Wrongful-death lawsuit: 'Who was responsible for checking on Martonio?'

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]designed to protect him or her.

[00:00:03]We intend to uncover exactly what happened, who knew what, when they knew it, and why meaningful intervention never occurred in Antonio Wilder's case.

[00:00:15]This this lawsuit seeks full accountability, full discovery into records, communications, supervisory practices, safety audits, case documentation, and the handling of prior warnings by Antonio onio's behalf and other children as well.

[00:00:36]This case is larger than one child. It raises the fundamental question of is this children's services agency, these entities designed to protect our children holding up to what they are supposed to?

[00:00:53]Are they holding up to the standard that they are supposed to?

[00:00:58]Are they functioning in the way that the public believes they are functioning?

[00:01:04]Because if a child can suffer prolonged abuse, starvation, and ultimately death while agencies document that everything is fine, the public has a right to know that the measure of a child protection protection services agency is not the documentation they keep. It is the children that they protect and save.

[00:01:29]We are not here today to inflame emotions or prejudice a potential jury. We're here because civil litigation is the only one of the only mechanisms to get to the bottom of these matters.

[00:01:43]It's one of the only mechanisms to force transparency, obtain records, compel testimony under oath, and expose failures of an otherwise hidden system.

[00:01:56]We int we in we we intend to pursue this case aggressively and intensively and we intend to seek justice for this 8-year-old boy.

[00:02:08]No lawsuit can bring back this child, but accountability matters. Truth matters and protecting the next child matters and we intend to do what we can for this community, for other children, and for Maronia.

[00:02:25]So, with that, I thank you all for being here and I'm open to any questions that you have.

[00:02:31]>> You mentioned the falsified paperwork.

[00:02:33]Can you talk to me a little bit about how you guys found out about that and how that kind of ties in and helped move this case forward? Well, um we it was discovered that this individual was uh was being looked at as a a potential criminal charges and then criminal charges were ultimately filed um against this case worker. So, it's it's public record, public documentation. Uh it's in the public sphere of of what she was charged with and what the allegations are.

[00:03:05]>> What accountability are you all seeking?

[00:03:08]What?

[00:03:09]>> Yeah. What I would say is this, and I'm sure the questions usually are, well, there's a criminal case, and there's certainly a criminal aspect to this, but the criminal case address the people outside the home and or excuse me, inside the home. What's important that this case and the civil action addresses is what happened outside the home? um who was responsible for checking Maronio, who was supposed to see him, who failed to verify his safety, who supervised that work, and why did records allegedly get falsified. Um this is a problem in this county. And one of the reasons for this civil action is to address the issues in this particular county. This isn't the only case going on. And this today is about Antonio and his tragedy. But there's a problem in this particular community when it comes to protecting our children. And Martonia didn't need a system that could explain his death after the fact. He needed a system that protected him while he was alive. And this lawsuit is about evaluating what happened while he was alive. And why didn't Franklin County Services or the private organization that it contracted with do what they were supposed to do under the law, their duty to protect children in this community specifically?

[00:04:25]>> Can you explain how the child was kind of under the radar of county agencies for quite some time because they did see those red flags in in these parents and nothing was was really done to to protect him? Well, that's the question, right? That that's the issue. How can you see the things that were going on?

[00:04:45]It's been publicly reported, fortunately, by a number of media outlets, some of those here today, multiple throughout this this entire process. How does that happen? How does the Children's Services Agency and the company that it contracts with to perform those duties, how do they ignore the warning signs? Because this didn't happen overnight. This wasn't a a traumatic incident that happened overnight. This was an incident that's a result of a long period of time of neglect, of abuse, and terrorism of a child in a home where he was supposed to be safe. And more importantly, the reason why we have children services in place is that because children aren't always safe inside their home. They don't get to pick their their parents.

[00:05:22]They don't get to pick their mom and dad. And it's not enough for these children services agencies to say, you know what, we took a look at it. We just didn't think much of it. and then now say that well the responsibility is just on the admittedly evil and criminal folks who were involved that killed Martonia. But what could have been done before that point got here? What could have been done to protect Martonio through this process and the other children that have been impacted in this community?

