Family gets protection order against dead child's mother

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Family members of a woman charged in the death of a 4-year-old girl have been issued an order protecting them from the child’s mother, who is accused of threatening them.

Chelsey Cook’s family sought the protection order against Lakisha Morrow, the Omaha World-Herald reported (https://bit.ly/1SiaV30 ) Saturday. Morrow is the mother of Alicia Morrow, whose body was found in Cook’s unheated house in January.

The child died of hypothermia, and Cook is charged with child abuse resulting in death.

Police say Morrow had turned over care of the girl to Cook in December 2014, because Morrow feared she would be homeless soon. Police records show Morrow had later attempted to get the child back from Cook, but Cook refused.

In an affidavit for the protection order, Cook’s mother said Morrow angrily confronted her and another family member last month, yelling that Cook “killed my daughter.” The woman said Morrow yelled at her to call police, because she wanted to be taken to jail where she could kill Cook.

Cook is in an Omaha jail awaiting trial, set for June 20. If convicted, she faces up to life in prison.

A phone number for Morrow could not be found Saturday.

Prosecutors say Cook knew the 4-year-old needed medical attention, but did not call 911 because there was a warrant out for her arrest. The girl’s body was found wrapped in plastic and hidden in the home’s basement.

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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, https://www.omaha.com