A Greenwood woman found guilty of neglect of a dependent has failed to comply with probation terms and will be sent to prison.
On April 28, a jury found Karen McCann guilty of the Class D felony charge, which stemmed from a police visit to her Greenwood home in October 2002. She was caring for her three grandchildren in a house that police said had urine-soaked carpeting and feces from 27 cats.
On Aug. 5, Judge Cynthia Emkes of Johnson Superior Court 2 sentenced McCann to a three-year suspended sentence and told her to keep her home clean and free of animals. Emkes also ordered that she have no contact with her grandchildren.
On Sept. 9, McCann, 54, was found in violation of her probation after she admitted to her probation officer that she had three cats. Emkes ordered her to serve 30 days on home detention and to get rid of the cats.
The second probation violation resulted when McCann's probation officer visited Sept. 20 and found several more animals in the home. In addition, a neighbor reported that McCann's three grandchildren had spoken to McCann in the driveway.
Based on that evidence, Emkes said, she had no choice but to revoke McCann's probation and send her to prison for the remainder of her sentence, just under three years. McCann was being held Tuesday afternoon in the Johnson County Jail, pending her being turned over to the Indiana Department of Correction.
When police and health officials originally went to her home, they said, McCann was caring for her grandchildren, then ranging in age from 1 to 4.
Officials said the children had head lice and the youngest child was drinking from a bottle of spoiled milk. Officers said the carpeting squished when they walked on it. Investigators wore gas masks while investigating McCann's house, which had brought complaints about odors.
Johnson County health officials condemned McCann's house and gave her five days to correct health hazards, which she did.
Animal control officials euthanized the cats removed from the house. The animals were ill and not adoptable.
McCann's son, Brandon McCann, and his wife, Jamie, also faced neglect charges. Police said their Indianapolis home was well-kept. Their charges were resolved in a negotiated settlement resulting in probation. References« Back to Search Results
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