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It has come to light that prior to the sorrowful death of 4-year-old Sequoia Samuels, the Tennessee Department of Children Services (DCS) was allegedly notified about concerns regarding her well-being, Your Content has learned.
Brittany Jackson, the mother of the deceased child, is reported to have admitted that her daughter had died weeks before she and her live-in partner, Jaylon Hobson, reported her as missing.
Sequoia’s remains were found in a garbage container near the family’s residence by Memphis police, according to CrimeSpace. A family member disclosed to local media outlet WMC that there were apparent signs of abuse before the child’s unexplained disappearance and eventual death.
The family member recounted the distressing evidence: “She had bruises on her back and upper arm. There was often a change in the color of her feet,” she shared.
The relative added that Sequoia, who was born prematurely and suffered from respiratory problems, depended on a feeding tube for nourishment. The family member stated that she had pleaded with Jackson to grant her custody of Sequoia and had repeatedly contacted DCS to no avail.
“No one asked for photographs or videos. No one sought any kind of verifying evidence. They didn’t request anything from me,” the disheartened family member conveyed to WMC.
DCS has acknowledged having prior interactions with the family, but has refrained from providing additional information, citing confidentiality concerns.
In contradiction to initial reports that suggested Sequoia might have inadvertently left the house through an open front door, it has been reported that Jackson acknowledged that her daughter had been severely abused by Hobson in the weeks leading up to her death. Jackson is also alleged to have shared that they stored Sequoia’s body in bags within their home before disposing of it outside, where it was found last week.
Law enforcement sources say that Jackson confessed to not rendering the required assistance to her daughter when Hobson was unable to resuscitate her. Hobson, on his part, has denied any involvement in the child’s death.
Jackson is facing charges including child neglect, abuse of a corpse, and filing false reports, whereas Hobson is charged with filing false reports. They are both currently in custody without bail and are scheduled for a court hearing on June 20.