Jeremiah Oliver, 5 - Last seen by relative 9/14/13 - Reported missing in Dec. by 7-yr. old sister - Fitchburg, MA

This new story sounds very much like the Erica Parsons case; child missing for months before being reported missing by a sibling.  Other articles said the mother told others that the child was going to Florida to live with a grandparent:

Fitchburg 5-year-old missing; mother, boyfriend arrested
Monday, December 16, 2013

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FITCHBURG — A 5-year-old Kimball Street boy is missing, and his mother and her boyfriend have been arrested as authorities investigate his whereabouts, according to Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. The mother is under a court order to produce the child or face charges of contempt.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said Jeremiah Oliver was last seen by relatives Sept. 14, but police only learned Friday he was missing.

Elsa Oliver, 28, the child's mother, was charged with two counts of reckless endangerment of a child and two counts of being an accessory after the fact of a felony (assault and battery with a dangerous weapon).

Her boyfriend, Alberto L. Sierra, 22, of 164 Meadowbrook Lane was arrested and charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a knife) and two counts of assault and battery on a child causing bodily injury.
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(BBM)

Read more:  http://www.telegram.com/article/20131216/NEWS/312169678/1116

State police searching for missing 5-year-old Fitchburg boy
Posted: 12/16/13 at 5:10 pm    Updated: 12/17/13 at 6:26 pm

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FITCHBURG, Mass. (WHDH) -- Five-year-old Jeremiah Oliver was reported missing on Friday, but relatives say they haven’t seen the child since September.

Investigators immediately searched the home on Kimball Street in Fitchburg and quickly arrested the boy's mother and her boyfriend.

"I've been here for two months. And in the two months I've been here, I've never seen them,” Ada Santos, a neighbor, said.

District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said they learned of the Jeremiah Oliver's disappearance after his 7-year-old sister told a teacher at school.

"She is a courageous little girl. Our feelings are with her and her little brother. This will come out later but that little girl showed a lot of courage doing what she did,” Early Said.

Police are treating this as a possible homicide and will hold the mother in contempt if she does not produce the child immediately.

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(BBM)

Read more:  http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/western-ma/10012492865299/state-police-searching-for-missing-5-year-old-fitchburg-boy/

Social worker said Fitchburg family needed no further oversight
December 18, 2013

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FITCHBURG — A state social worker not only failed to carry out mandatory monthly visits to the home where 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver lived, but also recommended that the family, which has a history of drug abuse and violence, be released from state oversight because it was doing well, the commissioner of the state Department of Children and Families said Wednesday.

The recommendation in September to end supervision of the troubled household came even though it had been four months since social workers had seen the boy, state officials acknowledged. Jeremiah is now missing and feared dead.

Governor Deval Patrick, in his first comments on the case Wednesday, called the events “devastating.” The governor said he wants to know if other children have been missed and if someone up the chain of command should have noticed the agency’s failure to check on Jeremiah.
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Read more:  http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/12/18/state-officials-say-they-last-saw-missing-fitchburg-boy-more-than-months-ago/vE7HRPrUsOSBVvemhN3JIJ/story.html

Timeline of Jeremiah Oliver case
December 19, 2013




Source:  http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/12/19/timeline-jeremiah-oliver-case/VrboY7AGWw8ayU4D60PAAJ/story.html

Jeremiah Oliver was a little boy lost

By Yvonne Abraham | Globe Columnist December 19, 2013

They lost him. And they didn’t even bother to look for him.

The case of Jeremiah Oliver, the missing Fitchburg boy, is a story of monumental, catastrophic failure. State social workers were all that stood between the 5-year-old and disaster. But instead of protecting him, they left him to suffer alone. He was just one endangered child among many, his precious little life failing to rise to the top of a pile — and not even a tall pile — of case files on a desk.

Here is a child who, along with his two siblings, had the great misfortune of being born into mayhem, to parents who were sick, lost, and cruel. No one close to these children appeared able, or willing, to protect them. Not the addicted, mentally ill, abused, and abusive mother who stood in a courtroom on Tuesday. Not the father who appears to have done nothing — not even see them – after his wife took the children away a few years ago.

And certainly not Alberto Sierra, the man accused of terrorizing Elsa Oliver and her children for months before Oliver’s daughter raised the alarm that finally delivered her from evil a couple of weeks ago. Imagine the fear this 7-year-old girl must have felt — the isolation, the horrors playing out in the place where she was supposed to feel safest. What courage it took for her to tell a school guidance counselor what was happening: That her mother’s boyfriend had been hurting all of them, for months. By then, only one of her brothers remained in the home. Jeremiah is missing, last seen by a relative in September. Police fear he has been killed.

Read more:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/12/19/little-boy-lost/VxuYm0ixER7qWActgfJVfI/story.html

__________________

Social worker said Fitchburg family needed no further oversight

By Michael Levenson, Brian MacQuarrie and Travis Andersen | Globe Staff December 18, 2013



A woman placed a candle during a vigil Wednesday across from the Fitchburg home where Jeremiah Oliver lived.

FITCHBURG — A state social worker not only failed to carry out mandatory monthly visits to the home where 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver lived, but also recommended that the family, which has a history of drug abuse and violence, be released from state oversight because it was doing well, the commissioner of the state Department of Children and Families said Wednesday.

The recommendation in September to end supervision of the troubled household came even though it had been four months since social workers had seen the boy, state officials acknowledged. Jeremiah is now missing and feared dead.

