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Dave Bondy@davebondy

May 20, 2025

‘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.”

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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.

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“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

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Dave Bondy@davebondy

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Saginaw, Michigan public library holding a "family friendly" drag queen reading to children. Many people have messaged me upset about this. What's your take?

Dave Bondy@davebondy

52 minutes ago

News they don't want you to see

Tuesday June 10, 2025

COVID Lawsuit Alleges Hospital Gave Lethal Overdose

MILWAUKEE, WI - The first week of the landmark Schara v. Ascension Health ended with a full day of testimony by the prosecution’s expert witness, Gilbert Berdine, MD. Scott Schara is suing the hospital and several healthcare practitioners in a wrongful death lawsuit centered on his daughter, Grace.

He called Scott’s eviction from Grace’s hospital room “shameful,” as he was her only patient advocate at the time – a role she needed filled as she had Down syndrome. He named multiple breaches of informed consent on the part of the hospital and said they were “indefensible.” He accused providers of administering dangerous medications to their patient that resulted in her death. After enduring two life-threatening overdose events several days earlier, she was administered ever higher doses of Precedex on October 13, 2021. “Insane” was the word he used to describe that situation. Click here to read more.

‘Just A Bunch Of People Having Fun Watching Cars Burn’: ABC News On L.A. Anti-ICE Riots

LOS ANGELES, CALIF - A news reporter at Los Angeles’ ABC News affiliate, speaking over video footage of riots where leftists were burning cars to protest Trump administration immigration policies, described the situation to viewers as “just a bunch of people having fun watching cars burn.”

The ABC 7 reporter made the comments while declaring, “It could turn very volatile if you move law enforcement in there and turn what is just a bunch of people having fun watching cars burn into a massive confrontation and altercation between officers and demonstrators.”

Meanwhile, on Monday, after a weekend of rioting, the usual suspects in the media either offered their support for illegal immigrants or attacked the Trump administration for getting involved in the incendiary situation. Click here to read more.

Sean Diddy Combs' ex-girlfriend continues testimony about drug-fueled 'hotel nights'

NEW YORK (TNND) — Another one of Sean "Diddy" Combs' ex-girlfriends, using the pseudonym "Jane," will continue her testimony on Monday about their drug-fueled sexual performances called "hotel nights."

During her second day of testimony on Friday, she told prosecutors that she mentioned to Combs she wanted them to stop.

Jane read a message she sent to Combs, expressing she no longer wanted to do "hotel nights."

“Ever since I opened Pandora’s box, I’ve never been able to close it," she read in court. Jurors also heard audio from a video recording where Jane asked a man participating in a "hotel night" to wear a condom. Combs could then be heard intervening.

The jury was also shown 15 photos of Jane and another man during a "hotel night." She testified that she would often suffer injuries and develop infections. Click here to read more.

1-month-old baby dies, mom hospitalized after being reported missing

WASHINGTON, Conn. – A 1-month-old baby died and his mother was hospitalized with serious injuries after they were reported missing in Connecticut.

According to Connecticut State Police, 27-year-old Sadie Fleming and her son Hudson were reported missing Sunday morning.

A Silver Alert was sent out.

Authorities said Fleming was last seen leaving her home with her baby sometime between midnight and 7 a.m. on Sunday.

They responded to her home on Brinsmade Road in Washington, Connecticut.

Around 5:45 p.m. the same day, both mother and son were found.

Police said Fleming was found on a wooded road in Washington. She was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries.

Hudson was found nearby in the woods, state police said. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Click here to read more.

‘Our hearts are heavy': Wife of Dodgers player recounts fallen Calif. officer’s kind gesture

LOS ANGELES — Tears flowed from Freddie Freeman as he sat in a Dodger Stadium interview room Aug. 5 and described the arduous recovery his 3-year-old son Max was making from a rare neurological condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves.

Max had returned home from a five-night stay at Children’s Hospital Orange County, and Freeman was back in the Dodgers lineup after missing eight games to be with his family during the ordeal.

Two months later, the Dodgers were playing host to the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series . A police officer approached Freeman’s wife, Chelsea, to ask how Max was doing.

The officer, Samuel Riveros of the Baldwin Park Police Department, smiled and handed her a police patch to give to Max. Click here to read more.

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Dave Bondy@davebondy

18 hours ago

Wuhan Researcher Arrested in Detroit for Smuggling Biological Materials to University of Michigan

Federal officials say case highlights national security risks tied to foreign academic collaborations

DETROIT – A Chinese national studying in Wuhan has been arrested and charged with smuggling biological materials into the United States and making false statements to federal officers, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced Monday.

Chengxuan Han, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was taken into custody at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8. According to a federal complaint, Han is a Ph.D. student at the College of Life Science and Technology at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, PRC.

Federal investigators allege Han mailed four packages from China in 2024 and 2025 to individuals associated with a University of Michigan laboratory. These packages reportedly contained concealed biological material related to roundworms.

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Upon arrival in the U.S. on a J-1 visa, Han was interviewed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and allegedly lied about the nature of the packages and the materials she had shipped. Authorities say they discovered that Han had deleted data from her electronic device three days before entering the country. During a subsequent interview with the FBI, Han admitted to sending the materials and providing false information to CBP agents.

U.S. Attorney Gorgon called the incident part of a broader concern. “The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China—to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory—is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security,” he said. “The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions.”

CBP Acting Director of Field Operations John Nowak added, “The guidelines for importing biological materials into the U.S. for research purposes are stringent, but clear. Actions like this undermine the legitimate work of other visiting scholars.”

Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, said the case highlights cross-agency collaboration. “This case should serve as a reminder that multiple law enforcement agencies are working around the clock to provide for our shared national security from malicious foreign actors,” he said.

Han is scheduled to appear in federal court in Detroit Monday afternoon. The FBI, CBP, and HSI are continuing their investigation.

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Dave Bondy@davebondy

19 hours ago

Nationwide Anti-Trump Protests Planned for Sat. June 14.

Protests are called the "NO KINGS" protest

Groups across the country are planning protests called “NO KINGS.” The events are being organized by progressive activists. They say they are pushing back against what they call threats to democracy. Many blame President Donald Trump and his supporters.

The group says they are non-violent but are calling for people to “Rise Up.”

Events are happening in cities big and small nationwide. Organizers are holding rallies, training sessions, and public marches. They want people to speak out and get involved. Critics say the protests are one-sided and meant to stir up division.

Every dot on the map below is a planned protest. Click here to learn if a protest is happening in your community.

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These planned protests come as riots continue in Los Angeles.

Riots have broken out in Los Angeles over the past few days following federal immigration raids. Protesters gathered in places like the Fashion District and Compton, clashing with law enforcement. Some demonstrators threw objects, set vehicles on fire, and damaged property. Police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades. At least 60 people have been arrested, and some reporters were injured during the chaos.

President Trump sent about 2,000 National Guard troops. Their presence has drawn strong backlash, with Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass calling the move unconstitutional. Lawsuits have been filed against the federal government. Officials say the deployment is only making tensions worse.

So who is behind the protests scheduled for June 14th?

A coalition of over 100 pro-democracy and progressive grassroots groups—most notably Indivisible and the 50501 movement are behind the planned June 14th protests.

One of ther partners of the protests is the American Federation of Teachers led by Rande Weingarten.

These protests come on the same day as President Trump will hold a military parade in Washington, D.C. on June 14. It’s also flag day in the United States.

The “No Kings” website has a disclaimer saying they believe in nonviolence.

The group also says on it’s website they will be documenting misconduct by law enforcement and others during the protests.

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