News13 spoke with James Baker, husband of Shannon’s aunt Susan Baker.  He declined to go on camera but did speak on the case.  “The first thing I said was what have you done, what were you thinking?”  said Baker about his wife’s alleged actions.

“I don’t understand this,” said Baker.  He hasn’t seen or spoken to his wife since her arrest.  He says he is taking it one day at a time.

This case is also bringing up the 20-year-old case of the Bakers’ missing son.  When asked about his wife’s possible involvment, Baker said he didn’t want to comment because he had no idea.  He did say he was glad that case is getting more attention because it may lead to someone coming forward with more information.

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Baby Shannon Custody Battle Begins
11/12/09 - 04:27 PM
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A custody battle is beginning over baby Shannon Dedrick.  The 7-month-old captured the nation’s attention last week when she was reported missing by her mother and later found alive in a box under her aunt’s bed.  Now, authorities are releasing the 9-1-1 phone call and incident reports, which reveal more about the investigation.

“Yes my little girl, I woke up this morning and my 6 month old daughter, I mean 7 month old daughter is missing,” said Shannon’s mother, Chrystina Mercer to a 9-1-1 dispatcher, “The door looked like it’d been jimmied open.”

It’s the call that led to a 5-day search for her child.

“Is there anyone who could have her?”  “Not that I know of ma’m,” said Mercer to the dispatcher.

Now, officials know these words aren’t true.  Mercer and the baby’s aunt, Susan Baker are in jail after the baby was allegedly handed over and kept hidden.  One question remains.  What happens to Shannon now?

Custody cases in Washington County are sealed under the Department of Children and Families.  Washington County Court held a custody hearing earlier this week, but the baby remains in foster care. 

“Cases to this extreme where a child is found in a box under somebody’s bed are pretty unusual, but bitter child custody fights are not unusual at all,” said family law attorney Samuel Adams.  In his 37 years of practice, he says he’s seen a lot.

“People do bizarre things all the time with children,” he said, “it’s amazing.”

Adams says with cases like these, typically there are several options.

“The parents are ordinarily given some sort of performance agreement,” he said, “requirements that they have to fulfill before they can get the child back.”

DCF is not required to give preference to parents or grandparents.

“The court is attune to what is in the best interest of the child not what the parent wants,” said Adams.