By ALEXIS ZOTOS
6 News Reporter
CARYVILLE (WATE) – The Illinois mother who left her special needs daughter at a Caryville bar is not facing charges, but officials say if she didn't break the law, maybe the law needs to change.
State Rep. Dennis Powers (R-Jacksoboro) says Eva Cameron needs to be held accountable for abandoning her 19-year-old daughter Lynn in Tennessee.
"The law would have applied to them if they had both been from Tennessee, but because they're out of state we're looking at a situation that hasn't occurred," Powers explained.
Rep. Powers says the Tennessee Adult Protection Act, Code 71, would have applied if both Eva and her daughter were Tennessee residents.
"That would have pertained to them and been applied to what she did. It would have been a Class E felony to do what she did to a mentally handicapped person between the ages of 18-65," he said.
Powers says if it turns out there is no way to apply the current code, he is willing to write new legislation.
"I'd be glad to introduce that," he said. "We've even come up with a name, Lynn's Law, so it will be something that represents her so that nothing like this happens again."
Shirley Shea, the executive director for the Disability Law and Advocacy Center, says it is easy to vilify the mother.
"I have never seen a situation like this, but there are many families that reach that breaking point," said Shea.
6 News spoke with Algonquin, Ill. Police Chief Russell Laine, who is located where Eva Cameron lives. He said this isn't the first time police have dealt with the Cameron family.
"We've have had contact with the family, but those circumstances I couldn't discuss at the time," Chief Laine said.
"We continue to investigate the situation of Eva taking her daughter Lynn to Tennessee and if there are any violations of Illinois statue," he added.
Lynn is currently receiving care at the Michael Dunn Center in Kingston. Everyone's biggest concern there is her well being.
"That's our number one goal, to make sure she is taken care of and she's in good care," Rep. Powers said.
According to the States Attorney's Office in McHenry and Kane counties in Illinois, there are no charges pending against Eva Cameron, but investigations are ongoing.
The Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in East Tennessee is working with the Department of Human Services to investigate the situation as well.
John Craven, the director of East Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, says he also believes Eva Cameron should be held accountable.
"We are pursuing every possible angle of the investigation," Craven said.
Lynn Cameron (source: Caryville Police Dept.)
"The law would have applied to them if they had both been from Tennessee," said State Rep. Dennis Powers.
"I have never seen a situation like this," said Shirley Shea, the executive director for the Disability Law and Advocacy Center.
