OAKLAND, CA – Alameda County has agreed to pay $12 million to the grandmother of 8-year-old Sophia Mason after an investigation found repeated reports of abuse were not properly investigated before the child was found dead in a bathtub in 2022. County officials acknowledged systemic failures as details emerged about missed warning signs and gaps in oversight.

Sophia’s decomposing body was discovered on March 11, 2022, in Merced, about 50 miles northwest of Fresno, after she had been reported missing. Authorities later determined she had been subjected to prolonged abuse while living in a backyard shed in the months before her death.

Missed warnings and investigative failures

An independent review found the Alameda County Department of Children and Family Services received eight referrals alleging abuse, including seven in 2021 alone. Reports included claims that Sophia’s mother and her boyfriend choked her and beat her with a belt, leaving visible bruises. The investigation concluded those referrals were either improperly handled or not investigated at all.

“The assigned investigator did not adequately document or recognize Sophia’s injuries or review medical records containing critical evidence and photographs,” the report said. “DCFS did not ensure that a medical examination with skeletal survey was completed for Sophia before the investigation was closed. Instead, the injuries were attributed to a motor vehicle accident or childhood accidental injuries.”

The report also stated, “In the January 2021 to March 2021 investigation, the DCFS investigator similarly discounted signs and disclosure of physical abuse.”

In October 2021, about six months before her death, Sophia was taken to a hospital with possible cigarette burns and bruises. Doctors raised concerns about abuse, but her mother left before a full examination could be completed. The case was later closed without further action.

County leaders said the failures stemmed from poor staff decisions, lack of supervision, and staffing shortages. “Since her passing, we learned, and as a community reckoned with, the fact that the systems in place designed to keep her safe were unsuccessful,” the Alameda County Board of Supervisors said in a statement.

Criminal case and timeline of events

Sophia’s mother, 34-year-old Samantha Johnson, pleaded no contest to manslaughter and two counts of child abuse. Prosecutors dropped a murder charge as part of a plea agreement. A judge sentenced her in March to 15 years and 8 months in prison.

Johnson’s boyfriend, Dhante Jackson, was arrested months after Sophia’s death and later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. He was released with credit for time served.

According to reports, Johnson told investigators the last time she saw her daughter alive was Feb. 10, 2022, when she removed Sophia from the shed to clean feces from her body. She then left the girl alone in a bathroom with Jackson, whom authorities said she knew had been abusing the child.

Johnson told investigators she heard a “thud” shortly afterward. The next day, she said she believed Sophia had left through an open sliding door and assumed the child had run away. She did not report her missing or conduct a search.

“Jackson told Johnson that your daughter does not want to be with you and does not want to be your daughter anymore. Johnson stated that Jackson told her this, so that is the reason why she stopped looking for [Sophia],” according to the report.

Hayward police ultimately located Johnson, arrested her, and obtained a warrant to search the home where Sophia’s body was found.

Family statements underscore impact

Family members spoke out during court proceedings, describing the impact of Sophia’s death and criticizing the response of those responsible for her care.

“This isn’t justice,” Sophia’s aunt Emerald Johnson wrote in a victim impact statement. “Sophia didn’t get to live her life. Her life was cut short. [Samantha] and Dhante both deserve to rot in prison for the rest of your lives.”

She added, “But regardless of these sentences, I know that God has the last say for you both. You will get the karma that you truly deserve.”

Another aunt, Lynn Linnen, addressed the defendant directly, stating, “You failed. Instead of protecting her, you allowed her to suffer and die.”

County officials said efforts are underway to address the failures identified in the investigation and improve oversight within the child welfare system so that “each child in Alameda County can access their infinite potential.”

Alameda County settlement, Sophia Mason case, child welfare failure California, Merced bathtub death 2022, Samantha Johnson sentencing

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