WATSON ADKINS - 2 yo - Prestonsburg KY

Two arrested in death of 2-year-old in Prestonsburg
By Jennifer Hewlett — jhewlett@herald-leader.com

Posted: 8:34pm on Oct 2, 2011; Modified: 1:35pm on Oct 3, 2011

Two Prestonsburg residents were arrested Saturday on charges of first-degree criminal abuse in connection with the death of a 2-year-old child, according to state police in Pikeville.

Jason Dickerson, 30, and Gladys Dickerson, 26, the child's guardians, were arrested in Elliott County and were taken to the Floyd County jail, state police said.

Floyd County Deputy Coroner Chuck Hall identified the child as Watson Glenn Adkins, who would have turned 3 on Nov. 25.

Hall said the boy was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. Thursday at the Dickersons' home at 227 Town Branch Road, Prestonsburg. Hall said that Gladys Dickerson told authorities that the child was found unresponsive and that she began cardiopulmonary resuscitation and called 911 for help. Hall said the boy was on the living room floor when he arrived at the scene.

Watson was the son of Gordon Tim Williamson of the Corbin area and Rhoda Adkins Lewis of Elliott County, Hall said. Rhoda Lewis is Gladys Dickerson's sister, he said.

He said three other children of Rhoda Lewis were taken from the Dickerson home by state child protective services. Another son was with his father, Hall said he was told. The deputy coroner said an autopsy was performed on Friday and that results were pending.

Wadell-Whitt Funeral Home in Sandy Hook is handling funeral arrangements.

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/10/02/1905407/two-arrested-in-death-of-2-year.html#ixzz1ZkSuYXwZ

Mother Of Toddler Involved In Death Investigation Speaks Out

Posted: Oct 1, 2011 11:28 PM
Updated: Oct 2, 2011 12:06 AM

State Police are involved in the investigation surrounding the unexpected death of a Floyd County two-year-old.

Watson Adkins died Thursday night at a home along Town Branch Road in Prestonsburg.

"I'll never get to see those big blue eyes. Never have him point to kiss me again," said the boy's mother, Rhoda Adkins-Lewis. "I'm not going to get to see my baby graduate kindergarten. I won't get to see him out riding a bicycle. Playing in the creek."

Watson would have turned three in November, but now, instead of planning a party, his mother is planning his funeral.

"It would be different if he was sick," said Adkins-Lewis. "The pain and the hurt would be the same, but the thoughts and the fear and the pain my child had when he was taking his last breath."

Adkins-Lewis said her son and her other children were placed in the custody of her sister back in March, after she lost custody because of what she says was a substance abuse problem.

"Part of it is my fault... I can't blame myself anymore than I already do. To put him in the position to get hurt like that."

State Police and the Floyd County coroner have not released any details on what happened and say that are awaiting autopsy results before more information can be made public. However, they will say there is an active investigation.

Adkins-Lewis said she knew something was wrong and she did everything she could, but said the end result was the loss of her son. She said the other kids who were also staying at her sister's home have been taken into protective custody.

Watson's funeral is Sunday at 2 p.m. at Lewis & Ferguson Funeral Home in Sandy Hook.

http://www.lex18.com/news/mother-of-toddler-involved-in-death-investigation-speaks-out

I saw an article on this too which has a little more information:

Posted: 1:11 PM Oct 2, 2011
Reporter: Kristen Schneider; Andrew Colegrove
6pm: Toddler Death

UPDATE 10/2/11 @ 6 p.m.
ELLIOTT COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) – A married couple is behind bars after the wife’s nephew died at their home.

Kentucky State Police say Jason Dickerson and his wife Gladys Dickerson were arrested in Elliott County Saturday following the death of 2-year-old Watson Adkins.

Watson died at their home in Prestonsburg Thursday evening.

The boy’s mother says right now anger is outweighing her grief because this death could have been prevented.

Rhoda Adkins-Lewis lost custody of her children in February because she had a substance abuse problem, and her sister Gladys got custody of them.

Rhoda says she noticed back in March during a visit with her children that something wasn't right, and she says throughout visits this year her kids would say they'd been hurt.

"They'd have to tear my babies away from me,” she said. “They'd say ‘Mommy, please don't let me go back. Don't let me go back,’ and the social worker is standing there not doing anything about it."

Rhoda says her son Watson would have bruises and scrapes on his face and body. Rhoda began taking pictures of the wounds. She says her sister Gladys would say they were a result of him falling in the house or playing outside, but Rhoda believed Watson was being abused.

"He (Watson) said Uncle Jason punched him, and they didn't take this under consideration,” she said. “They let him beat my baby.”

She says she'd show the social workers in Floyd County but could never get anything done about it.

"I just wanted to get my kids out of there,” she said, “and I tried so hard. I made I don’t know how many reports of abuse to lawyers, to social workers, to everything, to everybody, and nobody had the heart to listen. They just let it go like it was nothing, and now he's dead."

