CHRISTINA MEEKS - 4 yo/ Accused: Robert Meeks and Betty Hall - Muskogee OK

Two
people have been arrested in Muskogee after a 4-year-old girl with
injuries apparently consistent with sexual assault died at a hospital,
Muskogee police report.

The Oklahoma Medical Examiner's office has not released an official
cause of death, but investigators do not believe that the death is a
result of the alleged sexual assault, Muskogee police Cpl. Pedro
Zardeneta said.



Robert Jack Meeks II, 22, and Betty J. Hall, 42, both of Muskogee, were booked into the Muskogee County Jail.
Meeks has been booked on complaints of first-degree rape and lewd acts against a minor child, police report.
Hall is booked on complaints of failure to seek medical attention and failure to report child abuse, police said.
Police said they were called to Muskogee Regional Medical Center on Sunday in reference to a sexual assault.
The child was later transported to a Tulsa-area hospital where she died, police said.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/specialprojects/news/crimewatch/article.aspx?subjectid=450&articleid=20110621_450_0_Topola898045

Muskogee- Both suspects due in court at 3 p.m. today to be formally
charged in connection with the death of a 4-year old special needs girl.

Right
now, 22 year old Robert Meeks was booked into jail on complaints of
first-degree rape and lewd acts against a child. His mom, 42 year old
Betty Hall was booked on complaints of failure to seek medical attention
and failure to report child abuse.

The little girl died at a
Tulsa hospital on Monday. A cause of death has not yet been released.
Shortly after her death, her two relatives were arrested.

According to court documents, Hall admitted her son had injured her granddaughter but she was afraid to confront him about it.

Right
now, the Muskogee Police department says this is only a child abuse
investigation but they are not ruling out additional charges.

A medical worker who saw the little girl right before she died tells FOX 23 she believes the child was killed.

http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Muskogee-Child-Abuse-Suspects-Due-in-Court/5zc7RpfC_UOx6Cvz89-srQ.cspx

Family members of a 4-year-old girl who died after allegedly being
sexually abused say they are confused by the charges filed Monday.

Betty Hall, 42, the child’s paternal grandmother, was charged with one
count of child neglect. The charge stems from her alleged failure to
seek medical attention for granddaughter, who police say had been
sexually abused.

The child’s uncle, Robert Jack Meeks II, 22, was charged with one count
of child sexual abuse. No charges were filed in connection with
Christina Meeks’ death.

“I am very upset — very angry,” said Cherry Phillips, who identified
herself as the child’s maternal great-grandmother. “I’m still in shock
that this happened.”

Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore said the evidence
available now would not support a murder charge. He said the medical
examiner’s preliminary findings show the child died as a result of
pre-existing medical conditions.

“Of course the question we have is whether the sexual abuse exacerbated
those medical conditions or in some way led to her death,” Moore said,
noting the ongoing nature of the investigation. “He (the medical
examiner) cannot say right now that it did.”

Investigators said the child was taken to Muskogee Regional Medical
Center June 19. Hospital officials called police after an examination
revealed signs of a “violent” sexual assault. The child died early the
next day.

Hall told investigators she suspected her son committed the sexual
assault but was afraid to report the abuse or the child’s injuries.
According to an affidavit, Hall told investigators she waited to say
anything because she had hoped the child’s injuries would heal.

Phillips said her great-granddaughter had been placed in Hall’s care
about two or three years ago. She declined to elaborate about who
ordered the placement or why the placement was made, but said she and
others on the child’s mother’s side of the family are upset about the
outcome of that decision.

“How can anybody do that to a child, especially one like her,” Phillips
said with a hushed and trembling voice. “She couldn’t even take up for
herself — she couldn’t even talk.”

Phillips said whoever is responsible for her great-granddaughter’s
death deserves to be in prison for life. Both charges filed Monday
against Hall and Meeks carry punishments of up to life in prison.

Hall is being held in lieu of a $50,000 bond in Muskogee County/City
Detention Center. Meeks is being held without bond on the sex charge and
a $10,000 bond for an application to revoke a suspended sentence in a
2010 misdemeanor embezzlement case.

Hall and Meeks are scheduled to appear July 7 in Muskogee County District Court.

http://muskogeephoenix.com/local/x1295078448/Family-of-deceased-4-year-old-confused-by-charges

Rape charges dropped in Muskogee girl's assault

Last Modified: 8/24/2011  5:28 PM

MUSKOGEE — Charges were dropped against a man police arrested in a sexual assault of a disabled 4-year-old girl the day before she died at a Tulsa hospital.

Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore said they could not tie Robert Meeks Jr., 22, or anyone else in the household to the crime based on the forensic evidence that has been tested so far.

Meeks was the girl’s uncle.

