FREE HANNAH OVERTON!!!
Christian Mother of 5 was just sentenced to LIFE IN PRISON for capital murder in the death of her young son who died from a misdiagnosed medical condition. This is a TRUE STORY. Hannah is a young mother with a long life ahead of her. Pray for this family! And those of you in positions of power – do something.
Read more at http://www.freehanah.com/
Statement From Pastor Rod 9/12
| Written by Rod Carver | |
| Wednesday, 12 September 2007 | |
 A very gentle and loving mother of 5 was sentenced today for failing to act or provide medical attention for her son, whom, unknown to her, had ingested something that would ultimately kill him. Nine months of CPS investigation could not find her guilty of child abuse. Ten months of the DA’s investigation and 8 days of testimony could not convince the jury that she purposely poisoned this little boy.
What is she guilty of? Not discerning the signs of salt intoxication from the signs of a common flu. Now five children are without a mother. Did she act? When cold, she warmed him with a blanket and a warm bath. When his breathing was affected she gave him a breathing treatment. When he did not respond to her care, she rushed him to the hospital and on the way he stopped breathing. Is this failure to act? At the hospital the doctors even shot sodium into his veins because they also did not recognize the signs of salt intoxication.
For all the Christians out there, understand this, Hannah’s simple faith was used against her as the prosecution incessantly sought to make her out to be a religious sociopath. Average citizens know that these are contributing members to our city, they own a business and home, pay taxes and give of themselves to social causes. Hannah herself is still praying for those who have declared her their enemy. She has not lost hope in her God and neither have we. We do not hate but hope. We do not grind our teeth in anger but reach out with the love and grace the Lord has planted in our hearts and seek to represent that grace even toward those who have championed this great injustice. |
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 15 September 2007 ) |
Mothers and fathers of small children, fear this verdict and pray for Hannah who has already suffered the consequences of an misinformed media, a zealous police investigator, CPS trying to cover themselves politically and the DA who continues to stir up emotions about child abuse when none was proven.
Okay I hope this is not written by Hannah’s legal representatives because it is the biggest pile of southern BS I have ever read. She may have been a Christian but she was also very instrumental in the death of her child. It seems very likely that she suffered from chronic mental illness and I am not here to piss anyone off but that is just my un-professional impresion. The mental health community which I once worked in is aware that there are a lot of people with chronic mental illness such as bi-polar disorder and major depression that turn to religion for help. There are also a lot of common traits amongst quite a few radical Christian women that I am very curious about. One of these such traits is homeschooling of children and having many children with maybe the husband bringing in any source of income if any. I have witnessed some families where even the husband doesn’t work and extended family or Social Security is the source of family income which may consist of a huband and wife and a whole mess of children. Anyway I don’t know what the Overton’s financial situation was like but she appears a very young women who homeschooled her 5 children. With the responsibility of homeschooling 5 children, I am assuming she was unable to work leaving her husband as the sole provider of income. I am also assuming and only assuming that this may have led to a lot of financial stress. Who knows and who really cares at this point. What I do know is that it takes a lot of cajun spice to cause enough of an electrolye imbalance to kill even a small child. Also anyone who has ever been a parent should know how sensitive a child is when they are sick especially one that is vomiting which this child certainly should have been doing with that type of intoxication. That being said Hannah should have had enough reason in the form of signs and symptoms (which I am again assuming consisted of a child screaming and being extreamly restless) to call a doctor or take a quick trip to the emergency room at the nearest hospital. There is no excuse for that kind of neglect. There is no way that child just died easily and quietly and I am sick of seeing the free Hannah bumper stickers as if she is some kind of Martyre. I say get a life and quit trying to pretend you and your congregation are being persecuted. I am not saying that she deserves to be put in prison but she certainly needs something that requires intense psychiatric inpatient treatment. Her child died and she is responsible so I am again assuming that this would be a hard thing to walk away from. As for the other kids? Hopefully they will be cared for by someone who can make sure they don’t mysteriously die by spice ingestion. God bless you all and why not try looking into helping Hannah with her journey into the State Penn rather than the worthless cause of trying to get the legal system to pull an OJ.
Hey! Thanks for the comment. You made yourself look very compassionate AND might I add: 1) most certainly educated about the majority of home schooling families, 2) educated – in depth might I add – about the special role of the home schooling mother and the plight she has taken upon herself, 3)educated about Christians, 4) educated about emergency medical situations, 5) educated about how some families handle their finances and 6) educated about who I am.
Truly,
Sarah Walston
Wow,emolnar20012. You jumped to an astonishing number of conclusions. Hannah did not suffer from depression or any other mental or emotional condition. Larry owns a business and Hannah assisted him in it and cared for the children. Their lives centered around their children. They’re people who genuinely love kids. Before they had children of their own, they volunteered in an orphanage in Mexico and were youth group leaders at their church. They’d always wanted a large family and always thought they’d adopt at least one child. There was a time when large families were not uncommon.
Andrew’s case is strikingly similar to the British case of Christian Blewitt who died while in the care of Ian and Angela Gay. Christian, 3, also died of sodium poisoning. He was also misdiagnosed initally at the hospital. (If hospital staff can misdiagnose the symptoms of sodium poisoning, how can a parent be expected to do better?) There is much more to it — here’s the link — http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-440053/The-unending-nightmare-Ian-Angela-Gay-speak-out.html
Hannah did not realize when Andrew vomited and said he was cold that he was fatally ill. Andrew had thrown a tantrum just prior to that. Ask yourself: would you know that the child who just threw a tantrum and now vomited was fatally ill? She treated the symptoms until they got worse. He was conscious, breathing, his vital signs were normal. He said he was cold and was making noises. If you’ve ever had a sick toddler, you know that sometimes when they don’t feel good, they don’t talk to you. According to the interrogation tape, she said it was 5 minutes from the time she realized something was seriously wrong with Andrew to when they took him for medical care.
Note that a juror came forward in March with an affadavit that said the jury did not understand the charge and that she did not believe Hannah intended to harm Andrew or knew that not taking him for care immediately would harm him.
Hannah is innocent. Innocent people, both Christian and non Christian, are charged and convicted more often than most people think.
Pary that her appeal is granted. Next time it could be you or someone you love.
Lucy, Thanks for a better response to the idiot in comment #1. I couldn’t think of anything nice to say – so I restrained myself to what I could come up with….
People really have no idea about this kind of stuff. My sister has a special needs child who has encephalitis. Except she went undiagnosed for almost 2 years. Finally she got to a point where her head was constantly bruised and she looked like an abused child – because her head was so large and heavy, she couldn’t manage the weight of it. She was only 3 years old and her head weighed more than 1/2 of her body weight. While Mandy was in the hospital with her – for something unrelated – Amory tripped, as she usually did b/c of the weight of her head, and fell forward banging her head against the crib in her hospital room. The nurse came in to check on her and the nurse at the hospital thought Mandy had hit her, or thrown her or something – and then there was a minor investigation….. and it was a mess. And thankfully nothing came of it. A few months later the Dr’s FINALLY (after saying for 2 years that she didn’t have encephalitis – which she clearly looked like to all us untrained eyes!) diagnosed her with Enceph. and put in a shunt and her head has shrunk” considerably just from the fluids draining and she’s down to 1 bruise a month vs. 1 bruise every other day. She literally looked like an abused child. It was sad and Mandy had to be careful about taking her in public b/c of situations like the hospital.
But it was just shocking that IN THE HOSPITAL the nurses thought she was abusing her daughter. It was incredulous.
My heart breaks for Hannah’s children. This is so just totally unjust.
I know that everyone at the church is saying that Hannah was a great church member and went on mission trips and so on but you know who else was a great spiritual leader in his church and a pillar in his community the BTK killer. I am not comparing them by any means but I am saying that people are not always what they seem. Now I have a godson that will throw some mean temper tantrums at times but I have never once wanted to use physical pain or discomfort to punish the child or to try and make him not behave that way again. There is always another way to teach a child right from wrong. Now I was probably a million times worse as a child then Hanna’s kid. I cant even remember the number of stories my parents told me about how i would throw a tantrum and they would have to drag me kicking and screaming out of malls, restaraunts, friends homes ect but never once did they lay a hand on me or make me drink cajun spices. My parents had a little thing called patience. My Dad was abused physically and sexually as a child and he was often made to drink or eat spicy things as a form of punishment all though that was mild to what else he endured. If people dont know how to control or raise thier children without physically or emotionally harming them maybe they should not be parents at all.
Wow. You had the most perfect parents on the face of the earth. How lucky for you.
Your children are going to go on to solve world peace, global warming, the AIDS epidemic and current American Immigration issues. I mean – how could they not – their grandparents were perfect and then that must mean that they raised you into a perfect adult who must have raised or are raising your children perfectly – so how could anything possibly go wrong?
Spare the rod….
Thanks for the nice words of edification and encouragement to parents everywhere! Not just your condemnation of Hannah (whom you probably don’t even know!) – but your words condemn 99% of parents on the Earth.
So.
I will be looking forward to a day when Cari So-and-so’s Son or Daughter or Godson or whatnot bring the world to a place of perfection.
And let’s all pray that you aren’t ever in Hannah’s position. Where you have done everything perfectly as you know how to do it – and your children either completely rebel against you and turn on you … or worse…. you end up behind bars for something you never did.
Cheerio!
Goodness Sarah, must you reply to every post. I notice if it’s against Hannah you are quick to make a defensive remark, but if it’s to back Hannah you quickly thank them. Hmm let me guess you know Hannah personally from church events, family gatherings? Wish you would have spent a whole day or two, maybe a week, a month with her. You would of met the real Hannah. People act differently behind closed doors. You can not go by a her demeanor in front of “church” family and deem her a superiority human being. Just because of her “ecclesiastic history”.
Hannah’s case comes up for appeal on Sept 11. Those of us who know Hannah is innocent will be praying that the judges see the truth.
Cari, I am sorry for the bad things that happened to your father. And I am grateful that he was able to not pass those abusive behaviors on to you.
Melissa, of course Sarah responds positively to those who know Hannah is innocent. That’s the point of her original post.
You are correct in that the fact of Hannah’s innocence has little or nothing to do with her religious beliefs or whether she attends church. In America, we’re supposed to be “innocent until proven guilty.” That’s not how it actually works, unfortunately. It’s not like it is on CSI. Investigators and prosecutors tend to decide who the criminal is and then set about finding evidence to prove their theory, rather than examining all the evidence and determining what really happened. Have you been paying attention to the news lately? The Innocence Project is proving the innocence of hundreds of people who were wrongly convicted.
Melissa, you refer to “the real Hannah.” I am curious, do you know Hannah personally? If so, in what way? I’ve never heard your name mentioned in all the hoopla surrounding the trial, or at any other time, for that matter.
I’ve known Hannah since she was born. I have observed her over the years with children — her own and other people’s. There are few people more patient than Hannah. In fact, I can’t think of any. Her mother, my sister, is a very kind and patient person as well.
Hannah did not “make” Andrew drink Cajun spices and water. She offered him that because if allowed to he would eat until he threw up. He had a severe eating disorder, which may have been aggravated by an underlying physical disorder. He liked to eat beef vegetable stew seasoned with Zatarain’s. When he wanted more, she reasoned that if he tasted the spices again, he would think he’d eaten more and she could get him down for a nap. Note that Zatarain’s recipe is secret — therefore there is nothing on the label that tells you how much sodium is in it. If you wanted to poison someone, wouldn’t you use something in which you were sure about the ingredients?
