You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. . As I read the comments of so many I realize he touched everyone's lives just the same. -- Sarah Albiston, I enjoyed working with Dabney from time to time. 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. He called Hannah and Larry Mommy and Daddy, and he followed Larry everywhere he went, often stepping on Larrys heels as he trailed after him. Detective Hess was put on administrative leave in 2008 after it came to light that he had disclosed confidential information to the suspect in an ongoing investigation for indecency with a child. 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. If anything had been wrong, I would have known it, she insisted. The court ruledher trial lawyers were ineffective, and sent her case back to be retried. My two boys will remember him always as "that tall man with the super cool motorcycle". Hannah Overton and her husband hold up one of their Christmas presents. Left: Hannah Overton at the Murray Unit, west of Waco, on November 21, 2011. They had also watched the video of Hess questioning Hannah, during which she described calling a paramedic friend in Oklahoma for guidance when the boys condition deteriorated, and even using her cameras flash to check if his pupils were reactive, but never calling for an ambulance. My only hope is that I will see him again. Throughout the trial, Eastwood had suggested that the Overtons had withheld food as part of a larger pattern of abuse, and as she addressed the jury, she insisted that Andrew had scavenged for food because he was hungry. There were the charred remnants of his Spider-Man sheets in the fire pit. Share Dabney's life story with friends and family. Financially, the accident had come at a precarious time; Larry had recently purchased his bosss landscape lighting business, and he needed to put in long hours just to make ends meet. Richard and his wife had tried all sorts of tactics to deter him: redirecting his attention, putting gloves on him, even restraining his hands. 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. She reported Andrews unusual eating habits to his adoption supervisor when she visited the Overton home on September 25. 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. Overton's original trial attorneys admitted at an appeals hearing that they had made errors. He was preceded in. Both sides worked hard independently to determine the truth and achieve justice for the Overton family, the entire family. Its not even a consideration, she said. His mother was just sixteen, the file shows, when she gave birth to him in Corpus Christi on July 28, 2002. 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. I see Dabney very clearly at the dog park with Moose and Betsy, gliding along with that long stride of his and his big smile for everyone. I figured, Well, weve got to start with one, so lets see how far we get. Isabel, and then Ally, followed. It has been a long time since I saw Dabney last. Larry hurried home to help, but Andrew, who had been vomiting, only grew worse. He reached Doug Norman, who was part of the prosecution team at Hannahs trial and who is now responsible for fighting her appeal. It was founded in 2012 in conjunction with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law. Losing his patience, Larry took the sheets to the familys fire pit and burned them. This was usually on a road trip up or down the Valley. Obituary OVERTON, Dabney III, died peacefully on Monday, November 9, 2009 surrounded by family and friends. In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. Then he corrected himself. Another nurse, Dina Zapata, remembered Hannah smirking as she tried to resuscitate him. Rotta stopped short of describing the manner in which he believed Andrew had been made to eat a lethal amount of salta dose that, after analyzing Andrews blood, he determined would have consisted of 23 teaspoons of Zatarains Creole Seasoning or 6 teaspoons of salt. State district judge Jose Longoria, who would oversee Hannahs trial the following fall, would later rule Fernandezs finding of blunt force trauma to be inadmissible because it was not based on sufficient data or reliable methodology. The media coverage of the case stirred widespread outrage. ", More:Hannah Overton, supporters chant 'Actually innocent' after capital murder dismissal, More:Nueces County DA to dismiss Overton case, declare woman innocent. 3 Memories Hannah Overton Overton Hannah Jayne Passed away peacefully at Thorpe Hall on the 23rd December 2018 aged 28 years. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2007, Hannah Overton was sentenced to life in prison for the death of her 4-year-old foster son. She was always smiling, always laughing. As a teenager, she was captivated by missionaries stories of serving in far-flung places, and she began going on group mission trips herself, once venturing as far as Romania. With her first husband, whose name was Stephens, she lived in Iowa, and had one daughter. As long as I can make a nonfrivolous argument, Ill make it, but nothing in my job prevents me from praying for a more just outcome., There have been a few tear-filled nights because one of the kids misses Andrew, Larry said. My husband, Tom, and I were deeply saddened to hear of Dabney's sudden passing. Skurka ended up dropping the new case against her in 2015 but Overton remained in legal limbo until Gonzalez officially declared her innocence last year, thus closing a significant chapter on this decade-long case. Today I will thank God that I knew Dabney, if only a little. She left nursing behind, channeling her energy instead into raising the large family she had always wanted. 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. Hey dear, so sorry to hear this newstake care of yourself and your familythinking of you!! 