The Perrys Play, Pray, Pay Together
L to R: Ernest Perry, Windie Perry, Elizabeth Perry
Clarksville, TN - Ernest Perry, 65, and his wife Windie Perry, 51, have been foster parents and active church members for years.  Their adopted daughter Elizabeth, 20, is a former foster child of the Perrys. They used to have some five foster children in their home. Now there are none, and a Montogomery County grand jury handed down indictments against the Perrys last week on multiple charges of aggravated child abuse and aggravated child rape.
Ernest Perry, also spelled Earnest Perry in the press, is a former police officer and Austin Peay State University security guard. He worked at APSU for twenty years and retired in 2007.  He and his wife Windie began taking in foster kids at least six years ago, according to DFS records. They never had a complaint until the police were called in March of this year.
A neighbor called police on March 18. A young female, aged 13, was bleeding from her lower lip and the top of her head.  Said the responding officer, “She told me that her mother, Mrs. Perry, had hit her in the face with a spatula and hit her on the head with a rolling pin.”
But the story didn’t stop there. As investigation continued, two foster daughters, both under 14, disclosed that they were regularly hit and beaten by the three elder Perrys. One said she had been forced to sleep in a dog kennel.  The other three children denied being hurt, but were removed from the home as well.  And then it got really ugly - it turned out that the two girls had been raped. But the girls swore that Ernest Perry had no part in sexually abusing them.  The perpetrators, they said, were Windie and Elizabeth Perry.
For her part, Elizabeth Perry adamantly denies the charges. In blogs she had posted prior to last week’s indictments, Elizabeth gave her side of the story. She blamed the whole thing on one foster sister, who she said was “mad that she can’t have boyfriend shes only 13 come on well … she told this lady that my mom was locking her up in a dog kennel so DCS came and took all 5 of my younger siblings away from us … Grrrr I could kill and I mean kill thous people at DCS right now help!!!! help me father God!!!”
Elizabeth later posted about her fears of “going to jail be charged with something I did’nt do … but it seems liek thats what’s going to happen.” She continued, “I love my sibs I would never hurt them.” Both Elizabeth’s blogs were taken down by the evening of July 10, the day after the indictments.
So what’s the story? Where’s the truth?  The Perry’s church, First Assembly of God in Clarksville, is standing behind them. Associate Pastor Carlo Serrano told the press that Elizabeth Perry has worked with kids at the church and has been a sitter for his own sons, and that he never had any concerns about her care of the children.  He also says that Elizabeth was adopted by the elder Perrys as an infant.
On the other hand, the indictments allege serious bodily harm on the two girls over a two year tiem frame, from 2006 to 2008.  One document calls the acts of abuse “especially heinous, atrocious, cruel and involved torture of the victim.”
Is this is case of singling out two girls in the family? The Perry camp has called the two girls disturbed, alleging one of them routinely caused injuries to herself (Haleigh Poutre, anyone?) and blamed it on abuse. When faced with the fact that both girls were found to have been raped, supporters of the Perrys said, well, yeah, but that happened at their birth mama’s house, not at the Perry’s. Oh, okay. And by the way, the girls? Were the only girls in the house younger than Elizabeth. The other foster kids were boys, ages 4-10.
What I find more interesting than anything is that while Ernest Perry is charged with abuse, he is not charged with rape - in fact, the girls said it wasn’t him that raped them, that they were raped by objects wielded by Windie Perry and her daughter. That, if anything, lends more credence to the girls’ story, not less. If a girl is going to make up a rape story, why not use the available man as the perpetrator? That they didn’t makes them more credible to me, not less.
Ernest Perry is charged with eight counts of aggravated child abuse and neglect. Windie Perry is charged with the same eight counts, plus four additional counts: two each of aggravated rape and rape of a child. Elizabeth Perry faces the same twelve counts as her mother. All three Perrys were arrested on Wednesday, July 9 and taken to the Montgomery County Jail, where they were each held on $150,000 bond. But by Wednesday night, someone had paid $45,000 to get all three of them out.  Was it their church, or a wealthy supporter, or is there now a second mortgage on some family member’s home? I’d be interested to find out.
Thanks to SoJaded in our forums, and to Tavia Green and Jamie Dexter at The Leaf-Chronicle!
Windie? I can’t think of anything else to say. This is so convoluted that I’ve read it twice and am still confused. Must be too late in the night to take this one on.
aww same town as baby left in car dies - Courtni Lee Nichols Got Her Buzz On.
This here story does sound atrocious… 3-14 yr old girls can be a real pain in the butt… but if they have been investigating since March they must have the proof that they need.
sounds like they liked Ernest - like he was good to them… so it is confusing why he is charged with the abuse - could be he knew about the sex offensives and done nothing about stopping or reporting it…
more info please !
that was suppose to say 13-14 yr old girls
I don’t know, if the kids were mad at the females in the house, makes sense to me that is who they would target…..I am not saying these people DIDN’T abuse these girls…..I have some doubts and questions about it though. Just because these girls say it, doesn’t make it so…..however, I DO hope these girls are not ruining these peoples lives in a fit of anger.
So they were allegedly beaten by all 3, and raped by the 2 women. This is a messed-up story. For DCF to take the children away, and the grand jury to hand down indictments, there must have been some pretty compelling evidence that supported these girls’ claims. Will be interested to see the outcome.
There was compelling evidence in several cases that were later proven false. I don’t know, something doesn’t smell right with this one. I may be wrong and don’t mind saying so if I am, but it doesn’t “feel” right to me. I wouldn’t put it past some teenagers to abuse themselves to get back at people they think have wronged them after some of the messed up shit I have read about!
Oh, what a mess.
You know, once upon a time, I was really hip on the idea of taking foster kids in when I became able. Then I met some foster parents who were actively victimized by the kids they took in. These kids are, generally, damaged goods and, while they require the most TLC, they can be a double-edged sword. It’s a tragic catch.
That being said, I’m not asserting that this is the case, here. Who knows? It’s an odd story, but that doesn’t make it untrue. In a similar vein, indictments certainly don’t signal guilt.
Oh, Athena, take some of your own advice! Don’t let the few graphic stories of foster parents abused / hurt by foster kids color your perception of reality!! That’s not what generally happens, any more than most kids are abducted by strangers. You feel me?
My sister took in a foster kid when she was 14. Her dad was absent and her mom was an addict who would disappear onto the streets for days at a time, leaving the kids alone to fend for themselves. My foster-niece graduated college this May, and just started a job. Both my family and her biological family were at her graduation celebrating together (her mom is currently doing well in rehab).
Anyway, long story short is that she’s totally awesome, and my sister gave her a shot at a healthy, successful adult life. I’m so proud of both of them, and recommend fostering to ANYONE who has the heart, sense, and means for it.
Yeah…I hear yuh,there are 100’s of 1000’s of kids out there without a good home…And i my self can not have kids of my own… Stories like this ARE scary and they ARE sad…but it in NO WAY makes me feel “damaged goods” are “unrepairable” more often than not…