I have recently gotten the transcript from the testimony of the detective in family court, prior to the criminal trial. In that testimony, Det Hess admitted that he did not know where the allegations in the CPS-filed affidavit came from that said Hannah had “confessed” to beating Andrew and to giving him spices as punishment.
Every person who becomes aware of this case should become aware of something else: There are far more cases of wrongful conviction that occur in this country every year than you may think. My own research has opened my eyes. Estimates are that as many as 200,000 people may be incarcerated now that are actually innocent.
If this could happen to Hannah, it can happen to anyone.
I will answer ANY questions anyone has on this case, with documentation of the truth. Email me at JusticeReform@gmail.com.
Lucy – thanks again for the response. And the update. I will update my blog with this. I get hits everyday here from people searching for information on Hannah’s case.
To everyone else – I don’t know Hannah personally. I just know that she’s not guilty. To the person who said I replied quickly to every comment on my blog – I didn’t reply to you just to prove you wrong. LOL! JK. JK. Anyway – it’s kind of weird that you are tracking my response times. I don’t know. Seems a little … crazy.
Burn Burn Burn
ROFLOL. Emolmar – you better watch out – your intelligence is shining through! At least we know your name now, Erik…
Yeah you guys are geniuses. I’m not trying to be intelligent here. I never said I was. Anyway I just want to add that I have given a lot more thought to this case since my first response which was written mostly out of anger and reaction to the bumper stickers that just piss me in particular off in light of the facts that the public is made aware of. So now that I have thought about it, I don’t think that Ms. Overton intentionally hurt her child but what exactly happened? I cannot believe that a toddler could drink that much whatever the mixture was to kill itself. That does not sound like a common intentional injury for that age group that I have ever heard of but what do I know. Maybe I need to review the TIPP secton of the APA website? I still don’t think Ms. Overton should be let out of jail and not face any consequences for what happened. With pissed off emotions put aside, I now agree that she does not belong in prison. From an ethical standpoint I don’t believe she fits in with that population and it would not be of any benefit to the situation to just lock her up and in fact would really be of worse consequence. I do think she does need some kind of help however. I’m not trying to say give her drugs. I am not an advocate for medicating anyone until all other non-pharmacological Treatments have been exhausted but I think she is gonna need at least some type of intense monitoring. I would think that she at risk to herself at least after all that has happened. I am not here to say I know what she really needs but I will say that I think she needs something and maybe if you can come up with some ideas other than “Free Hannah”, the judge will have something to work with. I think it’s great that she has such strong support but if she is made “…Free” as the little blue stickers say, what next? That is what I am really curious about. I didn’t know her child that died but it is real sad for that child and I was certainly pissed when I wrote my 1st response. But yeah keep being so smart and enjoy taking pride in that. It might not make you rich but it will give you something to brag about.
Oh yeah you certainly get mad pretty easy. What is it you hate so much about peoples opinions? Maybe a little anger management. Ok, that is a little low. I get mad too. Everybody does. But man you need to lighten up a little and maybe try having at least some discussion with the opposition rather than just trying to make them feel bad.
PS feel free to delete some of my responses if you want since some of these responses like this one don’t pertain to the discussion in this post.
Now how can you come on here yesterday and say “Burn burn burn” and then today come back and recant that statement?
I do like to brag, by the way. It’s kind of what the whole blog is about! LOOK AT ME! LOOK HOW SMART I AM!!!
Hey Erik, I’m taking this college course called “The Meaning of Death” and we have been talking about dying (naturally) and something you said is very interesting….in a philosophical sense….you said it was really sad for the child to die. Not sad that the child died, but sad for the child – like you are speaking about the child’s emotions. I don’t know why – but I just thought that was an interesting thing to say.
Also – let me ask you something – are you discrediting all the evidence suggesting that the child died from medical negligence? I’m kind of curious why you think Hannah should be punished because the Dr’s didn’t take care of the child better?
A few days ago my children got REALLY REALLY sick. My 11 yr old lost all mobility in his legs when his muscles cramped up and he was literally unable to walk for days. Even now, he is still dealing with some weakened leg muscles. It was scary because he was acting like he had Polio and I’m not joking. We went to the Dr. – my family Dr. who has known us for years – and he looked at Adri and tested him for all kinds of diseases and was equally puzzled. The fever had been going on for days and he was very ill and at that point was immobilized with cramped up leg muscles. It was scary.
I realized later that night….he was dehydrated. This was a very scary realization for me because Adri is a very thin child. He can’t afford to get dehydrated. We started pumping Smart Water w/Electrolytes through him and got him urinating again. (TMI I know) but the point is – we’d already been under the care of our family Dr. for 4 days when Adri got dehydrated. The Dr. saw us on Thursday morning and sent us home – never mentioning that Adri was dehydrated. W/in 24 hrs of getting enough fluids into his system, his legs started to come to life and his fever started to come down. That was on day 6 of being sick. The Dr. never called to check on him even though he knew how sick Adri was.
Now – I’ve told you all that to say that I have a very good Dr and I took Adri in on Tues. and then I took him back on Thurs. since he was worse off. The Dr. should have recognized the classic signs of severe dehydration and sent us to the ER at that point. It was late Thurs. night when I realized what was actually going on – we didn’t have any strange illness, just a tough viral infection and now dehydration. If I hadn’t realized how dehydrated Adri was and hadn’t woken him up Thursday night to start having him drink the electrolyte water – he would have been very very sick by Friday morning.
I’m a bit appalled that neither the very experienced family Dr, nor the 2 nurses that helped me at the clinic on Thursday, missed the dehydration issue. It could have cost Adri a lot. I have never dealt with dehydration before and honestly wouldn’t have known the classic symptoms of dehydration except I stumbled across it online while looking up information on one of the diseases that Adri was tested for.
I personally would think that a Dr would start off with the obvious – child has had a strong fever since Saturday and by Thursday he has dry flaky skin, peeling lips, parched tongue and muscle cramping with extreme fatigue…..that he’d say, “OK! When was the last time Adri peed?”
Now I know how Hannah feels. She trusted the Drs. Oh and I have 4 kids – but I’ve never dealt with a severe illness before with my own children. Add to that that we ALL ended up with the virus – so by Thursday when I took the very sick 11yr old in, I was also running a fever and not feeling too great. I was counting on my Dr. to cover the bases.
He failed. Thank God it didn’t cost us more than some sore muscles and about $20 in Smart Water!!!
Erik – I’m like the most laid back person! Everyone gets angry from time to time and I think it’s credible of you for coming back and owning your anger. Good for you! We all have issues – right? I mean, I certainly can get my feathers ruffled up over things – but I tend to settle back down quickly and usually w/o too much damage done! LOL! But seriously I don’t know what you are talking about – I’m not angry and I don’t get angry about blog comments!
I never take blogger comments personally unless I know you personally and know you are being personal in your attack, and even then I just kind of shrug it off and think, “Ok whatever dude!” It’s probably hard for you to hear my very “laissez faire” attitude that I type with. LOL!!
You are absolutely right in my opinion. I think there are a lot of stories of doctors not doing thorough enough assessments whenever a patient presents to the clinic with serious symptoms especially in the family practice but even in the ER. I heard a story just last night about a pregnant women who called her doctor at 4 in the morning complaining of cramps and bleeding. The doctor told her he’d see her at 9 AM the next morning at his office. The lady ended up having such sever pains that she went to the ER where she actually died from hemorrhage secondary to Placenta abruptio. Anyway yeah I heard of the death dyeing and suicide class but not sure if that is any relation to the one you are taking. I don’t think my subconscious had to much to do with my words there. I went to a child’s funeral a few years back and it was terribly sad so I guess I was just remembering that. I am just wondering at this point in order to make me even consider the non involvement of Ms Overton is how did the child self ingested such a heavy mix of spices? I’m sorry but I am just not convinced on that one. Poisoning in certainly a hazard for toddlers but that is just hard to picture right now. I am not in any way involved in this case so my curiosities and opinions are really just that. Anyway I hope your 11yo and the rest of your children are feeling better and back to having good times and all the other things that kids should have. It does make me angry to hear about your experience and I certainly have some understanding of your frustrations with Doctors that don’t seem like they give a —- and are not doing their jobs and treat you like you are not presenting with symptoms worth exploring or treating whatsoever. But yeah not a good Physical assessment by that staff!!! They get an F for sure. It is suppose to be routine to ask about bladder and bowel movements as well as inspecting the abdomen, auscultating for bowel sounds and palpating for tenderness etc. Dehydration is also something so obvious in children and I can’t believe the doctor missed that especially with the cramps. He didn’t do any lab work or anything? It’s hard to find good doctors but you get an A on your Interventions with Dehydration. I have to say with some defense to the medical community that I also know how heartbreaking it is to be with a child not long before she dies from Leukemia. If you get lucky, the nurses and doctors that are part of the team are gonna make all the difference in that type of situation but it seems like competent or caring and professional medical staff is getting hard to find at least in this town.
Oh yeah, you might want to see another doctor if those symptoms, especially the musculoskeletal ones are still there. You probably know best but that is kind of scary when you think about muscles like the heart and also the effects that looks like it may have had on the CNS. Fluid Volume Deficit can be of several types and there may have been more of a water loss than Electrolyte loss going on there. Theres a lot of factors not to mention a doctor really needs to think about that and confirm that it was indeed a FVD Dx no matter how obvious it looks. Of course I am in no way a medical professional so don’t think I really know what I am talking about here but I do think you should very much think about seeking a second opinion especially if there are still symptoms and with the fact that although you did a great job, it should have been treated by someone with the medical expertise and certifications of a doctor. Anyway good luck. That is about all I have to say here but after some thought, I felt it was important to at least put that out there.
Hello. I wanted to be sure that everyone here is aware of the latest on Hannah’s case.
Her appeal was postponed due to Hurricane Ike! The day before her appeal, it looked like Ike was going to slam into Corpus Christi, so the county cancelled all business for the next 2 days. Then, overnight the storm took a hard right turn and went to Galveston. I can only believe that this is God at work in some way.
AND PERHAPS God wanted this article to come out first — http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/Murder_by_omission_or_conviction_by_design.html?c=y&commentSubmitted=y#comments.
It is one of the few truly objective, in-depth articles to come out about Hannah’s case.
Erik — this may answer many of your questions as to what happened to Andrew. Personally, while I’m not a doctor, I know that Andrew had several indications of diabetes. That would, I’m told, also be likely to give him elevated sodium levels. Combine that with a serious eating disorder like salt PICA, and it doesn’t take much additional sodium to send the sodium levels over the tipping point.
Hannah would have had no idea what was wrong. She sees her 4 year old having a difficult day, acting up, his eating disorder in full swing, and throwing tantrums. Then all of a sudden he throws up and says he’s cold. She’s in some pain herself as she’s still recovering from a car accident and she’s 6 months pregnant, so she calls Larry to come help her with Andrew. An hour and a half later, Andrew has become so sick that they’re taking him to the nearest urgent care clinic.
Where exactly is the crime?
ABC’s 20 20 plans to air a segment on Hannah’s case this Friday, Oct 24. Please watch & spread the word. Here’s a link to a preview article: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=6079830
Hannah’s appeal is now scheduled for Nov 6. Please keep her and the justices in your prayers.
