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The legal guardians of Geanna Bradley, a 10-year-old girl who died after suffering “chronic physical abuse,” were named in a 19-count indictment Wednesday that includes new charges related to the treatment of their 4-year-old adopted son, who prosecutors say was also severely abused. 

Brandy Blas, 35, Thomas Blas, 41, and Brandy’s mother, Debra Geron, 67, have been in custody since their arrest on Friday and continue to be held without bail. They all face counts of second-degree murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole, according to the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office.

Brandy Blas’ attorney Harrison Kiehm said his client was beaten at Oahu Community Correctional Center Monday night. Blas, who is pregnant, did not appear in court Wednesday because she’s in the hospital.

“I find it astonishing that considering the publicity of this case and the nature of the charges that she wasn’t put into protective custody,” he said.

The case, which advocates say is strikingly similar to that of Isabella Kalua, a 6-year-old Waimanalo girl whose adoptive parents were charged with her murder in 2021, has raised questions about the state’s role in placing and overseeing the children.

The Blases were legal guardians of Geanna and had adopted the boy and so were not subject to regular oversight. However, it appears that both of the children may have started in foster care, which would have required vetting of the home and monthly visits.

Child Welfare Services generally conducts at minimum monthly checks on children in foster care, according to a statement from Amanda Stevens, spokeswoman for the Department of Human Services. Potential foster homes must also be screened to determine whether they are appropriate prior to children being placed. But the agency has not answered questions about Geanna’s specific case, other than to say that they had not received any reports of abuse or neglect involving Geron or the Blases, since they became legal guardians, until police responded to their home at 33 Karsten Drive in Wahiawa on Jan. 18 when Geanna was found dead.

In addition to second-degree murder, the Blases and Geron face charges including kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a minor in the first degree and unlawful imprisonment. Investigators say Geanna was held in a small area, forced to sleep in a box, starved, bound with duct tape and physically assaulted. The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office later determined her death was caused by starvation, blunt force injuries from multiple assaults, prolonged physical restraint and immobilization, pneumonia and medical neglect.

Brandy and Thomas Blas were also indicted on misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree and “persistent non support” related to their 4-year-old adopted son, who is identified in the indictment by the initials “A.B.” He was removed from the Blas’ care on Jan. 23 and admitted to a hospital where he was found to be suffering from calorie deprivation and “failure to thrive,” according to an affidavit filed by a Honolulu police detective. He also had multiple bruises and scratches and was not able to walk properly.

He and the Blas’ four biological children, who also lived in the house, are now in the custody of Child Welfare Services.

Indictment Describes How Guardians Hid Abuse

The indictment details how the Blases and Geron conspired to abuse Geanna and hide her condition from other adults who may have reported it.

The three exchanged text messages about various methods they used to restrict Geanna’s physical movement and deny her access to basic needs. They talked over text about feeding her minimally, tying her up, keeping her confined to an enclosed space, watching her via surveillance video and punishing her with physical force. 

They also went against the opinions of Geanna’s third grade teacher and school counselor and pulled her from Iliahi Elementary School in October 2022 “under the guise” that they would homeschool her, the indictment says. This kept her away from school officials who would have been required to report any signs of abuse to authorities.

The Blases and Geron also hid Geanna whenever “workers” came to their home, the indictment says, though it does not specify what kind of workers.  

Between October 2018 and January, Thomas Blas would often appear on regular Zoom sessions with Geanna’s psychiatrist. Sometimes he would attend the sessions without Geanna present, the indictment says. Each session lasted around 15 minutes, and Geanna never attended alone. 

The attorney for Thomas Blas didn’t respond to a request for comment. Geron hasn’t retained counsel yet.

Brandy and Thomas Blas are also accused of knowingly endangering the physical and mental welfare of their 4-year-old adopted son and failing to give him the support they were legally obligated to provide between Oct. 7, 2019, and Jan. 18. Questions about how the boy, who had been living with the Blases for around two-and-a-half years, was placed in their household have not been answered.

Possible Life Without Parole

Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm in a statement called the abuse allegations against the Blases and Geron “sickening and difficult to fathom.”

“Evidence gathered by police shows the defendants denied this little girl the food she needed to survive,” the statement says. “They allegedly bound her with duct tape, beat her, failed to get medical attention for her wounds, and ultimately killed her. All of this is alleged to have happened while they collected nearly $2,000 a month to care for her.”

The indictment says the Blases received around $1,961 per month from the state for Geanna. It does not include information about whether they were receiving money for the boy.

Licensed caregivers are eligible for payments of $649 per month for children ages 5 and under and payments of $742 a month for children between the ages of 6 and 11, according to the Child Welfare Services. Caregivers can also request additional payments for a child with special needs. But the agency again did not answer questions about money the Blases were receiving.

Brandy Blas is indicted on 10 charges, Thomas Blas on nine and Geron on six, according to the prosecutor’s office. All are eligible for sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole because the crimes alleged in the indictment are “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity,” the indictment says.

Dozens of advocates, as well as Geanna’s biological parents, Amy Hart and Gerime Bradley, gathered at the State Capitol on Wednesday night for a walk to honor Geanna and call for change to the child welfare system.

Hart said she has older children who went through the foster system and were adopted by families who loved and supported them. But Geanna’s case was different.

She said she tried in 2019 to get custody of her daughter back, but her efforts were unsuccessful. Gerime Bradley’s family has to raise money for Geanna’s funeral.

“As a mom, I was naive enough to trust the system,” Hart said. “They took her away from a happy, loving family because of an allegation and gave her to a bunch of people that took her life.”