Thursday, March 13, 2008
Mom was on job hunt
Thomasville girl’s death has been ruled a homicide
By Michael Hewlett
JOURNAL REPORTER
Nancy Akinyi Kasera’s daughter was found dead Sunday night at the LaGrange Travel Center after Kasera called 911.
On Tuesday, Davidson County sheriffs deputies charged Kasera, 38, with first-degree child cruelty in the death of her daughter.
The crime lab of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has declared the death a homicide, but no additional charges have been filed against Kasera, who was being transported to North Carolina yesterday by Davidson County deputies.
Kasera called 911 at 9:13 p.m. Sunday, saying that she was giving her child CPR, Turner said. Deputies arrived about three minutes later, checked for a pulse and tried to move the girl’s head, but it wouldn’t move, he said.
She was declared dead at the scene. An autopsy showed that she had been dead 12 to 24 hours before Nancy Kasera had called for help, authorities said.
Officials would not release the dead girl’s name, but according to court records that were filed related to 2006 misdemeanor child-abuse charges against Nancy Kasera, the daughter is Nicole Kasera.
Nicole Kasera’s body had a horrendous amount of injuries that ranged from healed and healing wounds to recent injuries that had been inflicted upon her, according to a news release from the Troup County Sheriff’s Office. The girl had injuries indicating that severe abuse had been going on for a long time.
Davidson County deputies searched Kasera’s home in Thomasville and found evidence indicating that Nicole was killed at the house, authorities said Tuesday. Prosecutors and the sheriff’s office asked that the search warrant be sealed. Judge Mark Klass of Davidson Superior Court signed the order sealing the warrant Tuesday, said Brian Shipwash, the Davidson County clerk of court.
Kasera’s 8-year-old daughter, Natalie, was also in the car. She told investigators that her mother was headed to a job interview at a large college but did not know which one, Turner said. Copies of Kasera’s resume were found in the car, he said.
The girl is now in the custody of the Troup County Division of Family and Children Services in Georgia, but the sheriff of Davidson County, David Grice, said that she will be put into the custody of the Davidson County Department of Social Services.
Nicole Kasera hadn’t been enrolled in either Davidson County Schools or Thomasville City Schools, school officials said.
Natalie Kasera was enrolled for a short time in the fourth grade at Hasty Elementary School but withdrew Sept. 27, said Meredith Palmer, the spokeswoman for Davidson County Schools.
Nancy Kasera told investigators that her husband had died, Turner said. He said he did not know any details about the husband’s death.
Kasera is originally from Kenya and has been in the United States on a visa, authorities said.
Last summer, a Kenyan woman living in Charlotte posted a letter on the Web asking for donations for Kasera to send her husband’s body back to Kenya for burial. According to the letter, written by Millicent Atieno Malit, the husband died in July while jogging in Greensboro. The letter spells his name two ways: Dominic Kipkosgei and Dominic Kipkoskei. Malit said yesterday that she did not know Kasera well, having spoken to her only a few times.
Turner said that receipts found in the car show that Nancy Kasera bought gas at 5:28 a.m. Sunday in Thomasville and stopped at a McDonald’s restaurant in Buford, Ga., at 11:31 a.m. Later that day, at 3:22 p.m., she stopped at another McDonald’s restaurant in Auburn, Ala., Turner said.
She was back in Georgia by Sunday night, when she called 911, he said.
Nancy Kasera was arrested April 15, 2006, and charged with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse involving her two daughters. According to court documents in Davidson County, she left Nicole, then 9, and Natalie, then 6, alone at home, and they were found wandering the neighborhood naked.
Her attorney, Michael D. Lea, asked for a prayer for judgment and to have her case continued. In March 2007, he requested that the charge be dismissed because she had paid court costs and not committed a criminal violation. Judge Wayne Michael of Davidson District Court signed an order dismissing the charge in October, court records show.
Sent by Okello.
IT IS STRANGE THAT SOMEONE IS PUTTING THE MURDER OF
A YOUNG CHILD ON TRIBALLY. WHAT IS THE MOTIVE OF CALLING HER A LUO MOTHER? LET US PRAY FOR THAT POOR
SOUL.
THIS IDIOT WHO CHOSE TO USE LUO NAME IS TRIBAL, ILL, SICK AND HAVE ISSUES WITH LUO’S WHO ARE THE MOST ITTELECTUAL/LEADERSHIP ORIENTED PEOPLE. WE KNOW WHAT IS HURTING HIM OR HER BUT THEY NEED TO GET OVER IT.
I had to read it this story to just find out what justifies the heading of this posting. This kind of crime knows not tribe. Bloggers at Luo dot Kom need to drop this thing about tribe. It will take the Luos no where. If this mum killed her daughter and mistreated “them”, why have sex and become pregnant, carry the pregnancy to term, deliver, name them, bring the up to about the age of 10 them slew them?
Sad!!
that mother is supposed to locked in
the other should be taken away from her
God rest the soul of the young girl in peace
Honestly, why is there emphasis on the fact that she is a ‘Luo mother.’ It is a pity that some of us even at a time like this opt to display their negative ethnic prejudices. Truly sad!!! This has to stop if we are truly to be one united Kenyan nation.
Dear readers,
Please note that the mother’s tribe was indicated in the submission we received from the sender. We apologize to anyone who was offended by this although it does raise the question of where one’s identity begins and/or ends–should we have titled the story “Kenyan Kills Daughter,” “African Kills Daughter,” or “Parent Kills Daughter”? And which is more important–is it that this was a woman (a much rarer occurance in cases of domestic abuse), an African, a Kenyan, or a Luo? Would this story be any less offensive if it were entitled “African Kills Child” or to push it further “Black Kills Child”?
We think that the important thing is that, as a Luo community (this is, after all, jaluo.com) we embrace the daughter who is still alive. We have a deeper obligation than most to do so. We cannot take credit for all the good things done by some Luos and deny all the bad things done by some Luos. (This is the same argument that Barack Obama has made in regards to Hillary’s White House experience argument.)
These are complex questions and we appreciate your responses. Perhaps the reality is that our identities change with time. One identity becomes more important than another depending on the circumstances. So, in the spirit of reconciliation, we are to put national identity first and foremost?
We don’t really have an answer, but we encourage dialogue on this matter as it touches at the core of the monumental task of reconciliation that we are currently faced with.
Ero kamano,
Jaluo Press
Admin, Thanks for drawing our attention to the fact that we should acknowledge when a wrong act has been committed by a community member. I must admit I had no answers for the questions you ask – african, kenyan, black woman kills child!! I am challenged like never before to admit the wrongs committed by my community as we seek to reconcile as a Kenyan nation.
It is extremely unfortunate the poor girl lost her life.
It is a tragic event and it doesn’t matter wether it was a luo, african, kenyan, black or pink woman/man who commited the act,fact is a life has been lost and in the most cruel manner!
We pray her soul rests in peace.
It does not matter what tribe you come from when a tragedy like this happens. Nancy could be your sister no matter what race. When the devil takes over ones mind it does not choose. If it makes you feel better Nancy is from Asembo and the Mother is a kikuyu form Kiambu. NOW WHAT??????????
Jothurwa let us not trivialise this matter. It is very sad that such a thing has happened and please note that crime has no tribe!
lets forget about tribe and likes am a good friend of a brother to Akinyi lets pray for the family and the soul of the little girl
I AM A FIRST TIMER AT JALUO.COM. I AM REALLY TOUCHED BY THIS SAD STORY.
I KNEW NANCY KASERA WHILE SHE WORKED FOR BOTH RHINO SAFARIS AND BUDGET RENT A CAR, BEFORE SHE MOVED TO THE US. WE WERE VERY CLOSE FRIENDS. SHE WAS A VERY KIND HEARTED LADY. I AM PERPLEXED AT THE TURN OF EVENTS THAT EVEN THE HUSBAND DIED UNDER MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.
MAY GOD REST THE SOULS OF THE DEPARTED SOULS IN PEACE.
NANCY WHAT BECAME OF YOU? COULD YOU HAVE BEEN ABUSING DRUGS? SORRY MAMADM.