[00:05:51]>> What is your conversations like with Martonio's family who have been outspoken about wanting accountability and justice? just just that accountability and justice. They feel that even though um individuals had been prosecuted and sentenced for it, um it doesn't end there because as Robert stated, this wasn't a just a surprise incident. Um there there there were a lot of things leading up to this. There were signs all over the place that this type of thing, this exact type of thing could happen and and it did. So, um, they want full accountability and also to make sure that this type of incident doesn't happen to another family, doesn't happen to another 8-year-old boy.

[00:06:30]>> So, what specific damages do you think could come from this? What do you want to see? For instance, I understand that case, but the broader agencies named here. I think the first step and what this lawsuit is really aimed at isn't an investigation into the facts of what was known, what wasn't known, what should have been done, and what was done. Because what's important to understand in these cases is that the amount of information we have access to before we file the lawsuit is limited.

[00:06:59]Admittedly, through certain laws in this state that make a lot of this stuff confidential for good reasons. But we have to file these lawsuits in order to find out what actually occurred. What we know publicly already is bad enough. Um, unfortunately, having handled these cases in other jurisdictions, in other cases, um, my expectation is that we'll probably find out some stuff we don't want to hear, some stuff we don't want to see. But we understand there's a civil process and we're going to engage the civil process. We're going to go through discovery. We're going to ask the right questions. But Martonia's family, they deserve answers as to why this happened and why the proper steps didn't occur that should have occurred here. And more importantly, this comm more importantly, but this community also needs to understand and they need to be need to know exactly what happened because unfortunately again this is happening to other families. This is happening to other children and we can't continue to allow this agency and the companies that it contracts with to simply not perform their duties and another kid end up dead or injured or abused when they shouldn't have been.

[00:08:02]There's nothing more important than a child and we want to make sure this does not continue to happen. Um because if there are policies in place, if there are laws in place, these things should not happen and we continue to see it.

[00:08:19]So, one of the big things that we're trying to accomplish, not only get justice from Antonio's family, but to ensure that this does not happen again to another 8-year-old boy or girl.

[00:08:29]>> And legislation is a possibility. I mean for you guys I'm sure are familiar with Dakota Collins law that was passed some years ago that was a result of some litigation a case that we had that you know ultimately came up with that legislation and made sure these children services agencies communicate to each other. So whatever the whatever happened here um that could be avoided this family is interested in making sure that doesn't occur and we want to make sure that we take the steps whether that's legislatively or whether that's from a policy perspective. family is interested in engaging in that conversation to make sure this just does not happen to somebody else.

[00:09:03]>> It may be too soon to be able to tell, but do you imagine this child would be public or because he's young, we may not um be seeing all this discovery that you're talking about?

[00:09:15]>> Well, pure speculation here. Um the judge would be in charge of what happens in their own courtroom and their various rules with respect to different parts of a civil case. Um, but that would be I it's my understanding that it would be a public um trial. Um, but ultimately it would be up to procedure. And what's important to understand, I'm sure you guys have gone through this in your public records requests. When you deal with a case like this, you operate under a protective order typically because you're dealing with minors. Often times there's other children involved. There's mandatory reporters that have to remain anonymous or confidential. That information can be obtained typically under the cover of a protection order.

[00:09:55]So, it's important to understand as the process goes forward, um, sometimes information that we learn can't be necessarily disclosed because we are operating under a protection order, which ethically we're obligated to honor and the judge will make sure we we abide by that as well. But I agree with attorney Pearson with respect to the trial. I don't know that necessarily it's going to be a private matter, but certainly that's going to be up to our judge in this case.

[00:10:20]>> Kind of off of that, we tried to get those same answers of who knew what when and with the laws you guys mentioned, we of course can't get those records. Do you think this is the only way to get that accountability?

[00:10:31]>> Yeah. Go ahead.

