Dad paid support for 11 years after child killed - and he just found out child is dead

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/trn/l...756054,00.html

Girl's death lost in the system
Dad paid support for 11 years after child killed

By Stacy Horany/Times Record News
June 7, 2006

A check in the mail led Daniel Davenport to a terrible discovery.

The Wichitan had lost his daughter, Ashley,when he and her mother broke up
in 1988. Ashley stayed in the Golden State with her mother. Davenport left
California in 1990 and returned to Wichita Falls.

Davenport lost Ashley again - this time to a fatal car accident in July
1995.

But he wouldn't know about the wreck until 11 years later after, receiving a
refund check for child support, arrears and medical insurance from the Texas
Attorney General's office.

Davenport pulled the check from his mailbox one day in April - of this year.

When Davenport and his fiancee Kelly Reece contacted the office to question
the refund, they were told "the child is deceased and no more payments are
required."

A check for $2,160 was all that remained of Ashley's life.

Davenport is sickened by the fact that his daughter's life was shuffled
away, lost in 11 years worth of paperwork, like a file on a messy desk.

"I thought they meant she had been dead six months since that was how much
child support the check was for," Davenport said. Davenport said the Texas
office told him he'd have to contact the Stanislaus County Department of
Child Support Services in California to find out more.

The Stanislaus County office told him Ashley had died in July 1995.

A news story Davenport obtained, published in the Modesto Bee, stated that
Ashley, then 6 years old, was killed in a car accident on July 3, 1995. Her
mother was driving and accelerated through a red light. The car was
broadsided on the front passenger side.

Ashley was riding in a passenger's lap in the front seat. She was ejected
from the vehicle and suffered fatal chest and head injuries, according to an
accident report from the Modesto Police Department.

A later article in the Bee stated that Ashley's mother stayed one day in
jail and received three years probation as a result of the accident.

Janece Rolfe, a spokeswoman for the Texas Attorney General's office child
support division, said Texas was notified of the death in September 2005 by
the Stanislaus County office - 10 years after Ashley's death.

Rolfe said Texas is in discussions with California at this time about the
Davenport case.

"We're going over everything with a fine-toothed comb," Rolfe said.

In Texas, "we routinely match our case load with death certificates issued
by the Vital Statistics Unit through the Texas Department of State Health
Services," Rolfe said. Rolfe said the systems differ state by state, and the
same procedures might not be in place in California.

Neal Selover, public information officer with the Stanislaus County
Department of Child Support Services, said he was not able to speak about
specific cases, citing privacy laws in California. He did not comment on any
safeguards the office has to ensure clients are paying child support on live
children and directed calls to the complaint division at the Stanislaus
office.

In 1993, California opened a case on Ashley, and Texas was enlisted to
collect the money from Davenport, who is now working as a mechanic in
Wichita Falls. He said he did get behind a few times on the support payments
and owed arrears.

He said he had been called to court numerous times, after 1995, and his bank
account was even frozen in 2004 by the Texas Attorney General's office to
pay arrears - nine years after Ashley's death.

He said he spoke with the Stanislaus office Tuesday, and they offered to
send him a check for $2,000. But Davenport said he will not accept the money
until they answer his questions, namely, how could both Texas and California
lose a child for 11 years.

"I've got a bunch of questions they still have not answered," Davenport
said. "The money is not the deal. I just want somebody to take
responsibility for this."

He said he was considering obtaining legal counsel to deal with the agencies
and get the story straight.

"They knew how to find me to take me to court, but they couldn't find me to
tell me my little girl was dead."

Davenport and Ashley's mother had separated shortly after Ashley was born in
1988, and Davenport hadn't seen Ashley since she was 6 weeks old.

"We didn't get along," Davenport said of his former girlfriend. I was young
and crazy, and one day I left to go to work and when I came home, she and
Ashley were gone," Davenport said.

Davenport said he did a three-month stint in jail in California in 1988,
and, by the time he got out, he had lost track of both Ashley and her
mother. He said he decided to come back to Wichita Falls, his home, in 1990.

"I've tried to contact her all these years, and I haven't been able to find
them," Davenport said.

Davenport has had a checkered past with the law, according to the Web site
PublicData.com. He admitted his criminal history.

"My past is my past. This isn't about me. This is about the state of Texas
and the state of California losing my daughter for 11 years," Davenport
said.

He said he was looking forward to this fall, when Ashley would have turned
18, so that he might be able to establish a relationship with her. Now,
Davenport must deal with Ashley's death.

"Nobody should have to go through this, to send payments every week on
current child support only to find out their daughter died all these years
ago," Davenport said. "I don't know how to even express how I feel about
this."

