WAND In Depth

After the tragic death of a toddler Illinois lawmakers were determined not to let another former DCFS child fall victim again. With help from the Governor progressive change is happening across the state. 

If you or someone you know is needing family assistance there is help. 

Baby TALK Decatur, IL: 217-475-2234
United Way: 211

A child starved and froze to death. Now Ta'Naja's Barnes' mother and mother's live-in fiancé are in the hot seat, both facing hard prison time. We break down the drama in the courtroom. One admits guilt, but it's not the deal that has people talking. The other pleads their case to a jury. In this episode we take you through the trial.

A toddler dies hungry and cold. Her mother and her mother's fiancé the primary suspects. Now all eyes on DCFS after a report is released on their involvement with the family. Documentation of a filthy home sparked social workers to remove the toddler from her parents care, but the toddler eventually was ordered to return home. Then months later a homicide investigation. 

Decatur police detectives walked inside a home, stunned by what they saw. It was cold, dirty, and reeked of garbage and feces. This comes after a frantic mother called 911 because her child wouldn't wake up. Once police arrived the scene quickly turned into a homicide investigation. Now two people are behind bars.

A frantic mother called 911 pleading for help after she couldn't wake her daughter up. When help arrived detectives witnessed a chilling sight, sparking a murder investigation. This episode we dive into the life Ta'Naja Barnes lived leading up to that cold February morning. For the full story visit www.wandtv.com

This is WAND's new podcast called WAND In-Depth. Here we will dig deeper into our investigative news stories. Our first season will investigate the life, death, and trial of two-year-old Ta'Naja Barnes. A child who was found cold, dead, and wrapped in a urine-soaked blanket. We will hear from Ta'Naja's foster parent, detectives who were on scene the day of her death, and we will take you inside the courtroom where her parents took the stand. Join us right here on February 11th for episode one of Lost Innocence the Ta'Naja Barnes Story. Until then hit the subscribe button to get an alert when we upload a new episode.