He was a loyal Red Sox Nation member and I a Yankees Universe devotee. Sometimes he cried inconsolably for hours. She could not recall later what, exactly, he had been holding in his hand. Larry called out that dinner was ready, and we gathered inside around a rough-hewn oak table he had made years ago. Her second husband was Hampton Overton, who died about. Sifting through it one afternoon, Orr came across documents she had never seen before, which showed that Andrews stomach contents did not have an elevated amount of salt when he arrived at the urgent care clinic. Normans remarks were hardly the stuff of a cocksure prosecutor. I believe that the same God who made him is with him now in the most immediate sense. By that point, they had already been shown numerous photos of Andrews small, bruised body postmortem. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. Yet to find her guilty, theyd had to believe that she knew he would die if she did not get him immediate medical attention. Dick and Sue Kemper; St. Christopher's School, Share to let others add their own memories and condolences. Larry taught Sunday school, Hannah led a Bible study, and their children, whom Hannah homeschooled, attended youth group and socialized with other members kids. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. Frustrated with a naughty child, prosecutors said, she tried to punish him with seasoning mixed in water. My husband enjoyed sailing with him at FBYC and running into him during a few running events in Richmond. We had known each other for ten years, and I dont think Id ever seen her mad, Haller told me. In the eyes of law enforcement, Hannah and Larry were not grieving parents but perpetrators of an appalling crime. Some people love stray animals, remembered her mother, now remarried. 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. His other passion was his beloved dogs. How had Hannah, who was six months pregnant and recovering from whiplash, managed to overpower Andrew? A block away from the clinic, as they waited at a red light, Andrew stopped breathing. A more thorough investigation would have uncovered ample evidence to suggest that Andrew had an undiagnosed eating disorder, raising the possibility that he had unintentionally consumed too much salt on his own. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. But former Nueces County District Attorney Mark Skurka charged Overton a second time for murder after her release. Sending a prayer to all his family & friends. Hess was allowed to return to the force and is now a patrol sergeant. And we do have some evidence of bruising to his nose [which could indicate] his nostrils were squeezed and he was made to drink it.. We will always remember him fondly as a fellow Friend of Bandy Field. The next morning, Corpus Christi police detective Michael Hess paid a visit to Kathi Haller, the Overtons next-door neighbor, who knew the family well. Inside the Bro-tastic Party Mansions Upending a Historic Austin Community, The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools.
Anne Turner Overton Haile | Obituaries | newsontheneck.com May your memories bring you comfort. 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. on our list, Other
Early in the pregnancy, Hannah and Larry were informed that the boy would likely have Down syndrome. Dabney Overton III Birth 30 Jul 1963 Death 9 Nov 2009 (aged 46) He was predeceased by : his parents, Theodore Roosevelt 'Jack' and Annie Overton of Washington; and his wife Claudia Cotten. Gilmore and his defense team, which included two civil attorneys versed in the intricacies of medical testimony, tried to counter the prosecutions claims that Hannah had poisoned Andrew and purposely delayed medical treatment. The cause of death was determined to be salt poisoning, an extremely rare occurrence that, in children, results from either a child inadvertently ingesting too much salt or a caretaker deliberately forcing the child to do so. Regardless of how much food he consumed, he complained that he was hungry. He was a very sweet and kind person. I was shocked and saddened to hear of Dabney's premature death last week. I am sad that I won't see my friend Dabney again in this life here on Earth. He was born on April 2, 1940 in Little Rock, Arkansas to the late Lewis Franklin and Dwight Katherine Overton. They wed a year later and moved to Corpus Christi. Although I believe that Mrs. Overton was remiss in seeking timely medical care for Andrew Byrd, I do not believe that she intended or knew that this would result in his death. The wording of the jury charge, she added, had been ambiguous and confusing. Ultimately, Warfield wrote, I do not feel that justice has been served., Two days after Hannah was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, a pediatrician named Edgar Cortes took the unusual step of contacting Gilmore. That Andrew had sustained a head injury was based on the presence of a half-inch area of hemorrhaging under the scalp. I wouldnt give up that time we had with him and that he had with us., As we sat across from each other in the dayroom, Hannah and I discussed her case and the anguish that had consumed her following Andrews death. He inspired me to take up running, and to go from owning 1 dog to 2! To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our. Share Obituary. Andrew spent his first night at the Overtons modest ranch-style house on Mothers Day, when he was two months shy of his fourth birthday, and he seemed to quickly grow attached to his new family. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark.
