The picture shows a little red headed girl with a smile that could light up a room. She has broken more hearts than any movie star or beauty queen.

Her name's Summer and her sunny smile and the color of her hair reminds you of a bright, warm, August morning. You can almost hear her giggle, almost see her dancing through a field of buttercups and daisies, laughing, twirling around with her Easter hat in her hand, the ribbons on her hat and dress flying in the breeze, head back, laughing at the clouds in the sheer joy of being a child in the sun. The way it should be.

She was four years old. How much trouble could she be? She was developmentally delayed, disabled, they say. Or was the inability to behave like a normal four year old, a result of the alleged sexual abuse and the six months of physical and mental torture, perpetrated on this small helpless creature, the reason she was labeled this way?

If this baby was born mentally disabled, doesn't that mean she needed extra compassion, extra patience, extra love? Shouldn't she have been in a special school for special children? Shouldn't her parents been also educated to meet her special needs? Shouldn't the child have had a caseworker to help the whole family?

Summer Phelps died Saturday night, March tenth 2007, after what police officers alleged was nearly 24-hours of sustained physical abuse that some described as torture, with some of her scars showing signs that the abuse had been going on for several weeks, perhaps months. Hardened police officers, and nurses on the front lines wept at the site of this child's battered and wounded body. Someone called it the worst case of abuse they had ever seen.

The state Department of Social and Health Services issued a brief statement late Tuesday afternoon regarding Summer Phelps' death, acknowledging it has investigated claims against the Lytle family involving Summer Phelps in the past.

Summer had an eight month old half brother. There must have been some red flags, because they had a visiting nurse come by the appartment where Summer and her family lived. Where Summer was tortured and died in a bathtub filled with water and urine.

Why didn't the visiting nurse take a moment to check on Summer's health and welfare?

There are more questions than answers.

There's been 12 child deaths since 2000 here in Spokane County linked to abuse. Where the hell are those people, who are paid very well, to protect those at risk children?

While there is no acceptable excuses for Summer's parents to use a dogs shock collar to "discipline" or to exchange a bite for a kick on a four year old, or using any weapon to beat a child. There is also no excuse for the department of social and health services/child protective services for not being on top of this child's situation. The child's parents are guilty of abuse and murder and DSHS/CPS is guilty of gross neglect and dereliction of duty.

Summer's family asked that donations be sent to the agencies that protect children. Perhaps donations should be used to make the agencies that didn't protect Summer, or the other eleven children who have died as a result of abuse, responsible for not doing the job they are already paid to do.

This is a link to the news station that also has the police documents on the abuse this baby suffered at the hands of her parental units.

Be warned it's painful to read.
http://www.krem.com/news/local/stories/KREM2_031107_childmurder.2825a68.html