The website is updated daily, frequently with exonerations that occurred in the past. He was preceded in death by his mot An Unforgettable Texas Tale of Envy, Embezzlement, and Fruitcake, How the Texas Rangers Became One of the Most Powerful Forces in the State. Im a pretty easygoing guy, but I remember thinking, Six kids? Larry told me. The sodium content of Zatarains is not listed on its packaging. Then he asked for more. The defendant has portrayed herself as a nurturing Christian woman, Eastwood proclaimed. Our lives are richer having known him. I was privileged to know Dabney at W&L and as a fraternity brother at LXA. The Overtons live in East Texas and told ABC News they have housed and supported prisoners after their release through their non-profit organization, Syndeo Ministries. A committed Christian, he had gone on mission trips with his family since he was a child, including a fourteen-month stint in Papua New Guinea and several treks across Mexico. During a wide-ranging interview with a social worker to determine if he had ever been abused, Isaac mentioned that he and his siblings had been given pepper, which he described as spicy stuff, as a punishment for lying. Several crossed their arms; others looked away. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Victory Junction, 4500 Adam's Way, Randleman, NC 27317, https://victoryjunction.org or the Charlotte Humane Society, 1348 Parker Dr., Charlotte, NC 28208, https://humanesocietyofcharlotte.org, in Pete's name. But what Ive realized is that I can trust his heart, even though I dont understand his plan. The reality that Hannah, who is 34, may spend the rest of her life in prison for capital murdera sentence usually reserved for violent criminals who pose a continuing threat to societyis one she is still struggling to understand; even harder to grasp is the possibility that she might never be reunited with her children. Because he felt cold? He suspected that as the boys condition worsened, Hannah had fallen victim to what he calls stress blindness, a phenomenon he had witnessed many times during his 42 years of practicing medicine. They get to see her for two hours, once a monthtwenty-four hours in a year, Larry said. The particulars of her crime, as sketched out by the prosecution, were vague; assistant district attorney Sandra Eastwood, a passionate child advocate, conceded in opening arguments that she was not sure how Hannah had made Andrew eat so much salt. He was simply "a wonderful person" I am so sorry for your loss. Not long afterward, Larry and Hannah heard about Andrew at their church, Calvary Chapel of the Coastlands, which Andrews foster mother also attended. Short on time as the trial drew to a close, the defense had asked Moritzwho needed to return to Pittsburghto sit for a videotaped deposition; when the deposition ran long and could not be completed, the defense was unable to enter it as testimony. Left: Andrew and Isabel playing together. Larry was charged with injury to a child for failing to get Andrew timely medical attention. Mommy, Im cold, he said, and threw up. Please know that you all are surrounded by love, no matter how great your grief. Hannah was always drawn to stray people.. But after Hannahs conviction, the DAs office offered him several plea deals, each of which required him to acknowledge that he had intentionally caused Andrews death. Andrew had never been diagnosed with pica, Rotta reminded jurors. Hess, who investigated child abuse cases for the police forces family violence unit, had a very different impression of Hannah. In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. Hess remained skeptical of Hannahs account. I was truly saddened to hear of Dabney's passing. While Larry tried to scrub down the bedroom, Andrew pulled his sheets out of the trash several times, despite repeated warnings not to do so. After a week-long trial, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 23 years in prison. We loved him and will miss him. Normans remarks were hardly the stuff of a cocksure prosecutor. January 21, 2023 The day Andrew died Hannah said she found him in the kitchen pantry but could not determine what he had consumed, if anything. Frustrated with a naughty child, prosecutors said, she tried to punish him with seasoning mixed in water. Dick and Sue Kemper; St. Christopher's School, Share to let others add their own memories and condolences. The newly discovered documents, Moritz later told me, were a monumentally important piece of evidence., The discovery soon exposed strains among the prosecution team. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. It was a catastrophic decision. When she refused to give him a second helping, he threw a tantrum and shouted, I hate you! Finally, Hannah resorted to sprinkling some Zatarains into a sippy cup of water, hoping that the taste alone would appease him. She had told the jury of the boys unusual habitsthe inappropriate eating, the obsessive picking and scratching, the head bangingbut her version of events had been tainted by the specter of abuse. Shortly after noon, Larry picked her and the boys up and took them to a McDonalds drive-through, and then the chiropractor, before returning to work. Nueces County District Attorney Mark Skurka had charged Overton a second time for murder after her release. After he completed his probation, the charges were dismissed. Advertisement. I figured, Well, weve got to start with one, so lets see how far we get. Isabel, and then Ally, followed. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Fueling the publics antipathy was an affidavit written by a CPS child abuse investigator named Jesse Garcia, who claimed that Hannah had admitted to forcing Andrew to drink two cupfuls of chili with water and quoted her as saying that she then beat the shit out of him. Garcia never produced any documentation or witnesses to corroborate his claim, and internal police memos show that law enforcement officials doubted the veracity of his story. When they took him along on errands, they had to keep him from eating the old gum and cigarette butts he found on the ground. In the context of a criminal investigation, the calm that she had always exhibited in the midst of crisis was suddenly a liabilityan indication, perhaps, that she was cold-blooded enough to have killed a child. A funeral for Andrew followed at Seaside Memorial Park, alongside Corpus Christi Bay, at which Pastor Rod Carver officiated.
Murder by omission or conviction by design? - San Antonio Express-News Dabney and I were great friends while I lived in Richmond back in the late 80s - Browder,Russell days. Brother Paul Campbell will officiate the service. The world was a better place because of him. As a frequent witness for the state in child abuse cases, Cortes was not in the habit of reaching out to defense attorneys, but he was so angered by the verdict that he picked up the phone. He delivered sermons to a small but devoted following that met every Sunday, and during services he also played guitar. Hannah Overton, a south Texas mother of five whose wrongful conviction for the 2006 death of her foster son was overturned last year, is expected to receive over $500,000 in compensation from the state for the years she spent in jail. A more thorough investigation would have uncovered ample evidence to suggest that Andrew had an undiagnosed eating disorder, raising the possibility that he had unintentionally consumed too much salt on his own. Still, the overall impression was a damning one. He was always happy, Hamil testified. At the time of his retirement, he was one of the three oldest practicing attorneys in the Commonwealth.
Anne Turner Overton Haile | Obituaries | newsontheneck.com 1 x 120' / Produced for Discovery Networks. Overton was convicted of capital murder, an automatic life sentence in Texas because the child was under the age of 6. He introduced me to Bandy Field and our Labs also became friends. Skurka ended up dropping the new case against her in 2015 but Overton remained in legal limbo until Gonzalez officially declared her innocence last year, thus closing a significant chapter on this decade-long case. The passenger side of their old Ford van was not equipped with an air bag, and Hannah, who had pulled down her seat belt so she could turn to talk to the kids, was jolted forward, her face hitting the dashboard. The following week, Hannahwho had no history with CPS and no previous arrests, and had never had so much as a parking ticketwas charged with capital murder.
'We all miss her' - tributes to Peterborough teacher and bowls player Pleading out to that was much better than having my children grow up without a mother or a father. In exchange for his plea, Larry was given five years probation and a $5,000 fine. A Texas mother who spent years in prison before she was exonerated for capital murder has welcomed a new child. (Haller, their next-door neighbor, has since moved to Houston.) Our paths crossed later in life and we renewed our friendship. She believed that Andrews eating habits were not the stuff of pathology but those of a growing boy. I was lucky enough and feel so honored to have been loved by Dabney. It is a small thing for one who has suffered so greatly.". "We are over the top in love with our new blessing! Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002. He left me with that gift. I worked with Dabney in the mortgage industry a few years ago and he was everything you described. According to the ministry's website, Syndeo Ministries helps provide women in prison support including Bible studies, visitation and aftercare. Another nurse, Dina Zapata, remembered Hannah smirking as she tried to resuscitate him. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. The mood in the car was giddy; the kids were excitedly discussing the news that they would have a baby sister when Larry, distracted, ran a stop sign and collided with another car. (CPS had not yet sent them his Social Security card, which they needed to get him insured.) Andrew spent his first night at the Overtons modest ranch-style house on Mothers Day, when he was two months shy of his fourth birthday, and he seemed to quickly grow attached to his new family. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Dabney's memory to Aylett Country Day School, P.O. Hannah shrugged off the teachers warnings, certain that Andrew would improve once he had the stability of a permanent home. When Andrews condition worsened, she and Larry had debated whether to call 911 or go to the nearby urgent care clinic, a concern because Andrew lacked health insurance. With guns drawn, police officers had surrounded Hannah and Larrys car as they returned from an errand, forcing them to the ground and handcuffing them. We had been told to expect a lot of the things we were seeing with Andrew, Larry told me. When Andrew started breathing funny, she told Hess, she had administered asthma medication with a nebulizer, hoping to open up his airways. The following evening, Andrew was dead. I am truly saddened to hear of Dabney's sudden passing. But others at Calvary Chapel expressed their concern. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. My husband enjoyed sailing with him at FBYC and running into him during a few running events in Richmond. I will always remember Dabney's love of animals, nature and good music. He was a great classmate and teamate at St Christopher's. 3 Memories Hannah Overton Overton Hannah Jayne Passed away peacefully at Thorpe Hall on the 23rd December 2018 aged 28 years. My two boys will remember him always as "that tall man with the super cool motorcycle". I knew it would probably make him sick, but I wanted him to understand why we were setting limits, Larry explained. Lane earned her college degree and became an elementary school teacher, while Hannah played with, and later babysat, the children of missionaries who used the campus as a home base between trips abroad. The burden on the state to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt was, Gilmore told me, perhaps less than it should have been. "We cannot say thank you enough for all who have helped especially the attorneys who worked endless hours to prove my innocence and gain my freedom," Overton told ABC News today. Larry and Hannah were granted supervised visits. Shana Druckerman contributed to this report, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Box 70, Millers Tavern, Va.; St. Christopher's School, 711 St. Christopher's Road, Richmond, Va. 23226; or the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 1108 E. Main St. Suite 1600, Richmond, Va. 23219. Thats what Im trying to get you to tell me. With no obvious explanations to consider, he focused his attention on Hannah. Because we were not thinking we were in a life-or-death situation, she insisted. I wish you and your family my sincere condolences. He found that they fit a narrow profile: they were between the ages of one and six, they had been in the foster system or were from abusive homes, and they had pica. Although Cortes had been scheduled to testify for the prosecution, he was never put on the witness stand. We are grateful for the help and support of so many over the years who contributed to achieving what, for the Overton children, is a joyous result. His mother was just sixteen, the file shows, when she gave birth to him in Corpus Christi on July 28, 2002. Hannah Overton was just an ordinary homeschool mom. He was a good guy and a good friend. Those charges were not considered double jeopardy because Overtons conviction was overturned by the higher court on the basis of ineffective counsel, which granted her a new trial. At four, he spent most of his time playing with Sebastian, who was two, rather than Ally, who was his own age, and his motor skills lagged far behind those of his peers.
