hannah overton obituaryhannah overton obituary

When Andrew was two-and-a-half years old, CPS determined that he was in immediate danger, according to an affidavit, and he was put in foster care. Very sad to hear this news. Because we were not thinking we were in a life-or-death situation, she insisted. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time., With love and warm memories of our Cousin Pete. We were in it for the long haul.. I worked with him at Branch, Cabell many years ago. Tell 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. . He had the heart of a lion and graciously allowed me into his circle of friends. The best memory is of riding camp the following summer when Dabney and a friend opted for motorcycle helmets rather than riding hard hats. All he needs is lots of love and attention, she told Larry. 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. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? Overton cites a Bible verse from Hebrews 13:3 on the ministry website to explain its mission: "Remember those in prisonas if you were bound with them! Beginning next year, she will also receive an annuity. "God is so good!," Overton wrote in the social media post. 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. 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. The Overtons moved forward with the adoption process, and in the spring of 2006, they received word that Andrew would be coming to live with them for a six-month trial period before the adoption was finalized. I am so sorry to learn of Dabney's passing. Then District Attorney Mark Skurka dropped the case. Once reunited with their childrenwho were terrified by the ordealLarry and Hannah had to break the awful news to them about Andrew. I was shocked and saddened to hear of Dabney's premature death last week. Menu. 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. An Unforgettable Texas Tale of Envy, Embezzlement, and Fruitcake, How the Texas Rangers Became One of the Most Powerful Forces in the State. I was so shocked and saddened to learn today of Dabney's sudden and all too premature death. How had she known how much salt would kill him? (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.) Andrew was not a normal child, Cortes explained to me. Richard and his wife had tried all sorts of tactics to deter him: redirecting his attention, putting gloves on him, even restraining his hands. 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. This was not a child that came into the office looking well, with a story of, you know, Hes just a tomboy, and he falls and hits himself, Rotta would later testify. Overtons conviction and sentence were upheld on appeal. Sorry to hear of Dabney's passing. The family will receive friends Tuesday, November 23, 2021 from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Cullman Funeral Home. ABC News has followed Overton and her husband's story since her original trial. Im very thankful that this compensation is finally coming through, Overton told ABC News. Weeping, they told the children that their brother had gone to be with Jesus. Anita and John He acted more like a toddler than a preschooler, they noted; if he wanted an object, he pointed to it and grunted. You can ask, Why didnt she go to the hospital sooner? but in hindsight, everything is obvious. Elaine and I are deeply saddened by his sudden passing. He was kind, he was gentle, he had a great smile. Thats what Im trying to get you to tell me. With no obvious explanations to consider, he focused his attention on Hannah. 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. Emma, the youngest, trailed behind them with a doll, occasionally running inside to bang on the piano. Hannah was seven when Saenz was arrested in 1984 and charged with a singularly horrific crime: the bludgeoning death of a sixteen-year-old girl whose nude body was discovered at the waters edge on Padre Island. God bless you Dabney, we'll miss you. While Larry tried to scrub down the bedroom, Andrew pulled his sheets out of the trash several times, despite repeated warnings not to do so. Ive missed, you know, so many things, she said at the time. She is also pregnant with her sixth child. If someone was trying to murder Andrew, they would have restrained him and prevented him from drinking water, Moritz subsequently wrote in an affidavit. 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. I am sorry to hear of Dabney's passing. I am happy that he has gone before us because I know if God has taken him before so many other people then he must be going to someplace better. on our list, Other I knew Dabney from years ago when we played softball together. Sending hope that your healing is swift. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. 