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Today’s edition of the Mountain Home Observer will be the last regular edition for a couple of weeks. Thursday or Friday, my wife and I expect to welcome our son into the world via a scheduled induction.
I’m stepping away from the newsroom to put on my dad hat full-time. Our household needs time to settle into a new routine, and our daughter needs help adjusting to having a baby brother in the house. Barring any major breaking news or medical complications, I plan to resume regular coverage in a couple of weeks.
It’s a joy I don’t take lightly. Not right now.
Over the past several weeks, this paper has reported extensively on cases involving the abuse and rape of children in our community. We’ve covered court proceedings, exposed institutional failures and documented the stories that too many people would rather not hear.
Having children of my own puts every one of those cases into a different light. It makes the reporting harder. It makes the silence around these cases louder.
What we’ve uncovered
In Marion County, the Observer published a multi-part investigation into Steven M. Manson Jr., his father Steven M. Manson Sr. and co-defendant Dezarae Kennedy, all facing felony charges tied to the sexual abuse of child and a young woman. Neighbors along County Road 8054 told the Observer they had raised alarms for some 18 months about conditions at the property. An Illinois resident with a protection order warned the Marion County Sheriff’s Office directly. The Observer’s reporting revealed law enforcement had prior knowledge of the situation and failed to act.
All three Manson defendants entered not guilty pleas at their March 31 arraignment. They are out of custody and awaiting trial.
The Observer also published an accountability investigation into the 14th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office after uncovering a case in which a convicted sex offender’s name was removed from the state registry. That failure traced back through the courts and the prosecutor’s office, raising serious questions about who is watching the watchlist.
In Baxter County, the Observer has continued its coverage of the Jaclyn Barnett and Daniel Wright child abuse case. That case exposed critical failures within the Department of Human Services, an agency that was supposed to protect the children involved and didn’t. Barnett and Wright face trial in May. The Observer’s reporting contributed to legislative attention on DHS transparency, but meaningful reform has yet to materialize.
These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a system that routinely fails the most vulnerable people in our community.
What I’m hearing from you
What frustrates me most is not the work itself. It’s watching how slowly the wheels of justice turn for the victims involved.
Their perpetrators get near-instant gratification in the sick things they do. Then, in most cases, they get to walk around on bail and play footsie with the courts while their victims wait years for even a semblance of closure. If that closure ever comes at all.
I know many of you share that frustration. I’ve received countless emails and messages over the past several weeks, and the anger in them is unmistakable.
People are angry at the courts for allowing these cases to drag on while defendants walk free. People are angry at the Department of Human Services for failing the children it exists to protect. People are angry at law enforcement for ignoring warnings that could have prevented harm. And people are angry at the State Legislature for its failure to act when the evidence of systemic breakdown is staring them in the face.
Many of you are scared for your own children. I understand that fear in a way I wish I didn’t.
Many of you have shared stories about children you knew personally. Children who were also failed by these same systems. I’ve read every one of those messages. They are not lost on me.
What you can do
The question I get asked most often is simple. How can this change?
I can get the ball rolling. I can shine a light. But it is nearly impossible for one newsroom to move the needle alone.
If you want change, demand it. Contact your elected officials. Contact your local law enforcement leaders. Contact your state representatives. Tell them what you’ve read. Tell them what you’ve lived. Tell them it’s not enough.
Make phone calls. Write letters. Show up to public meetings. Do not let these stories fade into the background once the news cycle moves on. The people in power need to hear from you directly, and they need to hear from you often.
Not going away
These issues are not going away. And neither are we.
When I return to the office, the investigation series will continue. There is more to write about. We have only scratched the surface on the underbelly of what goes on in the dark regarding children in our part of the Ozarks.
Until then, I wish everyone the best. Keep your chin up. And be sure to pray for the victims.
Chris Fulton
Owner / Publisher