Governor Deval Patrick, in his first comments on the case Wednesday, called the events “devastating.” The governor said he wants to know if other children have been missed and if someone up the chain of command should have noticed the agency’s failure to check on Jeremiah.

Read more:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/12/18/state-officials-say-they-last-saw-missing-fitchburg-boy-more-than-months-ago/vE7HRPrUsOSBVvemhN3JIJ/story.html

Missing boy’s uncle, dad plan to sue DCF
Wednesday, December 18, 2013

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A relative of the missing 5-year-old Fitchburg boy who authorities fear was murdered said today he intends to sue the Department of Children and Families after it was revealed that social workers knew about abuse in the boy’s home in May — but police only found out this month.

“They knew about this. They could have stopped this. If they did their jobs and did what they were supposed to, my nephew could have been here,” said Sandrino Oliver, the uncle of Jeremiah Oliver, who authorities said has been missing since Sept. 14 and his case is being treated as a “possible homicide.”

“I am going to file a lawsuit against DCF,” Oliver said. He said has not contacted a lawyer yet, but will looking into it in consultation with his brother, Jose Oliver, who is the boy’s biological father.

DCF officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
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Read more:  http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/12/missing_boy_s_uncle_dad_plan_to_sue_dcf

More fallout in DCF scandal
Posted: Dec 19, 2013 2:38 PM PST Updated: Dec 19, 2013 3:33 PM PST

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BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A Department of Children and Families social worker and a supervisor were fired in the case of a missing Fitchburg boy. However, now Area Program Manager Ana Melendez, who oversees the supervisor, has now been reassigned for the duration of the investigation into the Oliver case, Fox 25 first reported.

We've also learned she is friends with the DCF commissioner, but it's unclear how close of a friendship it is.

All of it is raising questions about why more people aren't being held accountable.

In a statement, a spokesman for DCF said, "As is customary during a review, the area program manager has been reassigned for the duration of the investigation into the Oliver case. Any determination as to the future of this or any other employee will be made after the conclusion of the full and transparent investigation ordered by the governor."

Police are treating the case of missing 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver of Fitchburg as a potential homicide.
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(BBM)

Read more:  http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/24266489/area-program-manager

justanopinion wrote:

CuriousPortlander wrote:This new story sounds very much like the Erica Parsons case; child missing for months before being reported missing by a sibling. Other articles said the mother told others that the child was going to Florida to live with a grandparent:

Fitchburg 5-year-old missing; mother, boyfriend arrested
Monday, December 16, 2013

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FITCHBURG — A 5-year-old Kimball Street boy is missing, and his mother and her boyfriend have been arrested as authorities investigate his whereabouts, according to Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. The mother is under a court order to produce the child or face charges of contempt.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said Jeremiah Oliver was last seen by relatives Sept. 14, but police only learned Friday he was missing.

Elsa Oliver, 28, the child's mother, was charged with two counts of reckless endangerment of a child and two counts of being an accessory after the fact of a felony (assault and battery with a dangerous weapon).

Her boyfriend, Alberto L. Sierra, 22, of 164 Meadowbrook Lane was arrested and charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a knife) and two counts of assault and battery on a child causing bodily injury.
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(BBM)

Read more: http://www.telegram.com/article/20131216/NEWS/312169678/1116

http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20131217%2FNEWS%2F312179640%2F1160%2FSPECIALSECTIONS04
FITCHBURG — When the mother of a missing 5-year-old boy was ordered Tuesday afternoon to undergo a mental health evaluation, the child's uncle stormed out of the courtroom screaming and cursing.

"Where is my nephew?" Sandrino Oliver demanded to anyone who would listen. "Where is he?" …………….The results of Friday's search at the Oliver home were not available in court Tuesday. The district attorney's office would not comment about what was found during the search of the home, but neighbors said they saw police removing black trash bags from the apartment on Friday.

Family plans search for missing Fitchburg boy Jeremiah Oliver, lawmakers want state investigation

By John F. Hill, MassLive.com
on December 20, 2013 at 8:32 AM, updated December 20, 2013 at 10:57 AM



Jeremiah Oliver, 5

Volunteers are planning a weekend search for missing Fitchburg 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver.

According to posts on several Facebook pages set up to provide news about the case, the search is planned for 10:30 a.m. on Kimball Street in Fitchburg.

A post on the page PrayFor JeremiahOliver, apparently set up by members of his family, reads: "A search party has been approved for Jeremiah Oliver on Saturday December 21 2013 and 10:30AM on kimball st in Fitchburg mass everybody lets all come together and find our little angel".

Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families may come under legislative scrutiny for how the child's case was handled.

Read more:

http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2013/12/family_plans_search_for_missin.html

State family agency fires two in case of boy feared dead
Failure to visit troubled Fitchburg home cited; long-missing child’s mother, boyfriend held
December 17, 2013



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FITCHBURG — State officials acknowledged Tuesday there was a “serious failure” in their handling of the case of a 5-year-old boy, firing the social worker and supervisor who, despite reports of abuse, let months pass without visiting him. The boy is now feared dead.

Jeremiah Oliver was last seen by a relative Sept. 14, according to officials, but, improbably, no one from the state’s social services agency noticed that he was missing until nearly three months later, on Dec. 2. That was when his 7-year-old sister told staff at her school that her mother’s boyfriend had been brutally beating her, her mother, and her two brothers.

...The fact Jeremiah had been missing for months did not come to light until Dec. 2, when his sister told guidance counselors at Reingold Elementary that she had not seen her brother and that Sierra had been abusing her and her family.

