Gallatin, Tenn. — A baby boy was returned to his mother and her family on Tuesday after an odyssey through the courts.
Channel 4 first reported on 1-year-old Kingston on Monday. His mother, Tondra Osborne, said a former Department of Children’s Services employee took advantage or her position and influence to get custody of the baby.
A Sumner County judge ordered Kingston to be returned to his mother’s home and then to Georgia to live with family.
Osborne said she had been waiting for nearly three months to be reunited with her son. Kingston was taken from her in January after Amy Koch, a former DCS worker and current executive of Sumner County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) received a court order granting her custody.
Koch filed for emergency custody of the baby in an ex-parte court hearing that was secret to Osborne, while Osborne was sick in the hospital. Koch said she was trying to help keep Kingston safe. She listed illness, safety concerns and parenting inadequacies in the court petition.
Osborne said she was unaware of that hearing.
Judge Barry Brown, who also works with CASA, signed the order only to recuse himself shortly after.
Osborne had not seen Kingston since. Her family was caught in a months-long legal battle to get him back.
After several days of trying to contact Koch, Channel 4 approached her going into Monday’s custody hearing. She never explained her actions.
A new judge ordered Koch to bring back Kingston on Tuesday, but the reunion was not easy.
“She needs to drop him off at home like the judge said to do,” said Osborne as she stood outside her home.
Koch’s supporters first circled the block and made hand gestures and yelling through the car window. Koch then told Osborne she wanted her aunt to meet across the street instead.
“She said, ‘Tell your aunt to come to the car and get him,'” Osborne said as she waited on the phone.
Koch waited in the car briefly before getting out to hand over Kingston to Osborne’s aunt, Yolanda Byrd.
During the exchange, some of the Osborne family questioned why Kingston wasn’t wearing a jacket. Koch responded saying his jacket was in his bag. Byrd then asked Koch where Kingston’s car seat was. Koch told Byrd she was sure Byrd has money for that, before walking away and back to her car.
After three months, Osborne was able to hold her son. After a few tears, Kingston was ready to play.
“It’s unbelievable,” Osborne said. “To feel like you lost a piece of you and to get him back, it’s unbelievable.
“It’s been three months. He’s only a year. I was worried, like, what if he doesn’t remember me?” Osborne added.
Osborne said she wants to move forward. For Kingston, that means moving to Georgia to live with his great aunt, Byrd, until his mother’s doctors say she’s well again.
“I knew I had to fight for her and her family and try to keep the family together,” said Byrd, Osborne’s aunt. “He is coming into a very loving, family-oriented home.”
For Osborne, the fight is not over to regain custody. For now, she said she is just happy Kingston is home.
Osborne is involved in lawsuits for how the emergency custody matter was handled. It is required by law that parents get a custody hearing within 72 hours of losing a child in a custody order. Osborne says never got that hearing.
