Sentenced: Salisbury Couple Charged With Child Abuse For Amost Killing Adopted Son

[Sugar Cookie]

The Salisbury Police Department announced it has charged two parents with felony child abuse after an unresponsive child was brought to Novant Hospital last week.

An investigation began into Reed Karriker, 42, and Georgianna Karriker, 42, after their adopted son was brought to the hospital on Jan. 21, police said.

The child showed possible signs of neglect and was taken to Presbyterian Hospital for further treatment, police said.

Citing a review of the medical information and additional facts gathered during the investigation, Salisbury police arrested Reed and Georgianna on Thursday.

Attempted murder charges added for Salisbury parents accused of neglecting adopted son, police say

In addition to felony child abuse charges filed last month, Reed Karriker, 42, and Georgianna Karriker, 42, were each charged on Wednesday with attempted murder and an additional count of felony child abuse.

www.wsoctv.com

 

[runninfawn]

oh my goodness why adopt if you aren't ready and prepared for a child... i know every time i adopted one of mine i thanked my lucky star to have had been chosen to be that child's mom... no way in hell would i have neglected or abused one of them... and i know when i had reached the number of children i could care the best for i stopped and waited and later on when they were grown up and on their own adopted again but not little ones but teens and again stopped when it was time to stop having more... later on was too old to adopt so yes fostered teens again cuz by then i wasn't equipped anymore (too old lol) for little ones and loved the challenges raising teens

 

[Sejanus]

Why do I feel that to them it was just a meal ticket.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

I wonder if they specifically targeted the boy or if they treated all the children poorly.

 

[Satanica]

I don't know, but the parents are lard asses while all three children are on the thin to normal side in that photo, although the pants on the boy to our left seem a bit too baggy.

 

[runninfawn]

@Satanica and did anyone noticed that he is the only one in long sleeves so that maybe his skinny thin arms wouldn't show??
[automerge]1643681940[/automerge]
oh no my bad the girl also has long sleeves

 

[Satanica]

@Satanica and did anyone noticed that he is the only one in long sleeves so that maybe his skinny thin arms wouldn't show??
[automerge]1643681940[/automerge]
oh no my bad the girl also has long sleeves

But, in your favor, they could've staged the photo so her arms don't really show, sleeves or sleeves.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

A North Carolina husband and wife have been arrested and charged with child abuse that allegedly left an 11-year-old boy in need of severe medical attention for a series of horrifying issues and ailments.

The Karrikers are the adoptive parents of the victim, according to a press release issued by the Salisbury Police Department. They stand accused of one count each of felony child abuse after an original inquiry into child neglect.

The victim was originally placed with the Karrikers as a foster child in 2013.

Police say their investigation began after the “nonresponsive child” was brought to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center in Salisbury, N.C. by the male defendant on Jan. 21, 2022 at around noon.

“The child showed possible signs of neglect and was transported to Presbyterian Hospital for further treatment,” the SPD press release says. “The Salisbury Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division was notified and initiated an investigation. After reviewing the medical information and facts obtained during the investigation, arrest warrants were obtained.”

Those alleged signs of neglect included a diagnosis of an infectious condition that could have ended the boy’s life.

There were also multiple open sores visible on various parts of the boy’s body.

According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by local CBS affiliate WBTV, the boy “reportedly suffered sepsis, hypothermia, and multiple open wounds throughout various stages of healing.”

Sepsis is an extreme response by the body’s immune system to an infection. The condition results in a chain reaction of systemic internal organ dysfunction that causes damage to the body’s tissues.

An arrest warrant in the case also includes photographs of the boy’s various wounds and maladies and says the boy “had an unknown mass in his stomach that required surgery to remove.”

Police allege the child “had not been seen by medical professionals since October 2020″ and further elaborated that the boy “had not been seen again by a medical professional until admitted to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center” on the day the investigation began.

Reed Karriker, according to a court document, had attempted to fill a medication refill for the child in April 2021 but was turned down by staff at Novant Health Lakeside Primary Care in Concord, N.C. because the boy had not been seen by medical staff at the practice.

A search warrant executed by the SPD last week resulted in the seizure of an iPhone, a Mac Mini computer and charger, an HP laptop and charger, an Amazon Kindle and an Apple iPad, according to local newspaper The Salisbury Post.

