Dave Bondy
Politics • Culture • News
This is a place where you can get unbiased, no narrative, keeping it real content.
Interested? Want to learn more about the community?
‘They Failed My Son’: Michigan Mother Says CPS, Law Enforcement Ignored Red Flags Before 6-Year-Old’s Murder

Caledonia, Mich. — In an emotional plea before lawmakers, Brandi Morey-Pols shared how she tried in vain to save her 6-year-old son, Rowan, from the man she says was visibly spiraling. Instead, she said, every system designed to protect children — law enforcement, Child Protective Services (CPS), and the courts — failed catastrophically.

Rowan was found murdered in a suspected murder-suicide involving his father, Michael Winchell, in August 2023. Days before Rowan’s 7th birthday, deputies from the Isabella County Sheriff’s Office discovered his lifeless body after repeated pleas from his mother went unanswered for more than two days.

“I experienced a life-altering event nine months ago today,” Morey-Pols told lawmakers. “Since that moment, I have wondered what excuse a mother should accept when her child has been missing for 52 hours.”

I am dedicatd to telling the stories the mainstream media won’t dig into. Support my independent journalism, if you don’t already, by becoming a paid subscriber. $6 a month, you can leave at anytime. Help me to keep doing this work.

Instead of answers, Morey-Pols said she was met with apathy. “It’s a civil matter,” she recalled being told by multiple deputies. “We’ve done two wellness checks…we can’t do an Amber Alert because it’s a custody matter.” One sheriff even reportedly yelled at a dispatcher, frustrated that she kept calling. “Do you want to talk to my supervisor? Shut up. I’m sure he’s fine,” the mother recalled the deputy saying.

Rowan was not fine.

According to Isabella County investigators and reporting from WWMT and 9&10 News, deputies believe Rowan was killed by his father, who then took his own life. Brandi Morey-Pols said that it wasn’t even Isabella County law enforcement who delivered the news — Kent County sheriffs did.

“They weren’t even the ones that found my son,” she said. “They sent Kent County sheriffs to deliver their bad news.”

‘I Told Them. Over and Over Again.’
Morey-Pols testified that Judge Eric Jaynes, the same judge who signed the original custody order in 2020, denied her emergency motion to get Rowan back even after she presented evidence that the child was still alive. “Why did I need another motion for him to sign when he signed our original order?” she asked. “And he denied it.”

But it wasn’t just the court. According to Morey-Pols, CPS caseworkers dismissed her reports of neglect and abuse. The child’s father, she said, shaved Rowan’s head bald repeatedly — sometimes before family events and milestones — and denied the boy food and access to preschool. Rowan allegedly told his mother he lived off toast and that his father slept all day.

This is just the beginning when it comes to telling the stories about CPS in Michigan and across the country. Subscribe to my newsletter if you don’t already.

“He started self-harming,” Morey-Pols said. “He threw his head into a metal table at dinner. He bruised himself at the pool. I was beside myself.”

Still, CPS closed the case, reportedly telling her that there was “nothing there.” One caseworker allegedly told her, “He can take care of his hygiene the way he sees fit on his parenting time.”

Morey-Pols was incredulous. “If he was a little girl getting his head shaved, you’d care,” she remembered saying. “And she closed it anyway.”

A System That ‘Did Nothing’
The mother testified that despite repeated calls to law enforcement, probation officers, CPS, and court referees, no one intervened — even after she warned them that her ex, a convicted felon, had weapons and was abusing prescription drugs.

“He was a felon who hit two cars doing 120 miles per hour and blew a .39. He broke his back and hip and suffered a head injury. After that, he was on Vicodin, Norco, morphine, and fentanyl,” Morey-Pols said.

She believes this was key information that CPS ignored. “I told CPS. I told Foxx (the court referee). I told Isabella County sheriffs. He was on drugs,” she said. “They did nothing.”

When deputies finally responded, the damage was done. Rowan was dead. “They had to cut into the little body I made,” she said, sobbing. “They didn’t even reach out to us. We got the autopsy report from a friend who called in a favor.”

‘No Faith Left’
After the tragedy, Morey-Pols said not a single person from CPS or the courts reached out to her — only sheriff’s deputies on the day of the death. And to this day, Judge Jaynes remains on the bench.

“There should be no wait time for children,” she said. “Eliminate that completely. And bypass the judge.”

