Lily’s Cries Will Keep You Up At Night – A Case You Will Never FORGET
The Joy and the Dread
On the morning of November 20th, 2010, adorable little Lily Furno sat at the kitchen table, her tiny fingers eagerly picking out the marshmallows from her bowl of Lucky Charms cereal. Across from her sat her grandfather, his face full of warmth and adoration. Their laughter, a symphony of two-year-old giggles and grandfatherly delight, filled the room with a joy that seemed unbreakable. The joyful exchange between a grandfather and his granddaughter couldn’t shake the storm brewing within Lily’s mother, Lauren. Her heart was heavy with a dread that she couldn’t shake, a fear that twisted her stomach into knots.
As she packed Lily’s things, her hands trembled with the weight of the decision she was forced to make. Today, like countless days before, she had to drive her daughter to the meeting spot and hand her over to her father, as dictated by the unforgiving terms of the custody agreement. Lauren’s mind was a whirlwind of worry and anger, emotions that left her feeling powerless. She feared for Lily’s safety at her father’s house, yet the court’s decree left her no room for defiance. The chilling thought of losing custody of her daughter was enough to chain her to this heartbreaking routine.
With a heavy heart, she called Lily, telling her it was time to go to her dad’s. Lily’s response was as heart-wrenching as it was predictable. Her eyes welled with tears as she clung to her mother, her cries a haunting echo that filled the house. As they moved towards the door, her cries escalated into piercing screams, striking a chord of sorrow in her grandparents’ hearts. In the living room, Lily’s grandmother, Lynette, felt her own tears spill over. She hurried to the bathroom, seeking refuge from the sight of her granddaughter’s distress. Behind the closed door, she looked up at the ceiling. “Why?” she whispered to the heavens, pleading for a sign, a reason, an answer to the suffering of her innocent granddaughter.
The drive to the meeting spot was filled with promises, each one a fragile attempt to soothe Lily’s anguish. Lauren’s voice trembled with determination as she assured Lily that Barney would be at her third birthday party, that they would visit Splash Village when the snow blanketed the ground. But it was the promise she made with unwavering conviction that cut the deepest: one day, she vowed, Lily would not have to go to her daddy and stepmother Renee’s house.
As they arrived at the meeting spot, Lily cried as she was handed to her father, her tiny arms reaching desperately for the comfort of her mother’s embrace. Tears streamed down Lauren’s face as she turned away, her heart shattering with each step she took. This weekly ritual of separation was a shared dread for both mother and daughter, yet neither could have imagined this would be the last time they would ever see each other.
A Short-Lived Romance and a Biased Court
Lily’s parents, Lauren Furno and Jeffrey Wolfenbarger, met at a campground near Lapeer, Michigan in the summer of 2007. Their connection was immediate. According to Lauren, he said all the right things and she believed him, but like many summer romances, it was short-lived. Yet, in the brief time they spent together, Lauren became pregnant. Lauren dreaded telling her parents about her unexpected pregnancy, yet as soon as she felt the life growing inside her, she fell in love, excited to become a mother no matter what anyone thought.
Thankfully, Lauren’s parents were supportive, welcoming her and her new baby to live with them after the birth. She was deeply grateful for her parents’ love and support, as becoming a mother for the first time at 22 can be both beautiful and terrifying. Lauren gave birth to what she described as the love of her life on May 14th, 2008 at 5:22 p.m., naming her new daughter Lily Lynette. From the moment she was born, Lily was her world, her joy, and her reason to smile.
By the time Lily was born, Jeffrey had moved on and was dating a woman he’d known since high school named Renee King, who had three children from a previous relationship, and he married her soon after Lily was born. In July of 2008, when Lily was 3 months old, a joint custody agreement was put in place by Judge Michael Higgins, who said he believed in joint custody and intended to award it. Lily was to spend 3 days a week with Jeffrey and four with Lauren. Lauren and her attorney disagreed; Lauren wanted full custody of Lily. They had consulted with experts that believed Lily, at only 3 months old, was too young to be shuffled back and forth.
