The tragic passing of 5-year-old Zoey Felix has sparked anger and questions about why more wasn't done to safeguard this young Kansas child, given the numerous concerns raised about her living conditions.
Reported by ABC News, The Associated Press, and KCTV 5, welfare officials from the Kansas Department of Children and Families had investigated Zoey and her family on multiple occasions during the 13 months leading up to her rape and demise, according to a report from the Kansas Department for Children and Families. It's noted that her family had refused help from the agency multiple times.
As reported by KCTV 5, there were nine reports regarding Zoey, with six of them undergoing further investigation. These reports date back to September 2022, covering issues like poor living conditions and possible drug use in the presence of a child.
In other instances, the agency had been summoned to examine claims of inadequate supervision, and Zoey's mother faced arrest for driving under the influence with Zoey in the front seat, as reported by The AP. Her mother later pleaded guilty to felony aggravated battery and DUI. After the alleged drunk driving incident, Zoey was briefly placed in police protective custody but was reunited with her father that same evening, as reported by the Topeka Capital-Journal.
Tragically, on October 2, Zoey lost her life. Mickel W. Cherry, 25, who was unhoused and lived in the same homeless camp as her family, was arrested in connection with her demise within 24 hours, according to KWCH 12. Cherry has been charged with first-degree murder, rape, and capital murder.
While Zoey's exact cause of death remains undisclosed, questions have arisen about the collective failure of society to support and protect her. Shakti Belway, executive director at the National Center for Youth Law, expressed heartbreak and disbelief in a statement obtained by The AP. Mike Fonkert, deputy director of Kansas Appleseed, added that the situation doesn't make sense.
In response, Kansas' DCF secretary Laura Howard shared a statement claiming that her agency was fully committed to conducting a thorough review of Zoey's case and exploring potential policy revisions to better support families and prevent similar cases from happening in the future.
Governor Laura Kelly also weighed in, calling Zoey Felix's death an unacceptable tragedy and urging the legislature to expedite the release of information in cases like Zoey's in the next legislative session.
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