I was blessed to know him, and his family is in my prayers. Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Todd Yates/AP Photo, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. It is a small thing for one who has suffered so greatly.". Hannah Ester Hall Overton (1660-1732) - Find a Grave Memorial Its about trusting God and seeing how he is a god of redemption and restoration, she said. Or had the tragedy claimed its second victim? Take it one day at a time. But what Ive realized is that I can trust his heart, even though I dont understand his plan. The reality that Hannah, who is 34, may spend the rest of her life in prison for capital murdera sentence usually reserved for violent criminals who pose a continuing threat to societyis one she is still struggling to understand; even harder to grasp is the possibility that she might never be reunited with her children. More outspoken was Andrews Sunday school teacher, who sat Hannah and Larry down and told them that he was a troubled kid. The daughter of a pastor and a homemaker, she had grown up longing for the companionship and boisterous energy of the big, churchgoing families she saw around her. When Gilmore polled the jury afterward, all twelve members stated that they had found Hannah guilty of capital murder by omission for not acting quickly enough to save Andrew; none believed that she had poisoned him. Fleeing for Your Life? He would have been witness number one for the defense, Gilmore told me. Bowls England - OBITUARY - HANNAH OVERTON | Facebook As a frequent witness for the state in child abuse cases, Cortes was not in the habit of reaching out to defense attorneys, but he was so angered by the verdict that he picked up the phone. I'm not saying goodbye but that I will see you later. Unlike the three physicians who had testified for the prosecution, Cortes was the only doctor who had seen Andrew before his hospitalization; he had evaluated the boy during a routine checkup when Andrew was three years old and still living with Hamil. It is unlikely that any intervention would have made a significant difference as Andrew had already taken the most critical step to save himself [by consuming] copious amounts of fluid, he wrote. Hess remained skeptical of Hannahs account. "God is so good!," Overton wrote in the social media post. All those that I know who knew Dabney will miss him greatly. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. He inspired me to take up running, and to go from owning 1 dog to 2! Before Hannah got married, when she was still Hannah Saenz, she knew she wanted a large familyat least six kids, she used to tell people. Jonah Lee "Pete" Overton Obituary (1930 - 2023) | Charlotte, North Carolina But law enforcement and emergency medical personnel who treated Andrew thought otherwise. I wouldnt give up that time we had with him and that he had with us.. She had only one sibling, a brother who was seven years her junior, and a father who was largely absent from her life. By the time Hannah took the stand, jurors appeared to have made up their minds. He was a supportive friend to so many people, including me. Skip to main content. There was Andrews bedjust a bare piece of plywood, with no mattressand a security camera, as the baby monitor was later called at trial, trained on it. Hannah did describe how she and Larry had at first tried to treat the boys symptoms themselves, often volunteering more information than the detective had asked for. In the eyes of law enforcement, Hannah and Larry were not grieving parents but perpetrators of an appalling crime. One attorney was even moved to tears explaining how sorry he was for the mistakes he had made in Overton's case. Following college, he worked as a financial consultant and more recently as a consultant for Terrestar Networks. The churchs pastor, Rod Carver, and his wife, Noreen, had initially considered taking in Andrew but ultimately decided he was more than they could handle. Before they started a family, Hannah worked as a private-duty nurse for disabled children, and her longest assignmentwith a four-year-old named Michael Subialdeabecame as absorbing to her as her time in Reynosa. My prayers and thoughts are with you all. Beginning next year, she will also receive an annuity. Dear God, thank you for the soup, Isaac said, his head bowed, his eyes closed tightly. I wish you and your family peace in this difficult time. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. So I got to see that.. I knew Dabney as a friend of my daughter, Stephanie. You and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. Richard and his wife had tried all sorts of tactics to deter him: redirecting his attention, putting gloves on him, even restraining his hands. Diane and Peter. Losing his patience, Larry took the sheets to the familys fire pit and burned them. Shana Druckerman contributed to this report, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Yet the image they conjuredof a woman grinning at the sight of a comatose four-year-oldwas devastating. The mood in the car was giddy; the kids were excitedly discussing the news that they would have a baby sister when Larry, distracted, ran a stop sign and collided with another car. Although he hung back when his siblings embraced their parents in group hugs, Larry and Hannah learned that if they asked Andrew to join in, he would do so enthusiastically, throwing his arms around them. With guns drawn, police officers had surrounded Hannah and Larrys car as they returned from an errand, forcing them to the ground and handcuffing them. Zion Church of the Brethren. In loving memory of Jonah Lee Overton, In anticipation of his arrival, Larry built a three-tiered bunk bed for Andrew and the two Overton boys: Isaac, who was seven years old, and Sebastian, who was two. The states case would be predicated in part on the findings of Ray Fernandez, the Nueces County medical examiner, who ruled Andrews death to be a homicide. What a great sense of comfort to know that I could be greated on the other side by such a kind person. In his role as single dad, he is aided by his extended family and his many friends from Calvary Chapel, who pitch in to do cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, and babysitting. Hannah went into labor with her first child, Isaac, at the Subialdeas house, and though she had planned to come back to work after her sons birth, she found the separation from him too wrenching. While he was relieved not to have to serve prison time, the discrepancy between his wifes punishment and his own left him stupefied. He felt at ease around her; his favorite thing to do was sit on her lap and rest his mouth on her cheek, and she gladly obliged. Hannah and Andrew In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. The key issues in this case were knowledge and intent, and his opinion went directly to those issues. Hannahs attorneys would later argue on appeal that the doctors opinionthat Hannah had never intended for the boy to dieamounted to exculpatory evidence that the state had withheld from the defense. After years of appeals and hearings the state'shighest criminal court overturned her conviction in 2014. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He was preceded in death by his mother, Hannah Spencer Haile Overton and infant brother, Charles. Looking for any information that might bolster the appeal, Orr requested access to the prosecutions case file. There was a dead child, he observed. Ive missed, you know, so many things, she said at the time. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Dabney's memory to Aylett Country Day School, P.O. Given that Hannah was suspected of poisoning Andrew with Creole seasoning, the suggestion that the Overtons had used pepper to discipline their children raised immediate concerns. Myron attended Longfellow elementary, Panama Union and Kern Share Obituary. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Victory Junction, 4500 Adam's Way, Randleman, NC 27317, https://victoryjunction.org or the Charlotte Humane Society, 1348 Parker Dr., Charlotte, NC 28208, https://humanesocietyofcharlotte.org, in Pete's name. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. But as the afternoon wore on, his symptoms grew troubling; his breathing became congested, and he became less and less responsive. Myron F. Overton June 29, 1935 - June 6, 2013 Myron was born in Bakersfield, California to his loving parents Earl C. and Hazel J. Overton. We had known each other for ten years, and I dont think Id ever seen her mad, Haller told me. (More shocking details on abuse suffered by four-year-old before death, began one breathless report.) The Overtons were returning from a visit to the obstetricians office, where they had brought the children to find out whether the baby they were expecting was a boy or a girl. . I wasnt thinking, obviously, or I would have just taken him to the hospital, Hannah told the detective. Shortly afterward, at three-thirty, Hannah called Larry and asked him to come home since Andrew was vomiting and she needed his help. He will be missed by his many friends. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? Andrews behavior worsened that September, after the family was involved in a car accident. Hannah Overton, far right, sits next to her attorney, Cynthia Orr, center, and prosecutor, Doug Norman, April 26, 2012 in Corpus Christi, Texas. But the damage was done: that Hannah had confessed to force-feeding Andrew and beating him was repeated, uncorrected, on the local news. The nondenominational church, on the south side of Corpus Christi, drew many young evangelicals with its emphasis on a verse-by-verse understanding of the Bible, and Larry and Hannah were well-regarded members. When Emma took her first steps, Larry brought her to the parking lot outside the county jail so that Hannah could watch from her cell above. Its somebodys worst nightmare, Hannah Overton told ABC News in an earlier interview. Yet the jury had never heard from him. Or had the tragedy claimed its second victim? Dabney is survived by his sister, Hannah Overton; and nieces Emma and Lizzie Schmidt, all of Tappahannock; a half-sister Mallory Overton McKendry of Jacksonville, Fla.; and his father, Dabney Overton Jr. of Harrisonburg. OVERTON, Dabney III, died peacefully on Monday, November 9, 2009 surrounded by family and friends. See you then, my friend. a few minutes before we actually took him in, she testified. Andrew seems very happy in this home.. I came in the morning, and I left in the evening. He died at 9:30 p.m. The death of a childparticularly a sudden, unexplained death in which abuse is suspectedevokes strong emotions, even among seasoned investigators, doctors, forensics experts, and prosecutors. He acted more like a toddler than a preschooler, they noted; if he wanted an object, he pointed to it and grunted. Left: Andrew and Isabel playing together. And a succession of witnesses, nearly all of them members of Calvary Chapel, recounted Andrews unusual eating habits and Hannahs attentive parenting. But had jurors fully understood the decision they had been asked to make? There wasnt anything that I thought was dangerously wrong with him at that point. In 2005 the Overtons began to pursue the idea seriously. Hannah Overton announced the birth of her sixth child,Gabriela Aliana, this week in a Facebook post that described a difficult delivery. It was while watching the monitor that Hannah saw him trying to eat part of his foam mattress and paint off the wall. Published in Legacy from Nov. 11 to Nov. 12, 2009. My friend Dabo - thanks for the fun at Washington and Lee but mostly for these last few years when your selflessness and wisdom were refreshing to see and experience. The supervisor suggested that Andrew might have an eating disorder called pica, which is characterized by a desire to consume things that have no nutritional value, and she recommended that he be evaluated by a specialist if his behavior continued. Hannah shrugged off the teachers warnings, certain that Andrew would improve once he had the stability of a permanent home. My husband Al and I were shocked and saddened to hear of Dabney's death. Larry taught Sunday school, Hannah led a Bible study, and their children, whom Hannah homeschooled, attended youth group and socialized with other members kids. That official statement granted her access to state funds that are provided to the wrongfully convicted and also prevented her from being tried for the crime again. Larry called out that dinner was ready, and we gathered inside around a rough-hewn oak table he had made years ago. Hannah Spencer Haile (1937 - 1981) - Genealogy - Geni Family Tree AP. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? The three oldest Overton children had gone to their aunts house to see their cousins, who were visiting from out of town, and Andrew grew increasingly agitated and restless, throwing a tantrum at three oclock in the morning. Kids loved her. Or had the tragedy claimed its second victim? Over the course of the three-week-long trial, Eastwood sought to convince jurors that a mother with no history of violence or mental illness had force-fed her child to deatha scenario that each prosecution witness helped, incrementally, to suggest was possible. Ive seen doctors and nurses freeze up when a patient comes in convulsing or in extremis, he said. The National Registry of Exonerations is a project of the Newkirk Center for Science & Society at University of California Irvine, the University of Michigan Law School and Michigan State University College of Law. But after the girls, the Overtons conceived their fourth child, Sebastian. Hannah must sit on the opposite side of a metal divider, behind Plexiglas. Did you at any time strike him? Hess asked. The family will receive friends Tuesday, November 23, 2021 from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Cullman Funeral Home. She had told the jury of the boys unusual habitsthe inappropriate eating, the obsessive picking and scratching, the head bangingbut her version of events had been tainted by the specter of abuse. Hannah Overton was just an ordinary homeschool mom. This was usually on a road trip up or down the Valley. Dabney always took time to talk to people and was a friend to many. on our list, Other In Marchshetold ABC News she would receive nearly $600,000 in compensation, along with other