Trouble seemed to dog Edwin Roy Hall as he grew from child to adult. Hall, accused of kidnapping and murdering 18-year-old Kelsey Smith of Overland Park, had been in the custody of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services when, at 7, he was adopted by an Emporia family.
The hope was that his life would get better; reality was that Hall continued to show behavioral problems that eventually culminated in appearances as a juvenile in Lyon County District Court.
Juvenile and civil court records available show accusations of temporary deprivation of property, theft, aggravated assault and a civil suit alleging an attack on a younger boy.
Juvenile records are open when the child reaches 18 years of age, unless the records have been sealed by a judge.
According to case records available, Hall was 14 years old when he was charged on Dec. 2, 1994, in juvenile court with temporary deprivation of property, a 1984 Chevy van.
On June 23, 1995, Hall was charged with two counts of theft — $25 in cash and a microcassette tape recorder.
All of the charges were misdemeanors.
The cases were handled through a diversionary agreement, with supervision by a member of the Lyon County Attorney’s Office staff or a person designated by that office. Hall was ordered to remain in school without violating school rules or missing classes unless excused, satisfactorily completing the 10-session “Law Related Education Class” program, and completing 100 hours of community work service if assigned by the diversion coordinator, among the 11 conditions of the diversion.
On May 22, 1996, Hall’s charges reached felony level with accusations of aggravated assault and criminal threat.
The aggravated assault happened on May 14, 1996, when he allegedly “unlawfully and intentionally place(d) another person ... in reasonable apprehension of immediate bodily harm and said act was committed with a deadly weapon, to-wit: a knife...”
He also was accused of communicating “a threat to commit violence with the intent to terrorize another” in conjunction with the aggravated assault.
The criminal threat case was dropped as a result of plea negotiations, and Hall pleaded no contest to the aggravated assault.
The late Magistrate Judge Francis Towle found Hall to be a juvenile offender, and ordered him to be returned to the northeast Kansas Regional Detention Facility in Lawrence until he could be placed by SRS.
In July 1996, Hall was transferred from Forbes Juvenile Attention Facility in Topeka to Larned Youth Center in Larned for a direct commitment, according to court records.
He escaped from the Comprehensive Evaluation and Training Unit (CETU) in Topeka on April 25, 1997. The request for an arrest warrant that had been made was cancelled and Hall apparently was returned.
He remained confined until a conditional release on March 9, 1999, from the Topeka Juvenile Correction Facility and formally discharged on June 30, 1999.
Hall also was the defendant in a civil suit filed by Jonas Patton against Hall and his adoptive parents, Carol and Don Hall, on April 4, 2002, more than seven years after the incident occurred. By then, Hall had not been living with his adoptive family for about six years.
The petition filed in the civil case stated that on Oct. 3, 1994, Edwin Hall, then almost 14 years old, had struck the victim on the head with a baseball bat “with such force that it caused the Plaintiff to be hospitalized and to suffer head injuries which continue to cause the Plaintiff periodic debilitating headaches to this day.”
Patton was then 11 years old.
An out-of-court settlement was reached before the case could go to trial. The case was removed from the docket on Feb. 26, 2003.
shadow (anonymous) says...
This story begs many questions?? as to how an innocent, sinless babe..would then grow-up to become a murderer? What happened at the very beginning of his life? And I have heard that when one adopts children they are being adopted into their 'forever family'. Guess that's what fairy tales are made of...Happily Everafter and Forever...unless one has problems then you are shipped back to Wherever. Truly a very sad commentary on one child's life, that would grow up with such terrible problems, that would then go on to violently deprive a young woman in her own life, at his hands.
June 10, 2007 at 10:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
magusdee (anonymous) says...
Many questions indeed those first seven years do beg. As the poet W.H. Auden wrote, "And now the public know / What all schoolchildren learn, / Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return."
June 10, 2007 at 12:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sciguy (anonymous) says...
There are plenty of people who grow up in awful homes and manage to lead productive and law-abiding lives.
I can't imagine placing blame on an adoptive family that can't handle a child who has criminal intent. That is way different from sending him back because he drinks straight from the milk carton.
