Because the court has not been inclined to intercede so far, members of Calvary Chapel have begun a letter-writing campaign to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles in hopes of securing a pardon or a commutation. As a former private-duty nurse, Hannah felt equipped to handle the challenges of a foster child; she had spent several years caring for special-needs children, some of whom were profoundly disabled. All he needs is lots of love and attention, she told Larry. 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. Hannah shrugged off the teachers warnings, certain that Andrew would improve once he had the stability of a permanent home. Today I will thank God that I knew Dabney, if only a little. 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. 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. Hannahs mother and stepfather, Hannah, Larry, and the kids on Mothers Day 2006. He was a Southern Gentleman and true Virginian who touched the hearts of many. CPR had also been performed for an extended period by Hannah and later by medical personnel, who had squeezed the boys nose and administered chest compressions for 35 minutes. We were in it for the long haul.. And thanks for the movie, even though it was kind of weird. But former Nueces County District Attorney Mark Skurka charged Overton a second time for murder after her release. Hannah Overton was just an ordinary homeschool mom. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. He touched my heart and those of my dear friends. Overton's original trial attorneys admitted at an appeals hearing that they had made errors. The ministry's name Syndeo is taken from a Greek word meaning "to connect" or "be connected." Orr forwarded the paperwork to a leading expert on salt poisoning, Michael Moritz, and asked him to explain its significance. Larry and Hannah knew that Andrew loved Spider-Man, so they made sure to have all manner of Spider-Man-themed necessities for him: sheets, pajamas, a toothbrush, a towel, a swimsuit, and even a plate embossed with the superheros image. . Larry, who was sitting behind her, broke down. She is also qualified to receive insurance and education benefits. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. It was a catastrophic decision. CPS launched its initial investigation into Andrews well-being shortly after his first birthday, when his mother took him to a local hospital with a broken arm. According to Hannah, Andrew once again asked for an early lunch, and once again, when she told him that he would have to wait, he defecated and smeared feces across the floor. Andrew was not a normal child, Cortes explained to me. Overton's original trial attorneys admitted at an appeals hearing that they had made errors. Her bedroom was just a few feet away from the childrens rooms, which were always open; their doors had been removed so that the kids could easily come and go as they pleased. Patricia Gonzalez, a nurse at the urgent care clinic, told the jury that Hannah had not behaved like a panic-stricken parent and had had a smile on her face as she performed CPR on the boy. Until Proven Innocent: the Hannah Overton Story After your child dies to be told that somebody think its your fault. Richard and his wife had tried all sorts of tactics to deter him: redirecting his attention, putting gloves on him, even restraining his hands. Copyright 2023 GRB Studio | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions If someone was trying to murder Andrew, they would have restrained him and prevented him from drinking water, Moritz subsequently wrote in an affidavit. I was one of those who was lucky enough to share a friendship with this kind, strong and loving man. Larry Overton was also charged with murder, but after his wife's conviction, he was offered a plea deal and was given probation. Hannah must sit on the opposite side of a metal divider, behind Plexiglas. After her shift ends in the late morning, there are letters to write home, in which she tries to stay present in her childrens lives by choreographing what she can from a distance. In other words, if the jury could not agree conclusively that she had poisoned Andrew, it could still rule that she was guilty of capital murder by omission, or by failure to act. (A subsequent investigation by the attorney generals office found that no crimes had been committed. Finally he agreed to plead no contest to criminally negligent homicide. Finally she relented, heating up what she had on hand: leftover vegetable-beef soup flavored with Zatarains Creole Seasoning. Im a pretty easygoing guy, but I remember thinking, Six kids? Larry told me. My prayers and thoughts are with you all. Share Obituary. People who knew the Overtons were certain that Andrews bewildering death was accidental. She and her Menu. [I] fully disclosed the DAs offices case file to the defense, she wrote in the lengthy statement. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? I pick out the games and I make the decorations, if I can. She devotes most of her evenings to Bible studies, leading groups of inmates through careful examinations of Scripture. . 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. 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. . One of her favorite books to revisit is Ruth. Beginning next year, she will also receive an annuity. This is where Andrew used to sleep, Isaac told me softly as he led me into the boys room. Dabney Overton III (1963-2009) - Find a Grave Memorial Dabney Overton III Birth 30 Jul 1963 Death 9 Nov 2009 (aged 46) He had a speech disorder called echolalia, which is one of the things we see typically in children who have autism spectrum disorders. See our Cookie Policy. Regardless of how much food he consumed, he complained that he was hungry. The boys symptoms that afternoonvomiting, chills, and lethargyinitially suggested to the Overtons that he had a routine ailment, like a stomach bug. This small benefit will allow her and her sweet family to continue to share their goodness with all of us with some degree of comfort. He was a member of Mt. Here are the tributes to Jonah Lee Overton. But Hannah, who was bewildered by Andrews condition, had no ready answers. (He was subsequently fired by CPS after having three car accidents on the job in less than six months.) Hannah Overton is expected to receive compensation for wrongful incarceration. Those were great times. 3 Memories Hannah Overton Overton Hannah Jayne Passed away peacefully at Thorpe Hall on the 23rd December 2018 aged 28 years. (More shocking details on abuse suffered by four-year-old before death, began one breathless report.) In 2007 he published a seminal paper on salt poisoning, in which he examined, among other things, documented cases of children who had accidentally ingested excessive quantities of salt. The Overtons have said they believed he instead had a rare medical conditioncalled hypernatremia that caused the fatal sodium levels. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration As he grasped for the right words to convey the depth of pain a parent feels over the loss of a child, he noticed a row of unfamiliar faces. 