What was happening in the house off Springhill Church Road could have been stopped sooner.
Well before his arrest on a child cruelty charge, before Burke County authorities found his 11 children living in squalor in July and placed all but one of them in state custody, Jeremy Long got a visit from the FBI.
The bureau did a welfare check of sorts on the family after Mr. Long's father, George Long, called the Augusta office from Louisiana, saying he hadn't heard from his son, his daughter-in-law or his grandchildren in years and was concerned for their well-being, according to the elder Mr. Long and Burke County Sheriff Greg Coursey's account of a conversation with his son.
An agent went to the house, spoke to Mr. Long, then reported to his father that he was fine. When this occurred is unclear; Mr. Long said it could have been "several years ago."
"We didn't know if they'd all been killed," he said.
That wasn't the only time someone with a badge went to the doorstep. In the months leading up to the discovery, Burke County sheriff's deputies went there twice when neighbors complained that the children were tampering with their mail.
The deputies knocked on the door of the dilapidated brick house surrounded by "keep out" signs but left when no one answered, according to incident reports and Sheriff Coursey. In hindsight, the sheriff said, more should have been done.
Charles Jackson, the chairman of the Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Special Education at Augusta State University's College of Education, said the Longs lived in third-world conditions, not something he'd expect to find in the United States. He said he wants to know why the FBI and the deputies left the house without doing more, why what they saw didn't raise flags.
"We are talking about children," Dr. Jackson said. "At the very least, I wonder why they didn't contact social services."
Though his memory was vague on specifics, George Long said that during the search for his son he contacted multiple police agencies in the two-state area around Blythe -- the last place he knew of Jeremy and his wife, Christine, living -- along with either Burke County's or Richmond County's Department of Family and Children Services.
At some point, he found help at the FBI. Mr. Long said an agent whose name he didn't recall told him he'd find his son, but by law couldn't say where he was.
The agent later called and said his son was fine and that he'd told him to call his parents. He never did, Mr. Long said.
Sheriff Coursey said Jeremy Long, now being held in his jail, recounted the visit from the FBI to him. He said, according to the sheriff, that an agent came to the door and told him he needed to see him and make sure everyone was OK.
Anthony Russo, the Augusta FBI office's supervisory senior resident agent, wouldn't confirm or answer questions about the visit.
"I can't blame any of the officials we went to for help," George Long said, "because the ultimate responsibility is with Jeremy."
In April, a family living across the road from the Longs told sheriff's Cpl. Willie Burley that neighborhood children were opening their mail, which is delivered to three mailboxes on the Longs' side. An incident report states that a cell phone had been left in one box, and in another instance they found a stick in the ground with a $1 bill taped to it, the significance of which no one could say.
One of the neighbors, Rhonda Holshouser, said she received angry letters from a creditor because someone had written "return to sender" on bills, then put them back in the mail. The family was also concerned because the Veterans Affairs Department sends medications to her father.
In May, the family summoned the sheriff's office again and told Deputy Louise Graydon that the mailboxes were empty after the carrier said she had delivered a bundle that day. That time, Burke County Magistrate Judge Curtis St. Germaine, who is running against Sheriff Coursey this year, was present.
Judge St. Germaine said that while he was campaigning in the area, a man who lives across the street from the Longs told him about the children in the house and the problems they were causing. He said he'd known Jeremy Long for years -- he was a customer at a convenience store the judge once owned nearby on Farmers Bridge Road -- but he didn't know he had a wife and children living with him.
The judge said he was there when the deputy went to the door. No one seemed to be home. He acknowledged he didn't follow up with social services either.
"I just took for granted that the sheriff's department was going to take care of it," Judge St. Germaine said.
Sheriff Coursey, who's now among community members helping Mrs. Long and her children reintegrate into society, said he wasn't aware of the family living in Hephzibah until the discovery July 31. He told members of the news media that day that he didn't understand how the Longs slipped through the cracks or how society allowed it.
