Rilya Wilson

Rilya Wilson was a foster child of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the centerpoint of an investigation into neglect and mismanagement in the organization. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E6DD123DF934A15757C0A9659C8B63&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fW%2fWilson%2c%20Rilya "'Crisis Mentality' at Families Agency"] . "The New York Times", April 27, 2003.] She was approximately 4 years old when she disappeared in 2000. DCF did not discover her disappearance until two years later, when she was not found living at the home of caretaker Geralyn Graham. Graham is suspected by prosecutors to have murdered Wilson, but only circumstantial evidence has been presented. Graham was later jailed for identify fraud and Medicaid fraud for accepted payments on behalf of Wilson after she was missing. [ [http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/08/18/fla.missing.girl/index.html "Missing girl's caretakers charged"] . "CNN.com", August 19, 2004.] The two caretakers claimed that a DCF worker had taken the child for medical testing and never returned. Authorities denied that any state worker had ever taken Wilson for medical testing. [ [http://www.wesh.com/news/4292896/detail.html "Former Caregiver Charged with Murdering Rilya Wilson"] . "WESH.com", March 17, 2005.]

The fiasco later prompted the resignation of the DCF chief and passage of a new law requiring tracking of efforts to find missing children and improved supervision of foster children.

Footnotes

References

* Anderson, Curt. [http://www.miamiherald.com/775/story/261086.html "State builds circumstantial case in Rilya Wilson disappearance"] . "The Miami Herald", October 5, 2007.
* [http://cbs4.com/local/local_story_280110848.html "After nearly seven years, Rilya Wilson case unresolved"] . "cbs4.com", October 7, 2007.

External links

* [http://www.amw.com/missing_children/brief.cfm?id=25448 America's Most Wanted] - Rilya Wilson's profile