As a result of her report, DCF officials took her and her other brother into custody. Authorities then interviewed the sister about the abuse on Friday.

She said she had seen Sierra punch her brothers and hit them with a black belt with a gold buckle, causing one of them to bleed, according to a police report.

She said one of her brother’s pinky fingers “looked like it was cut off” and said her mother was “so scared” that the boy was “going to die.”

She said she had seen Sierra hit one of her brothers with such force that he was sent flying off a toilet onto the floor. The girl said she herself had been beaten by Sierra shortly after he moved in with her mother in May.

The girl told police that she had also seen Sierra punch and slap her mother, leaving bruises. She said she had seen Sierra hold a knife to her mother’s knee and face, according to police.

Sierra has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and two counts of assault and battery on a child causing bodily injury. He is being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing set for Thursday.

Oliver was arraigned Tuesday on charges of being an accessory after the fact to attacks on her children and two counts of reckless endangerment of a child.
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(BBM)

Read more:  http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/12/17/police-report-fitchburg-children-and-their-mother-were-terrorized-for-months-her-boyfriend/Kr2pyZsJJc7lVZPy9Sa16I/story.html

Father of missing Fitchburg, Mass. boy speaks out
December 19, 2013, 9:44 pm

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Jeremiah's father, Jose Oliver, spoke for the first time on Thursday with NECN reporter Josh Brogadir. Jose was extremely emotional, unable to hide his pain, grief and frustration.

Jose has not seen his son in two years. He says Jeremiah and his two siblings were taken away by his mother, Elsa Oliver, one day while he was at work.

"Elsa, tell them where my son is at," said Oliver. "You should have gave him to me. You could not handle him," added Oliver.
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Read more:  http://www.necn.com/12/19/13/Father-of-missing-Fitchburg-Mass-boy-spe/landing.html?blockID=860279&feedID=11106

‘Terrifying’ screaming from boy’s home, neighbor alleges
Thursday, December 19, 2013

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A neighbor of the missing 5-year-old Fitchburg boy who authorities feared was murdered voiced 
regret last night for not 
following her instincts and calling police when she heard violent sounds — while court files show the mother had accused the boy’s father of beating her.

Mary Santos, who lived downstairs from Elsa Oliver and her three children, said at a candlelight vigil last night for Jeremiah Oliver, missing since Sept. 14, that during Alberto Sierra’s frequent visits, “I would hear terrifying screaming, banging on the walls.”

Santos said fear stopped her from dialing 911. Sierra, 
23, is now being held on charges of assault and battery on a child. Elsa Oliver has been charged as an 
accessory after the fact.
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Read more:  http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/12/terrifying_screaming_from_boy_s_home_neighbor_alleges

70 volunteers join in search for missing boy
Fruitless sweep of Fitchburg neighborhood becomes emotional ordeal for father, uncle
December 21, 2013

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FITCHBURG — The father of missing 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver vowed he will “never give up” looking for his son, as dozens of volunteers combed through the boy’s neighborhood Saturday in an attempt to find him.

...Saturday’s search, organized through social media by family members and supporters, was not sanctioned by police, although several Fitchburg police officers were standing by to examine any potential evidence that volunteers might find. Police had initially discouraged the search, afraid that a horde of well-intentioned but inexperienced searchers could disturb or even destroy valuable evidence.

...“They didn’t have a car, so if they did do something to him, I’m pretty sure he’ll be around here,” Oliver said, wearing a shirt bearing an image of his son’s face and “DADDY” printed on the back.
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Read more:  http://www.bostonglobe.com/2013/12/21/volunteers-family-members-search-for-missing-year-old-fitchburg-boy/dlYlMonQDQAWGSPQgm0HQM/story.html

Dozens join search for missing Fitchburg boy Jeremiah Oliver
Updated:   12/21/2013 04:38:27 PM EST

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FITCHBURG -- An hour into Saturday's search party for his missing 5-year-old nephew, Sandrino Oliver pushed his forehead against the chainlink fence on the railroad bridge and cried.

"I'm trying to keep it together," he said before walking back off to his family.

More than 100 people showed up for the informal search party to scour the neighborhood for any sign of Jeremiah Oliver, who was last seen three months ago. The state police had previously searched the house for any sign of the boy, including a search with K-9 units 7 a.m. Saturday, but community members said they wanted to at least try.

...Police had expressed concerns that members of the amateur search party could accidentally destroy or damage any evidence they find, but still allowed it to continue in the neighborhood surrounding the mother's home.

Online organizers had asked that participants be careful with anything they uncover and show it to police without disturbing it, but when asked what precautions they were taking to preserve anything they found, Jose Oliver said he hadn't heard about the concern from police.
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Read more:  http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_24773087/dozens-join-search-missing-fitchburg-boy-jeremiah-oliver

Kin, police sweep Fitchburg in hunt for missing 5-year-old
Sunday, December 22, 2013

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Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said the community search was preceded by a search by state and Fitchburg police and three K-9s that began at dawn. Police didn’t find anything, Early said.

Investigators searched Jeremiah’s home and in the vicinity of Kimball Street, state police spokesman David Procopio said. He said officers are working “around the clock,” and much of what they are doing is “outside the public eye.”

“We will do everything possible and leave no stones unturned in our attempts to get answers,” Procopio said.

He added that police are as incensed over the case as the public. “We share their outrage in what happened to that boy and we will find out.”
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Read more:  http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/12/kin_police_sweep_fitchburg_in_hunt_for_missing_5_year_old

A disaster at DCF

Monday, December 23, 2013

By Herald Staff

The “overworked” social worker who was fired over the heartbreaking case of little Jeremiah Oliver had a responsibility to visit his family in person once a month. Once a month.