Well, from what I know, Hannah didn’t give him the cajun spices as a punishment, but rather to keep a 5 yr old from eating a 4th or 5th bowl of chili. He was throwing a tantrum and wanted to continue eating, so she figured he wanted the spices and gave him a TEASPOON or two of them in a sippy cup. The autopsy report said he would have had to have ingested a massive amount of those spices to give him that much sodium to cause his death. The paramedics did indeed give him a sodium drip in the ambulance (not knowing that he was suffering from sodium poisoning either) and who knows what else was given to him in the hospital. From the time he began to get lethargic and throw up until the time he was at the hospital was a total of 45 minutes. Now, that’s a scary thought – can anyone with a small child truly say that they would have rushed them to the hospital after they threw up & became lethargic – within 30 minutes? I know my daughter gets lethargic when she gets a tummy flu – normal behavior. Hannah got him on the way to the hospital within 5 minutes of the abnormal symptoms (breathing difficulty, unresponsive) – before that he was just lethargic & sick, like any other 5 yr old with a tummy virus.
Truly scary to think that could happen to any of us – I believe justice needs to be done – she does not belong behind bars. I sincerely hope the 20/20 segment sheds light on her situation and the documented facts come out. That whole family & church is in my prayers.
Hope that b**** burns in —-!
Sarah says: Kate, I am the only one allowed to use curse words on my blog.
Sorry. Also, I am pretty familiar with online discourse and since your statement was only made to inflame readers, I have edited out the last word too.
If you continue to comment with this kind of crap, I will publish your email address online. I’m looking at it right now…paper something @ a popular site.com
To everyone else, just ignore her.
Thanks
Sarah
no one has any right to say anything this derogatory (Kate: “hope that bitch burns in hell”) even if they knew this woman personally. The things that have been said about her on the news and the “facts” that the investigators have come up with may or may not be true. Here’s some facts for you, KateBitch: Why would a mother of four, going on five, adopt or attempt to adopt a sixth child only to decide to kill him? Doesnt make sense. Why would she take him to the hospital if she was trying to kill him? Again, makes no sense. You can tell if a person is being honest or not, and watching the news and interviews, i noticed that Hannah made direct eye contact many times with the interviewer. Liars usually avoid eye contact and remain distant. She seemed very genuine in her agony. Can you imagine having a husband, four children and a newborn, and losing the fifth child to death as well as the rest of your family to an accusation? Think about that before you go off calling a total stranger a bitch.
I am a Christian mother of three and I know how hard it is to be away from my children and husband for only a day…. will pray for Hannah’s freedom.
In tears, I prayed intensely for this family this evening after watching the 20/20 special. May God do his work in this case! These children need their Mother.
As to why she didn’t call 911. I don’t think many Mothers would have called 911 in that circumstance! Had he stopped breathing at HOME, surely. (I am a Mother myself to a 1 and 3 yr old.)
So I just watched the segment on 20/20 and I really think Hannah was unjustly convicted. Clearly the jurors didn’t have any idea what they were actually supposed to consider. Probably more clear and concise jury instructions written in layman’s terms rather than legalese would help.
I was on a murder jury a month or so ago and ran into the same problems. People do not often understand on juries what they are actually supposed to consider. If in Texas you had to KNOW your behavior would cause death, it is clear that Hannah would be not guilty. The jurors didn’t understand that the intent had to be there or else her lawyer’s did not emphasize the point that there was not intent.
I think the fact that both the PROSECUTION and the defense expert physicians believe that Andrew’s death was not intentional is a major factor. Their testimony should have been heard. I hope her appeal is granted.
To prevent the “haters” from running to call me a religious zealot, I actually don’t believe in organized religion. I do not support this woman because of religious doctrine but out of concern for our justice system.
Next, I am actually a guardian ad litem and have been through much training regarding child abuse and the foster system. It is very important to know the needs of abused and neglected children as well as their medical conditions. Their behavior is significantly different than a “regular” child. But even not being a foster child, Pica could cause a child to act the way Andrew acted. I even wonder about Prater Willy syndrome?
If you have a list to send out updates on the case, please add me to it (but please do not publish my email address).
She is not guilty and she should not have to sit in prison for the rest of her life. The prison system is flawed the court system is also flawed. Everyone is treated the same although we KNOW that not everyone is the same. We KNOW there are three different personality types and different people do things and handle things different ways and different people LEARN and feel remorse differently. I know this because I have a BA in criminology and sociology. We know this and yet there are still mandatory minimums. This lady is not guilty.
Meth does terrible things to people. That little boy came from a family that was doing that drug. Children can develop so many different disorders from their parents using meth. He was sick before he ever was with Hanah. She thought he was sick and didn’t know what to do except take him to the doctor quickly. Lots of mothers take their children instead of wait for the emergency vehicals. WHY? because they take forever. She did the right thing by taking him to the doctor herself. Free her. This has gone too far.
Has anyone considered that the boy might of had Prader-Willi Syndrome? I work with people with all types of develomental disabilites and from the show, it sounds as if he had this disability. People and children with this disorder have an obsession with food and eating….some folks with this even dig chicken bones out of the trash etc. This boy had the physical characteristics too…the almond shaped eyes etc… Prader Willi Syndrome is a genetic disorder…maybe they coud test DNA for this…….I do not believe that she is guilty…I really hope that this as been considered and looked at by the physicans…..
I know all about being falsely convicted. It happens everyday in this world. You feel helpless when you are. But, I have learned not to believe everything you read, see on tv or hear from others. Do not sit and judge someone else, unless you have the facts. Even with the facts, last time I checked, it was Gods job to judge. I hope Hanna does not quit fighting until she is released. I do not believe she killed her child. But, the truth will come out. Hopefully, she will stay strong and keep praying until she is with her family again. As for the prosecuting attorney……..I would not have called 911 if I just thought my child was sick.
OK, so this woman was convicted because she supposedly didn’t act quick enough and she and her husband thought it would be quicker to drive him to the hospital instead of calling a squad? In a state of panic, they did what they thought was right. I’m guessing he may not have made it through even if the ambulance picked him up. We are talking a matter of a few minutes difference. What about the abuse inflicted on this poor child from his birth mother. Think of what the meth did to him before he was born. He was not functioning normally. Maybe things got worse because he was competing for attention with the other children and he couldn’t handle it. The Sunday school teacher said he did not act normal around food either. I will keep Hannah and her family in my prayers. Let’s start going after the drug addicts that cause the disabilities in these unfortunate children
The other thing I forgot to comment on was them driving him to the hospital rather than calling 911. That makes sense to me actually. They likely thought he was “really sick with the flu” rather than that he was dying. Ambulances are expensive and sometimes take FOREVER to get to your house. Why not save money and RUSH to the hospital, saving the wait time by driving him yourself? I mean that makes sense to me.
How can you judge someone so strongly that you don’t even know? Can you really look at yourself in the mirror and honestly say that you are so innocent (with or without guilt)? Perhaps you will have misfortune fall upon you that will leave you begging for your freedom, even your life. We are people, we all make mistakes. It is proven that this child had an eating disorder and tried to consume whatever he could. That does not make her a killer, a worthless human being who should as you said “BURN IN hell”. Judge not for thee shall be judged!! Think about it!!
Hi Sarah, I have never written a comment on any blog of any kind but I just felt I had to. I am the Mother of 2 adult boys and I was overly careful about healthcare. I’m not at all convinced that I would have rushed my Son to an emergency room in time (or even at all) if I had discovered that they had eaten salt, or if I didnt know about the salt and they had shown the same symptoms. Who would ever imagine salt could be so deadly. I think being a Mother of 5 there are probably many documented trips to the hospital ER over the years. These probably lessened with each child. Not because she cared less about the later children but because I’m sure she became more secure as a Mother. When I think of how easily I made the trip to the Hospital with my first son it still amazes me. As I became secure as a Mother and realized they they would live through a cold the trips lessened and it was in no way an issue of the love that I felt for my kids, It boiled down to my own confidence as a mother. I have a feeling if this had happened with Hannah’s first child it would have had a different ending. I find it so sad that people are so eager to jump to such unimaginable conclusions about fellow human beings. I will say a prayer for the entire family and I will also say a prayer for the people that are so willing to go on hateful rants about people that they don’t even know! Good luck and God bless you all!
I was very moved and saddened by this families situation, Hannah, I feel for you. I don’t believe that you hurt your child. I believe that the love you have for children runs deeper than most. It is so clear to me that the prosecutors jumped on the band-wagon and decided that they needed someone to blame for Andrews death.
I have a challenge for those which have decided to blindly make a decision based on the evidence or (lack-there-of) in this case. The challenge is this. Take foster parenting courses and learn about children in the system. Little Andrews hoarding and behavior issues were very much like the children described (children in the system) in the foster parenting classes.
To Hannah and your family, God bless all of you. I will pray for your loss, freedom, comfort, and support. Most of all, I will pray for the truth to shine through. May your family be close again. God be with you all!
Thank you 20/20 for looking into this matter.
Her story doesn’t add up. If she gave him one teaspoon of seasoning, he would still be alive. He had 23 teaspoons of hot seasoning in him when he died. Why didn’t she drive him to the hospital when he was sick? It took them 3 hours to take him to the hospital and he was pretty much dead at that point. Parents have a duty to provide medical care to their children. It looked to me from seeing pictures of the home that they treated this foster child like an animal. He was sleeping on a wood board with no bedding with a surveilance camera aimed at him. Did they collect a check for the “care” she was giving Andrew? She homeschooled all of those kids and she needed someone to pick on. She didn’t treat Andrew like she treated her biological kids. If she had trouble taking care of him, she could have given him back to his former foster mother, who seemed like a nice old lady. We may never know the extent of the abuse Andrew faced at the hands of Hannah. All we know is she either killed him or she just waited around 3 hours and let him die. She belongs in jail and foster children should be monitored to prevent this kind of fatal abuse at the hands of foster parents.
Just watched 20/20. Sounded to me like the DA was out to get her, that’s her job, she gets paid to convict people, innocent or not. The interview with the jury members, they were shaky at best. But to me it sure sounded like the DA was out to get her. Time to get Hannah home with her children where she belongs!
Sarah,
You are awesome for standing up for obviously innocent people for whom many would love to convict on a dime. Thank you for standing up for Hannah Overton and believing in her freedom. I feel for her family, especially her children. That is the thanks and appreciation you get in this world today for making an effort to be a good parent and do what is right by your children(biological or not). I saw her story on 20/20 and I truly believe in her innocence and good faith. I believe that she has been wrongly accused and there is no true evidence against her. Not to many good things to say about the justice system in this country. She has not truly been proven guilty so why is she in jail? Does no one care about her other children who have no present mother anymore? How do you justify this? It is wrong! FREE HANNAH OVERTON!!! I pray for her and her family.
Prosecutors were to eager to convict. Let Doctor speak this time at the re-trial that will bring Hannah home.
Tonight was the first I’ve heard of Andrew, Hannah and the Overton family. God Bless the Overton’s for taking Andrew in as their own.
With the evidence presented, the Dr.’s who were witnesses for the prosecution and the defense, as well as the jurors at the end of the 20/20 segment, I cannot fathom how this poor woman was found guilty. That female prosecutor should lose her job when this is all said and done. She seems a little more interested in closing the case, than seeing that justice is served!
Shame on you who assume Hannah has mental issues because she is a believer, is being a believer a sign of weakness? Can we stop ignoring the fact that this little boy had issues, probably both mental and physical, stemming from his being born to a meth addict and apparently going from foster care to foster care?
The best time of Andrew’s life i’m sure was the 4 months that he spent w/ his “forever family”. Again, God Bless you both, Larry & Hannah! I hope your family is back together soon!
I do not know Hannah, Andrew or any of the Overton family, but the injustice I saw at the hands of the Texas court system, absolutely stunned me! I will pray for all of you!
