7/12/05-Harrison County

An East Texas 4-year-old boy drowns while in foster care. It happened just hours after a Gregg County judge granted a family member custody of the little boy. Now the foster mother is facing charges.

Investigators say Anthony Johnson was found lying face down in the bathtub at a Harrison County home Monday. Anthony, his younger brother and a sister had been in the care of 55-year-old Emma Williams for the past 14 days.

CPS says Williams has been a licensed foster mother for two years, with no previous reports of any problems caring for children. But, investigators say a warrant has been issued for her arrest on charges of endangering a child.

Williams has been in trouble with the law before. Law enforcement has confirmed past charges of unemployment fraud, forgery and theft. The latest in 1991.

CPS says and you can be licensed as a foster parent if you have a criminal background. That is, as long as it is not a felony conviction for violence against another person.

Anthony and his siblings were taken to Emma William's home 14 days ago. CPS says they were removed from their birth mother, 25 year old Charlie Johnson, because they say she has a severe drug problem and was neglecting her children.

We spoke with Johnson. She called Anthony her "little angel" and says she wants to fight for justice for her son.

Amy Tatum, reporting. atatum@kltv.com

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3586391

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Foster Mother Turns Herself Into Police

7/13/05-Harrison County

An East Texas foster mother who claims a boy in her care drowned in a bathtub, turned herself into police Wednesday morning.

55-year-old Emma Ruth Williams is charged with endangering a child. Williams, a licensed foster mother, told investigators she had left 4-year-old Anthony Williams alone in the bathtub for several minutes. When she returned, she says the boy was lying face down in the tub.

Anthony, his younger brother and a sister had been staying with Williams for the last 14 days. CPS says they were taken from their birth mother because of drug use.

Investigators say preliminary autopsy results confirm Anthony did drown.

Amy Tatum reporting. atatum@kltv.com

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3591131

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7/15/05-Longview
Relative Angry Over Marshall Child's Drowning

Anger and outrage are being expressed by the uncle of an east Texas boy who drowned in a bath tub while in foster care. Four year old Anthony Johnson died Monday in Marshall. The boy's uncle, Jimmy Duncan, hopes someone will be held responsible for his nephew's death.

"There could have been something done to prevent this now I'm going to pay for it for the rest of my life because I'm not going to get to see my little boy again" says Jimmy Duncan.

Duncan had taken care of his nephew many times and had even considered adopting the child. "We had a good connection he was just a precious good little boy, I loved him as my son."

55 year old foster parent Emma Williams in charge of Anthony at the time of his death has been charged with "Child Abandonment -Endangerment, Child Criminal Negligence" in connection with Anthony's death. She's free on bond. Duncan and his family are angry not only at Williams, but at child protective services. He says it did a horrible job of placing Anthony in a home with a woman who had a documented criminal record.

"I think the balls been dropped in two parts, one by CPS the other by the individual who was supposed to be taking care of the boy apparently she wasn't doing her job and they weren't doing theirs".

Just recently, Duncan has heard from other family members of possible abuse in the foster home before Anthony's death. All that he has left now is the memory of a little boy he considered the son he never had.

"The old saying is if a persons remembered they'll live forever. He'll be right here next to my heart."

At one point, Duncan was considering adopting Anthony. Anthony, his younger brother and a sister, had been in the care of 55 year old Emma Williams for just 2 weeks at the time of Anthony's death. They were taken from their mother because police say she has a severe drug problem and was neglecting her children. If found guilty on criminal charges, the foster mother, "Emma Williams" could get up to 2 years behind bars.

Bob Hallmark reporting.

http://www.kltv.com/global/story.asp?s=3601324

Emphasis added by H4K Editor