She is now pushing for “Rowan’s Act,” a legislative reform package she hopes will force courts, law enforcement, and CPS to take high-conflict custody cases more seriously. Her suggestions include:

Mandatory mental health evaluations for both parents in contested custody cases.

Oversight of prescription drug use, particularly opioids and mood-altering medications.

Mandatory parental communication apps.

Stronger consequences for ignoring signs of emotional abuse.

“There’s not enough emphasis on mental and emotional abuse — but it almost always leads to physical abuse and death,” she warned.

A Voice for Rowan
Brandi Morey-Pols described Rowan as bright and bubbly, someone who needed “mommy’s back tickles to fall asleep” and who loved to name the moles on his body with his mother.

“I only remembered a few,” she said. “But he didn’t know that — he’d always ask, ‘What’s this one’s name?’ And I’d make one up.”

Now, Rowan’s voice is gone. But his mother’s remains.

“I did everything I was supposed to do,” she said. “And they still failed him.”

00:31:43
Interested? Want to learn more about the community?
What else you may like…
Videos
Posts
Articles
September 25, 2025
School board bans clapping....seriously

ALPENA, Mich. — A new rule banning applause and other displays of emotion at Alpena Public Schools board meetings has sparked pushback from community members who say the policy infringes on their free speech rights.

The board recently adopted a policy prohibiting clapping, cheering, booing, or any demonstrations from audience members during meetings. Board President Eric Lawson said the restriction is meant to prevent disruptions and maintain order.

“We’re doing our best to show respect to you all and make sure you have adequate time for your comments,” Lawson said during a recent meeting. “Please show the board a little respect as well.”

Not everyone in attendance agreed. Several residents voiced frustration, including one woman who argued that clapping constitutes symbolic speech protected under the First Amendment.

“Clapping is a universal symbolic action that typically expresses approval,” she said. “Up until one week ago, clapping was a regular occurrence at these ...

00:02:38
September 22, 2025
Tensions flare at the Grand Ledge, Michigan school board meeting as parents clash over whether a teacher should be fired for a social media post about Charlie Kirk. Some demanded his removal, while others defended his right to speak out.

Tensions flare at the Grand Ledge, Michigan school board meeting as parents clash over whether a teacher should be fired for a social media post about Charlie Kirk. Some demanded his removal, while others defended his right to speak out.

00:01:43
September 15, 2025
The chants of “Charlie, Charlie” were echoed by a huge crowd during a vigil at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. charliekirk charliekirkvigil

The chants of “Charlie, Charlie” were echoed by a huge crowd during a vigil at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. #charliekirk #charliekirkvigil

00:00:15
September 23, 2025
Want to help keep this show going?

Become a paid supporter. I can't keep doing this without you.

September 22, 2025
President Trump on Tylenol "Don't take it"

President Trump on Tylenol "Don't take it"

September 22, 2025
BREAKING: Disney just announced Jimmy Kimmel’s show returns tomorrow.

BREAKING: Disney just announced Jimmy Kimmel’s show returns tomorrow.

post photo preview
News they don't want you to see
Friday October 10, 2025

If you are in Michigan and need a furnace tune-up make sure you call Bigfoot Pro Services. I only trust them. Use code PRESEASON when you call 810-510-3668.

 
 
 

Whistleblower Claims MEDC Overlooked Her Concerns About Taxpayer-funded Grant to Whitmer Donor

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s top economic development official and close ally of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ignored a whistleblower’s warning about a taxpayer funded $20 million grant since the recipient was his “personal friend.”

A 30-page affidavit revealed the conversation between the whistleblower and Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) CEO Quentin Messer. That’s when the whistleblower said she “realized nothing was going to get done about the appropriation” after hearing those words from Messer.

The revelation is the latest in a scandal that’s encompassed Gov. Whitmer, the MEDC, and Democratic donor and MEDC committee member Fay Beydoun.

The affidavit served as the basis for a slew of warrants issued in June that lead to a search of the MEDC’s downtown Lansing office and Beydoun’s home in Farmington Hills. The searches are part of an ongoing embezzlement investigation into a grant Whitmer pressured the Legislature three years ago to direct to Beydoun’s nonprofit, Global Link International. Click here to read more.

 

Turning Point USA counters Super Bowl halftime over Bad Bunny uproar

Turning Point USA, the grassroots conservative political action network founded by the late activist Charlie Kirk, is planning a Super Bowl halftime show with the goal of competing with the official show featuring Bad Bunny and sponsored by Apple Music.

