETAILS YESTERDAY IN A REPORT REGARDING THE TRAGIC MURDER AND JUST AS TRAGIC LIFE OF 9-YEAR OLD AMY DYE OF TODD COUNTY.
        THE TODD COUNTY STANDARD HAD SUED THE KENTUCKY CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES TO RELEASE FILES RELATING TO THE CUSTODY AND ANY REPORTS OF ABUSE REGARDING AMY DYE, WHO WAS BEATEN TO DEATH FEBRUARY 4^TH BY HER ADOPTED BROTHER OUTSIDE OF THEIR DOGWOOD ROAD HOME NEAR TRENTON.
        CIRCUIT JUDGE PHILLIP SHEPHERD RULED IN THE STANDARD’S FAVOR, SAYING THE CABINET TURNED A “BLIND EYE” TO REPEATED REPORTS OF HER HORRIFFIC MISTREATMENT.
         JUDGE SHEPHERD SAYS IN A 19 PAGE DOCUMENT THAT THIS CASE PRESENTS A TRAGIC EXAMPLE OF THE POTENTIALLY DEADLY CONSEQUENCES OF A CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM THAT HAS COMPLETELY INSULATED ITSELF FROM MEANINGFUL PUBLIC SCRUTINY.”
SADLY, AMY DYE CAME TO TODD COUNTY IN 2006 AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM HER PREVIOUS HOME IN ANOTHER STATE DUE TO “SEVERE NEGLECT AND SEXUAL ABUSE.” THE JUDGE WRITES AMY WAS ADOPTED BY KIMBERLY DYE AND PLACED INTO A HOME IN WHICH THE CABINET HAD PREVIOUSLY SUBSTANTIATED CHILD ABUSE, DESPITE OTHER RELATIVES EXPRESSING A DESIRE TO ADOPT HER.
         WHEN KIMBERLY DYE ADOPTED AMY, SHE WAS A SINGLE MOTHER WHO HAD BEEN DIVORCED FROM HUSBAND CHRIS SINCE 2004. IN 2003, THE CABINET SUBSTANTIATED HER FORMER HUSBAND CHRIS DYE HAD ABUSED ONE OF HIS TWO SONS BY GIVING HIM “30 LICKS” TO THE BACK OF THE LEGS ANDBUTTOCKS—CAUSING BRUSING.
         THE OLDEST SON OF CHRIS AND KIMBERLY WAS 10 YEARS OLDER THAN AMY AND GARRETT DYE WAS EIGHT YEARS OLDER. AT THE TIME, JUDGE SHEPHERD WRITES THE CABINET DETERMINED NOT TO OPEN A CASE DUE TO “THE LIMITED RISK OF HARM” AND BECAUSE IT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.
         THE JUDGE WRITES THE CABINET CHOSE NOT TO INVESTIGATE CHRIS DYE WHEN PLACING AMY IN KIMBERLY DYE’S HOME, DESPITE KNOWING SHE CONFERRED WITH HIM ON DISCIPLINARY ISSUES REGARDING HER TWO SONS.
         IT’S UNCLEAR EXACTLY WHEN IT HAPPENED, BUT CHRIS DYE MOVED BACK INTO THE HOME SOMETIME AFTER AMY’S PLACEMENT. THE FIRST REPORTS OF ABUSE REGARDING AMY CAME TO THE CABINET IN 2007 AND INFORMATION IN THE FILES INDICATE CHRIS DYE—THE FATHER—WAS BACK IN THE HOME AT THAT POINT.
         THE JUDGE WRITES REPORTS OF ABUSE “FLOODED IN” AND THAT THE CABINET NEVER ONCE INDICATED THEY INVESTIGATED THE ADULT MALE LIVING AT THE RESIDENCE. IN FACT, JUDGE SHEPERD SAYS NOONE EVER TOOK NOTICE OF THE FACT AMY DYE WAS LIVING IN A HOME WITH ALL OF THE MEMBERS WHERE ABUSE WAS ONCE SUBSTANTIATED.
