Hailey Dunn: A Profile of Neglect

by Peter Hyatt

What was the home life of Hailey Dunn like?

What led this 13 year old girl to be closer to counselors than her own mother?

Why did Hailey Dunn tell her friends that she feared living with Shawn Adkins?

What is to be made of a grown man wearing, buying and selling, trading masks, and making vile videos of blood and of killing?

What are we to think of a mother defending and loving the only named suspect in the disappearance of her daughter?

What impact would a mother's stripping for money have upon the psyche of an 11 or 12 year old girl?

What does it mean that Billie Jean and Shawn Adkins had a New Year's Eve party while Hailey was "missing"? Is it just gossip to appeal to the National Enquirer types, or is it an element in this case? Did Nancy Grace raise the issue for ratings, or does it matter in the investigation?

Everything matters in a missing child case.



Some claiming to be neighbors of the Dunns have written some unflattering things about Hailey and about the family in general.

We don't know Hailey and don't know what she was like, but we can apply logic to what we have learned about the family, and how children suffer under similar circumstances, and speculate on what it must have been like to have been under the roof of Billie Jean, Clint, and for the past 3 years, Shawn Adkins, by what we have learned about them, mostly from them, and understand the particular challenges that a child like Hailey would face.

From what the police affidavit has told us, from what Billie has (including via statement analysis), told us, what Shawn has told us via video and statements, along with what Clint has revealed, let's draw a composite on what Hailey may have faced in her young and tragic life.

1. Drugs
2. Alcohol
3. Violence
4. Sexuality
5. Neglect


What is the life of a child of drugs?

It is a vicious roller coaster of love and affection when mom is high, to running for shelter when mom comes down. It means having to beg steal or borrow things from girlfriends, to keep from being ashamed, so that mom can use her last few dollars for street drugs. It means, even when mom is straight for awhile, she can't count on the money for new sneakers for cheer leading because Shawn may take it for his drugs. Some days she had plenty, and some days she had to go to the counselor for lunch money.

Drug moms often go to extremes. A year of neglect means a year of guilt,therefore, the drug mom will often overcompensate on Christmas and birthdays, giving the child "everything she wants" to alleviate the lingering guilt of neglect.

Drugs may cost mom her profession and drop the household income from that of a nurse to that of a secretary. The notion that it was just a bounced check on the license is thin excuse.

What else does drugs mean?

It means a life of lying.

Mom lies as addicts do, which is ad enough, but what is worse is that the child learns to first accept lies, and then to imitate lying.

The child will imitate her mom.

Drugs mean a life of jeopardy.

Clint said that Billie bought an ounce of cocaine for re-sale. This meant that she would be making contact with dangerous people: buyers and sellers both, who don't give written receipts, guarantees of satisfaction, and who see weakness, will exploit it with violence. Drug dealers don't accept IOU's and they don't float loans. They don't deliver $10,000 drugs on someone's word.

What if Billie had sold cocaine to a man who decided, later, that he was ripped off and decided to pay Billie a visit, only to notice pretty little girl, Hailey?

Would protection be up to Shawn? Would Shawn put on a scary mask and scare the bad man away? Would Shawn be awake long enough to protect Hailey? Besides, Clint reported, Shawn snorted away the purchased cocaine himself.

Drugs and selfishness are twin sons.


2. Alcohol

Mixing alcohol with drugs changes the landscape. If drugs make them 'mellow', what does alcohol do?

Clint's mother said that she feared that Hailey was raped by Shawn and then killed when she threatened to tell.

What made Hailey's own grandmother say such a thing? Why did these words enter her mind?

Alcohol is used to lower the resistance of children who are being preyed upon.

Predators will often mix vodka, for instance, with fruit juices, freeze them and serve as a snack or treat.

We know from Shawn Adkin's choice of words, he watched movies, but "looked at stuff", with the key word, "look", as in with pornography, at photos and videos of killing and of blood. For the sadist, it is their porn which excites them.

Pornography, in whatever form, is used to desensitize children, and to lower the resistance. What shocked once, causes a yawn later, and this is the grooming that takes place.

Why would a 25 year old man go after a 35 year old woman with children?