Dabney Overton III (1963-2009) - Find a Grave Memorial . She looked after dozens of children, including my grandchildren, and in all the years she was here, I cant recall one negative thing being said about her, the commissions founder, Joe Fauss, told me. Shortly after noon, Larry picked her and the boys up and took them to a McDonalds drive-through, and then the chiropractor, before returning to work. She had a way with Michael that even my wife and I didnt completely understand, his father, Richard, told me. In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. I knew Dabney as a friend of my daughter, Stephanie. Dabney and I had spirited conversations about baseball. Fellow church member Anita Miotti remembers their telling her and her husband, Rich, that they were struggling. It was later believed the boy suffered a rare medical condition called hypernatremia, which can cause fatal sodium levels in the body. Hannahs conviction was upheld in 2009 by the Thirteenth Court of Appeals. I wish his family well. There were days I had to remind her to eat, to brush her teeth, to get out of bed, Noreen told me. . In May 2017, Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez officially declared Overton innocent in the death of 4-year-old Andrew Burd, the child Overton and her husband, Larry Overton, were in the process of adopting before he died more than 10 years ago. I knew Dabney years ago while living in Richmond. Hannah understood little of what had taken place except that she, her mother, and her brother had to leave Corpus Christi behind. Within hours of Andrews arrival at the hospital, the Overtons home had been searched, and soon more facts seemed to bolster the notion of abuse. Kids loved her. 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. On several occasions his fits had grown so extreme that she had resorted to asking a male parishioner to physically remove him from the classroom until he could regain self-control. And given that abuse and neglect during the first year of life can profoundly affect behavioral development, they were not surprised that Andrew was different. I remind them that the Lord loves him more than anyone could and he is with Him now and we will see him again someday.. I was privileged to know Dabney at W&L and as a fraternity brother at LXA. All NRE reports represent a moment in time. She reported Andrews unusual eating habits to his adoption supervisor when she visited the Overton home on September 25. Other couples they knew who had adopted foster children assured them that their kids had outgrown similar eating issues, and the Overtons assumed that, with time, Andrew would outgrow his as well. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. The Huntsville Times. I will take that trip and take my friends spirit with me. He enjoyed everything he did, was always friendly and supportive. Michael, who had been born prematurely, was severely impaired; he had cerebral palsy, was blind, and could not walk or talk. One attorney was even moved to tears explaining how sorry he was for the mistakes he had made in Overton's case. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. 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. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? 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. The burden on the state to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt was, Gilmore told me, perhaps less than it should have been. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family and many friends. Once a month, Larry loads the kids into his van and they make the trip together, although on those visits, no contact is allowed. Mommy, Im cold, he said, and threw up. I was truly saddened to hear of Dabney's passing. Hannahs mother and stepfather, Hannah, Larry, and the kids on Mothers Day 2006. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Guest Book Not sure what to say? Haller was stunned by the accusation. [I] fully disclosed the DAs offices case file to the defense, she wrote in the lengthy statement. She could not consent to a lesser charge, she told her attorneys, because she felt it would mean she was admitting fault. He. It is unclear, read the courts ruling, whether the state actually knew of Dr. Cortess opinion. The court also ruled that the wording of the jury charge was free from error. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declined the opportunity to reconsider the decision. May God wrap his loving arms around you until we meet again. The way it was explained to me, thats how I would be charged if I accidentally ran a stoplight and hit somebody, he said. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. When Michael put his fingers in his mouth, she would call his name softlythere was no anger in her voiceand he would smile and slowly slide his fingers out, Richard said. Finally she relented, heating up what she had on hand: leftover vegetable-beef soup flavored with Zatarains Creole Seasoning. Hannahs father was the Reverend Bennie Saenz, an evangelical preacher in Corpus Christi whose fall from grace profoundly altered the course of her childhood. He displayed hyperactive behavior and possibly had some cognitive delays as well. The doctors assessment of Andrew as developmentally delayed was significant because it dovetailed with Hannahs testimony. One paramedic recounted how he had seen two sores on Andrew that looked to me like cigarette burns because they were round. Another paramedic also believed the sores were cigarette burns, though he admitted he had only looked at them from a distance. Fernandez, the medical examiner, said he had observed burnlike scarring on Andrews arm that had likely been caused by contact with a hot surface. But neither Larry nor Hannah smoked. We were in awe.. The particulars of her crime, as sketched out by the prosecution, were vague; assistant district attorney Sandra Eastwood, a passionate child advocate, conceded in opening arguments that she was not sure how Hannah had made Andrew eat so much salt. The Overtons are nurturing, loving, patient, and very family-oriented, an adoption supervisor noted in her paperwork. Richard and his wife had tried all sorts of tactics to deter him: redirecting his attention, putting gloves on him, even restraining his hands. Its about trusting God and seeing how he is a god of redemption and restoration, she said. 