Episode 73: Rica Rountree (Part 1)

Despite multiple allegations of abuse against Richard Rountree and his girlfriend, Cindy Baker, Illinois DCFS never saw fit to remove his battered 8-year-old daughter, Rica, from their home, accepting their glib explanation for Rica’s cuts, welts, bruises, scars, and countless other injuries: the girl was just “clumsy.”On January 25, 2019, Rica was rushed to the hospital, unresponsive, with a huge bruise on her abdomen. Despite surgery to repair her internal injuries, Rica died the following day. After a search warrant turned up disturbing videos of Rica’s abuse, Cindy Baker was arrested and charged with murder.This is the story of a sweet, kind little girl who could make anyone smile and who loved her dolls like they were her own children. It’s also the story of the failure of Illinois’ Department of Children and Family Services to protect yet another vulnerable child from targeted and obvious child abuse.This is part 1 of the horrific story of Rica Rountree.Huge thanks to today’s sponsor:Smile Brilliant provides teeth whitening and oral care products customized just for you! Use my coupon code CHILDREN to save 30% by clicking here: https://www.smilebrilliant.com/?coupon=children#podcastPhotos related to today's episode can be viewed on Facebook and Instagram:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sufferthelittlechildrenpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sufferthelittlechildrenpodYou can also follow the podcast on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/sufferthelittlechildrenpodcast Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/STLCpodTumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sufferthelittlechildrenpodPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sufferthelittlechildrenpodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@STLCpod My Linktree is available here: https://linktr.ee/stlcpod Visit the podcast's web page at https://www.sufferthelittlechildrenpod.com. Please help make the show my full-time gig to keep the weekly episodes coming! By supporting me on Patreon, you'll also access rewards, including a shout-out by name on the podcast and exclusive gifts! (www.patreon.com/STLCpod) This podcast is researched, written, hosted, edited, and produced by Laine. For more stories like this one, visit https://sufferthelittlechildrenblog.com.Music for this episode is from https://audiojungle.net. Subscribe to Suffer the Little Children:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/suffer-the-little-children/id1499010711Google Podcasts: