ROBERT MANWILL - 8 yo (2009) - Boise ID

BOISE, Idaho — An Idaho newspaper is reporting that police have made
an arrest in connection with the disappearance and death of 8-year-old
Robert Manwill.

The Idaho Statesman says Daniel Ehrlick Jr. was taken into custody. He is the boyfriend of Manwill’s mother.
Manwill was missing for more than a week before his body was found
floating in a Boise canal on Aug. 3. Police say evidence shows the
death was not accidental.
Ehrlick’s father, Daniel Ehrlick Sr., has told the newspaper that he
didn’t know what the charge was or if anyone else had been arrested.
Police have not commented but a news conference was planned for 7 p.m.

Police say they know who is responsible for killing Robert Manwill: his mother and her boyfriend. Melissa Scott Jenkins, 30 and Daniel Edward Ehrlick, 36 were taken into
custody Tuesday afternoon – both are charged with first-degree murder.
Ehrlick is also charged with failure to report a death to law
enforcement, while Jenkins is charged as an accessory for failing to
report Manwill’s death to law enforcement.

Manwill’s body was found in a Kuna canal on August 10th. Police said the boy was a
victim of homicide and vowed to find his killer. “Probably no other case in Boise history has touched so many people,”
Boise Police Deputy Chief Jim Kerns said Tuesday night. The boy was reported missing to police on July 24th. The community
quickly responded, with posters featuring the boy’s face popping up all
over town, and volunteers spending spare time searching for the child. The boy’s date of death may now be in question. Kerns asked for the
public’s help offering any details of the activities of Jenkins or
Ehrlick in the week leading up to July 24th. Kerns did not take
questions at the news briefing, which did not give the media a chance
to ask follow up questions that may better illustrate particulars of
the case – including why they believe Ehrlick and Jenkins are
responsible. The case started to rapidly change on
Thursday 30th. That night, police began searching the Jenkins' Boise
Bench apartment, removing materials from the home, including cabinets,
computers and more. Police also towed a vehicle from the complex. The pair has now been indicted by an Ada County grand jury, and are
being booked into the Ada County Jail on the charges. Ehrlick will be
held without bond, while Jenkins will be held on a $2 million bond. Ehrlick and Jenkins appeared behind Kerns at each news conference until
the day after Jenkins’ home was searched. Ehrlick has not been seen in
public since. Jenkins was at the boy’s funeral and at a news event the
day her son’s body was identified. Jenkins has a past criminal history that involves hurting children. On October 19, 2008 police said a baby boy had been injured. Jenkins
was arrested and charged with felony injury to a child. The child
suffered serious head injuries and was taken to a local hospital for
treatment. The child was taken into the custody of the Idaho Department
of Health and Welfare. Court documents say Jenkins hit
her 9-month-old son's head on a surface. The infant suffered a
fractured skull that caused not only physical pain, but mental
suffering as well. Since the boy’s disappearance and
before his arrest, Ehrlick had been in and out of the hospital for
unspecified treatments, according to family. Kerns said
the investigation into Manwill’s death continues – and says if anyone
has information that may help them, to call Boise Police Dispatch at
377-6790.

1992
Daniel Ehrlick Jr. spends the first of several stints in prison. He has been
convicted of burglary, battery and possession of drug paraphernalia.
JUNE 2001
Melissa Jenkins' first son, Robert, is born. A month later, Jenkins marries his
dad, Charles Lee Manwill. They divorce about a year later.
MAY 2003
enkins is married again, this time to Frank Seiber. They divorce in 2006.
NOVEMBER 2006
Jenkins' second child, RayLynn Scott Ames, is born. The girl's father, Russell Ames, and Jenkins never marry.
2007
Jenkins meets Ehrlick Jr. at a poker game, according to family and friends.
JANUARY 2008
Jenkins ends up in a hospital with pregnancy complications and asks Charles Manwill to take custody of Robert.
FEBRUARY 2008
Jenkins has another son, Aidan.
OCTOBER 2008
Aidan's skull is fractured. He is put into the custody of Idaho Health and
Welfare. Five months later, Jenkins pleads guilty to a misdemeanor
charge of injury to a child and is sentenced to 29 days of work
release, fined $75.50 and put on probation through March 2011.
According to court records, she "did willfully inflict" the wound by
"striking the child's head on a surface." By summer 2009, Aidan is back
with Jenkins and Ehrlick. He has since been put back into state
custody, according to family and friends.
JULY 24, 2009
10:11 p.m. Robert is reported missing from the Oak Park Village apartment
complex near Vista Avenue, launching a massive search.
JULY 27, 2009
Robert's family - including Jenkins and her boyfriend, Ehrlick Jr. - attend a press conference calling for help.
JULY 30, 2009
A forensics team searches the apartment where Robert was staying with his
mother and Ehrlick Jr. They remove items and tow a vehicle.
JULY 31, 2009
An organized search brings out an estimated 2,300 volunteers.Police report that they have evidence indicating Robert may have been injured or could be a "victim of a tragic event." Saint
Alphonsus Regional Medical Center confirms that Ehrlick Jr. had been
admitted and released from the hospital. He was treated for mental
issues, according to a family member.That night, investigators
search a house and dig up its backyard on the 6600 block of Southdale
Avenue. Resident Evan Wallis said he knows Robert's family but doesn't
know why police are searching. He tells police someone stole his Chevy
Suburban on July 22.
AUG. 3, 2009
A boy's body is found in the New York Canal near Cloverdale Road in southern
Ada County. In contrast with previous press updates, Robert's family
does not attend this news conference.
AUG. 5, 2009
Dental records confirm that the body is Robert's. Boise police say the autopsy
showed Robert's death was "not an accident" and say they are beginning
a homicide investigation.
AUG. 18, 2009
Jenkins and Ehrlick Jr. are indicted by a grand jury on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with Robert's death.

