(Feb. 13, 2015) Justin Michael Chisum, 29, has been charged with murdering his 4-year-old daughter, Kylee Forrest, in what police described as a “violent attack” in Lubbock, Texas (“Guardian recalls joy from 4-year-old, would call 'Dad, my Dad!' before death,” Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Feb. 4).
Kylee’s guardian, Courtney Forrest, said that Chisum had schizophrenia and took medicine for it, but was mostly normal. Chisum would often pick Kylee up from Forrest to take her to church and bring her back afterwards. But last week, when Kylee wasn’t dropped back off like usual, Forrest became concerned.
Forrest said she called Chisum’s mother and was told that Chisum’s medication had recently been changed, and he wasn’t doing well. He had attempted to check himself into the hospital just days before and was initially turned away. Chisum was eventually admitted, but was discharged just 24 hours later.
Kylee was found dead in Chisum’s apartment from blunt force trauma on Sunday (Feb. 1) evening.
“What bothers me the most was that he changed medicine and needed help,” Forrest said. “Why didn’t they help him?”
Texas received one of the lowest rankings in the Treatment Advocacy Center’s hospital bed study. The shortage of public psychiatric beds contributes to a number of costly and sometimes dangerous social problems, including increased violence.
When individuals with severe mental illness receive appropriate and effective treatment, their risk of committing violent acts is no greater than that of the general population. When they do not receive treatment, multiple studies have found their risk of violent behavior, including homicides, to be significantly elevated.
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