She failed to do so, for seven months straight. She had 18 cases on her desk, but a review found that she failed to make the mandatory in-person visits to an astonishing eight of those families.

And yet this employee of the Department of Children and Families apparently felt so overworked that in recent months she has filed multiple grievances over her caseload, the Boston Globe reported. Her union — in an epic attempt at butt-covering — is giving her ample backing.

But they’ll have to come up with a better poster child for beleaguered social workers with “crisis” caseloads than the one who had the power to rescue Jeremiah and his siblings — and whether out of laziness or epic incompetence quite literally never showed up.

Read more:

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/opinion/editorials/2013/12/a_disaster_at_dcf

MA mom, boyfriend due in court in missing boy case

Monday, December 23, 2013
By:Associated Press

FITCHBURG — A Massachusetts mother and her boyfriend are due in court for dangerousness hearings as police and relatives continue searching for her 5-year-old son.

Elsa Oliver of Fitchburg is charged with reckless endangerment of a child and being an accessory after the fact. Her boyfriend, Alberto Sierra, is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a child. They've pleaded not guilty.

Oliver's son, Jeremiah, was last seen by relatives in September and is feared dead. Authorities learned about the boy's disappearance only recently.

Oliver and Sierra are due in Fitchburg District Court Tuesday. Both are being held without bail.

Read more:

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/12/ma_mom_boyfriend_due_in_court_in_missing_boy_case

Jeremiah Oliver

Court Records: Sister Of Missing Fitchburg Boy Told Teacher About Abuse

December 17, 2013 5:00 PM

FITCHBURG (CBS/AP) —The 8-year-old sister of a missing 5-year-old boy tipped school officials off to the abuse going on in her home.


Alberto Sierra (Facebook)

Her mother, Elsa Oliver and her boyfriend Alberto Sierra, are now facing charges.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early said Jeremiah Oliver was last seen by relatives Sept. 14.


Elsa Oliver (WBZ-TV)

But new information from the Department of Children and Families says the boy’s day care told a social worker that Elsa Oliver told them in June, that Jeremiah would no longer be coming to day care and he would be leaving for Florida to live with his grandmother.

Oliver is being held without bail on charges of reckless endangerment of a child and accessory after the fact of assault.

Read more:

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013/12/17/court-records-sister-of-missing-fitchburg-boy-told-teacher-about-abuse/

Alessandra_Deux wrote:

They didn't even know what he was wearing??? Well we know why that is IMO. Murdering trash!

Elsa Oliver, Fitchburg mom of missing boy Jeremiah Oliver, and boyfriend due in court
December 23, 2013 at 8:37 AM, updated December 23, 2013 at 8:50 AM

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FITCHBURG, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts mother and her boyfriend are due in court for dangerousness hearings as police and relatives continue searching for her 5-year-old son.

...Oliver and Sierra are due in Fitchburg District Court Tuesday. Both are being held without bail.
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(BBM)

Read more:  http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2013/12/fitchburg_mom_of_missing_boy_j.html

Mother of missing Fitchburg boy, Jeremiah Oliver, granted $100,000 bail; Alberto Sierra held without bail
December 24, 2013 at 11:35 AM, updated December 24, 2013 at 11:45 AM

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FITCHBURG - The mother of missing 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver, of Fitchburg, was granted $100,000 cash bail on Tuesday, while her boyfriend ordered to be held without bail.

Elsa Oliver, 28, was granted bail in Fitchburg District Court, though her attorney said it is unlikely she will be released. She still faces a contempt charge in juvenile court on a related case.

Alberto Sierra, was held without bail. Judge Margaret Guzman said prosecutors had more than met their burden to show Sierra was too dangerous to release.
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Read more:  http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2013/12/jeremiah_olivers_mother_grante.html

Elsa Oliver granted bail, angering family of missing boy Jeremiah Oliver
December 24, 2013 at 12:25 PM, updated December 24, 2013 at 12:26 PM

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A judge's decision to grant $100,000 bail to the mother of Jeremiah Oliver angered members of the missing Fitchburg boy's family.

Elsa Oliver, 28, was granted bail during a dangerousness hearing Tuesday morning in Fitchburg District Court. Her boyfriend, Alberto L. Sierra, 22, was held without bail.

...Outside the court house, Jeremiah's family, many wearing self-made shirts bearing his picture, said they couldn't believe she was given bail.

"They didn't talk nothing about the baby. He's five years old," said Sandro Oliver, 20, Jeremiah's cousin. "They didn't do s***. She gets an ankle bracelet? Make her suffer."

...Elsa Oliver will be in court again Jan. 10 for a mental competency hearing.
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Read more:  http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2013/12/elsa_oliver_granted_bail_anger.html

Police focus on mother's tattoo in Fitchburg case
HEAVY SECURITY AT COURT THIS MORNING
Tuesday, December 24, 2013



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FITCHBURG — As the mother of missing Jeremiah Oliver, 5, prepares for another court appearance today, police seem especially intrigued by a tattoo she has.

Local tattoo artists confirm that Fitchburg detectives are questioning them on who tattooed a butterfly, accompanied by the date Sept. 25, 2013, on Elsa Oliver, 28. The detectives are hoping she told a tattoo artist the significance of it.

