It's been less than a month since the shooting that killed a 2-year-old girl in southwest Columbus.
Two men have been charged and 10TV is learning more about what happened from the little girl's mother.
For Jessica Stanford, memories of her daughter Amiyah are everywhere.
But a tiny pink urn holding Amiyah's remains nearby brings the heartbreak into focus.
In person, it's hard to tell that Jessica was also shot in the face in the October 25 gunfire that killed Amiyah. But she says she'll never fully heal.
Inside the home less than an hour before, Jessica says she, Julian and Amiyah were about to eat dinner when a friend of Julian's stopped by before asking if the two men giving him a ride could use the family's restroom.
"I had my back to the door and I didn't even see them come inside," she said.
Jessica says it all happened quickly.
"Julian walked past me into the kitchen, when he had turned around, no sooner than he had turned around the older Norman Burke guy was standing next to my daughter," she said.
Then she heard the five words she won't forget.
"There was just a white towel that I remember him dropping next to the pantry door. And he just looked up at Julian and said everybody get the [expletive] down," she said.
After that, gunshots.
"I remember seeing bullets in front of my face and then I got hit," she said.
Four people were shot that night. Investigators identified the fourth person shot as alleged gunman Norman Burke.
Three days later police arrested Jaquon Poindexter, saying he was the other gunman. Both face multiple charges including murder.
Jessica says the family doesn't know the two men.
"We didn't ask for these two guys to come into our home and shoot our family and kill my daughter. We have never met these guys, never. Until that day," she said.
She also says she has no idea what role, if any, Julian's friend played in the shooting and why.
Through uncontrollable tears, she says, "I just don't understand when you come in somebody's home and see a child why would you do that? Why would you still continue to do that?"
Whatever happened inside the family's home, Jessica says she'll never go back.
"My daughter took her last breath in my arms in that house," she said.
She said she’ll never miss a court date for the two men charged in the fatal shooting, even though one of the men's first appearances before a judge was emotionally draining.
"How can you look at someone after you kill their baby and smirk? He smirked," she said.
Poindexter and Burke remain behind bars. They face multiple charges including attempted robbery and murder.
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Checking Into The Past
Within 24 hours, attention focused more on the criminal history of Amiyah's father Julian than that of the suspected gunmen.
"People were just so focused on Julian's past and his charge and his charge in the past couple years ago. He's never hurt anybody," she said.
Jessica claims the families never met the men police say shot them during what they're referring to as an attempted robbery.
Laura Laroche, intake director of Franklin County Children's Services, says because the family had been investigated in the past they'll be re-examining their own handling of two referrals on allegations of parental drug use.
Records indicate the family was investigated for alleged child endangerment twice during the 2-years Amiyah was alive.
One was on October 25, 2014, the other May 17, less than six months before Amiyah's death. In both cases, Children's Services determined she was safe.
"When a child death occurs there is a review process that the county engages in to look at what was the assessment of safety, the assessment of risk," she said.
10TV wanted to know how FCCS investigated past criminal charges. Documents supplied to us by FCCS confirm the two reviews.
Citing Ohio law and privacy issues, Laroche says she can't talk specifics about her agency's review of the family but she says the main question they seek to answer is the same in any case.
"While there may be criminal history, domestic violence history, how is that impacting the child in a negative way," she explained.
The agency closed the 2014 case after verifying Jessica was employed, passed all drug screens, took Amiyah to regular doctor visits and had good support by family.
There is no mention of Amiyah's father Julian in the information FCCS provided 10TV.
When asked why that was the case, and whether his legal troubles with drugs before the review factored in, an agency spokesperson stepped in.
"Any details regarding this case, it's confidential," said FCCS communications director Deborah Armstrong.
Just five days after the May 17 visit, Julian Bice was charged with drug possession. For the second time, the agency determined Amiyah was safe. Bice's charges were dismissed in June.
There was also an incident that Columbus Police were involved with that isn't mentioned.
On July 30, 2015, officers say a man in a ski mask broke into the Stanford home, tied up and maced Jessica.
At the time, detectives told 10TV that Amiyah ingested some of the mace.
"I can't speak to that what I can say is that in this particular case as shared that there was a collateral contract with law enforcement," she said.
Laroche wouldn't say how that violent incident factored into her agency's final determination that, once again, Amiyah was not in danger.
Less than five months later, Amiyah was shot and killed inside the family's home.
"Government in all situations is limited statutorily in what can be done based upon evidence that's collected specific to the impact on the child," said Laroche.
Previous Coverage
- Victims identified in southwest Columbus shooting that left 2-year-old girl dead
- Second suspect arrested in shooting that killed 2-year-old
- Home where toddler killed in shooting has long history with police
- Family of 2-year-old shooting victim says parents tried to shield child
- Family grieving Amiyah Bice, 2-year-old killed in shooting
- Children Services found Amiyah Bice was in good care with parents
- Two indicted for aggravated murder of 2-year-old