I just watched 20/20, I feel outraged that a young woman was wrongfully accused of CAPITAL MURDER. I am not one to drop everything and voice my opinion to strangers, however,
I do not think the procecutor should “Sleep well at night”. Anyone who obviously has a large heart for children, and sets herself aside for them and the LORD had NO intent to kill Andrew!
What is our Justice System comming to!
Do they really want the comunity to help, so they have someone else to blame for their inconsistencies.
Thanks for your time,
Lisa
I too watched the 20/20 segment featuring Hannah Overton, and I am going upstairs to hug and kiss my children, something I am certain Hannah wishes she could do. I don’t think the blatant failure of our justice system has ever been so clear to me. My hope and prayer is that they will hear the appeal quickly and reunite this family. And I have to tell you, I will think the next time I put a dab of hot sauce on my son’s tongue for using unkind words. If I called the ambulance every time one of my five children got sick and I didn’t know what was wrong, I would have the ambulance parked in my driveway!
Kindly:
Kimberly
Also, for those of you who are interested in getting the word out there about this case, use myspace. If it can get a 15 year class reunion together it can be used for this cause as well.
I just saw this story on 20/20 and I was SHOCKED. This story TERRIFIES me because I currently have 2 foster children living in my home, and now I’m forced to think “What IF this happens to ME?” This story shows how easily some unfortunate twist of fate, can leave someone wrongfully convicted by a world who doesn’t understand how strangley foster children can behave. The truth is that Hannah was NOT convicted by a jury of her PEERS…she was convicted by a jury that does NOT understand what being a foster parent is like!!! Very few people ever take the time to care enough to open up their homes to foster children, and unless you have taken in a foster child you could not possibly imagine what it is like. The ONLY way to understand is to open up your home to a special needs child. Sadly, even the foster care case workers (social workers) do NOT have a clue what it is like to actually RAISE a foster child. These poor children have been severely broken by their biological parents, and it is left up to us foster parents to pick up the pieces. Foster parents are just regular people…we are NOT trained psychiatrists, and we are NOT doctors trained in the medical field. We are just nice people trying to do something good, and a lot of times we are not prepared to deal with the issues we are handed. We merely do the best we can.
This story caught my attention because all of the behaviors described in Andrew I have seen in my foster children! Trust me, BEFORE we took in foster children I would have NEVER believed a child would behave and do such things (and I am a teacher with 14 years of experience working with children). Taking in foster children will show you things you would have never before imagined!!! The 2 children we took in were also born to a drug addicted mother.
Listening to the story about Andrew’s eating issues, described my foster children EXACTLY!!! My foster children also have an obsession with eating. We didn’t know what to think when they first came to live with us, because they would CONSTANTLY beg for more food. At first I thought they were starved and would grow out of it after they got enough food into their system. I figured that as long as I fed them healthy food that I should allow them to eat as much as they wanted…I was WRONG!!! They NEVER wanted to stop eating!!! Just as described about Andrew, my foster children would also eat until they vomitted. We obviously could NOT allow them to continue to eat until they were sick, so we started controling portion sizes. The 4 year old then started sneaking food and eating bizar items. One morning i awoke to find that during the night she had eatin 8 containers of yogurt, a bottle of ketchup, a jar of spagetti sauce, mayonaise, mustard, etc. I was HORRIFIED!!! We had to start locking the fridge and putting food up high in the pantry. She then started using her bathroom step stool to climb our pantry shelves to binge on food!!! We didn’t know what to do–this posed obvious safety issues, but we didn’t know how to stop her.
The over eating was just one of MANY problems! Our foster son used to severely SMASH his head into things. It would scare me to death!!! He would smash the front of his head and then roll over and smash the back. This behavior included other forms of self inflicted pain such as picking and pulling his skin…he seems to enjoy the pain. The poor child would always have marks and bruises on his body. It would have KILLED me if someone would have ever thought that I was doing it to him!!! (I can’t imagine how Hannah must feel!)
Just as described about Andrew, our foster son would also smear his poop all over himself, his bed, the walls, etc. Our foster son would even eat it if we didn’t get to him soon enough! I was changing and washing sheets on a daily basis. Despite my best efforts there were some nights that he went to bed without a sheet on the bed, and there were times that we had to trash stuffed animals because they were too severely soiled. We finally had to start putting tape around his diaper to keep him from doing this. I guess an outsider who didn’t understand the situation could have thought badly of ME because of this. It’s NOT something you WANT to do, but sometimes you just have to find a solution that works. You would never understand something like this until you have LIVED it!!!
The behaviors I just described are just a FEW of MANY MANY MANY odd behaviors. Children like this require round the clock supervision! Just taking 60 seconds to use the bathroom can leave time for a crisis to take place. No matter how hard you try, it’s impossible to watch a child EVERY minute of the day! For this reason, using a camera to help watch a child makes sense. Stores sell baby monitors that have video monitoring, and they are very popular amung ALL parents. Millions of parents use them for “normal” children, so why would it be so odd for a foster parent to use one with a troubled child? I don’t understand why the video camera was seen as a bad thing which counted “against” Hannah. The fact that they had to install a camera just goes to show that this WAS IN FACT a troubled child. Someone who has NOT opened their home to a troubled child will NEVER understand–You can’t believe it until you see it first hand!!!
I honestly feel for Hannah, her husband, and family. I think they are good people who tried their best to do a good thing. I do not think that Hannah was properly trained and prepared to deal with a child like this…NO ORDINARY person is!!! Foster parents are not adequately prepared to deal with this stuff, and when faced with situations like this, we just do the best we can and go with our instincts. Sadly, social services leaves us foster parents to figure it out on our own, with little to no help. When I started seeing problems in our foster children I was IMMEDIATELY on the phone with our case worker…but I was ignored. It took me MONTHS of frantic phone calls on a DAILY basis to EVERY organization, supervisor, and department in our state trying to get HELP. I continually got brushed off and ignored as do MOST foster parents. I however did NOT take “no” for an answer and continued to “make noise” until I was heard. (I contacted the media which finally got the attention of CPS.) It took me 6 months before I got help. “Help” came in the form of a home based counselor who worked with both the children and ME–to teach me HOW to parent a child that has special needs. (A child who is this “broken” does NOT respond to any type of “normal” parenting.) I was told by our children’s counselor that these are COMMON behaviors for foster children who were previously abused and neglected. We’ve been told that these children will need help most likely for the rest of their lives.
The other “point” I would like to raise is this…WHAT ABOUT THE BIOLOGICAL PARENTS??? Where are Andrew’s biological parents? The story on TV said his biological mother used meth when pregnant. Is SHE in prison??? SHE SHOULD be the one in prison…NOT Hannah who tried to pick up the pieces of the child the biological mother broke. These biological parents need to be held responsible for their actions. These children’s problems are LIFE sentences.
In closing, let me sum up my MANY points. Hannah’s story is an absolute travesty!!! Here is a woman who TRIED to do something good, and it ruined her life. She tried her best to help Andrew, but sometimes a person’s best just isn’t good enough. That should NOT be treated as a CRIME. The foster system just doesn’t prepare foster parents well enough. Foster parents are JUST PARENTS–we are NOT trained professionals…we make mistakes! If anyone should be at fault it should be Andrew’s case worker. The case worker SHOULD have been more involved, and should have known about the problems he was having–the case worker SHOULD have OFFERED services to get him help. Andrew’s problems should have been treated by a trained professional. Hannah never should have been charged with a crime. If ANYTHING, she should have simply lost her ability to take in more foster children. Hannah was convicted by a jury who didn’t understand…it is IMPOSSIBLE to understand the extent of problems foster children have (and what it’s like to raise a child with such issues). If you haven’t walked in a foster parent’s shoes, then you are not capable of “getting it”. Sending Hannah to jail has NOT benefitted society…it’s just causing MORE pain. Now Hannah’s children will suffer and have issues of their own to battle thru out their lives. And where is the biological mother that was the START of this entire MESS??? Andrew never would have been placed in Hannah’s care if his mother had not been a drug addict that didn’t care about her child. If anyone should be in jail it is the biological mother. We let these horrible biological parents off scott free! Hannah and her family are being punished for trying to help and be good people. We already have a shortage of foster parents in this world, and stories like this merely scares away even more people from fostering. Hannah needs to be RELEASED from prison IMMEDIATELY. It makes me sick to think how many people who CHOSE to commit crimes and do drugs are being released on parole while this mother sits behind bars!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD???
Wow Jen! Your either an idiot, you were a foster child that was abused, or you watched a different 20/20 than the rest of us? Your right, the story doesn’t add up. Have you ever tried stuff anything down a 4yr olds throat let alone 23 teaspoons of seasoning salt. Not to mention Hanna is tiny and had just been in an auto accident. I am 6ft and 220 pounds and even for me this would be somewhat difficult. When your child gets sick your going to try to take care of it at home until you realize it is serious. When my son has a fever/vomiting/phlegm/etc.. we don’t immediatley rush him to the hospital. I am guessing by your response that you have no children and if you reply to this and say that you do, your a liar.
The DA had her mind made up and when that happens people get wrongly convicted. 110 Inmates Freed by DNA Tests Goto http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/node/529
I really wonder about people who pass on the “shoulds”. When someone is passing such judgement “are you a foster parent?” Ever even been through the training? Are you aware of the “problems” that are usually attached to foster children? The “unknown” is a very hard thing when allowing a foster child into your home. I was a foster child beginning at age 16! I am a mother of two adult boys. I did go through the training for foster parents. I also went through training to be a Guardian Ad Litem (voice of the children in court) and I have been a Guardian for 10 years. I have custody of my grandniece who is now almost 10. We got her when she was 2 1/2. To look at her, she looked like a “healthy white toddler”. But I remember problems with her birth, she was a preemie, born at 30 weeks, Her young parents did drugs, and had some issues of their own. This beautiful little girl (at that age) would have tantrums that would cause a saint to go crazy! My youngest son recognized something in her that he saw on a movie… it had to do with a bonding issue. We noticed she would eat fur off her stuffed animals, or off the carpet. She always “overate”, but I thought it was because she was deprived before she came to us. She’d moan and groan a lot. Scream and kick and throw a fit if she didn’t get her way. That first year I started to question my own parenting skills, doubting myself because my goodness this little girl could quickly challenge my sanity. After a year, I realized it was more than just bad behavior needing some tending to…. I took her to counseling at 3 years old and we learned about RAD (reactive attachment disorder) (and a camera should always be on these poor little souls! And ANYTHING they might hurt themselves or others with should be removed!). We learned so many things to help in counseling. As she aged and still threw her tantrums everywhere (day care, restaurants, Walmart, School and home)…. it was suggested we try some medication. We had her tested for several things. We also had many many folks making suggestions about how she should be disciplined and how she should be raised. Everyone thinks they know what is best — and they are not even in the situation! Eventually she was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD (oppositional defiant disorder)…. and just recently with bi-polar (as is her parents who chose not to learn more or get help for their problems).
There are many reasons for homeschooling and just because anyone chooses to homeschool doesn’t make them a bad person nor a fanatic! I had a teacher specifically say to me “don’t let your son come here, we try to keep the fights and the rapes at a bear minimum.” Not to mention the drugs. I don’t agree that homeschooling is a bad thing…. And a lot more people should explore what it is really all about. It was good enough for our ancestors!
Most children who are in foster care come out of all kinds of situations, most of which are not good. I mean how often do we hear “she came from a great family, they all got along so well, but they decided to put her in foster care as an alternative”? Unfortunately, kids who are placed in foster care, are there for a reason…. and sometimes we do not get what we bargained for or what we thought we were getting. And if the child is naturally our own, we at least know their history.
