KANSAS CITY, Mo. — New documents obtained by KSHB 41 News from the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) shed light on events leading up to the disappearance and death of 13-year-old Jayden Robker earlier this year in Gladstone, Missouri.
The document details multiple instances of Jayden running away, him alleging abuse by his mother's partner and another child in Jayden's home reporting abuse by their father.
Jayden went missing on Feb. 2 and on March 10 was found dead in a pond near where he was last seen in Gladstone, Missouri.
The first incident — which is not dated — shows no case was opened after Jayden ran away from home and alleged his mother's partner was abusing him.
As a result, DSS placed Jayden on a safety plan under the care of his grandmother and sent a packet of counseling resources to Jayden's mother, Heather Robker. At the end of this incident, DSS says Jayden remained with his grandmother.
The second incident listed on the report — which is also not dated and is identified as an assessment — indicates Jayden again ran away from home and reported the same abuse.
Jayden was placed in the care of his uncle, Derek Robker. While staying with his uncle, Jayden refused to go home because of the abuse and out of fear of "being removed from school," according to the document.
"Jayden was crying and begging to not go back there," Jayden's aunt, Susan Deedon, told KSHB 41. "It killed my brother, and now he lives with the guilt of Jayden being gone."
While no case was opened based on this incident, DSS tried to have Heather Robker sign a power of attorney, allowing Jayden to stay with his uncle, but she refused. Both Heather Robker and her partner were unwilling to cooperate with DSS, with Heather Robker refusing services, according to the document.
Jayden remained with his uncle at the end of this incident.
The third and final incident on the report — which is not dated and is listed as an investigation — details alleged abuse of another child within Jayden's home.
The child made reports of emotional and physical abuse by their father. The child also made threats to harm themself.
According to the document, DSS tried to make face-to-face contact with all children — a total of five — living in the house. The father — whose relationship to Jayden and his mother is not clear, but is the biological father to three of the five children — would not allow DSS to make contact with the children, per the document.
KSHB 41 News is following up with DSS to confirm whether or not a case was opened in regard to this incident.
"I was astonished a parent can refuse services, refuse them to allow them to interview the children," Deedon said.
DSS later found that three of the five children in the home were living with the father's mother.
Of the two remaining children in the home, one of them — who is not directly identified in the report — was missing, per DSS. Heather Robker told officials the child had run away, but DSS was given varying stories about the status of the child, per the report.
The same child — believed to be Jayden — was later found deceased in a pond, about one mile away from where Jayden was last seen on Feb. 2 near Northwest Plaza Drive and Northwest Plaza Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri.
"Heather absolutely neglected him and let him down first, but I feel like the system let him down second," Deedon said. "It's there in place to protect kids, is it not?"
Jayden's body was found on March 10. Initial autopsy results did not indicate any signs of foul play, according to Gladstone police.
The DSS report indicates Jayden's cause of death remains undetermined.
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