Calhoun County MI Archives News.....Police probe deaths of 2 babies in bathtub July 12, 1988
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Robin Ellis  August 10, 2008, 3:28 am

Battle Creek Enquirer July 12, 1988
Tragedy struck two Battle reek families Tuesday when their infant daughters 
apparently drowned at a home.

Dead, are 10-month old Amanda Hudson and 8 month-old Angela Reeves, 
They were pronounced dead at Community Hospital after a female resident 
reported about 12:05 p.m. that two children had been discovered unconscious in 
a bathtub, according to Police Lt. Ronald Burdett.

"The caller removed the infants from the bathtub and attempted to Administer 
aid after calling 911," he said Autopsies were to be conducted today determine 
the causes of the deaths.

Police sealed the home - believed to be owned by David Wermer Jr. and his wife, 
Keri -- so that it could be processed for
evidence.

Burden said he would not disclose the baby-sitter's name until the 
investigation has been completed, "Hopefully by Thursday." He did say that, as 
far as is, known on Tuesday, Karl Wermer was the: only adult in the house.
He did not know how many other children might have bed there.

As police began their investigation at the home, Wermer and his wife carried 
other children to cars and left, according to Lee Ann Allen, a neighbor.

She said, "In the past couple of months, I've seen a lot of kids over there and 
people dropping them off." According to Allen, there were at least 10 children 
at the home on Tuesday. Another neighbor, Mildred Ashley, said she had seen 
children playing there, but never paid much attention

Anne McDaniel, a daycare services worker for the Department of Social Services, 
could not find the Wermers' name on a list of licensed daycare homes. She said-
the list is a month old and there is a "possibility that an application was 
being processed elsewhere. In Michigan, a person. must be licensed if caring 
for one or more children who are unrelated to them and receiving money or 
valued consideration in return, according to Bruce VandenBosch, family daycare 
home consultant for the Division of Child Daycare Licensing at the Department 
of Social Services.

The police department's post-shooting trauma team was called in to talk with 
medical and fire personnel at the home. "When they see little kids like this, 
it affects them and they are trying to talk it out and deal with it," said 
Police Sgt. Jeff Kruithoff

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