Oregon police investigating 14-year-old girl’s death, abuse

KENO, Ore. — The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office in southern Oregon is investigating the death of a 14-year-old girl who lived in squalid conditions with her four siblings in the tiny town of Keno.

The girl died late last month despite relatives contacting child protective services multiple times to report neglect and possible abuse, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Multiple calls were made to 911 on March 30, the day of the girl’s death.

Heidi Vaughn, a protective services caseworker for Oregon child welfare, told a judge at a hearing earlier this month that the children did not attend school or receive medical care. The parents were abusive and the home was “generally unsafe for any aged child,” she said.

The girl’s maternal grandmother and great aunt said they called the state’s child abuse hotline five times over a four-year period, most recently in August, according to the Oregonian/OregonLive.

Jake Sunderland, spokesperson for Oregon’s Department of Human Services, told the news outlet that the agency cannot comment on cases.

Child protective services placed the other four siblings with their paternal grandparents, who said they were unaware of their living conditions because they had not been to the property in a while.

The sheriff’s office has not released any other details of the investigation.