Jennifer Watkins arrested

Case began with 2008 murder

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Jennifer Watkins, who has refused to allow visits between her daughter and the girl's paternal grandparents after the girl's father was murdered, was arrested today in Massachusetts.

Watkins has refused to allow Sidney, her daughter, to visit with the girl’s grandparents despite a Cass County Circuit Court order. A spokesman for the Norwood Police Department in Massachusetts confirmed that Watkins was arrested today on an outstanding warrant from Illinois. After her arrest, Watkins appeared in court, where a judge ordered her held without bail and set an Oct. 6 hearing

Penny Watkins, Sidney’s grandmother, said that the arrest stemmed from a warrant issued after Watkins refused to comply with a court order granting visitation rights to he and her husband Dale.

Authorities in Cass County could not be immediately reached.

click to enlarge

Steven Watkins, Sidney's father, was gunned down from behind in 2008 when he went to the home of Jennifer, his estranged wife, to pick up the child for a court-ordered visit while a divorce case was pending. Steven Watkins died from a single gunshot to the back of his head. Shirley Skinner, Jennifer Watkins’ grandmother, was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving a 55-year sentence, essentially a life term given that she is 81 years old.

The murder centered over Sidney, who was just a toddler when her father was killed. According to prosecutors who won the murder conviction, Jennifer Watkins’ family worked together to deprive Steven Watkins of his court-ordered right to see his daughter, who is now nine years old. Penny Watkins mother, has been fighting for years to see her granddaughter.

Faced with a court order to allow visits between Sidney and the girl’s paternal grandparents, Jennifer Watkins moved to Florida, where she was arrested in 2011 on an outstanding warrant issued in Illinois in connection with her failure to follow the court order and allow visits. After six months in a Florida jail, however, Jennifer Watkins won her fight against extradition to Illinois and was freed. It’s not clear when she went to Massachusetts or why, but Penny Watkins said that Sidney is enrolled in school in Norwood.

“I live with a broken heart every day,” Penny Watkins said. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t recognize my son gave his life to be part of his daughter’s life.”

Penny Watkins said she remains optimistic that she will one day see Sidney again.

“I am as optimistic today as I was the day I walked into court and filed for visitation with Sidney,” Penny Watkins said. “And that is 100 percent.”

Contact Bruce Rushton at [email protected].

About The Author

Bruce Rushton

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Bruce Rushton is a freelance journalist.

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