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. January 21, 2023 Sister Overton grew up in Tuscumbia and lived most of her life in Florence. But at a hearing on the defenses motion for a new trial, Eastwood stated under oath that Cortes had always been a passionate advocate for the prosecution; he had even remarked to her that he thought Hannah should fry. Cortes does not dispute that story. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. Menu. Nueces County District Attorney Mark Skurka had charged Overton a second time for murder after her release. Our paths crossed later in life and we renewed our friendship. 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. We truly thought his obsession with food was a behavioral issue, not a medical one, Larry said. I always knew I'd be able to catch up with him on occasion at the Village Starbucks. 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. Andrews behavior worsened that September, after the family was involved in a car accident. I was blessed to know him, and his family is in my prayers. To find Hannah guilty, jurors had to believe either of two scenarios: that Hannah Overton force-fed Andrew salt knowing it would kill him or that she neglected to get medical help fast enough knowing that it would kill him.
Hannah Overton - National Registry of Exonerations But had jurors fully understood the decision they had been asked to make? We thought that he would stop turning to food for comfort when he learned that he could trust us.. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition. I am glad to have had the chance to know him and will pray for your family during this difficult time. Overton was convicted of capital murder, an automatic life sentence in Texas because the child was under the age of 6. Lane earned her college degree and became an elementary school teacher, while Hannah played with, and later babysat, the children of missionaries who used the campus as a home base between trips abroad. She was born April 24, 1945 to Dabney Overton Sr. and Henrietta Mallory Overton and grew up in Warsaw, VA. She was graduated from St. Margaret's School in 1963 where she was awarded the Bishop's Prize all four years. Haller . The new charges were dismissed because of a myriad of factors which came about after a careful review of the previous trial, re-interviewing some of the key witnesses, consulting with some of the medical experts involved in the case, reviewing evidence adduced at recent hearings and staffing the case with the current prosecutors assigned to the case, Skurka said in a news release Wednesday. At Sunday school, he became more expressive, stringing words into sentences and holding hands with his new sister Ally. Short on time as the trial drew to a close, the defense had asked Moritzwho needed to return to Pittsburghto sit for a videotaped deposition; when the deposition ran long and could not be completed, the defense was unable to enter it as testimony. Gemma Mitchell, a phlebotomist, recalled overhearing Hannah tell medical staff that Andrew had stopped breathing after he was punished. No one could corroborate her story, and under cross-examination, she admitted that she had never told anyone this fact until taking the stand. There's also Syndeo Ranch, a faith-based home to help women transitioning out of prison in Palestine. I feel at such a loss, as do all of us who were fortunate enough to have been graced with Dabney's presence. He defecated on the floor of his bedroom, then smeared feces on the bed, the dresser, and the walls. In 2007, Hannah Overton was sentenced to life in prison for the death of her 4-year-old foster son. 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. The writ is the final opportunity a defendant has to introduce new evidence into the record. We loved him and will miss him. Updated: June 20, 2015 . OBITUARY - HANNAH OVERTON (HUNTINGDONSHIRE) Bowls England regrets to inform you that former Women's Junior International captain Hannah Overton passed away on 23rd December at the age of 28, after. I knew it would probably make him sick, but I wanted him to understand why we were setting limits, Larry explained. Hannah, I am very sad to hear this news. Shana Druckerman contributed to this report, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. I asked Hannah if her faith had been shaken by Andrews loss and the suffering that she and her family had experienced. Hess suspicions had developed the previous evening during an interview with Hannah, who had consented to talk to him without an attorney present. It came as a shock when I got the call from Peter Detlefs letting me know that Dabney had passed away. He moved unsteadily, and he was so clumsy that Hannah had him wear a life jacket whenever he splashed around in their inflatable kiddie pool. Larry Overton was also charged with murder, but after his wife's conviction, he was offered a plea deal and was given probation. Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. He struck up a correspondence with Hannah, but she did not warm to him until their paths crossed again at a year-long missionary training school outside Tyler, when she was nineteen and he was a more clean-cut twenty. The very dilute gastric sodium contents suggest . (During the third week of the trial, moments before the case was sent to the jury, Eastwood had asked Judge Longoria if she could call Cortes as a rebuttal witness, but the judge, who had grown impatient with the length of the trial, denied her request.)
