Starved Teen Died 18 Mos. After Child Caseworkers Closed Case

On Aug. 19, 2010 Cobb Police issued an alert for a missing mentally disabled girl.

The 14-year-old girl, Markea Berry, was found hours later at the Walmart on East-West Connector less than a mile from her Concord Road home in Mableton.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Markea wrote in her journal that she’d rather live at the store than at home. She told police she ran away because she didn’t want to burden her now 38-year-old mother, Ebony Berry.

At 14, Markea was so small that she looked 9. Two years later, , in the home police took her back to that night in 2010.

Sgt. Dana Pierce told South Cobb Patch that the main priority for police when they issue alerts for missing persons is to find that person and safely bring them home. Since hours and minutes can mean life or death, they often do not have time to research whether the person’s caretaker is being honest about the missing person’s mental state.

Ebony Berry told police that her daughter was mentally disabled, but there is no evidence to show that she had any particular mental challenges, especially since she was not allowed to attend school.

Police told media outlets that they were searching for the AJC reported.

Ebony Berry is now facing murder charges and is accused of starving the girl to death.

Throughout the last decade, child protection workers investigated Ebony Berry in Michigan and in Georgia.

An investigation of Markea’s death revealed that Ebony Berry would often lock Markea in a room with “pee pads,” like dog housetraining pads, and a urinal. Ebony Berry told Georgia Division of Family and Children Services caseworkers that Markea acted out and would often open food and eat it while in stores.

According to the AJC, the DFS caseworkers closed Markea’s case just two months after she escaped to Walmart because Ebony “sidestepped efforts to compel her to get medical attention for Markea and her siblings.”

The AJC continues describing Ebony Berry’s sidestepping as screaming at caseworkers and not answering the phone or door when they contacted her.

This is a timeline of events as indicated in the DFCS case file and police reports obtained by CBS affiliates:

9/29/09  - Ebony Berry reported to Atlanta police that a man at her church sexually molested her daughter, Markea. An investigation was opened and closed a month later when the mother became uncooperative. 

8/19/10 - Ebony Berry reports to police that Markea is missing from her Concord Road home in Mableton.

8/20/10 – Markea is found in Walmart at 1133 East-West Connector in Austell. Ebony Berry told police she was overwhelmed with providing for Markea and her two siblings. She stated if Markea was not around it would be easier.

10/25/10 - Ebony Berry was seen dragging Markea out of same Walmart, and the incident was caught on security camera.        

10/31/10 – A witness filed a report with Cobb County Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS).

11/3/10 – A DFCS case manager visited home and found Markea sitting in dark corner of kitchen. The caseworker reported that Markea was thin and small with dark circles around eyes. The caseworker listed her concerns that Markea was not being home-schooled, was not exposed to community or provided socialization, was being isolated/locked in room and not being fed.

11/10/10 - Cobb DFCS faxed request for documents to DHS in Michigan. A caseworker advised Ebony Berry to schedule medical appointments.

11/16/10 - Michigan DHS faxed documents to Cobb DFC.

Documents reveal family members alleged Ebony Berry was abusing children beginning in 1999 to 2004. During that time period, there were six different complaints about Berry to Michigan DHS. However, only once was a complaint investigated by the agency.

Family members said Ebony Berry would slap her 4-month-old child and tell the child to "shut the f--- up." She put one child in freezing water for wetting bed and hit a child in the head with a shoe.  Documents also say Ebony Berry made her children afraid to talk with child protective services officials. 

12/10/10 - DFCS closed its investigation into Berry family.

6/15/12 - Markea was found dead in her home.

DFCS Director Ron Scroggy said Markea’s death should never have happened.

Now, the agency is changing its procedures for children suspected to be malnourished.

In 2010, the agency used a “diversion” method in an attempt to trim workload by referring families to community resources like social services or medical providers, the AJC reported.

Scroggy was not director in 2010, and he said diversion was inappropriate strategy for Markea’s case.

The investigation of Markea’s death is not yet complete, and her siblings are now in state custody. Markea’s autopsy results are pending.

Alice McQuade of Better Courts for Kids, which advocates for foster children, said, "This is not an isolated case. That's the problem. We can jump up and down about Markea Berry, but she's not the only one. She made the headlines.”

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