When did Robert Manwill die?
Ada County Coroner Earl Sonnenberg said the evidence matches the July 24 day on
which the boy was reported missing, but he would not give a specific
date of death. The indictments say Robert was killed "on or about" that
day. Sonnenberg would not say whether the child was dead before he was
left in the canal where his body was found.
Where is Charles Manwill?
Manwill - known as "Chuck" - is on leave from his job with the Idaho National Guard, according to Guard spokesman Tim Marsano.Manwill is one of about 1,000 full-time employees at the Idaho National Guard
in Boise and has worked at Gowen Field since 2001. He teaches soldiers
techniques on military reconnaissance."We're not only keeping
him in our thoughts, we've been in regular contact with him," Marsano
said. "We have several of his colleagues as well as chaplains,
counselors and others who are offering assistance. ... We're a pretty
tightly knit community out here, and he's one of us."Many Guard members were present at Robert's funeral.Manwill was not at his home Wednesday, according to a family member at the
rural Payette County residence. He's "hurting" and needs some time
alone, the family member said. Manwill's sister, Dorothy Aydelotte,
said she's still processing all the information that's come out about
Robert's death, and she had no comment.
Why was Robert visiting his mother when she didn't have full custody?
Robert Manwill visited his mother for seven weeks each summer, in addition to
certain weekends and holidays, according to a 2008 custody agreement
between his parents. Charles Manwill and Melissa Jenkins shared custody
of the 8-year-old, but Manwill retained primary custody as of July 2008.According
to the custody agreement, Robert was supposed to visit his mother for
four weeks, go home to his father for a week and then back to his
mother for the remaining three weeks.Ehrlick's father, Daniel
Ehrlick Sr., said he believed Jenkins' visitation with Robert had been
suspended when she lost custody of her infant, Aidan, in October last
year when she was charged with injury to a child. He said she had since
regained custody of the baby, and Robert's visitation was restored.
How are family members reacting to Ehrlick's and Jenkins' arrest and indictment?
Daniel Ehrlick Sr. said he will no longer speak to his son."All
I care about now is Robert. Rest in peace," said Ehrlick Sr., who
didn't attend Wednesday's court hearing. "They are going to pay for it
every day for the rest of their lives. This boy had no chance in this
world."Melissa Jenkins' sister Trish Burrill and her husband, Kyle Burrill, declined to comment when approached after the hearing.
If what the indictment says is true, what explains the psychology of two
people who grieved publicly, asked for help and attended searches and
vigils while knowing the truth?
Thomas Young, a medical doctor and director of operations at The Children's Home Society of
Idaho, said the couple's actions, if true, could have more to do with
criminal intent than psychology. "If I'm a criminal, I can't
run away, which would make me instantly guilty, I'm going to try to
blend in with the crowd," Young said. "Once they colluded, they were
equally guilty under the law. They probably had to sit and discuss what
they were going to do about it." A public display of anything other than emotion and pain would have been an instant indictment, Young said. "These
people just have a perverse moral compass and were protecting
themselves. They saw playing dumb as their only escape. It's almost
adolescent thinking. You spill something, your mom comes in and asks
who did it. You say, 'I don't know,' even if you were the only one in
the house."
Who testified against Ehrlick and Jenkins in front of the grand jury?
Prosecutors called 10 witnesses against Ehrlick, including a Kuna firefighter who
helped retrieve Robert's body from the New York Canal, a crime scene
specialist for the Boise Police Department, Robert's father, Ada
County's pathologist Glen Groben, Boise Police Department detectives
and a social worker from Taft Elementary School in Boise. Just
two people were called to testify against Jenkins: a staff member of
the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and a member of the Boise
Police Department.
Will Ada County prosecutors seek the death penalty for either Ehrlick or Jenkins?
They have 60 days to decide, and Ada County Prosecutor Greg Bower said much
of the decision will depend on what kind of mitigating evidence defense
attorneys provide to prosecutors as they swap discovery on the case.It's
the prosecutor's job to determine whether the aggravating factors exist
for a jury to sentence someone to death, like if the killing was
heinously cruel, the defendant has a propensity to commit murder, or
the killer showed an utter disregard for human life. It's up to
defense attorneys to find the mitigating factors a jury might consider
to spare a life, like if the defendant suffers from mental illness or
was a victim of child abuse themselves.
Could an Ada County jury spare the life of a child killer?
It happened in 2004 when a jury spared the life of Ignacio Sanchez,
despite evidence that he beat a 2-year-old girl in his care over a
period of two weeks, causing her death in December 2003. Prosecutors
wanted the death penalty for Sanchez, but the jury spared his life
after hearing mitigating evidence that Sanchez was abused as a child,
was afflicted with depression and attention deficit disorder, and had
been a methamphetamine user since he was 12. He is serving a sentence
of fixed life for first-degree murder.
Who is the lead prosecutor?
Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Jill Longhurst, with assistance from Deputy
Prosecutor Daniel Dinger. Longhurst is an experienced prosecutor who
has been the lead counsel on six first-degree murder cases since 2000,
including those of Raymond Ortiz III, Anthony Shaw and Ignacio Sanchez
- in each, children were beaten to death. All three of those men are
serving life prison sentences.
Who is representing Ehrlick and Jenkins?
Both said in court Monday they could not afford private counsel, so they
will be represented by attorneys with the Ada County public defender's
office. At least one will be represented by Amil Myshin, who has been
counsel or co-counsel on more than 30 first-degree murder cases over
the past two decades. He is also certified to represent defendants in a
death penalty case, if Ada County prosecutors decide to go that route. Myshin,
who spoke for Ehrlick Wednesday, has represented convicted killers
Erick Hall, Darrell Payne and John Delling in recent years.Tony
Geddes, another Ada County public defender, represented Jenkins
Wednesday, but he won't work the case as a lead counsel. The public
defender's office will likely hire an outside attorney, called
"conflict counsel," to represent whoever doesn't get Myshin, to avoid
conflict between defendants. That is standard practice in murder cases
with multiple defendants.
Is it possible for an impartial jury to be selected in Ada County for a case so well-known?
That depends on whom you talk to.Boise defense attorney D.C. Carr thinks it would be difficult, considering
the publicity and the raw emotion much of the community seems to be
feeling over the case."With this situation, with the small child
as such a sympathetic victim, I think they are going to have a really
hard time finding a fair and impartial jury," said Carr, who used to
work for the Ada County public defender's office. "There have been
stories every day, and that has led to a lot of fingerpointing at
(Jenkins and Ehrlick on blogs and Web sites) even before they were
arrested. There is so much emotion surrounding this case."But
Boise defense attorney David Leroy, a former Idaho attorney general,
said he believes it is possible to pick a local jury, especially since
huge groups of potential jurors can be sorted out for prejudice against
either side by asking them to fill out questionnaires prior to actual
jury selection.He said he has faith that many people in Ada
County who know about the case are capable of forming opinions based
strictly on evidence.
How can the community channel the energy this case has created to better the lives of Idaho children?
Nicole Sirak, director of the Court Appointed Special Advocate program, said
representatives from several local child welfare organizations -
including Health and Welfare, St. Luke's Prenatal Care, and Idaho
Voices for Children - met Tuesday to talk about new ways they might
come together to create a community "web" around Idaho children. The
Manwill case, and the unanswered questions about how Robert, a child
who did have caring adults in his life but still obviously need
attention from the safety net, was the inspiration for the meeting. The timing, on the day Robert's mother and her boyfriend were arrested for his murder, was coincidental. Talks
are just starting, but it's clear to Sirak that it's time to tap into
community sentiment now. Since the Manwill events, she's been fielding
calls from people who want to help local children but don't know how.
Some have already made memorial donations to CASA in Robert's name. "We're
good at collaboration here in Idaho. Remember, the Idaho Human Rights
Memorial (now an educational park) was supposed to be a simple plaque
on the Greenbelt."