benefits, though she acknowledged no sum could give her back the years of freedom she lost. #16 Falsely Accused & Sentenced to Life in Prison - Hannah Overton I first met him shortly after the death of my husband 4 years ago and his kind, gentle spirit and wonderful sense of humor made such a difference at that time and ever since. Its free. Hess disavowed Garcias account at a court hearing regarding the Overton children, and prosecutors never entered Garcias affidavit into evidence or called him to testify at Hannahs trial. He will be missed. Larry and Hannah were granted supervised visits. Hoping to show him that his behavior was self-destructive, Larry told Andrew one morning that he could have as much as he wanted for breakfast. He had a speech disorder called echolalia, which is one of the things we see typically in children who have autism spectrum disorders. (Andrew was told that he could not have any food at McDonalds, since he had already eaten.) Hannah Marie Hurtin Overton (1823-1901) - Find a . Yet her life behind bars, however incongruous, has taken on its own rhythm. They considered adopting a nine-year-old girl who was deaf, but when, after much prayer and deliberation, they decided to move forward with the adoption, they learned that the girl had been placed with another family. Overtons current defense attorney, Cynthia Orr, told ABC News she was thrilled to get the call from Skurka announcing his motion to dismiss had been granted by the judge. Larry and Hannah knew that Andrew loved Spider-Man, so they made sure to have all manner of Spider-Man-themed necessities for him: sheets, pajamas, a toothbrush, a towel, a swimsuit, and even a plate embossed with the superheros image. We truly thought his obsession with food was a behavioral issue, not a medical one, Larry said. And anyone who loves dogs as much as Dabney did is a special soul indeed. I am so sorry to hear the news. Hannahs father was the Reverend Bennie Saenz, an evangelical preacher in Corpus Christi whose fall from grace profoundly altered the course of her childhood. Larry was charged with injury to a child for failing to get Andrew timely medical attention. If you would like a copy via email, please let me know. I am so sorry to learn of Dabney's passing. As I read the comments of so many I realize he touched everyone's lives just the same. The medical staff at Driscoll Childrens Hospital had determined that Andrew had nearly twice the normal level of sodium in his blooda highly abnormal findingas well as bleeding in the brain, and as Hess questioned her, he tried to ascertain what had happened. Only Hannah had been able to break through. We were in it for the long haul.. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. He embodied the characteristics of a Saint and we will miss him very much. There were days I had to remind her to eat, to brush her teeth, to get out of bed, Noreen told me. Nueces County jurors believed she failed to seek medical care for her foster son in a timely manner. No amount of money will ever bring back the years that were taken away, and the seven years of freedom I lost. After he completed his probation, the charges were dismissed. The thoughts and prayers of your co-workers are with you and your family. Our lives are richer having known him. So it is the context and the totality of the injuries that worried me. He was kind and gentle with me, and he made himself available no matter how busy he was. memorial page for Hannah Ester Hall Overton (1660-1732), Find a Grave Memorial ID 160804572; Burial Details Unknown; . Meanwhile, those who once pursued Hannah with such certainty have undergone their own trials. They speculated Andrew might have had pica, an eating disorder characterized by an obsessive appetite and that Andrew accidentally poisoned himself by consuming a fatal amount of sodium. Fellow church member Anita Miotti remembers their telling her and her husband, Rich, that they were struggling. After her shift ends in the late morning, there are letters to write home, in which she tries to stay present in her childrens lives by choreographing what she can from a distance. Hannahs conviction was upheld in 2009 by the Thirteenth Court of Appeals. Four subsequent investigations were triggered by reports of abuse or neglect, including one allegation that both his mother and maternal grandmother were incapable of properly caring for him because they used methamphetamines. Andrew accompanied his foster mother to services every Sunday, and with his thatch of blond hair and beaming grin, he was hard to miss. As he grasped for the right words to convey the depth of pain a parent feels over the loss of a child, he noticed a row of unfamiliar faces. Because we were not thinking we were in a life-or-death situation, she insisted. The Overtons are