CLEARWATER, Fla.—A missing toddler whose safe recovery triggered a murder investigation in Wisconsin and exposed serious gaps in Florida’s child protection system will remain in the care of Wisconsin authorities, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Pinellas County Circuit Judge Marion Fleming’s order to relinquish custody of 2-year-old Courtney Clark to Wisconsin child protection officials angered some of the girl’s Florida relatives. The order ends Florida’s supervision of the girl.
“They just want to forget it. Out of sight. Out of mind. But I am not going to let that happen,” said Courtney’s aunt, Stacye Scarborough, of Ocklawaha, who wants to get custody of Courtney and her two younger sisters. “I have faith in God. I don’t have faith in the system, so I probably don’t blame Wisconsin for not letting them come back.”
Police found Courtney June 14 in a Portage, Wis., home where a severely injured and malnourished 11-year-old boy was found locked in a closet. They found the body of the boy’s mother, Tammie Garlin, 36, buried in the yard. They also found other endangered children in the home, including Courtney’s sisters.
Courtney’s mother, Candace Clark, 23, two other adults and Garlin’s 15-year-old daughter have been charged with killing Garlin and abusing the 11-year-old boy. Those charged were being held in Wisconsin jails.
Clark violated a court order in September when she took the toddler from a central Florida foster home, authorities said. But state child protection workers didn’t report Courtney’s disappearance for four months.
A review found Florida Department of Children & Families and its contractors made a series of errors in handling the case. The agency is implementing reforms to prevent similar missteps, including assigning specific employees to track missing children.
A case worker had been told Clark had a court appearance scheduled in Grand Junction, Colo., and was likely there. Officials notified police there, who “just missed” Clark in court, the review said.
A couple weeks later, Colorado issued a warrant for Clark’s arrest, but never found her. Police there did not create a missing child report.
Scarborough said she will continue to try to get custody of the children in Wisconsin.
“This is not the end of it,” she said. “I was told last year they were safe … Now, I’m not just going to take someone’s word for it.”