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. Then, as always, Hannah had been composed, despite the strain she was under. Dinner was potato soupIts good and filling, and its cheap, Larry told mewhich the kids dived into after saying grace. Had Andrew sat among them, I realized, he would have been nine years old. Make sure relatives of Jonah Lee Overton know they have sympathy messages here. 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 after the girls, the Overtons conceived their fourth child, Sebastian. Dick and Sue Kemper; St. Christopher's School, Share to let others add their own memories and condolences. Every Easter and Christmas holiday was spent at the Reynosa orphanage, whose wards were primarily the unwanted children of prostitutes who worked the nearby red-light district. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Perplexed, Larry installed a baby monitor equipped with a video camera in the boys room so that he and Hannah could observe if Andrew was wandering into the kitchen at night. "God is so good!," Overton wrote in the social media post. 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. That Larry is able to be with the children at all, much less raise them, is a huge blessing, he told me. Overton had to have a blood transfusion and her new daughter spent a few days in a neonatal intensive care unit. information about the Registry, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. I knew Dabney in highschool and we became reaquainted through sailing and always remarked "what a small, small world." Because he was vomiting? Knowing Hannah, it was inconceivable that she would ever hurt a child, said Noreen. If he had Downs, that was the blessing that God had chosen to give us, Larry said. According to Hannah, Andrew once again asked for an early lunch, and once again, when she told him that he would have to wait, he defecated and smeared feces across the floor. One attorney was even moved to tears explaining how sorry he was for the mistakes he had made in Overton's case. Both womens accounts were problematic; Gonzalez had never made a statement to police and was testifying from memory after nearly a years worth of negative media coverage, while Zapata had failed to mention anything about Hannah smirking when she wrote her initial report about the incident. Afterward, she instinctively looked back to check on the children, not realizing that her face was covered in blood. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. Andrews foster mother, who had provided refuge to roughly three hundred children over three decades, was also supportive. They wed a year later and moved to Corpus Christi. 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. (CPS had not yet sent them his Social Security card, which they needed to get him insured.) Weeping, they told the children that their brother had gone to be with Jesus. (Like Eastwood, neither Norman nor Jimenez would comment for this article.) Before he left, Haller recalled his saying, You might want to prepare for the media.. Hannah, who was left with whiplash and a severely swollen jaw, spent the next several weeks immobilized by a neck brace, mostly confined to bed. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. Orra formidable legal mind whose work recently helped exonerate Michael Morton, a Williamson County man who was wrongly convicted of his wifes 1986 murderhad begun preparing a writ of habeas corpus, a last-ditch effort to persuade the courts to review Hannahs case. 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. Hannah was always drawn to stray people.. He was a good guy and a good friend. Throughout the meal, Andrew repeatedly asked, Is my mom okay? He also kept requesting more food. The entire Davila family sends our heart felt condolences to Dabney's family. Nueces County jurors found she'dfailed to seek timely medical care for the boy. She and her Menu. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. According to the ministry's website, Syndeo Ministries helps provide women in prison support including Bible studies, visitation and aftercare. He had a speech disorder called echolalia, which is one of the things we see typically in children who have autism spectrum disorders. The following day, family court judge Carl Lewis awarded temporary custody to Hannahs mother and stepfather. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. After the Overton family heard the news yesterday, they said they celebrated with a family dinner at Hannah's mother's home, "with nothing hanging over our heads.". He enjoyed everything he did, was always friendly and supportive. The passenger side of their old Ford van was not equipped with an air bag, and Hannah, who had pulled down her seat belt so she could turn to talk to the kids, was jolted forward, her face hitting the dashboard. She believed that Andrews eating habits were not the stuff of pathology but those of a growing boy. Hannah Overton announced the birth of her sixth child,Gabriela Aliana, this week in a Facebook post that described a difficult delivery. His tantrums grew longer and more extreme, and he often banged his head against the floor. As Larry stood in the kitchen and peeled potatoes, the kidsexcited to have a visitorshowed me around their house, pointing out their favorite hiding places and the plaster cast of their footprints in the hallway, which includes the letter A for Andrew. Not until Sebastian was born did doctors discover that his only impairment was a hole in his heart, which healed on its own. Whenever he got scaredand there was a long list of things that petrified him, from swimming to large crowds to the sound of balloons poppingthe Overtons worked to help him overcome his fears, reassuring him that they loved him and that he was in safe surroundings. Most striking to the Overtons, and to their neighbors and friends, was his preoccupation with eating. Overton was convicted of capital murder, an automatic life sentence in Texas because the child was under the age of 6. We were just waiting for someone to look at it and say this is just an accident, Larry Overton added. It came as a shock when I got the call from Peter Detlefs letting me know that Dabney had passed away. Overton was released on bond in December 2014 after a Texas appellate court overturned her conviction and life sentence. Not until shortly before closing arguments did jurors hear from the defenses expert witness, a Harvard-educated pathologist and assistant medical examiner in San Francisco, Judy Melinek, who offered her opinion that the sores were consistent with mosquito bites that had been scratched and picked at. If you need legal advice, then retain an attorney to discuss the facts of your case. 