By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – It was a month ago the Lewis County coroner initiated a civil action, asking a judge to decide which funeral home he can call to pick up the body of a toddler – who died last autumn – from the coroner’s office.
Coroner Warren McLeod felt he was at an impasse because the unmarried parents of 3-year-old Jasper Henderling-Warner couldn’t agree about which mortuary should cremate the child.
Jasper Henderling-Warner
McLeod yesterday said he’s still waiting, but now it’s for the court system.
“It’s keeping me awake at night,” McLeod said yesterday.
Jasper is the subject of a homicide case, and from his death on October 5 until the end of January, McLeod was not allowed to release his body. The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office had issued a hold order in case lawyers for the accused wanted to get a second autopsy.
Jasper died from what the coroner called chronic battered child syndrome. The Vader couple who were caring for him, Danny and Brenda Wing, remain jailed pending a trial in May.
McLeod hoped the request for a declaratory judgement filed Feb. 11 in Lewis County Superior Court would help move the process along, so Jasper could be laid to rest.
The hope was each parent would be served quickly with a summons and complaint, and respond within the 20 days allowed. And then a judge would hold a hearing and make them agree or make a decision.
However, McLeod yesterday said he learned the legal documents were served by the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office not upon the father, Casey Henderling, but upon Henderling’s roommate in Longview. McLeod said he called Henderling’s phone number on Monday, and was told he no longer lived there.
The mother, Nikki Warner, has been calling his office repeatedly, McLeod said.
But it turns out the Clark County Sheriff’s Office is four to six weeks behind getting documents served. It could be another two to three weeks before they get the court papers to Warner who lives in the Vancouver area, he said.
Meanwhile, Jasper’s body continues to be stored at the Lewis County Corner’s Office in Chehalis.
Jasper’s parents do agree they want to split the ashes following cremation, according to McLeod.
He said he realized in December Henderling and Warner didn’t agree on where Japer’s body would be taken care of, and tried to help them resolve the differences. A no-contact order prevents the parents from communication with each other, according to the court documents.
On Jan. 28, McLeod was freed from the prosecutor’s hold on the body, and tried for two weeks to get unified direction from the parents before filing the civil action on Feb. 11.
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For background, read “Toddler’s body lingers at morgue more than four months” from Thursday February 19, 2015, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
What about the Gofundme that the mom had set up and profited from while not doing a damn thing for Jasper?
Piss on her.
I am sure whatever judge gears this case is not going to be very happy with either parent. I read in one of the articles that they had originally agreed on one mortuary for cremation and it was even paid for. Then one changed their minds.
Poor Jasper is still being victimized by these two selfish parents. Grow up, put aside whatever differences for ten minutes and bury your murdered child!
Why have this poor child sitting in this morgue, im pretty sure he should be cremated and split in two and then its up to the parents to either cone get his remains this is not even consideration period…. Hope the courts,just allow the coroner to do what he shall and leave it to the parents to deal with his remains prayers
That is supposed to be considered by either prior not conspired…sorry
Roxy that is the most frustrating part of all of this. The law gives the parents the sole rights to make the final decision. They cannot agree on a mortuary even though they agree on cremation and splitting the ashes. If the county were to release to one mortuary and give the parents the ashes they could be sued for not releasing to the mortuary of a parent’s choice.
I looked at the law and the only way a parent cannot have the say on final disposition is if they are charged with that persons death which neither parents are.
The Coroner is not the only one losing sleep over this.
This would have been resolved by now if Clark County could get the mother served quicker than 6 weeks. This poor little guy needs to be put to rest. Shame on both parents for putting stupid pride ahead of the needs of their child. Of course we would not even be in this situation if the needs of the child were ever conspired by either of them prior.
These “parents” should not have any say about anything that has to do with that poor boy they are awful people who brought a beautiful boy into this world only to put him in a horrible place without a chance and no one to love and protect him and they are free while he still is alone I don’t understand why this little boy has not been laid to rest it’s not awful enough they are still putting what’s important for him last
Good lord! What is WITH the law enforcement personnel in Cowlitz and Clark counties? Are they totally unaware that a three-year-old boy’s corpse has been lying in a morgue for five months because of this case?
“To Protect and Serve”…yeah, right.