Francina Katina Shepard, Known Abuser, Kills One Twin and Beats Other
Hot tipper Norma gave me the lowdown on one Francina Katina Shepard, who is apparently well known by Child Protective Services in Detroit, Michigan: three of her kids have been taken from her in the past. But that didn’t stop Shepard from bearing twins, and beating them both so severely that the 16-month-old boy died.
There’s very little information beyond that. Mostly all we have at this point are questions. Was CPS involved with these kids from the get-go, given Shepard’s history with the state? Did she give birth to them before or after the other kids were seized? In short, what (if any) is CPS’ culpability in this case? Obviously Shepard bears the brunt of the moral blame. But if this is another case of a state agency turning a blind eye to a known abuser, I’m going to blow my stack. It’s hard enough to watch what happens to some of the kids we profile on this site. It’s almost unbearable knowing that some of these tragedies could easily have been prevented.
If you have any information on this developing story - past CPS records, court records, etc. - please give us a heads-up.
(Some hot tipper supplied this link to me, but I lost their name. Sorry. It’s been a loooong week.)
Tags: assault, beating, child, children, detroit, michigan, mother, murder, parenting, parents, twinsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Uncategorized
20 opinions for Francina Katina Shepard, Known Abuser, Kills One Twin and Beats Other
julie
Jan 28, 2007 at 3:26 pm
See, I read things like this and I wonder why we don’t spay and neuter our known abusers. And then lock them up. Or feed them to the lions. Or lock them in a basement and leave them there. Or force them to become the pets of the animal abusers on Animal Precinct so they can get a personal taste of how it feels to be beaten and starved. Or whatever, but why the hell are these shitbags having more kids??
Danielle
Jan 28, 2007 at 7:43 pm
My sentiments exactly. I’m sorry, but this is what we call a pattern. And if you show a pattern of abusing your kids, doing drugs while pregnant, etc., you should be sterilized to ensure you don’t have any more kids to hurt.
Bridget
Jan 29, 2007 at 12:25 am
I love your punishments Julie, for this inhuman bitch.I bet she was abused as a kid and all I can say is so what? I was(and my husband, too)and we don’t do ANY of the things my mother or his father did to us to our son so I’m so sick of that defense. I don’t see why we couldn’t do like-for-like punishments. If you starved your child, that’s what you get.If you beat them with a hammer, the same for you. But I guess that’s cruel and unusual punishment (like the abuser ever cared about their victim). But hey, we execute people for murdering someone, so why not?
Leah
Jan 29, 2007 at 10:13 am
Why do you put so much blame on the CPS workers? They’re chronically understaffed, overloaded, and underpaid. My sister LITERALLY risks her life every day going into homes to investigate child abuse. If something happens to a child in her caseload, as will INEVITABLY happen, I hope she realizes (as you should) that 100% of the blame is on the parent who chooses to bear, raise, and beat that child.
I’m all for changing the laws: I think anyone convicted of abusing a child should be banned from having more children. Period. But until the law changes, please put the blame where the blame belongs: the abusers. I pray for my sister’s safety every day as she goes out and does a heroes job.
Bridget
Jan 29, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Yes, the individual CPS workers aren’t to blame and I’m sure it’s a scary job. The system itself is flawed. There are too many agencies and groups and teachers who are supposed to report abuse but they don’t have a common database for recording abuse for one particular kid so there could be a dozen reports on one kid in a dozen different file cabinets that never get cross-referenced. It’s ridiculous.I read something recently (I forget where) that “they” are trying to get something like this together. I sure hope so.It will save many lives.
The Zero Boss
Jan 29, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Yes - I’m aiming at the agency as such and laws that underfund it, NOT at the individual workers.
Trust me. My mom used to be a social worker for an emergency services unit in Seattle. I know how short-changed public services are.
amronjm
Jan 31, 2007 at 12:19 pm
What really irks me, there has not been another word about this tragedy in the media since it happened. (Almost a week ago..). It’s like this little life has just disappeared! Sad…..
