Nevaeh Rae Jones

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nevaeh was in the care of her father Jamie Andrews and his girlfriend Shannon Westberg when police were called. Police found Nevaeh unresponsive and laboring to breathe. She was taken to Mercy Hospital and flown by helicopter later that night to Children's Hospital in Minneapolis. Nevaeh died the of severe brain trauma, including a skull fracture, brain swelling and retinal hemorrhaging. Emergency workers said the injuries were most likely caused by shaking and a blow to her head.

 

Nevaeh's older sister told investigators she had played with Nevaeh on the morning of Nevaeh’s death she was crying. Her parents were still in bed, the older girl told police, so she lifted Nevaeh from her crib and fed her Cheerios, Fruit Loops and milk. Then left for school. When she returned from school, Nevaeh was sleeping, she said. She went to wake Nevaeh when their grandmother arrived, but Nevaeh wouldn't move. She wiggled Nevaeh’s arms and legs. Nothing. So she lifted her sister into her arms and carried her to an adult. Her grandmother called 911.

At the mention of Nevaeh's name her brother threeyear old brother held out his hands and shook them back and forth with. He said Andrews had slapped Nevaeh. “Daddy shaking Nanay hard," he told investigators. "Nanay won't wake up. Nanay sleeping." A four year old girl, told a foster parent that Andrews would grab the children by their faces and push their heads into the floor. But it was OK, she told them because he did not leave marks.

 

Andrews told social workers he had assaulted Nevaeh's mother twice, with one incident resulting in a disorderly conduct charge. Andrews also told caseworkers that as a minor, he had been accused of sexually abusing three children under the age of five. He was placed at Mille Lacs Academy, a treatment facility for adolescent males engaged in unhealthy sexual behavior. When released, he went into foster care. On January 29, 2007 a boyfriend of Navarro's assaulted her, hitting Nevaeh's head in the process. Andrews told social workers that Navarro brought the three children to him and that while she retained legal custody, he became the children's primary caretaker.

 

Westbergwas arraigned in court March 19 on two first degree criminal sexual conduct charges. Andrews was originally charged in May 2007 with two second degree murder counts, but in July 2007 he was indicted on two premeditated first degree murder counts by an Anoka County grand jury. He has now also been charged with two first degree counts of criminal sexual conduct. The criminal sexual conduct charges filed against Andrews and Westberg result from statements by two other children of Andrews, who were living with Andrews and Westberg at the time of Nevaeh death. The children were placed in foster homes in pre-adoptive placement following Andrews’ incarceration and termination of parental right. The children, a boy and a girl,who have the same mother, entered counseling last year after their pre-adoptive father reported the boy appeared afraid of showers and after learned from the boy that Andrews had sexually assaulted him, while the girl woke up with nightmares, saying “no daddy, no.”

After disclosure to a therapist of the sexual abuse by Andrews, the case was referred to the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division who gave both children a cognitive graph interview. In his interview, the boy said that he was not only sexually abused by Andrews, but by Westberg as well.The girl, in her interview said that she had seen Andrews sexually abuse her brother and that she, too, had been sexually abused by both Andrews and Westberg.   

 

Charges of criminal sexual conduct were dropped against Westbergwhen she pleaded guilty to two counts of child endangerment. Westberg admit to allowing her boyfriend's son and daughter ages three and seven to be physically abused by their father as well as exposing them to pornography and marijuana.Westberg was sentenced to one year in jail, in which 90 days is served and the remainder is stayed. Westberg also was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to have no contact with children younger than 13. Andrews pleaded guilty to second degree manslaughter and to one count of second degree criminal sexual conduct he was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison and was ordered to register as a predatory offender.