Indictments of Melissa Jenkins and Daniel Ehrlick Jr. fill searchers with disappointment
One couple says they still stand with Melissa Jenkins, but others say they're sick or angry following the charges

STANDING IN SUPPORT
Nikki and Steve Adams, who planned nightly vigils while the 8-year-old was missing, say they are still behind Robert's mother, Melissa Jenkins, 100 percent.
"We're there to support Melissa, and we're also going to support the family," Nikki Adams said. "We're going to let the justice system take its course. They'll have the facts and prove the proof."
Nikki Adams said it's hard for her to believe that Jenkins could be willingly involved.
"I don't see it," she said. "We're sad. We're disappointed that it comes to this."
'SICK AND SAD'
Carol Peterson lives down the street from the complex where Jenkins lives. She attended the nightly vigils.
"We're all really sick," Peterson said. "I'm a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. Your child is the one you need to protect. And I think that Melissa, she should have at least sent that child back to Charles (Manwill, his father). The first time (Daniel Ehrlick Jr.) laid a hand on that child she should have sent him back."
Peterson said if Ehrlick was physically abusive toward Jenkins, she could have sought help.
"Everybody here would have helped her," Peterson said. "This is a wonderful neighborhood. I've lived here 44 years; we've never had anything like this happen in this neighborhood.
"I'm sick and sad. She should be charged with exactly what she was charged with."
A CALL TO AWARENESS
John Oliva, a Mountain Home teacher formerly of Ontario, drove to Boise to help with the search for Robert.
"I was glad that there was some conclusion, (but) highly, highly disappointed. It's so unfortunate that something like this could happen. It was kind of just overwhelming.
" ... The amount of trauma the boy endured prior to death must be horrific.
"As a teacher, it forces me to be more aware of students who are struggling and sensitive to kids having a difficult time."
ANGRY AFTER HELPING OUT
Sarah Ledford, a mom and Realtor from Caldwell, joined all three July 31 searches to help find Robert because, "we needed to find the kid so justice can be done."
"I'm furious," she said Wednesday. "We knew he was dead."
Ledford said the death penalty would be an easy way out for the people responsible.
"We could not do to them what I would like to see done to them," Ledford said. "I don't know how a mother could get up there the whole time, get 15 minutes of fame, and know where her son is the whole time" - if the charges are proven.
Ledford said she doesn't like hearing about these situations in the news, but "there's no way to not watch it and not know what was going on. I can't even imagine it. It's just not conceivable."
'I CAN'T FATHOM IT'
New Plymouth Mayor Joe Cook brought a group of residents down from Robert's hometown on July 31 to search, and he spoke at the boy's funeral.
"I'm disappointed that these folks didn't step forward," he said.
Cook said he's relieved that there likely isn't a stranger randomly snatching children, but the events that likely ended Robert's life show a dark side in a family history that wasn't well known.
"How did this boy end up back in that environment? I can't in my wildest dream think of what a little kid could do to push you to that extreme, unless you're evil. To me, I can't fathom it. This whole thing is beyond sad. ... As a parent, it just drives you crazy."
Cook and others said they respect and are grateful for the work of police on the case.
"This is a tough situation," Cook said. "There was tremendous pressure on the police department

BOISE - Melissa Jenkins and her live-in boyfriend Daniel Ehrlick Jr. both face charges that carry the death penalty.

When Judge Deborah Bail asked 30-year old Melissa Jenkins if she understood the indictment in front of her, she was told Jenkins is illiterate, so the judge read the document out loud.

The indictment alleges Melissa Jenkins knew about the "escalating physical violence directed at her son by boyfriend Daniel Ehrlick Jr., age 36." She did nothing to stop it, the indictment claims, nor did she seek medical treatment for the boy's visible injuries and lied to police and others about what was going on. The indictment alleges Ehrlick, tortured Robert over a period of days. It claims Ehrlick used his hands, feet, fists, and knees to beat the boy with a "sadistic inclination, causing head injuries, abdominal bleeding, and ultimately his death."

Robert was reported missing July 24, his body found in a canal ten days later.

When asked at what time did Mr. Ehrlick and Melissa Jenkins become suspects in the eyes of the law, prosecuting attorney, Greg Bower said, "that would be commenting on the evidence and I am loathe to do that."

The first degree murder charges carry the death penalty. Prosecutors have sixty days to decide if they'll seek it.

"Obviously the determination on whether to seek the death penalty is a decision we'll make as soon as possible," adds Bower.

