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The Tragic Life and Death of Takoda Collins

by Tawana K Watson

By Tawana K WatsonPublished about a year ago 6 min read
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Photo by dayton247now.com

Takoda Collins, a 10-year-old boy, spent most of his short life locked, naked in the attic of his father’s, Al-Muhatah McLean, home attic. Takoda Collins died on December 13, 2019, at the Dayton Children’s Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. His father, Al-Muhatah McLean was later arrested and accused of abusing and raping Takoda, along with Amanda Hinz, McLean’s then-girlfriend, and Jennifer Ebert, Amanda Hinz’s sister, who also resided in the home.

The events of Takoda's short, tragic life are as follows;

On December 18, 2008, Takoda was born in Wisconsin to McLean and Robin Collins. Robin Collins admitted to the Wisconsin police on November 12, 2009, that she hit Takoda. Collins was then put on probation and custody of Takoda was taken from her. On December 9, 2011, Collins admits to the Daily News that she used drugs and her probation was revoked, sending her to prison, at that time McLean was awarded full custody of Takoda. In October 2013, Collins writes a letter to the court asking them to prevent McLean from leaving the state of Wisconsin with Takoda. Collins claimed that McLean was under investigation by Wisconsin’s child welfare officials for abusing Takoda. At this time McLean is accused of hitting his fiance, Amanda Hinze, over the head with a pipe, dragging her by the hair to a car, and punching her before driving away. A prosecutor later dismissed the abuse charges by McLean against Hinze.

On February 26, 2014, Wisconsin’s courts were later notified by Collins that McLean moved with Takoda to Union City, Tennessee. McLean filed with the Wisconsin courts, during this time his intentions to move with Takoda to Pennsylvania and McLean produced for the courts a signed, notarized letter from Collins agreeing for Takoda to move with McLean to Pennsylvania, however, Collins later states that she was bullied and pressured into signing the letter.

According to school officials in Dayton, Ohio around August 18, 2014, Takoda became enrolled at Horace Mann Elementary School, however, the exact date of when Takoda actually started classes at Horace Mann Elementary School is unknown. On October 20, 2014, the Wisconsin courts ruled that McLean was allowed to move with Takoda to Pennsylvania with Robin Collin's visitation to continue, unbeknownst to Collins and the Wisconsin courts McLean was already living with Takoda in Dayton, Ohio.

On February 19, 2016, Montgomery County Children Services, in Dayton, Ohio calls the Dayton Police to do a well-check regarding Takoda’s 9-year-old brother. When the officials arrive at the house no one answered the door. On August 20, 2016, Takoda’s brother runs away from the home in Dayton, Ohio. When he is caught by the Dayton Police, he tells them that he is forced to do squats while holding heavy backpacks as punishment. The Dayton Police contacted children's services and officers attempted to search the house but were unable to gain access due to McLean’s unleashed Pitbulls. In police reports, it is noted that there were cameras inside and outside McLean’s house. McLean, however, clarifies to the officers that the cameras were only there for show and did not record. It is later reported that McLean contradicted his statement concerning the cameras. On September 14, 2016, while Takoda, his brother, and Jennifer Ebert were in the home, it was alleged that someone had broken in waving a gun at them. McLean later provided the Dayton Police with the recording of the event captured on the cameras that he previously stated did not work.

On May 11, 2018, Dayton Public School worker and Montgomery County Children’s Services request a welfare check on Takoda because they had suspicions that he may be being abused. The Dayton Police, during this time went to Takoda’s home and again was unable to access anything because no one answered the door. Sometime during, May 12 - 24, 2018 (the exact date is not known), Takoda is pulled out school by his father, McLean, before the end of the school year. It is reported that during interviews with the school staff, Takoda was never seen by them again. On July 31, 2018, Takoda is formally withdrawn from school and is then registered as being homeschooled in the State of Ohio. On November 18, 2018, McLean and Hinze makes a call to Dayton Police stating that Takoda is unruly. McLean ask officers to take the boy to the Juvenile Justice Center. However when the police had Takoda in the backseat of the police cruiser, McLean states that he will not be pressing charges against Takoda, but will take him to Kettering Hospital for evaluation. Takoda is then released back to McLean, however there are no hospital records showing that Takoda ever went to Kettering Hospital for evaluation.

Collins, in Wisconsin, on May 6, 2019, files a motion for contempt against McLean, stating that he has never brought Takoda to see her since he has left the state of Wisconsin. Collins state that she has spoken to Takoda over the phone once, in four years. The Wisconsin court dismisses Collins’ motion stating that the case is in the jurisdiction of Ohio since it was discovered that Takoda was living in Dayton, Ohio. The next day, May 14, 2019, Collins calls the Dayton Police telling them that she believes Takoda is being abused by McLean. It is alleged that the Dayton Police tells Collins that their responds to the home and dispatch records show that Takoda was in good hands with McLean, however there are no records showing that Children Services ever had a complete investigation of McLean or any abuse allegations. On December 13, 2019, Takoda is rushed to Dayton Children’s Hospital where he later died from abuse and neglect. McLean is arrested and the Montgomery County Children Services states that there was not an open case on Takoda.

According to prosecutors’ memorandum, Takoda lived in “Hellish” conditions the last hours of his life. It is reported that Takoda lived, locked, naked in the attic, beaten and abused. After interviewing McLean’s girlfriend, Amanda Hinze and her sister, Jennifer Ebert, the police investigation, matches what the two women said about McLean’s abuse of Takoda to the injuries doctors found on Takoda’s dead body. Prosecutors said that after McLean punched and elbowed Takoda, he stood on his back forcing all of his weight, crushing him. McLean, then had Takoda stand in a “punishment pose” bent over and crossed-legged, as he went downstairs to watch television. McLean was not finished, after a few hours of watching television, he proceeded to torture Takoda by calling him derogatory names, pouring hot sauce on his buttocks, throwing him around, grabbing him by the ears and then dragging him down the stairs. McLean, then, took Takoda into the bathroom where Takoda was ultimately drowned by being submerged in the bathtub. The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office said Takoda’s death was a homicide, ruling Takoda died of blunt force trauma in combination with compressive asphyxia and water submerison in a bathtub.

Prosecutors stated that Takoda suffered years of abuse by McLean. Hinze and Ebert, according to the prosecutors allowed the abuse to go on and would encourage McLean to abuse Takoda.

McLean plead guilty to murder, rape, kidnapping and child endangering. Amanda Hinze plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangering. Jennifer Ebert plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangering.

Sources

https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/prosecutors-detail-abuse-suffered-takoda-035900760.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29v&guccounter=2

https://www.whio.com/news/crime--law/timeline-the-tragic-life-and-death-takoda-collins/Ch9uh2XNxTD959DSx0ZsWI/

https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/crime--law/timeline-the-tragic-life-and-death-takoda-collins/Ch9uh2XNxTD959DSx0ZsWI/

https://www.daytondailynews.com/crime/court-documents-reveal-news-details-in-takoda-collins-case/UZDL7VW7BNBHFJ52H66XOYFCCU/

https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/timeline-records-show-abuse-dead-year-old-boy-may-have-gone-for-years/g7PHGLJXdduNRvpZP95xeP/

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Tawana K Watson

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