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Renee King (Macomb Daily photo by David Posavetz)
The trial surrounding the death of 2-year-old Lily Wolfenbarger-Furneaux began in November 2010, but the Furneaux family was in court for years before Lily was killed.
Lauren Furneaux, Lily's mother, said she and her family have spent the last three years dealing with the court system because of the murder trial and custody hearings.
"This is the first time we've actually seen justice," she said last month when Renee King was convicted of felony murder, child abuse and sexual assault for the Nov. 20, 2010 death of Lily.
While King was convicted of these crimes last week, Lauren Furneaux and her family believe abuse of the little girl started long before the November 2010 death.
Lauren Furneaux said before Lily even turned 2 she had suspicious marks on her neck, but added she was continuously told by Lily's
father, Jeffery Wolfenbarger and others, as the bumps and bruises became more frequent that she was just clumsy or played too hard with the other children.
"It started picking up," Lauren Furneaux said. "I'd take pictures and then I took them to my attorney and she said the judge will take away full custody if you take this in front of him."
Lauren Furneaux said she listened to her custody attorney at the time, and never brought claims to Lapeer County Circuit Court Judge Michael Higgins.
"I wake up every day regretting listening to my attorney," she said. "I wish I never trusted her."
Lynette Furneaux, Lauren's mother, said the black eyes and bruising were never enough for the attorney to feel the family had sufficient evidence to make abuse claims and warned her daughter could lose joint custody by pursuing them. Continued...
If there were claims, the family said they didn't have evidence as to who was leaving the bruises on Lily's body, but Lauren Furneaux said she had a feeling it was King. She had such an inclination because Lily would have bruises when she returned home from time with King and Wolfenbarger but not when she would spend time with Wolfenbarger's family.
Lynette Furneaux said as proceedings have gone forward she has been told if the family suspected abuse, then they should have never let the toddler go to the New Haven home where she died. That's a lot easier said than done, she pointed out.
"It's either you let her (Lily) go half the time or risk losing her full time," Lynette Furneaux said. "She (Lauren) did what she was supposed to do right."
While Higgins opted to rule the unmarried couple share custody of the girl, Lauren Furneaux said she never felt right handing her daughter over. Starting at the age of three months Lily would cry when she was handed over to the Wolfenbarger's side of the family, but the fact that she would get upset in such situations wasn't enough for Higgins.
"She (Lily) always said, 'I don't want go see "Nee (King),' " Lauren Furneaux said. "I took her dying to not have to go."
Care House Executive Director Dorie Vazquez-Nolan said if a parent ever suspects abuse there are actions that can be taken.
"A call to Child Protective Services is always what we would recommend," she said, adding a call to Care House can be placed and a member of their team will listen to the issue at hand and help identify normal and abnormal behavior.
Care House is a Macomb County child advocacy center, based in Mount Clemens, with the mission to prevent and reduce the trauma of child sexual and physical abuse in the county through collaborative, multi-disciplinary and family-centered activities, according to their website.
As for following the orders of the attorney, Vazquez-Nolan said if something doesn't seem right then a concerned parent should seek other legal advice.
"As a parent, if you are genuinely concerned about your child's safety then you should act on that," she said. Continued...
Although the Furneauxes feel some type of justice has been served with King's conviction, Lauren Furneaux still feels like Lily's memory is tarnished when it is suggested Lily was clumsy or didn't know when was appropriate to use the bathroom.
"My daughter was the most graceful person," she said. "She was very cautious."
If you or someone you know suspects child abuse call Child Protective Services at their new centralized intake number, (855) 444-3911. Calls from this number are forwarded to the Grand Rapids call center and will then be transferred to the appropriate county agency.
Source: http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2012/03/09/news/srv0000024033752.txt
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