As a court-appointed guardian ad litem (GAL) Jennifer Williams has a legal duty to advocate for the best interests of her clients.
But Cynthia Haynes blames Williams for the death of her daughter, Mikaela Haynes, in a lawsuit alleging that Williams failed to inform the Department of Family Services, law enforcement, and the court about allegations that Haynes’ soon-to-be ex-husband, Charles Haynes, was sexually abusing their teenaged daughter, Mikaela.
At 14 years old, Mikaela Haynes took her life on Nov. 24, 2018.
“Mikaela’s father, Charles Haynes, is a convicted deviant child sodomizer who is now serving a seven-year sentence in the Farmington Correctional Facility,” said attorney Evita Tolu who is representing Cynthia Haynes. “Jennifer Williams was going to testify at Charles Haynes’ sentencing asking the court to release him on probation for molesting Melissa, Mikaela’s older sister, and Jennifer Williams threatened Mikaela that if her father is released on probation that he would get full custody of Mikaela and her younger sister Sarah. To draw attention to the wrongdoing, Mikaela took her life because she didn't want Sarah to be molested next.”
Cynthia Haynes sued Williams on Nov. 12 in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri alleging violations of R.S. Mo. §452.423.3 and R.S. Mo. §210.115, which reportedly required Williams to investigate and report safety concerns.
“Jennifer Williams was representing Charles Haynes’ interest rather than his daughter Mikaela’s interest because the father paid Jennifer Williams money,” Tolu alleges. “When I deposed Charles, he told me that he and his mother Bernice Haynes paid all of Jennifer’s bills. Nobody is even disputing it. They paid her because she was involved in this case for five years.”
Williams did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Spain, Miller, Galloway & Lee, a Poplar Bluff law firm that employed Williams during the Haynes’ divorce proceedings, is also named as a defendant for allegedly failing to properly supervise Williams who was a lawyer at the firm when she represented Mikaela.
“They didn't do anything and they were aware of the issue,” Tolu told the St. Louis Record. “As a junior lawyer, Jennifer Williams was under the control of the partners. No one supervised her.”
Samuel Spain, a partner at Spain, Miller, Galloway & Lee, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Williams has since left the Spain, Miller, Galloway & Lee law firm and started her own firm called Williams Law, according to Tolu.
“Jennifer Williams is also now working with children at the University of Missouri, teaching them safety and good choices,” Tolu said.
Cynthia Haynes seeks actual damages and aggravating circumstances damages against Williams and Spain, Miller, Galloway & Lee under the Missouri wrongful death statute each in excess of $100,000.
She further named as defendants in the lawsuit Michaela’s father for alleged sexual assault and battery, and her grandmother, Bernice Haynes, for alleged negligence.
“Bernice Haynes is the mother of Charles Haynes,” Tolu added. “She is her son’s enabler. The court should have never placed two young girls in the custody of a 90-year-old woman who was deaf, blind, had congestive heart failure, and was taking painkillers and sleeping pills.”
Bernice Haynes did not immediately respond to requests for comment.