[00:10:32]>> And in a lot of instances, it is. Um, we can file public records requests. We can request to speak with supervisors. Um, but a lot of times the only way to get to the heart of of an investigation or critical information as to why these type of things happened is through a lawsuit.

[00:10:50]the only way you can obtain this particular information which is and that's one of the reasons why we're filing the lawsuit on behalf of the family is because family wants answers and we we know some of this information but we don't know the details of who made the decisions not to go check on who made the decision not to remove him from the home or who failed to make that decision what exactly happened with this issue of falsifying records did a supervisor observe this did a supervisor take a look at these things and say it wasn't a problem of the issues when you have falsified records is that the outcome is that it makes the child invisible. And attorney Pearson mentioned that as well is that look, you know, if we if somebody is lying about their records and you know they're what are the mechanisms that are in place from a supervisor's perspective to make sure that that doesn't happen because and we know there's other cases that have been reported in this community whether it be you know children's a children services agencies employees who are having inappropriate relationships with children. they're clearly not hiring the right people in some of these circumstances. So, if you don't have the proper checks and balances in place, then you need to make sure that you do so these kids aren't invisible. And as attorney Pearson indicated, we protect the most vulnerable in our population. I mean, at at our core, at our core, and I'm a father, Anthony's a father. We're all protectors as human beings, especially when it comes to children. We are protectors. That's just being human. But when you're a children's services agency, you are specifically charged with protecting children. So beyond just the human function of just wanting to protect children, it's literally their job to do so. We want to make sure that happens and that continues to happen moving forward.

[00:12:30]>> Do you have a message for mother and her girlfriend after really studying this this case?

[00:12:41]Um, nothing I would want to say publicly.

[00:12:45]Um, I I I I just feel for Antonio and I cannot imagine the type of pain and anguish this 8-year-old boy had to go through during this time, especially from again someone who was supposed to protect him, his mother, and agency that was supposed to look after him and people who were employed paid county money to look over him. and and every step of the way uh the community felt this 8-year-old boy and it it just breaks my heart just all the way up and down breaks my heart.

[00:13:22]>> Yeah, I'm a father and um having handled these cases unfortunately more and more lately um these are challenging cases.

[00:13:31]Um you can't help but see your children.

[00:13:35]Um I don't know how anybody could do what was done to here. But as I said earlier, parents don't pick their excuse me, kids don't pick their parents. Um, and that's why we have children's services agencies in place because when kids can't control that, somebody needs to step in and protect them. But I can't I I I don't understand the, you know, I couldn't understand how something like this would happen, especially with children. Um, and it's difficult to kind of imagine as a father.

[00:14:04]>> And so, from what we know, you all are expecting to uncover more abuse and more negligence from this lawsuit. I think we're taking the steps to find out what evidence exists. Um we certainly can't project what that evidence is. Um and I would be irresponsible. We're not going to sit here and try this case right now and you know and with public opinion.

[00:14:23]But what's important to understand is we are going to use the mechanisms in place in our civil justice system to find out what occurred here beyond what we know publicly already. So I don't want to predict what we'll find, but we we'll certainly get to the truth.

[00:14:38]>> Anything else you gentlemen would like to add?

[00:14:41]Uh, no, >> no. Just um, again, the system should have protected. We shouldn't be here.

[00:14:47]Um, Antonio should have been protected while he was here. He should be alive and um, this community should continue to be asking questions of this children's services agency because um, children continue to be vulnerable and unprotected when it comes to this particular children services agency and the companies in which it contracts with. So, we'll find justice and we'll seek justice and we'll get to justice.

[00:15:10]>> Yeah. And and I would like to add also that uh our children in our community in Franklin County deserve better. Every child in children services care or the National Youth Advocate Programs care.

[00:15:22]They deserve better.

[00:15:25]And we appreciate you guys coming out to cover this. This is an important case and it's a tough one, but it's important. So, thank you.

[00:15:34]>> Thank you.

[00:15:36]Why the uh twinsies today?

[00:15:40]>> That's the first thing we saw who wore better on the same vibe.

[00:15:44]>> I know.

[00:15:44]>> Random. Really? Yeah, it was