Watson's grandmother Mary Skaggs says she's heartbroken by the loss and furious that it appears to have come from the hands of her own family.

"It's the worst thing that could ever be,” Skaggs said, “knowing that we're not ever going to get him back. I'm angry. I'd like to get a hold of my son-in-law. I'd like to get a hold of my other daughter. I'd choke them to death."

Rhoda says she hopes this case may prevent similar tragedies.

"I think his death shouldn't be in vain,” she said. “I think it should be remembered, and all these other babies out here getting abused and them not listening, I think they need to start taking things a little more seriously, and his death might make them open their eyes and see there are other children too who might die if they don't do something about it."

We're told the social workers work for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services' Eastern Mountain Region based out of Johnson County.

WSAZ.com tried to get their side of the story Sunday, but they told us they can't make an official comment until Monday.

Jason and Gladys Dickerson are expected to be arraigned at the Floyd County Courthouse Monday morning. They're both charged with first degree criminal abuse.

The investigation is ongoing.


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UPDATE 10/2/11 @ 1 p.m.
FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) -- Two family members have been arrested in the death of a 2-year-old child.

Kentucky State Police in Pikeville say Jason Dickerson, 30, and his wife Gladys Dickerson, 26, were arrested Saturday following the death of the couple's two-year-old nephew, Watson Adkins.

Police say it happened at the Dickerson's home along Town Branch Road Thursday evening. They say the child was dead when they got on scene.

The boy's mother, Rhoda Adkins, says Watson and her two other children had been living with her sister Gladys and her husband since March. She was awarded custody in June.

The Dickerson's were arrested in Elliott County Saturday and are now in the Floyd County Detention Center. They are both charged with 1st degree criminal abuse.

The investigation is ongoing.


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UPDATE 10/1/11 @ 6 p.m.
FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) – A child was turning 3 years old next month, but now instead of preparing for his birthday, his mother is planning a funeral.

Kentucky State Police are investigating the death of a 2-year-old boy in Prestonsburg, Kentucky.

The Floyd County Deputy Coroner says Watson Adkins was pronounced dead at a home along Town Branch Road Thursday evening.

At this point police are not releasing any details on how the child died, but we’re told he was staying with his aunt when he died.

Watson’s mother Rhoda Adkins-Lewis says she’s devastated that she’ll never see her son again.

"I'm not going to get to see my baby graduate kindergarten,” she said. “I'm not going to get to see him riding his bicycle, playing in the creek, even the bad times when they'd fight over toys, I'm not going to get to enjoy that any more."

Rhoda says her sister Gladys and her husband have had custody of Rhoda's children since March.

Rhoda says she lost custody of her kids because she had a substance abuse problem.

"I made a mistake,” she said, “and I can't blame myself any more than I already do because I shouldn't have done what I did in the first place to put my son in the position to get hurt like that."

Rhoda also says there was no reason and no excuse for her son to die.

"It would be different if the baby was sick,” she said. “The pain and hurt would be the same, but the thoughts and fear and the pain my child had when he was taking its last breath, that's what is most heartbreaking."

Watson's body was sent to the medical examiner for an autopsy.

Rhoda says her other kids who've been staying at her sister's home have been taken into protective custody.

Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for further developments.


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FLOYD COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Kentucky State Police are investigating the death of a toddler in Prestonsburg.

Floyd County Deputy Coroner Chuck Hall tells WSAZ.com 2-year-old Watson Adkins was pronounced dead about 6:10 p.m. Thursday.

It happened at a home in the 1200 block of Town Branch Road in Prestonsburg.

Kentucky State Police tell WSAZ.com they are investigating, but are not releasing any further details at this time.

The body has been sent to the medical examiner for an autopsy.

LINK: http://www.wsaz.com/mobi/breaking?storyid=130887163

UPDATE: Two-Year-Old Toddler's Death Raising Many Questions

UPDATE 10/3/11 @ 7 p.m.

FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A 2-year-old boy is dead -- his aunt and uncle charged with abuse.

Watson Adkins was pronounced dead Thursday evening. This is a story we have been covering and unfolding since Friday night. Now, WSAZ.com investigates and finds that little Watson's death is just part of an unfolding story.

The couple was not only charged with abusing Watson, but also several of his siblings who were in the aunt and uncle's care.

Gladys and Jason Dickerson face four counts of criminal abuse and cared for all five of Gladys' sister's children. The children's mother said she noticed signs of abuse months ago and is devastated it took one of her children dying to get them out of that home.

“My sister would say one hit the other and they were roughhousing. Well, all children get bruises, but not to the extent my children had them,” Rhoda Lewis said.

Lewis documented those bruises during regular visits with her children. All five were living with her sister, Gladys Dickerson, and Gladys' husband Jason.

“Here's a bruise on his head, and his ear is black,” Lewis said.

On Thursday evening, Watson that was found dead in the couple's Floyd County home in Prestonsburg. Gladys found the body.

“She moved the child from the couch to the floor and performed CPR to no avail. She then called 911,” Floyd County Deputy Coroner Chuck Hall said.

