Jessica Crank died in agony due to medical neglect. The 15-year-old girl had a cancer condition that produced a tumor the size of a basketball, but her mother’s involvement in an obscure religious group called “New Life Tabernacle” kept Jessica out of a hospital, where she might have been treated and suffered less.
Jessica’s mother Jacqueline Crank and their group leader Ariel Ben Sherman were subsequently charged with felony child abuse.
But the prosecutor made such a poor showing in court the felony charges were dismissed.
That prosecutor has since moved on and the District Attorney of Loudon County, Tennessee won’t say whether he was fired or quit, reports The Knoxville News.
Now the DA is preparing to present the case again, but this time before a grand jury. He hopes to reinstate felony charges against Crank and Sherman.
In Tennessee a choice for “faith healing” over proper medical care by a parent is still allowed by law.
However, Jessica’s mother initially brought her daughter to a clinic and consulted medical professionals before her ultimate decision to deny her proper care and treatment. This may preclude the mother’s protection under state law.
Will there finally be justice for the teenage girl who must have suffered excruciating pain before her tragic and untimely death?
Ariel Ben Sherman has a history of escaping child abuse charges. In the 1980s he eventually beat criminal charges for child abuse in Oregon.
Will Sherman, who claimed to be Jessica’s “spiritual father,” manage to avoid any legal responsibility this time?
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