Posted on the Facebook page PrayforJeremiahOliver is a notice asking any Massachusetts tattoo artist who created a butterfly tattoo on Elsa Oliver with the tattoo of the date 9-25-13 to call the Fitchburg Police Department.
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Read more:  http://www.telegram.com/article/20131224/NEWS/312239665/1116#

Social worker assigned to Jeremiah Oliver case overwhelmed by caseload
December 19, 2013, 6:18 pm

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(NECN: Ally Donnelly) - Sources tell NECN the social worker assigned to the Jeremiah Oliver case complained to the Department of Children and Families that her workload was too high at least five times in the last eight months.

According to documents obtained by NECN, the social worker complained in May, June, July, August and September of 2013 that she had more cases than she efficiently manage.

..."Flags were clearly raised in this particular case. It is unclear as to why those flags weren't seen earlier," said Jason Stephany, a spokesperson for the union representing social workers.
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Read more:  http://www.necn.com/12/19/13/Social-worker-fired-in-missing-Fitchburg/landing.html?blockID=860261&feedID=11106

Prosecutor says mother failed child in Fitchburg case
No effort to protect missing 5-year-old, judge is told
December 24, 2013

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FITCHBURG — Prosecutors on Tuesday said the mother of missing 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver “did nothing” to protect him and his siblings from abuse and had expressed frustration with state involvement with her family.

Two years of records from the state’s child welfare agency showed a “consistent, repeat pattern of neglect and abuse of the children in this case,” prosecutor Cheryl Riddle told a judge at a court hearing.

Elsa Oliver, who faces charges in connection with disappearance of Jeremiah, who is feared dead, had allowed her boyfriend, Alberto L. Sierra Jr., to abuse the children over at least the past six months, she said.

“She did nothing to protect the children,” she said. “Nothing to seek medical attention or get them help of any kind.”

The comments were made in a private sidebar, but Judge Margaret Guzman ruled that a transcript of the discussion be made public, shedding light on the high-profile case.
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Read more:  http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/12/24/alberto-sierra-boyfriend-fitchburg-woman-whose-son-missing-held-without-bail/iGwkVWzXbMoFTxkZVHnSbK/story.html

Father of missing boy will seek custody of other kids

Sunday, December 29, 2013

By: Antonio Planas

The father of a missing 5-year-old Fitchburg boy, who is feared dead, said yesterday he’s hopeful his youngest child is alive — and he plans to fight for custody of his two other children, who are in state care, during an upcoming court hearing.

“I will never lose hope that my son is OK; that’s all I have to grab on to,” said Jose Oliver, father of Jeremiah Oliver, who authorities say has been missing since Sept. 14. Police are treating his case as a “possible homicide.”

~Snipped~

Jose Oliver said in a phone interview from New Britain, Conn., that he has a hearing scheduled Jan. 10 in juvenile court in Fitchburg and he’s making arrangements, such as getting a three-bedroom apartment, in hopes he is granted custody.

“I am doing whatever possible so I can get my kids back,” he said.

He recently saw his two children, who are in the care of the Department of Children and Families, for the first time in two years — since Elsa Oliver left him and took the children with her.

Read more:

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/12/father_of_missing_boy_will_seek_custody_of_other_kids

Family, community search again for missing Fitchburg boy

By Dan Adams / Globe Correspondent / December 28, 2013

FITCHBURG—For the second consecutive Saturday, volunteers and relatives of Jeremiah Oliver searched several areas in Fitchburg today for the missing 5-year-old.

~Snipped~

About 35 people showed up for today’s search. After rallying at a parking lot across from Jeremiah’s home and saying a prayer at a makeshift shrine honoring the boy, the group split into three teams and searched two areas: a playground where neighbors said they sometimes saw Sierra with Jeremiah and his siblings, and woods behind a housing development where Sierra’s family lives. Organizers speculated that Sierra may have hidden the boy’s body in a familiar area.

Miguel Fleitas, a 46-year-old naval reservist with training in search and rescue, organized the search in cooperation with the family.

“As a father I would hope that nothing like that happens to my child,” Fleitas said. “I just want to give my help and volunteer my time to help them find anything I can.”

Read more:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/12/28/family-community-search-again-for-missing-fitchburg-boy/8X4J8TfzNlKJoBcd0HYtEK/story.html

Related Article:

http://www.telegram.com/article/20131228/NEWS/312289784/1116

Search For Missing Fitchburg Boy Fruitless

December 28, 2013 6:13 PM

A roadside memorial in Fitchburg for missing 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver features dozens of stuffed animals. (Credit: WBZ-TV)

FITCHBURG (CBS) — Despite receiving help from a Navy Reserve member who has search and rescue experience, an effort to find missing 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver on Saturday was fruitless.

Read more;

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013/12/28/search-for-missing-fitchburg-boy-fruitless/

DCF promoted staffer weeks before firing in missing Fitchburg boy case
Tuesday, December 31, 2013 - Updated 08:00 PM

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The social worker who has been fired by Department of Children and Families officials for failing to make the mandated checks of a now-missing five-year-old Fitchburg boy was promoted just weeks before, officials confirmed today.

...The news comes as DCF has fired a third worker, continuing the fallout of what the Patrick administration has deemed a “serious failure” of its child welfare workers. The area program manager who helped oversee the agency’s Leominster office was canned last week after officials determined she knew a social worker wasn’t making regular visits to the family of Jeremiah Oliver, yet never addressed it.