What attracted Billie to Shawn? We learned that she met him through the very source of his blood lust videos and pictures: MySpace. This means that her description of being surprised was disingenuous at best, while on Nancy Grace. She attempted to portray the material as 'true crime' stories, and not the sick and twisted perversion it is.

When Hailey was reported missing, Shawn was able to join the conversation and talk about the killing of a deer.

This was an indication that he may have been aroused at the thought of killing, and may be that instinctive response from Clint's mother. She may have no proof, no logical reasoning, and may have known that even if she were to plead with Clint, Clint would not likely do anything, anyway, and just blurt out the frustrated fear that was deep within her.

Shawn said that Hailey was promiscuous. Did he know this first hand? If so, it is likely that alcohol played a role in this.

3. Violence

What we do for a hobby, we often fuel with peripheral interests such as magazines, or DVDs, etc, and then follow through with experience and fulfillment. This is natural.

For example, if a woman gets food magazines delivered to her home, she may enjoy the magazines, but it is not until she makes the meal for her family does she receive her fulfillment.

The same goes for other hobbies and interests. If a man gets Golf Digest magazine and instructional DVDs and videos sent to his home, the satisfaction comes when he is on the golf course.

This is the reason why child pornography is against the law. It fuels interest which leads to 'satisfaction' of that which is fueled.

Shawn fueled his interest with videos, masks and "stuff", and it is likely that brutally killing a deer once may have satisfied him, now made him yawn.

Did he receive "satisfaction" at the cost of Hailey's life?

Shawn's interview recently revealed that he enjoyed that people fear him. Think it through: what is the purpose of a scary mask if not to scare? It is a thrill for him, which is why he puts it on his face, trades and collects them. His prior threats were memorable and it may be that he made good on his threat to take away Hailey's life.

Billie's defense of him is provocative.

Who said that Billie Jean Dunn had a party on New Year's Eve?

Shawn Adkins did.




Police reported that he told them that they had a party. He told police that they should be looking at him and Billie.

What the (*&*&(?

Why would he say these things?

He enjoys it.

He gets a thrill from it. He is taunting the police. This tells me that he disposed of the body well, and is confident that they won't find it.

He is reliving the thrill.

He told police that they had a party, and then under questioning from Nancy Grace, via Statement Analysis, Billie confirmed it.

Why would they celebrate??

There is a violence used to control that is the heart of domestic violence. It is more common than most of us may realize.

But there is another violence that is rare and deeply frightening:

it is the violence of perversion: Someone who enjoys violence.

This is Shawn Adkins.

This is the Shawn Adkins that Billie first met on MySpace, of whom she says she loves, and even after threatening to kill, she subjected Hailey to.

4. Sexuality.

Billie said she wanted to be Hailey's friend. A 13 year old girl who's mother is her "friend" and not a boundary setting mother is one who will allow the 13 year old freedom for trouble.

Stripping.

Strippers I've interviewed had much in common. They all had substance abuse issues. They all had stories of early childhood sexual abuse.


They all had young daughters who emulated them and dressed provocatively, even at a young age.

Stripping likely played a much bigger role in Hailey's life than many will think:

a. Shawn's jealousy.

Shawn is a grown man who wears masks. Shawn is immature. Shawn is violent. Clint told us that men watching his girlfriend take off her clothes made Shawn very jealous.

Jealousy and violence are an explosive combination. This could not have been good for either Hailey nor for David. Domestic violence, as well shown by the writings and radio broadcasts of expert, Susan Murphy Milano, is bad enough when it is just for control, but add in the element of jealousy by an immature and insecure mask wearing drug user, and the results can be fatal.

b. Age level inappropriateness.

It is common for the daughters of strippers to not only dress inappropriately but for them to watch DVDs and movies that are not age appropriate. "Sex and the City" parties with 11 year old girls may shock the sensibilities of most mothers, but this is what happens. The 11 or 12 year olds want to watch it, but their mothers all say "no" but there is always that one mother, who is not so much a mother, but wants to be her daughter's "friend" who gives in, so as not displease her "girlfriend". Everyone thinks her mother is the "cool" one, but as parents quickly recognize and rebound, that house becomes the one to avoid. Marybeth's mother seemed to understand this when she said she wouldn't let Marybeth sleep over there any more since she learned that Billie let Hailey and her daughter walk the streets at night.

c. View of men.

