A 3-year-old child is dead, the person accused of her death has been arrested, charged with second-degree murder and released on a $150,000 property bond and, amazingly, the information trail seems to grow cold at that point.
Faith Saucier
Little Faith Saucier was laid to rest on Good Friday in the T.P. Fornea Cemetery at Varnado after dying April 16, allegedly at the hands of the foster parent appointed to protect and care for her. News of her death was not released by the authorities, but rather by family members seeking to learn what happened.
For 18 days, law enforcement officials looked for 49-year-old Mark Johnson of Hammond — and formerly of the Crossroads, Miss. community — before Jefferson Parish officials arrested him on May 4 in Metairie. He was later transported to Amite, where he was booked and bonded out.
In Tangipahoa Parish, amazingly, it is almost as if nothing ever happened.
Mark Johnson
A search of the online archives of the Hammond Daily Star for “Mark Johnson” and “Faith Saucier” bring up no results. A search of the same website under the phrase “murder” for the period of March 25, 2011 to the present resulted in two hits — one tied to a 2007 case and another to a shooting at the end of May.
A search of the online archives of Tangilena.com, the online edition of the Amite-Tangi Digest in the parish seat of Amite for the same terms brought up one entry — “Mark Johnson, wm, 49, second degree murder” — as part of the Tangipahoa Parish Jail bookings for May 2-9.
The only news stories to appear in Tangipahoa Parish in regards to the murder and subsequent arrest came on May 4 on actionnews17, an online news site operated by veteran newsman Ken Benitez.
Bogalusa attorney Bill Arata is representing Saucier in her attempt to find out what happened to the child she placed in foster care as she battled drug problems, but knows little more than what the coroner’s report says and what has come to him in the form of hearsay.
Arata told WDSU more than two months ago that the Tangipahoa Parish coroner's report he obtained showed the manner of death was homicide.
"Blunt force trauma, sub-scalpular hemorraging about the head along with two perforations of the small intestines," Arata said.
The report also included pictures of apparent bruises on Faith's arms and neck.
"Soon thereafter, I was informed there was a gag order. Nobody's presented me with a copy of this alleged gag order," Arata said.
The alleged gag order is what Tangipahoa Sheriff Daniel Edwards’ office has used as a reason to not release any information. The gag order was supposed to have been released by 21st Judicial District Juvenile Judge Blair Edwards, who is the sheriff’s wife.
No one with the office of Children and Family Services in Tangipahoa Parish would comment and, at the time, Judge Edwards said, "There is truly no need for a gag order in any juvenile case. All juvenile matters are confidential by law to protect and ensure the safety of all children."
In the meantime, the silence surrounding the murder of little Faith Saucier is deafening.
(Portions of the story came from WDSU-6 and www.actionnews17.com)
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