By ED BALDRIDGE and TREY CHRISTY
News-Sun staff writers
SEBRING -- James H. Parker III, former Avon Park Police Officer, was indicted late Wednesday afternoon, charged with first degree murder stemming from the death of 22-month-old Kaedyn Short.
The Highlands County grand jury also charged Short's mother, Jenifer Sue Short, 28, Sebring, with not reporting child abuse, and failure to secure medical services/ failure to protect a child from child abuse.
"After hearing a days worth of evidence (the grand jury) indicted not only Parker for murder but Ms. Short for two things," said Steve Houchin of the State Attorney's Office. "The second charge is a combination, medical services that should have been and for the child abuse."
Houchin said he was not surprised Short was indicted as well, saying the evidence is "certainly significant."
Short, who bonded out shortly after being booked into the Highlands County Jail around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, could receive a maximum of 20 years in jail if she is found guilty of the two charges.
Parker, who has been in jail since his initial arrest for child abuse on March 29, remains in the Highlands County Jail in lieu of a $250,000 bond.
There were at least two other arrests made in the case on Wednesday, including Sara Vasquez, 25, of Zolfo Springs and Linda Payne, 39, of Sebring.
Payne and Vasquez were indicted on charges of failure to report child abuse. According to a Highlands County Sheriff's Office press release, they are day care workers where the infant attended day care.
"There is a Florida state statute that lists jobs that are mandatory reporters if they see evidence of child abuse," said Lt. Tim Lethbridge of the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. "Day care workers are on that list."
A search of the Florida Department of Children and Families web site shows that Payne is the director of A Better Choice Children's Academy.
A Google search of those terms turned up A B C Children's Academy, located at 449 Park St. in Sebring. The business's Web site shows Linda Payne as the owner/director and lists her qualifications as a former elementary education teacher with the Highlands County School Board for grades 1, 3, 4 and 5 and exceptional student education for 12 years.
It also lists a co-owner, Daniel Payne, who, according to the businesses' Web site, has been a law enforcement officer for the past 10 years, including "several years in the Highlands County Sheriff's Office Juvenile Division where he conducted school resource officer duties ... DARE related activities, and many successful child abuse investigations."
The three additional people charged will have little, if any effect on Parker's case, Houchin said.
"We have a very strong case regarding Mr. Parker," he said.
Highlands County deputies with the sheriff's office were dispatched to Highlands Regional Medical Center March 29 when the infant was brought into the emergency room with multiple bruises and a skull fracture.
Deputies arrested Parker when they discovered "inconsistencies" in his story.
"Baby K," as Kaedyn Short has been called, died May 27 at a hospice home where she was being cared for after she was taken off life support.
According to the Sheriff's report, Jenifer Short was at work at the time of the incident and Parker was watching the child.
Attorney Richard Pipkin, who spoke on Short's behalf at a May bond hearing for Parker, said doctors told him that if Short had lived she would have been in a vegetative state.
Parker is still on administrative leave without pay from the Avon Park Police Department pending the outcome of the case.
He had been with the APPD since 2006, and was previously employed by the department for 20 months between 2002 and 2004.
Saturday, June 27, 2009 - www.newssun.com/06-26-eb-parker-inditement