JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The two younger sisters of Cherish Perrywinkle remain in the care of a family friend following a custody hearing Tuesday, and their mother, Rayne Perrywinkle, had her visitation rights further limited.
At the hearing, the girls' father, Aharon Pearson, admitted he used drugs two weeks ago, and Judge David Gooding denied visitation rights for him. He previously missed most of his court-ordered visitation with the girls.
A drug test for Rayne was negative. She held back tears during Tuesday's hearing and did not say much.
Rayne's visitation was limited from three days a week to two, for an hour each day.
The girls will stay in the care of the family friend, under Department of Children and Families supervision. The hearing resumes at 1 p.m. Friday.
"It's just stability, and the judge let everyone know that normalcy is paramount for the kids," said Patricia Parker, the children's attorney. "We want to make sure when they are doing their visitation that they are having a good experience with mom and dad."
Tom Pearson, the children's grandfather, is also hoping to get custody of the girls.
"I don't know how it could go any other way," he said. "I guess there are some people from Australia that may be related, but I don't know them, the girls don't know them. I know them. They know me. I'm grandpa."
Rayne was taken for mental evaluation by police on Sunday after Pearson told officers she wanted to kill herself. She has since been released from the hospital.
DCF her 4- and 5-year-old daughters from her care on July 10, about three weeks after 8-year-old Cherish was kidnapped, raped and killed.