He just found out two weeks ago where his daughter is buried.

But Davenport is not ready to mourn.

He is preparing letters to send to every Attorney General's office in the
United States. He said he's written letters to Gov. Rick Perry and Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and has contacted Sen. Craig Estes' office.

"I'm too upset to mourn right now. I am very mad. It sounds like to me, the
system is the deadbeat," Davenport said.

"Dusty" wrote in message
...

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/trn/l...RN_5784_475605
4,00.html

Girl's death lost in the system
Dad paid support for 11 years after child killed

By Stacy Horany/Times Record News
June 7, 2006

A check in the mail led Daniel Davenport to a terrible discovery.

The Wichitan had lost his daughter, Ashley,when he and her mother broke up
in 1988. Ashley stayed in the Golden State with her mother. Davenport left
California in 1990 and returned to Wichita Falls.

Davenport lost Ashley again - this time to a fatal car accident in July
1995.

But he wouldn't know about the wreck until 11 years later after, receiving
a
refund check for child support, arrears and medical insurance from the
Texas
Attorney General's office.

Davenport pulled the check from his mailbox one day in April - of this
year.

When Davenport and his fiancee Kelly Reece contacted the office to
question
the refund, they were told "the child is deceased and no more payments are
required."

A check for $2,160 was all that remained of Ashley's life.

Davenport is sickened by the fact that his daughter's life was shuffled
away, lost in 11 years worth of paperwork, like a file on a messy desk.

"I thought they meant she had been dead six months since that was how much
child support the check was for," Davenport said. Davenport said the Texas
office told him he'd have to contact the Stanislaus County Department of
Child Support Services in California to find out more.

The Stanislaus County office told him Ashley had died in July 1995.

A news story Davenport obtained, published in the Modesto Bee, stated that
Ashley, then 6 years old, was killed in a car accident on July 3, 1995.
Her
mother was driving and accelerated through a red light. The car was
broadsided on the front passenger side.

Ashley was riding in a passenger's lap in the front seat. She was ejected
from the vehicle and suffered fatal chest and head injuries, according to
an
accident report from the Modesto Police Department.

A later article in the Bee stated that Ashley's mother stayed one day in
jail and received three years probation as a result of the accident.

Janece Rolfe, a spokeswoman for the Texas Attorney General's office child
support division, said Texas was notified of the death in September 2005
by
the Stanislaus County office - 10 years after Ashley's death.

Rolfe said Texas is in discussions with California at this time about the
Davenport case.

"We're going over everything with a fine-toothed comb," Rolfe said.

In Texas, "we routinely match our case load with death certificates issued
by the Vital Statistics Unit through the Texas Department of State Health
Services," Rolfe said. Rolfe said the systems differ state by state, and
the
same procedures might not be in place in California.

Neal Selover, public information officer with the Stanislaus County
Department of Child Support Services, said he was not able to speak about
specific cases, citing privacy laws in California. He did not comment on
any
safeguards the office has to ensure clients are paying child support on
live
children and directed calls to the complaint division at the Stanislaus
office.

Aside from the obvious question - Where did the money go? - It just frosts
my butt to hear government officials hiding behind "privacy laws" to avoid
having to admit any wrong doing. They act like they have this higher
calling to protect individuals when in fact they are covering their own
butts.

"Bob Whiteside" wrote in message
...

"Dusty" wrote in message
...

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/trn/l...RN_5784_475605
4,00.html

Girl's death lost in the system
Dad paid support for 11 years after child killed

By Stacy Horany/Times Record News
June 7, 2006

A check in the mail led Daniel Davenport to a terrible discovery.

The Wichitan had lost his daughter, Ashley,when he and her mother broke
up
in 1988. Ashley stayed in the Golden State with her mother. Davenport
left
California in 1990 and returned to Wichita Falls.

Davenport lost Ashley again - this time to a fatal car accident in July
1995.

But he wouldn't know about the wreck until 11 years later after,
receiving
a
refund check for child support, arrears and medical insurance from the
Texas
Attorney General's office.

Davenport pulled the check from his mailbox one day in April - of this
year.

When Davenport and his fiancee Kelly Reece contacted the office to
question
the refund, they were told "the child is deceased and no more payments
are
required."

A check for $2,160 was all that remained of Ashley's life.

Davenport is sickened by the fact that his daughter's life was shuffled
away, lost in 11 years worth of paperwork, like a file on a messy desk.

"I thought they meant she had been dead six months since that was how
much
child support the check was for," Davenport said. Davenport said the
Texas
office told him he'd have to contact the Stanislaus County Department of
Child Support Services in California to find out more.