Both Jenkins and Ehrlick are also charged with failing to report a death to law enforcement, a felony. The couple will enter a plea September 1. Right now, it's unclear if they'll be tried together. Ehrlick is being held without bond. Jenkins' bond is set at two-million dollars

Nothing we do now brings Robert back, but we're asking what we can do as a community to prevent this happening again," said Roger Sherman, director of the Idaho Children's Trust Fund.
Inspired by the case, local child welfare agencies already are working on ideas from 10 groups that met in Boise last week.
"A lot of people say we have a thriving community for kids, but there are obviously holes," Sherman said.
Sherman helped organize the meeting, which attracted representatives from the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program, Idaho Voices for Children, former Idaho first lady Patricia Kempthorne representing the Twiga Foundation, St. Luke's Prenatal Care, Head Start, Idaho Health and Welfare and others.
Everyone from PTA presidents to U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo says now is the time to channel the community's energy to improve the lives of local children. They are talking about ideas like:
Adopting a version of the Harlem Children's Zone, a 35-year-old nonprofit program that has supported children in one of New York City's toughest neighborhoods.
Finding ways to offer help to extended family, neighbors and others who seem to be in need, without being intrusive.
As thousands devoted time for Robert this summer, others have rallied for kids in Canyon County, too, inspired by the case of 14-year-old Zachary Neagle, accused of killing his father earlier this year - perhaps, as is alleged in court, after years of abuse.
It seems to organizers that the Treasure Valley is uniquely energized to take action on behalf of kids in trouble.
"But there needs to be leadership," Sherman said. "And it's still unclear what that action might be."
By coincidence, the groups met on the very day Robert's mother, Melissa Jenkins, and her boyfriend, Daniel Ehrlick, were arrested, charged with his murder.
"Over 2,000 people will pull together to search for a young boy, even when the search seems hopeless," he said. "Can we also figure out how to pull together on a daily basis to find kids like Robert with no place to turn?"
CAN WE TRACK EVERY SINGLE CHILD?
Nicole Sirak, director of the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program, said she and the others are looking at how one child welfare model, the Harlem Children's Zone, might be put to use locally.
The program, which has been going on for three decades, works with every child in a 97-block area of the city, overseeing not only kids but the welfare, education and health of their families. The program cares for kids from "cradle to college" with a "whatever it takes" philosophy.
The program has been getting attention lately. President Barack Obama is a fan. "This American Life," a program on National Public Radio, aired a story on the nonprofit just last weekend.
Sirak said the meeting attendees talked about how an urban program might take a more rural form in Idaho.
"We were trying to decide what our version of '97 blocks' would be," she said. "Is it all Title One schools (with lots of low-income families)? Is it the 4th Judicial District (Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley counties), where 730 kids come into foster care each year? Is it families who are on the radar of courts and social services who have struggled in the past?"
In Robert's case, he and his younger half-brother, Aidan, were allowed back into their mother's home months after she was convicted of fracturing the younger boy's skull. State Health and Welfare officials haven't released any information about how Jenkins regained custody.
Sherman said already existing programs might also offer good models, including an anti-violence campaign at Mercy Medical Center in Nampa. Programs at United Way, including a kindergarten-preparedness program, also support kids and their families.
Liberty Elementary PTA members want to set aside money in their budget for monthly family nights at the school, with the sole purpose of making sure parents know other parents and parents know kids in other families, said Stacey St. Amand, interim director of the nonprofit Idaho Voices for Children and PTA president at Liberty.
The group is aiming for 100 percent participation.
"Because we're seeing more and more need in our school, more kids who need help paying for lunch and free breakfasts, more of a need for donated clothing, more parents who don't have jobs or are working two jobs, which can create even more need in kids," she said.
MAYBE IT'S TIME TO INTERVENE
Sherman said that while child protection programs are suffering from underfunding, the issue reaches beyond programs.
Sometimes, helping kids comes down to "making a cultural shift that increases the sharing, neighbor to neighbor," he said.
The trick is to work out the balance between giving families their privacy and stepping in to take action when it looks like someone's in trouble.
"As private citizens, we can be aware of our surroundings," St. Amand said. "If you see, or suspect child abuse, you need to report it. It's a simple process. You call the Idaho Care Line at 211.
"My feeling is you're morally bound as a human being to do that. It sounds corny, but it does take a village. In my own neighborhood, I've seen kids abusing BB guns and airsoft rifles against each other. I intervene, because it's just wrong, and I feel it's my duty. Then again, I grew up with a father who was always yelling at speeders on our street to slow down."
In a column this week, Crapo called on the community as well.
"Pay attention to what is happening around you and don't hesitate to help someone who you suspect might be in trouble," he said. "Vigilance demands that we speak up, point out, notice our surroundings and listen to our instinct. It is always better to err on the side of caution."
Patricia Kempthorne, who now advocates for children through the Twiga Foundation, said she was reminded recently of this need when she saw a woman struggling to cross a street.
The woman had two children and a baby in a stroller. She was obviously having a hard time, losing her temper. People were nearby, watching her, but didn't speak to her. It reminded Kempthorne of an incident in her own past.
"I was sitting in my car at the post office, having one of those days," she said. "My kids were in the back seat, and I was yelling at the steering wheel. A man came and tapped on my window and asked if he could help. Just that offer defused the moment. That happened about 25 years ago, and I've never forgotten it.
"I wondered why I didn't have the same courage to walk up to that woman the other day, the way that man did for me. Maybe all she needed was to know that someone cared," Kempthorne said.
By the end of the Tuesday meeting, she said, she was thinking of the volunteer searchers who came to look for any trace of the missing child as "2,300 neighbors" - people who were willing to get involved in the life of someone they didn't know.

Editor's Note: The following is an editorial

The allegations against 8-year-old Robert Manwill's mother and her boyfriend are horrifying and sickening.
An Ada County grand jury indictment accuses the boy's mother, Melissa Jenkins, 30, of aiding and abetting her boyfriend, Daniel Ehrlick, in Robert's death and hiding the boy's injuries from government officials who could have intervened.
The graphic implications of torture and repeated beatings of the boy by Ehrlick have rightfully sparked outrage among Idahoans. Many question the treatment of an earlier charge against Jenkins, on probation for fracturing the skull of Robert's infant half-brother. The child was removed from her custody by the state in late 2008.

