They are news stories that many of us would turn away from. A newborn dies at the hands of its parents. A child drowns in a swimming pool. A man is arrested for soliciting sexual images from a minor.
One person who doesn’t have the luxury of looking away is Annie Schmeckpeper, a member of AFSCME Colorado. For the past five years, Schmeckpeper has investigated suspicious child deaths as a fatality investigator for the Adams County Department of Human Services near Denver.
She is among the first people to speak with grieving families. She is in the homes where these tragedies have taken place. She is in the hospital rooms when parents are told their child will not live. And she must confront parents who may be responsible.
Schmeckpeper’s role is to find out what happened and to ensure the safety of siblings and spouses who remain in the home. She works with law enforcement and the district attorney to hold whoever is at fault accountable.
It is a heartbreaking job, but one that Schmeckpeper does with passion, professionalism and empathy.
“Annie always goes out of her way to make sure families are heard,” says Heather Burke, a co-worker at the Department of Human Services, who nominated Schmeckpeper for AFSCME’s Never Quit Service Award.
“She makes sure that parents are cooperating. She builds rapport. She treats parents with respect and professionalism. She’s very empathetic,” says Burke.
Take for instance a newborn who is brought to the hospital suffering from injuries that only another human can inflict. The father is nowhere to be found. The mom, who has long been abused by her husband, is blaming the siblings. And the siblings aren’t old enough to talk.
But Schmeckpeper has heard this story before.
“Parents will talk to us more than the police,” she says. “We’re asking questions, learning about their background. I’m trying to determine what has happened.”
Schmeckpeper explains the distinction between what she does and what the police do.
“The difference between us and the police is that we’re trying to determine if abuse has occurred in the home. Police determine if a crime has occurred. We’re a civil procedure,” Schmeckpeper says. “When we go to court, it’s family court.”
Sometimes, these fatalities are never prosecuted because no one will admit what’s happened. For example, a spouse or family member is terrified into silence by the violence they’ve had to endure. Other times, Schmeckpeper has to confront the perpetrators themselves.
She’s grown accustomed to living in that gray area, where the rest of the world wants to see things as black and white.
“It’s a painful interview when you learn about people and what they’ve been through. There are parents who had no chance themselves. Me not listening isn’t going to bring the child back,” Schmeckpeper says.
Empathy can be hard to come by, but it’s an essential quality for Schmeckpeper to do her job effectively. “You’re going to get more from a family if you show respect and kindness. They’re not going to talk to you if you’re not.”
And while the job takes a toll, both her co-workers at the Department of Human Services and Schmeckpeper herself wouldn’t want anyone else doing it.
“I’m very passionate about what I do,” Schmeckpeper says. “I know that when I go to work in the morning, what we do is very important. You have to be locked in. I need to have a job that’s meaningful. I have to know that what I do every day makes a difference.”