“The All-American Halftime Show” will take place on Super Bowl Sunday, during the big game on Feb. 8. A website for the event gave few other details about Turning Point’s plans, but indicated more information about performers and how the concert will be broadcast would be forthcoming.

A survey on the site asks respondents to select from a number of genres they’d like to hear during the show, including country, hip-hop, rock or “anything in English.” Click here to read more.

https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2ea9316-1358-4bd7-97b5-7a04f92a0b2a_1100x100.png
 

State Department Fires Foreign Service Officer in Secret Relationship With Chinese Communist

President Donald Trump’s State Department has fired a foreign service officer who admitted to hiding a relationship with a woman who had known ties to the Chinese Communist Party, the department confirmed to The Daily Signal.

Investigative journalist James O’Keefe uncovered that Foreign Service Officer Daniel Choi admitted on a hidden camera to hiding his relationship with the daughter of a senior Chinese Communist Party official.

“This termination is consistent with the executive order signed by President Trump affirming both his constitutional authority over our foreign policy and the State Department’s responsibility to carry out his directives,” Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesperson at the State Department, said in a statement shared with The Daily Signal. “Under Marco Rubio’s leadership, we will maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any employee who is caught undermining our country’s national security.” Click here to read more.

 

New Episode Drops In Katie Porter Drama: Staffer Takes Verbal Abuse For Being ‘In My Shot’

Former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) is fighting off a wave of self-made crises, the most recent of which features a video obtained by Politico in which she can be seen swearing at and berating one of her staffers for appearing in her shot while she recorded a video meeting with then Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

Porter, who pivoted from her Senate loss to Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) to a run for the governorship of California when Governor Gain Newsom (D-CA) terms out in a year, paused her meeting with Granholm to tell the unnamed staffer to “get out of my f***ing shot!”

Porter was speaking with Granholm about how much money Americans could save if they made the switch to electric vehicles when one of her staffers walked into the shot behind her. Her tone changed mid-sentence as she began scolding the staffer. Click here to read more.

 

A brief case for electricity choice. Turns out, free market competition benefits customers

Michigan’s electricity is among of the most expensive and least reliable in the country, and ratepayers have no option to take their business elsewhere. The monopoly over electricity sales that investor-owned utilities are given by the state is a key reason for this sorry state of affairs.

Consumers Energy, DTE, Upper Peninsula Power Company, and Indiana Michigan Power Company are just a few of the electric utilities that enjoy insulation from market competition. State-granted monopoly power allows them to charge rates as high as the Michigan Public Service Commission will allow.

Their monopoly is limited to 90% of the market, allowing the remaining consumers to choose from a selection of alternative suppliers. The results speak for themselves; the waiting list to get into this market has more customers in it than the market itself.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

From 2002 to 2008, Michigan enjoyed electricity choice; purchasers of electricity were true customers, selecting from a variety of electricity generators in a comparatively free market. Prices in Michigan were lower during most of that period than prices in other states in the Great Lakes region, and in the country as a whole. Click here to read more.

Read full Article
October 09, 2025
News they don't want you to see
Thurdsay October 9, 2025

Make sure you get the Substack APP so you can watch my live shows on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Click red button below.

Subscribe now

 
 

Michigan drops $1M so company can move six miles

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation, an organization that offers taxpayer subsidies to select companies, has awarded $1 million to a Grand Rapids insurance company through the Michigan Business Development Program.

Giving $1 million to OVD Insurance will generate at least $12 million in capital investment and create 131 jobs, the MEDC said in a press release.

OVD Insurance, founded in 1982, is currently based in a nearby suburb, but it purchased a seven-story building in downtown Grand Rapids.

“OVD Insurance is required to create at least 131 jobs over the next three years,” Danielle Emerson, public relations manager at the state economic development agency, told Michigan Capitol Confidential in an email, citing an agreement between the MEDC and the company.

OVD plans to use the state grant on the building, Josh Van Vels, company president, told CapCon during a telephone interview. Click here to read more.

 

Kentucky sues Roblox for alleged lack of child safety measures

HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — Kentucky sued the developer of Roblox, the online game, on Monday for allegedly choosing to not create safety measures for young players.

The state accused Roblox Corporation of deciding against using safety controls to protect children from potential sex offenders. The developer also chooses to not warn parents of child users of possible dangers in the game, Kentucky claimed.

“Using the authority of the attorney general’s office and the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act, we’re gonna compel them to change their ways,” Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced during a press conference, referring to an act against “unfair” and “deceptive” business activities.

