Averylee Hobbs was not even a month old when she was first injured by her mother, who was convicted and sentenced to six months in prison for that incident. When she was released, Britney Mayes began fighting for custody of her daughter, who had lived with her paternal grandparents, Tammy and Jonathan Risen, since Britney was arrested. When Britney was given visitation with her daughter, Avery began returning to the Risens covered in bruises, burns, bite marks, and other inflicted injuries, but her caseworker and her guardian ad litem, both of whom were tasked with Avery’s protection, consistently explained away her injuries as accidents despite evidence to the contrary, Avery’s own statements, and Britney’s history. Tragically but not unpredictably, four-year-old Avery was rushed to the hospital on July 29, 2016 in an unresponsive state and died three days later. Over three years later, Britney was finally sentenced for her daughter’s murder. 
Of all the stories I’ve covered on this podcast, Avery’s story is easily one of the most egregious in every possible way. This is a story of a mother who can only be described as evil, of domestic partner and child abuse, of ineptitude and corruption in the systems designed to protect children, and of a family who first fought to save Avery’s life, then fought for justice for her, and now fight to protect other children like her. 
This is part 1 of the tragic, infuriating, preventable story of Averylee Hobbs.
To purchase Tammy Risen’s book, In the Best Interest of a Child, for Kindle, click here.
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