The couple was arrested on Jan. 27 and held in the Rowan County Detention Center. Each defendant made bail and they are currently free after receiving $40,000 bond from a local judge.

N.C. Couple Accused of Child Abuse Resulting in 'Open Wounds,' Sepsis and 'Unknown Mass' in Adoptive Son's Stomach

A North Carolina husband and wife have been arrested and charged with child abuse that allegedly left an 11-year-old boy in need of severe medical attention for a series of horrifying issues and ailments.

lawandcrime.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Reed Karriker, according to a court document, had attempted to fill a medication refill for the child in April 2021 but was turned down by staff at Novant Health Lakeside Primary Care in Concord, N.C. because the boy had not been seen by medical staff at the practice.

I wish this would have raised red flags and they contacted CPS to investigate these people.

It would be in all States best interest to do do random follow ups on Adopted children to see that their needs are being met and they are safe in the adopted home.

Subsidized adoptions especially should be monitored.

When I was an SW in New York City my agency did a six month follow up on adopted children and children return to bio-parents and tehn that is it.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

A search warrant executed Wednesday reveals more explicit details involving the alleged abuse of an 11-year-old boy by the parents who adopted him.

Georgianna and Reed Karriker, both 42, have been charged with attempted murder and two counts of felony child abuse. For the second time, police arrested the couple at their home Wednesday afternoon, less than a month after their adopted son was admitted to the hospital with sepsis, hypothermia and multiple open wounds in various stages of healing.

The boy initially was admitted into the Novant Health Rowan Medical Center last month. He was later transported to a hospital in Charlotte and continues to recover.

Photos and videos recovered from the Karrikers’ cell phones last month display abuse from July 2021 to January, according to the newest search warrant. One photo showed the 11-year-old boy, naked and with visible bruising, contorted in an open chest, the search warrant states. Another video recovered during a search of the couple’s phones depicted a black strap attached to the bedroom door believed to be used to prevent the door from opening, police said in the search warrant.

The boy disclosed to investigators his parents forced him to run on a treadmill located in their home while beating him with a belt, the search warrant states. As they beat him, they continually increased the speed of the treadmill until he fell, resulting in physical injury, police said.

Following the arrest on Wednesday, police collected evidence at the residence for the second time. Police collected a list of items that included multiple iPhones, laptops, tablets and smartwatches. A brown wooden chest, mattress cover, blanket, broken broom, house key, tablecloth and treadmill were also recovered.

Warrant: Abused 11-year-old boy beaten, bruised, forced to run on treadmill - Salisbury Post

SALISBURY — A search warrant executed Wednesday reveals more explicit details involving the alleged abuse of an 11-year-old boy by the parents who adopted him. Georgianna and Reed Karriker, both 42, have been charged with attempted murder and two counts of felony child abuse. For the second...

www.salisburypost.com

 

[Sevens My Charm]

According to the arrest warrant obtained by WBTV, the parents "did intentionally inflict serious bodily injury, respiratory failure, acute kidney injury, septic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and skin lesions throughout the body" on the 11-year-old boy.

Georgianna reportedly worked as the school counselor at China Grove Elementary School and has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

N.C. man and school counselor accused of child abuse, attempted murder of 11-year-old adopted son

SALISBURY, N.C. (TCD) -- Two parents stand accused of child abuse and attempted murder involving their 11-year-old adopted son.

truecrimedaily.com

Police search warrant says officers recovered videos and photos of “ongoing abuse” of the boy at the hands of the Karrikers.

District Judge James Randolph raised the bond for Reed and Georgianna Karriker, both 42, from $300,000 to $600,000 on charges of attempted murder and felony child abuse inflicting serious injury.