The Idaho Statesman found court records that said Jenkins "did willfully inflict" the injury to her other son "by striking the child's head on a surface, causing a fracture to the child's skull," on Oct. 19, 2008. She was sentenced to 29 days of work release, fined $75.50 and put on probation for two years.
Details about the past incident create troubling questions for the community and criminal justice and child protection systems. They certainly fuel anger and resentment among many critics.
Bloggers and commenters ask:
Why did the mother retain visitation rights with Robert while his half-brother was in custody of the Department of Health and Welfare?
Why did an initial felony charge for child abuse garner a sentence of only work release and probation?
How did officials and relatives not notice signs of abuse against Robert earlier?
The prosecutor handling the case told the Statesman she reached the plea bargain for the misdemeanor charge against Jenkins because she didn't have forensic evidence to disprove Jenkins' version of the story beyond a reasonable doubt, which she would have had to do in a trial.
Of course, in 20/20 hindsight, if the allegations against Jenkins are true, this was a tragic and irrevocable mistake. But prosecutors and judges don't have that luxury. And the criminal justice system doesn't have unlimited resources to handle each case with the depth of a murder investigation.
The fact is, child abuse cases move through the system all the time. In tandem with the courts, child protection officials try to repair families and go through steps to ensure parents don't repeat abusive behavior.
Is there a better answer? For Robert's sake, many would say there must be.
But what is that answer? Is it a court system that puts first-time offenders in the state penitentiary for years? Is it judges who permanently remove children from their families when an abusive incident occurs?
If those examples represent the path Idaho should follow, who pays? Are we willing to spend millions of dollars on more prison cells to house these offenders? Do we want to see thousands of parents and their children separated for years?
When tragedy occurs, people rise from all corners to call for an easy answer: The prosecutor should have done this, the judge should have done that.
But solutions lie in the months and years before the heartbreak. They come from thoughtful consideration of the costs of justice and the proper balance between protecting the innocent and preserving the rights of the accused.
All too often, those voices don't arise until it's too late.
They don't arise at the voting booth, with low turnout in elections. They don't arise when it requires tax dollars to pay for more personnel to handle cases.
Canyon County has struggled for years to deal with a crowded jail — and didn't win passage of a bond to build more space. Instead, sheriff's officials have now worked with judges to release more inmates as they await trial. That means more drunk-driving suspects return to the road before they are punished for their crimes, more potential abusers return to their families and more gang members are let loose on the streets.
The sad series of events that investigators say led to Robert Manwill's death is much easier to dissect and criticize when it's the only issue on the table.
However, the real story is the big picture, and it takes much more thought and commitment to examine the shortcomings and explore solutions for those problems than to point fingers when something goes terribly wrong.

Melissa Jenkins' letter to her son that was read at the funeral

A letter from Melissa Jenkins to her son, Robert Manwill.
"Robert, it's Mommy.
I want to tell you I love you. Robert, I dearly miss you.
My favorite times with you were just laying on the couch watching 'Tom and Jerry.' Watching you play on the swings. Listening to you make silly raps. How you could eat ice cream and not make a mess is beyond me.
I loved to watch you jump in the mud puddles and go swimming.
But my memory that I will hold tightly is of you in the ocean. You were frolicking in the waves and shrieking with delight when I called for you. And so Mommy had to hold you and you screamed.
Then you had to go poo and you almost pooed on Papa's feet.
So as you go and make your journey to a wonderful place in Heaven, I will always remember you playing in the ocean, shrieking with such delight and joy.
Robert I will always love you and I will always be thinking of you.
Mommy."

The case of Robert Manwill has stirred the emotions of the Treasure Valley. Worry. Sadness. Shock. Outrage.
Now, the slaying of this 8-year-old must stir something else in each of us: a determination to stay involved and do more to protect our children.
Local child advocates hope to tap into the community's remarkable response to Robert's July 24 disappearance. A week after he was reported missing, some 2,300 people volunteered for searches organized by the Boise Police Department. Robert was found on Aug. 3 in a canal near Kuna; his mother, Melissa Scott Jenkins, and her boyfriend, Daniel Ehrlick Jr., now face first-degree murder charges.
As Boise deputy police chief Jim Kerns said last week, "Probably no other case in Boise history has touched so many people." It's hard to disagree.
But what happens from here? Roger Sherman, director of the Idaho Children's Trust Fund, posed a good question in a story in Sunday's Statesman. "Over 2,000 people will pull together to search for a young boy, even when the search seems hopeless. Can we also figure out how to pull together on a daily basis to find kids like Robert with no place to turn?"
We believe we can, having just witnessed the way this community heard Boise police's appeal. But we recognize that advocacy also requires people to take the initiative personally. To get involved when no one or no agency is asking for the help.
No, this isn't easy, and yes, this can be awkward. Idahoans respect personal privacy and tend to take a live-and-let-live approach to our neighbors. If you aren't a child psychologist or a police officer - or someone otherwise trained in spotting the signs of abuse - how do you know when you've crossed the line from being a concerned citizen to being a busybody?
The trouble, of course, is that you don't know. You are left to follow your best judgment. All advocates can ask you to do is to rethink the way you gauge a situation. If you suspect abuse, speak up. You can report possible abuse by calling the Department of Health and Welfare's Idaho CareLine at 211.
And you don't have to wait until you see signs of potential abuse. You can also get involved - in a proactive manner - by volunteering with one of the local groups that work with at-risk children.
If the Treasure Valley is going to change its approach to protecting our children, it will take leadership from the right groups. But leadership also occurs neighbor to neighbor. This must continue, after the emotions of the Manwill case subside. But this can begin now, when these emotions are at the surface.

IN MANWILL CASE, CRITICS NEED TO LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE

The allegations against 8-year-old Robert Manwill's mother and her boyfriend are horrifying and sickening. An Ada County grand jury indictment accuses the boy's mother, Melissa Jenkins, 30, of aiding and abetting her boyfriend, Daniel Ehrlick, in Robert's death and hiding the boy's injuries from government officials who could have intervened.
Many Idahoans question the treatment of an earlier charge against Jenkins, on probation for fracturing the skull of Robert's infant half-brother. The child was removed from her custody by the state in late 2008 and she was sentenced to 29 days of work release, fined $75.50 and put on probation for two years.
Of course, in 20/20 hindsight, if the allegations against Jenkins are true, this was a tragic and irrevocable mistake. But prosecutors and judges don't have that luxury. And the criminal justice system doesn't have unlimited resources to handle each case with the depth of a murder investigation.
The fact is, child abuse cases move through the system all the time. In tandem with the courts, child protection officials try to repair families and go through steps to ensure parents don't repeat abusive behavior.
Is there a better answer? For Robert's sake, many would say there must be. But what is that answer? Is it a court system that puts first-time offenders in the state penitentiary for years? Is it judges who permanently remove children from their families when an abusive incident occurs? If those examples represent the path Idaho should follow, who pays? Are we willing to spend millions of dollars on more prison cells to house these offenders? Do we want to see thousands of parents and their children separated for years?
When tragedy occurs, people rise from all corners to call for an easy answer: The prosecutor should have done this, the judge should have done that. But solutions lie in the months and years before the heartbreak. They come from thoughtful consideration of the costs of justice and the proper balance between protecting the innocent and preserving the rights of the accused.
All too often, those voices don't arise until it's too late. They don't arise at the voting booth, with low turnout in elections. They don't arise when it requires tax dollars to pay for more personnel to handle cases.