Jeffrey and Lauren didn’t get along. They lived an hour apart, and when Jeffrey had Lily, he wouldn’t care for her himself. He would leave her with his parents or Renee. Transcripts of the two custody hearings show that Judge Higgins discounted expert testimony and treated both parties sarcastically. He called Lauren obsessed with her daughter, rebuked her for calling the father’s home to check in on Lily, and suggested she drop out of Central Michigan University. He also scolded Lauren, saying, “You should have adopted a baby without a dad. That’s what you should have done. You had a baby with this man and you’re devastated. I’m sorry, but that’s too bad. Get used to it,” referring to the joint custody order.
This judge obviously had some sort of bias and acted completely unprofessional, ignoring expert testimony and straight-up bullying Lauren. She was terrified of this judge and the Michigan family court system. For fear of losing custody of her daughter, she complied with the court order.
A Loving Home vs. A Chaotic Environment
Lily was growing fast, graced with the most enchanting brown eyes and strawberry blonde hair. She adored spending time with her grandparents, especially when it came to baking cookies. Her faith and love for Jesus was simple and pure; her enthusiasm for attending church was infectious. When she was at home, the living room often became her stage where you’d find her dancing and singing to her favorite TV show, Glee, her little voice full of excitement as she sang along to the show. Lily’s presence was a blessing in the home she shared with her mother and grandparents. Her joy and laughter filled every room. She was surrounded by love and was growing into a happy and inquisitive beautiful little girl, making irreplaceable memories with those that loved her the most.
Lily’s father Jeffrey’s home was quite the opposite of the home she shared with her mother and grandparents. Renee and Jeffrey’s relationship was volatile, and there was an underlying darkness slowly taking over the already chaotic environment. When Lily would visit, she rarely saw her father. She was most often left in the care of her now stepmother Renee. Renee already had her hands full with her own three children and was growing resentful having to care for now 2-year-old Lily while Jeffrey was at work. Lily, not being her biological child, was treated differently than her biological children.
Two-year-olds can be challenging; patience is often stretched thin even with those that love them the most. But being a stepmother to a 2-year-old you resent can be a catalyst for disaster. In March of 2010, Renee saw a specialist for severe back pain. An MRI revealed a bulging disc in her back. She began taking strong pain medication to alleviate the pain. As weeks went by, Renee struggled to care for the kids and began taking more and more pain meds to deal with the stress of her failing marriage and her physical pain. Every time Renee was left to care for Lily, she became more and more resentful. A storm was brewing inside her, and she was becoming dangerous.
Unheeded Warnings and Escalating Abuse
About the same time, Lauren and her parents were becoming concerned Lily wasn’t safe at her dad’s. Lily was becoming resistant to going there and often cried that she didn’t want to go. In April of 2010, Lily returned home from her father’s house with a mark on the back of her neck right underneath her hairline. Lauren and her parents thought it looked like a cigarette burn and became concerned, knowing that Jeffrey and Renee smoked. When confronted about it, they explained it away as an accident. But deep inside, Lauren knew something wasn’t right over at Lily’s father’s house, but she had no way to prove it.
So when Lily came home with bruising, Lauren started documenting her injuries with photos. When Lily was asked what happened, she would simply say she fell. It was getting to the point where every time Lily came home from her dad’s, she had injuries. Lauren began sending the photos of Lily’s injuries to Jeffrey asking him what was going on. He would blame it on Lily, saying she was clumsy, always throwing temper tantrums, and that the injuries were the result of accidents and her tantrums.
Behind the scenes, Jeffrey and Renee’s relationship was in turmoil, and on October 6th of 2010, they separated. Two days later, Renee filed for a personal protection order against Jeffrey, and a few days after that, Jeffrey filed for divorce. But that didn’t last long. They reconciled that same month and stayed together, although their relationship remained volatile.