Until Proven Innocent: the Hannah Overton Story Mr. Overton continued in private practice until the age of 80. They were not allowed to be at Andrews bedside on the evening of October 3, when he experienced massive organ failure. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. I remember him as a fun loving gentle person that loved life. . Or had the tragedy claimed its second victim? My husband Al and I were shocked and saddened to hear of Dabney's death. The Overtons have said they believed he instead had a rare medical conditioncalled hypernatremia that caused the fatal sodium levels. The defense presented the jury with a medical mystery. My prayers and thoughts are with you all. Hannah Overton, far right, sits next to her attorney, Cynthia Orr, center, and prosecutor, Doug Norman, April 26, 2012, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Fleeing for Your Life? Hannah and Larry had taken her in after her marriage ended in divorce, giving her their extra bedroom while she got back on her feet. In 2007 he published a seminal paper on salt poisoning, in which he examined, among other things, documented cases of children who had accidentally ingested excessive quantities of salt. Mr. Overton was a U. S. Army Veteran and a member of the First United Methodist Church in Bryant. He was kind and gentle with me, and he made himself available no matter how busy he was. According to Overtons attorney, Cynthia Orr, the Texas comptroller told Overton on Tuesday that she would receive a check for $573,333.33 as compensation her for her wrongful incarceration. There have been a few tear-filled nights because one of the kids misses Andrew, Larry told me later. I was one of those who was lucky enough to share a friendship with this kind, strong and loving man. Patricia Gonzalez, a nurse at the urgent care clinic, told the jury that Hannah had not behaved like a panic-stricken parent and had had a smile on her face as she performed CPR on the boy. Hess and a group of CPS workers were standing in the back with dark glasses on, their arms crossed, scowls on their faces, Carver said. 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. Andrews former foster mother, Sharon Hamil, who was devastated by the boys death, testified that Andrew had not exhibited significant developmental or behavioral problems, aside from his speech delay, during the time that he lived with hera characterization that was rebutted by numerous members of Calvary Chapel later in the trial but that cast Hannahs credibility into doubt. (After his arrest, he lost most of his clients. But as the afternoon wore on, his symptoms grew troubling; his breathing became congested, and he became less and less responsive. . However, that didn't stop us from having friendly and lively conversations about the greatest game. My job requires me to be an advocate for the state. Its somebodys worst nightmare, Hannah Overton told ABC News in an earlier interview. At a subsequent family court hearing, in which Hannahs civil attorney argued that she should be given access to the infant so that she could continue nursing her, Judge Lewis returned Emma to her parents, but with conditions. I have shared a memorial tribute I wrote about Dabney with all who've asked. A state judge has rejected claims by Hannah Overton that she was wrongly convicted of capital murder in 2007 because prosecutors withheld exculpatory evidence, her lawyers were ineffective . Overton, 38, was convicted in 2007 after being accused of force-feeding young Andrew Burd enough salt to kill him, even though she had no previous problems with the law and was raising four children and was pregnant with a fifth. Her bedroom was just a few feet away from the childrens rooms, which were always open; their doors had been removed so that the kids could easily come and go as they pleased.
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