nurturing, loving, patient, and very family-oriented, an adoption supervisor noted in her paperwork. He served as president of the School of Law. This is where Andrew used to sleep, Isaac told me softly as he led me into the boys room. Would I really have stayed with a family that would abuse a child?, The most unsettling aspect of The State of Texas v. Hannah Ruth Overton, which got under way in August 2007, was how effectively a woman who had spent most of her life as a do-gooder could be recast as a monster. Hannah and Andrew - Texas Monthly Then, as always, Hannah had been composed, despite the strain she was under. Yet the Overtons were not too concerned. One woman said she didnt want to work with a child killer, Larry told me.) Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. The children liked to hang out in her room and talk to her, particularly Andrew, who always visited her for an extra hug before bedtime. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. celebrity wifi packages cost. (In his 32 years of practicing law, Gilmore told me, he has never run across the charge of capital murder by omission before or since.) The following week, Hannahwho had no history with CPS and no previous arrests, and had never had so much as a parking ticketwas charged with capital murder. Their arrests came so quickly after Andrew died, they said, that they had no time to grieve for the boy they hoped to permanently make a part of their family. They were not allowed to be at Andrews bedside on the evening of October 3, when he experienced massive organ failure. When Andrew started breathing funny, she told Hess, she had administered asthma medication with a nebulizer, hoping to open up his airways. He recalled how Michael used to chew on his fingers, a chronic problem that left his skin bloody and raw. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. Funeral arrangement under the care ofHeritage Funeral Home. He was such a kind person, always with a smile on his face and a warm hug. Hannah Overton Archives - Texas Monthly Inside the Bro-tastic Party Mansions Upending a Historic Austin Community, The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools. The Overtons already had four children, and Larrys incomehe installed landscape lightingwas barely enough to make ends meet. He was an avid sailor who was active in the Fishing Bay Yacht Club and raced with the crew of La Maga. Support The National Registry of Exonerations , The Contribution of Forensic and Expert Evidence to DNA Exoneration Cases, Race and Wrongful Convictions in the United States, 2022, Government Misconduct and Convicting the Innocent, Witness Recantations: Preliminary Findings, May 2013, Exonerations in the United States: 1989 - 2012, Tell us about an Exoneration that we missed. The boys symptoms that afternoonvomiting, chills, and lethargyinitially suggested to the Overtons that he had a routine ailment, like a stomach bug. "Wow, we don't even know where to begin," Hannah Overton told ABC News exclusively after she heard that her case had been dismissed and she would not have to endure another trial. I dont see what caused the high salt content. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? (A former pastor of Hannahs had advocated reprimanding children when they were dishonest by putting a single red pepper flake on their tongues.) At 13, he served as a page for the General Assembly of Virginia. Sending hope that your healing is swift. His mothers and fathers parental rights were terminated soon after he turned three. Death, Burial, Cemetery & Obituaries Search; Sponsored by Ancestry. He left me with that gift. The defendant has portrayed herself as a nurturing Christian woman, Eastwood proclaimed. It seemed to me, based upon the wording of the charge, that we had no choice but to find her guilty of capital murder. But, Warfield added, I do not believe that Mrs. Overton knew that her actions (or lack thereof) would kill Andrew Byrd [sic]. Then he corrected himself. She reported Andrews unusual eating habits to his adoption supervisor when she visited the Overton home on September 25. Andrew had an enraged mother who didnt, I dont think loved him the way that she loved her own biological children, former Nueces County prosecutor Sandra Eastwood said at trial. But Rotta was alarmed by his overall appearance. The Overtons rushed him to a nearby urgent care clinic after his breathing became labored and he stopped responding to their questions, but by the time they arrived, he had fallen unconscious. Advertisement. Hess became exasperated. My husband enjoyed sailing with him at FBYC and running into him during a few running events in Richmond. She is also qualified to receive insurance and education benefits. "We are over the top in love with our new blessing! Pam Rooker. Yet