I think that these two parents did the best they could with the skills and knowlege they had. I think they are very special people to take on a child who was not their own. They opened themselves up and took a chance not expecting anything different than what they experienced with their own children. I think that in the beginning all usually appears well but as the child becomes more comfortable, more of their problems show themselves. And we do not all jump up and run to the hospital. Here where I live, if you do, you are looking at a 9 hour wait! So I tend to be more cautious and more watchful to be sure a trip to the hospital is really necessary. And at what point does the child’s behavior become “odd or unusual”? Or “Not Normal”? And “normal” according to who?
This is a very hard story to hear and to understand. I pray that on appeal, all of the facts will be looked at, and the folks reviewing the case will have the wisdom to see the truth and discern what really was happening in that home.
I know that we did not walk in this mother’s shoes. But for myself I can say I feel for her and I can understand all the challenges she was facing. It just makes me wonder… “Except for the Grace of God, go I?”
This family will be in my prayers.
I watched 20/20 tonight for the first time in a while and sometimes they actually hit the nail on the head and cover a story that is worth while and heartfelt, like this one. I cried and I became enraged over this situation. I may not know these people personally but I do know a lot about people in general and from a common sense perspective you can see that this was in no way intentional nor was it neglect. I am an educated, well rounded person who has as you can say grown up seeing both sides of the track along with the people that consume those sides, I have learned a lot and lived a lot. i have also cared for children my whole life growing up and in my adult years, in fact i am expecting my first currently. So all of this background for those of you who like to pick people apart, I would like to say that
1) being pregnant isn’t easy especially while caring for one or more other children, not to mention a child that has a past of emotional and possibly physical distress, I mean you don’t have to have a psychology degree (like I mentioned it’s common sense) to see that this child came from trouble and had trouble, most (99%) of children in foster-care and who are looking to be adopted do. That’s what makes the situation even harder and probably why the prosecution was so interested in winning the case, (which is all they seemed to want to do since all the evidence wasn’t presented and even the doctors weren’t brought to the stand) they just wanted to make an example out of her.
2) So that being said having a foster child for only four months and not knowing what problems he/she may have, in this case pica which i agree with, (I have also studied this in my path to a career in nutrition), there is no way she could have known, and therefore Hannah does not deserve to be imprisoned and separated from her children and family.
3) To touch on one last point, which by the way I have read all of these blogs so I hope you keep reading mine, I would like to comment on my original statement of common sense. If you know or don’t know Hannah there are things that you can notice about her home, in my opinion that show that her and her husband put the children first. There are no luxuries there for them as you can see the house in the 20/20 special, they obviously put they’re children first and the kids get everything they need. Like I said I’m no expert but i did notice one thing that caught my eye for an example of what I’m trying to say. If you noticed one of the bedrooms (they referred to as where Hannah was laying down b/c she was pregnant an sick from a car accident), the door was old and didn’t even have a door nob on it. To me this says that these parents aren’t anything but loving sacrificing people who don’t care about private time who selflessly put their kids needs over fixing a door nob. Probably because they figure why have closed doors in a house full of kids who are constantly in need. of their attention You know the doors always open policy, it seems very loving to me how they wanted a big family and put that first above all, that’s is what this country needs more of. Not more of those parents who are self-absorbed and only care about making $. You can see that they live modestly and do right by their children, why would she poison a child and then say she gave him the zattarans, it doesn’t add up and if she was a bad person common sense would have triggered something to show-up because when you have that may kids you can’t hide anything. You also can’t keep them from getting into things, even when you just turn your back for a moment.
Just Me: Wow, you stated it correctly! We were apparently writing at the same time. Thank you for your post! You, too, are a saint for taking in the unknown…. and I, too, hear you! Even though my grandniece is family… she is a foster child and has been through it too. So much of what you wrote is what we have experienced with her too. Thanks again for sharing!
anyone who thinks this poor woman is guilty….is crazy!!!! The evidence clearly shows she is innocent and she was ABSOLUTELY NOT given a fair trial. There was an astonishing amount of evidence proving she was innocent, as well as evidence proving that the child she was caring for had a specific disease that causes an incredible amount of cravings for sodium…..this child ate the most random foods and his own fecies for christ sake!!! He obviously got into the seasoning on his own. AND….the mother was not negligent when the child began feeling sick. She wrapped him in blankets when he complained of being cold (from the excessive amount of sodium) and even put him in a warm bath to try to help. She took him to the emergency room only two hours after he complained of feeling sick and cold.
As for EMOLNAR20012….I couldn’t even count how many times you used the words, “I assume,” and “it is my unprofessional opinion,” to make your argument. AND, I have also worked in the mental health and addiction field for over 10 years, but I am also a devout Christian. To say that this woman has resorted to religion because of her mental illness is absolutely ludicrous! Oh and by the way, why are you so convinced she has a mental illness such as bipolar disorder? As I said previously, I have worked in the mental heath profession for over 10 years and I have not had any indication she is stricken with a mental illness. As for what I have gained from your comments, you are extremely ignorant and know know nothing about mental health or he facts of this case…..for instance, to compare this in any way to the OJ trial is absolutely ridiculous! I would highly question your knowledge of mental health in relation to religious affiliation.
How anyone could believe this woman is guilty of negligence is beyond me!!!! God bless you Hannah, I pray the justice system will work to bring an innocent woman home to her family. Stay strong!
I saw the 20/20 episode and noticed that there is infact a syndrome out there that not many people are aware of. It is very rare but does happen. I would greatly appreciate if someone on this site regaurding Hannah Overton would respond to this immediately. I do believe that this is all the proof that will be needed to set her free. Please contact me at dj_nicci@yahoo.com as soon as possible. Thank you very much.
Nicole Love
WOW!! Can I just say PRAISE GOD!!!! He ALWAYS knows what he is doing. My human heart absolutely breaks for Hannah, Andrew, and ALL of her family. As a Christian mother of 3 (15, 6, & 2), my joy is knowing the LORD and raising my children to know him and love others as HE does. I think it is absolutely AWESOME that Hannah, and those who are deeply saddened by this life tradegy, continue to pray for those who so adamently sought to wrongfully accuse her. What wonderful examples. God’s word tells us in Matthew 5:44 to LOVE our enemies and pray for those who persecute you. To TRULY love someone with a Christ like love is a gift from GOD.
When I say PRAISE GOD, he ALWAYS knows what he is doing, I mean that I believe He knew Hannah has the kind of faith and heart that GOD can use in a situation like this to bring glory to him. It is not our place to question God, but to ask Him to use us and to praise Him in ALL situations. My human heart aches for her, but my Heart after God knows that she will one day be united with her family at the side of GOD and the heartache felt 1) for the loss of her child, 2) for the loss of the moments with her new baby girl, and 3) for the loss of the time with her family will be melted away. I am deeply saddened when I think of the many people that do not have a personal closeness with our Lord and Savior. When I think of the sacrifice HE made for us, yet we continue to judge others and reject Him, I am again saddened.
I want to make it clear that I do NOT know Hannah (though I wish I had the privilege), but I saw her story tonight. I also looked up many news articles and postings on it. I am a mother of 3 and a nurse. I would not have rushed my child to the ER immediately when the symptoms began, or even by ambulance with the symptoms Andrew had when they did take him. Let us not forget Andrew and this entire family and community who have not had a chance to adequately grieve over his precious little life.
I know there are those who may feel there is alot of religious “mumbo jumbo” attached to this case. I will pray for you if you feel this way. I for one may have been like you at one time, before I realized GOD was convicting me. If you belive in GOD, you believe his word. Romans 12:10 says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” God Bless all.
To Hannah and family: Remember our LORD sent our Savior Jesus Christ in the form of man so that we may identify. During this time of persecution of you and your family, I hope you will find peace in the following scripture. God spoke this scripture to my heart one day when I was (nowhere near your level) going through my own persecution of sorts. Hebrews 12:1-3.
Andrew appears to have had *many* of the symptoms of
attachment disorder which would explain so much of what
happened. We have many documents explaining this
disorder because we had an adopted child with a mild case
of it. Please email me if you would like copies of the documents. We will be praying for Hannah to be able to
come home to her family.
Firstly, I don’t think Hannah should have been given a life sentence for capital murder (defined generally as killing with malice aforethought). In my opinion, after watching the specifics of the case from 20/20, I think Andrew ingested an entire container of salt during a time when he was unattended. This probably happened when Hannah was resting in bed due to injuries suffered during a car accident. What I’ve failed to hear in any of the comments I’ve read so far, is nobody is coming to the defense of Andrew. Granted, Andrew was a special needs child. I have a 4 year old myself. Fortunately, my 4 year old did not have the severe psychological and physical problems as Andrew. This said, we spend an inordinate amount of time and preparation to make sure that our 4 year old cannot get into anything we don’t want him getting into and this is for a normal, healthy 4 year old. Given the circumstances, if Andrew was in our home, we would even go further to make sure that he cannot hurt himself as well as keeping all potential poisons and such out of his reach (in this case, food would be included on that list). The point I’m trying to make is that a 4 year old child cannot take care of themselves. It requires adult supervision and as such, the adult who fails to oversee the child is guilty of neglect.
This reminded me of a movie that can help illustrate my point, in “A Few Good Men”, two soldiers were found guilty of the death of a fellow soldier not because they directly killed him, but because they failed to protect him from others. As Marines, it was their duty to protect those who could not protect themselves.
If I was in Hannah’s situation, I would be highly remorseful because I would feel as though I had failed Andrew miserably. It wouldn’t matter if it was a foster child or my own child. These children depend on their care givers to make sure that they are protected from the world. They have no one else to rely on and we all should take this responsibility with a heavy heart and see it as a duty beyond all others.
I think the jury came to a similar conclusion, but they failed to understand the difference between capital murder and child endangerment. One is a felony punishable by death and the other is much less severe. How much time Hannah should be jailed would be up to the justice system, but I still believe that she should bear responsibility for this incident. She is not entirely INNOCENT in this matter.
to FFL: Wish there were more perfect parents like you. WOW. The world would be a better place. What is even more tragic about this case is the fact that Hannah is undoubtedly her own worst juror. As a not so perfect parent myslef, there have been times when my children have briefly been unsupervised (God forbid I needed to use the bathroom) and had small injurys (cuts, scrapes, bumps on the head) and with those I felt just horrible and just wanted to hold them and caudle them. But children can be quick and determined. If you noticed in the show, the salt in the pantry was on like the 3rd or 4th shelf. And most laypeople would not have even known that salt is a “dangerous” substance. It is not like they left rat poison out where it could be ingested. Guess they should have attached Andrew to their hip so he could not be a child, or maybe they could put him in a padded room. My point is, every parent makes mistakes (except you I guess). I think Hannah has had far more punishment than she deserves for being a normal, injured, pregnant mom – for instance, not being able to grieve with her family. And what about the other children? They have been punished enough too by not having their mother. You know you should not judge, lest you be judged!!
Misty.
I watched the Hannah Overton story on20/20 last night. After the segment (a very short time span compared to the actual trial), I came away with the realization that the prosecutor obviously has political aspirations and this case is one of her building blocks to power. Hannah is innocent. I wonder what
office the prosecutor is after? This case is another example of what is wrong with our jurisprudence system and how easily it can be manipulated. When your innocence doesn’t matter, your
country is spiraling down. We’ll are in trouble with our system.
