Sidney Watkins, the nine-year-old girl whose father was murdered by her maternal grandmother in 2008, is in the custody of child protective authorities in Massachusetts following the arrest of her mother on Thursday.
Jennifer Watkins was arrested by Norwood police on a warrant out of Cass County, where she is wanted for refusing to allow visitation between Sidney and the child’s paternal grandparents, who obtained a court order in 2010 requiring visits between Dale and Penny Watkins, parents of the late Steven Watkins, and their deceased son’s daughter.
Jennifer Watkins moved to Florida after Cass County Circuit Court Judge Robert Hardwick ordered visits in 2010. She was arrested in Orlando in 2011 as authorities here tried to force her return to Illinois, but, after six months in jail, a Florida judge ordered that she be freed, and she was reunited with Sidney, who had been living with maternal relatives while her mother was incarcerated.
This time, however, Sidney is in the hands of the state. Andrea Grossman, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, said that her agency has taken “emergency custody” of the child.
“We are investigating in collaboration with law enforcement,” Grossman wrote in an email.
The exact nature of the investigation isn’t clear. But Peggy Ryan, a Springfield family law attorney who handles child custody cases, says that the child’s interests usually come first.
“Obviously, I’m unfamiliar with the details of the case or Massachusetts law or processes,” Ryan said. “But in my general experience, child protective service agencies strive to do what is best for kid, and that often involves maintaining some degree of consistency and limiting change. When there are responsible family members with whom a child has a strong relationship, children are often placed with their family member.”
Shirley Skinner, Jennifer Watkins’ grandmother, was convicted in 2010 of murdering Steven Watkins, who was gunned down from behind and died from a single gunshot wound to the back of his head. He was killed in the midst of bitter divorce proceedings when he went to the Ashland home of Jennifer Watkins, from whom he was estranged, to pick up his daughter for a court-ordered visit. Shirley Skinner, 81, was sentenced to 55 years.
Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com
This article appears in Sep 29 – Oct 5, 2016.