The Stanislaus County office told him Ashley had died in July 1995.

A news story Davenport obtained, published in the Modesto Bee, stated
that
Ashley, then 6 years old, was killed in a car accident on July 3, 1995.
Her
mother was driving and accelerated through a red light. The car was
broadsided on the front passenger side.

Ashley was riding in a passenger's lap in the front seat. She was ejected
from the vehicle and suffered fatal chest and head injuries, according to
an
accident report from the Modesto Police Department.

A later article in the Bee stated that Ashley's mother stayed one day in
jail and received three years probation as a result of the accident.

Janece Rolfe, a spokeswoman for the Texas Attorney General's office child
support division, said Texas was notified of the death in September 2005
by
the Stanislaus County office - 10 years after Ashley's death.

Rolfe said Texas is in discussions with California at this time about the
Davenport case.

"We're going over everything with a fine-toothed comb," Rolfe said.

In Texas, "we routinely match our case load with death certificates
issued
by the Vital Statistics Unit through the Texas Department of State Health
Services," Rolfe said. Rolfe said the systems differ state by state, and
the
same procedures might not be in place in California.

Neal Selover, public information officer with the Stanislaus County
Department of Child Support Services, said he was not able to speak about
specific cases, citing privacy laws in California. He did not comment on
any
safeguards the office has to ensure clients are paying child support on
live
children and directed calls to the complaint division at the Stanislaus
office.

Aside from the obvious question - Where did the money go? - It just frosts
my butt to hear government officials hiding behind "privacy laws" to avoid
having to admit any wrong doing. They act like they have this higher
calling to protect individuals when in fact they are covering their own
butts.

And offering to repay $2000? He should get every penny back, plus interest
and penalties!!

Money aside, doesn't it strike you as a little odd that in 11 years,
the man never apparently attempted to visit the child, speak to her on
the phone, write to her and get letters or cards in return, nada zip in
the way of contact?

M

Actually, it doesn't. This happens way too often when a pregnancy occurs
during a one night stand or an uncommitted relationship. It's sad, but it
is, unfortunately, quite common.


wrote in message
ps.com...
Money aside, doesn't it strike you as a little odd that in 11 years,
the man never apparently attempted to visit the child, speak to her on
the phone, write to her and get letters or cards in return, nada zip in
the way of contact?

M

wrote in message
ps.com...
Money aside, doesn't it strike you as a little odd that in 11 years,
the man never apparently attempted to visit the child, speak to her on
the phone, write to her and get letters or cards in return, nada zip in
the way of contact?

Are you insane? How can you possibly go after a father for not visiting a
dead child, not trying to speak to a dead child on the phone, not getting
letters or cards from a dead child, and not making contact of any kind with
a dead child?

The real questions are - Was the mother, who was driving the car and present
when the child died and later incarcerated for her role in the child's
death, still cashing the CS checks? Did the mother approve the CS
enforcement hearings on a CS order with full knowledge the child was dead?
Did the mother collect welfare using a dead child? What crimes did the
mother commit in fraudulently receiving CS payments for 11 years? Why isn't
the mother being told she should have approached the court to request a
change of circumstances hearing once the child died? What liability does the
state have for not stopping a CS order when they knew the child was dead?

The femwits always want to blame the father and never turn the introspection
onto another woman.

"Dusty" wrote in message
...
http://www.timesrecordnews.com/trn/l...756054,00.html

Girl's death lost in the system
Dad paid support for 11 years after child killed

By Stacy Horany/Times Record News
June 7, 2006



Wow.... One can't say for sure the truth here but I see someone who had no
contact what so ever with his daughter. Tell me, those with dealings with CS
system... can you literally pay support for a child but they are allowed to
with hold where the child is??? If so, just another screwed up issue with
the system.

That is a sad sad article.

"teachrmama" wrote in message
...

"Bob Whiteside" wrote in message
...

"Dusty" wrote in message
...

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/trn/l...RN_5784_475605
4,00.html

Girl's death lost in the system
Dad paid support for 11 years after child killed

By Stacy Horany/Times Record News
June 7, 2006

A check in the mail led Daniel Davenport to a terrible discovery.

The Wichitan had lost his daughter, Ashley,when he and her mother broke
up
in 1988. Ashley stayed in the Golden State with her mother. Davenport
left
California in 1990 and returned to Wichita Falls.

Davenport lost Ashley again - this time to a fatal car accident in July
1995.

But he wouldn't know about the wreck until 11 years later after,
receiving
a
refund check for child support, arrears and medical insurance from the
Texas
Attorney General's office.

