Disabled daughter of 'Dandy Don' Meredith at center of allegations of abuse, neglect since his death

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The daughter of the late legendary football star and sportscaster "Dandy Don" Meredith dealt with abuse and neglect after her stepmother took guardianship of her trust following Meredith's death, relatives said.

Meredith, a former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, "Monday Night Football" commentator and TV pitchman who often referred to himself as "Jeff and Hazel's baby boy," set up a trust to ensure lifetime care for his youngest child, Heather, now 49, who was born with physical and intellectual disabilities.

For years, she has lived in the Stewart Home and School, a private care facility in Frankfort, Ky., the Courier-Journal of Louisville reported.

Things took a turn when Meredith died in 2010, resulting in Heather’s affairs being passed to her stepmother and Meredith’s widow, Susan. Heather’s biological mother, Cheryl King, alleged her daughter lacked personal supplies, had untreated or broken teeth, wore shabby clothing and was restricted from attending school outings and activities.

Susan Meredith, 76, denied any wrongdoing and said the matter was settled amicably.

A state social worker said her guardian “failed to protect her financial interest and medical issues.”

The allegations were later unsubstantiated.

As part of a court settlement, King replaced Heather’s stepmother as guardian and Susan Meredith agreed to add $1 million to the trust. It contained only $300,000 at the time.

“The child was very well taken care of,” Susan Meredith said. “I think everything is fine.”

Cheryl King did not comment on the matter, but a spokesperson said in a statement that Heather was doing well at the Stewart Home and School center, Lexington, Ky.'s WLEX-TV reported.

"Heather is doing really well and is so happy there – they really understand her and look after her," the statement said. "Don agreed that his estate would make sure Heather would always be able to stay at Stewart Home and School — it was a place I know he loved."

The case was never handled criminally.

"That was a dispute between two warring factions about who was going to serve as her guardian to ensure she was properly cared for," said Larry Cleveland, the prosecutor for Franklin County, Ky. "I don’t know that there was a criminal case involved in that. It seemed to be more civil."

"I just wanted to make sure her needs were being met," he added.

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Disabled daughter of 'Dandy Don' Meredith at center of allegations of abuse, neglect since his death

Parents reported daughter missing. Cops found her — and the room she escaped, Ga. deputies say

Neil and Janet Farrell

Deputies in Georgia searched for 20 hours — day and night — before locating the disabled 18-year-old who had disappeared.

Her parents reported her missing June 23, hours after they said she walked into the woods and didn’t come back. She turned up 15 miles from home at a residence in Nelson, Georgia, having wandered all night, deputies said. Deputies dressed the teenager in new clothes and fed her, and then took her to be evaluated, according to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.

But it was another search — that of her parents’ home — that revealed evidence suggesting why the teenager ran away in the first place, deputies said.

Neil Farrell, 56, and Janet Farrell, 54, disciplined the disabled 18-year-old in cruel ways, deputies said. Their daughter was confined to her bedroom routinely — sometimes for days on end, and other times for months. There was a lock on the door to keep her from getting out, according to the sheriff’s office. 

The couple had active adult guardianship over the 18-year-old, who has behavioral issues, deputies said.

The parents gave their daughter “very limited opportunities” to use the bathroom, deputies said. At least once, she had to endure a “grounding period” for needing to use the restroom outside the times prescribed by her parents — and that meant she was given a bucket to use in her sparsely furnished bedroom, deputies said. The parents employed at least one form of punishment — beating the soles of her feet — that wouldn’t result in visible marks on their daughter, the sheriff’s office said.

The investigation also revealed the daughter had few if any personal belongings inside the room, deputies said.

While the teenager was locked in the room, the parents could easily keep tabs on her: Video and audio surveillance equipment was installed “to monitor all her activity,” the sheriff’s office said.

Both parents were arrested June 24, according to jail records. They are being held at the Pickens County Adult Detention Center and are scheduled to appear in court for a bond hearing on Thursday at 2 p.m., deputies said.

Authorities have now moved the adult daughter to “a safe environment where she could begin receiving aid and assistance,” the sheriff’s office said.

The parents face a litany of charges, including exploitation and intimidation of a disabled adult, false imprisonment and first-degree cruelty to children, according to the sheriff’s office.

Investigation into the incident continues, deputies said.

ead more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article213871709.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article213871709.html#storylink=cpy

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Parents reported daughter missing. Cops found her — and the room she escaped, Ga. deputies say