Another manager who never acted on abuse and neglect complaints in the Oliver family was also suspended and demoted, officials said.
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Read more:  http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/12/dcf_promoted_staffer_weeks_before_firing_in_missing_fitchburg

Third DCF employee fired in case of missing Fitchburg boy
Monday, December 30, 2013

Snipped:
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BOSTON — A third employee of the Department of Children and Families has been fired in the wake of investigations into a missing 5-year-old Fitchburg boy and state officials have concluded that numerous failings and misconduct by staff contributed to the disappearance.

...Ms. Roche said the investigation revealed that the social worker handling the family's case repeatedly failed to conduct required monthly checks on the boy and his family in their home in the months leading up to his disappearance. Moreover, they found the social worker's supervisor failed to address the lack of home visits or ensure the agency followed up on three 51A child abuse reports in June concerning the three children in the home.

At the same time, the agency concluded, the supervisor was filing reports indicating the family's apartment was clean and suitable, even though the social worker had not visited the home. Based on interviews conducted for the investigation, officials said, "It is evident that the supervisor was proven to be untruthful" regarding reports on the condition of the family's home.
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Read more:  http://www.telegram.com/article/20131230/NEWS/312309761/0#.UsIVCZaQqwo.facebook

Department of Children and Families’ Investigation Report:


http://www.telegram.com/assets/pdf/WT179581230.PDF

Cops: Jeremiah Oliver’s father arrested on heroin charges

Thursday, January 2, 2014

By: Antonio Planas

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/01/cops_jeremiah_oliver_s_father_arrested_on_heroin_charges

Report: Uncle contacted DCF days before Fitchburg boy's disappearance
Tuesday, December 31, 2013


Snipped:
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FITCHBURG — Luis Sierra, the brother of Alberto L. Sierra Jr., who is being held without bail in connection with the disappearance of young Jeremiah Oliver, contacted the Department of Children and Families in December, 10 days before the boy was reported missing to authorities, over concerns about the mental health of Jeremiah's mother, according to a report released Monday by DCF.

Additionally, the report says Jeremiah's siblings told the family's DCF social worker that Luis Sierra used to baby-sit Jeremiah and that the boy had gone to live with his "other family" whom they did not know.
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Read more:  http://www.telegram.com/article/20131231/NEWS/312319637/1116

================

This article also contains a good summary of the DCF report that was linked in a post above.

Jeremiah Oliver case: Public still wondering how this could have happened
Sunday, January 5, 2014

Snipped:
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Gov. Deval L. Patrick and officials at the state Department of Children and Families were quick to claim last week that the agency's failures to protect 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver of Fitchburg — who has been missing since September and may have been killed — was a "unique" case and does not indicate a systematic problem in the agency.

..."The absence of home visits to assess the safety of the children was a serious failure," Ms. Roche said. "It is my belief that the failure and misconduct of the staff involved in this case contributed to this tragedy."

But when asked specifically by the Telegram & Gazette why the social worker failed to conduct monthly home visits and respond to the abuse reports and why supervisors allowed it, Ms. Roche had no answer.

...The agency's conclusion that the negligence in the case is not linked to systematic problems within the agency outside of the North Central regional office was not reflected in the immediate corrective actions Ms. Roche said were being taken. In fact, her immediate directions all involved systemwide changes and immediate case reviews statewide.
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Read more:  http://www.telegram.com/article/20140105/COLUMN05/301059920

DA: Dig for missing Fitchburg boy turns up nothing
Posted:   01/02/2014 01:32:45 PM EST

Snipped:
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FITCHBURG -- Police officers and firefighters were digging at the side of the Nashua River Thursday morning in search of the body of 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver but did not find him, said District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.

Detectives investigating Jeremiah's disappearance obtained information he could be under the train trestle near Murphy Motor on River Street, said Early.
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Read more: http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/breakingnews/ci_24833776/da-dig-missing-fitchburg-boy-turns-up-nothing

Caseloads extremely high at Leominster Department of Children and Families
on January 06, 2014 at 10:08 AM, updated January 06, 2014 at 10:11 AM

Snipped:
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LEOMINSTER, Mass. (AP) — Worker caseloads are stunningly high at a Massachusetts Department of Children and Families office criticized for how it handled a case involving a 5-year-old Fitchburg boy who has been missing since September, according to child welfare advocates.

The Boston Herald reports that one worker at the Leominster office oversaw 57 children, nearly half of whom were in foster care. Six other workers were overseeing 40 or more children apiece. Sixty workers have filed grievances saying their caseloads exceeded the state-mandated limit of 18, according to labor union officials.
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Read more:  http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2014/01/caseloads_extremely_high_at_le.html

Patrick orders outside review of state’s child protection agency
Posted Jan 09, 2014 @ 08:00 AM  Last update Jan 09, 2014 @ 08:01 AM

Snipped:
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BOSTON — Facing growing concerns over operations at the Department of Children and Families, the Patrick administration plans to hire the Child Welfare League of America to independently review the agency over the coming months, the News Service has learned.

...The review is expected to assess DCF policies and practices while looking in particular at “areas of supervision and management, home visits, processing of reports of abuse and neglect and how the Department deals with families with young children.”
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Read more:  http://www.enterprisenews.com/topstories/x128256971/Patrick-orders-outside-review-of-state-s-child-protection-agency

Jose Oliver, father of missing Fitchburg boy Jeremiah Oliver, in court for custody hearing
January 10, 2014 at 2:30 PM

Snipped:
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The father of missing Fitchburg boy Jeremiah Oliver was in court on Friday seeking custody of his two other children.