“We’ll push ahead with all possible speed. At this very moment, there are kids in this commonwealth who are on Roblox and could be falling into the grasp of a predator or seeing things they can’t unsee.”

A spokesperson for Roblox said in a statement to The National News Desk that the lawsuit is based on information that’s outdated and taken out of context. Click here to read more.

https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2ea9316-1358-4bd7-97b5-7a04f92a0b2a_1100x100.png

Single mother gets $16,067 bill after Whitmer unemployment debacle: ‘Thought of owing my state for the rest of my life makes me sick’

Across the state, more than 350,000 Michiganders are facing steep bills from the Michigan Unemployment Agency to fix mistakes made by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration during the pandemic.

“The thought of owing my state for the rest of my life makes me sick,” Amanda Doubblestien, a single mother of three from White Cloud who was hit with a bill for $16,067, told MLive.

The 42-year-old was forced to apply for unemployment for the first time when Whitmer shut down her home cleaning business, and it’s been a nightmare ever since.

Doubblestien received a letter from the UIA in March 2020 claiming “misrepresentation” in her application, but officials later determined she had “not overpaid, and restitution is no longer required.”

The UIA reversed that decision a year later and demanded the money back.

MLive reported that Doubblestien received two letters from the UIA, one claiming she was eligible for benefits and another claiming she wasn’t.

Doubblestien tried to contact the UIA for clarification, but it was no use.

“It’s so confusing,” she told the news site. “It seems so wrong.”

“I submitted everything that I was supposed to. I was reporting all my income. I did everything that they asked of me,” Doubblestien said. Click here to read more.

 

Man with Hundreds of Explosives, Leftist Manifesto Arrested Outside of Supreme Court Church Event

Police in Washington, D.C. arrested a man on Sunday who was found with hundreds of explosive devices outside the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, which was holding a Mass in honor of the Supreme Court.

Police arrested 41-year-old Louis Geri, of Arizona and New Jersey, while the church held its annual “Red Mass,” an event where a cardinal prays for the Supreme Court as it begins its new term, The Daily Wire reported. Justices have historically attended the event, but none were in attendance on Oct. 5 because of security concerns.

Police encountered Geri as they were attempting to clear and secure the area for the Supreme Court event, according to an affidavit. Geri was in a green tent on the steps of the church at the time and allegedly told police, “You might want to stay back and call the federales, I have explosives.” Click here to read more.

 

ICE Nabs Illegal Immigrant Gang Member Who Fled California After Murder Only To Kill Another In Texas

An illegal immigrant gang member on the run for allegedly killing a man in California went on to kill a woman in Texas before Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were able to apprehend him, The Daily Wire has learned.

Cambodian citizen Savin Seng, 41, is wanted in California for allegedly murdering 20-year-old Gabriel Isiguzo outside a North Hills strip club in 2022, according to ICE. Authorities said the killing was “unprovoked,” while reports at the time suggested the shooting stemmed from an argument over a handicapped spot outside the club.

Seng then went on to allegedly kill 47-year-old Charminy Lewis in Victoria, Texas, on Friday, authorities said. He was later caught by the Victoria County Sheriff’s Department while walking down the highway with a loaded pistol.

Seng, who goes by the moniker “Two-Face,” admitted to authorities that he’s a member of the Asian Boyz gang and said that he desired to return to his home country, according to court documents. When asked how he obtained a firearm, Seng told officers “that he wasn’t a snitch” and that the “gun fell from the sky and he picked it up.”

“For the second time in three years, this violent criminal alien gang member has allegedly murdered someone and then attempted to flee from authorities,” Homeland Security Investigations Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire.

Read full Article
October 09, 2025
News they don't want you to see
Thurdsay October 9, 2025

Make sure you get the Substack APP so you can watch my live shows on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Click red button below.

Subscribe now

 
 

Michigan drops $1M so company can move six miles

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation, an organization that offers taxpayer subsidies to select companies, has awarded $1 million to a Grand Rapids insurance company through the Michigan Business Development Program.

Giving $1 million to OVD Insurance will generate at least $12 million in capital investment and create 131 jobs, the MEDC said in a press release.

OVD Insurance, founded in 1982, is currently based in a nearby suburb, but it purchased a seven-story building in downtown Grand Rapids.

