JACKSON, Mich. (WOOD) -- J.D. and Chere Pepper were scheduled to pick up their grandson for a visit when they got a call that the toddler's mom had found the 21-month-old dead in his crib.
"It's not SIDS," said Chere. "He wasn't sick. What happened?"
According to court documents, preliminary results show Jesse Pepper Jr.'s injuries were "consistent with blunt force trauma in multiple areas to the head."
The Jackson County Sheriff's Department quickly identified Scott Jurewicz as a suspect. The 27-year-old Jackson man had just moved in with Jesse's mom.
"There was this boyfriend in the picture, and this other baby in the picture," explained Chere. "And the whole story began to unravel."
The "other baby" was the son of Jurewicz's prior girlfriend.
Eighteen-month-old Brenden Hartranft died in March from "abusive head trauma," according to court records.
Those same records show Jurewicz allegedly admitted to "becoming frustrated with (Brenden Hartranft)," and "snatching him up, giving him a good shake and putting him down harder than he should have."
The Peppers had no idea that a new boyfriend had moved in with Jesse's mom, let alone that he was a suspect in another toddler's death.
"Something should have been done to him to prevent him from going out and finding another woman with children," said Chere Pepper.
But court documents show that Jesse's mom, Andrea Conaway, was told about Jurewicz's history.
"A (detective) informed Andrea Conaway that he could not discuss the details of the case but that Scott Jurewicz is a dangerous individual and that if he was Andrea Conaway he would not leave his children alone with Scott Jurewicz," the court record reads in part.
It goes on to say, "Andrea Conaway reported she is aware Mr. Jurewicz could be involved in the death of a child. Ms. Conaway reported Mr. Jurewicz was 'set up' and did not really kill the child.... Ms. Conaway reported she does not have any ... fear that he would hurt her children. Andrea Conaway stated she trusts Mr. Jurewicz as she has been in a relationship with Mr. Jurewicz for about three weeks."
'SURPRISING' FURTHER ACTION WASN'T TAKEN
"It's astounding to me," Tobin Miller said.
Miller has worked in the child welfare system for 18 years and is currently an investigator with the Office of Children's Ombudsman, a quasi-independent state agency that reviews the actions of Children's Protective Services to determine whether caseworkers followed policy and law.
Jurewicz is now in the Jackson County Jail. He was arrested in the death of the first child, Brenden Hartranft, the day after Jesse Pepper Jr. died.
Prosecutors reportedly said they were waiting for a medical examiner's report before charging Jurewicz in Brenden's death. They received the report in question the day after Jesse died.
"From what I know at this point, it's surprising -- very surprising -- that further action wasn't taken," Miller said.
CPS warned Conaway that the state could hold her responsible if Jurewicz harmed her kids. But Miller said the caseworker also could have removed the children because Conaway was putting them at risk.
"A safety plan that simply says, 'Don't leave your child alone with such a person' is quite ineffectual in those circumstances," Miller said.
LAWS TO DEAL WITH 'NON-PARENTAL ADULTS'
Miller says circumstances surrounding the deaths of Brenden and Jesse are examples of an increasingly common scenario.
"To a greater degree, children are seeing multiple caregivers, adults, coming in and out of their lives, and I think there are a new set of tools that are needed for that... to address that," Miller said.
It's not the first time the Office of Children's Ombudsman has recommended that the state find new ways to address risks posed by "non-parent adults" -- usually live-in boyfriends.
In 1998, Michigan's legislature responded to OCO concerns by enacting several laws, including one that allowed courts to terminate a parent's rights based on a non-parent adult's conduct.
But Miller says the 1998 laws gave the state permission to act only after abuse or neglect has already occurred.
"What we think needs to be revisited now... are there things that can be done either law or policy changes that can allow CPS to better assess the situation before something bad happens," Miller explained.
But the Department of Health and Human Services, of which CPS is a part of, told Target 8 that its caseworkers already examine the suitability of live-in partners who might care for the children.
"This type of assessment/evaluation is integral for every investigation," DHS spokesperson Maura Campbell wrote in an email to Target 8.
Campbell also pointed to new mandatory "Safety by Design" training DHS is providing for caseworkers throughout the state.
"This training walks staff through effective safety assessment and safety planning in all investigations," she said.
Still, Miller says caseworkers need to look at live-in partners in a more formal, structured way.
"For instance, if that boyfriend doesn't have custody of his own children, that is something that really needs to be looked at closely," explained Miller.
Miller thinks CPS can take those extra steps without interfering with the rights of parents to choose with whom they associate.
"It's always a balance in child welfare in general," Miller said. "Balancing parental rights to the care of custody of their kids with protection of the child, we draw lines between those two poles on a daily basis.