Riley Ann - they know who she is

[Star*]

This is probably one of the most heart wrenching stories I have ever watched. I am so sorry for the family, I am so sorry for the little 2 year old girl found in a box in Galveston - and everyone you watch from Texas report on this is just choked up in tears.

The news reported that the Mother and recent Step-Father tortured, beat and killed her little 2 year old body. Stored her, then dumped her. According to her Mother who beat her they hit her repeatedly with a belt, held her head under water to drown her and threw her against a wall several times. The wounds on the body were parallel to her mothers story of abuse. She was badly bruised and had 3 skull fractures. Apparently she (mother) had Riley at 16 and the father now 19 is married with a 3 month old son. Riley Ann Sawyer would have been 3 March 31, 2008

This is so tragic and for nothing. Senseless doesn't describe this crime. Tonight I'm saying a prayer for her again - and for her family. I'm glad they are going to take her home to rest.

Just sublime -

 

[hearts and roses]

Oh my God. This reminds me of the Lisa Steinberg (NYC) story from years ago. I was waiting in my Dr's office when I read the story and had to leave, I wept and almost puked for that innocent little girl.

That poor sweet baby. What a horrible senseless tragedy.

Adding to your prayers tonight.

 

[Stella Johnson]

Poor, sweet little girl. It made me sick to see it on the news. They have been doing a thousand different stories about it since we are in Texas. I can't stand to watch it anymore. :sad:

Steph

 

[Hound dog]

Oh my God

Why can't we have the punishment fit the crime? It would be fitting to watch these two "parents" suffer the same horrible fate they gave this innocent baby.

As soon as I read this I thought of Aubrey. And my soul shuddered. How can anyone human do that? :sad:

I'm going to go throw up now.

 

[Marguerite]

We had a case like this about a month ago, in western Sydney. A boy was found, body in a suitcase, floating in a pond. Kids found it. Turned out to be a kid that DOCS (our CPS) knew about and had gone to collect, but the mother said, "You've already got him." Meanwhile, his body was in the house. They kept it there for a week or more, then dumped him.

He was part Aboriginal - white mother. His Aboriginal grandparents were furious, they actually had custody, the mother only had access and had actually killed him on what was supposed to be a few days' access visit. Not out of spite or anything; just because she couldn't cope. She should never have been allowed unsupervised access, the grandparents had been fighting this.
And when you hurt ANY kid, the community gets upset. But an Aboriginal kid - a heck of a lot more people get upset.

And only a couple of weeks ago, an autistic girl aged 7 was found dead in her bedroom. She weighed 9 Kg (that's just under 20 lb). Again, DOCS had made a number of visits and been refused access. Several times they'd been told the little girl was not there, she had been fostered out (you would think DOCS would know). Meanwhile neighbours would sometimes see the little girl, naked and filthy, at her bedroom window. The bedroom was locked, they never opened the door to feed her, clothe her, give her water or let her go to the bathroom. Some of this couple's other kids had already been taken by DOCS.
The parents insisted they hadn't hurt the girl, she hadn't been starved but she was a picky eater. And that she had seemed well the night before. But they still went on the run after the body was taken away.
The police caught them - community tip-off, we don't like child abusers here - and they're now awaiting trial, bail refused. The autopsy confirmed appalling, criminal neglect.
And DOCS is now under the microscope. Too little funding, too much work for them, appalling organisation needing an overhaul.

Crimes like this really sicken me, on a broad level.

Marg

 

[Nancy]

The father and family are from here and are distraut of course. The mother had takent he girl and moved to Texas without telling anyone. They saw the picture of the girl on the news and contacted authorities thinking it may be her and have been hoping and praying for days now that they were wrong. Sadly they were right, it was their little girl.

The whole thing makes me sick.

Nancy

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

No words.

:crying:

 

[DDD]

In Florida they have a law that allows parents of newborns to take them to fire stations and leave them...supposedly with no
questions asked. I have never read that babies have been left
and the parent not pursued. Maybe.

on the other hand, as an experienced childrens advocate who worked in two different volunteer capacities, I have often wondered why there is not a law that allows people to drop off unwanted older kids.
It is hard to believe that all the abusive parents are sadists.
My personal thought is that they "know" they are not capable of
parenting and just want "out". I don't think you can walk a
toddler into a public place and say "take this kid before I kill
him" without extreme scrutiny by authorities.

Perhaps it should be possible to legally "get rid" of children
before violence erupts. DDD

 

[WhymeMom?]

It just blows my mind that child torturers would do this, when it looks like she could have run off and left the girl with her father's family. Makes you think strongly about sterilization for such people.....

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WhymeMom?</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Makes you think strongly about sterilization for such people..... </div></div>Or execution.

 

[Star*]

I like what comedian Ron White said - Texas. One state that is considering putting in an express window for the death penalty.

If you have an older kid you don't watch can't you take them to an orphanage.

 

[SRL]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DDD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In Florida they have a law that allows parents of newborns to take them to fire stations and leave them...supposedly with no
questions asked. I have never read that babies have been left
and the parent not pursued. Maybe.
</div></div>

Our state has that law as do many others. Here it's fire and police stations as well as hospitals. I do know here that they don't pursue the parent although they do let it be known through the media that there will be no penalty for the parent to step forward--what they really are after is medical history.

It happened in my town a few years back--2 women drove up to the hospital front door and ran in and placed the baby in someone's arms and fled. Weeks later a new mother put hers in a dumpster near our house.

 

[Stella Johnson]

She will most likely get the death penalty. We are needle happy here in Texas.
I have a feeling if she ever ends up in the general population she won't last long and it won't be as pretty as getting the needle.

steph

 

[Wiped Out]

This is so tragic. :crying:

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

My blood is about to boil.

Why the **** do you need a license to drive a car, but any %%%%%%% can have a kid.