“OVD Insurance is required to create at least 131 jobs over the next three years,” Danielle Emerson, public relations manager at the state economic development agency, told Michigan Capitol Confidential in an email, citing an agreement between the MEDC and the company.

OVD plans to use the state grant on the building, Josh Van Vels, company president, told CapCon during a telephone interview. Click here to read more.

 

Kentucky sues Roblox for alleged lack of child safety measures

HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — Kentucky sued the developer of Roblox, the online game, on Monday for allegedly choosing to not create safety measures for young players.

The state accused Roblox Corporation of deciding against using safety controls to protect children from potential sex offenders. The developer also chooses to not warn parents of child users of possible dangers in the game, Kentucky claimed.

“Using the authority of the attorney general’s office and the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act, we’re gonna compel them to change their ways,” Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced during a press conference, referring to an act against “unfair” and “deceptive” business activities.

“We’ll push ahead with all possible speed. At this very moment, there are kids in this commonwealth who are on Roblox and could be falling into the grasp of a predator or seeing things they can’t unsee.”

A spokesperson for Roblox said in a statement to The National News Desk that the lawsuit is based on information that’s outdated and taken out of context. Click here to read more.

https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2ea9316-1358-4bd7-97b5-7a04f92a0b2a_1100x100.png

Single mother gets $16,067 bill after Whitmer unemployment debacle: ‘Thought of owing my state for the rest of my life makes me sick’

Across the state, more than 350,000 Michiganders are facing steep bills from the Michigan Unemployment Agency to fix mistakes made by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration during the pandemic.

“The thought of owing my state for the rest of my life makes me sick,” Amanda Doubblestien, a single mother of three from White Cloud who was hit with a bill for $16,067, told MLive.

The 42-year-old was forced to apply for unemployment for the first time when Whitmer shut down her home cleaning business, and it’s been a nightmare ever since.

Doubblestien received a letter from the UIA in March 2020 claiming “misrepresentation” in her application, but officials later determined she had “not overpaid, and restitution is no longer required.”

The UIA reversed that decision a year later and demanded the money back.

MLive reported that Doubblestien received two letters from the UIA, one claiming she was eligible for benefits and another claiming she wasn’t.

Doubblestien tried to contact the UIA for clarification, but it was no use.

“It’s so confusing,” she told the news site. “It seems so wrong.”

“I submitted everything that I was supposed to. I was reporting all my income. I did everything that they asked of me,” Doubblestien said. Click here to read more.

 

Man with Hundreds of Explosives, Leftist Manifesto Arrested Outside of Supreme Court Church Event

Police in Washington, D.C. arrested a man on Sunday who was found with hundreds of explosive devices outside the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, which was holding a Mass in honor of the Supreme Court.

Police arrested 41-year-old Louis Geri, of Arizona and New Jersey, while the church held its annual “Red Mass,” an event where a cardinal prays for the Supreme Court as it begins its new term, The Daily Wire reported. Justices have historically attended the event, but none were in attendance on Oct. 5 because of security concerns.

Police encountered Geri as they were attempting to clear and secure the area for the Supreme Court event, according to an affidavit. Geri was in a green tent on the steps of the church at the time and allegedly told police, “You might want to stay back and call the federales, I have explosives.” Click here to read more.

 

ICE Nabs Illegal Immigrant Gang Member Who Fled California After Murder Only To Kill Another In Texas

An illegal immigrant gang member on the run for allegedly killing a man in California went on to kill a woman in Texas before Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were able to apprehend him, The Daily Wire has learned.

Cambodian citizen Savin Seng, 41, is wanted in California for allegedly murdering 20-year-old Gabriel Isiguzo outside a North Hills strip club in 2022, according to ICE. Authorities said the killing was “unprovoked,” while reports at the time suggested the shooting stemmed from an argument over a handicapped spot outside the club.

Seng then went on to allegedly kill 47-year-old Charminy Lewis in Victoria, Texas, on Friday, authorities said. He was later caught by the Victoria County Sheriff’s Department while walking down the highway with a loaded pistol.

Seng, who goes by the moniker “Two-Face,” admitted to authorities that he’s a member of the Asian Boyz gang and said that he desired to return to his home country, according to court documents. When asked how he obtained a firearm, Seng told officers “that he wasn’t a snitch” and that the “gun fell from the sky and he picked it up.”

“For the second time in three years, this violent criminal alien gang member has allegedly murdered someone and then attempted to flee from authorities,” Homeland Security Investigations Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire.

Read full Article
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals