Tennessee’s Department of Children Services was reportedly involved with a 4-year-old girl before she was found dead last Tuesday.
Sequoia Samuels’ mother, Brittany Jackson, allegedly admitted that her daughter died weeks before she and her live-in boyfriend, Jaylon Hobson, reported her missing. Memphis police found Samuels in a garbage container outside her home — and a cousin told WMC that she showed signs of abuse before her disappearance and death.
“She had bruises on her back, bruises on the upper arm. Her feet used to be black,” she said.
The cousin explained that Samuels was born prematurely with lung issues and used a feeding tube. Before Samuels’ death, the cousin allegedly begged Jackson for custody and repeatedly contacted DCS with no luck.
“They didn’t ask for photos, they didn’t ask for videos, they didn’t ask for any type of evidence. They didn’t ask me for anything,” the cousin told WMC.
DCS has confirmed that it had prior involvement with the family, but the agency did not provide additional information due to privacy concerns.
Jackson allegedly admitted that Samuels did not wander off because the front door was open. According to reports, the mother said Hobson fatally attacked her weeks earlier and that they kept her body in bags in their home before moving her outside, where she was found last week.
Jackson allegedly told cops that she did not provide aid to her daughter after Hobson could not revive her. Hobson has denied involvement in the girl’s death.
Jackson was charged with child neglect, abuse of a corpse, and false reporting. Hobson was charged with false reporting. The pair remain jailed without bond as they await a June 20 court hearing.
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[Featured image: Sequoia Samuels/Memphis Police Department; Brittany Jackson, Jaylon Hobson/Shelby County Sheriff’s Office]