Mother and boyfriend enter not guilty pleas in Robert Manwill murder


September 3, 9:01 PMCrime ExaminerCindy Adams

Melissa Jenkins, mother of murdered 8-year-old Robert Manwill, and her boyfriend, Daniel Ehrlick, were in court on Thursday.
Both are charged with the first-degree murder of Robert, and according to the Idaho Statesman, the two remained silent during their plea hearing, so not guilty pleas were entered for them. Each appeared separately before Judge Darla Williamson.
Robert was reported missing while visiting his mother’s apartment in Boise, Idaho on July 24. His body was found in a nearby canal on Aug. 3.
Ehrlick is alleged to have severely beaten Robert, while his mother is accused of standing by and doing nothing, while lying to police to cover up what happened. The grand jury that indicted both Jenkins and Ehrlick on Aug. 18, found that Robert was subjected to “escalating physical violence” that finally resulted in his death.
The indictment also noted that Ehrlick’s violence against Robert began as early as June and that Jenkins “did actively and repeatedly hide [Robert] from government authorities and kept “other persons from observing the ongoing harm.”
The Statesman reports that the grand jury also wrote that Ehrlick eventually killed Robert by the "intentional application of torture ... by inflicting extreme or prolonged pain with the intent to cause suffering, to execute vengeance, or to satisfy some sadistic inclination, by inflicting repeated acts of blunt force trauma to the abdomen and/or head of Robert Manwill."
They found that Jenkins continued to leave the boy with Ehrlick despite knowing he was "inflicting repeated acts of physical violence" on him.

The state has until October to decide whether to seek the death penalty against both or either of the defendants.
The next hearing in the case is set for Nov. 5, when a trial date will likely be set. Both defendants waived their right to a speedy trial in the matter.

The mother of a young boy found dead in a Boise area canal and her boyfriend have both refused to enter pleas to first degree murder charges. Melissa Jenkins and Daniel Erhlick Junior were arrested late last month in the death of 8-year old Robert Manwill.
While Jenkins and Ehrlick stood silent, a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf.
An Ada County grand jury indictment says Manwill was tortured, beaten repeatedly, and ultimately killed by Ehrlick.
The indictment accuses Jenkins of hiding her son's injuries from state and local officials who could have intervened, as well as, aiding and abetting her boyfriend in her son's death.

Grand Jury Indictment 8/18/09 Jenkins
http://media.idahostatesman.com/smed...filiate.36.pdf

Search warrant reveals little in case of Robert Manwill's death


A second search warrant that led to the arrests of the boy's mother and her boyfriend remains sealed



Despite spending hours over two days searching the backyard of Evan Wallis' south Ada County home for evidence of then-missing Robert Manwill, detectives left with fewer than a dozen pieces of evidence, according to search warrant documents released this week.
But Wallis' home was just one of two residences police searched in the 10-day search that drew more than 2,300 volunteers and national attention. The other was the Oak Park Village apartment shared by Robert's mother, Melissa Jenkins, and her boyfriend, Daniel Ehrlick Jr. - both charged with first-degree murder after the boy's body was found Aug. 3 in the New York Canal in southern Ada County.
What police found at Jenkins' South Boise apartment on July 30 - and even what evidence allowed them to get the search warrant in the first place - remains a mystery.
Fourth District Magistrate John Hawley sealed those search warrant materials at the request of county prosecutors in July. This week, he rejected a request from the Idaho Statesman to unseal the documents.
The evidence used to charge Ehrlick and Jenkins with first-degree murder has not been publicly disclosed either, because prosecutors presented it in a secret grand jury hearing.
Hawley determined that the search warrant documents - public records routinely obtained by the Statesman and other media outlets in high-profile criminal cases - should be sealed in this case because Jenkins and Ehrlick's "Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial is a compelling interest that outweighs the public's First Amendment right of access to the documents."
Hawley said the information used by police to get the search warrant contains "numerous hearsay statements that would not be admissible at trial, and many of the statements are both accusatory and inflammatory" - and could make it hard to find an impartial jury for either defendant.
Hawley dismissed the Statesman's argument that such documents have been publicly disclosed in similar high-profile cases, like the 2004 Azad Abdullah first-degree murder case, where a jury that eventually sentenced Abdullah to death was selected without a problem.
Hawley did unseal the search warrant materials for Wallis' Southland Avenue home, saying there was "nothing in those documents that creates a substantial risk for prejudice to (Ehrlick and Jenkins)."
Wallis, who has insisted he had no knowledge of what happened and has not been charged in the case, is a friend of the Ehrlick family, and on July 31 and Aug. 1 he granted police access to his home in the 6600 block of Southdale Avenue, near Five Mile Road.
Police became interested in his home after he reported that his SUV had been stolen and mysteriously returned around the time Robert was reported missing.
A bloodhound showed interest in the house - which surprised the dog's handler, who was looking for traces of Robert in the SUV. A search-and-rescue dog trained to find human remains made a "passive alert" - detecting the possibility of a scent of human remains - at parts of the backyard. But no remains were found.
Police eventually took three latex gloves, two empty water bottles and two pairs of work gloves from Wallis' backyard - as well as a pair of shorts from inside the home. Search warrant documents don't say whether police suspect those items either belonged to or came into contact with Robert

This is the beginning segment of an Editorial published in the Idaho Statesman. For the full article follow this link:

The Robert Manwill disappearance became big news — and the Boise Police Department did nothing to discourage it.
The police held frequent and excruciatingly incremental news briefings; several coincided with live local newscasts. The police asked the community to help find clues into the disappearance of the 8-year-old, and 2,300 people turned out.
The unprecedented search effort and the intense public interest will complicate jury selection, if the case of Robert’s murder goes to trial. The rights of the accused must be protected. But this can be done without sealing court documents — a judicial overreach that could embolden police and prosecutors to try to keep other documents out of public view.

