How children services visited tragic Navin Jones, 8, just ONE MONTH before he died in a skeletal state after being beaten and starved at his Illinois home but case workers said he was SAFE

Child Protective Services visited the home of eight-year-old Navin Jones just a month before he died as a result of being beaten and starved with a social worker noting that while he was malnourished, his health was not critical. 

The revelation came in day three of the murder trial of Brandon Walker, Jones' father. He's facing two counts of first degree murder stemming from his child's tragic death on March 29, 2022 in the city of Peoria, Illinois, around 160 miles south west of Chicago. 

Jones' mother, Stephanie Jones, has already pleaded guilty for one count of first-degree murder. 

The child was found unresponsive in a skeletal and emaciated state at the home where he lived with his older brother and parents. 

During the investigation into Jones' death, a note on Jones' bedroom door was found reading : 'Don't give Navin any food or drink. Do not let him out of the room. He has what he needs until I wake up.' 

The little boy weighed just 30 pounds, and he was found in a locked room that was covered in urine and feces. He had signs of physical abuse across his face, body, arms, and legs. 

On Wednesday, Cathy Harvey, an investigator with the Department of Children and Family Services told the jury that she made several visits to Jones' home in February 2022 but on two occasions, including one where she had made an appointment, nobody answered the door. 

Harvey finally met with Jones and his brother on February 22. During her conversation with the child, he had a blanket covering his lower half and was eating popcorn while drinking juice. 

According to Harvey, she told the boy's father that she wanted him to be examined by a doctor. Walker told her that his mother, Laura Walker, was the legal guardian of both boys and that they would need her consent to do so. 

Harvey reached out to Laura Walker and got her to sign a temporary consent waiver. According to the social worker, those signed papers arrived at Jones' house on the day of his death. 

The doctor who examined Jones' body after his death described his condition as 'severely malnourished.' Blood tests showed that he was regularly malnourished and dehydrated. 

Prosecutors said that the boy's room was disgusting and deplorable, with just a bed and one toy, while the rest of the home on North Gale Avenue was 'well furnished' with a fully stocked fridge and pantry. 

His mother faces at least 20 years in prison when she is sentenced next February.

In return for her guilty plea, State's Attorney Jodi Hoos agreed not to give her a life sentence.

Jones agreed to testify against the boy's father Walker, 41. 

Body cam footage has since revealed the moment that Peoria police showed up to Jones and Walker's home after Jones called 911 to report Navin was cold and lifeless.

Officers in the clip immediately take issue with Jones' story and the state of the boy's body. 

Stephanie, the mother, is seen sitting on the steps of the home, crying into her hands, while smoking a cigarette. 

When the father is told that there is a chance the child cannot be resuscitated, Brandon runs to a car, smashes his fists onto the hood, and shouts: 'There's no f**king way.' 

Bodycam inside the home showed the clutter - but also the bare room that Navin had been living in.

Rope, used to keep his door shut, was visible, as was a note written to his older brother by one of his parents, saying not to feed Navin. 

Before being in the care of his mother and father, Navin was being looked after by his his grandmother. She had been doing so since the boy was just five months old. 

After briefly leaving Washington in July 2021, she returned to find Walker and Jones refusing to give the boy back to her. 

In an attempt to get the boy back under her watch, Laura Walker contacted the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the Washington Police Department, and the Peoria Peoria Department.

She said that nothing changed despite her efforts.

DCFS investigated Laura Walker's claims, but said that her allegations were 'unfounded.' 

In February 2022, an anonymous tip led DCFS to visit the home. Navin was observed to be 'sickly,' thin, and small. Because Navin told the caseworker that he wanted to stay with his parents, they noted that he was safe. 

Just over a month later, on March 29, Navin was found unresponsive. 

Stephanie, his mother, told cops she put the boy in the shower when she noticed he wasn't breathing. Navin died later that day in the hospital. 

Detective Roberto Vasquez, who attended the scene, said the smell coming from the little boy's room was unlike anything he had smelt before. There were no sheets or blankets on his bed.

His bedroom door did not have a doorknob, and instead, there was a rope to keep it closed. 

In court, forensic pathologist Amanda Youmans who performed Navin’s autopsy said that the little boy had lost the fat layer under his skin and showed signs of chronic malnutrition. 

Navin would have had limited mobility before his death because his muscles had to atrophy. The boy was also covered in bruises - including on his wrists - consistent with being restrained that had been caused by blunt force trauma.

Youmans said that his death was ruled as failure to thrive due to malnutrition. 

The boy also went into cardiac arrest, triggered by starvation. 

Shocking text messages between Jones and Walker, seized in October 2021 and showed in grand jury testimony, showed Walker wanting to put the boy in the basement after he peed on the wall. 

Gary Morris, Walker's attorney, has blamed DCFS for not giving legal guardianship to Jones and Walker.

He said: 'DCFS has got to be more responsible about getting the guardianship changed from one person to another when they need medical attention because everyone agreed they couldn't take the child to the doctor and that is a fact.'