As the children settled into the McDaniel family, Noah began to guardedly give hints of the abuse he and Mariah had suffered. Once, Noah said, when Mar iah had grabbed Ed's cigarettes, Ed made her eat one. Afterward, his sister's vomit was green. No matter what they'd done to the children, Ed and Linda wanted them back. Macomb County Family Court Referee Fred Zizelman presided over the hearing.
Referees are lawyers appointed by judges to handle most family court hearings.
Sheila Strunk, the family's foster care worker, was troubled by the results of the psychological evaluations, and she was wary of Ed's drinking, temper and inability to hold a steady job. Strunk's assessment of the couple, as presented in her report to the court, identified serious obstacles in sending the children back to live with Ed and Linda. Linda, for example, had neglected the children's emotional needs and failed to properly supervise them during scheduled visits. Ed had a history of disciplining the children inappropriately. P.O. Box 30013, Lansing 48909.