Do not shift the blame here. Edwin Hall is an adult and a murderer, and is fully responsible for his own actions.
June 10, 2007 at 3:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rockngurl (anonymous) says...
No kidding on shifting the blame. It is pretty apparent the family felt the safety for the rest of the family was being threatened and they have a moral obligation to protect them. Yes, the had a moral obligation for Edwin too, but, if he refused to be helped and they tried their best what other option did they have. All they did is what any parent would do, protect their children and it's easy to say they sent him back because he was adopted but I'll bet money if he was their biological son they would've handled matters the same way.
Where do you lay the blame, back on Edwin where it belongs. He is the one who is ultimately responsible for his actions, it's a tragedy any way you look at it.
June 10, 2007 at 5:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gmunden (anonymous) says...
I don't think anyone is shifting the blame. Fact, is he is an adult now.
I only wish that he would have received the help before he felt the need to murder.
WE have problems in our society and we just want to look the other way. Adoptee's have problems whether you all agree or not they do its all about being bounced around from one family to the next. We are starting to see more and more the reprucussions from this.
But what happened in his life that may have caused him to have such horrendous problems? He obviously needed help as a teen probably even before that probably when he was 7 years old. Who knows?
Remember Micheal Devlin he too was an adoptee. Why did he feel the need to create a family with kidnapped boys, molesting them and who knows what else he did.
My thoughts are separating families and then creating another family harms children. Instead of tearing a child away from its family maybe we need to look at helping them stay together, with help just like those that adopt get the money to support, the respite care, the medical care all those things that families don't get. Instead they get their kids taken away if they are poor or other reasons be it drugs or whatever. That is wrong.
It makes me sick that this young girl lost her life. She should have been protected, and by protection I mean not covering up a minor's records, this person needed some help!! And was crying out for it. In turn this young woman lost her life because he didn't get it! Says a lot about our society and how expendable they feel lives are and when someone acts out continuously that should raise red flags. Not cover up the records because he was a minor.
gmunden
June 10, 2007 at 6:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RADish_Mom (anonymous) says...
This young man more than likely has RAD, Reactive Attachment Disorder. Look it up. RADish people hurt others for the pleasure of it. Most people don’t understand how a RADish is unless you have lived with them or become one of their many victims The damage was done to this young man even before his Bio parents were hot lined to SRS. More than likely no amount of helping this family stay together would have helped this young man, he was already to hurt. The Halls tried to help him heal. Sometimes “Love is Not Enough.”
June 11, 2007 at 1:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MelissaE (anonymous) says...
I think some of the blame can definitely rest with the State of Kansas.....it was pretty obvious that Edwin was in need of help (was it 4 boys' homes in 3 years?). But, at the ripe old age of 18, the State let him go.....yes, he became an adult then, but maybe his file could have been turned over to adult services for evaluation. Instead, they just dropped him.
This child didn't have a chance in hell from the day he was born. How many more Edwin's are out there?
In my experiences (working with criminals), 99% of the violent offenders have had many traumatic experiences in their lives making it almost easy to spot the "troubled ones." Those experiences do not excuse the behavior by any means. But, it's so easy for people to say "that guy deserves everything coming to him". But let me ask this: If you had Edwin's life, do you think you would be "normal"? Do you think you would have overcome? I try to place myself in his life and can say that I wouldn't be who I am today if I lived his misery.
M
June 11, 2007 at 11:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
Melissa, I am in total agreement. The problem also lies with physcians, psychologists, and psychiatrists who still refuse to diagnose young children with sociopathic and psychopathic tendencies. These are classic signs of these type personalities. I do know this child was betrayed by everyone from the day he was born. I feel for the Hall family because I now they tried everything to get this child help from the first day they had him. Again all systems failed this child. There are more people out on the streets with these conditions than one may ever realize. If the systems would wake up and recognize the symptons and follow these children into adulthood maybe more of them would be caught and would have a better life to live. I do not blame the Hall's for what they had to do when all else failed. I too, do not think I could have a child in my household who is fearless of hurting or even killing.
June 11, 2007 at 3:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DeniseDorcey (anonymous) says...
