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American Morning

Idaho Children's Immediate Fate to be Decided Today

Aired June 04, 2001 - 11:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to start this hour in Idaho, where a hearing is being held to determine what will happen next with six children. These six were involved in an armed standoff with authorities last week.

And joining us from Sandpoint, Idaho: our Eileen O'Connor -- Eileen, good morning.

EILEEN O'CONNOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Well, it took a phone call and a reference to Winnie the Pooh to really end this standoff. Their mother left -- a note was taken to the children and left with some food from their mother with a reference to Winnie the Pooh, saying basically that the children were "a whoop-ti-do per bounce," a line that they liked from a book that she often read them.

And then she called them directly from her jail cell on Saturday. That ended the standoff. The children then were taken out of the compound by the authorities in the back of a Suburban. You can see it was driven by one of the negotiators. The children were taken directly to the hospital.

Sheriff's deputies, though, say that the property itself that they left was in a condition that they had suspected, that there was no running water, that there were no toilet facilities, that it was filthy, and also that there was no nutritious food and about two dozen dogs.

So they say that JoAnn McGuckin has repeatedly refused offers of help. And therefore, the district attorney, the prosecutor here says that she is guilty of willful neglect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL ROBINSON, BONNER COUNTY PROSECUTOR: This isn't a single incident or even a short-term thing. This is a habitual, long-term situation. And we're not sure that she is either willing or able to provide the kind of care they need. She certainly hasn't been in the last several years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'CONNOR: Now, she says that the children are not wards of the state, that they are hers. She also says that she is innocent and that the state needs to learn its place, that this is not family business. And she says that the public should demand some answers as well.

Now, her attorney says JoAnn McGuckin provided for these children as best she could.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRYCE POWELL, ATTORNEY FOR JOANN MCGUCKIN: I think that the circumstances were: This was a family in trouble. They'd gone through the death of the father. They were extremely poor. The mother was physically ill. And they charged her with a crime out of all of this. And that's problematic. We will argue about that in court.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'CONNOR: Now, later at this courthouse, there will be the bail hearing for JoAnn McGuckin. She is expected to be released on a reduced bail, then that shelter hearing. And the children, who are currently at the hospital here, where they have been checked out, cleaned up, given some food and rest, they are expected to be released to a family friend, a foster home.

Permanent plans will be determined in the next 30 days. It could include reuniting them with the children, but authorities say that's only if she accepts the help she needs -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Eileen, in a way, this seems like a case of: Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean it's not true.

I mean, this woman might have lot of problems, this family might have some challenges, but her and the children's greatest fear was having the kids taken away by the government and being split up. And it looks, in a way, that's kind of coming true.

O'CONNOR: Well, it's very complicated, Daryn. Even her defense attorney has said this. You know, she cut the family off, apparently, from the community over unpaid taxes. She'd been negotiating with the government about this. And they eventually did take her property away last fall over those unpaid taxes.

She was fearful that they would do that. But in addition, authorities say that they have -- and even the local church here says they have come to her trying to give her help and trying to help them out of this situation and that she's refused that help.

One woman said that she was told if she brought something else to the children again, she would be met by a shotgun. So it's very complicated. The fact that she refused the help is what the prosecutors say is showing that she had neglected those kids -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, hopefully they can resolve this and find the best situation for those six kids.

Eileen O'Connor in Sandpoint, Idaho -- Eileen, thank you.

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