Our View: Fair trial still possible if warrant goes public in Robert Manwill case


ROBERT MANWILL CASE


The Robert Manwill disappearance became big news - and the Boise Police Department did nothing to discourage it.
The police held frequent and excruciatingly incremental news briefings; several coincided with live local newscasts. The police asked the community to help find clues into the disappearance of the 8-year-old, and 2,300 people turned out.
The unprecedented search effort and the intense public interest will complicate jury selection, if the case of Robert's murder goes to trial. The rights of the accused must be protected. But this can be done without sealing court documents - a judicial overreach that could embolden police and prosecutors to try to keep other documents out of public view.
Magistrate Judge John Hawley has kept a lid on a key record - a search warrant for the apartment shared by Robert's mother, Melissa Jenkins, and her boyfriend, Daniel Ehrlick. Saying the document contains accusatory hearsay statements against the two first-degree murder suspects, Hawley said its release would only make it more difficult to find an impartial jury.
It is a strangely reasoned and highly troubling decision.
Search warrants are presumed to be public records. They have been made public prior to other high-profile local trials. Hawley concedes this point, then proceeds to ignore it.
An open court process ensures accountability and holds police and prosecutors to healthy scrutiny. Again, Hawley concedes the point. "Moreover," he writes, "given the immense concern and emotion evoked by national publicity and extensive media coverage, the public has a strong interest in making sure that appropriate steps have been taken to investigate and prosecute those responsible for Robert's death."
And yet, when it came time to uphold the public's right to know, Hawley failed. His concern for the suspects' Sixth Amendment rights is valid. His compromise of the public's First Amendment rights is not.
Nor is it even necessary. Hawley's curious ruling seems to dismiss the notion that fair-trial concerns are better addressed through the jury selection process. The Statesman argued this point while seeking the release of the warrant.
We have no doubt that it will require a painstaking and costly effort to find an unbiased jury. We have seen this before. Last year, 325 potential jurors were summoned to Boise for the sentencing of confessed child killer Joseph Duncan III.
The parallels are clear. Another highly and appropriately public search for a missing child has evolved into a highly public murder case. It is impossible for a judge to unring this bell. It remains possible to seat a jury - without sealing documents.
After his July 24 disappearance, Treasure Valley residents got to know the smiling face and short life story of young Robert Manwill. Since Aug. 3, when Robert's body was found in a canal, they have learned precious little about his slaying. The case has been presented before a grand jury - and is based, to some unknown extent, on records Hawley doesn't want the public to see. A community that deserves answers is left only with new questions.

Ada County
Prosecutor Greg Bower announced today that his office will not seek the
death penalty against Daniel Ehrlick and Melissa Jenkins. They are charged with the murder of 8-year-old Robert Manwill. Jenkins,
30, is the boy's mother and Erhlick, 36, is her boyfriend. Robert's body was found in a Kuna canal on Aug. 3, 2009. It is believed
he died on or around July 24. He was reported missing to police on July
24. According to a grand jury indictment, Robert died
from a series of prolonged abuse that included repeated hits by Erhlick
to his abdomen and head, which causing internal bleeding, bruising and
swelling of the brain.

Robert Manwill

Jenkins is also charged with first-degree
murder because prosecutors say she did not protect her son from the
abuse and hid evidence from those who might have helped him. In a statement, Bower said the determination not to seek the death
penalty in either case is based upon careful review of federal and
state death penalty law. In Idaho, it is up to a jury to decide if a
defendant should be put to death. The Ada County
prosecutor has sought the death penalty in five cases under a 2003
federal law, and in three of the those juries have imposed the death
penalty. "There are many legal and factual reasons why
the Prosecutor's Office will not seek the death penalty in this case,"
said Bower. "The Idaho rules of Professional Conduct prohibit
prosecutors from making any statements outside the courtroom that could
prejudice the verdicts in criminal cases. Therefore, we are prevented
from discussing all of the reasons that supported this important
decision and I can comment further on this case at this time." Judge Darla Williamson will set a date for jury trials for Jenkins and Erhlick on Nov. 5. Erhlick remains in jail without bond, while Jenkins is being held on a $2 million bond. If Erhlick and Jenkins are found guilty of murder, they face life in prison without the possibility of parole. This was a case that generated an enormous response from the community. Posters featuring the boy’s face popping up all over town, and thousands of volunteers spent time searching for the child. “Probably no other case in Boise history has touched so many people," said Boise Police Deputy Jim Kerns.

