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Mar 13, 2008 10:10 pm US/Central
CPS: Mom Who Threw Kids Off Bridge Seemed Better
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
The crime of a mother throwing her children over a bridge into traffic has caught the attention of many CBS 11 viewers. Some have e-mailed to ask why the mother was allowed to keep her two young sons despite a history with Child Protective Services.
CPS officials say they laid out requirements and when Khandi Busby fulfilled them, a judge allowed her children to return home. CPS officials say that they hadn't had a report on Busby since 2006.
Khandi Busby's family members say they were worried about her. The 27-year-old mother had a history of emotional and mental problems seemed to be slipping.
CBS 11 spoke exclusively with the children's grandfather, John, who witnessed the incident. "She needed help, and I was going to try to get her that help the night before that happened," he said.
Busby's father, who didn't want his face shown on-camera or his full name used online, says there were signs that his daughter's unthinkable act was planned. He can't erase from his mind the images of his family falling 22-feet.
"I'm screaming, telling her not to do that. Oh God," he explained. "She held them up over her head, and at that point I just felt totally, totally helpless. I could not believe what my eyes were seeing."
The red flags may be in a paper trail from Child Protective Services. That's where there was everything from allegations of neglect, to a five-month stint in foster care for Busby's sons Derrick and Gary. The boys are now 6 and 8 years old.
CPS spokesperson Marissa Gonzales told CBS 11 News that Busby had showed signs of improvement. "She did take part in quite a few of the services that we provided for her. That included parenting classes, individual counseling, and psychological assessment."
In August of 2005, a judge decided the children could go home.
John says his daughter, who now faces charges of attempted capital murder, loves her children. But he knows it was luck that saved their lives. "I thank God that they all are alive," he said.
For now the children and their mother remain hospitalized. CPS is weighing their options but one thing is certain – the boys will not be living with their mother again.
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