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. Those were great times. I wish his family well. If he was denied a second or third helping, he would routinely throw a tantrum or get down on his hands and knees to scavenge the floor for crumbs. He picked at mosquito bites on his body incessantly, prompting Larry to put socks on his hands; still, Andrew would not stop scratching and eventually developed a staph infection on his arm. And when he became less responsive, she had pulled out her old EMT books to assess what was wrong. Before she was led away in handcuffs, the couple embraced for several minutes, overcome with emotion. Ill put it this way. I regret that I didnt push harder from the beginning to find out what was wrong with himthat I believed his problems were just due to his previous abuse and neglect, and that, when I finally decided he needed to see a doctor about his pica, we didnt get him in quicker. When I pressed her to explain why she and Larry had not called 911, she leaned forward, as if pleading with me to understand. She and Larry were under tremendous financial strain, she admitted, but she stressed that they had rushed for help as soon as they realized how critical Andrews condition was. Reaching for his shoes, he announced, I can do all things. Larry remembered, We felt like we were really making headway with him.. According to Haller, he told her, Look, shes pregnant and she has all these kids, but it was just too much for her. Overton spent seven years in prison before the Texas Court of Appeals overturned her capital murder charges on September 17, 2014. In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. Your family will be in my thoughts and prayers. Our condolences to his family and friends. Estelle and John At the time, Overton had four children and was pregnant with a fifth, and had no prior trouble with the law. Larry was charged with injury to a child for failing to get Andrew timely medical attention. The kids now range in age from four to twelve, and when I visited them late one afternoon, not long after I had seen Hannah, they seemed unencumbered by the tragedy that had engulfed their family. The sodium content of Zatarains is not listed on its packaging. Nueces County jurors believed she failed to seek medical care for her foster son in a timely manner. Or had the tragedy claimed its second victim? The detective had been alerted to Andrews grave condition when the boy was transported to a nearby hospital the previous afternoon and, as was protocol, had begun looking into the circumstances surrounding the boys unusual and rapid decline. I am glad to have had the chance to know him and will pray for your family during this difficult time. We truly thought his obsession with food was a behavioral issue, not a medical one, Larry said. I have mitigating testimony that I think would have been very useful to your client, he said in a voice mail he left for Gilmore. We met when he was helping her move. 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. I was convinced that we were in the presence of a crime.. He was a very quiet and caring man. Dinner was potato soupIts good and filling, and its cheap, Larry told mewhich the kids dived into after saying grace. 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. Larry left for work the following morning, and Hannah, who was still in considerable pain from the car accident, gave Andrew and Sebastian breakfast before bringing them into bed with her to watch cartoons. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family and many friends. So she had to find a way out. (Hess did not respond to interview requests for this article but has previously denied Hallers version of events.) Before they headed to bed, Larry turned up the lights for their nightly devotions. Haller was stunned by the accusation. All rights reserved. Good-night kisses, bedtime stories, playing in the yard, birthdays, loose teeth, Christmas plays . Think of your other children, she urged the couple. He was an avid sailor who was active in the Fishing Bay Yacht Club and raced with the crew of La Maga. Then he corrected himself. 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. He was kind and gentle with me, and he made himself available no matter how busy he was. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. The court ruledher trial lawyers were ineffective, and sent her case back to be retried. Anyone who knew Dabney loved him. The Overtons are nurturing, loving, patient, and very family-oriented, an adoption supervisor noted in her paperwork. -- Sarah Albiston, I enjoyed working with Dabney from time to time. But he was adamant that the boys death had not been accidental. If you would like to discuss your case with an attorney at Goldstein & Orr, then please contact us to schedule a consultation. When Andrew started breathing funny, she told Hess, she had administered asthma medication with a nebulizer, hoping to open up his airways. 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. CPS launched its initial investigation into Andrews well-being shortly after his first birthday, when his mother took him to a local hospital with a broken arm. After your child dies to be told that somebody think its your fault. My Mother and Father will miss his visits to the house and his heartfelt caring and concerns for all of us. In 2011, Overtons appellate attorney, Cynthia Orr, filed a state petition for a writ of habeas corpus seeking a new trial. 