Governor Tom Vilsack says the state records he reviewed showed few clues to the problems now alleged in the home of the northern Iowa girl who was abducted and killed this summer. Evelyn Miller’s body was found in a creek near Floyd this past July. Her mother’s boyfriend is now charged with possession of child pornography.
Vilsack reviewed five-years-worth of state records chronicling social worker visits to Evelyn’s home. Vilsack says the reports suggested family members who “had an ax to grind” were complaining about Evelyn’s home life. The governor suggests the credibility of those complaints were “a bit suspect.” Vilsack says the girl’s mother “did everything the Department of Human Services asked her to do. There were drug tests administered, which came back negative.”
Vilsack says there wasn’t anything in the records he reviewed to suggest all of the problems that have now come to light. “Clearly, this was not a perfect family but there wasn’t anything to suggest that this youngster was going to be abducted or killed or was in any physical danger,” he says. Vilsack says none of the records he reviewed suggested social workers working with the family had any clue that the mother’s boyfriend was getting child pornography on his computer. He says that kiddie porn only came to light during the investigation into Evelyn’s death.
“Hindsight’s always 20/20,” Vilsack says. The governor says no one can be satisfied until the person or persons responsible for Evelyn’s death is found, tried and convicted.