Early report of slain 3-year-old KCK girl’s abuse was unsubstantiated, recanted: DCF
The Kansas Department for Children and Families had two contacts since February with the caregivers for a slain 3-year-old Kansas City, Kansas, girl whose remains were found in a shallow grave earlier this month.
On Feb. 28, the Kansas Protection Report Center received two reports, one alleging that the “dad” hit Olivia Jansen on the leg, leaving a bruise and that her leg might be broken, according to a DCF release Friday morning. The other report alleged the “dad’s girlfriend (Jacqueline) hit Olivia.”
The DCF release said: “Report was assigned as same day response for physical abuse. DCF interviewed and observed Olivia on the same day the report was made and observed no marks or bruises. After additional interviews, person who alleged abuse recanted the story. After thorough assessment and discussion, no services were offered. The assigned reports were unsubstantiated, and case was closed.”
Wyandotte County prosecutors have charged Olivia’s father, Howard Jansen III, 29, and his girlfriend, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, 33, with felony murder and other crimes in the girl’s death.
Olivia was killed on or between July 9 and 10, according to authorities. The 3-year-old’s remains were found in a shallow grave in a wooded area July 10 after her father reported her missing.
DCF said in its release Friday that the agency had “made a substantiated finding that Olivia Jansen’s death was the result of child abuse.”
The second contact between DCF and the girl’s family was June 22. The Kansas Protection Report Center received a report alleging “caregiver unavailable/unable to care for Olivia and caregiver substance use.“
The case was assigned as Family in Need of Assessment, DCF said in the release. In those cases, the agency has seven work days to respond. DCF initiated a video call on June 30 with Kirkpatrick and Olivia because it was reported they were out of state, according to the release.
“The worker observed and spoke with Olivia during the video call. Olivia appeared excited about the upcoming Independence Day holiday. The agency also contacted the Father (Howard Jansen) on June 30 and requested he take a drug test. He tested positive for THC on July 7. The FINA case remains open. No findings are rendered in FINA cases.”
Other families members said earlier that they had called state child welfare authorities several times concerning Olivia’s well-being.
According to a 2018 law, DCF must release certain details about a child’s death after it determines it was caused by abuse or neglect.
DCF officials said the agency worked alongside law enforcement and it took longer than expected to finish the investigation.
Jansen told police that he awoke at 6:30 a.m. July 10 and discovered his daughter was gone. He allegedly told police he last saw her about 11 p.m. the day before. The Federal Bureau of Investigation joined in the more than nine hour search for the girl.
According to a a probable cause affidavit, Olivia’s body had signs of physical abuse. She had a small cut on the back of her head and died of a brain bleed, court records show.
Olivia’s paternal grandparents told The Star that they had not seen the girl since March and called DCF in June about their concerns about her well-being.
The grandmother said she spoke with someone there for more than 20 minutes, expressing fear that drugs were in the home Olivia lived in. She said she later received a letter from the agency that stated it would not be contacting her with updates, but that she could submit more information to investigators.
She worried that if child services contacted Olivia’s father and Kirkpatrick, but then didn’t follow up to check on her, the girl’s situation could get worse.
This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 10:50 AM.