The stripper views relationships with men on how she might manipulate and control them, by using sexuality.

The lesson is that sex is nothing more than a biological itch to be scratched, and discount all the wonder and beauty found within love. Rather, she would only teach that a woman is an object, and that men should be performed for.

This would be an early and deeply taught lesson about male-female relations that the young Hailey would receive. It is the Billie Jean that Clint described, needing to always walk on eggshells and pacify her; even to the point where he thinks if he doesn't report truthfully about her, she will tell him where Hailey is.

Thus far, it is not working.

Billie could teach her daughter how to use men, and in reality, how to be exploited by them. It is not as the "Pretty Woman" Hollywood world. Police officers and Social workers on the ground will tell you that the stripper is often prostituted out, and will likely suffer physical abuse, disease, drug abuse, and so many other maladies that have no resemblance to Hollywood's glamorous views.

Billie, working as a stripper, not only incited the anger of a man-child immature insecure monster, she also taught her daughter a terribly disrespectful view on how men and women should treat one another.

5. Neglect

Clint seemed to know so little about his own daughter. Although he searched early and often, he was not close to her. It is not just that Hailey kept from him her fear of Shawn, but that he never sensed her fear?

Hailey was 10 years old when Shawn Adkins came into her life. How, in the course of 3 years, could he have not sensed his daughter's fear??

He now complains that police haven't contacted him in 3 weeks? Is he kidding?

Most fathers would have all but camped outside the police station and, compared to their missing child, would not give a damn what dirty laundry his ex will air: his sole purpose is to find his daughter.

Passivity meant neglect to Hailey.

Hailey couldn't share her fears with her mother, who, as a "friend" was likely, as Dr. Lillian Glass eloquently portrayed, as a "rival" more than a daughter.

She couldn't talk to her father; he was busy self medicating with marijuana, day and night, and was listless and dull. Going to his house meant watching TV.

It appears, however, that she did have counselors whom she trusted.

Dedicated professionals have likely been a source of information for investigators, even while Clint waits for police to call him.

note: (by the time of my interview with Clint, police didn't know of the cocaine connection of Billie Dunn, a valuable piece of information that would need to be explored in the event of a drug revenge kidnapping, until I informed them. Note to Marc Klass: This is why nothing is insignificant in a missing child investigation.)

Drugs, Alcohol, Violence, Sexuality and acute emotion numbing Neglect all conspired to form the life of 13 year old Hailey Dunn.

What are most 13 year old girls like who have grown up under these circumstances?

Very few are able to rise above.

When Billie Jean said that Hailey had some problems striking out at others, it is a terrible minimizing of what deep, internal hurt that Hailey felt within.

Girls will often turn their rage within, upon themselves, and go into a life of self-abusive behavior. They are unable to ever accept why they were not important enough to mother and father; which is the lingering impact of Neglect.

Neglect leaves invisible bruises and scars that last a lifetime and can dictate the paths of life like a powerful source, turning rage outward at first, but inward mostly. The neglect would eventually lead her to choose a man who may "punish" her, just as Neglect punished her. She would have little self-worth, drawn from the fact that those charged with loving her, loved their drugs more, and gave their best to the drugs, and not to her.

When she needed sneakers, she had to wait; there were pills to be purchased.

When she needed someone to talk to, she had to wait until he was out of the fog of his high.

When she needed protection, all she found was fighting and anger and harsh words.

When she needed attention, it was not to be found.

When she needed a father, a father could not be found.
When she needed a mother, a mother could not be found.

It reminds me of the comforting words from Psalm 27:10

"Though my father and my mother should forsake me, yet the Lord will gather me up." (Geneva)

It is no wonder why strangers sacrifice much to search in the cold, while her mother sits at home, enjoying her favorite TV shows.

Let the Billie and Shawn defenders save their passion for Hailey. They desperately want an alive Hailey to come home, but they must listen to Billie's own references to Hailey:

in the past tense.

