The legacy of Marcus Fiesel

The first time I heard of Marcus Fiesel was in early 2006. The three-year-old boy was found wandering a busy street. He was removed from his mother's care after nearly being struck by a car. Marcus was placed in foster care by Butler County Job and Family Services.

He was born on June 24, 2003 and lived with his family in Middletown, Ohio. Marcus was autistic and lived a challenging life during his short time on Earth. Marcus' mother, Donna Trevino, had a hard time with him. Once social services became involved, she realized she couldn't handle him. Foster care provider Lifeway for Youth placed Marcus with David and Liz Carroll. As Marcus was a special needs child, they were supposed to be able to manage him. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

According to Liz Carroll, she went to Julif's Park in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 15, 2006 with Marcus and other children. She claimed to have passed out from low blood pressure. She woke up to find Marcus gone. There was an extensive search for Marcus. Ultimately, he wasn't found. Following a thorough investigation, David and Liz Carroll were arrested and charged with Marcus' murder.

On February 22, 2007, Liz Carroll was sentenced to 54 years to life, while David Carroll took a plea deal and was sentenced to 15 years to life. A lot has happened since these two killers were sent to prison 15 years ago. For instance, my youngest son has graduated from the University of Cincinnati and gone on to become a social worker and care for abused and neglected children like Marcus. We have a new president, the Chicago Cubs have won their first World Series and Tom Brady is still playing in the NFL. Unfortunately, David Carroll is now up for parole. It was only when I started seeing Carroll's face all over social media that I realized how quickly 15 years had passed. I had just reached out to the parole board requesting they deny parole to another child killer named Jeffrey Hubbard.

I looked at a current photograph of David Carroll, his physical appearance hasn’t changed much. His neck is covered in tattoos, and he has two teardrops under one of his eyes. The teardrops are often associated with having killed someone. If Carroll is proud of killing a three-year-old child, he deserves to be where he is. A parole decision is expected next month.

I hope this animal dies in prison. It should be an easy decision for the parole board. I wish it were this simple, but it is possible that David Carroll could one day be your neighbor. If you would like to contact the parole board and voice your concerns, you can do so by calling 1-888-344-1441.

In 2006, I worked at Hamilton County Job and Family Services in Cincinnati, Ohio. I managed our Lifeway for Youth contract. Many of our children were placed in their care. My coworkers and I investigated Lifeway for Youth and decided to remove our children. Despite Marcus' tragic death, Ohio made many changes in the out-of-home care system after he died. It is unfortunate that no amount of laws can prevent the abuse and murder of children. The government cannot fix the problem with money either. Until the government can figure out how to legislate morality, crimes against children will continue.

Marc is a longtime resident of Clermont County and an avid reader. Contact him through his website at www.themarcabe.com or through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Catchmykiller. Marc also has a podcast called Catch my Killer, where he interviews family members seeking justice for their murdered loved ones. You can listen at www.catchmykiller.com.