A wisp of green ribbon attached to the lanyard that holds Carrie Aguas' jumble of keys isn't just frilly decoration.
The New Plymouth Elementary School principal says it's a constant reminder of the promises she made to herself in the wake of the death of Robert Manwill, an 8-year-old who would have started third grade at her school this fall.
"I want to spend more time listening," said Aguas, who has kept the ribbon since the day in July when she joined more than 2,000 people in Boise searching for the boy.
Staff and students at New Plymouth Elementary School have invited the public to the school to help remember at 10:15 a.m. Thursday, when they will dedicate a new swinging bench on the front lawn to Robert. A plaque at the top of the large green swing has the boy's photo, and the inscription reads, "Forever in Our Hearts."
The swing "is a pretty neat idea," said Ron Rouse, who watched his daughter Taci test the swing after school Wednesday. "It makes people realize how vulnerable kids are. You don't really think about something happening to somebody from your community. Then it happens."
Six-year-old Taci Rouse understands why the swing is there. "It's because Robert died," said Taci, who didn't know the boy.
New Plymouth is a small town about 45 minutes northwest of Boise. The elementary school has 430 students from preschool to fifth grade.
"None of us have gotten to the point where we can talk about him without crying," said Tammy Arnzen, a secretary at the school. "This is our little way of keeping a part of him."
The summer's events were traumatic for the staff and students.
"The little kids don't understand the finality of it all," Arnzen said.
Robert, who lived with his dad in New Plymouth, was reported missing from his mother's apartment in Boise on July 24. His body was found in a canal south of Boise on Aug. 3.
Robert's mother, Melissa Jenkins, and her boyfriend, Daniel Ehrlick, were indicted on charges of first-degree murder on Aug. 18. They have pleaded not guilty.
When the horrific details about Robert's death were released, friends warned Aguas and the boy's second-grade teacher, Christy Morales, not to read the newspaper articles or watch TV. So they didn't. They say they do not want to know; it's simply too painful.
School officials notified parents about Robert's death over the summer and asked them to talk to their own children about it. Aguas said staff were instructed to listen to students who wanted to talk about Robert at school, then ask them to discuss it with their parents.
Morales said she had no idea what to expect from the kids.
"I was worried I was going to have to address the fact that, sometimes, even your mother's not safe," she said, referring to the murder charge against Robert's mom.
But until the flier went out about Thursday's event, Morales had fielded very few questions or comments from students. Most have offered simple condolences.
"I'll be standing in the hallway, and one will walk by and say, 'I'm really sorry about Robert,' " she said.
Morales said she heard two or three students talking about the Robert Manwill Day flier get into an argument about who killed the boy.
"I said, 'We're not going to go there,'" Morales recalled Tuesday. "This is not the time or place."
School officials don't believe there's anything they could have done to save Robert from his terrible fate. During the school year, when he visited his mother and lived with his father, school officials saw no physical signs of abuse.
"I'm really good at reading kids, and I can make a good connection with kids when I notice things aren't quite right," Morales said. "The only thing I had (noticed) with him was that I felt like he was a very serious kid."
Morales said that wouldn't be unusual for a child whose parents are divorced and experiencing related difficulties. Robert moved from Boise to New Plymouth to live with his dad midway through first grade, when his mother had complications from a pregnancy.
"He came with the weight of two families on his shoulders," Morales said. "I never saw anything that he wasn't loved by his present family."
She describes him as a sweet, quiet and gentle boy who wore his feelings on his sleeve and loved to give hugs. When frustrated or upset, he would cry and put his head on his desk, she said.
In the wake of Robert's death, the staff at New Plymouth want to be sure students feel safe and supported at school, Aguas said. The theme at the school for the 2009-10 school year is "a caring heart."
"We've always had a caring staff. ... It's paying a little more attention to everything a child says," Aguas said.
Morales and Arnzen say their grief about Robert's death has been punctuated with anger.
"It's never going to make sense, no matter what comes out (in court)," said Morales, a mother of two boys.
Aguas recently misplaced her lanyard and keys. She was frantic - not because she'd have to re-key all the doors at the school - but because she feared she'd lost Robert's ribbon.
"This ribbon is going to last the rest of my career," Aguas said.

BOISE, Idaho - The trial of a man accused in the beating
death of an 8-year-old Idaho boy whose body was pulled from
an irrigation canal last summer is set to start this fall.
Judge Darla Williamson decided Thursday that jury selection
will begin in Daniel Ehrlick's trial on Sept. 22. The
trial of Melissa Jenkins, who is also accused in the death
of her son Robert Manwill, is to start Nov. 29.
Williamson did not rule on a request to move the trials out
of Boise, saying she wants to see if media coverage of
Ehrlick's trial will affect the ability to find an
impartial jury in Ada County.
Each are charged with first-degree murder.
Prosecutors say the boy was tortured, beaten and ultimately
killed by Ehrlick, his mother's live-in boyfriend.

KeKe Luv is at it again.At 5 p.m. Friday, the Boise DJ passed
24 hours of broadcasting without sleep
-- the first of eight sleepless days and nights.Only 167 hours to
go.This is the third year in a row that Luv -- whose real name
is Steve Kicklighter -- has taken on a highly-publicized personal
challenge to draw attention to National Child Abuse Prevention Month.The
first year, he went without sleep for seven days. Last year he
crisscrossed the Treasure Valley on foot, running the equivalent of
seven marathons in seven days.Luv decided to try to go for eight
days without sleep this year, and he says he's dedicating the last day
to Robert Manwill.Manwill, 8, was reported missing July 24; his
body was found in a canal Aug.
3. The boy's mother and her boyfriend were both charged with
first-degree murder.Luv said last year that
it was the horrific beating and drowning death of a 4-year-old Spokane
girl in 2007 that sparked him to speak out against child abuse -- and he
began doing crazy stunts to get attention for his message.Kevin
Godwin, senior vice president at Peak Broadcasting, said he almost
pulled Luv off the air on the 5th day of his 7-day sleep-free marathon
two years ago."He was disoriented. He wasn't making a whole lot
of sense," Godwin said.
But Luv convinced his boss that he was OK to continue.Godwin said
Luv's vitals are now being monitored by nurses two to three times a
day. KISS 103.3 FM staff, Luv's friends and fans will be with him around
the clock. He'll be on air for eight days straight, though he will be
taking three 15-minute breaks every day -- he took one at 6:15 p.m.
Friday.If Luv manages to fend off sleep for eight days, it would
be a world record.
But it won't be official."We didn't do the paperwork for
Guinness," Godwin said. "It is a mess. It's a lot of work. It's not
really about that (record) for him. This is truly about child abuse
prevention. It's getting everyone's attention."Godwin said Luv
isn't raising money for charities that serve children."We don't
want people to donate and not listen anymore -- OK, I've done my part.
We just want people to understand the message is what's most important,"
Godwin said. "It's not about raising money. Everyone raises money for
everything, big and small."Luv's fans -- and curious onlookers --
are watching the DJ live online on the KISS 103.3 FM's Web site. Godwin
said there are people from all over the world who are logging on to
watch and listen.Luv isn't using caffeine or sugar to stay awake
because he doesn't want to experience the crashing lows that come after
the caffeine and sugar highs wear off. He's giving the Starbucks coffee,
energy drinks and candy that fans have sent him to his companions. He's
sticking with healthy foods, including vegetables and nuts."He
loves Dr. Pepper. He had his last Dr. Pepper before he started," Godwin
said.Anyone who logged on last night to watch Luv might have
noticed that the DJ was yawning and looking sleepy."He had a
tough time last night," Godwin said. The hardest time of day for him is
3:30 a.m. to 4 a.m.The marathon will officially end at 5 p.m.
next Friday. Luv plans to attend the BSU spring game on Saturday, Godwin
said. Two years ago, after staying awake seven days straight, he slept
for 12.5 hours before getting back to his normal schedule.