Ep. 323 Brandi Morey-Pols

Brandi Morey-Pols is a mother on a mission to ensure that no other family suffers the "51 hours of silence" she endured. In August 2024, her 6-year-old son, Rowan Morey, was murdered by his biological father in a murder-suicide after he was not returned from a scheduled visit. Despite Brandi’s desperate pleas to law enforcement and Child Protective Services (CPS) regarding red flags and the father's erratic behavior, she was repeatedly told her son's disappearance was a "civil matter" rather than a criminal abduction.

The trauma of that experience led Brandi to found The Rowan Project, a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness about filicide and advocating for systemic reform. She has become a powerful voice in the Michigan State Capitol, testifying before the House Oversight Subcommittee on Child Welfare to expose the gaping holes in the current CPS and family court systems. Her advocacy is centered on the belief that "parental kidnapping deserves just as much justice as any kidnapping," and that a mother's intuition should never be dismissed by a bureaucratic checklist.

At the heart of her work is "The Rowan Act" (House Bill 4518). This landmark legislation aims to modernize the Michigan Amber Alert system by granting law enforcement the discretion to issue alerts for missing children even if the situation doesn't meet the traditional definition of a stranger abduction. By including criteria for children with special needs and those in danger during custody disputes, the bill seeks to eliminate the "civil matter" excuse that prevented police from acting in Rowan's case until it was too late.

In this episode, Brandi joins host Jeanne Pepper for a raw and necessary conversation about the reality of filicide and the "broken" status of child welfare departments. They discuss the legislative hurdles Brandi has overcome, the bipartisan support for The Rowan Act, and the importance of holding CPS directors accountable for failures in background checks and investigation protocols. It is a story of a mother’s love evolving into a protective shield for all children in the state of Michigan.

This interview serves as both a tribute to Rowan—a boy who loved golf and had an infectious smile—and a call to action. Brandi explains how listeners can support lobbying efforts, become "Court Support Advocates," and help designate August 31st as Filicide Awareness Day. Her journey proves that while the system failed Rowan, his legacy is now the catalyst for a safer future for every child in danger.