Burke is a big county, he said in a recent interview with The Augusta Chronicle , and he has limited manpower and his deputies can't check every house. The sheriff said the situation with the Longs should make everyone more cognizant about being "our brother's keeper," his deputies included.
"Maybe we all learned something from it," Sheriff Coursey said. "To be more on the lookout."
CHILDREN'S CARE
Ten of the 11 Long children are in five different foster homes. The oldest, an 18-year-old girl, lives with her mother in a rental home.
All of the school-age children now attend Burke County public schools. The children have supervised visits with their mother once every two weeks for an hour. Weekly visits stopped because of the difficult logistics of getting them all together in one place.
Birth certificates show all 11 were born at Augusta hospitals.
At the time of the discovery, their genders and ages were as follows:
GIRLS: 18, 17, 16, 13, 4, 2
BOYS: 14, 12, 8, 5 or 6, 10 months
Source: Burke County Sheriff Greg Coursey
WHY JEREMY LONG WAS ARRESTED
A transcript of an Aug. 27 preliminary hearing reveals the reasoning behind the criminal charge against Jeremy Long.
WHY HE'S CHARGED : Prosecutor Hank Simms asked Burke County sheriff's Capt. Frankie Parker what separated this situation from, say, a parent keeping a filthy house, which might warrant a misdemeanor charge.
"Well, the condition of the house itself being with no water and no lights, no food in the house, children not in school, all of this," Capt. Parker said.
WHY HE ALONE IS CHARGED: Mr. Simms asked why no warrant had been taken out for Mr. Long's wife, Christine Long.
"Well, one of the things was that he was supposed to be the provider," the investigator said. "He never showed up the whole time I was out there. I stayed out there till (sic) after 12 o'clock because the oldest girl said that he usually came home at night about 11:30 ...
"So I stayed out later hoping he would show up. When he didn't show up, it was a week later before he even turned himself in. So my thinking -- you know, I can't see anybody leaving that many kids out there and those small kids with no running water and no electricity."
THE CHARGE: Mr. Long is charged with second-degree cruelty to children, a felony punishable by one to 10 years in prison. It's defined as causing, with criminal negligence, cruel or excessive physical or mental pain to a person younger than 18. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is still looking into the case, and a grand jury could decide whether the facts warrant more charges.
Comments
Huh? How about both parents are supposed to provide. If the mother didn't report the conditions that SHE was allowing her children to live in she should be charged as well. I would say both of them are sorry excuses for human beings and should never be responsible for children again. I would imagine his lawyer will have a field day when this goes to court.
picture them living like the hurricane ppl..and the gov not giving them no help.so why having they arrested them ppl?hmmm the usa don't take care of they own.you can see with the 700 billion they pass.
They got no help because they were to sorry to ask for it. Anyone who allows their children to live like that hshould be put in jail forever. The government doesn't have your children and they shouldn't raise your children. That's our responsibility. Just like people that aren't smart enough to leave town when they know a hurricane is coming it's kinda hard to feel sorry for their stupidity.
When is the last time anyone investigated the living conditions of the apartments behind the old Regency Mall? I've only seen them once and don't know the name of the apartments but the area looks like a third world country. They need to be burned down to the ground. When is the last time anyone investigated the living conditions of the "projects" near 15th street? There are not enough jail cells for the so-called parents in those areas to be held for cruelty to children. The children living in these areas are constantly subjected to domestic violence, shootings, foul mouthed music, drunks and junkies. And it's all out in the open and on the streets. I guess it's ok when there are "higher ups" who benefit from the people living in the areas I just mentioned. So, let me see if I can understand this. Let's charge the father and the mother for not conforming to society, not choosing to use government assistance, and not choosing to live in public housing and risking the lives of their children in other ways? You don't have to live in the woods away from society to be a poorly dressed, uneducated citizen of this area and across the United States.
