Phoenix couple newly indicted in daycare death of 2-year-old chi - Tri-State News, Weather & Sports

Phoenix couple newly indicted in daycare death of 2-year-old child

© Savannah Cross (Source: Facebook) © Savannah Cross (Source: Facebook)
Ryan Reed (Source: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office) Ryan Reed (Source: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)
Allison Clement (Source: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office) Allison Clement (Source: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)
PHOENIX (CBS5) -

A Phoenix couple who police said ran an unlicensed childcare business out of their home has been indicted in the 2012 death of a young girl.

A Maricopa County grand jury indicted Ryan Reed and Allison Clement on charges of second-degree and child abuse. Reed also was charged with two counts of sexual conduct with a minor.

Clement pleaded for justice after an autopsy report shed new light on the abuse her two-year-old granddaughter endured. Savannah Cross died on Dec. 11, 2012, but her alleged killer was able to walk away due to a delay in the autopsy report. 
Reed was re-arrested on child molestation charges at the end of November 2013.

"There's just so much that keeps me up at night," said Cathy Cross, Savannah Cross' grandmother said at the time. "The horrible things that were done to her and the number of things that were done to her," Cathy Cross said. 

Reed and Clement were arrested in December 2012, after Savannah Cross died on their watch. Savannah Cross' mother would leave her with them for extended periods of time. The charges were dropped because of a legal deadline, but after the autopsy report was complete, Reed was re-arrested. 

"That night after they told me he had been rearrested, I slept very well," Cathy Cross said. 

The report said Savannah Cross had injuries all over her body. The details are too graphic to mention. 

"We just don't have that answer as to why," Cathy Cross said. "People do what they do. I don't have the answer, I don't know."

Cathy Cross said she's upset Reed was able to walk away after the medical examiner's office took nearly a year to complete its report. But Cary Gerchik, a spokesperson for Maricopa County, said death investigations are complex and take time. 

"We understand the public's frustration and we understand that we have an ethical and scientific obligation to get to the truth," Gerchik said. 

On December 5, 2013, Ryan Reed was charged with one count of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of child abuse in connection with the same victim. These offenses are included in the current indictment.

Copyright 2014 CBS 5 (KPHO Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.

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  • SIDEBAR: Savannah Cross, daycare death

    MEMORIAL FUND: Savannah Cross Memorial Fund, Pueblo Bank and Trust Co., 200 F St., Salida, Co. 81201 READ: Daycare owners arrested after 2-year-old dies in their care (12/12/2012) READ: 2-year-old'sMore >>
    MEMORIAL FUND: Savannah Cross Memorial Fund, Pueblo Bank and Trust Co., 200 F St., Salida, Co. 81201 READ: Daycare owners arrested after 2-year-old dies in their care (12/12/2012) READ: 2-year-old'sMore >>

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