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. To never have been producedit was very strange.. Not long afterward, Larry and Hannah heard about Andrew at their church, Calvary Chapel of the Coastlands, which Andrews foster mother also attended. For us to go to [the clinic] was a lot faster than it would have been had we called, at that point., As we talked about Andrew, she had to stop several times to compose herself. She was unflappable and unfailingly patient with children. He enjoyed everything he did, was always friendly and supportive. Despite appearances, however, he was hardly a reprobate. That Larry is able to be with the children at all, much less raise them, is a huge blessing, he told me. Jonah Lee Overton Obituary It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Jonah Lee Overton (Charlotte, North Carolina), who passed away on January 21, 2023, at the age of 92, leaving to mourn family and friends. I wouldnt give up that time we had with him and that he had with us.. "We are so excited about all God has done in and through all of this. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. I was assured that they would be seeking lesser charges. During the trial, he said, I sat at the courthouse for five days, waiting to testify. 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. Dabney was one of those people that are angels without wings. I fear she may have purposely withheld evidence that may have been favorable to Hannah Overtons defense, Jimenez wrote in her letter, which Orr would include in the writ. Dabney and I had spirited conversations about baseball. Standing just five feet tall, with wide-set brown eyes, a girlish laugh, and a warm, easy manner, Hannah was almost childlike herself. She's since createdSyndeo Ministries tohelp prisonerstransition back into society. He and the kids return home the same day so that he can teach Sunday school the next morning. Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Todd Yates/AP Photo, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. — -- Murder charges against Hannah Overton, a south Texas mother of five who had been convicted in the 2007 salt poisoning trial in the death of her foster son, have been dismissed by the . He was an example to many by the way he lived his life and his loyalty to those values that determine a true friend. Theres An App for That. "We are over the top in love with our new blessing! Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? The following evening, Andrew was dead. He inspired me to take up running, and to go from owning 1 dog to 2! Because the court has not been inclined to intercede so far, members of Calvary Chapel have begun a letter-writing campaign to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles in hopes of securing a pardon or a commutation. Dabney will be missed by many. Until then, she said, Andrew was doing nothing that my other kids hadnt done with the flu. Overton's original trial attorneys admitted at an appeals hearing that they had made errors. Overton's original trial attorneys admitted at an appeals hearing that they had made errors. I knew Dabney from the Richmond Athletic Club. The Huntsville Times Homepage. Michael, who had been born prematurely, was severely impaired; he had cerebral palsy, was blind, and could not walk or talk. OVERTON, Dabney III, died peacefully on Monday, November 9, 2009 surrounded by family and friends. Larry taught Sunday school, Hannah led a Bible study, and their children, whom Hannah homeschooled, attended youth group and socialized with other members kids. News reports that followed, prominently featuring their grim-faced mug shots, cast the Overton home as a house of horrors. She was native of this place and had been twice married. Copyright 2023 GRB Studio | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions That perception would throw her other children into the investigation as well. Most striking to the Overtons, and to their neighbors and friends, was his preoccupation with eating. Or had the tragedy claimed its second victim? You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Despite all the pain, she told me that if she could do it over again, she would not change their decision to bring Andrew into their home. A church member who homeschools her daughters educates the Overton children, using lesson plans Hannah sends her. We were having a hard time, but we knew it was going to pass. He was always happy, Hamil testified. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. He was a good guy and a good friend. He was born on April 2, 1940 in Little Rock, Arkansas to the late Lewis Franklin and Dwight Katherine Overton. The boy was diagnosed with a toxic salt overdose and died the following day. Several crossed their arms; others looked away. He was a Southern Gentleman and true Virginian who touched the hearts of many. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Hannah would remind him, quoting Philippians. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. Peace be with you, Dabney. Zion Church of the Brethren. This was usually on a road trip up or down the Valley. Sign . Against the backdrop of possible abuse, authorities wasted little time. While he was relieved not to have to serve prison time, the discrepancy between his wifes punishment and his own left him stupefied. Despite all the pain, she told me that if she could do it over again, she would not change their decision to bring Andrew into their home. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? He was a very sweet and kind person. In a 2012 interview from a Texas prison, Overton told ABC News that during one of the monthly visitations with her children, [Emma] took her first step, I was there. He was preceded in death by his mother, Hannah Spencer Haile Overton and infant brother, Charles. Overton had to have a blood transfusion and her new daughter spent a few days in a neonatal intensive care unit. We spoke last Tuesday about a biking trip we had plan in the spring to Cherokee,N.C. The defendant has portrayed herself as a nurturing Christian woman, Eastwood proclaimed. Make sure relatives of Jonah Lee Overton know they have sympathy messages here. Now, she is 8 years old. At the time of his retirement, he was one of the three oldest practicing attorneys in the Commonwealth. He seemed to enjoy having brothers and sisters to play with, and the Overton kidsespecially the girls, who doted on himwere enthralled by the new arrival. After a week-long trial, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 23 years in prison. Both Larry and Hannah had done missionary work, and as a teenager, Hannah had spent holidays volunteering at an orphanage across the border, in Reynosa, where she had fed, bathed, and ministered to kids who had been living on the streets. After nearly eleven hours of deliberationduring which jurors sent out thirteen notes to the judge, primarily seeking to clarify medical testimonythe jury found her guilty of capital murder. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. Larry with (from left) his children Ally, Isaac, Sebastian, Emma, and Isabel. How had Hannah, who was six months pregnant and recovering from whiplash, managed to overpower Andrew? She and her family do so much good with nothing. Brother Paul Campbell will officiate the service. Box 70, Millers Tavern, Va.; St. Christopher's School, 711 St. Christopher's Road, Richmond, Va. 23226; or the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 1108 E. Main St. Suite 1600, Richmond, Va. 23219. See our Cookie Policy. She believed that Andrews eating habits were not the stuff of pathology but those of a growing boy. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration I was blessed to know him, and his family is in my prayers. Hannah Overton passed away in Peterborough, Lincolnshire. ), As the Overtons wait on the appellate courts, Larry goes about the task of raising their five children, while also trying to rebuild his business. Overton was convicted of capital murder after being accused of force-feeding Burd enough sodium to kill him. He was such a kind person and always had a smile on his face. Hannah was always drawn to stray people.. 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. . Rather than let him remain in his wheelchair most of the day, as previous caretakers had done, Hannah kept him moving; she took him into his familys pool to stretch and used massage to loosen his contracted muscles. In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. . 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. Some people love stray animals, remembered her mother, now remarried. He was the first one to introduce me to kayaking from Aylett to Walkerton on the Mattaponi. Taken together, the disparate details formed a disturbing picture. Her husband, Larry, took aplea deal for a lesser charge in the case and was given probation. He served as president of the School of Law. He was a gentle and kind person always willing to help others. This is a child that came in [to the emergency room] in cardiopulmonary arrest and was dying. I could never thank my attorneys enough for fighting endlessly to prove my innocence and bring me home.. Does God want a child to go to bed hurting, in pain, fearful, being looked at by closed-circuit television? Dear Overton Family and Friends of Dabney. He was good to everyone he met. Nueces County jurors found she'dfailed to seek timely medical care for the boy. 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. Cynthia Hujar-Orr, Gerry Goldstein and John Raley were apart of Overtons appellate team that helped overturn the conviction. 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 would have been witness number one for the defense, Gilmore told me. When Andrew complained of being hungry that afternoon, Hannah gave him more of the leftover soup. 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. We thought that he would stop turning to food for comfort when he learned that he could trust us. To try and curtail Andrews compulsive eating, they put him in time-outs, though to little effect. I was lucky enough and feel so honored to have been loved by Dabney. The families shared an unofficial open-door policy, and when Andrew had begun acting up the previous afternoon, Hannah had called Haller for help, asking if she could look after Sebastian for a little while. The Overtons live in East Texas and told ABC News they have housed and supported prisoners after their release through their non-profit organization, Syndeo Ministries. 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. The defense presented the jury with a medical mystery. Fueling the publics antipathy was an affidavit written by a CPS child abuse investigator named Jesse Garcia, who claimed that Hannah had admitted to forcing Andrew to drink two cupfuls of chili with water and quoted her as saying that she then beat the shit out of him. Garcia never produced any documentation or witnesses to corroborate his claim, and internal police memos show that law enforcement officials doubted the veracity of his story. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? Hannah would never harm a child. Even setting aside her loyalty to her friend, the detectives theory made no sense to her. The prosecutions most persuasive testimony came from Rotta, the pediatric critical care specialist who had originally expressed concern that Andrew had been mistreated. After dinner the kids settled down in front of the TV to watch a movie that was Isabels pick: a Japanese animated film that her brothers and sisters showed less enthusiasm for, fidgeting as they lay next to each other on the carpet. Dabney was a pleasant person to be around. Andrew was a sweet boy who had significant neurological and developmental disorders. I pick out the games and I make the decorations, if I can. She devotes most of her evenings to Bible studies, leading groups of inmates through careful examinations of Scripture. 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. I remind them that the Lord loves him more than anyone could and we will see him again someday.. I feel at such a loss, as do all of us who were fortunate enough to have been graced with Dabney's presence. It was Emma whom Hannah was pregnant with when Andrew died, and she is the child Hannah knows least. In the eyes of law enforcement, Hannah and Larry were not grieving parents but perpetrators of an appalling crime. He had a speech disorder called echolalia, which is one of the things we see typically in children who have autism spectrum disorders. (Both carry shorter sentences and differ from capital murder on the issue of intent; a motorist who hits and kills someone while driving too fast is often deemed to be criminally negligent in that he did not set out to take a life but was aware of the danger of speeding.) Just after five oclock, the Overtons put him in their car and rushed him to a nearby urgent care clinic. If he had Downs, that was the blessing that God had chosen to give us, Larry said. The absence of their mother and their late brother was quietly acknowledged. There was a time when I questioned how God could allow this to happen, she said. And Eastwood was fired from the DAs office in 2010. She would later admit, according to one report, to using alcohol, methamphetamines, cocaine and crack cocaine, LSD, marijuana, cigarettes, and taking prescription Xanax. His father was seventeen and worked for a traveling carnival. He was preceded in. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? Died Feb. 18, 2003 Mrs. Nettie Sue Overton, 78, Florence passed away Tuesday at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital. Dabney will be missed by so many. (A former pastor of Hannahs had advocated reprimanding children when they were dishonest by putting a single red pepper flake on their tongues.) On October 2, 2006, 29-year-old Hannah Overton and her husband, Larry brought Andrew Burd, their four-year-old foster son whom they were in the process of adopting, to a hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas after the boy stopped breathing. My infrequent visits to my home of Richmond were always highlighted when I ran into Dabney and spend some time to catch up with one another. Hannah Overton and her husband hold up one of their Christmas presents. He defecated on the floor of his bedroom, then smeared feces on the bed, the dresser, and the walls. 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Even more devastating to Hannah were the actions that CPS took that January. Hannah Overton, family celebrate her pregnancy months after she's declared innocent in boy's death, Hannah Overton, supporters chant 'Actually innocent' after capital murder dismissal, Nueces County DA to dismiss Overton case, declare woman innocent, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. More outspoken was Andrews Sunday school teacher, who sat Hannah and Larry down and told them that he was a troubled kid. Larry called out that dinner was ready, and we gathered inside around a rough-hewn oak table he had made years ago. In the classes they had been required to take by CPS to become adoptive parents, they had been warned that foster children often hoarded food and were more likely to have eating disorders. The Overtons already had four children, and Larrys incomehe installed landscape lightingwas barely enough to make ends meet. Leave them blank to get signed up. My husband enjoyed sailing with him at FBYC and running into him during a few running events in Richmond. 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.. 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. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Overton was released on bond in December 2014 after a Texas appellate court overturned her conviction and life sentence. OVERTON, Dabney III, died peacefully on Monday, November 9, 2009 surrounded by family and friends. Dabney will be greatly missed, but not forgotten. Overton has accused Eastwood of acting unethically in her case, something Eastwood has denied repeatedly.

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