Davenport pulled the check from his mailbox one day in April - of this
year.

When Davenport and his fiancee Kelly Reece contacted the office to
question
the refund, they were told "the child is deceased and no more payments
are
required."

A check for $2,160 was all that remained of Ashley's life.

Davenport is sickened by the fact that his daughter's life was shuffled
away, lost in 11 years worth of paperwork, like a file on a messy desk.

"I thought they meant she had been dead six months since that was how
much
child support the check was for," Davenport said. Davenport said the
Texas
office told him he'd have to contact the Stanislaus County Department of
Child Support Services in California to find out more.

The Stanislaus County office told him Ashley had died in July 1995.

A news story Davenport obtained, published in the Modesto Bee, stated
that
Ashley, then 6 years old, was killed in a car accident on July 3, 1995.
Her
mother was driving and accelerated through a red light. The car was
broadsided on the front passenger side.

Ashley was riding in a passenger's lap in the front seat. She was
ejected
from the vehicle and suffered fatal chest and head injuries, according
to
an
accident report from the Modesto Police Department.

A later article in the Bee stated that Ashley's mother stayed one day in
jail and received three years probation as a result of the accident.

Janece Rolfe, a spokeswoman for the Texas Attorney General's office
child
support division, said Texas was notified of the death in September 2005
by
the Stanislaus County office - 10 years after Ashley's death.

Rolfe said Texas is in discussions with California at this time about
the
Davenport case.

"We're going over everything with a fine-toothed comb," Rolfe said.

In Texas, "we routinely match our case load with death certificates
issued
by the Vital Statistics Unit through the Texas Department of State
Health
Services," Rolfe said. Rolfe said the systems differ state by state, and
the
same procedures might not be in place in California.

Neal Selover, public information officer with the Stanislaus County
Department of Child Support Services, said he was not able to speak
about
specific cases, citing privacy laws in California. He did not comment on
any
safeguards the office has to ensure clients are paying child support on
live
children and directed calls to the complaint division at the Stanislaus
office.

Aside from the obvious question - Where did the money go? - It just
frosts
my butt to hear government officials hiding behind "privacy laws" to
avoid
having to admit any wrong doing. They act like they have this higher
calling to protect individuals when in fact they are covering their own
butts.

And offering to repay $2000? He should get every penny back, plus
interest and penalties!!





Definitely! That is ridiculous! I see a law suit for sure.

"Bob Whiteside" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ps.com...
Money aside, doesn't it strike you as a little odd that in 11 years,
the man never apparently attempted to visit the child, speak to her on
the phone, write to her and get letters or cards in return, nada zip in
the way of contact?

Are you insane? How can you possibly go after a father for not visiting a
dead child, not trying to speak to a dead child on the phone, not getting
letters or cards from a dead child, and not making contact of any kind
with
a dead child?

The real questions are - Was the mother, who was driving the car and
present
when the child died and later incarcerated for her role in the child's
death, still cashing the CS checks? Did the mother approve the CS
enforcement hearings on a CS order with full knowledge the child was dead?
Did the mother collect welfare using a dead child? What crimes did the
mother commit in fraudulently receiving CS payments for 11 years? Why
isn't
the mother being told she should have approached the court to request a
change of circumstances hearing once the child died? What liability does
the
state have for not stopping a CS order when they knew the child was dead?

The femwits always want to blame the father and never turn the
introspection
onto another woman.



I truly hope that mother gets persecuted for fraud. This is sad. Cashing
checks for a deceased child.

"Tiffany" wrote in message
news:zJokg.9875$db5.3307@trnddc03...

"Dusty" wrote in message
...

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/trn/l...RN_5784_475605
4,00.html

Girl's death lost in the system
Dad paid support for 11 years after child killed

By Stacy Horany/Times Record News
June 7, 2006



Wow.... One can't say for sure the truth here but I see someone who had no
contact what so ever with his daughter. Tell me, those with dealings with
CS
system... can you literally pay support for a child but they are allowed
to
with hold where the child is??? If so, just another screwed up issue with
the system.

That is a sad sad article.

Anyone requesting IV-D services can designate an "address of record" which
does not necessarily show where the child resides.

In addition, other confidentiality provisions apply that can prevent a
father from knowing the location of his child. Non-disclosure of personal
identification information (including where the mother is or who the child
is) can be blocked by court or administrative hearings to protect the
party's or the child's health, safety, or if their liberty would be
unreasonably put at risk by inclusion of that information in a support
order.

IOW - If a woman wants to hide herself and her child from the father she has
the legal right to do so.