Lauren and her parents had grave concerns that Lily was being purposely harmed by Renee while Jeffrey was at work. They knew Renee was becoming progressively unstable and wanted to protect Lily and get her out of harm’s way. Lauren and her parents hired an investigator who documented Lily’s injuries. Lauren had a conversation with Renee about her concerns. Renee told Lauren she loves Lily as if she were her own child and promised to better communicate with Lauren about her concerns. Renee and Lauren agreed that the current custody arrangement needed to be changed for Lily’s sake.
Renee tells Lauren that she understands the current situation is stressful for her, and that it’s stressful for her and Jeffrey as well. She says she thinks they should all sit down and talk about what’s best for Lily. Although what Renee said seemed authentic on the surface, Lauren had a hard time believing Renee really cared what was best for Lily. In my opinion, I think Renee did want the custody arrangement to change. I think she was resentful she had to watch her while Jeffrey was at work, but I think Jeffrey liked the control he had over Lauren and Lily. That, along with his ego and pride, wouldn’t allow him to give up custody of Lily. He had to know something wasn’t right. His relationship was a mess, and his daughter was constantly injured in his wife’s care who at this point was overmedicating herself and basically falling apart. But he couldn’t let go of that control, even at the sake of his daughter’s safety.
Unbeknownst to Lauren, Renee’s mother removed her grandchildren from Renee and Jeffrey’s home. She worried about Renee’s ability to care for them. This was just another catalyst that would send Renee spiraling. Her marriage was falling apart, she was overmedicating herself, she resented caring for Lily, and now her children were gone. On October 28th, Renee tells her doctor, Tammy Duvic, that she is very tired and stressed. She also states she was having falls, and her right leg had given out which caused her to fall a number of times. On November 12th, Renee went to the emergency room complaining about her falls and back pain. The ER physician, Dr. Glenn Dong, stated he was able to conclude Renee had no neurological deficit related to her back pain.
Meanwhile, the investigator hired by Lauren and her parents sent the evidence of Lily’s injuries to Lauren’s attorney in hopes it would be enough to petition for full custody of Lily. But her attorney was concerned. After the way Judge Higgins treated Lauren in the original custody hearings, she was afraid that photos of the injuries wouldn’t be enough to substantiate claims that these were being purposely inflicted by Renee or Jeffrey, and that Judge Higgins may retaliate, possibly even taking Lauren’s custody of her daughter away. Lauren wanted to call authorities but was terrified she’d lose Lily. She felt helpless to protect her daughter. She was a young mother who had never been in such a horrible position. Her parents had no experience with a situation such as this either. Their cries for help were falling on deaf and calloused ears.
In later interviews, Lauren’s attorney, who was devastated by what happened to Lily, stated, “It’s hard to know what was going on in the Wolfenbarger-King house. You just don’t go to court with hearsay and speculation.” Lapeer County Prosecutor Byron Konschuh later commented on Lily’s case saying, “If you can’t show cause and prove who is inflicting injuries on a child, there is risk in the courts. Bumps and bruises can be explained away.” The investigator was infuriated with the fact there seemed to be no help available for Lily, questioning Lauren’s attorney, “When will we have enough evidence? When she’s lying in a casket?” Those questions were a haunting foreshadowing of what was to come.
A Fatal Visit
On Friday, November 19th, Lauren put her fears aside and decided to take Lily to her pediatrician and have her injuries looked at by a professional. But unfortunately, their office was closed. Lauren was frustrated. She wanted Lily to be seen before she had to go to her dad’s on Saturday. She decided she would take Lily on Monday, but was sick inside with worry about Lily’s upcoming visit with her dad.