When a mother of a missing child speaks of the child in the past tense, she is revealing her knowledge that her child is dead.

Susan Smith did it.

Casey Anthony did it.

Billie Jean has done it repeatedly.

It is time to think of something else for Hailey:

Justice.

Justice for Hailey.

Arrest them both.

Shawn said "look at us both" when he taunted police. It's time to take his advice.

Arrest them both and watch how quickly they turn on each other rather than "answering questions for each other." Watch how the self-first of drug addicts rises to the surface and self-preservation reveals where they can find Hailey.

They both failed polygraphs for good reason.

Justice for Hailey Dunn.

Amber’s Thanksgiving

By Sheryl McCollum



Editor's note:  Although this post ran originally at Thanksgiving, 2009, January 13 marks the day that Amber was taken from her family.  We are running it again in her honor and in honor of the Amber Alert system created in her name.

Amber Hagerman would have turned 23 on Wednesday, November 25^th, 2009.  You may not know her name but you certainly know the system that was created for her: the Amber Alert.

On January 13, 1996, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was riding her bicycle, along with her brother, near her grandparent’s home.  A neighbor heard her scream and saw Amber being abducted.  The neighbor witnessed a man pull Amber off her bike, throw her into the front seat of his pickup truck, and drive away at a high rate of speed. The neighbor called police and provided a description of the suspect and his vehicle. Local radio and television stations covered the story in their regular newscasts.  From that sad day,  the Amber Alert System was developed in an effort to get information out fast to as many people as possible in an attempt to locate and recover abducted children.

On November 23, 2009, an Amber Alert was issued for 2-month old Catalin Hoard.  Police were able to spot the suspect’s truck and give chase.  The suspect stopped the vehicle, got out and ran.  The child was found in the truck and unharmed.  Catalin is now safe and back with her mother.  

On November 24, 2009, an Amber Alert was issued for a 1-month old little boy in South Carolina.  Little Angel Miguel Perez was taken from inside his mother’s car in front of a post office. Witnesses came forward with a description of the suspect, and the police were able to locate Angel alive and unharmed.

On Amber’s birthday, November 25, 2009, an Amber Alert was issued for a 2-year-old boy in Kansas.  Hayden was reported missing when his grandmother took him out of town.  The grandmother has mental health issues and was believed to be off  her medication at the time of the abduction.  Hayden Lane Potter was subsequently found safe and in good condition on the same day that the alert was issued.

Because of Amber Hagerman and the events that happened on that fateful day in 1996, the lives of 3 small, defenseless children were probably saved.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2009 I called and spoke with Amber’s mother.  I wanted to let her know that we were thinking about her and were remembering Amber.  Amber’s mom was sweet, kind and grateful.  She was ill and spending Thanksgiving alone as to not make anyone else in her family sick.  She was not sad or bitter – she was just thankful for the call and told me to please let my students at the college know how much their cold case work meant to her. 

As I hung-up the phone, I thought not of the past 13 years without Amber, but the past 3 days of located and recovered children.

Today, I am thankful for Amber Hagerman.

Chip StClair - Hero to all the “Children of the Secret”

By Cherry Simpson
As I began to read Chip St Clair’s book The Butterfly Garden I found I couldn’t put it down. It’s a story, you wish wasn’t true, about a little boy whose life was hell on earth. It’s a miracle Chip survives his life on the run with his neglectful, murderous monster of a father. He not only overcomes the pain, the sorrow, and the near death experiences, but Chip fights to put killer dad back in jail where he had escaped from, for the murder of a child. Chip then goes on to investigate this child killer. Was this monster, Michael Grant, really his father or had Chip been kidnapped? Chips birthday was August 1 it was also the day Michael D. Grant stomped, kicked and pummeled the two little Ingersol boys. Killing Scott age 3 and leaving Tommy age 5 barely clinging to life.

The book unfolds with murder and abuses so dark, the reader fears at any moment the child might be lost. I wanted to help him and I heard him say to me, “I have a terrible secret?”