He and the kids return home the same day so that he can teach Sunday school the next morning. They wed a year later and moved to Corpus Christi. If you need legal advice, then retain an attorney to discuss the facts of your case. One woman said she didnt want to work with a child killer, Larry told me.) Hannah and the girls, who complained of feeling achy, were taken to the hospital in an ambulance while Larrys parents picked up the rest of the family and, after dropping Larry off at the hospital, took the boys to a nearby Whataburger. Hannah, who was left with whiplash and a severely swollen jaw, spent the next several weeks immobilized by a neck brace, mostly confined to bed. Both sides worked hard independently to determine the truth and achieve justice for the Overton family, the entire family. If convicted, Hannah would receive an automatic life sentence. The Overtons rushed him to a nearby urgent care clinic after his breathing became labored and he stopped responding to their questions, but by the time they arrived, he had fallen unconscious. After nearly eleven hours of deliberationduring which jurors sent out thirteen notes to the judge, primarily seeking to clarify medical testimonythe jury found her guilty of capital murder. Hannah was seven when Saenz was arrested in 1984 and charged with a singularly horrific crime: the bludgeoning death of a sixteen-year-old girl whose nude body was discovered at the waters edge on Padre Island. There were so many bruises and scratches that it would be difficult to describe them all. Rotta allowed that the appearance of Andrews body may have been due in part to the fact that he was coagulopathic, or not able to clot blood properly, a condition that occurs after a person has gone into cardiac arrest and can cause excessive bleeding and bruising. I believe that the same God who made him is with him now in the most immediate sense. Looking for any information that might bolster the appeal, Orr requested access to the prosecutions case file. Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Todd Yates/AP Photo, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. We had known each other for ten years, and I dont think Id ever seen her mad, Haller told me. Overton spent seven years in prison before the Texas Court of Appeals overturned her capital murder charges on September 17, 2014. Overton had to have a blood transfusion and her new. When a four-year-old from Texas died mysteriously of salt poisoning, his foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder and sent to prison for life. I knew Dabney from years ago when we played softball together. Hannah went into labor with her first child, Isaac, at the Subialdeas house, and though she had planned to come back to work after her sons birth, she found the separation from him too wrenching. I'm not saying goodbye but that I will see you later. There is no photo or video of Jonah Lee Overton.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. Two years later, the Overtons learned that their adoption application had been approved and that Andrew would be joining their family. They also discovered that Hannah was pregnant again. We truly thought his obsession with food was a behavioral issue, not a medical one, Larry said. Dinner was potato soupIts good and filling, and its cheap, Larry told mewhich the kids dived into after saying grace. We spoke last Tuesday about a biking trip we had plan in the spring to Cherokee,N.C. Ive seen doctors and nurses freeze up when a patient comes in convulsing or in extremis, he said. He soon lapsed into a coma. I never knew him but it is obvious from all the wonderful things that people are saying that he was an incredible person and friend to so many. The boy was diagnosed with a toxic salt overdose and died the following day. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. He was such a kind person and always had a smile on his face. May God wrap his loving arms around you until we meet again. information about the Registry, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. A church member who homeschools her daughters educates the Overton children, using lesson plans Hannah sends her. Then, as always, Hannah had been composed, despite the strain she was under. Fleeing for Your Life? How had she known how much salt would kill him? The boys symptoms that afternoonvomiting, chills, and lethargyinitially suggested to the Overtons that he had a routine ailment, like a stomach bug. It has been a long time since I saw Dabney last. (In his 32 years of practicing law, Gilmore told me, he has never run across the charge of capital murder by omission before or since.) His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. One paramedic recounted how he had seen two sores on Andrew that looked to me like cigarette burns because they were round. Another paramedic also believed the sores were cigarette burns, though he admitted he had only looked at them from a distance. Fernandez, the medical examiner, said he had observed burnlike scarring on Andrews arm that had likely been caused by contact with a hot surface. But neither Larry nor Hannah smoked.
