RALEIGH, N.C. – In an eight hour hearing, the state house oversight committee questioned Mecklenburg County leaders and law enforcement about 6 year old Dominique Moody’s death. County manager Mike Bryant, Deputy County Manager Kimm Campbell and Department of Social Services Interim Director Letecia Loadholt spent the most time answering questions about the policies and systems in place to protect children like Moody. “The people of North Carolina pay your department to do one job that’s to protect children,” Representative Brian Echevarria from Cabarrus County said. “So your workers had reports about Dominque Moody on their desk and 80% of them met the legal definition of abuse and your workers turned away from every one of them, now she’s dead. That’s why were here.” Moody died in a home on Gwynne Hill Road back in December. She was malnourished, bruised and burned. The home was infested with rats and roaches. Court records other children in the hoem testified she had been tied up with tape and forced to sit in a dog cage. Moody was born in Cumberland County and her mother voluntarily surrendered her to guardians at the home on Gywnne Hill Road back in 2019. Mecklenburg County leaders say social workers evaluated the home before she was placed there. “If she had been assessed properly, she most likely would have been identified as a high care high needs child and would not have been placed in that home without proper medical attention would you agree?” Rep. Carla Cunningham from Mecklenburg County asked. Police had visited the home multiple times before Moody’s death and even found a murder suspect hiding in the home in 2025. “When we did welfare check that was March 29th, that’s when our officers saw the children and they appeared to be in good health the arrest [of the unrelated murder suspect] was the day afterwards,” CMPD Chief Estella Patterson said. State leaders questioned the policies and practices for protecting children in Mecklenburg county and statewide. “There were five children living there within the quarters and only 1 referral was made so we are all responsible,” representative Cunningham said. State representatives noted there were 13 reports of child abuse from the home, but there were no photos associated any of the reports Moody’s case. Social workers took the first photos of the home after her death in December of 2025. “Policies don’t harm children necessarily, but a failure to respond consistently to policy can contribute to harm so we’re not trying to avoid the areas that need to be improved,” Kimm Campbell Deputy County Manager said. The county is working on corrective plan with the state. The latest budget in Mecklenburg County adds 22 DSS staff and support positions. “We have an obligation to learn from this case and strengthen the systems entrusted with protecting all vulnerable children,” County Manager Mike Bryant said. County leaders will have to submit the corrective action plan by the end of the month. They say they have already started using a new software to better organize notes from social workers to keep up with cases. ...read more read less