Nearly 2 years after the death of Markea Berry, her family may finally find justice. The wrongful death attorneys at Pope & Howard, P.C. recently filed a wrongful death suit against DFCS for failing to investigate suspicions of malnutrition and abuse.
Filed on behalf of Markea Berry’s family, the suit states, “A proper investigation is likely to have led DFCS to undertake interventions that would have led either to a safer home environment or to placing the children in foster care. A proper DFCS investigation is likely to have prevented Markea Berry’s death by starvation.”
In June 2012, Ebony Berry found her daughter Markea Berry unconscious in her Atlanta area home. According to first responders, Markea died on the scene from starvation. At 16-years-old, the girl weighed only 43 pounds.
The shocking basis for the wrongful death suit comes from the inaction of DFCS. In a recent interview with NBC 11 Alive news, Atlanta attorney Marc Howard discussed the horrendous errors made by DFCS caseworkers, which led to Markea’s death.
Despite a history of DFCS investigations, Georgia caseworkers failed to properly address a case involving the Berry family in 2010. Employees at a local Walmart store reported that Markea, then 14-years-old, would walk around the store in the morning after sleeping on a shelf or hiding in the parking lot underneath a cart.
Although Markea told police and caseworkers that she didn’t want to return home, they returned her to her mother Ebony Berry. Without a thorough investigation, and despite observations of malnutrition, DFCS closed Markea’s case.
Two years later, Markea was dead.
Our team at Pope & Howard, P.C. provides legal support for families in difficult and traumatic situations, like wrongful death cases. We help families find justice after avoidable tragedies. Our lawyers are eager to help Markea Berry’s family find the justice they deserve.
Founded in 2005, Pope & Howard, P.C. is an Atlanta area trial firm that helps individuals and families with wrongful death, construction site accident, and medical negligence cases. If you or your family need legal representation after an avoidable accident, contact our legal team at (866) 910-0642 or (404) 885-9999.
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