Affidavit reveals shocking allegations of abuse against 11-year-old boy in Salisbury - TittlePress

SALISBURY, NC (WBTV) – Bond for a husband and wife accused of child abuse and the attempted murder…

tittlepress.com

 

[agm8478]

oh my goodness why adopt if you aren't ready and prepared for a child... i know every time i adopted one of mine i thanked my lucky star to have had been chosen to be that child's mom... no way in hell would i have neglected or abused one of them... and i know when i had reached the number of children i could care the best for i stopped and waited and later on when they were grown up and on their own adopted again but not little ones but teens and again stopped when it was time to stop having more... later on was too old to adopt so yes fostered teens again cuz by then i wasn't equipped anymore (too old lol) for little ones and loved the challenges raising teens

they just wanted the money

 

[runninfawn]

they just wanted the money

i thought when you adopted a child that child was yours and the only money you got was same as what every family with children gets, at least it was for me for all the 6 we adopted and the grands we raised till their parents home situation was safe for their return (by my standard of safe) and yea i kept close watch on them till they were all grown up... no extra money from anywhere

 

[agm8478]

i thought when you adopted a child that child was yours and the only money you got was same as what every family with children gets, at least it was for me for all the 6 we adopted and the grands we raised till their parents home situation was safe for their return (by my standard of safe) and yea i kept close watch on them till they were all grown up... no extra money from anywhere

I thought they got some sort of allowance from the State - at least that would have been a meager excuse. So they did this out of cruelty and ignorance. That’s so much worse.

 

[runninfawn]

I thought they got some sort of allowance from the State - at least that would have been a meager excuse. So they did this out of cruelty and ignorance. That’s so much worse.

i am not from the states maybe dif. there only time you have help here is if you adopt a child with special needs and the help is barely enough if that for the child's special food etc oh i covers the child's medical needs but all kids are covered now but not so when mine were small up to age 25 i think including prescriptions...

 

[Satanica]

AXE and my son stopped getting payments from the state after they adopted E. On a related note, E and A's "mother" messaged A on FB asking for money. Bitch has no shame at all. Her bio dad also called her and said she isn't his, so he isn't going to contact her any more. No other explanation was provided.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

I hate that for this kid.

Hopefully in time she will realize she is better off with no contact from any of them.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Reed and Georgiana Karriker, both 44, pleaded guilty in Rowan County Superior Court Monday afternoon to charges of attempted first degree murder, intentional child abuse causing serious injury and negligent child abuse resulting in serious injury for the beating and near death of their then adopted son.

“How (this child) arrived at the hospital was extremely rare,” he told the court. “We got a call from a frantic emergency room in Rowan saying they had a pediatric patient who was comatose, they had to put in a breathing tube,” and they were sending him to Charlotte. “When he arrived, his heart was beginning to fail.” Daugherty said there was evidence of severe malnourishment, he was unable to breathe on his own, there were ulcers and signs of trauma covering the child’s body, and he was “extremely close to death. I am surprised he survived. In fact, I called his adoptive parents to come back because I thought he was going to die within the first 24 hours.” He said the child’s internal organs had begun to shut down completely, sending him into septic shock. The child was, at 11, the size of a seven-year-old, and he believed had Reed waited even a few hours more, the child would have died.

The child, whom the Post is not naming because he is still a minor at 14, recorded a victim’s impact statement for the court, and one of the things he wanted to ask his former parents was “why did you target me?”

In interviews with both Reed and Georgiana, police records indicate they both claimed the child was misbehaving. Asked how the child’s health had reached such a drastic level, Reed reportedly said the child was “not a complainer.” He added that the child “just doesn’t listen,” noting he had begged and pleaded with the boy to “just do what you are told.” Both parents said they did not know how the child had reached such a desperate state.

According to the court, the couple installed security cameras throughout the house, including one in the child’s room, and during a search following their initial arrest, police seized 977 videos from the system. Thirty-three were submitted to the court as evidence, and showed the child, often naked, appearing to walk a path back and forth in his room. If he tried to lie down or sit down, off camera, Georgiana could be heard telling him he was off the path and had to get up and walk.

In interviews with social workers at the Terry Hess House, the child said he was beaten frequently, was not fed or given water consistently, and was only allowed one bathroom break a day. He was locked in his room much of the time, and though he initially attended China Grove Elementary School, after COVID hit, he was not allowed to go back to school. He said he suffered abuse at both the China Grove home and later the Salisbury home where the family lived. He said things got worse when they moved to Salisbury when he was 10, and described one incident when his father picked him up and threw him against the wall. He did say his mother tried to stop his father that time.

