Saturday's Internet Edition, May 17, 2008.
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Thomasville City Councilman George Burton and Brittain Academy owner Linde Brittain joined together by setting up an account for the sisters through First Bank. Contributions can be made at any First Bank location in an account called “Kasera fund c/o Brittain Academy.”
Hearing the news of the girl’s death fueled Burton to come up with the idea of setting up the account. A memo was sent by Burton to other City Council members Monday, as well as other city employees to encourage them to donate money toward the Kasera fund.
“I feel like there is a need to help the children because this is a tragedy to the City of Thomasville,” Burton said of helping set up the account.
The mother, 38-year-old Nancy Kisera, has been charged with first degree child cruelty after her 11-year-old daughter Nicole was found dead in the backseat of a borrowed Nissan Altima at LaGrange Travel Plaza in Georgia on March 9. The mother originally called 911 that night, saying her daughter wasn’t breathing and notified the telecommunicator she was doing CPR on the child, according to Troup County Sheriff Donny Turner.
The Kenya native was arrested by Troup County authorities, but was extradited last Wednesday to Davidson County. Her first appearnance in Lexington District Court will be March 24.
Sheriff David Grice of the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office said Monday his detectives are currently investigating the crime, and he met with District Attorney Garry Frank to discuss the matter.
“It is very much in the preliminary investigation,” Grice said in a phone interview. “It is a complicated situation we are going to pursue. What we are trying to do is find justice for the little deceased girl.”
According to Special Agent Rodney Wall of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Nicole’s body is still in the agency’s crime lab, which ruled the death to be a homicide. Davidson County authorities have not made such a ruling.
Wall said the matter of transporting Nicole’s body back to Davidson County was an issue between the Georgia crime lab, North Carolina authorities and the girl’s next of kin. Because the girl’s mother is in Davidson County Jail under a $5 million bond, the special agent said the next of kin is a relative who lives in Texas.
As far as Nicole’s sister Natalie, a preliminary custody hearing was held Monday to see the potential of prospective guardians, according to two women who spoke to Davidson County Department of Social Services at the Davidson County Courthouse in Lexington to try to get temporary custody of the 8-year-old.
In fact, Brittain not only helped set up the fund, but she is also trying to get custody of her student. In an interview at the school, Brittain said the sisters both attended the private school. However, the last time she saw Nicole was at a 2007 Christmas party, while Natalie was at school three weeks ago. She is also trying to claim Nicole’s body for a proper funeral.
“My argument to win Natalie’s custody is that I love her,” Brittain said. “I am financially stable enough. I am a single parent and both of my kids are grown up and gone. She will be attending school every day because I’m here every day. Her education would be wonderful.”
In 1997, Nancy Kasera taught a middle school class at Brittain Academy, but only was an employee for a year. Brittain said both of the girls showed signs of withdraw and Nicole would always wear long sleeve pants and shirts. When a fellow student would try to take off her hat, Brittain recalls Nicole trying to stop them.
“I didn’t think she would hurt either one of those girls,” she said. “Just hearing about the description of the death, it was so graphic where her hands were tied up. I don’t think it was Nancy. I can only think that she is covering it up for someone else.”
Regina Diggs, owner of Diggs’ Daycare in High Point, also attended the hearing in Lexington to seek custody of the child. She said a social services’ attorney asked two questions to those wishing to earn custody: “How long have you known the girl?” and “Would you care for the girl on a temporary basis?”
Diggs said she has known Natalie since she was 2 years old and took care of the two sisters at her daycare for a year.
“I still can’t believe she’s dead,” Diggs said. “With the Nancy I have known, I can’t absorb this. I know it is a reality, but I don’t see her taking part in anything that would hurt her children.”
Calling herself a professional, Diggs said she will do whatever is needed to take care of Natalie.
“She has gone through entirely too much — stuff we will probably never know about it,” she said. “She needs to be where somebody isn’t going to be drilling her about what has gone on.”
Diggs said there was plenty of interest from those wishing to have custody of Natalie. She also added that she is aware there is Kasera family in Boston, New Jersey, Texas and Kenya.
Keith Johnson, director of social services, declined to comment on the matter Monday evening, citing juvenile laws.
Staff Writer Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 231, or ignasiak@tvilletimes.com.