Savannah Hall...And Now, the REST of the Story.

By 250 News

   While the Coroner’s inquest into the death of Savannah Hall has tended to paint a picture of an uncaring foster mother, the previous history of Pat Keene and her late husband Tom says anything but.

It is important to note the difference between witnesses testifying at a Coroner’s inquest and appearing before a Supreme or a Provincial Court Judge.

Witnesses are not allowed to sit in on the hearing if they are giving testimony in a Provincial or Supreme Court; the same does not apply to someone who is to appear before a Coroner’s inquest. They are able to sit in on all the evidence being put forward while they await their turn.  That could lead to someone tailoring their evidence.

The Coroner's Jury has not, and will not, be given the opportunity to read two court judgments (both favourable to the Keene family) in which the Keene family went to court to try and have the foster children in their care returned to their home.

They also will not be privileged to see the letters (dating back to 2005) written by Pat Keene pleading for a public inquiry into Savannah Hall’s death. On two separate occasions Keene asked the Minister (Stan Hagen) and in another instance, Minister of Children and Families Minister Stan Hoag for such an inquiry.

For her efforts, on two separate occasions, Ministry staff  (writing on behalf of the Minister) said there was no need for an inquiry.

On May 05, 2005, Jeremy Berland, Assistant Deputy Minister, Director of Adoptions, and Director of Child and Family Services Act, writes Keene to say, “In my view, there is no need for a public inquiry”. On August 16^th, 2005 Berland writes again to say, “I consider this matter closed and there will be no further response to any future correspondence on this matter”.

This kind of correspondence comes from a Deputy Minister of the Crown who headed a department that, on April 29th, 1999 had recommended the Keene family adopt a child expected to be born about May 3rd, 1999.

The Keenes had three of their own children, born in 1975, 1979 and 1981 but sought to adopt the unborn child (even though they knew the baby could have medical problems) because they were already looking after a half sister.   At the time Ministry staff wrote, “They couldn’t see it any other way”.  

The first judgment in the Keene family favour was made by Judge Hogan on October 19-2001.

In his findings, Judge Hogan says the relationship between the Keene’s and the Regional Executive Director, which once was characterized by mutual trust and understanding, has evaporated. Judge Hogan says the Regional Executive Director (Richard King) remains open to the idea that if the autopsy  and RCMP report clear things up, the door might still be open for a  long term return of the two children taken from the Keene's foster care after the death of Savannah.

The report from the RCMP never sees the light of day and an investigation conducted by Kelly Killpatrick raised the question of what the association was between King and Kilpatrick. Killpatrick was hired as an independent investigator.

Further, the Keene’s raised the matter of the connection between Coroner Beth Larcombe, King and Killpatrick . Killpatrick now works for the Coroners Service in BC. The questions raised by Pat Keene where never responded to.

In the end, Judge Hogan ordered the Keene’s be granted very liberal, generous, access to the two children that had been removed from their foster home. He called on Counsel to resolve the matter of access or to return to court. He ordered in the meantime that the children be returned to the Keene’s on a 24 hour a day basis temporarily.

Tom Keene died in March of 2003.

On October 27^th 2003, the natural mother of one of the children in Keene’s foster care returned to Court seeking an order that would overturn the custody order that made the child a ward of the state and return the child to the care of Patricia Keene.

In his decision, Judge Walker said the young girl had been placed in one foster home for awhile, then another. She was homesick and in despair. In October 2001 the Keene’s sought a court order granting 24 hours a day access to the young girl, it was granted but then overturned 15 months later. The young girl was once again forced to leave the only real home she had ever known and placed in another foster home. That ended five months later when the foster parents resigned. At the time of the decision she was in yet another foster home.

Judge Walker questioned the Ministry’s plans for the child’s cultural links “There was evidence that the Ministry‘s adoption unit has sought input from the aboriginal band. I heard evidence of vague plans for bar-b-q’s, supposed extended family interest with little follow up by the then social worker and now the Ministry seems to be repeating this same plan 10 years later.

In his decision, Judge Walker wrote that he accepted Patricia Keene’s evidence. “I have no doubt that she is not perfect” said the judge, “nor does she think she is.  One thing I don’t doubt and that’s her motives when it came to the children that were in her care”.

In his findings Judge Walker wrote, “Part of the evidence in this case leads me to conclude that while the Director and Mrs. Keene battle in court and while appeal after appeal is set down in Supreme Court and while arguments are made, this little girl is still hurting and it’s getting worse. She still wishes to return home to her two moms. Passage of time hurts. It leaves her with continuing uncertainty. In short the efforts of both the Director in protecting his mandate and Mrs. Keene seeking what the two want has resulted in the aims and objects of this legislation, namely safety, physical and emotional  development, quality of existing relationships, and the needs of the child have been forgotten.”   

Judge Walker also commented that a suggestion the Director would appeal his ruling might make a more cynical person than himself think there is a “turf war mentality” within the Ministry.

In 2006, after what she described as exhausting all of her money and retirement funds included in eight appearances in court trying to clear her name and have the children returned, Pat Keene filed for bankruptcy.

Savannah Hall, the three year old who died while in the care of Mrs. Keene had been restrained in the playpen where she slept.  The matter of using the child safety harness was, as one Ministry Staff member testified this week, approved by one of the social workers.

In the most recent testimony, the paediatrician who attended to Savannah when the tot was rushed to hospital on January 24^th 2001, says she now has a theory about why Savannah died.  Dr. Marie Hay says she believes the  child succumbed to a  “perfect storm” of health conditions,   Starting with a viral infection, then bacterial infection,  Savannah drank a great deal of fluids and was not taking solid foods   The increased liquids  diluted her sodium levels,  leading to a  seizure.  She then vomited and was too weak to clear her own airway and aspirated, or was smothered because she was too weak and could not lift her head off the pillow.

The theory is plausible enough that the Coroner will recall the pathologist who conducted the autopsy on Savannah   to get his reaction to the new information.  That re-call will take place in the form of a video conference as the pathologist is in Toronto.

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