The court, which could rule imminently or years from now, could send the case back to Judge Longoria for a hearing orfar less likelyoverturn her conviction. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. movie nights, waking up to their beautiful faces. The Court of Criminal Appeals is currently reviewing her writ, which contends that the information about Andrews gastric contents are grounds for a new trial. She reported Andrews unusual eating habits to his adoption supervisor when she visited the Overton home on September 25. Guest Book Not sure what to say? In loving memory of Jonah Lee Overton, My deepest sympathy to his family on the loss of a truly extraordinary person. Her second husband was Hampton Overton, who died about. Absolutely not, Hannah shot back. I wouldnt give up that time we had with him and that he had with us., As we sat across from each other in the dayroom, Hannah and I discussed her case and the anguish that had consumed her following Andrews death. Larry left for work the following morning, and Hannah, who was still in considerable pain from the car accident, gave Andrew and Sebastian breakfast before bringing them into bed with her to watch cartoons. Jonah Lee Overton Obituary It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Jonah Lee Overton (Charlotte, North Carolina), who passed away on January 21, 2023, at the age of 92, leaving to mourn family and friends. If you would like to discuss your case with an attorney at Goldstein & Orr, then please contact us to schedule a consultation. [I] fully disclosed the DAs offices case file to the defense, she wrote in the lengthy statement. She and her husband Larry lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, and served faithfully in their church. I will miss Dabney greatly, having spent hours drinking coffee & talking with him; a kind, gentle soul who made the world a better place and who always had time for people in his life. In anticipation of his arrival, Larry built a three-tiered bunk bed for Andrew and the two Overton boys: Isaac, who was seven years old, and Sebastian, who was two. See you then, my friend. They had 4 children and were expecting their fifth. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. Andrews standard answer whenever he was asked to perform a simple task was Sorry, I cant, but Hannah was heartened one day that summer when he deviated from the script. When Michael put his fingers in his mouth, she would call his name softlythere was no anger in her voiceand he would smile and slowly slide his fingers out, Richard said. Hannah must sit on the opposite side of a metal divider, behind Plexiglas. That was the most uncomfortable service I have ever done. 2023 www.caller.com. Thank you Dabney for blessing my life with your presence. The daughter of a pastor and a homemaker, she had grown up longing for the companionship and boisterous energy of the big, churchgoing families she saw around her. Hannah: i was and remain so sorry to hear about Dabney's unfortunate death. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. At the time, Overton had four children and was pregnant with a fifth, and had no prior trouble with the law. He acted more like a toddler than a preschooler, they noted; if he wanted an object, he pointed to it and grunted. He displayed hyperactive behavior and possibly had some cognitive delays as well. The doctors assessment of Andrew as developmentally delayed was significant because it dovetailed with Hannahs testimony. Could it be that you held his nose, held his neck, and made him drink this horrible concoction? the prosecutor challenged her during a withering cross-examination. He visited us in the country and brought his serinity along. Richard and his wife had tried all sorts of tactics to deter him: redirecting his attention, putting gloves on him, even restraining his hands. Most striking to the Overtons, and to their neighbors and friends, was his preoccupation with eating. The Overtons have said they believed he instead had a rare medical conditioncalled hypernatremia that caused the fatal sodium levels. The Huntsville Times Homepage. (Andrew was told that he could not have any food at McDonalds, since he had already eaten.) Dabney Overton III Birth 30 Jul 1963 Death 9 Nov 2009 (aged 46) Now they can move forward, grieve the loss of Andrew, and heal, Orr said. Ill put it this way. EMTs and hospital staff had vigorously poked and prodded the boy as they attempted to revive him, first at the clinic, then in an ambulance, then at Christus Spohn Hospital, where he was initially taken, and finally at Driscoll, where he was transferred to the intensive care unit. Hannah Overton, a south Texas mother of five whose wrongful conviction for the 2006 death of her foster son was overturned last year, is expected to receive over $500,000 in compensation from the state for the years she spent in jail. Hannah Overton and her husband hold up one of their Christmas presents. Updated: June 20, 2015 . I regret that I didnt push harder from the beginning to find out what was wrong with himthat I believed his problems were just due to his previous abuse and neglect, and that, when I finally decided he needed to see a doctor about his pica, we didnt get him in quicker. When I pressed her to explain why she and Larry had not called 911, she leaned forward, as if pleading with me to understand. Todd Yates/Corpus Christi Caller-Times/AP. He was a very quiet and caring man. The children liked to hang out in her room and talk to her, particularly Andrew, who always visited her for an extra hug before bedtime. Early in the pregnancy, Hannah and Larry were informed that the boy would likely have Down syndrome. . If Hannah had been looking for a way out, she would have called the adoption agency and told them that she and Larry couldnt go through with it. Hess was unmoved. "We are so excited about all God has done in and through all of this. He recalled how Michael used to chew on his fingers, a chronic problem that left his skin bloody and raw. (Hannahs mother and stepfatherwhom the courts had named managing conservators of the childrenwere then able to return them to Larrys custody.) Haller was stunned by the accusation. It was Emma whom Hannah was pregnant with when Andrew died, and she is the child Hannah knows least.