Florida

Zorro

(16,262 posts) Thu Dec 2, 2021, 04:32 PM Dec 2021

Tampa girl, 8, is witness in father's dismemberment murder case. Family wants her home.

Robert Kessler, 69, was arrested in connection with the murder of a woman found in McKay Bay. His daughter, 8, has been with the Department of Children and Families since. Her family wants her to come home.

An 8-year-old girl is a witness in the gruesome death of a woman whose dismembered body was found in Tampa’s McKay Bay. Her father, Robert Kessler, is charged in the homicide. The girl’s family hasn’t seen her since.

The child, whom the Tampa Bay Times is not naming because of her age, has been in the custody of the Department of Children and Families since her father’s arrest on Nov. 24, according to her maternal grandparents, Michael and Beth Gray. The girl’s mother, April Thompson, 34, died in September of an accidental drug overdose, they said.

Sarah Gray, Thompson’s sister and the 8-year-old’s aunt, said they didn’t get a clear answer on where her niece was until Monday. They’d been searching for answers since Kessler’s arrest. The Gray family is hoping to gain custody of the girl.

Robert Kessler previously had full custody of the girl and Thompson had visitation rights.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/crime/2021/12/01/tampa-girl-8-is-witness-in-fathers-dismemberment-murder-case-family-wants-her-home/

Hope this kid turns out OK in the future.

9 replies

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Tampa girl, 8, is witness in father's dismemberment murder case. Family wants her home. (Original Post) Zorro Dec 2021 OP

Seems like Jilly_in_VA Dec 2021 #1

Once a child enters care it gets complicated. Phoenix61 Dec 2021 #3

I'll go along with the Department of Children and Families on this one. This is abqtommy Dec 2021 #2

And what's wrong with the mother's family? Jilly_in_VA Dec 2021 #5

I can't base my opinion on any facts, it's just what I feel is best for the child abqtommy Dec 2021 #6

DCS is rarely best for the child Jilly_in_VA Dec 2021 #7

The mother had visitation rights prior to her death Jilly_in_VA Dec 2021 #4

NOTE: I refuse to bullied for expressing my opinion on this or any other thread. nt abqtommy Dec 2021 #8

Looks to me like YOU Jilly_in_VA Dec 2021 #9

Jilly_in_VA

(10,845 posts)

1. Seems like

Reply to Zorro (Original post)

Thu Dec 2, 2021, 04:47 PM

Dec 2021

DCS should have tried to find her other relatives, not just keep her in their custody. That's just WRONG.

Phoenix61

(17,573 posts)

3. Once a child enters care it gets complicated.

Reply to Jilly_in_VA (Reply #1)

Thu Dec 2, 2021, 05:48 PM

Dec 2021

If her father had placed her with relatives that would have been the end of it. If he wouldn’t or couldn’t the child is placed in DCS care. Any relative that would want to care for the child would have to complete background checks etc. and the court would have to sign off on it. That can all take several months.

abqtommy

(14,118 posts)

2. I'll go along with the Department of Children and Families on this one. This is

Reply to Zorro (Original post)

Thu Dec 2, 2021, 05:07 PM

Dec 2021

a terrible trauma for this young girl and she deserves every chance to heal properly.

Jilly_in_VA

(10,845 posts)

5. And what's wrong with the mother's family?

Reply to abqtommy (Reply #2)

Thu Dec 2, 2021, 09:22 PM

Dec 2021

How do you know that the father didn't gain custody under false pretenses? That has been done.

abqtommy

(14,118 posts)

6. I can't base my opinion on any facts, it's just what I feel is best for the child

Reply to Jilly_in_VA (Reply #5)

Thu Dec 2, 2021, 09:31 PM

Dec 2021

at this point.

Jilly_in_VA

(10,845 posts)

7. DCS is rarely best for the child

Reply to abqtommy (Reply #6)

Thu Dec 2, 2021, 09:40 PM

Dec 2021

if there is loving family who are willing to care for her. They are supposed to be about keeping families together, or didn't you know that? /s Besides which, they should at least be looking for any family she has, not keeping her away from any of them, which is MORE traumatizing.

Jilly_in_VA

(10,845 posts)

4. The mother had visitation rights prior to her death

Reply to Zorro (Original post)

Thu Dec 2, 2021, 09:21 PM

Dec 2021

so ISTM that DCS could just as well have notified her family where she was, especially seeing as how HE is a murderer.

abqtommy

(14,118 posts)

8. NOTE: I refuse to bullied for expressing my opinion on this or any other thread. nt

Reply to Zorro (Original post)

Thu Dec 2, 2021, 10:06 PM

Dec 2021

Jilly_in_VA

(10,845 posts)

9. Looks to me like YOU

Reply to abqtommy (Reply #8)

Fri Dec 3, 2021, 07:47 AM

Dec 2021

are the one trying to do the bullying, if anyone is. I hold to my opinion that DCS is rarely the best for anyone's child. I asked you to give me some reasons why it is and you can't, then you accuse me of bullying. Nope. Won't wash.

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