Two of Dickerson's other children with Lockwood, both in their early teens, testified against him in court stating that he had been equally complicit in the abuse of Nadine.
Her story was also publicized because it greatly paralleled that of Elisa Izquierdo, who had been murdered by her mother nine months earlier; both girls had been singled out among their numerous siblings for abuse.
The family had been known to city agencies since 1989, when neglect proceedings were initiated because one of Carla Lockwood's other children tested positive for cocaine at birth.
Neighbors allegedly called the Child Welfare Administration several times in regards to the abuse Nadine suffered at her mother's hands, but little was done to investigate.
The mishandling of Nadine's case was one of the factors that prompted a major overhaul of New York City's child protective services and protocols for investigating abuse allegations.