Barbara,
You've mentioned many times in your posts about having an autistic child. I hope you are not suggesting a child on medication for Autism Specturm Disorders or Pervasive Developmental Disorders will eventually become a murderer. As an educator and parent of an ASD child I most sternly disagree with that assertion.
I'm curious what form of autism you are speaking in regard to your son; low-functioning or high functioning? I'm also curious why the only help you say he has been offered is medication therapy? Where have you sought services? What books have you read to educate yourself to your son's condition?
I suggest you begin by attending The Umbrella Group (TUG). TUG is an education/advocacy group for the caregivers of children with PDD. TUG meets the first Monday of every month at 6 PM in the conference room on the northeast side of the Civic Auditorium.
You may find more education and understanding of your child's condition and the systems available to help your son and family will reduce your struggles.
Denise Dorcey
June 11, 2007 at 10:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JessicaNelson (anonymous) says...
And this was a really necessary story because........?
June 12, 2007 at 12:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
barbara61 (anonymous) says...
I feel it is a very necessary story because we have a ton of kids just like him walking around with bad parents, bad schools and foster parents that are not so great. These kids get tossed from home to home who knows the abuse they may go through at every home. The legal system is not there to help them its all about money and punishment. So someone can slap there self on the back like there doing something. I feel you have a lot of people that talk plenty of crap that never had NONE these problems in life . If you come from a cushie life with mommy and daddy and no abuse what the hell do you really know about a person that does come from that life. , Unless you lived that life your books are worthless and your degrees on the wall are crap. The news media only cares about a story and no one does Sh*t to help these people until its to late in most cases. Im not saying everyone thats on drugs or been done badly in life turns that way but some will and who knows who anymore. Theres so many kids falling through the cracks of one broken system after another . Some kids are very ill and need help and one thing for sure he needed help he never got . Thats not an excuse for what he did at all but who knows what has happen to him in his young years that made him so sick. Im sure something went real wrong that he was in foster care and detenions at such an early age. The only help that boy got being that many years ago.. was drugs. I been there done that with my son. Thats there so called help. Its better now than it once was but not by much. I hate drugs and feel they have become the answer to peoples every problem in life and that can be dangerous. Look up the number one selling drug last year ( Paxil ) You know the one that can make you suicidal and make you do crazy stuff that you normally would not do. (That one ) How many bottles of that crap was being pushed down kids and adults throats to make it there number one seller. I dearly love kids and I will never shut up about the stuff I see going so wrong with them and to them . I dont care who likes it or doesnt, They need people to stand up and bitch for there rights and what is happenening to these young peoples lives is destorying a future generation.
June 12, 2007 at 2:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mythoughts (anonymous) says...
their, they're, there...accuracy lends credence
June 12, 2007 at 2:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MelissaE (anonymous) says...
Careful, mythoughts.
I pointed that out once and they deleted my post.
M
June 12, 2007 at 3:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
barbara61 (anonymous) says...
The girls that are more worried about words not spelled right then kids . Do you come from cushie lives too? Yeah ! Clueless.
June 12, 2007 at 3:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
You all missed the boat on this one. This child was raised in Emporia. It was to aknowledge us of him. I feel for all those involved and really wish that more of the things were kept private. I believe that the gazette, wants us to think about what can happen any where. Yes, this person had problems from the beginning. The point is that on some children there is a no win situation, which is what we have here. Yes, you can teach your children right from wrong, but after a certain point in their lives those decisions are theirs to make. I honestly believe that there were many thing in this child's life that we do not have a clue about. (Many things that the Halls do not even know about.) I really fear that many parents and physicians also jump to put certain children on drugs when all they need is parents that can discipline fairly. It does take time and patience from all parties involved. Although many parents wish to choose the easy way of drugs. I litterally feel sorry for those people who do not take time for the children or to understand their childrens needs. It takes a long time of understanding of each child and where they are coming from sometimes. Again I feel for the Halls and do not think they should be condemned for what they tried to do for Edwin. My heart goes out to all involved!
June 12, 2007 at 4:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MelissaE (anonymous) says...
