In Re Morrison

At the time of trial, Junior Lee Morrison (“Timmy”) was a thirty-three year old mentally handicapped person with a mental age level of approximately five years, five months. After a failed foster home placement, Timmy was placed in a group home, and then in a private residence administered through Brooke Care, Inc. (“Brooke Care”) in Gainesville, Missouri as a part of the Community Integration Program. In this setting, Timmy resided with a roommate and a “care giver,” and he was apparently able to move about in the Gainesville community.

On July 30, 1997, Evelyn Cantwell (“Guardian”), Timmy’s…