Julie
Jan 31, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Bridget, I’m so sorry to hear about your and your husband’s pasts–but so happy to hear that you’re overcoming them. I don’t know how to congratulate you without sounding trite and condescending, but you and your husband must be really amazing people. It’s heartwarming when love does win.
amronjm, it seems like a lot of these kids disappear. That’s one reason why I read this blog. We shouldn’t just let them go so easily. Just like so many abusers get ridiculously short sentences. How much is a kid’s life worth? Sometimes it seems like, in the media and judicial system, not very much. It’s beyond sad. It’s shattering, for me.
I have a 22-month-old, and after I read stories like this, I hold him closer and give him extra kisses like I can make up for it somehow.
The Zero Boss
Jan 31, 2007 at 11:28 pm
Julie, that’s why we keep doing this. That’s why it’s important. These kids’ and parents’ names should NEVER disappear. We should remember the children lost with a heavy heart, and a determination to seal the societal cracks through which they fell. And we should remember the parents, so that their names live on in infamy.
How Awful
Feb 1, 2007 at 1:55 am
Why sterilize these people when a bullet only costs 10 cents? Cheapper and more effective, I’ll even fire it for free!
Rebecca
Feb 6, 2007 at 11:24 pm
I’m a Canadian CPS worker…
I read this website to remind me WHY I do the job I do when I am feeling like I just can’t make a difference.
Thanks for continuing this blog.
Monte
Feb 9, 2007 at 9:54 am
This bitch needs to be burned at the stake
Debra
Mar 1, 2007 at 12:06 am
Here’s an update on this lunatic. Took me a while to find it.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070214/NEWS01/702140411/1001/BUSINESS05
The babies wouldn’t stop crying…..they’re 16 months old! Probably hungry and tired. Oh yeah, and the dead little boy had soiled his diaper. WTF? My mind is just spinning. I just do not see how these so called parents can do some of the things I’m reading about.
And here we go, she’s going to be tested for competency to stand trial.
http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070222/BUSINESS05/70222036/1007/NEWS05
Bogustoo
Mar 1, 2007 at 3:04 am
Debra, thanks for those updates. What sickens me even more is this murderer’s mother is asking WHY she is in jail! Oh, the poor drug-addicted murdering bitch had SOOOO much pressure on her to get a job!
Using the murderer’s mother’s logic, since I am under SUCH pressure from being gainfully employed for more than 20 years, I should serve no jail time for saving taxpayers’ money and taking care of this murderer myself.
miajemell
Jul 31, 2007 at 12:21 pm
She needs her ovaries taken out….BOTTOM LINE!!!
KiKi
Jul 31, 2007 at 12:34 pm
OMG! Check out this story…I think I’m going to vomit! How does this happen????
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3431945&page=1
Michelle
Jul 31, 2007 at 1:00 pm
I’ll be honest, I’m an Accounting/Office Mgr making $64K a year (without a degree) and after reading this website over the past several months, have looked into a job working for CPS here in Texas, but they require a minimum 4 year bachelors degree only paying between $36K - $45K. I would have taken a pay cut if I’d thought they’d hire me so I can TRY and make a difference, but they won’t even look at your resume if you are not degreed. I’m sure like myself, there are hundreds if not thousands of other people willing to make this sacrifice, but can’t. I would love nothing more than to assist in getting justice on these ignorant, selfish, incompetent individuals.
Bridget
Jul 31, 2007 at 2:19 pm
I hear you Michelle. I think there are times when a degree doesn’t matter. I doubt they require a degree to be a foster parent It should be determined on the character of the person and apparently all those college graduates out there deciding on who can foster and adopt are sometimes making the wrong choices. A degree can’t make anyone a good judge of character. I was once turned down to work in the peace corps when I was in my early 20’s because I had no degree. I was very angry and sad that what I wanted to do (help dirt poor people in third world countries in their day to day struggles)”required” a college degree. Digging irrigation ditches and building huts for next to nothing, sure, I need calculus for that.
Michelle
Aug 1, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Bridget - You are so right. I’m amazed everyday at the types of individuals that are allowed to foster children. In some cases, they might as well allow the kids to live on the streets because the living conditions are almost as bad if not worse. I just feel so helpless…I wish there was something I could do.
rockdoll_71
Feb 9, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Just sad. Any updates? I am interested to know how much time this monster got.
You must log in to post a comment.