| Rumors of child deaths unfounded | |
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By Patrice St. Germain patrices @thespectrum.com | |
Fronted by a white picket fence, the cemetery in Hildale is the final resting place of children. Many don't have markers and many are only marked with a simple brass plaque. Over the years, the cemetery and the unmarked graves have been the subject of rumors and innuendoes that the numbers and circumstances surrounding the children's deaths are suspicious, but so far, no one has come up with any concrete evidence with names of the "victims" or alleged perpetrators, said Utah Attorney General spokesman Paul Murphy. Longtime resident Jethro Barlow has another way of describing the media reports: overblown, not a story, absolutely not homicides and damaging to the community. "I grew up there all my life and that's my position," Barlow said. "I think all this originated with people who are media mongering." Barlow instead said the deaths of children in the Short Creek area are like the death of a child anywhere. Some are tragic accidents and some are simply family tragedies. Barlow himself lost two sisters to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Looking at state statistics, the number of deaths of children from birth to the age of 17 over the last 10 years from Hildale and Colorado City is not significantly higher compared to other areas, while the birth rate for the town populations is higher. In 1995 in Colorado City, there were 112 reported births, which went up every year with the exception of 1996 and 2000. In 2004, there were 330 births recorded. In Hildale, the number of births increased over the years with 52 reported in 1990 up to 166 in 2004. Deaths of children during the same period ranged from less than seven in Utah to three or less in Colorado City. Barry Nangle, director of the Center of Health Data for Utah, said the actual number of deaths is only tracked if there are seven or more. Murphy said the Utah Attorney General's Office looks into the reports of babies buried in unmarked graves around the Hildale area, but no one has been able to provide specific information that any of the deaths were caused by child abuse or homicide. Homicides, unlike most other crimes, do not carry any statutes of limitations so that if and when further information becomes available, Murphy said the Attorney General's Office may be able to pursue cases in the future. Gary Engels, an investigator with the Mohave County Attorney's Office, has also looked into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of children in Colorado City and said he is not aware of any foul play. "There is no indication of anything wrong going on there," Engels said. "I think it's a combination of a very high birth rate for the population and maybe the health of the mothers." Engels said all he has found are rumors of suspicious deaths and no one to back those claims. Barlow said the clinic in Hildale is an excellent clinic with excellent nurse practitioners and the young women are encouraged to take classes regarding prenatal and infant care. Utah state statistics show that the majority of pregnant women in Hildale do seek medical care throughout their pregnancies. Instead of focusing on the negative, Barlow would like to see the media focus more on the positive. "The majority of the community is filled with talented, devoted and careful people and the fact that this administration is a little goofy, I don't think it should create such a blight or false impression of the community as a whole," Barlow said. | |
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TheSpectrum.com Originally published September 10, 2006 | |
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