Oh, and by the way. No one has brought up the fact that he was working each and every day. He wasn't just piled up on the couch waiting for a handout to come in the mail every month. I'm not saying give him the father of the year award, BUT you people need to get off your high horse and realize that not everyone is perfect like you or wants to be perfect like you. Not everyone wants to live like you. Maybe someone needs to go into your closets and find the dirty little secrets you have hiding behind a smile, heavy makeup or long sleeved shirts! You know, it might not be the life you would choose for yourself. But instead of trying to help and make a change in the lives of these two people you would just throw them under the bus, take their children then mold and shape them to be the hipocrits you all are.
The mother has culpability here, too!
Amen SunnyD and good morning. Oh my goodness...let me just get a couple secrets from the lives of these do gooders...oh...I can't do anything if I do know them...Hmmmm...because it's a SIN TO JUDGE. Wish I had time to tell you a couple or so stories about living with a man who had the control and raising your children in a poor environment, but I won't because I'm a little busy with people I've taken in because of a father being murdered and the community is too JUDGEMENTAL to help. JUDGE ME! Lots of you do and that's okay too.
Seriously, by not educating the children, by not providing for them....(.I don't care how hard of a worker he was. You call that providing and I'll call you a liar.) He has placed a burden on society...the very thing he didn't want to do. How very ironic. Now he is dealing with more government than he ever knew exsisted. Sterilize him, her and seriously watch the children.....
I didn't say that by the fact of him working every day he was doing an exceptional job providing for his family. Please read my post again. I simply stated that he wasn't asking for a handout. Now, if he had signed up for government assistance and was receiving food stamps and a welfare check I bet you would be the first to stand up and say "How dare he use MY tax dollars because he has all those kids!!". And if you say that you wouldn't feel that way and don't already feel that way about the people who already do that, then I would call you a LIAR! Think about that when you are in church this morning.
If he was a hard worker, what did he spend his wages on? With 11 children he would have owed no tax and would qualify for low income tax credits of several thousand dollars. Even at min. wage he could have purchased food and clothes, since he paid no rent, utilities etc. Is his money hidden in fruit jars somewhere? What did the children do for heat in winter? There has got to be more to this story.
SunnyD, the D must be for delusional. They were living in a house with no electricity and no running water and on top of that they were trespassing. The kids had never been to school. You cannot be serious comparing that and kids that live in urban areas. As far as him getting public assistance I never have a problem with someone getting a handup it's the handout I don't like. It's called ASSISTANCE for a reason. It's not supposed to be a life long thing it's supposed to be until you can get back on your feet.
Nitpicker, you are exactly right. What was he doing with his money? How did they get food to eat? How did they heat in the winter? And the bigger question is "How can we help show them a better way?" I agree there has to be more to the story than we know. Not everyone has the same mentality to provide for their families in a way that you and I would. Unfortunately, these parents are being crucified without the whole story being told. If people would ask the questions that need to be asked and offer to guidance and assistance who knows what good can come of it? Even the people who are trying to help the family now are getting a bad rap for doing so. I guess it's a matter of opinion. Either you want to lend a helping hand or you want to throw stones at glass houses.
Wyldsfam4, thanks for the name calling. Who has the right to tell anyone in the world that they have to have electricity and they have to have running water? It's been a very long time but did you know that once upon a time all people lived in this country without running water and electricity? Must have been rough but somehow they survived.
The first comment by wyldsfam is exactly what I was thinking. I thought we had equality for women?
You defending this person shows why I said you were delusional. Name calling would be saying you are a idiot or a moron. I didn't do that. This isn't a third world country. If he wanted to live on the outside of society I have no problem with that. They were trespassing!!! The kids had never been to school!!! They were living in squalor!!! Neither of them were doing the responsible thing!!!! What part of this do you not get?
What Mr. Long is guilty of is ignorance along with his wife whom I will bet if you ask will say she is obediant to her husband in all things.......this is nothing new you see it in the mountains N. Carolina and Virginia all the time...problem is they were living in an urban area and that makes their squalid lifestyle more pronounced with out the backdrop of beautiful mountains and forests. Mr. Long is part of an elemement of our society that does not wish to be......nobody teaching his children things that they do not believe in...no Goverment interference in their lives he just didn't know how to pull it off without his children paying the price.