I think it’s a disgrace that Hannah Overton was sent to jail! This is just one more case of someone being wrongfully accused. It seems we are guilty until proven innocent in this country anymore! After watching 20/20, my thoughts and prayers go out to this family. If Hannah Overton is finally treated fairly and set free, they should bring charges against the prosecution!
First let me say that hearing about Hannah’s case makes me so sorry for your family, especially her children. The idea that a person as limited as the prosecutor in this case could have this amount of control over the lives of others is extremely distressing. Her unfathomably inept handling of this case is absolutely incredible.
There are children’s protective service agencies all over the United States are full of incompetent people as well. I am a former forster parent. The agencies in every state are fully aware of this eating condition, and in fact, in Illinois, they make potential foster parents aware of it is as part of the foster parent training.
How could it be that a 4-year old child under the care of the Texas CPS had not had seen to it that Andrew had a well child evaluation? They were aware of the conditions of his birth, and should have provided the Overtons with extensive services in order attempt to prevent such a tragedy.
I am praying for Hannah and hope that the publicity that has been generated by the television coverage will help to bring this very sad condition to light.
To the the people who are posting to this page with their ‘informed’ opinions should find other ways to fill their time. Unfortunately for Hannah, these are people with the same mental capabilities of those who were on her jury.
Yes, that is harsh. Has it occurred to anyone who is making these harsh judgements that the worst Hannah could have done was to possibly not have known than Andrew had ingested that much salt? How much salt does it take to kill a 4 year old child? How much training had Hannah been given regarding the management of Andrew? I believe that the Texas CPS found someone to drop Andrew on to and then covered up their own neglegence by accusing her of murder.
For every child welfare worker who puts in long hours and truly cares about the children for whom they are responsible (God bless them all), there are many more who are just making an easy living. If Hannah belongs in jail, so does Andrew’s CPS worker, and her supervisor, along with the prosecutor in the case who have also been negligent in not finding our who is really at fault here.
We have a broken system.
Just thinking of this little boy how sad and i do not believe in anyway this was his>foster mother did this.I do believe it was his biological mothers fault for causeing this little baby to be borned w/a addication to this kind of drug or any other for that matter.I say let this lady out of jail so she can be a loveing mother to her other children.Yes she didnt take him right away is there a law that says when you see your child sick you will try to do the quickest thing you can think of at that time I DO,,,God will guide him now but what about the other children who so need there mother.
I have worked with children with attachment disorder, ODD and other issues. As others have stated already, I just want to agree that if you have not had the experience of parenting one of these children, you cannot possibly understand how difficult it is to manage their behavior. It is very, very challenging, and almost impossible to supervise them at every moment. Tragedies do happen, like Andrew’s death. Whether salt built up in his system gradually due to an undiagnosed physical condition, or he ate something with high salt content during a few moments when he was not being watched, neither is Hannah’s fault.
I just saw the broadcast last night on 20/20, I was stunned to see another horror in our court system. Hannah is as innocent as innocent can be. This prosecutor totally ignored the doctors. Which is considered taboo in the court system. The child doctor is considered to be an expert, not the prosecutor. Hannah and her family should sue the prosecutor for negligence and not disclosing evidence. It’s horrific that this prosceutor accuses Hannah of not calling 911 or that Hannah did not act quick enough in seeking medical advise and treatment. However the prosecutor ingnores the childs doctors in this case and other experts, but that seems to be okay. I sure would not want to live in the town or county where that prosceutor is. She’s on a BIG BIG POWER TRIP at innocent peoples expense. But I am sure that God will intervene and justice will prevail. There are 5 innocent children hurting and growing up without their mother. This is absolutely the most horrible thing. This could happen to any one of us – there is no more justice in the system – I have seen it time and time again. Hannah you are so much on my heart and our prayers are with you. I pray you sense His presence of peace in the mist of this fiery ordeal. We Love You and admire your meekness, gentleness and love for Christ. He will not fail you and no weapon that comes against your shall prosper.
To God be the Glory
Patty Curcio
Patty – It’s interesting that you would mention power, as I was just thinking that in the case of the Texas DPS – Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
I just read a newspaper article from a Corpus Christi newspaper that was published 9/21/08. The detective who investigated the case had determined that Hannah was guilty before he interviewed witnesses, and the nature of his interviews was to find evidence against her. He ignored evidence that would support her story. Also very interesting is that his wife was a Texas DPS supervisor at the time.
This article also has a quote from the Nueces County district attorney, Carlos Valdez. He says:
“He was either killed or he accidentally committed suicide, and I don’t think the child did that. A child acts on instincts more than an adult. If it’s bad for them, they’ll spit it out.”
“I don’t think he was forced to eat it. I think she put it on something he liked to eat, with the knowledge it would harm him, and with the intent to punish him.”
“I’ve been doing this for 27 years. The defense lawyers try to get the media to put pressure on our office”
I guess the length of time he has been doing his job poorly absolves him of truly seeking justice. What a simp. This guy is in charge of facilitating justice in that county. Who punishes a child by putting salt in his food? ? ? ?
There is also an indication that the prosecutor sought to portray Hannah’s church as a cult.
On last thing… A leading authority on salt poisoning was prepared to give defense testimony as to the nature of the condition. Hannah’s lawyer chose not to have him testify due to scheduling issues. What would cause scheduling issues? The man was there ready to testify. Were there time limitations? Was the testimony not heard because the court did not have time? Just wondering.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/Murder_by_omission_or_conviction_by_design.html
I have serious concerns regarding the legal aspects of this case. Just WHO represented Hannah in court and WHY did he do such a shoddy job. It would seem to me that any layperson with half a brain for logic could build a strong case defending Hannah and … actually… if they were clever – in court – attack the prosecutors office. That’s the angle I would have taken. WHY hasn’t another big legal firm picked up this case yet? WHY hasn’t some powerful attorney who has experience in criminal court – serious criminal court – taken this probono – they take cases all the time for nothing. WHERE are the lawyers at? We need to get Gloria Alred on this case. It’s time to start a petition of some sort asking for strong legal team for Hannah. I’m not convinced she has one and am concerned for her going in on Nov. 6th for her appeal if she has the same legal representation as last time. Governor Perry HAS to be in the know about this by now. What is HIS OFFICE doing to pardon her? It’s time we start asking some different questions because the case has resoundingly been resolved: Hannah is innocent, the lead prosecutor is guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt of abuse of power.
I guess after the tragic events in Waco, the Texas DPS has terminal ‘cult fever’. I believe protective service workers are notorious for misconstruing what people say and do. How else could they twist the child smearing his own feces on the wall into Hannah saying she ‘beat the shit out of him’. The police, Texas DPS, and the county prosecutors office determined this case without adequate evidence and promoted a public smear campaign before it ever went to court. Is bearing false witness a capital crime?
The county coroner conducted his autopsy from the slant of looking for evidence to convict Hannah. He did not even examine the contents of Andrew’s stomach. Lastly, the jurors were not informed as to the gravity of the charges. Were they even told that his blood salt levels increased between hospitals and that he was on a SALINE drip.
We need to remember that we live in a judgemental culture. The jurors believed that they were convicting because Hannah did not act quickly enough. Whether is was 1.5 or 3 hours, that is not really a long time when dealing with a sick child.
There are so many things wrong with this case. It is incredulous.
Another article
http://www.worldmag.com/articles/13763
I think that what many people may not know is that in a court of law, things don’t go like we see them on Law and Order. The events are not always logical and methodical.
The prosecution can say anything in her closing statements that she wants to, even if she previously did not introduce any evidence to support her statements. She can pick out the pieces of evidence that support her representation of the events and twist them into whatever surreal perspective is convenient. (even if they make no sense to anyone else) Once statements are made, the jury goes to deliberate. Some of them probably confused the closing statements with the actual facts.
I believe that the prosecutor preyed on the ignorance of the jurors. Being good citizens, they believed that her motivations were to seek justice for Andrew.
What does everyone mean by Texas DPS? I’m missing something entirely b/c I’m reading “Texas Department of Public Safety” and I don’t know why they are at all involved with this. LOL!! I’ve totally missed something somewhere!
I am from Fl. I think it is Texas protective services. Just a guess from a nurse!
Oh! Tx. Dept. of Protective Services….DUH…. LOL. In Tx we refer to DPS when discussing drivers licenses and CPS when discussing Child Protective Services.
LOL.
I’m a dork!!
I love your website! How did u get started on it! You are no dork!
Aw Julie, thanks! The blog was originally just a place to store articles I’d written for other websites. Then I started using it as a blog, and it’s just taken on it’s own life…. I’ve had it for several years and it’s evolved as I have – used to be in a religious cult so if you read older articles, don’t be too alarmed….I am no longer a part of that sect anymore….
I should have that as a preface somewhere huh? “FAIR WARNING…..” hee hee….
Sarah;
I am a children’s mental health counselor who accidently caught the 20/20 broadcast Friday. Immediately, I thought, has no one considered that Andrew was very likely a Reactive Attachment Child? His behaviors were text book for the diagnosis, as were the events of his first two years of life. (as for the eating, I don’t know, RAD just explains the behaviors.) These children are very manipulative and can be absolutely charming one minute and manifest unbelievable behavioral outbursts another. Very commom in adoptive children. Can someone pass this information on to Hannah’s defense attorney. I don’t believe for a minute she harmed Andrew at all. RAD children self inflict wounds, tantrum, smear feces, and are very aggressive and unemotional…
I can’t believe this mess! Now her other children are suffering needlessly.
I could not agree more!Write the district attorney’s office in Texas!This woman needs your help!
Hello! If you would like to be on the email list to get updates on Hannah and learn what actions you can take to help her, send an email to JusticeReform@gmail.com.
Also, if you have questions, send them and we will answer them to the best of our ability.
Hannah’s appeal is Nov 6. Please pray for her, her attorney, and the justices.
Pray that Truth is heard and understood, and that the justices make a swift and right decision.
We are so happy at the response from those who saw the 20 / 20 show and read the excellent SA Express News article. Finally, fair-minded people are learning about this case!
I want to bring something else up to the readers of this blog.
I’ve researched Hannah’s case extensively.
Through that work I have discovered that, tragically, Hannah’s case is not particularly unusual. The sense I get is that there are thousands of cases of both CPS / foster system problems and of wrongful convictions each year.
These issues are being addressed by various individuals and groups, who are not particularly organized on a national level.
Perhaps more importantly, these issues are seen as “liberal” issues, topics and causes not taken up by many Christians who may be more “conservative.”
But the truth is, these are not left or right wing issues. They are issues for all Americans.
There are 3 aspects to this case that I hope and pray that Christians everywhere will continue to pay attention to, even after Hannah is released (which I feel sure she will be, eventually, by the grace of God).
1. Could Andrew’s death have been avoided? Are there reforms to the CPS and foster care system that could have prevented this tragic accident, or could minimize the possibility of it happening again to another child?
2. How did our justice system go so wrong in this case and in all the other cases of wrongful conviction? What reforms might minimize the incidence of wrongful convictions and provide swifter remedies when an an innocent person is convicted?
3. Given that our justice system was created by and is run by imperfect human beings, how can we continue to use the death penalty? This represents a turning point for me personally. I wasn’t a rabid, highly pro-death penalty person before, but I did believe that in cases of heinous crimes, it was appropriate. Now I am an active opponent of it.
If the DA had chosen to pursue the death penalty in Hannah’s case, she would be on death row right now. That chilling fact alone is enough to convince me that the death penalty must be abolished.
I am very interested in what others on this blog think about these issues.
