Caretaker can't visit missing girl's sister

The woman who took care of Rilya Wilson requests to visit the missing 5-year-old's sister. A judge flatly says no.

©Associated Press
June 18, 2002

MIAMI -- A judge adamantly refused Monday to allow any visits between a woman who took care of a now-missing 5-year-old girl and the child's younger sister.

Juvenile Judge Cindy Lederman asked Geralyn Graham, Rilya Wilson's caretaker, a quick series of questions but didn't wait for answers from the woman who claims to be Rilya's paternal grandmother.

Lederman was most upset that Graham applied for public aid even though she did not have legal custody of Rilya. Graham's sister Pamela had custody of Rilya, who has been missing since January 2001.

An attorney for the Grahams asked for visitation rights with Rilya's 21/2-year-old sister Rodericka, who was removed from their home two weeks after the state Department of Children and Families realized Rilya was missing.

"It's not in the best interests of that child to have that love just snuffed out of her life," said Maria Shohat, attorney for the Graham sisters. The sisters live together.

Geralyn Graham's request was "absolutely denied," the judge said.

She will wait for a psychologist's report before deciding whether to allow Pamela Graham one final visit to explain things to Rodericka.

"I have no idea why Geralyn Graham got custody of this child," Lederman said. "She was not the custodian but tried to get legal entitlements."

After putting Geralyn Graham under oath, the judge asked, "You never modified a document to put your name on the custody form?"

Different sets of custody papers list both Geralyn and Pamela Graham as Rilya's custodian.

Lederman also took DCF to task for not moving quickly enough to satisfy Rodericka's needs. She was born to a cocaine addict, has lived with the Grahams since she was 3 months old and is developmentally delayed.

Since Rilya's disappearance became known, Rodericka has been moved to the home of a Miami couple who want to adopt her, and Lederman wants the paperwork to be completed in a month.

The foster mother, whose name was not released, testified, "To me, she's doing really well."

The Grahams said they tried to address Rodericka's needs and asked her DCF caseworker, Deborah Muskelly, about adopting her. Her constant response was that things take time.

Rilya lived with the Grahams from April 2000 to January 2001. That's when Geralyn Graham claims she gave Rilya to someone who identified herself as a DCF worker.

Both girls were supposed to receive monthly DCF visits, but Muskelly skipped them for 15 months while filing false reports of visitation. She and her boss have been fired.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright