Deadly cover up

FOSTER PARENTS
COUPLE ACCUSED OF LEAVING BOY, 3, THEN HIDING DEATH
Columbus Dispatch, Tuesday, August 29, 2006 NEWS 01D
By Dan Sewell

The foster parents of a 3-year-old developmentally disabled boy were charged yesterday with causing his death, nearly two weeks after the foster mother's report that the child disappeared triggered a massive search.

Liz and David Carroll left Marcus Fiesel in a closet when they went to a family reunion in Kentucky on Aug. 4, authorities said. They returned to find him dead two days later -- nine days before reporting him missing -- authorities said. Mr. Carroll has been charged with burning his body.

A Hamilton County grand jury indicted the Carrolls on charges of involuntary manslaughter and endangering children, and Mr. Carroll was charged with gross abuse of a corpse.
Mrs. Carroll had said the boy apparently wandered off after she passed out in a suburban Cincinnati park because of a heart condition.

Throngs of volunteers poured out to help in the search.

"They let thousands of people look for this little boy, knowing he was long dead," Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said. He said the Carrolls took time to plan a story before reporting Marcus missing.

A week after making her report, Mrs. Carroll made a public plea for help in the search, calling herself "an excellent mother" and professing her love for the boy.

Authorities were searching yesterday in rural Brown County for his remains, Deters said. He declined to discuss other details of the investigation.

"You would not treat your dog like this," Deters said.

Authorities said the child was left in the couple's Clermont County home; he was reported missing from a park in Hamilton County. Deters said more charges are possible.
"We'll wait to see where the investigation leads us," he said.

The Carrolls were arrested separately and jailed yesterday, he said. A message seeking information on their court appearances and legal representation was left last night with the Hamilton County sheriff's office.

The search, using helicopters and sophisticated equipment, initially focused on a 5-square-mile area of Juilfs Park in Anderson Township. It was expanded to other nearby wooded areas and waterways with searchers combing the areas at least five times, according to the Hamilton County sheriff's office.

As time went on, authorities expressed concern that the search was going to end badly. Police also openly questioned why no witnesses reported seeing Marcus in the park.

"The first reaction is one of absolute shock and just utter disappointment," said Fred Buop, who worked in the search effort as battalion chief with the Anderson Township Fire Department. "Even though we had hoped for the best, we had planned for the worst."

Mrs. Carroll, 30, said she was unconscious for about 10 minutes. When she came to, there were three toddlers nearby, but she said she told people that she had four children.

The other children, her 2-year-old son Bryce, 1-year-old foster child Bradley and a 1-year-old child Mrs. Carroll was baby-sitting were safe.

Mr. Carroll said Marcus had the mental ability of a child 12 to 18 months old. The boy joined the family about four months ago and had a history of wandering off, Mr. Carroll said.

The search was called off Aug. 19, but authorities said they were following leads. A local businessman put up a $10,000 reward for information leading to the child or to anyone responsible for his disappearance.

Authorities had said they searched the foster parents' home and property. Mrs. Carroll was released from the hospital a few days after Marcus was reported missing, and the sheriff's office said the family had moved.

The Carrolls had expressed frustration last week about increasing scrutiny of their story and background, which included a recent domestic violence charge against Mr. Carroll that was dismissed. They gave a TV interview in which Mrs. Carroll tearfully repeated her appeal for help.

"We are extremely saddened and outraged about the untimely death of Marcus Fiesel," Jann Heffner, executive director of Butler County Children's Services, said in a news release. "Marcus was a wonderful child. ... His death has devastated our entire agency."

The county agency contracted with Lifeway for Youth, a private organization that provides training for foster parents and placement for abused and neglected children.