Hearing on Thursday to focus on DSS actions before Charlotte girl’s death

CHARLOTTE — Mecklenburg County leaders will testify before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday about the death of Dominique Moody.

The court documents make it clear. Dominique Moody lived a life full of trauma.

In her short time on earth, police say the 27-pound, 6-year-old with a body covered in scars was tortured, imprisoned in a dog crate, or ordered to sleep on a feces-filled bathroom floor, and at times bound with black tape and struck with a belt.

At least five reports for DSS were made. No action was taken. Rep. Allen Chesser is determined to get to the bottom of this.

“I feel like, as a member of the state, as a foster parent myself, and as a father, I have an obligation to do something with this knowledge in this position that’s been granted to me by the people of Nash County,” Rep. Allen Chesser, R-Nash County, said.

Chesser and the House Oversight Committee have summoned Mecklenburg County leadership to Raleigh on Thursday to answer questions about the current state of Mecklenburg County DSS and the death of Moody. Chesser says their testimony will help shape legislation so that what happened to Moody doesn’t happen to anyone else.

“We continue to see isolated incidents across the state of children falling through the cracks and becoming victims of further crimes and further trauma,” he said.

Moody’s three caretakers remain behind bars on no bond. All are charged with murder. The cockroach and rat-infested house in which Moody was kept no longer exists. Charlotte Fire says it was intentionally set on fire just weeks after the arrests.

Death of Charlotte 6-year-old prompts lawmaker to take action

At Tuesday’s Mecklenburg County Commission meeting, county officials revealed the findings of a state review of DSS. It found cases that may have met the criminal definition of child abuse, not being reported to the district attorney and law enforcement.

The county manager says changes are being made. Chesser says he’s looking forward to hearing them.

“The evidence in this case that is now public is pretty damning,” he said. “It’s on such a grand scale of just improper decisions and mismanagement.”

Channel 9’s Glenn Counts will be at the hearing on Thursday and will have live reports online and on Eyewitness News starting at 5 p.m. about the allegations against Meck County DSS.