Mom accused of murder, neglect found mentally disabled

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Posted 8:20PM on Monday, July 15, 2002

UNDATED - A south Georgia woman initially charged with murdering her disabled son pleaded guilty on Monday to a lesser charge of cruelty to children after a psychologist testified that she is severely mentally disabled. Sumter County Superior Court Judge Rucker Smith imposed a sentence of 10 years with two years to be served and the remainder as probation on Ramona Ellis of Americus for neglecting her son, Raymond. Smith then ordered the defendant released, based on time served. When Ellis was arrested in February, the indictment said her failure to provide care to her son demonstrated ``wanton negligence and an abandoned and malignant heart.'' But prosecutors said the case ``turned 180 degrees'' after testimony from Roger Enfield, a forensic psychologist at the West Central Georgia Regional Hospital in Columbus. Enfield evaluated Ellis on July 3 and placed her ``in the lowest one to two percent of the population in terms of intelligence and cognitive ability,'' said special prosecutor Charles H. Weston Sr. ``The state's case was very dependent upon proving requisite mental intent and the doctor's testimony made the murder prosecution far more difficult,'' said Weston. ``Now, I hope what will come out of this is the Legislature taking a look at the very difficult work that child protective services have to perform. ``This is a problem greater than this case.'' Defense attorney William Murray said he was pleased with the sentence. ``It would have been irresponsible to put Ms. Ellis on trial for murder,'' Murray said. ``The prosecutor said in open court this was a huge leap from murder, and I agree.'' Murray added that the trial raised serious questions about the Department of Family and Children's Services. ``It appears from the documents on file in this case that certain caseworkers who were handling this case are still working for the department and handling cases to this day,'' he said. ``To me, it is shameful that this mother who has mental retardation was made a scapegoat for the county department.'' For 14 years, doctors, teachers and others complained that Ramona Ellis could not care for Raymond. He was hospitalized 21 times, and had pressure sores from being left in his chair or bed for long periods of time. The sores went untreated and developed into deadly infections. Earlier, similar infections forced doctors to amputate both of his legs. Despite numerous warnings, including at least one predicting Raymond Ellis' death, health officials failed to remove him from the home. At 16, Raymond Ellis died in June 1997 from a massive infection. Gov. Roy Barnes and Attorney General Thurbert Baker, concerned about the deaths of several young children and citing Raymond Ellis ordered an investigation of the Georgia DFCS in 1999. Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents examined files from DFCS offices around the state. Ellis' death was one of two statewide that resulted in criminal prosecutions. Outrage over the deaths, reported in a series of stories by The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, led to the passage of laws, including one that gives doctors the power to take temporary custody of children in precarious situations.