It was not clear what happened in the courtroom, where Jose Oliver was trying to gain custody of his daughter and other son, ages nine and seven respectively. The hearing was closed to reporters.
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Read more:  http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2014/01/jose_oliver_father_of_missing.html

Agencies didn’t share information in case of missing Fitchburg boy, report finds

Two child protection agencies did not share info on Jeremiah Oliver’s family until after he disappeared

By John R. Ellement | Globe Staff January 23, 2014



Jeremiah Oliver, 5, went missing late last year and is feared dead.

The family of Jeremiah Oliver, the Fitchburg boy who disappeared after state social workers failed to conduct home visits, was involved with a social service agency in another state — but that state never shared its information until after the 5-year-old went missing, a state agency concluded today.

The Office of Child Advocate, which is an independent office charged with overseeing state agencies who work with children, released a report into the agency’s involvement with the boy’s family. His mother and her boyfriend are both currently being investigated for their alleged roles in what authorities fear may become a homicide investigation.

In the 11-page report, the Office of Child Advocate addressed the issues already identified by Governor Deval Patrick and the Department of Children and Families leadership, but also disclosed for the first time that Oliver’s family was investigated by the child protection agency in another state, which was not identified.

Read more:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/01/23/report-two-child-protection-agencies-did-not-share-info-jeremiah-oliver-family-until-after-fitchburg-boy-disappeared/v8gOHqJCG31nwzBFOYHJXJ/story.html

Thanks for that article, Alessandra.  It is so incredibly sad that so many individuals and agencies failed these poor children (Jeremiah and his sister).  My heart just breaks for them.

Lawmaker slams state agency for disappearance of Fitchburg boy

By Michael Levenson and John R. Ellement / Globe Staff / January 23, 2014

A leading state lawmaker today expressed outrage at the chief of the state’s child protection agency, who was testifying before a legislative panel about the agency’s failure to keep track of a 5-year-old Fitchburg boy who was reported missing in December and is feared dead.

“Your department lost track of a kid,” Representative David P. Linsky, chairman of the House Post Audit and Oversight Committee, told Olga Roche, commissioner of the state Department of Children and Families. “That’s inexcusable. That’s absolutely inexcusable.”

Roche, flanked by the department’s chief counsel, repeatedly emphasized that DCF fired the social worker, supervisor, and manager responsible for ensuring the well-being of the 5-year-old boy, Jeremiah Oliver.

~Snipped~

The Globe reported today that Governor Deval Patrick is proposing a $32.6 million budget increase for the agency.

“We’re going to give you whatever money you need, I’m sure. The speaker is going to assure that this happens,” Linsky told Roche. But he added, “If there is a total breakdown in the supervision and the work … no amount of money is going to fix this at all.”

Read more:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/01/23/report-two-child-protection-agencies-did-not-share-info-jeremiah-oliver-family-until-after-fitchburg-boy-disappeared/D49G0pxjhi38DU3K3AePIJ/story.html

CuriousPortlander wrote:Thanks for that article, Alessandra.  It is so incredibly sad that so many individuals and agencies failed these poor children (Jeremiah and his sister).  My heart just breaks for them.

Unfortunately their case is "just another statistic". The DCF is a broken system.

YW, CP!

Missing boy’s family erupts in court
January 24, 2014



Snipped:
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FITCHBURG — Moments after a judge found the mother of missing 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver competent to stand trial Friday, the boy’s uncle erupted in anguished rage, wailing, “Where’s my nephew?” over and over as his wife tried to hug him and cover his mouth.

Court officers and state troopers swarmed Sandrino Oliver and wrestled him out of the courtroom while family members and friends tried to shield him. The group spilled out onto the sidewalk in front of the courthouse, still jostling and shouting, and Sandrino Oliver ran down the street, where he hunched against a building, sobbing.
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(BBM)


Read more:  http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/01/24/jeremiah-oliver-mother-declared-competent-uncle-missing-fitchburg-boy-roils-courtroom/3afbD1eWdpN4WCrWrFQH0K/story.html

Governor Deval Patrick sees missing Fitchburg child Jeremiah Oliver case as opportunity to 'rethink and reinvigorate' the Department of Children and Families
January 27, 2014 at 12:30 PM, updated January 27, 2014 at 12:41 PM

Snipped:
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BOSTON - Governor Deval Patrick said on Monday that the disappearance of Jeremiah Oliver while in the care of the Department of Children and Families has kickstarted a thorough review of the troubled agency.

...The governor has brought in the Child Welfare League of America to oversee a thorough independent review of DCF. Patrick said they will review, "What best practices are, how DCF measures up, and what, if any, action we should take to close any gaps."
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Read more:  http://www.masslive.com/news/boston/index.ssf/2014/01/patrick_presser_dcf.html

CuriousPortlander wrote:
Missing boy’s family erupts in court
January 24, 2014



Snipped:
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FITCHBURG — Moments after a judge found the mother of missing 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver competent to stand trial Friday, the boy’s uncle erupted in anguished rage, wailing, “Where’s my nephew?” over and over as his wife tried to hug him and cover his mouth.

Court officers and state troopers swarmed Sandrino Oliver and wrestled him out of the courtroom while family members and friends tried to shield him. The group spilled out onto the sidewalk in front of the courthouse, still jostling and shouting, and Sandrino Oliver ran down the street, where he hunched against a building, sobbing.
-----
(BBM)


Read more:  http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/01/24/jeremiah-oliver-mother-declared-competent-uncle-missing-fitchburg-boy-roils-courtroom/3afbD1eWdpN4WCrWrFQH0K/story.html

The anguish on that poor man's face is enough to move a complete stranger to tears! My whole heart goes out to him! I hope he is able to find peace and that justice is swift for those who hurt his little nephew.

