Lawsuit filed over drowning of foster child in Wood County
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PARKERSBURG — The mother of a 3-year-old boy who left his foster parents’ house and drowned in the Little Kanawha River last summer has filed a wrongful death suit against the foster parents and the West Virginia Department of Human Services. The suit was filed Thursday in Wood County Circuit Court on behalf of Shyana Townsend, whose son, identified in the document as “PS,” was pronounced dead at WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center on June 17, 2024. The Wood County Sheriff’s Office reported at the time that deputies were dispatched to the area of a Happy Valley Road residence around 8:48 p.m. that day for a report of a missing child. Deputies searching outside found the boy in the river near a dock. They attempted life-saving measures until medics arrived and took the boy to the hospital. Sheriff Rick Woodyard said Friday the case was closed with a determination there was no foul play involved. The civil lawsuit contends the Department of Human Services, which oversees the placement of children in the state into foster care, and the foster parents, Rebecca and David Prall, failed to provide a safe environment for the child, who had a history of leaving his home. The lawsuit says the boy was placed in foster care after Townsend was arrested in August 2023 on a charge of child abuse and neglect. The boy had gotten out the front door of their Ripley residence “and walked a few houses down his street” before Townsend came running after him, it says, adding that she had no prior arrests and there were no other indications of abuse. The suit says Child Protective Services, an agency under the Department of Human Services, inspected the Pralls’ home and placed the child there, despite the house being about 30 yards away from the river and the agency being aware of the boy’s history of leaving home. Townsend saw her son during a supervised visit on June 17, the day he died, and was informed by CPS that he continued to leave the residence, the suit says. She “pleaded with CPS to return PS to her home or place him somewhere else because it appeared he was in greater danger with his foster parents than being with her, but CPS continued to refuse to return PS to Shyana or place him in another foster home,” it says. The suit says the boy left the house that evening while the foster mother was taking out the garbage and did not immediately return to check on him. When she could not find him, she called 911, saying the boy had been missing for between 10 and 15 minutes, the suit says. The suit seeks an unspecified amount of damages and requests a jury trial. No responses to the suit had been filed as of Friday afternoon. A representative of the Department of Human Services said Saturday that the department could not comment on ongoing litigation or this specific incident. “However, we can confirm that the Department is committed to the safety and well-being of all children in our care,” she said via email. “As part of our standard procedure, any incidents involving children are thoroughly investigated to ensure the appropriate actions are taken in accordance with state law.” Contact information for the Pralls could not immediately be located. Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.comLocal News
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