A month before 8-year-old's beating death, Nash detectives recommended children be removed from grandmother's custody

A month before an 8-year-old girl was beaten to death, Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone tells WRAL News his investigators told Nash County Social Services to remove the child and her siblings from the home they shared with their grandmother.

Christal Lane died on Feb. 7, and her grandmother, Patricia Ricks, is charged in her death.

Stone says Nash County Det. Macy Hasty recommended removing Christal and her four siblings from the home for their safety in January.

That did not happen, and it was at least the second opportunity for authorities to remove the child from the home. WRAL News requested Nash DSS release the department’s full records of their investigation into the death of Christal Lane.

Last week, a WRAL investigation found Ricks had been reported to Nash DSS for suspected child abuse on Dec. 19. A staff member at Coopers Elementary says on that day, Christal came to school with severe injuries.

DSS began an investigation that day, but Lane remained in her grandmother's custody.

Hasty made her recommendation to DSS in January, and Christal died in early February.

Arrest warrants show Christal died of severe blunt force trauma to her head and body.

Ricks, 72, is charged with first-degree murder and felony child abuse.