Meeks’ mother, Betty Hall, 42, implicated Meeks in the case after her granddaughter Christina Meeks was taken to the hospital with a high fever and cardiac arrest June 19.

According to an affidavit filed in the case, hospital officials observed that the child had vaginal bleeding, a damaged hymen and deep internal tears to both her vagina and anus.

Moore said the charges were dropped without prejudice meaning that they can be refiled if more information surfaces. He added that more testing is being done.

Hall, who was the child’s caretaker, still faces a child neglect charge for being aware of sexual abuse and not seeking medical attention.

“We are proceeding against the grandmother and will prosecute her to the fullest of our ability. The evidence shows that she (Christina) was sexually abused,” Moore said.

The medical examiner ruled that the child died of natural causes and not from sexual abuse.

Moore said the child had severe medical problems and had previously been hospitalized in the week leading up to her death.

Hall told investigators that she woke up to the girl’s heart monitor alarm going off around 12:30 a.m. on June 18 and saw Meeks “quickly exit the bathroom, stop and look around suspiciously, then walk into his bedroom and shut the door,” according to the affidavit.

Hall said she went to the bathroom and discovered a napkin soaked with “fresh semen” in the trash can, the affidavit states.

She told investigators that she noticed the girl’s diaper was only partially on when she went in to change her around 5:30 a.m. She also said there was blood in the child’s vaginal area.

Moore said all members of the household, which also includes Hall’s husband Robert Meeks Sr., are persons of interest in the case.


Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=450&articleid=20110824_298_0_MUSKOG173535

Muskogee woman bound over on neglect charge in sex abuse of disabled granddaughter

9/16/2011 4:13 PM


MUSKOGEE - A Muskogee woman was bound over for trial Friday on a child neglect
charge involving her 4-year-old disabled granddaughter.

Betty Hall, 42, is accused of failing to seek medical attention for
Christina Meeks, who prosecutors say sustained vaginal injuries when she
was sexually abused.

The child’s injuries were allegedly discovered when she was taken to a
hospital with a high fever and in cardiac arrest on June 19. She died at
a Tulsa hospital.


The child’s uncle was initially charged with the sexual abuse, but the
charge was dropped when forensic evidence failed to tie him to the
crime.

The state Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that the girl died of natural causes and not from sexual abuse.

Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore said the child had severe
medical problems and also had been hospitalized in the week leading up
to her death.

Moore said the case is still under investigation.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=12&articleid=20110916_12_0_MUSKOG160142

I don't understand why SOMEONE hasn't been arrested for raping this little girl.

"The medical examiner ruled that the child died of natural causes and not from sexual abuse."

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=450&articleid=20110824_298_0_MUSKOG173535

MUSKOGEE
— Charges were dropped against a man police arrested in a sexual
assault of a disabled 4-year-old girl the day before she died at a Tulsa
hospital.



Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore said they could not tie
Robert Meeks Jr., 22, or anyone else in the household to the crime based
on the forensic evidence that has been tested so far.

Meeks was the girl’s uncle.

Meeks’ mother, Betty Hall, 42, implicated Meeks in the case after her
granddaughter Christina Meeks was taken to the hospital with a high
fever and cardiac arrest June 19.

According to an affidavit filed in the case, hospital officials observed
that the child had vaginal bleeding, a damaged hymen and deep internal
tears to both her vagina and anus.

Moore said the charges were dropped without prejudice meaning that they
can be refiled if more information surfaces. He added that more testing
is being done.

Hall, who was the child’s caretaker, still faces a child neglect charge
for being aware of sexual abuse and not seeking medical attention.

“We are proceeding against the grandmother and will prosecute her to the
fullest of our ability. The evidence shows that she (Christina) was
sexually abused,” Moore said.

The medical examiner ruled that the child died of natural causes and not from sexual abuse.

Moore said the child had severe medical problems and had previously been hospitalized in the week leading up to her death.

Hall told investigators that she woke up to the girl’s heart monitor
alarm going off around 12:30 a.m. on June 18 and saw Meeks “quickly exit
the bathroom, stop and look around suspiciously, then walk into his
bedroom and shut the door,” according to the affidavit.

Hall said she went to the bathroom and discovered a napkin soaked with “fresh semen” in the trash can, the affidavit states.

She told investigators that she noticed the girl’s diaper was only
partially on when she went in to change her around 5:30 a.m. She also
said there was blood in the child’s vaginal area.

Moore said all members of the household, which also includes Hall’s
husband Robert Meeks Sr., are persons of interest in the case.

While the victim ultimately died, there were pre-existing conditions that led to her demise.
That's why this case remains in this category.

The August 2011 dated post above reported the dropped charges of rape and was timely posted in August 2011.