1 x 120' / Produced for Discovery Networks. Unlike the three physicians who had testified for the prosecution, Cortes was the only doctor who had seen Andrew before his hospitalization; he had evaluated the boy during a routine checkup when Andrew was three years old and still living with Hamil. Standing just five feet tall, with wide-set brown eyes, a girlish laugh, and a warm, easy manner, Hannah was almost childlike herself. Left: Hannah Overton at the Murray Unit, west of Waco, on November 21, 2011. We were just waiting for someone to look at it and say this is just an accident, Larry Overton added. God bless you Dabney, we'll miss you. Larry outside his family's home, in Corpus Christi, on November 22. Even more devastating to Hannah were the actions that CPS took that January. A state judge has rejected claims by Hannah Overton that she was wrongly convicted of capital murder in 2007 because prosecutors withheld exculpatory evidence, her lawyers were ineffective . 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. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Would I really have stayed with a family that would abuse a child?, The most unsettling aspect of The State of Texas v. Hannah Ruth Overton, which got under way in August 2007, was how effectively a woman who had spent most of her life as a do-gooder could be recast as a monster. Andrew flew into a rage. 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. Dear God, thank you for the soup, Isaac said, his head bowed, his eyes closed tightly. I worked with Dabney in the mortgage industry a few years ago and he was everything you described. Murder Charges Dropped Against Hannah Overton, Texas Mom - ABC News The kids now range in age from four to twelve, and when I visited them late one afternoon, not long after I had seen Hannah, they seemed unencumbered by the tragedy that had engulfed their family. Dabney was born on July 31, 1963 and grew up in Essex County, Va. Thank you Dabney for blessing my life with your presence. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. Detective Hess was put on administrative leave in 2008 after it came to light that he had disclosed confidential information to the suspect in an ongoing investigation for indecency with a child. Im very thankful that this compensation is finally coming through, Overton told ABC News. "God is so good!," Overton wrote in the social media post. Just as she had hoped, they would have six children. Fernandez determined that the boy had died as a result of acute sodium toxicity, with blunt force head trauma as a contributing factor. Although Cortes had been scheduled to testify for the prosecution, he was never put on the witness stand. My friend Dabo - thanks for the fun at Washington and Lee but mostly for these last few years when your selflessness and wisdom were refreshing to see and experience. As I read the comments of so many I realize he touched everyone's lives just the same. Dabney was loved and treasured for his gentle nature, ready smile, and intelligent wit. They chattered about an upcoming birthday party and discussed the merits of their favorite colors, finishing each others sentences between slurps of soup. My husband Al and I were shocked and saddened to hear of Dabney's death. So she had to find a way out. (Hess did not respond to interview requests for this article but has previously denied Hallers version of events.) 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. 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. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Left: Andrew and Isabel playing together. I will take that trip and take my friends spirit with me. He was a loyal Red Sox Nation member and I a Yankees Universe devotee. I knew Dabney from the Richmond Athletic Club. Yet according to the unusual wording of the jury charge, jurors had to believe just one of two scenarios to find Hannah guilty: that she deliberately made Andrew ingest a lethal amount of salt or that she purposely neglected to get timely medical attention, knowing that this would kill him. Thats what Im trying to get you to tell me. With no obvious explanations to consider, he focused his attention on Hannah. There were the charred remnants of his Spider-Man sheets in the fire pit. The thoughts and prayers of your co-workers are with you and your family. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. When I first learned Andrew had died, I was angry, he explained to me. They asked us, Can you pray that we have discernment and wisdom in helping him through this?. At first, the transition with Andrew went smoothly. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Then, as always, Hannah had been composed, despite the strain she was under. This was not a child that came into the office looking well, with a story of, you know, Hes just a tomboy, and he falls and hits himself, Rotta would later testify. 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. Then, abruptly, Andrew grew quiet and stumbled to the floor. They were no different from other children their age: exuberant, funny, guileless. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. She looked after dozens of children, including my grandchildren, and in all the years she was here, I cant recall one negative thing being said about her, the commissions founder, Joe Fauss, told me. He seemed to enjoy having brothers and sisters to play with, and the Overton kidsespecially the girls, who doted on himwere enthralled by the new arrival. Hannah Overton and her husband hold up one of their Christmas presents. 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. The sodium content of Zatarains is not listed on its packaging. 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. Obituary - Middle Island, L.I., December 5 - Mrs. Hannah M. Overton died yesterday morning after a short illness. They wed a year later and moved to Corpus Christi. Any God, Christian or not, would have wanted a better mother for Andrew.. The Overtons daughters, four-year-old Isabel and three-year-old Ally, reported back to their parents that the new boy in their class needed a family. Knowing Hannah, it was inconceivable that she would ever hurt a child, said Noreen. And given that abuse and neglect during the first year of life can profoundly affect behavioral development, they were not surprised that Andrew was different. Frantic, Hannah began administering CPR in the backseat. The very dilute gastric sodium contents suggest . In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Dabney's memory to Aylett Country Day School, P.O. Hess and a group of CPS workers were standing in the back with dark glasses on, their arms crossed, scowls on their faces, Carver said. Or had the tragedy claimed its second victim? I knew Dabney years ago while living in Richmond. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. Over the course of the three-week-long trial, Eastwood sought to convince jurors that a mother with no history of violence or mental illness had force-fed her child to deatha scenario that each prosecution witness helped, incrementally, to suggest was possible. She was always smiling, always laughing. As a teenager, she was captivated by missionaries stories of serving in far-flung places, and she began going on group mission trips herself, once venturing as far as Romania.

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