I am truly sorry for Hannah and her children. I am truly sorry as well for Andy. God Bless them all….. Wrongful conviction happens all the time and has happened alot more than people would like to think. I , myself was wrongfully convicted almost 30 yrs ago and I see that nothing has changed. Mine, luckily, was overturned by the judge who did the conviction. I was considered a lifer as well. I have seen many miracles take place in over the years and I am here to let Hannah and her family know to just keep believing. Keep on praying and pray it with such a force from within. Miracles do happen, be patient and know the best thing of all is, no matter what each of us believe, the greatest of all is what God believes. And he believes in us as he believes in Hannah. God Bless
I cannot believe I have sat here reading these blog comments for hours. (Not something I do) I was just so overwhelmed with conflicting emotions after watching the 20/20 episode I’d Tivo’ed. I happened upon this site when I googled “Hannah Overton” hoping to find an address so I could write to her in prison. (Something else I don’t do)
I could write for days on all these comments but I’ll try not to reiterate what has already been said many times over, and said very well, I might add. After sifting through a lot of information and examining all the facts I’d like to make a few points and express my views, in no particular order…
1 Any mother who has the patience and knowledge to homeschool is a Saint as far as I am concerned. (I tried it years ago & it’s HARD!) With all the violence and hate in schools these days and the overcrowding and the underpaid teachers etc… So to say that one of the traits of religious cults is homeschooling is like saying one of the traits of religious cults is to eat. That’s preposterous!
2 Who among us can say that they’ve never been convinced that they knew something, without-a-doubt, only to later discover that they were 100% wrong?
3 Court should be a place where all the facts are laid out in their truest form, instead of a playing field for lawyers and prosecutors to strut around trying to make a name for themselves and commanding higher salaries or promotions. This atrocious game of justice is often played in a courtroom where whoever spins the best story is the winner and the truth be damned!
You never hear of law enforcement or a D.A. standing up and saying they made a mistake. (Wouldn’t that be newsworthy?) No, they’re members of an elite set of people who are always right, beyond a shadow of a doubt and never err. I was taught “To err is human?” My prayers have to include assistant district attorney, Sara Eastwood, for she is obviously a lost soul. I look at her but do not believe her, and I don’t believe that she believes herself, when she says justice was served. Instead of saying “justice was served,” she should say “She Won The Case.” That would be true. She suffers from one of two ailments; sleepless nights or lack of conscience. But either way, she deserves grace and mercy too.
4 A courtroom is a terrifying place, especially for the innocent or naive, who think that because they’re innocent, it will be obvious to everyone else too. When in reality, the other side has spent more time and money spinning the odds in their favor and by the time the accused realizes they are in deep trouble and need to substantiate things better, it’s too late. JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED.
5 I spent many years as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children (CASA) a wonderful organization, so I am no stranger to court proceedings but this arena is not for the faint of heart. It’s hard to believe how the facts will get twisted around, how power can corrupt or how whoever has the most money or the best lawyer can win at all costs.
6 There should be very clear and concise instructions to jurors but often this is not the case. Many times jurors don’t fully understand the proceedings or some who cannot be impartial, especially where a child is concerned. I’ve seen parents harshly punished for minimal infractions or accidents and in the next case see a child who’s been abused many times over, returned to an abusive home, only to be subjected to more harm. Yes, our system is so broke. There aren’t enough underpaid, overworked social workers or child protective service people to even begin to properly investigate the number of cases that come through their doors. They will do anything to place these children, including not disclosing health problems, as happened with Little Andy, even after Hannah brought it up. But if you play the blame game, you’ll have many players, not just Child Protective Services or the biological mother.
7 I can’t help but comment back to FFL’s comments who said he had a 4 yr old and they put everything away so he can not get into it. How do you do this? I have 2 yr old grandchildren who are like monkeys. I believe I could turn my head and they could be on the roof if they wanted to. And try as we may to keep our children from danger, we can’t put them in a bubble or remove all the furniture, which they can climb on. And furthermore salt is not a poison and it was high up on a shelf. Of course children need supervision but based on your description of neglect, I fear every parent in America would be behind bars. It’s just not a realistic opinion. As far as Hannah not being entirely innocent, well perhaps you are not entirely intelligent?
8 The majority of people have been brainwashed by society to think that you cannot be happy without money money money. I can honestly say I have had more happiness and less problems during the poorest times of my life. I see the Overton’s as a family that enjoys a simple but good Godly life and that is hard for most people to understand. We are a country of EXCESS. We make up only 5% of the population of the world but we consume 24% of it’s energy.
9 As I studied all of this I was amazed at the ignorance of some of these people. I mean I’m not the sharpest crayon in the box but I was thinking how can you make these people understand their own ignorance and then I thought you can’t, because they would have to have some knowledge to perceive it and they don’t have any. So I can’t agree that “ignorance is bliss.”
10 As for district attorney Carlos Valdez saying things like “it’s a simple case” and “I’ve been doing this for twenty-seven years,” and that “he saw no reason to look into this case,’well, all I can say is there is nothing worse than arrogant or aggressive stupidity.
11 I know that Andrew is with his Heavenly Father now and for me there comfort in knowing that. He is safe and free from the problems he suffered in his short little lifetime here on earth.
12 As for Hannah and Larry and their other children, you will be in my prayers. I admire you all so much for keeping the faith. God does have a reason for everything. Your suffering reminds me of Job. I love chapter 38 where God speaks to him, especially verses 16 and 17.
Lastly I would like to say that someone once said “We cannot control the evil tongues of others; but a good life enables us to disregard them.” Hannah seems to embody this sentiment. I often have to remind myself that as Christians, this world is temporary, we’re just passing through on our way to our eternal home. Keep the faith everyone! God is in control!
to Sherry: Like you I watched the 20/20 episode and my heart cried out for Hannah, Andrew, and the rest of her family. I, too, went online looking for a possible address to write to Hannah. I, too, found this site. I have never blogged until this story prompted me to reach out. I found it so comforting to find so many people with a Christ like heart who wanted to write words of encouragement and who understand the brotherly/sisterly love of the full body of Christ. I just wanted to say so many things to reach out to so many people. I think you said it very well.
To Sarah: Thank you for hosting such a site.
To everyone: Don’t forget to pray for our country this week and to pray for Hannah.
I have Hannah’s mailing address and am planning on sending her a letter with all these responses, over 100 in her favor so far and only 2 or 3 against her. If you would like her address, please stay tuned – I am planning on posting it on the blog soon – like tomorrow or Tuesday.
November 6th is the appeal hearing PRAY PRAY PRAY
Hi,
Can anyone advise on what the EVIDENCE was that was presented to PROVE that Hannah, #1 intended to kill Andrew; & #2 that she knew delaying bringing him to urgent care, and just the right amount of time to delay, would kill him? I’ve read there is no real treatment for salt poisoning — that once it reaches a certain level, it’s fatal.
The first juror interviewed on 20/20 says she ‘thinks’ Andrew would still be here if the parents had gotten help sooner. “We’ll never know,” she says. She casts doubt, yet was willing to send a person to prison for life???? I don’t get it.
Sherry,
There is no need to “mudsling”. Is this not a venue to voice opinions. Just because your opinion does not coincide with mine does not give you the right to portray my opinions as not “intelligent”. On the contrary, I hold a doctorate degree and can probably validate that I’ve done more intellectual work than yourself.
To the case at point, I too have the opinion that Hannah has been unjustly prosecuted and not deserving of her sentence. I think we can all agree that she did not purposefully kill her adoptive child. If I was not clear on that point on my prior post, my apologies. My point is that everyone seems to want to point the finger at a 4 year old child as the cause of this injustice to Hannah. I still have the opinion that if the caretaker falls asleep while caring for underage children and that child suffers harm, then that caretaker should take responsibility for their actions (or inaction). No, she should not be sentenced to life in prison, but should receive some sort of punishment for child neglect or similar charge. That I am convinced she is guilty of.
As for you 10+ paragraph of “opinions”, I respect what you have to say, but at the same time I am perplexed that, as a “christian”, you feel it obligatory to insult others (not just myself, but more than a few in your post). That’s definitely not a christian thing to do. I of course forgive your indiscretion. But, I think you should pray to God for his forgiveness tonight as well. PEACE.
I watched the 10/10 segment online and was searching for more information re. Hannah and Andrew when I found this site. I was particularly interested in Andrew’s health problems at the time of his death. Some of the comments made are very narrow-minded. I am not a religious person so the fact that she is religious does not interest me. The fact that she has other kids also does not preclude her from being capable of committing murder. The fact is however, that this case is injust. Evidence was not presented that would have told the story honestly. This should scare all of us. To be accused and so severely punished for the death of a child without an opportunity to tell ones story and have others tell theirs. I cannot imagine. And now, will other kids like Andrew die because we have decided it was murder and are not pursuing the real cause of his death ?
FFL
WOW! I reread my post to see what got you so upset.
I was merely voicing my opinion & thought I was pretty diplomatic. After looking up the proper definition of (MUD-SLINGING)-an attempt to discredit one’s competitor, opponent, etc., by malicious or scandalous attacks, I don’t feel I am guilty of this against you or anyone else.
Before I voiced my views & after reading all posts, I commented that they were all “WELL SAID.”
As for your comments in particular, my exact words were “PERHAPS” you are not entirely intelligent. Perhaps being the key word here & the ? sign means asking a question or to ponder something.
The reason for asking this particular question had nothing to do with your views on Hannah’s guilt or innocence but on your views of child safety & how you put everything unsafe out of the reach of your child. How you can even do this, I notice, is not something that you cared to share with any of us from your vast wealth of knowledge. Even with all the precautions of “putting away” things, a child can get hurt and even die from just falling down, if their little heads hit something hard enough. My point was, NO MATTER what we do, WE CANNOT always protect our children, 100% of the time. I CAN’T & YOU CAN’T either & in your view, whoever’s care a child is in at the time of an injury or accidental death, should be punished. I find that INCREDULOUS. If that offends you, sorry. I was raised in a family of 6 children & helped care for the smaller ones, in addition to my own children, grandchildren, nieces & nephews. I have friends who own daycare’s & have worked with children all my life, so for all your book smarts, you obviously are lacking in actual experience, with the exception of your four year old.
You assume a lot & the old saying is to “ASSUME” makes an ass out of U & ME.
* You assume that I don’t have a doctorate degree also?
* You assume you’ve done more intellectual work than me?
* You assume that Hannah was asleep because you read the words she was resting. Some people sit down to rest.
* You assume that everyone was pointing a finger at Andrew. (I didn’t see that anywhere. Of course he is an innocent child. His ailments & or psychological problems were of course a factor.
I too, respect yours & everyone’s opinions (opinion being the key word here) & am thankful to live in a country where the Constitution’s 1st amendment protects our right to “freedom of speech.”
Last but not least, let me address your being perplexed about my opinions in relation to being a christian.
As in your case, there’s often disdain when people know you’re a christian. You’re judged & set up to a whole different set of standards & think we are all little Jesus clones here on earth. I admit I used to think like that. I thought before I could be saved, recognized by God or even attend church, I’d have to, be perfect all the time. Luckily I found out that this is not the case. I am saved by God’s grace alone. Lots of people who don’t know God very well, think the same way you are thinking and it’s sad. I am just a person like you who eats & sleeps & works & plays & when I say I am a christian, I’m not saying I’m better than anyone or that my opinions are more important. I am not without flaws. My flaws are visible & I stumble every day, but being a christian just means that I knew I was lost, but I now have a guide. I’m still a mortal who has opinions & thoughts. So judge me if you want, but God’s final judgment is the only one I really care about. I comment on this only because Christianity has been persecuted so much over the years through religion etc… and there are still many people ignorant in regard to it, when it is easily accessible by reading the bible.