In my mind’s eye I could see this little boy, with sad eyes and mousy brown hair, who would stand in a way that made him smaller. The pit of my stomach ached at every foul name thrown at him, when he was hit I flinched, I was afraid for him each time he hid and tears fell down my cheeks. But then I began to cheer for him as he escaped death; I was amazed at how courageously he went on.



Chip found relief by losing himself in reading, music and art. His favorite poem was Invictus by William Ernest Henley. Chip credits this poem as part of what saved him from drowning in Lake Michigan after his father had thrown him into the cold water abandoning him to drown. He was only ten years old and though he was a good swimmer at the local pool he’d never seen such deep dark swirling water. Yes, I was praying for him, even though I knew Chip is alive and well. I couldn’t help but thank God for saving this little boys life.

In a wonderful narrative voice Chip takes you into the life of an abused child beyond all imagination, escaping his childhood prison into his adult life, where he is Master of his fate and Captain of his soul.

In reading his book Chip St Clair has captured my heart and I now have the understanding of child abuse from the child’s perspective. Children innately love their parents and are confused when they abuse them - the children believe they have somehow caused their own abuse. Sadly at the cost of the child, many families do whatever it takes to preserve their "dirty little secret."

Chip now dedicates his life to helping abused and neglected children as founder and executive director of the St. Clair Butterfly Foundation that helps children heal through the creative arts and literature.

St. Clair is also director of the Michigan chapter of Justice for Children, where he has made tremendous strides in aiding children caught up in the nation's distressed child welfare system. He's worked on legislation with father turned advocate Marc Klaas and the Klaas Kids Foundation.

This summer put his book, The Butterfly Garden, on your list of must-reads. Make sure your library has it and the schoolteachers are aware of it. Become an abused child’s hero and help end the cycle of violence.


A video anthology of TV interviews by author and child abuse activist Chip St Clair, telling his remarkable story as background to his book, The Butterfly Garden (HCI Books)

Incarnation NOT Rehabilitation

By Sheryl McCollum

He came in through the window – no forced entry - he kidnapped her – assaulted her - then he killed her.  The victim was in the sixth grade.  She was in her own bedroom.  This known sex offender should have been in prison – not out dating the victim’s aunt.  By the way ladies, these offenders are not dating you, they are targeting your children.   

Sarah Foxwell’s body was found Christmas day.  The suspect was not cooperative with police.  Imagine that!  A known sex offender not helping the police! 

                    

Thomas James Leggs Jr is the suspected killer.  He is a registered sex offender in two states (Maryland and Delaware)!  The police have reported that they are interviewing possible additional victims.  Standard police procedure is to look for additional victims because there are likely more victims.

Let’s review:

Registered sex offenders repeat offenses.   
Regisrated sex offenders kill innocent victims while on these registries. 

If you have a loved one that is a sex offender and you are standing by them while they are getting rehabilitated – I am fixing to offend you – stop reading now!

Sex offenders can’t be rehabilitated!

If someone is attracted sexually to 5 year old girls no amount of counseling is going to stop that attraction.  If someone has the ability to sexually assault and then kill – we can’t help them with therapy!  They are sick and twisted and must be kept away from innocent people.  Let’s stop letting these dangerous criminals out of prison and lock them up where they belong. 

Parents and guardians are better educated about sex offenders and no longer leave children alone in the toy section but the offenders have become more brazen.  They are coming into the home in the dead of night taking children from their room.  This is not a new phenomenon. 

Remember Polly Klass, she was kidnapped while having a slumber party with friends.  She was inside her own room with friends playing games.  Richard Allen Davis had a history of violence against females – a long history.  He was on parole when he murdered Polly.

Then there is Elizabeth Smart from Utah that was also kidnapped from her bedroom.  Elizabeth was not killed but was held captive for 9 months by her kidnapper.  Brian David Mitchell at the age of 16 was caught exposing himself to a child.  Stop right there – sex offender!  He of course was sent to live with a grandmother – the cure all for bad behavior. 

The list goes on and on.  Sex offender registries are a great tool for law enforcement and to the general public but they only inform us they do not protect us.  We should know who these criminals are but they should not be among us free to repeat their crimes and harm our children.  The only way to protect us is to keep them away from us!