Department of Mental Health: By contract, Second Chance responsible for care of people in home
As the investigation of how Carl DeBrodie was found dead inside a storage shed continues, ABC 17 News is digging for more answers as to who was legally responsible for DeBrodie.
Missouri Department of Mental Health Director Debra Walker told ABC 17 News in an email response that “by contract, Second Chance was responsible for the care and safety of each individual living in the home.”
She said Second Chance is an independent supported living residence. This type of home usually has two to three people with developmental disabilities living together with support of staff from a provider agency, in this case, Second Chance.
According to Callaway County court records, the owner of Second Chance is a woman by the name of Rachael Rowden. ABC 17 News drove to the listed address of Rowden’s home; a man claiming to be the home’s horse trainer was there and wouldn’t confirm if Rowden was home.
Moments after the conversation with the horse trainer, a woman came out of the home and ABC 17 News asked if she was Rachael Rowden, but there was no response.
According to court records ABC 17 News dug through, Karen Digh-Allen, a Callaway County public administrator, was in charge of filing reports about DeBrodie. ABC 17 News called, and got a voicemail.
Checking through online court records, an annual guardianship report was reviewed and approved as late as this January.
ABC 17 News has requested any complaints or reported problems at Second Chance home in Fulton for the last 10 years. Once we get a response from the Department of Mental Health we will update this developing story.