to find her guilty, theyd had to believe that she knew he would die if she did not get him immediate medical attention. We were having a hard time, but we knew it was going to pass. In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. (92 years old). Witnesses outside the home said they had seen Andrew's bizarre habits, too. I feel at such a loss, as do all of us who were fortunate enough to have been graced with Dabney's presence. "After further review of all the evidence and meeting with her defense attorneys and everyone involved, my office decided that we're going to dismiss the case and include language in there that would actually indicate that she's not guilty of the charge that we charged her with, or the previous administration," Gonzalez said at the time. Gilmore urged Hannah more than once to agree to have the jury consider a lesser charge, but she was uneasy with what she perceived as an underlying suggestion of wrongdoing. In the context of a criminal investigation, the calm that she had always exhibited in the midst of crisis was suddenly a liabilityan indication, perhaps, that she was cold-blooded enough to have killed a child. To Dabney and the Family: My heartfelt condolences and my thoughts and prayers go with each of you. To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our. Until his arrest, Saenz had led a seemingly normal life: in addition to leading his nondenominational congregation, he worked as an office-machine mechanic while his wife, Lane, stayed home with their two children. Dabney was a great guy. Other witnesses testified that they had detected signs of abuse. Hess was allowed to return to the force and is now a patrol sergeant. Being in the Overtons home had afforded Werkhoven an intimate view of the family. A committed Christian, he had gone on mission trips with his family since he was a child, including a fourteen-month stint in Papua New Guinea and several treks across Mexico. I am sad that I won't see my friend Dabney again in this life here on Earth. My deepest sympathy to his family on the loss of a truly extraordinary person. A very special person has been taken from our midst and is and will be greatly missed. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. Copyright 2023 GRB Studio | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions The very dilute gastric sodium contents suggest . Regardless of how much food he consumed, he complained that he was hungry. My two boys will remember him always as "that tall man with the super cool motorcycle". To never have been producedit was very strange.. The Overtons have said they believed he instead had a rare medical conditioncalled hypernatremia that caused the fatal sodium levels. Not long after his arrest, a grand jury upgraded the charges against him to capital murder, and he feared that he too might face life in prison. Knowing Hannah, it was inconceivable that she would ever hurt a child, said Noreen. Tell My Mother and Father will miss his visits to the house and his heartfelt caring and concerns for all of us. The entire Davila family sends our heart felt condolences to Dabney's family. She could not recall later what, exactly, he had been holding in his hand. The Overtons had to remain at the Carvers home, where they had been staying to avoid the camera crews that were camped out on their own doorstep, and they were never to be left alone with the baby. We are grateful for the help and support of so many over the years who contributed to achieving what, for the Overton children, is a joyous result. Created by: Red; Added: 9 Apr 2016 . Anne Turner Overton Haile died peacefully at home in Portland, Oregon on December 7, 2021. While behind bars,Overton relied on her faith, family and supporters and led Bible studies. She was even slighter in person than I had expected, and as she related the events of the past five years in her soft voice, she looked hopelessly out of place in her white prison jumpsuit. Because he was vomiting? But as devoted Christians, their desire to adopt a foster child was rooted in faith more than in practicality. The information on this website does NOT constitute legal advice and you may not rely on it as such. Or had the tragedy claimed its second victim? Hannah and the girls, who complained of feeling achy, were taken to the hospital in an ambulance while Larrys parents picked up the rest of the family and, after dropping Larry off at the hospital, took the boys to a nearby Whataburger. Cynthia Hujar-Orr, Gerry Goldstein and John Raley were apart of Overtons appellate team that helped overturn the conviction. Disclaimer: We created this website to give you general information about a variety of criminal offenses and possible defenses that might apply to those charges.
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