Details about how Watson died have not been released, but that didn't stop police from arresting the Dickersons, charging them with criminal abuse in connection with the death.

During their arraignment, startling new information was released. The couple is expecting a child of their own.

But, we were interested in how the couple ended up with Rhoda's five children. We called a Floyd County family law judge who would only talk in general terms. He said when the state removes children from a home, they first look to see if any family members are available and willing to take them.

“I tried to take them, but they wouldn't let me," Rhoda said. "She didn't want them for no other reason than to get the state money. That's all she wanted them for."

We called several state agencies to find out whether anyone ever followed up on Rhoda's claims and launched an investigation. But, when it comes to matters of juveniles, everything is confidential.

We called the Floyd County detention center to ask the Dickersons to share their side of the story, but they declined.

While Rhoda says she's worked hard to get her children back, citing her previous drug problems a thing of the past, we learned she was indicted in June on three counts of drug trafficking. Those charges are still pending.

Gladys and Jason Dickerson are facing a $10,000 cash bond each.

http://www.wsaz.com/mobi/breaking?storyid=130887163

A Floyd County daycare is shut down as an investigation continues into a toddler's death.
The State Inspector General closed the Dinosaur
Playland Daycare in Prestonsburg. The order claims workers did not
report to authorities suspicious injuries to two year old Watson Adkins,
who died on September 30th from alleged child abuse.
The emergency license
suspension from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services states the
daycare workers noticed injuries to the toddler and his siblings days
before his death and accuses the employees of doing nothing about it.
The emergency suspension order states on September 26th, workers found an injury on the back of the
toddler's head and it appeared sutures were removed.
Two separate staff members allegedly asked the guardian about the injury and got different answers.
State officials say the staff members should have reported the information to police or other authorities.
The report claims the staff also noticed red scabs on the four year old sibling and did not report it.
Officials say two days later on September 28th, the
daycare staff noticed bruising under the chin on the five year old
sibling, The report says the child told workers, "my uncle hurts me"
and begged the staff member to go home with her.
State officials say this incident was also not reported to authorities.
Two year old Watson Adkins died days later.
The children's guardians, their uncle and aunt Jason and Gladys Dickerson are now in jail, charged with criminal abuse.
Officials with the daycare center tell WYMT the
toddler was only at the daycare for two days, and workers did give the
information to authorities during the death investigation.
Director Alice Karen Martin told the Floyd County Times that they did nothing wrong.
WYMT tried to reach Martin for comment but was unsuccessful. Her attorneys plan to release a statement later.
State officials say the daycare was closed because
"an immediate threat exists regarding health, safety, and welfare of the
children in the care of the licensed child care center.
Workers at the daycare have 20 days appeal the sus
Officials with Cabinet for Health and Family Services
say their investigation into the daycare and child's death are still
ongoing and could take several months.
http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/Daycare_is_shut_down_following_toddlers_death_131637413.html?ref=413

Couple charged with murder for death of toddler

A Floyd County grand jury returned murder indictments Tuesday afternoon against Jason and Gladys Dickerson.

November 29, 2011
A couple is now charged with murder after the death of a two year old.

The commonwealth's attorney says a Floyd County grand jury returned murder indictments Tuesday afternoon against Jason and Gladys Dickerson.

Two year old Watson Adkins died in September after police found him unresponsive at the couple's home in Prestonsburg.

The Dickersons had custody of the child.

State records show allegations that the couple abused the toddler.

No court dates are set yet for the Dickersons.

http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/Couple_charged_with_murder_for_death_of_toddler_134720918.html

DNA evidence sought in murder case
by Jack Latta, Staff Writer
2 months ago

The Floyd County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office requested last week that DNA evidence be taken from Jason and Gladys Dickerson, as pretrial hearings into the murder of Watson Adkins continue.

Requests were made last week by prosecutors during motion hour to allow Kentucky State Police to collect DNA swabs from both defendants. The motion states the swabs are being sought for comparison testing with evidence in the case.

A transport order was issued for Gladys Dickerson, who is being lodged in PeeWee Valley women’s prison, to facilitate her cooperation with the DNA swabbing.

Jason Dickerson, 30, and his wife, Gladys Dickerson, 26, have both been indicted individually on charges of first-degree murder, as well as four counts of first-degree child abuse.

The two were charged in October, after the couple’s nephew, Watson Adkins, was found unresponsive in their home. The additional three counts of first-degree child abuse are for Watson’s siblings, who were also found in the home.

On Sept. 29 of this year, Kentucky State Police Post 9, in Pikeville, received a report of an unresponsive 2-year-old in the Prestonsburg community of Town Branch. The Dickersons were later arrested in Elliot County and transported to the Floyd County Detention Center, where they were jailed.

The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office does not issue statements regarding pending trials.

Another pretrial hearing is scheduled for April 19. 2012.

http://floydcountytimes.com/pages/full_story/push?article-DNA+evidence+sought+in+murder+case%20&id=17798932