A wonderful preacher once said that church is just a hospital for sinners. What a wonderful analogy.
In closing, thank you for your forgiveness & for pointing out my so called indiscretions. I always ask for forgiveness of my sins & I may be wrong but I don’t see the sin in my comments. And nighttime is not the only time I pray, but I will add you to my next prayers.
Again I am sorry you took my post so strongly. It was meant more as discussion or “food for thought,” you might say. Emotions & context are much harder to express in writing, don’t you agree?
Sherry
LM
I totally agree with your comments, your most valid point being we should all be scared & concerned & that this should be researched to find out about this disease. The doctor who treated him most of his life & in the ER (who by the way gave him more sodium in an IV drip) said that this mother DID NOT murder Andrew. There was no doubt in his mind. I, too, agree that religion nor the presence of other children excludes people from committing crimes. I think that was merely brought to light not as a defense but for character reference & background info. If you look back through the posts, there was a very good article by a doctor who specializes in salt poisoning. I don’t know any of these people involved, I was just appalled at the injustice of it all. Reminded me of the burning of the Salem Witches.
I started going to Calvary Chapel after the verdict on Hannah was already handed down…. I didn’t even know who she was! But I do now…I am a nurse that worked with Hannahs sister and knowing the love and faith that Hannah, her sister and family feel for God is amazing..Their faith has been unwavering thru this whole ACCIDENT!!!!I am just sooooo shocked that everyone is so quick to judge. Only Hannah and God will ever know what truly happened, and only God can truly JUDGE. He is the one all of us will answer to in the end! I truly feel she is innocent of any intentional wrong doing. She needs to win the appeal and be with her husband and 5 other children and continue to spread Gods word. I will continue to pray for ALL of the people involved! God Bless.
Regarding: The Murder Conviction of Hannah Overton
I know Pica. My cat ate matches, roaches, and cigarettes but would not eat food. When we got her she was almost dead from starvation. She would go into the trash and hang out outside to eat these while refusing food.
What is wrong with the crazy Child Protective Services people that let some children be neglected and beaten while wrongfully attacking innocent parents. This is far too common. I call it the punishment syndrome. Why are these people so off in their judgment?
What can we do as a people to stop “the authorities” from committing yet another miscarriage of justice? Why do we give too much power to a few people without holding them accountable for their actions? This type of thing must stop. We have got to stop “the authorities” from victimizing yet another family.
Well said Sherry. You are very articulate to voice exactly how I feel. I like how you point out how people could have much better understanding if they would just go to the Bible. I also loved your preacher’s quote. Another one I love is “Christians are not sinless, though we often try hard to sin less.” It is comforting to know that God using imperfect people, both today and in the historical writings in the Bible. It truly is a fascinating book. I am thankful that when I do fall down (which is daily), I have the peace of knowing my God is my forgiver, protector, provider, and friend. Amen.
Does anyone have any update on HANNAH from today. I have asked many to pray along with me.
Well said Sherry. You are very articulate to voice exactly how I feel. I like how you point out how people could have much better understanding if they would just go to the Bible. I also loved your preacher’s quote. Another one I love is “Christians are not sinless, though we often try hard to sin less.” It is comforting to know that God uses imperfect people, both today and in the historical writings in the Bible. It truly is a fascinating book. I am thankful that when I do fall down (which is daily), I have the peace of knowing my God is my forgiver, protector, provider, and friend. Amen.
Does anyone have any update on HANNAH from today. I have asked many to pray along with me, and have thought of her often today.
oops… told you I have not blogged before this site. I made a grammatical change, but thought I stopped the first one from posting… It’s okay, you can laugh…I am.
Thanks Misty,
You are very kind to say such nice things. I don’t feel very articulate, especially expressing my personal spiritual beliefs. It does get old, having to defend being a christian but that persecution has been going on for a long time. I like your quote too. I’ll use that one.
As for your ? about Hannah, her lawyers argued for her appeal today but it is my understanding that it could take a year or more before they rule on it. The wheels of INJUSTIE move slow. This is a travesty. In the meantime her 5 children & husband continue to suffer. Will this nightmare ever end?
The wheels of INJUSTICE move slow!
The first comment makes me absolutely sick. According to that individual, being a stay at home mom is a mental illness, and having large families and homeschooling only furthers it.
I don’t know anything about this individual, but I do know (as a homeschooling father with six kids and a wife who stays at home with them) that we have had to fight the intolerance of people who have long demanded “tolerance”, and the hatred of those who accuse Christians of the same.
There are many things that I do not know about this case, although I definitely intend to follow it. I am praying for Hannah and her family and that the truth be known.
Can anyone answer this question for me? I just read about Hannah’s case in an old World magazine (Feb 23/Mar 1), so I then looked her up online to find out the latest.
I found an article where the prosecutor says that Andrew wasn’t breathing for 90 minutes before Hannah took him to the hospital. Is that true?
If it is not, what is her defense team doing about such an outrageous lie?
Here is the link to the November 7th article: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6100339.html
Re:Lori,
I read the article that you linked to & the only answer that I have is that this was a poorly researched & poorly written article. I don’t know Hannah or any of these people involved & I live several states away from them but I saw the 20/20 show & was so disturbed that I read everything I could find on this case. The things said in this article are vague & biased & don’t match jive with the other articles or facts from the trial transcripts etc… I think it was just a hastily thrown together article. The media often does this seemingly without caring how damaging it can be. If you want to read a well written & pretty good account link to:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/Murder_by_omission_or_conviction_by_design.html
I think the best solution for Andrew would have been to leave him with his biological family, i.e. grandparents, aunts, etc., in the first place and work to help them deal with the problems his young mother was facing. Andrew was not an abused child. He was just an unfortunate child because his mother had been accused of drug abuse. Obviously if a parent is abusing drugs they need treatment and it is impossible to engage in good parenting while high on drugs. Of course none of knows for certain whether or not Andrew’s mother really was abusing drugs and, if she was, why wasn’t Andrew placed with relatives and the mother place in a drug treatment facility. Children want to be with their biological families (even orphans) no matter what their problems. Everyone has problems, let’s face it. Our system of child protection would be more successful by working hands-on with biological families to assure a child’s well being instead of placing children with strangers which only leaves them terrified and traumatized as any foster child will tell you. I can’t pass judgment on this foster family. I can only encourage those working within the system – from this day forward – to please consider first and foremost the importance of keeping children with family when trying to protect them. Had that been accomplished Andrew would be alive and Hannah would not be in prison.
To the last commenter: You bring up good points about the policies /procedures w/in CPS. ‘
A personal family member used to work for CPS. She was the Social Worker who told the judge whether or not you *should* get your child(ren) back once they had been removed from your custody. Of course, the Judge makes their own decision but they usually do whatever CPS *suggests*. I was appalled at the amount of power social workers had over families.
But the one thing she did tell me that was helpful, was that CPS did work very hard to place children with biological families FIRST. However, the hard truth IS that just because a child might have biological family does NOT mean the biological family will agree to take on the foster children.
It gets complicated when placing children with family. If the relatives live out of state CPS is reluctant to place the child with that family even though that might truly be in the best interest of the child. It’s a loss-of-funding issue. Also the lack of genuine involvement on the part of those who work for child protection renders caseworkers cold and clinical bureacrats who deal with children as just part of a job, not as scared human innocent creatures who don’t understand what is going on – only that they are being taken away by strangers and placed in a foreign and frightening environment without any explanation or way of understanding what is going on. They take them to MacDonalds for a happy meal and buy ‘em a stuffed animal and think that will soothe away their pain and suffering, if they were even in pain and suffering to begin with. I would prefer a more humane approach. There is always family somewhere. Cut through the red tape and see to it that the child is protected in a loving family environment with people who care because he is their blood. Support them. Support him with them. Give them the resources necessary to care for him instead of total strangers. No matter how good the intentions of strangers – if a child isn’t happy or willing to bond, it never will.
Sarah,
Just found this article. Andrew’s grandparents did want him:
http://poundpuplegacy.org/node/21157
Like I said, Andrew would be alive and Hannah would not be in prison had CPS been compassionate enough to work with the biological family. This is what needs to be changed. Like most foster children, Andrew probably did not want to live with strangers no matter how good their intentions.
This is such a sad story. My heart goes out to everyone involved.
Oh that just makes the story more tragic. But I can not make the jump A to B and say that IF Andrew had been placed with his grandparents he absolutely WOULD be alive today.
If I were Larry Overton, I would be investigating WHY CPS placed this child in his home, thus endangering the welfare of Andrew, his wife, himself, and his children – WHEN there WAS local family capable of caring for Andrew. IF CPS purposefully neglected to place Andrew in the home of his grandparents – they need to be held accountable for Andrew’s death.
In my opinion CPS most often does need to be held accountable for the death of foster/adoptive children. But what can the Overton’s do about it? What can any of us do about it? CPS has been granted absolute power and you know what they say, “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Andrew would be alive if Hannah wasn’t neglectful..end of story! As far as CPS workers, be one than have something to say about doing their job….out of state placements have nothing to do with financial loss or funding. There are procedures that Texas requires to place children in other states. The department always looks for family before placing a child in foster care. Think about it since….so many think its funding..why place kids in care and waste the state’s funding rather than leaving them with family, where the state doesn’t have to pay for foster care…duh!
Regardless, I do believe Hannah should serve some time but “Life”, I don’t agree with that. She had fault but not intentionally plotted his murder! Although, responsible for death, she is!
Melissa,
Maybe you should be Hannah Overton, and walk in her shoes, before you have something to say about her case.
Or are you able to use your own discernment based on information you have gathered from various reliable sources to come to your conclusion/judgement of Hannah?
Whatever your standards are for others – stick to them. If people aren’t allowed to have an opinion about CPS, then you aren’t allowed to have an opinion about Hannah.
And OPINION is all it is, Melissa…end of story!
-Sarah
Sarah,
Maybe YOU should walk in Andrews shoes, before you have something to say about this case. You admit that you do not know Hannah personally, yet you “know” she is innocent. How do you “know’ that? Were you there that fateful day?
“IF CPS purposefully neglected to place Andrew in the home of his grandparents – they need to be held accountable for Andrew’s death.”
A typical statement in cases such as this. And a truely sad one. I’ve not read all comments on this site, but easy to figure out what type of response you will provide based on the content of the post you reply to. And yes, I can imagine your response to mine, or …lack of.
“If people aren’t allowed to have an opinion about CPS, then you aren’t allowed to have an opinion about Hannah.
And OPINION is all it is, Melissa…end of story!”
I might then ask you, if people aren’t allowed to have an opinion about Hannah, then why are you allowed one?
And OPINION is all any of this is, and nothing more, EVEN YOURS….END OF STORY!!
AVoice4Children,
I was directly responding to Melissa and her arrogance. I don’t even see the point of your comments except that they are aggressive, meant to cause disruption, and have no actual bearing on the case itself.
If you have something productive to add, then say what you need to say. But don’t come on my blog attacking ME and then expect a cordial response.
I won’t be addressing any of your points of contention which are nothing more than circular conversations/arguing strawmen – of which I have no time for. I don’t entertain manipulated conversations.
And next time, you might try using your real name instead of hiding behind some self-appointed title.
-Sarah
I am closing comments on this post. There are other threads on my blog related to Hannah Overton. But there are 100 comments here and the comments/conversation has digressed to personal slams. THAT is not the point of exposing the judicial error in the Hannah Overton case.