It’s been a little over a month since Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, before turning the gun on himself. But now their families, who seemed to be working through the tragedy, are fighting over the couple’s infant daughter.
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Four-month-old Zoey Belcher was initially in the custody of her paternal side when the deaths occurred.
According to News One:
Two weeks prior to the murder-suicide, Cheryl Shepherd (Belcher’s mother) had moved in with her son’s family. She also received custody of Zoey shortly after the shooting, and filed a legal petition to be named her granddaughter’s guardian and conservator of her estate in Jackson County Probate Court Dec. 14.
However, Zoey is now in the care of her maternal relatives in Texas, according to Gretchen Gold, Shepherd’s lawyer.
“Cheryl agreed to temporarily allow the maternal relatives (to) take Zoey to Texas for her mother’s funeral,” Gold wrote in an e-mail to a probate commissioner. But Zoey has yet to be returned to her paternal family side. “The maternal relatives have now ceased communicating with Cheryl Shepherd and have refused to return her calls or return the child to her care.”
The maternal relatives are taking action to make sure that the infant will be in their care:
Zoey’s maternal grandparents have filed a lawsuit seeking temporary custody, the girl’s relocation to Tarrant County, Texas and a guardian ad litem for her best interests.
The hearing for that case will take place Jan. 22. Gold says that Shepherd will be present and ready to fight for custody of her granddaughter.
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Wow. This could really get ugly. We hope they can work things out, because little Zoey already has a lot to deal with.
SOURCE: News One