That night, Lauren and her parents let Lily help decorate the Christmas tree they had set up early. Lily was bursting at the seams with joy, admiring her work every time she hung a decoration. After they finished, Lauren put Lily in a beautiful Christmas dress and snapped photos of her in front of the gorgeous tree. Later that night, Lily and Lauren watched Toy Story 3. Lily fell asleep laying on her mother. Lauren remembers thinking how lucky she was to have such a perfect daughter.
Lauren wakes up the next morning with a sense of worry and dread. She had to take Lily and hand her over to Jeffrey. The drive there was heartbreaking, hearing Lily say through her tears, “I don’t want to go to Daddy’s and Nay’s house,” Lauren promising Lily the day would come when she wouldn’t have to go anymore. She handed her tearful daughter off to Jeffrey, not knowing it would be the last time she would see her alive.
At 9:45 a.m., Jeffrey drops Lily off with Renee and leaves for work. Renee and Lily are alone, as Renee’s biological children are no longer living in the home. Around noon, Renee tells Jeffrey Lily is throwing a temper tantrum during a phone conversation. Renee has a toxic amount of pain medication in her system at this time. Shortly after 2:00 p.m., Renee calls 911 and reports Lily isn’t breathing. The dispatcher gives Renee instructions on how to perform CPR on Lily while waiting for first responders to arrive. First responders find Lily unconscious on the floor. She is rushed to the hospital where staff observes injuries on Lily’s forehead and behind her left ear.
At 3:00 p.m., Lauren receives a call from Jeffrey stating there was an accident. Renee had fallen on Lily, and Lauren needed to get to the hospital right away. Lily is unable to be revived. She is pronounced dead at 3:27 p.m., November 20th, 2010.
Investigation and Trial
Investigators interview Renee where she tells them she dropped Lily in the shower and then fell on her. On the way to call for help, she was carrying Lily and dropped her again. The medical examiner’s report ruled Lily’s death a homicide. She suffered from at least 20 blows to her head area, five of which were traumatic and could have caused her death. Two major areas on the back and left side of her head appeared to be clusters of impacts. It was also found that an object was used to brutally abuse Lily.
After the medical examiner’s ruling, it was obvious to investigators this was no accident. Renee became their number one suspect, as she was alone with Lily when she received her fatal injuries. Reports indicate Renee gave inconsistent statements to police and cleaned up the scene before dialing 911. Renee King was arrested the same day Lily tragically passed away, November 20th, 2010.
I cannot imagine the torment Lauren and her parents felt knowing they tried to protect Lily, but their cries were never heard. Looking back, Lauren states, “I wish I had known more about what to do. I want to help make sure that other mothers don’t make the same mistake. I was intimidated and afraid I would lose custody.” Experts in child abuse cases say the system can be perilous but urge anyone who suspects abuse to contact authorities. The system tends to feel that these mothers are overreacting.
In this tragic story, many are left with regrets and what-ifs. If only the judge had listened to the expert testimony that Lily was too young to spend 3 days at a time with her father. If only Lauren’s attorney had urged the family to call authorities. If only Lauren and her parents had swallowed their fears and dialed 911 the night before Lily’s murder. Lauren was ready to move forward, to call her doctor, to face whatever risks the system might pose. Unfortunately, the pediatrician’s office was closed. She decided to wait until Monday. The Monday that never came for Lily.
According to news sources, after the public found out about Lily’s murder, they were incensed when hearing about Judge Higgins’s behavior during custody hearings for Lily. More than 30 people lined the sidewalks around the Lapeer County Courthouse calling on Judge Higgins to step down from the county’s family court bench. In a written statement, Lauren’s mother Lynette stated, “Judge Higgins has an obvious bias towards single mothers. His court is conducted in a manner that many attorneys and citizens in Lapeer County call Higgins Law. During custody hearings in his courtroom, he treated Lauren in a manner that was humiliating and disrespectful of single mothers.”
