Campbell County's assistant district attorney general announced Friday that she is asking for help from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in determining if charges can be brought against the mother who abandoned her daughter with special needs in Caryville.
On June 28, 19-year-old Lynn Cameron, who has special needs, was left at the Big Orange Bar in Caryville.
Police spent several days trying to determine the young woman's identity because of her inability to communicate. They have described her maturity level as that of a 2-year-old.
Eventually, they traced the woman back to Algonquin, Ill., where she lived with her mother, Eva Cameron.
Earlier this week, Eva Cameron traveled to East Tennessee to speak with police only to leave again without her daughter.
"She said, 'I don't want her, I'm not taking her, and if I have to take her, they'll be dealing with her in Kentucky,'" Caryville Assistant Chief Stephanie Smith said.
Since then, authorities in Tennessee and Illinois have said they have been looking for ways to press charges against the mother.
"I'm sure everyone is concerned about the well-being of Lynn Cameron, and we're glad to hear that she's being taken care of," said Russell Laine, chief of the Algonquin Police Department. We've been involved in following up on a lot of different leads, we've received a lot of different information, and we're trying to tie everything together and see where that takes us. We're just trying to follow the evidence. Our investigators have been in contact with the people from Tennessee and providing whatever support we can to them in their efforts."
However, it seems there are no Tennessee laws that apply.
Rep. Dennis Powers also has stepped into the fight.
"Attorneys for the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities are looking into whether or not there are any current Tennessee statutes applicable to this young lady's situation," he said in a statement. "If it is determined that there are no statutes currently applicable, we will be looking to introduce legislation in the upcoming session."
On Friday, Scarlett Ellis, the assistant district attorney general for the 8th Judicial District of Tennessee, released a statement saying her office is requesting the TBI's help "to work in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Human Services, Adult Protective Services, and the Caryville Police Department to determine if charges can be placed in Tennessee against Eva Cameron.
"This request is being made as additional information is being received from out-of-state witnesses and from various agencies in both the State of Illinois and Tennessee."
Officials with the Dept. of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities have said that Lynn Cameron is now safely in the state's care and was set to receive emergency services.