Alameda County vowed answers in Sophia Mason's death. Nearly 3 years later, none have come.

"Either the interests of the county's children come first or they don't,"

"And the fact that their prior negligence may be costing the county money is not a reason to expose more children potentially to being killed."

"elevates the financial interests of the county over the interests of preventing the gruesome deaths of abused and neglected children in the county,"

Sophia Mason, 8, was found malnourished and decomposing in a basement bathroom. A county-ordered investigation into her death has been conducted under a haze of secrecy and has dragged on for nearly three years. County officials cite a lawsuit by Sophia's grandmother alleging widespread wrongdoing by the Department of Children and Family Services as a reason for delay. Child welfare and open-governance experts say the prolonged investigation raises alarms about the county's commitment to keeping children safe. A California State Auditor's Office report found persistent concerns, including social workers missing 24-hour immediate-referral deadlines up to 11% of the time. County Counsel Donna Ziegler's office denied a request for information about the entity handling the county.

Read at The Mercury News