          IN PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT PORTION OF THE RULING, THE JUDGE WRITES THE CABINET RECEIVED NO FEWER THAN EIGHT REPORTS OF ABUSE AND/OR NEGLECT—INCLUDING A REPORT THAT THE OLDEST BROTHER THREW HER ACROSS A BED AND KICKED HER IN MARCH OF 2007—WHEN AMY WOULD HAVE BEEN ONLY FIVE YEARS OLD. THE CABINET RULED “THIS INCIDENT DID NOT MEET CRITERIA FOR INVESTIGATION AS IT INVOLVED A SIBLING ALTERCATION.”
         LATER IN THE SAME MONTH, AMY TOLD THE SCHOOL NURSE THE SAME OLDER BROTHER WAS HITTING HER AND THAT SHE WAS INJURED IN ANOTHER INCIDENT WHEN SHE FELL OFF THE BED DUE TO THE ALLEGED VIOLENCE.
          THE OLDEST BROTHER CITED IN THESE REPORS WAS NOT GARRETT DYE—WHO CONFESSED TO THE MURDER LAST MONTH. THE BOY’S MOTHER, KIMBERLY DYE, TOLD INVESTIGATORS HER SONS PLAYED ROUGH WITH AMY AND THAT SHE BRUISED EASILY. THE CABINET DECIDED THE INCIDENT WAS “CHILD AGAINST CHILD” AND TOOK NO ACTION.
        IN MAY OF 2007, THE CABINET RECEIVED A REPORT FROM A SCHOOL NURSE THAT AMY HAD THUMB PRINTS ON HER FACE AND HER SKIN WAS BROKEN AND PEELED OFF—ACCORDING TO INFORMATION IN THE JUDGE’S DECISION.
JUDGE SHEPHERD WRITES THAT AMY TOLD THE NURSE THE OLDER BROTHER ALSO INFLICTED THOSE INJURIES AND THAT KIMBERLY DYE THREATENED TO SPANK HER IF SHE TOLD ANYONE.
       KIMBERLY DYE REPORTEDLY TOLD A SOCIAL WORKER THE WOUNDS WERE FROM PLAYING IN THE GRAVEL AND “RUBBING THE GRAVEL AGAINST HER SKIN.”
       THE NURSE ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THERE HAD BEEN MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS OF ABUSE AND ASKED A SOCIAL WORKER TO SPEAK TO AMY AT THE SCHOOL. JUDGE SHEPERD WRITES THE NURSE CITES THE NAMES OF THE SOCIAL WORKER SHE SUBMITTED SIX SEPARATE CLAIMS TO, BUT THAT THERE ARE ONLY THREE OF THOSE PARTICULAR INCIDENTS INCLUDED IN AMY’S FILE.
       TWO OF THE MORE DISTURBING INCIDENTS NOT INCLUDED IN THE OFFICIAL CABINET REPORTS, BUT CITED BY THE NURSE, INCLUDE THE OLDEST BROTHER THROWING HER DOWN AND SHOOTING HER WITH A BB GUN. THERE WAS ALSO REPORTEDLY AN INSTANCE OF THE GIRL TELLING THE NURSE THAT HER “PRIVATE PARTS HURT.”
       ON MAY 17, 2007, THE CABINET REPORTEDLY RECEIVED A REPORT OF THE OLDEST BROTHER HITTING AMY ON THE HEAD WITH A SHOVEL. CHRIS DYE, WHO WAS LIVING IN THE HOME WHILE TECHNICALLY DIVORVED FROM KIMBERLY, TOLD A SOCIAL WORKER THE INJURY WAS FROM HITTING HER HEAD ON A DESK AT SCHOOL.
       FOUR MONTHS LATER, AMY REPORTED HER TWO BROTHERS HAD HURT HER, HER EYE WAS BRUISED AND SWOLEN AND SHE WAS “COVERED IN BITES.” SHE REPORTEDLY WENT ON TO SAY THE ABUSE HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME AND THAT HER PARENTS HAD INSTRUCTED HER TO EXPLAIN THE BRUISES BY SAYING SHE FELL.
      KIMBERLY DYE AND THE TWO BROTHERS WOULD SAY AMY TRIPPED AND FELL WHILE RUNNING, WITH AMY LATER GOING ALONG WITH THAT STORY WHICH CAUSED A SOCIAL WORKER USING THAT INFORMATION TO CLOSE THAT COMPLAINT.

