Ten-year-old Emani Moss made several attempts to run away from home and often showed up at school with bruises and welts on her body. Emani’s malnourished, burned body was found in a trash bin north of Atlanta on Nov. 2, according to police reports.
Gwinnett County Police found the body of the girl after responding to a call of a suicidal person after the father, Eman Moss, called 911 at 3:43 a.m. Saturday morning. He claimed that his daughter drank some type of chemical in attempt to commit suicide and was dead. He was later arrested along with Emani’s stepmother, Tiffany Moss. Both have been charged with murder, cruelty to children and concealing a body.
The grandmother, Robin Moss, said the last words she heard from her granddaughter’s mouth were, “Grandmommy, I love you and I might not see you again.”
Moss is the second child in in metro Atlanta to be allegedly murdered by a parent. On Oct. 11, 12-year-old Eric Forbes, who had been physically abused for months, was allegedly murdered by his father. In both cases, concerned family members and teachers raised red flags and reported their suspicions of abuse to the Department of Family and Children Services. DFCS had been involved, however, both children were returned to their fathers’ homes and are now dead. Petitions have been signed to hold DFCS accountable for both deaths in hopes that they will take these cases more seriously and become more actively involved to avoid these types of deaths.
Emani had been in the system for more than five years after being taken from her mother due to abuse. The child lived with her aunt and grandmother before being returned to her dad, who married Tiffany shortly after gaining custody of the child. Emani was then removed from the couple’s home when abuse allegations against the stepmother were raised, which caused the child to be placed with the grandmother for six months until the stepmother completed counseling and child training courses. Despite her grandmother’s warning, Emani was returned to the couple.
Should DFCS be held liable for these deaths?
