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Woman surrenders her parental rights

Jenny Lancour | Daily Press During a hearing Wednesday in Delta County Probate Court, Melisah Marie Jenkins, of Escanaba, at right, admits to failing to protect her infant son from the boy’s father, who abused the child on several occasions. Also pictured above are, from left, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jessica Pelto, the child’s attorney John M.A. Bergman, and Jenkin’s lawyer Jean-Paul Rudell, and Court Referee

ESCANABA — A mother who failed to protect her infant son from being physically abused by the child’s father agreed to give up her parental rights during a hearing Wednesday in Delta County Probate Court.

After waiving her right to a trial, Melisah Marie Jenkins, 21, told Probate Court Referee Perry Lund she did not stop her boyfriend, Jerry Jay Munger III, when she witnessed him harming their baby because she was afraid he would hurt her as he has done in the past.

Munger is charged with first-degree child abuse following an investigation into suspicious injuries to his five-month-old son, who Munger and Jenkins brought to the local hospital for emergency medical care on Jan. 26.

The baby was diagnosed with a black eye, a fractured skull and bruises on his body in various stages of healing. Following medical evaluations, the child was removed from the parents’ custody and placed in a licensed foster home in Marquette County.

Munger was arrested on the life felony on Jan. 29 following investigations by Escanaba Public Safety and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Munger, who remains lodged in the county jail in lieu of a $650,000 bond, pleaded no contest and voluntarily gave up his parental rites to his son, which were officially terminated on March 2 in Delta County Probate Court, the family division of circuit court.

On that date, Lund reviewed evidence of severe physical abuse as legal grounds for the court to take jurisdiction over Munger’s son and take away his parental rights.

Lund determined the child’s injuries were caused by intentional acts by the father at different times and the child would be at risk of further injury if returned to the father. Judge Robert Goebel Jr. signed the order to terminate Munger’s parental rights in the best interest of the child.

According to police and DHHS interviews with Munger and Jenkins, each parent accused the other of physically abusing their infant while each admitted to not protecting the child from the other parent’s harm.

During Wednesday’s court hearing, Jenkins admitted to failing to protect her son from Munger’s abuse and failing to report multiple incidents of the father throwing the child into the crib, forcibly pushing on the child’s back while in the crib, and grabbing the boy by the neck and pushing him against the wall.

Jenkins also admitted to lying to hospital personnel about how her son’s eye was injured when she claimed the baby fell on a toy; she said she lied to protect Munger because she was afraid he would hurt her if she told the truth.

The mother also said she had the ability to protect her son from Munger’s harm, but did not.

“I did not do anything… because I was scared I would have ended up getting hit by Jerry Munger,” Jenkins said.

When asked if she had ever abused their child, she replied she had not. Jenkins also told the court she felt her son would be safer with a foster family.

Lund accepted Jenkins’ plea, noting the mother had a duty to protect her child but failed to do so.

Jenkins’ attorney, Jean-Paul Rudell, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jessica Pelto and the child’s representative, Attorney John M.A. Bergman, all agreed the legal elements were met to terminate Jenkins’ parental rights.

Jenkins will officially have her parental rights terminated during a disposition hearing scheduled in probate court on April 11.

Munger is scheduled for a plea hearing in circuit court on April 16.

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Jenny Lancour, (906) 786-2021, ext. 143, jlancour@dailypress.net

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