Actually, I work with criminals (both adults & juveniles) on a daily basis. So, I'm not as clueless as you want to believe.
I already posted my position above.
M
June 12, 2007 at 4:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DeniseDorcey (anonymous) says...
I believe medications can help in some circumstances if used probably. What it takes is a lot of patience, common sense and analyzing each case individually on the part of the caregiver. It's not an easy job being the caregiver of a special needs child...
Yes, reading can help; I cannot and will not believe educating oneself is negative. If a person combines study of a subject with intelligence, common sense and faith, you have a winning combination.
I read in many of these posts overuse of generalizations and grudge-bearing. Let us try to remember what each of us is offering here is simply our opinion; that and $2 will buy you a cup of coffee at the Granada.
Anger and finger-pointing gets us nowhere.
Denise Dorcey
June 12, 2007 at 4:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DeniseDorcey (anonymous) says...
Great last post, Barbara. I wish you wrote like this every time. Wonderful!!!
This time you ditched the anger and held with the facts. You're on a roll...
June 12, 2007 at 5:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JD (anonymous) says...
How do I even begin to describe what an adoptive parent goes through realizing that with EVERYTHING they have tried to meet their child mental needs by various mental health services, it's not enough. The sheer terror of walking into a room and seeing your son choking one of your younger children and then to find out it wasn't the first time. To listen as the child tells of strangling and suffocating animals. To listen as the child describes-in detail-how he would want to watch someone die or of to kill someone. To hear - years later after the adoption was final - how the child was violently sexually raped by their birthparent and yet nothing was ever done to hold the abuser accountable. To know that SRS had knowledge of the child being abused in this manner, yet we were never given that information. To have the child break down sobbing & shaking as he described what happened to him and later to place him in a mental facility...time and time again over the years. To know that for the safety of your other children that although you love the child, he can not be allowed to come home. To know that after so long out of the home, the court might take away your parental rights regardless. To know deep down that it's a matter of time - not *if* - your worst fears will come true and the child will harm someone...if he hasn't already.
I don't know the Halls personally, but am living the life and the emotions now that I am sure they went through. They didn't simply 'ship him back'. The choice to place a child back into the state's custody after adoption is a decision that adoptive parents struggle with. With that being said, we have other adopted children who, with love and commitment, are an inspirational to us and are a shining example that the children can - and do - heal. It's sad, but not all of the children can be healed.
June 12, 2007 at 10:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KristieR (anonymous) says...
All the medicine in the world wouldn't have erased what happened to Edwin Hall as a child. No one but Edwin knows of the horrors that were inflicted on him by his birth parents. Did no one (teachers, neighbors, family, friends) see what was happening to him? Was he bruised? Did society fail to protect him from his abusers? His adoptive family did try to help him. They can NOT be faulted for putting him back into SRS. He left them with NO choice.
There is an article in today's news (Iowa) of a 14 yr old boy facing charges for killing the 1 yr old granddaughter of his foster parents.
It takes a special person to be a foster parent. You can't fault them for what Edwin did. Is he a monster? No........he's the result of years of abuse/rage. He was unable to be productive and he lashed out at an innocent victim. Something that at one time......he was. Yes, he should be prosecuted, but we all need to learn to recognize a child in danger and not be afraid to report it to the proper authorities.
The cycle needs to be broken long before it's too late to save the Kelsey Smith's of this world.
Kristie
June 15, 2007 at 12:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MelissaE (anonymous) says...
Rumor has it that a gag order has been issued.
Why isn't that being reported? (Or, maybe because it's the weekend, it'll be in the Monday paper, I hope?)
M
June 18, 2007 at 12:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
llggood (anonymous) says...
I would just like to say. We have a child in our home right now we have adopted through the state. She is 11. She has stolen from us, hit me, kicked me, bit me and wrote poems about killing me. We are trying our BEST to keep this child in our home and be loving and committed to her BUT we can't get the mental health needs met that she so deseperately needs. So to people pointing the finger at the adoptive parents, walk a mile in our shoes. I pray to god this case has not just shown me my future. I pray to god.
June 23, 2007 at 5:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )