I understand that people are innocent until proven guilty but if Josephine Dailey Gaines is convicted of basically leaving her mentally retarded sister to starve to death in Atmore while she cashed and spent her sister's Social Security disability checks, prison is too light a sentence – she should have a special place in Hell.
Back in March when Atmore police officers found the badly decomposed body of Vandoren Dailey inside a home at 71 Jones St., I remember talking with Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks. I could tell that this one bothered him. He didn't tell me out right, but he had a good idea of what happened to the 26-year old mentally handicapped person whose remains were found inside the home. Chief Brooks told me then the investigation was far from over and he wanted somebody in jail. My bet is he had his eyes on Gaines at the time, but he needed to do a complete investigation. So I commend Chief Brooks and the Atmore Police Department for following through.
It would have been easier to get the autopsy report back and say Dailey died of natural causes and closed the books. I could tell back in March that Chief Brooks wasn't going to let that happen. I could hear it in his voice.
When I saw Gaines' name on the bond sheet charged with intentional murder and escape III it raised my suspicion. I've seen bond sheets that showed somebody charged with murder or capital murder, but 'intentional' murder was new to me. Gaines' name didn't ring a bell and I hadn't connected to dots back to the story I did in the April 2 edition and my conversation with Chief Brooks.
When Chief Brooks sent out a press release on Gaines' arrest, the dots came together. I went back and read the original story. I got copies of the arrest warrant and I talked with District Attorney Steve Billy.
What I basically learned is that Gaines was supposed to be taking care of her mentally handicapped sister. I learned that the sister, Dailey, received a Social Security disability check and it was Gaines' responsibility to use that money to take care of her sister.
Apparently Gaines had other plans for her sister's disability checks. What I learned this week makes me sick.
Dailey's badly decomposed body was discovered by Atmore police officers on March 26, 2020. According to Billy the autopsy reported the remains of the 26-year old woman weighed 33 pounds.
The investigation also showed that Dailey had been living inside that 71 Jones St., residence in Atmore without water since 2018 and without power since December of 2019.
Billy said the only food found in the house was canned goods and due to Dailey's mental disability she would have not been able to open the cans.
Then I learned that Gaines continued to cash and spend her sister's disability checks after she was dead.
So, what I basically learned was that Gaines simply left her sister to either starve to death or die of dehydration – take your pick.
Billy said he's still seeking records from the Social Security Administration to see how much money Gaines received that she apparently didn't use to help her sister.
If Gaines is guilty of what officials say she's guilty of she needs to rot in Hell. It would be nice to see her sitting in a jail cell with no food and water, but we don't do that anymore.
But there are other guilty parties in this and none will ever be arrested or convicted. I'm talking about neighbors. Have we reached a point in this society that we don't look out for each other? People had to know Vandoren lived in that house. They may not have known she didn't have running water, but they'd have to be blind to not notice that a lightbulb hadn't glowed since December, 2019.
Flomaton Police Chief Chance Thompson has a program called 'How Are You' where he checks weekly on elderly residents and those with handicaps.
It shouldn't take a police chief to do that, we need to be checking on our neighbors and making sure they are OK.
Gaines will face the judicial system, but I hope the people of Atmore realize they all, especially her neighbors, let Vandoren down.
