The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A foster mother in Carthage is facing felony charges after two sisters in her care were discovered with severe internal and external injuries.
24-year-old Jennifer L. Chanslor-Chambers resides in Carthage, Missouri, and she has been the foster mother of two young sisters since 2019.
On November 23, a person whose identity was not revealed in reports was with Chanslor-Chambers and the children when they noticed that the younger girl appeared to be hunched over, pale, and in a great deal of pain.
Chanslor-Chambers was encouraged to take the girl to for immediate medical treatment, and the foster mom took the child to Freeman Hospital for assistance.
When the girl was examined by physicians, it was reported that they discovered bruises all over her body, and fresh, in addition to healing cuts on her face and head. The child also reportedly had a rash covering a large portion of her upper body.
The hospital staff noted the child’s condition was not improving. They sent her to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City for more extensive treatment, and the doctors surmised the girl was suffering from lacerations to her spleen and liver, and a possible brain injury.
The authorities were notified by Freeman staff to alert them about the girl’s diagnoses.
The Jasper County Children’s Division sent someone to Chanslor-Chambers’ residence to check on the girl’s 8-year-old sibling.
When the detective looked at the girl, it was noted that the child’s eye was swollen shut, and she had visible bruises on her body. The marks reportedly found on her face were described as appearing as if the girl had been struck by an open hand.
The 8-year-old was transported to Freeman Hospital, where it was proclaimed that she had two broken fingers and fractures on one of her hands, and additional bruising unseen by the officer.
The older child was transferred to Children’s Mercy and admitted for her injuries.
When Chanslor-Chambers discussed the condition of her foster children with the authorities, the woman allegedly said that the injuries were caused by the girl’s tripping and falling often, but a physician reportedly told her that her claim did not fit with the nature of the severe physical traumas.
Chanslor-Chambers was taken into custody, and she was booked into the Jasper County Jail without bond. She is scheduled to appear in court in December for charges of four counts of felony child abuse.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a domestic violence offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.