Homicide finally suggested in West Frankfort child’s death
WEST FRANKFORT—After days of conducting investigations into the matter of the body of an 8-year-old girl found in a crawlspace under a West Frankfort home, officials are finally using the term ‘homicide’ as a cause of death.
However, the manner of death (what it was that killed the girl) has yet to be disclosed, thanks to the somewhat secretive world of Franklin County officials, who seem to think there are no leaks in their ranks but which notion is often wrong.
The story goes that Mary Jophlin, shown here, called 911 Tuesday morning to report that her daughter, Alexus, was ‘missing.’ An ensuing search, however, found the child’s body in the crawlspace under the home at about 2:30 the next morning.
Plenty of people were speculating all week that the girl was a runaway, was playing hide-&-seek, got hurt in some way and crawled under the house subsequent to that without telling anyone, etc. For whatever reason, no one could fathom that Jophlin would do anything to harm the child…although she and her other children (two or three others; reports vary) have been the subjects of multiple DCFS cases over the years.
The drama was increased yesterday morning (07.20.11) when Franklin’s prosecutor (term used loosely) Evan Owens finally filed charges of Concealment of a Homicidal Death and Obstruction of Justice (for making false statements to the police…although in typical secretive Franklin County style, no one is saying what those statements were).
Jophlin had been held immediately upon discovery of the body on a preliminary charge of Concealment of a Death, so officials knew something was wrong early on.
It’s our understanding that this woman has some emotional, mental and functional problems, and that her children have been taken from her and placed with other relatives time and again over the years.
Given Franklin’s proclivity to randomly rip a child from one parent and give it to the other when there’s a suggestion that the other parent is sexually abusing the child (think the Wilfong/Chekevdia case), it’s a blue-eyed wonder this woman had custody/control of Alexus at all…but that’s the disparity in the world of Franklin, with former prosecutor-turned-judge Tom Dinn running the show, his buddy Owens flapping around like a headless chicken, and even Judge Melissa Drew in there conducting things in the courtroom in the exasperated way she usually does, as was the case yesterday morning when Jophlin appeared.
Franklin is a county with significant problems; the layers of these problems go so deep that it’s not just like an onion—it’s like a big, ROTTEN onion, with plenty of mold growing in it. So it’s no surprise that poor Alexus was where she was and what happened to her thus happened. And I would say we’ll ‘know more’ as things progress, but since it’s Franklin County, that’s not a sure bet….so stay tuned. At the very least, we can report on the bumbling around with the case the officials are doing and have done already.
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Posted by Jack Howser
on Jul 22 2011. Filed under Breaking, Franklin.
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It may be a fact that this gal has emotional, mental or physical problems, but the fact remains that anyone not able to take care of children properly and then that fact results in a serious injury then that woman should be spayed and stripped of her parental rights! I am not saying every accident that results in a childs death should lead to spaying and neutering but what I am saying is if the deed was intentionally done then this punishment should be carried out! However we live in the USA the socialist/communist regime where criminals like her have more rights than the folks who obey all the laws and live their lives accordingly! Its amazing to me that DCFS can come in and harass a family over a bogus call and then monitor them for months, even years, but when a serious matter like this arises no one does diddly squat! WTF? :p
When I first heard and read of this and the little girl being found in the crawlspace, it made me think of the Indiana boy that ran away. They found him in the crawlspace after his parents called 911 to report noises. Makes ya wonder if this chick read or heard about it too.
Seems a little odd dont it…I had thought of that to Sweets but I guess I will let the Super Power Rick White, “the cop who does no known wrong” “cuz he gets by with everything” see if he can somehow make something happen! If anyone can get charges to go to trial ole Ricky can he has been at the lying for some time…not sure if he ever gets to many to trial by tellin the truth but I know for a fact he lies to get em to go to court!
Some reports out there are saying that she “knowingly” placed the little girl in the crawlspace(or basement)after her death. Also, either during or after calling 911, she “knowingly” did not reveal she knew her daughter was lying dead where she had placed her in the crawlspace(or basement). Hopefully, they will soon find out how that little girl died!
…yet another prime example of why the gene pool should be periodically chlorinated…
Well I know two wrongs dont make a right but come on this gal should be stuffed under a hot house possibly for days…we dont even know if the little girl was alive when she was placed there but man this is sickening. I cant imagine what I would do to someone if they hurt a child like that in my presence…I doubt law enforcement would be able to aid them but they might be placing me somewhere for quite a while…still bet I wouldnt regret doing the right thing tho!
Some reports are indicating that she knew her little girl was dead when she put her there. Either way….YES!!!!! VERY sickening!! I am trying to be careful with this horrific act from this “mom”. From past BS that has gone on, my nightmares that I was waking up with crying, are not as often, but still there. You haven’t brought the thoughts on O.F., btw. Just something that never leaves my mind and probably never will.. =( I’m sure you have figured it by now..if not, Ang Knows she can share it with you and a few others..