Gov defends policy allowing criminals to qualify as prospective foster parents

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

By: Matt Stout

Gov. Deval Patrick acknowledged today that under Massachusetts policy, prospective foster parents can have a criminal record, but said he has faith in officials at the embattled Department of Children and Families to weed out those who could harm at-risk children.

“You can have a record. It might be stealing a candy bar when you’re 14, 15 years old. That’s a record,” Patrick said today after cutting the ribbon on Vertex’s new Seaport building. “You’ll have a CORI for that or similar sorts of things. ... That’s why I say they are right to take into account the specific circumstances of that individual and the family’s circumstances and that of the child.”

The Herald reported today that people with rap sheets listing criminal convictions for armed assault, drug trafficking, motor vehicle homicide and even soliciting sex from a minor could be cleared to be foster parents under a state policy that allows workers flexibility to green-light those with criminal records.

~Snipped~

The governor has long defended DCF’s core processes — and batted back notions of systemic problems — even in the wake of the disappearance of Jeremiah Oliver, the Fitchburg boy who workers lost track of before he went missing in September.

But he voiced concerns in early December after the Office of the Child Advocate released a report showing there were 70 instances of abuse and neglect inside foster homes in 2012. At the time, Patrick told the Herald that “obviously we’ve got to be quite a bit more rigorous in the screening.”

Read more:

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/02/gov_defends_policy_allowing_criminals_to_qualify_as_prospective

Gov. Patrick Dismisses Call For DCF Head To Step Down

By Bob Oakes | February 13, 2014

BOSTON — With 11 months left in office, Gov. Deval Patrick joined WBUR to discus the lingering controversies besetting state government and his remaining policy priorities.

Here are some highlights from Wednesday’s State House interview with host Bob Oakes.

On Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker’s call that the head of the embattled Department of Children and Families, Olga Roche, should resign:

Well, first of all, it’s a terrible tragedy that [Fitchburg 5-year-old] Jeremiah [Oliver] was lost … and the people responsible for, frankly, lying about the fact that they had kept an eye on him have been fired.

I think the suggestion of the commissioner stepping aside on account of that is a political one and, frankly, a stupid one from a management point of view. I don’t think you add to the destabilization of DCF by yanking out a commissioner who has spent her whole career on these issues.

Read more:

http://www.wbur.org/2014/02/13/deval-patrick-interview

It's time for new leadership at DCF

Sentinel & Enterprise
Posted:   02/13/2014 07:02:04 AM EST

DMcArdle 2/12/14

We can't understand why Gov. Deval Patrick continues to defend Department of Children and Families Commissioner Olga Roche, despite the litany of agency shortcomings that have come to light.

Yes, DCF employees must deal with the most dysfunctional family situations, including substance abuse, poverty and cultural differences. No matter how dedicated, there doesn't seem to be enough hours to address the many problems they face daily.

We don't dispute their monumental task. That's why the DCF needs a strong and decisive commissioner who will provide the leadership and inspiration required to maintain case workers' morale.

We don't believe Olga Roche is that person, and that's why we agree with Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker and Democratic state Rep. Dennis Rosa of Leominster that she either step down or be removed.

Read more: http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/editorial/ci_25131290/its-time-new-leadership-at-dcf#ixzz2tDcdecAy

With DCF Under Scrutiny, Requests To Remove Children From Troubled Homes Rise Sharply
By Asma Khalid February 21, 2014

" ... Gail Garinger heads the office, and she says it’s unfair DCF gets all the blame. She says the agency is not operating in a vacuum. Pediatricians, teachers, judges — they’re all involved too. The entire system puts a priority on strengthening families and keeping them together.

“There would be some who might criticize that in some cases we perhaps did leave children in homes where the family just could not be sufficiently strengthened,” Garinger said.

Since the disappearance of 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver, DCF has found itself under intense scrutiny. There have been calls for Commissioner Olga Roche to resign. The governor has an independent organization investigating the department’s procedures, and state lawmakers are also conducting a review.

The result of all this attention, Garinger says, is that the DCF is now operating in a dangerous reactive mode. She says she’s particularly concerned about the recent spike in requests to remove kids under DCF supervision from their family homes...."


http://www.wbur.org/2014/02/21/dcf-scrutiny

Chart included at link.

CuriousPortlander wrote:
Police focus on mother's tattoo in Fitchburg case
HEAVY SECURITY AT COURT THIS MORNING
Tuesday, December 24, 2013



Snipped:
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FITCHBURG — As the mother of missing Jeremiah Oliver, 5, prepares for another court appearance today, police seem especially intrigued by a tattoo she has.

Local tattoo artists confirm that Fitchburg detectives are questioning them on who tattooed a butterfly, accompanied by the date Sept. 25, 2013, on Elsa Oliver, 28. The detectives are hoping she told a tattoo artist the significance of it.

Posted on the Facebook page PrayforJeremiahOliver is a notice asking any Massachusetts tattoo artist who created a butterfly tattoo on Elsa Oliver with the tattoo of the date 9-25-13 to call the Fitchburg Police Department.
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Read more:  http://www.telegram.com/article/20131224/NEWS/312239665/1116#

Interesting info at the link you shared.
I am gathering the Sept 25, 2013 date pertains to a death date for Jeremiah.
Reminds me of little Caylee Anthony and the tat her mother had after killing her.