In January of 2011, Lauren filed a three-page complaint with the state’s Judicial Tenure Commission (JTC for short), claiming the judge had ignored the Child Custody Act in granting in-home visitation to their then-infant daughter’s father. Four months later, the commission ruled there is no basis for commencing formal disciplinary proceedings. Of course, I’m not surprised by this. It seems to be a common theme in these cases. Judges and family courts ignoring red flags, running amok, making terrible decisions to send innocent children right back to their perpetrators, leaving those trying to protect the child feeling helpless, and there never seems to be any accountability. It’s infuriating.
According to the American Judicature Society, without a recommendation from the JTC to the state supreme court, there are only two other ways to remove a sitting judge from office other than not reelecting them: one is to have them impeached by a majority vote of the House of Representatives and convicted by a two-thirds vote of the Senate, and the other is to have the governor remove them following a concurrent resolution of two-thirds of the members of both houses of the legislature. So basically, it’s near impossible. That’s why these corrupt judges rule with reckless abandon. They know it’s highly unlikely they will ever be held accountable.
One of the picketers said, “If he had any kind of guilty conscience, he’d step down.” While declining to provide details, Lauren’s mother Lynette charged Judge Higgins had at one time granted custody to a convicted sex offender. Judge Higgins provided the County Press with a written response to the picketers. He wrote, “The Lapeer Family Court, like the rest of our community, sympathizes with the tragedy that has befallen the Furno family. We also support the family’s concern for improved awareness of abuse of children. It is unfortunate that the family believes that the judicial system is in some way responsible for their tragedy. The court records will confirm that the child was placed in the joint custody of the parents in 2008. Since then, there has never been a request for a review of the custodial arrangement, nor has the issue of child abuse ever been raised in this case. The court has had no contact from the family since 2008.”
In her letter to the JTC, Lauren wrote, “In the ensuing months before my daughter’s murder, there was evidence of physical abuse, such as burn marks, bruises, and black eyes, when she returned from her father’s parenting times. When I reported these incidents to my attorney, her reply was that bringing this before the judge would anger him and likely exacerbate the situation rather than ameliorate it.” Lauren’s father said numerous people have filed unsuccessful JTC complaints against Judge Higgins and now the only thing left to do is to raise public awareness.
I looked up Judge Higgins to see where he is at now. All I could find was he was set to retire in 2013 but agreed to take over part of the caseload from another corrupt judge who was charged with five counts of felony embezzlement. According to the news article, Higgins was coming in two days a week, splitting his time between circuit and district court work. On Thursdays, he spent his morning hearing domestic court issues such as divorces, and his afternoons listening to landlord-tenant disputes. Friday mornings he handled about 20% of the court’s criminal docket, and in the afternoon dealt with civil cases of less than $25,000. Higgins said, “I will come in as long as I am needed.” The article makes Judge Higgins out to be some sort of savior. It frankly made me ill. As of now, a full 13 years later, I’m sure he’s no longer on the bench. He’s probably living a cush life on a golf course somewhere or he’s met his maker, who knows. I could find very little information on this judge when I was looking him up.
Prior to Renee’s trial, Jeffrey defended her saying he believed her story she accidentally fell on Lily, mentioning she sought medical treatment because her arm and leg had become numb. He also said Renee became hysterical when Lily didn’t wake up and splashed her face with water in an attempt to revive her. He also said, “I know Renee would never hurt any of her kids.” Interesting he said never hurt any of her kids.
Renee was denied bond but begged the judge to allow her to attend Lily’s funeral service. “I just want to be able to see my kids and my husband and be there with them through this hard time. Tomorrow it’s my stepdaughter’s burial and I don’t even get to be there and I’m accused of doing something that I never would have done.” But the judge didn’t buy Renee’s crocodile tears and denied her request. The unmitigated gall of this psycho wanting to attend Lily’s funeral, talking about what she wants, giving no thought whatsoever to pain and grief Lauren and her parents must have been feeling. She thinks it should be okay for her to show up in jail attire to Lily’s funeral. Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith told reporters outside the courthouse, “She is charged with murdering this child. The last thing we’re going to do is let someone accused of murdering anyone, let alone a 2-year-old, go to that funeral. It’s not going to happen.”
