'She lived in a constant warzone': Nash County residents seek justice for 8-year-old girl beaten to death
Community members called for justice Monday for an 8-year-old girl allegedly murdered by her grandmother weeks after Social Services received reports she was being abused.
On Monday, several people spoke during the Nash County Board of Commissioners’ meeting on behalf of Christal Lane. The 8-year-old girl died Feb. 7, and her grandmother, Patricia Ricks, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with her death. Ricks is also charged with felony child abuse.
A month before Christal’s death, Nash County Sheriff’s Office investigators told the Nash County Department of Social Services (DSS) to remove the girl and her siblings from the home they shared with Ricks.
Former Nash County Department of Social Services Director Donna Boone was among the speakers on Monday. Boone was a 35-year employee of Nash County and retired five years ago. She served as deputy director for five years and as director for the last three years of her career.
On Monday, Boone spoke in defense of the current leadership of the county social services, Director Amy Pridgen-Hamlett and Deputy Director Shea Neal.
“[I] want to speak to my utmost confidence in their ability to right the ship,” Boone said. “They both have a tremendous amount of passion for the work they do.
“They work tirelessly and long hours to try to meet the needs of the citizens in the county.”
In mid-March, WRAL News reported that an employee of Nash County Department of Social Services had been terminated after the state found several violations in the department’s handling of the allegations of child abuse in Christal’s case.
Also, the state is requiring Nash County DSS to develop a corrective action plan. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services found the county did not supervise Christal’s case correctly or follow up sufficiently on concerns expressed by a professional who examined her. The report also examined 23 other child abuse cases, finding Nash County DSS only properly supervised 39% of them.
Boone also had another recommendation for the Nash County commissioners.
“I do understand that there are a tremendous amount of serious reports coming in that take a great deal of time and effort and energy on the social workers’ part, and would implore you all to, if anything, to maybe consider adding additional social work staff and child protective services to help them be able to spend all the time they need with each child and each case,” Boone said.
Jay Powell and Laura Bartholomew were among the Nash County residents who spoke before commissioners on Monday. Neither appeared to have a relationship with Christal or Ricks.
“She [Christal] lived in a constant warzone, and DSS knew of this and did nothing,” resident Jay Powell said.
Powell said one child killed is one child too many.
“The school saw that she came there with marks on her,” Powell said. “They took actions as much as they could, but, yet still, Christal Lane is still not here because the ball was dropped.
“And yes, it was dropped indeed.”
Powell said he wanted to see changes within Nash County DSS.
“We can’t bring her back, but from this day forth, we need to know that any child that is under investigation through DSS is held at a high standard,” Powell said. “We’re not sweeping anyone under the rug.”
Bartholomew echoed Powell’s sentiments.
“This could have been prevented," she said. "This should never have happened."
