Carla Poole--A Shocking North Side Story

The court is trying to determine paternity of the four children of Carla Poole, accused of killing 4-year-old Demond Reed.

By Rochelle Olson, Star Tribune

Last update: March 13, 2008 - 11:06 PM

(There have been a number of stories about this shocking North Side incident, but this most recent one contains all the horrible facts, right down to the way the dead child was "double bagged." Specifically, that is to say, a duffel bag stuffed inside a TRASH BAG.

I'm horrified by this incident, and I can't stop noticing something about Demond's smile reminds me of my own son when he was the same age.

The woman charged in the shocking murder of a 4-year-old boy won't have the custody of her own four children decided until her criminal case is resolved, a Hennepin County District Court judge ruled Thursday.

Carla Poole, 37, appeared briefly before Judge Kerry Meyer to discuss custody of her children, who are in one foster home. Meyer had no authority to overturn a criminal judge's order barring Poole from contacting her children. She could have issued a separate order, but did not.

Poole is accused of having her 4-year-old and 6-year-old children hold Demond Reed while she beat him to death; her 11-year-old child watched. The alleged trigger for the beating was that Demond soiled his pants.

The boy's body was found double-bagged in a closet at Poole's house in Minneapolis, days after she claimed he was taken by a friend. She was supposed to be caring for the boy while his father served a brief jail term.

(It appears when somebody claims a child has been abducted, often the most productive place to search is that person's property. Sad but true)

Hennepin County prosecutors are seeking to sever Poole's parental rights.

(Yeah, a website called "People You'll See In Hell" had something to say about the Carla Poole matter, as well. Click her name for a link.)

Meyer didn't think allowing contact between Poole and her children was a good idea. "The case has a lot of unique things going on and they need a lot more therapy before that can happen," she said. But Meyer praised social workers for near-constant therapy and getting the children "in a good place."

Poole sat at a desk in the small courtroom surrounded by lawyers, a social worker and the guardian ad litem for her children. She was wearing an orange jail outfit in contrast to the tan indestructible suicide prevention gown she wore at her previous court dates in mid-February. She is jailed in lieu of $1 million bond.

Poole is expected to appear in court briefly today before District Judge Margaret Daly, where her case will be assigned to a judge. She has been charged with second-degree murder.

As in her previous appearances, Poole showed little emotion and didn't speak other than to respond to Meyer.

The court is trying to determine paternity of her children. Swabs have been taken from two Chicago men who attended the hearing. One man met with his presumed daughter after the court session.

(One has to wonder if those little siblings will be able to stay together, and one suspects it might not happen that way. More tragedy)

Poole's lawyer on the family matters, James Schaefer, supported contact with the fathers. "They have at least had minimal contact with the children," Schaefer said.

Guardian ad litem Catherine Nicholl told the court she had "seen the children several times and they are doing very well, considering everything."

The oldest child wants to see her mother, but Nicholl said two social workers were split on that idea, considering the child may have to testify.

At one point, Nicholl turned to the man believed to be the father of two boys and said, "They're doing OK."

(A moment of extra-procedural humanity and compassion. Something like that gives me hope, sort of)