Police Say Woman Accused in Adoption Scam May Have Killed Child

[Guest guest]

http://www.1010wins.com/Cops:-Woman-in-Adoption-Scam-May-Have-Killed-

Kid/1458456

Posted: Thursday, 10 January 2008 1:53PM

Police Say Woman Accused in Adoption Scam May Have Killed Child

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Authorities believe a woman charged in

a lucrative adoption scam involving 11 children from New York may

have killed one of them and disposed of the body, a detective said

Thursday.

Judith Leekin, 62, of Port St. Lucie, adopted the 11 disabled

children using four aliases in New York City to make money with

subsidies for their care, officials said. Nine of the children -- now

ages 15 to 27 -- are in Florida state custody. A tenth, now 19,

remains on his own in the state.

But authorities are considering a murder charge against Leekin as

they try to find the 11th child, a boy named Shane Graham who would

now be 19. He was last seen with Leekin in 1999 or 2000. The other

adopted children have said Leekin told them he died.

The boy had Down syndrome, autism and sickle cell anemia, among other

serious afflictions, Port St. Lucie police Detective Stuart Klearman

said.

" He couldn't feed himself, bathe himself, do anything for himself,''

Klearman said. " He couldn't walk or speak ... On his own, he could

not survive.''

The other children knew him only by his nickname, Moo. " He got that

name because that's about the only sound he could make,'' Klearman

said.

Authorities say that after exhausting all their leads trying to find

him, turning to the public for help is the last step before

considering a murder charge.

" There's been no trace of this kid anywhere,'' Klearman said. " But

the money was still flowing to her. She falsified documents to keep

it flowing. What other option do we have other than he is deceased?''

A telephone message left for Leekin's public defender was not

returned Thursday. She has declined several interview requests from

The Associated Press. Leekin has pleaded not guilty to the abuse

charges and remains held on more than $4 million bail.

Leekin adopted the children between 1988 and 1996 and they all moved

to Florida from New York in 1998. Within two years, Graham was gone,

yet Leekin continued to receive adoption subsidies for him until her

arrest last year, Klearman said.

New York City records indicate Leekin received more than $1.2 million

in payments over the years for caring for the kids.

" We hope obviously maybe she gave him (Shane) away and he's alive

someplace,'' Klearman said. " But so far, we're coming up with

nothing.''

Leekin has been uncooperative, Klearman said.

Authorities say Leekin kept the kids, many of them suffering from

mental and physical handicaps, like prisoners in her Port St. Lucie

home. They say the children were often handcuffed, beaten, starved

and locked in a room, deprived medical care and not allowed to attend

school.