The first time I actually came across with child abuse was when I accidentally found a picture of Kelsey Birggs from Google Images and I noticed that there was time of birth and death on it. I wondered what happened to such adorable little angel and what I stumblen on was incredible, cruel and inhuman. Though Kelsey's story left a big mark on my soul I have to thank her for getting me started on fighting against child abuse. So thank you little Kelsey you changed me to a better person just by making me fight. We will never forget you! So I''m starting this blog to raise awarness, to tell stories which are definitely not happy material and write about effects of child abuse.
Here's Kelsey's story!
Kelsey Briggs was born in Oklahoma on December 28,2002 after her parents Lance Briggs and Raye Dawn Smith were divorced.
At the end of 2004 Raye Dawn Smith started dating a man named Michael Lee Porter.
The first reported incident of suspected child abuse regarding Kelsey was made on Jan.17,2005.
Kelsey Briggs grandmother Kathie Briggs was granted custody Jan.24,2005.
Raye Dawn Smith married Michael Lee Porter on April 18,2005.
On May 3,2005 Kelsey was taken out of her grandmothers care by OKDHS.
Kelsey was put in protective custody because of her leg injuries.
At that time Raye Dawn was having unsupervised visitation with Kelsey,sometimes in the presence of Mike Porter which went against the court order.
During this time Raye and Mike had Kelsey alot more than Kathie did.
May 4,2005 Kelsey was moved to her maternal Grandmother Gayla Smith.
Kelsey suffered months of documented abuse,which included two CONFIRMED cases of abuse.The two instances that were Confirmed abuse were the abrasions and bruises on her bottom in January 2005,and the two spiral breaks to her legs in April 2005.June 15,2005 Judge Craig Key sent Kelsey back to her mom and stepfather.The judge stated,"Kelsey's abuser was unknown."
Kelsey was visited by a social worker every week.
Her biological father Lance Briggs was a soldier in Iraq he was undergoing care at a treatment facility and was in the process of checking out from his duty in
Fort Benning,Georgia.Lance was schedueled to be home within days.
On October 11,2005 Kelsey was murdered by her Stepfather Micheal Lee Porter.Raye Dawn and Michael Porter were the only ones around Kelsey in the hour leading up to her death.
Raye went to pick Whitney up from school.Whitney is Mike Porter's Bio daughter from a previous relationship.
The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the abdomen,it was ruled a Homicide.
Kelsey Briggs died just days before her father was to return.
Two weeks later Porter was arrested on first degee murder.
Her mother was later charged with two felonies of Child Neglect and Enabling Child Abuse.
In April of 2006 Kelsey's body was exhumed for a second autopsy where sexual abuse was documented.
The Stepfather's charges were amended to add the sexual abuse.
Porter and Smith divorced after Kelsey's death.
On February 2,2007 a plea negotiation was entered and approved by the paternal family.
The stepfather plead guilty to a reduced charge of Enabling Child Abuse and received 30 years in prison.
He has no possibility of parole for 25.5 years.
Kelsey's mother Raye Dawn Smith went on trial July 9,2007.She has since been found guilty of enabling child abuse,she will serve 27 years in prison.Without the possibility of parole for 23 years.
The District Attorney Richard Smothermon says she knew,or should have known about Kelsey's abuse.
Alot of people failed Kelsey.Remember her story the next time you think a child is being abused.Please report it,if you don't, that child may suffer the same fate as Kelsey.Please don't let that happen.
In March 2006, the Oklahoma state legislature passed the Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Reform Act.
This bill helps to strengthen training of court-appointed child advocates and make judges more accountable for their rulings in child-placement cases.
Kelsey's story
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