I don't get how you can say they need to be put in jail forever for not living up to society standards. Do I think they were providing well enough for their kids? NO, not at all. But I, along with others, are basing that opinion on the way we choose to live and raise our kids. How do you even know if these parents have the mental capability of raising children? We don't know the whole story of these people. The way this particular family was living does not constitute putting them in jail forever. I would hope that it would open the eyes of people who don't want to help and change their small minded ways to think about what's behind the story and what they possibly can do to help make things better.
She knew enough to try to get her kids to lie that they were being home schooled. He knew enough to hide for a week. There is no use in arguing with you. Someone like you will never see why this is wrong. I just hope you don't work in a social service capacity.
They should arrest the mother as well - she is equally responsible for the children's welfare. And no, they're not in trouble due to being non-conformists, they're in trouble because they were not providing for their kids. Candy-coat it in romaniticism all you want - ah, the lovely family, living off the grid, away from big bad guv'mint, with no electricity or running water - but the reality is that there are 10 children under the age of 18 running around with no electic, no water, no food in the house, none have been to school, and were found because they were trying to steal a chainsaw. My mom's family had 6 kids, a well, no running water, no indoor plumbing and no assistance from anyone. They grew their food, worked on tractors and cars, chopped cotton, and did whatever it took - BUT they all had clothes, they all had food, they all went to school every day, and none of them would dare steal anything.
There...see critter gets it. You don't have to conform but you do have an obligation to care for your responsibilities. This isn't rocket science.
As a mother and a daughter of an absent father who abandoned all responsibilities of parenting, I just don't understand why the mother is being left out of the charges! I would have done any thing possible to get help and not live in that situation. My mom worked her tail off to make up for what my dad did not provide, sure we never had name brand clothes but we had food, running water, and an education! My dad was never locked up for not providing for us.....strange!!
If I worked in a social service capacity I'd just be handing out checks, pushing a pencil and collecting a tax payer funded paycheck.
Mr. Long obviously has issues. He always worked and was a hard worker, something very hard to find these days. He loved his children and they loved him. Why is this case any different than a "homeless" family? This country is full of homelessness, including children. Prison is not the answer for this. 11 children HAVE to be very expensive. They may not have had water or power but they did have somewhat of a roof over there heads and he did what he could to keep his family together. No one knows what was going on in his or Mrs. Long's heads. Give them a break and give them a chance to make a better life for themselves and their children.
Reality is... not everyone is created equal! Some people just want to take the easy way out. It would be easier to throw them in jail than to work with them toward what we believe would be a better life. Hey, Wyldsfam4, why don't we just go ahead and throw all people in jail forever who have a lower I.Q. than you. Wouldn't that make it a rosier life for you?
What about the bureaucracy in the FBI, and the indifference of the multiple police agencies and the Department of Family and Children Services which apparently prevented this from being exposed for so many years?
We have laws we all have to follow. You don't get to pick the ones you like and only follow those. If he loved his family as much as you imply then he would have done anything to get them a place with water and electricity. He would have done anything to see that they got an education. He would have used public assistance if necessary. I have 3 sons and I would have worked 3 jobs if it was necessary to provide for them. They don't deserve a break when it comes to the mental abuse those children suffered.
Judgenot REALLY gets its. Thank you Judgenot.
Sunny D who said anything about someone having a lower intelligence? Now you are putting words in my mouth. Let's put people in jail that don't take care of their children. That would include upper, middle and lower class. That would make life rosier for kids that are mistreated.
If he they were having such a hard time caring for 11 children, so much so, that they had to live with out electricity or water, then they should have stopped having babies when it started getting difficult. And the case is different because only the children and mother were homeless while the father had a home with electricity and running water.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