Renee’s trial began in February of 2012, about a year and a half after Lily’s death. During the trial, there was an incident between Jeffrey and Lauren’s brother, Michael. Apparently, Jeffrey walked into court one day and when he saw Lauren’s brother glaring at him, Jeffrey said, “Do you have a problem with me?” Lauren’s brother Michael responded by flipping him off. Jeffrey then lunged at Michael, knocking down an elderly woman with a cane who fell on one of the benches. Jeffrey was charged with aggravated assault and disturbing the peace. In a plea deal, he pleaded guilty to the added charge of disorderly person jostling, a 90-day misdemeanor. He was only sentenced to a $430 fine. Jeffrey later said he did not prejudge his wife at the time because I didn’t see anything, but as the trial progressed he changed his tune, filing for divorce from Renee, stating she is dead to me now.
Renee’s trial lasted two weeks. The jury only deliberated for 2 hours before returning with a guilty verdict. Her conviction carried an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. She later appealed her conviction but her appeal was denied. Renee will be spending the rest of her life in prison for what she did to Lily. I was able to get my hands on the court documents for Renee’s appeal. They go into more details that I’m unable to provide in this public video. I’ll have those documents available for our Gold YouTube members and our Patreons. I want to thank all of our members. It’s because of your gracious support that we are able to continue our work advocating for victims. The links to our Patreon and our YouTube memberships will be in the pinned comment of this video.
In my opinion, Renee was planning Lily’s murder ahead of time. I don’t believe for one second she just snapped one day. I think her going to the doctor’s appointments, mentioning her knee giving out, the numbness in her leg and arm were to create some sort of paper trail for what would later be her excuse that she fell on Lily. I’m so glad to see the jury got it right and Renee will never see the light of day again and never be able to harm another child again.
According to the Justice for Lily website, which I will have linked in the description of this video, Lauren sued Lily’s father, Jeffrey. The article states that Renee and Jeffrey were responsible for Lily’s death and that Jeffrey failed in his legal duty as a parent by leaving Lily in Renee’s care knowing that she was violent and a regular user of narcotics. The suit also claimed that Jeffrey regularly acquired narcotics from his wife at the time, meaning Renee. Lauren was seeking damages in excess of $25,000, but I could find no more information as to the outcome of this case.
Aftermath and Advocacy
In the aftermath of this devastating loss, Lauren’s world was engulfed in grief and disbelief. The child she cherished was gone too soon, leaving behind a void that seemed insurmountable. The community that had watched Lily grow mourned alongside her family. Vigils were held, candles lit in remembrance of the little girl whose smile had touched so many hearts. Friends and strangers alike gathered to support Lauren, offering condolences and sharing in the sorrow of a life tragically cut short.
Though consumed by heartache, Lauren found herself drawing strength from her faith, the same faith that Lily had embraced so openly and joyfully. It was a small comfort in the face of overwhelming loss, but it gave her the courage to face each new day. In her darkest moments, she realized that Lily’s story, though tragic, could serve as a powerful inspiration to prevent similar tragedies from befalling other innocent children.
Determined to honor Lily’s memory, Lauren vowed to help others in her daughter’s name. She became an advocate for child safety, spreading awareness and sharing her story in hopes of saving innocent lives. Her journey was driven by love and the unwavering belief that Lily’s life could guide others towards a safer future.
Lily’s story is a reminder of the importance of protecting our most vulnerable. By sharing her story, we hope to give a voice to the littlest victims who have lost theirs. The message is clear: we must act now, spread awareness, and work tirelessly to ensure that no more innocent lives are lost too soon. In doing so, we honor Lily and all the children who have left this world too soon, turning their tragedies into a rallying cry for change.
