Counseling ordered for Zacharias
By Jane Beathard
Staff Writer
The London woman accused of harassing child suicide victim Hailey Petee and her mother, Melinda Groce, via Facebook, was ordered to undergo anger management counseling, following Monday’s hearing in Madison County Municipal Court.
Alexis K. Zacharias, 40, 60 N. Oak St., pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct as part of a plea bargain that spared Groce from testifying at a jury trial set for Thursday.
Zacharias was originally charged with telecommunications harassment — a more serious offense.
In addition to counseling at Madison County Mental Health, Judge Eric M. Schooley ordered Zacharias jailed for two days and fined $250. Schooley also forbid Zacharias from contacting Groce or any of her family members via Facebook or other means.
If Zacharias fails to enroll in the court-ordered counseling within 30 days, she will spend another 28 days in jail.
Friction last fall between Zacharias, Groce and their children led officials at London City Schools to alter bus routes to resolve accusations of bullying by each family.
But trouble continued in the form of Facebook postings to Groce and her children from Zacharias, a London police report said.
In October, Zacharias was also charged with threatening and harassing 11-year-old Petee during a curbside encounter at Fifth and North Main streets. However, that charge was later dismissed.
Petee hanged herself in her Walnut Street home on Jan. 26 and Groce blamed school-related bullying for her daughter’s distressed mental state.
However, coroner and police reports said multiple domestic and social stressors led to the child’s suicide.
The court system in Madison County is a joke! My ex beat me & when he was sentenced community service, anger management, and fined with a 90 day period to get everything done & paid -He didn’t do ANY of it & when I spoke with his P.O. – the excuse for him NOT being thrown in jail was the jails are too full – SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO why did I waste my time pressing charges if you do ABSOLUTELY nothing to the man????
What kind of grown woman harasses an 11 year old girl? Her mom, personally still not something I would do, but more understandable. But to pick on a child! I don’t care how much you don’t like the kid, if you are an adult you need to act like one. What kind of example does that set for her own children?!
if we had real law enforcement , she would be charged and in jail. counseling,,, come on thats a joke, especially in madison county. justice system epic fail
Bless the beast and the children. The child is gone which is really sad. All we have left is a BEAST!
No matter what Police and the Coroner say this woman’s constant assaults upon and 11 year old girl had an effect on her mental state. I suggest the jail leave the light on for this woman as she will be coming back for her 28 day stay.
She should have been sentenced a whole lot more than counseling!!! She needs to spend more time in jail than 2 days for harassing a child. Our justice system failed on this one but no worries, she will answer to God.