The 4-year-old died a brutal death, tortured with a hair iron, beaten all over her body, according to DCF records. Roland was charged with first degree murder.
She slipped through the cracks of a broken system, Spohrer said.
She also was forced to tell the court who Kristina's father was, something she had not disclosed before. Paternity tests confirmed it was Matthew Roland.
According to court records, Glant said, "The mother is living in Kentucky...and is late in a pregnancy term with medical complications...(and she) has no means of supporting herself and Kristina."
She can often be found at Kristina's grave. She talks to Kristina and sometimes spots a little reminder of her, a butterfly.
"It's more of a concern for me that the family court would award custody to the other parent without doing any background checks or without checking into dependency involvement. That's the concern for me," said Salamida.
"There should have been a home study. You need to know where is Matthew Roland living, who is living there with him, what does the home look like, can he care for a child - a 4-year-old he's never had any relationship with - and then visits should have been scheduled with Kristina," said Spohrer.
