Two local law enforcement heroes were recognized on Tuesday for their investigatory work in a child abuse case from July 2020. Officer Robert Green with the Rosepine Police Department and State Trooper Peter Smith were both honored with the Life Saving Award on March 21 by the Vernon Parish District Attorney Terry Lambright.The awards were given for the exemplary efforts of Green and Smith in an child abuse investigation that led to the conviction of three individuals: Allen Clayton Fulks, Stacy Tharpe, and Dakota Singletary. The Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office reported the investigation began with a motor vehicle accident near Rosepine back in 2020, in which Fulks and Singletary were involved.Stacy Tharpe arrived at the accident with her children. Green was familiar with Tharpe through previous encounters, and he knew of a 7-year-old girl to be in the care of Tharpe who had not arrived with her on the scene. The girl had been taken in by Tharpe in a home in the Rosepine area, and Green would often stop by to check on the child.According to Lambright, Green discovered information on the night of the accident that “just didn’t sit well with him.” Green and Smith went to Tharpe’s residence to investigate and discovered the child severely beaten. The criminal investigation that ensued resulted in the conviction of the three adults, who received their sentences in December. The child was rescued and is now safe. “Had it not been for Officer Green and Trooper Smith’s above and beyond efforts, this child may not be alive today,” said Lambright.