Alex Harris
May 22, 1991 - December 13, 2005
Alex Harris was forced to run as punishment, at the
Hope Youth
Ranch in Louisiana. Alex begged for water from
the people who were
supposed to be looking out for him. He was refused
and he later died
from dehydration.
Eight former and current employees of the Hope Youth
Ranch, in Minden Louisiana, would be charged in his death. Though they
were not charged with causing his death on purpose, they were charged with
doing nothing to prevent it. The charges included negligent homicide for
denying him water when he begged for it and for making him run, as punishment.
Witnesses would testify that Alex was one of several
boys in a group
house at the Hope Youth Ranch and that they were
forced to run as
punishment when they misbehaved. Alex had begged
his supposed
caregivers for water and they refused to give it
to him. Alex collapsed
later and some older teens picked up him and dragged
him to a
different location. One of the boys who had picked
him up, dropped
him when he started to vomit.
Witnesses said that Alex appeared lifeless and was
just left in the sun
for hours after he collapsed. He was eventually
moved and medical
treatment was given. Alex died on the property
of Hope Youth Ranch,
however, he was not officially declared dead until
he was taken to
Miden Medical Center. Eight people would originally
charged, only
three would face jail time. Anthony L. Combs, Arthur
G. Henderson II and Kelton Greenard were taken into custody after each
of them was
convicted of negligent homicide and face up to
five years for that
charge. For the charge of cruelty to juveniles
they each face up to
ten years:
"I know our victim's family is satisfied.
This was a
tough one, one of the toughest we've had"
District Attorney Schuyler Marvin
in October of 2008, Judge Parker Self had handed
down the verdicts of guilty for the three who were convicted. Sentencing
was expected to come in six weeks.
Prosecution had been difficult due to the number
of people who were
originally charged and the number of witnesses
who were, by the time of the trial, scattered through Louisiana. Each had
to be called to the
trial and interviewed before hand.
A small hurdle had to be overcome and that was conflicting
reports
from the coroners involved:
"They were not conflicting. But we had to
get all of
that worked out"
Schuyler Marvin
The first report by Forensic Pathologist Frank Peretti
was inconclusive
and an addendum blames the death of Alex on hyperthermia
and
blunt force trauma.
In January of 2009, Anthony L. Combs, Arthur G.
Henderson II and Kelton Greenard were found guilty and sentenced to serve
five years
at hard labor, on each count. Two years of that
would be suspended.
The sentences would be served concurrent and each
will be on two
years of supervised probation upon their release
from prison.

This just in! I find it funny that they say the children
who go to their
facility are "at risk" children. They certainly
are, they're at risk of dying
due to neglect and ridiculous punishments.
Hope Youth Ranch in financial need
Written by Jana Ryan
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Hard times have fallen on families, businesses and
the U.S. as a whole and Hope Youth Ranch is no exception.
Roy and Lynn Martinez, founders and ministry administrators
of the ranch, recently issued a statement requesting assistance for the
Christian-based home for at-risk boys.
The facility, which is a 501(c) 3 charity, began
experiencing difficulties in the latter part of last summer due to budget
cutbacks from the state.
“We’ve always operated at a loss, and now the ranch’s
cash intake has been reduced by approximately 30 percent,” said Martinez.
Money generated by state contracts pays about 94
to 95 percent of the ranch’s actual costs, therefore the facility automatically
operates at a five to six percent loss every year.
“We have to make that up by donations or contributions
from businesses and individuals,” Martinez explained.
Fixed expenditures include insurance, which runs
between $250,000 to $300,000 per year. Other costs are directly related
to the number of children being housed at the ranch, such as staffing.
“Right now, we have four master level therapists,”
said Martinez. “We need them when we have 65 to 68 kids, but we don’t need
all of them when we just have 50 kids, like now.”
Martinez said the ranch could eliminate one of the
therapists, but the number of residents could grow within the next two
weeks, forcing the facility to search for a new therapist.
“It’s just one of those things where we are caught
in limbo,” said Martinez.
The administrator said seeking financial assistance
from the parents or families of the boys housed at the ranch is not an
option.
“All of these kids are in state custody,” said Martinez.
“Most have been taken away from the parents because of neglect, abuse or
abandonment. Most of them fall in that category, but there are some who
have been adjudicated.”
Martinez said those who have been adjudicated are
in the criminal justice system and are on probation while living at the
ranch.
“Most of those boys have parents to go back to,”
said Martinez. “The ones who have been taken away from their home, unless
something happens to improve the home, they aren’t going back to that home.
The state is therefore looking for a place for them to go — either be adopted
or go to a foster home.”
Martinez said it is no secret that the
ranch has experienced some problems during the past couple of years, namely
the death of one of its residents, Alex Harris.
Just last month, three ranch employees were found
guilty of negligent homicide and cruelty to a juvenile and sentenced to
serve five years at hard labor in the Louisiana Department of Corrections
on each count, two years suspended. The sentences are to run concurrent
and once served, will be followed by two years of active, supervised probation.
“Bad news travels fast, while good news or good
works sometimes are only known by God,” said Martinez. “This past year,
110 young men from Hope Youth Ranch made a public profession of faith and
became followers of Christ. I don’t know about you, but for my money, if
we took all of the funds paid by the state and all monetary donations and
we only were responsible for helping one boy save his soul, it would have
been money well spent.”
Roy and Lynn Martinez cannot say just how long the
facility can continue to operate under its current financial strain.
“How long can we operate? I don’t the answer to
that,” said Martinez. “We don’t have any definite plans. When you’re short
$25,000 a month, you can’t generate income like that other than getting
the state to make some moves or getting someone to come in and help support
what we are doing here.”
The facility founders have asked to meet with the
Department of Social Services, the Office of Community Services and the
Office of Juvenile Justice (the department that determines which kids are
transferred to Hope Youth Ranch). Martinez was scheduled to meet this week
with Sen. Robert Adley and was attempting to set up a meeting with Rep.
Jean Deorge.
“We believe that God has much more work for us to
do here and God will be placing the Ranch Ministry on the hearts of many
in our community and the surrounding region,” said Martinez. “We pray that
God will send help through you, His people. If you are not able to give
financially, please add us to your prayer list.”
.
For information about preventing child abuse in the
state of Louisiana, click the links below. If they can't help you, ask
for someone who can. NEVER give up looking for help for an abused
child!
Call this number to report
child abuse ANY WHERE in the United States!
1-800-4-A-Child
1-800-422-4453

 
.
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