      IN NOVEMBER OF 2008, GARRETT DYE REPORTEDLY TOOK A GUN TO SCHOOL. AFTERWARD, THE CABINET RECEIVED A REPORT THAT CHRIS DYE PUNCHED GARRETT IN THE FACE. GARRETT, THEN 15 YEARS OLD, REPORTEDLY TOLD THE CABINET HE WAS “HIT ON ACCIDENT DUE TO HIS BEHAVIORS” AND THAT “HE WAS AFRAID TO GO BACK HOME TO HIS FATHER.”   ONCE AGAIN, THE CABINET DETERMINED THE REFERREL SHOULD GO UNSUBSTANTIATED DUE TO THERE BEING “NO CURRENT MARKS” ON GARRETT DYE AND BECAUSE IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.

       THE JUDGE ALSO REPORTS OF GARRETT DYE HAVING SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEMS.JUDGE SHEPHERD DETAILS THE HOURS PRECEEDING AMY DYE’S MURDER, QUOTING A REPORT SAYING SHE WAS OUTSIDE SHOVELING GRAVEL WITH GARRETT DYE AS PUNISHMENT FOR STEALING PUDDING AND JUICE FROM A FRIEND’S LUNCHBOX AT SCHOOL.
       GARRETT DYE PLED GUILTY TO MUDERING AMY ON OCTOBER 21^ST, SAYING HE WALKED TO A STORAGE SHED TO RETRIEVE THE JACK HANDLE WITH THE INTENTION TO MURDER HER.
        IN DETAILS OF THE INVESTIGATION NEVER BEFORE DISCLOSED, JUDGE SHEPHERD WRITES POLICE FOUND AMY’S DRESSER DRAWERS FULL OF CLOTHES OUTSIDE ON A TRAILER AND COVERED WITH A TARP.
        THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED AMY HAD A HARD TIME CONTROLING HER BOWELS AND SOILED HERSELF REGULARLY AT HOME FOR THE YEAR PRIOR TO THE MURDER AND WOULD PUT SOILED UNDERWEAR BACK IN HER DRESSER DRAWER. IN RESPONSE, HER ADOPTIVE MOTHER PUT THE DRAWERS OUTSIDE AND MADE HER WALK OUTSIDE TO GET CLEAN CLOTHES WHENEVER SHE SOILED HERSELF.
ONE SOURCE REPORTED TO THE CABINET THAT IN RESPONSE TO THE BOWEL INCOTINENCE PROBLEMS, KIMBERLY TOLD AMY “THAT IF SHE WAS GOING TO ACT LIKE A DOG, SHE WOULD BE TREATED LIKE ONE.” THE JUDGE WRITES THAT AMY NOTABLY DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS CONTROLING HER BOWELS AT SCHOOL.
         KIMBERLY DYE REPORTEDLY FORCED AMY TO PLACE ALL OF HER TOYS AND CLOTHES IN A SHED AND LEFT HER OUTSIDE WITH ONLY A JACKET ON. WHEN GARRETT DYE LET HER BACK IN THE HOME, HE WAS SCOLDED ACCORDING TO THE REPORT.
         NO DATE IS GIVEN FOR AN INCIDENT OF ALLEGED ABUSE WHEN CHRIS DYE DROVE AMY TO A HOTEL PARKING LOT IN CLARKSVILLE WITH HER SUITCASE AND LEFT HER THERE FOR AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME UNTIL HE RETURNED AND SAID THEY DID NOT WANT HER ANYMORE.
         ACCORDING TO THE CABINET’S RECORD, CHRIS ADMITTED TO THE SOCIAL WORKER THAT HE LEFT THE GIRL ALONE IN THE PARKING LOT, SAYING IT WAS “A GOOD WAY TO TEACH HER A LESSON.” KIMBERLY DYE REPORTEDLY DENIED BEING PRESENT FOR THAT INCIDENT.
JUDGE SHEPHERD WRITES THE CABINET FAILED TO PROTECT AMY, SAYING IT “TURNED A BLIND EYE TOWARD A SERIES OF REPORTS THAT RAISED SUBSTANTIAL ALLEGATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT WITHIN THE MEANING OF STATE LAW.
        THE JUDGE SAYS THAT ALTHOUGH THE GIRL’S BROTHERS WERE THE PRIMARY CULPRITS OF THE ABUSE, IT WASN’T WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF HER PARENTS WHO THREATENED HER WITH VIOLENCE IF SHE WENT TO ANYONE FOR HELP. THE CABINET AT LEAST ONCE FULFILLED ITS LEGAL DUTY TO NOTIFY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND COMMONWEALTH’S ATTORNEY—BUT REPORTEDLY REQUESTED NO LAW ENFORCMENT ACTION.
         THE JUDGE WRITES THE CABINET STRAINS THE DEFINITION OF “ABUSED OR NEGLECTED CHILD” BEYOND REASON BY CLAIMING THAT IT HAS NO DUTY TO INVESTIGATE A SERIES OF SIBLING-ON-SIBLING ABUSE. HE SAYS THE CABINET’S FAILURE TO ACT IS EVEN MORE GLARING CONSIDERING THE BOYS HAD ALSO REPORTEDLY SUFFERED ABUSE IN THE HOME.

          THE CABINET HAD TRIED TO WITHOLD THE FILES FROM THE STANDARD AND OTHER MEDIA DUE TO THE ABUSE AND FATAL BLOWS BEING DONE BY A SIBLING. JUDGE SHEPHERD WRITES A PARENT NEED NOT PERSONALLY ADMINISTER THE FATAL BLOW IN ORDER TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR “ABUSE AND NEGLECT” UNDER STATE LAW, IF THE PARENT PLACES THE CHILD IN DANGER AND NEGLECTS TO PROTECT THE CHLD FROM AN ONGOING PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL ABUSE BY A SIBLING OR ANYONE ELSE. IN CONCLUSION, JUDGE SHEPHERD SAYS NO FEWER THAN EIGHT SEPARATE REPORTS OF ABUSE AGAINST AMY DYE WERE RECEIVED BY THE CABINET AND THAT NO MEANINGFUL ACTION WAS EVER TAKEN. NOONE OTHER THAN GARRETT DYE HAS EVER BEEN CHARGED WITH ANY CRIME RELATING TO THE YOUNG GIRL’S DEATH ON A COLD AND RAINY NIGHT THAT WON’T SOON BE FORGOTTEN—NOR SHOULD IT EVER BE—IN TODD COUNTY.

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11/08/2011/AM

Garrett Dye recently in Todd Circuit Court/file photo