He said he vaguely remembered that the first time he was beaten was when he stole an M&M cookie and tried to blame the dog. He was beaten, bare-bottomed, with a belt. That punishment was repeated, he said, “all the time,” and in many cases the beatings were so bad he was bleeding. Another punishment involved being sent to the basement to walk on a treadmill, but the child said it was set too fast for him to keep up. He was told not to fall off, but he could not help it, and he said he hit his head repeatedly on the metal framework, noting that is why he has so many scars on his head.

Defense attorneys for the couple pointed out that both of the Karrikers were “good parents for years.” The first eight years of the child’s life, there were no issues. The child was the oldest of four adopted children, and the couple were in the process of trying to adopt two more foster children in their care. Both attorneys pointed out that none of the other children had any signs of abuse, and that the Department of Social Services, which made unannounced visits to the home, never documented any abuse of the victim.

However, in presenting the facts of the case, it was noted that the other children said they were told to sit on the victim, and they said he preferred to be alone because he was older.

In defense of the couple, lawyers noted that Georgiana had letters of support from co-workers describing her care for the children she worked with as a school counselor for 14 years in China Grove, and Reed had been gainfully employed his entire adult life. They described how the couple met in college at Appalachian State University and married at 22. They found out that they could not have children of their own and eventually decided to adopt.

Georgiana told her attorney that she had grown up in a home with both parents and a sister and had everything she needed, but then said her father was always working, so she did not have a close relationship, that her mother was judgmental and her sister was the preferred child. So when things went wrong in her marriage, she felt she had no one to turn to. She added that Reed was controlling, not allowing her access to finances, and was psychologically abuse when they would argue.

She said following COVID, when she went back to work, Reed stayed home, becoming the primary caregiver for the children and homeschooling at least the victim. She told the court she did see some of the abuse, but said she got so invested in helping the students at her school adjust to being back in the classroom that she became disconnected from her home life.

Reed’s lawyer said both defendants should be given credit for being willing to plead guilty and accept responsibility and not force the victim to testify. He also said he believed there were many reasons to believe the state might not be able to prove malice and intent.

“These are people that brought foster children into their home, children who have a myriad of problems, and then adopt them,” he said. “They are not mean, violent people.” They added that the couple had been unable to find a place to live while out on bond because of the charges, and had been living in Reed’s parents’ basement. Georgiana has not been working, while Reed has been employed at Food Lion for the last year and a half.

The child’s new parents adopted him when he was released from the hospital in March of 2022, and his mother, Emily Nazarian, told the court that “prior to coming to us, his only goal was to survive. Re-entry into a normal life is a steep climb. Neglect, broken promises and violence were all he knew.” She said for a long time, he acted out because any attention was good, and he struggles to build more than shallow relationships with friends. He still ends up being bullied. He is older than most of his classmates and is strong, but due to numerous head injuries, he struggles with balance and coordination, making him more of a target.

“It is only recently that he has begun to trust us,” she said. “The physical, emotional and mental harm is a lifelong recovery. This is something he will never get over. He needs to know what was done to him was wrong. He deserves justice.”

Both of the Karrikers were sentenced to a total of just under 20 years, with sentences for both class B felonies to run concurrently with a minimum of 157 months to a maximum of 201 months, followed consecutively by 13-25 months for the class G felony.

ttps://www.salisburypost.com/2024/07/30/karrikers-plead-guilty-to-all-counts-sentenced-to-nearly-20-years/

So people should feel sorry for these two people who almost killed a child they were not forced to adopt.


REED A KARRIKER
Projected Release Date: 09/18/2038

 

[HijabiGirl]

Wow, the defense attorneys arguments were pathetic. He wants them to receive credit for, I dunno, NOT killing the kid sooner? Or the fact that they beat and starved a child they adopted? But wait! Just the act of adopting him made them some kind of saints? WTFever. I hate the savior complex given to adoptive parents simply because they adopted. Just like giving birth, adoption is only one point in time. The way you actually parent the child is what counts.

 

[runninfawn]

it sure doesn't make you a saint to have adopted a child but should make you forever thankful and grateful to have been granted the priviledge of having that child and raising it as your own .. thankful to the bio parents to have had the courage and the love to want to give their child more than they could provide and giving you what your heart desperatly wanted and couldn't have without their gift and grateful that you were the lucky one that was chosen to have, love, protect and build great memories with that child ..