‘One too many fallen angels’: Protesters demand justice for slain KCK 3-year-old
More than 30 people protested Wednesday near the Kansas Department for Children and Families building in Kansas City, Kansas, calling for accountability in the recent killing of a 3-year-old girl.
“What do we want?” one asked.
“Justice!” the crowd responded.
The remains of Olivia Ann Jansen were discovered Friday evening, hours after her father, Howard Jansen III, 29, reported her missing from his home in the 4400 block of Gibbs Road in Kansas City, Kansas. He and his girlfriend, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, 33, have since been charged with felony murder and other crimes in the girl’s death.
Olivia’s grandparents last week said they had raised concerns about her well-being to the Kansas Department for Children and Families in June, after not seeing her since March. Her grandmother expressed fear that drugs were in the home Olivia lived in.
Her grandmother said she 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.
The agency said it is working alongside police during the investigation of Olivia’s death. The agency reviews critical incidents to determine if there are any policies or procedures that need to be addressed.
The Star has requested information from DCF, regarding any involvement it may have had with Olivia’s family, but nothing has been released at this point.
DCF said if it’s determined Olivia’s death was the result of abuse or neglect, it will release a “summary of any previous reports” it received about her. Kansas law requires that information be released after a child dies of abuse or neglect.
As the group, including young children, marched Wednesday, protesters held signs that read: “DCF failed her” and “Hold DCF accountable.” Cars honked in support nearby.
“KC has one too many fallen angels,” said Lacey Langford, who organized the protest.
It is still unknown if there was ongoing abuse in the home.
Langford also started an online petition calling for Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree to recuse himself from the case. It argued there was a conflict of interest because Dupree is married to Shanelle Dupree, the Kansas City regional director for DCF.
More than 1,500 people have signed the petition as of Wednesday evening.
But officials said there is no conflict of interest.
In a statement, the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office said because Shanelle Dupree is married to the county’s top prosecutor, she “has always been conflicted out of Wyandotte County child welfare cases, which includes this case as well.”
“All Wyandotte County child welfare matters are handled by DCF Administration, not Mrs. Dupree,” it said.
DCF spokesman Mike Deines said Shanelle Dupree was hired after her husband had taken up the role of district attorney.
“Since her region included Wyandotte County, it was determined that Ms. Dupree would not be involved with DCF abuse cases in Wyandotte County that would be handled by the DA,” Deines said in a written comment Wednesday. “These measures were implemented at the outset of Ms. Dupree’s employment to avoid possible conflicts.”
DCF Secretary Laura Howard described Shanelle Dupree as a dedicated public servant and commended her professionalism.
“Her work on new child welfare practice models has become a model for the entire state,” Howard said.
Among the protesters, Langford said Olivia might still be alive if Kansas lawmakers had passed Adrian’s Act, a bill named for 7-year-old Adrian Jones who was tortured and abused in his home in Kansas City, Kansas. The bill would strengthen laws for reporting child abuse in the state.
Langford said she and other protesters won’t stop until they get legislation passed.
“The most important thing is we’re not going to give up this time,” Langford said. “We live in a time of movement. We live in a time of change, where we do have a voice.”
Langford said she stopped to cry when she saw people coming down the street to rally. She said she will keep yelling because Olivia can’t.
Brooke Wyrick, who said she is a family friend, said when she went looking for Olivia, she hoped she had just wandered away.
“And I was screaming ‘Livi,’ because Livi is her nickname,” Wyrick said. “But she was already gone.”
This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 4:52 PM.
