We got a call from a grandfather. His voice cracked with emotion. He was worried about his 5-year-old granddaughter, who had suddenly changed.
This little girl had been raised by her maternal grandparents since birth. Her mother had been in and out of rehab, and her father had never shown much interest. But when the father remarried a pregnant woman, suddenly they wanted custody. The grandparents, hopeful that maybe it was a chance for the child to have a “stable family,” agreed to a custody arrangement. The child would live with her father and stepmother, and the grandparents would have every other weekend visitation.
That first weekend back at their home, the child curled into a fetal position and didn’t speak for two days.
The grandfather called me and said:
“If this is just transitional pain, I won’t interfere. But if there’s abuse, I want to know—and I want to stop it.”
That call marked the beginning of a five-year investigation that uncovered abuse, neglect, manipulation, and finally—justice.
🛒 Day One: Target Incident
We followed the father to Target with the child and stepmother. The little girl tried to help by lifting laundry detergent out of the cart, but it slipped from her hands and fell.
Her 6’3″ father got down inches from her face, screaming:
“Did I ask for your help? Don’t touch anything unless I tell you to!”
The stepmother stood by silently.
Later, we observed him holding the little girl’s hands on the shopping cart handle, walking fast while she struggled to keep up:
“Daddy, you’re hurting me.”
He said nothing.
I called the grandfather immediately and said, “We have a problem.”
🍺 Pattern of Neglect & Narcissistic Abuse
We began daily surveillance. The father only worked two days a week and was frequently at bars, drinking heavily.
He would return home, stomp up the stairs, a classic move among narcissistic abusers—signaling power through sound before entering.
🎆 4th of July Weekend
The father denied the grandparents’ request to have the child, claiming “big family plans.” So, they asked us to watch.
Instead:
- The child was dropped at a hoarder’s home with an elderly babysitter.
- She sat on a couch all day, unable to move around.
- We documented marijuana use on the property.
- The father and stepmother fought all weekend—child was left at the sitter from 7 AM to 9 PM.
On July 4th, the child was left with a single man in another house. She played outside unsupervised, next to a dangerous backyard pool with chicken wire drooping into the water.
I approached the child from the alley and saw she had no food or water for 3.5 hours. I eventually knocked on the door, fearing for her safety. She was inside, watching TV—thankfully okay.
🐾 Pit Bulls, Neighbor Witnesses & A Dumpster Confrontation
While surveilling, I saw two starving pit bulls. I left to get dog food. When I returned, a neighbor named Dani accused me of dumping the dogs.
I decided to be honest and said I was there about child abuse.
Her face changed.
She said:
“Oh, that guy? I saw him throw a little girl into the back of his car. I thought she was being kidnapped.”
Another neighbor, Veronica, also witnessed the abuse and let us set up cameras inside her apartment to face the subject’s door.
Both women volunteered to testify in court.
📚 First Court Hearing: Ignored
We went to court with:
- A 180-page report
- 5 investigators
- 2 eyewitnesses
Despite overwhelming evidence, the judge ignored it and returned custody to the father.
But the client didn’t give up.
Neither did we.
🏡 New Home, New Lies
The father moved to a remote house behind another home. Hard to see, hard to track.
So I started calling neighbors.
A neighbor named Dan told us:
- He heard someone hitting a dog daily.
- One day, the dog arrived on his porch with a broken hip.
- The father said, “I’m done with the dog.”
- Dan raised $2,000 and got the dog surgery.
Dan let us set up cameras on his back patio.
🐴 The Horse Bribe
A guardian ad litem was assigned.
The father promised the child a horse if she told the guardian everything was fine.
She got the horse.
Dan later called to say:
“The horse is wasting away. No one’s feeding it.”
There was no shelter.
It was winter.
The horse was gone within days.
⚖️ Final Victory
We reopened the case in a different county.
The new judge:
- Increased grandparent visitation
- Ordered nightly phone calls
- Removed the guardian ad litem for inappropriate involvement
The subject had told his daughter about StillWatch, and even falsely claimed she had been to my house. I testified she hadn’t.
We continued surveillance.
In court, the father screamed:
“I can see Renee sitting on my neighbor’s back porch!”
That’s how the abused pit bull story made it into court.
After years of motions, the custody arrangement settled at Year 1 remained:
- The child returned to her grandparents’ home
- The father got every other weekend and two weeks in summer
👧 Now, She’s 11—and She Has a Voice
The little girl is now 11 years old, in therapy, and thriving.
She tells her stepmother:
“I’m not your personal slave.”
She has a phone.
She calls her grandparents whenever she wants to go home.
And her father? He treats her better now—because he knows she can leave.
💡 Final Thoughts
This was a 5-year case—one of the most difficult and rewarding we’ve worked.
As someone who has experienced abuse myself, I cannot rest when a child is in danger. And I highly recommend forensic psychology in custody cases—because PI evidence is powerful, but medical reports are undeniable.
If you’re fighting for custody and need help:
📞 Call me. Renee Brewer
🕵️♀️ StillWatch Investigations
📍 Nashville, TN
📱 615-207-4115
We’ll fight alongside you.