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. 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. There are two phones that the kids can speak into, and they eagerly pass the receivers back and forth, recounting the months events in stereo. When people are under severe stress, their judgment becomes poor., Cortess perspective was revelatory. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. 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. As you know, Dabney and I had a lot of good times and he was a dear friend and fraternity brother. 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. Ive seen doctors and nurses freeze up when a patient comes in convulsing or in extremis, he said. Im a pretty easygoing guy, but I remember thinking, Six kids? Larry told me. Until we specifically agree to act for you on a matter, you should not provide us with any confidential information or material. It was Emma whom Hannah was pregnant with when Andrew died, and she is the child Hannah knows least. Sister Overton grew up in Tuscumbia and lived most of her life in Florence. "We are so excited about all God has done in and through all of this. Hannah Overton spent seven years in prison until her conviction was overturned. My husband enjoyed sailing with him at FBYC and running into him during a few running events in Richmond. How had Hannah, who was six months pregnant and recovering from whiplash, managed to overpower Andrew? To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our. And its full of great reads, yall. The ministry's name Syndeo is taken from a Greek word meaning "to connect" or "be connected." Though the kids were in poor health, Hannah was unreserved in her affection. The doctor had been the on-call emergency medicine physician at Driscoll the day that Andrew arrived, and he had resuscitated the boy as he was transported to the intensive care unit. Channel Three, Channel Six, Channel Ten, the Caller-Timesthey all knew ahead of time, Gilmore said. He seemed a peaceful man. Overton has accused Eastwood of acting unethically in her case, something Eastwood has denied repeatedly. Cortes believed that Andrews death was accidental. Can Andrew be our brother? the girls pleaded. 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. They had 4 children and were expecting their fifth. 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. Please call me at your earliest convenience.. Andrew continued eating until he threw up. Sadly she lost her . Im supposed to be done crying, she said apologetically at one point, brushing away tears. 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. The Registry provides detailed information about every known exoneration in the United States since 1989cases in which a person was wrongly convicted of a crime and later cleared of all the charges based on new evidence of innocence. 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. celebrity wifi packages cost. He was born on April 2, 1940 in Little Rock, Arkansas to the late Lewis Franklin and Dwight Katherine Overton. They convicted her based on the latter argument, that she did not seek help quickly enough. 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. Its free. Preceded in death by his mother Hannah Spencer Haile Overton and infant brother Charles. 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. I feel sad. Several crossed their arms; others looked away. To Dabney and the Family: My heartfelt condolences and my thoughts and prayers go with each of you. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. I know he will be missed by all his family and friends. I wish you and your family peace in this difficult time. Dabney will be missed by many. Despite appearances, however, he was hardly a reprobate. She is also pregnant with her sixth child. 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. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Hannah would remind him, quoting Philippians. Does God want a child to go to bed hurting, in pain, fearful, being looked at by closed-circuit television? 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. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? Left: Andrew and Isabel playing together. My prayers and thoughts are with you all. 2023 www.caller.com. Hannah, I am very sad to hear this news. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. Andrews adoption hadnt been finalized, Haller said. Dabney will be greatly missed, but not forgotten. 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. See our Cookie Policy. Cynthia Hujar-Orr, Gerry Goldstein and John Raley were apart of Overtons appellate team, http://pr-prod.com/project/until-proven-innocent/, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/05/10/da-declare-texas-woman-innocent-salt-poisoning-case/315400001/, https://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-mother-freed-spending-years-prison-foster-sons/story?id=26186920. In 2011, Overtons appellate attorney, Cynthia Orr, filed a state petition for a writ of habeas corpus seeking a new trial. The paperwork Orr now forwarded to him, which showed that Andrews stomach contained a great deal of water, only confirmed the clinical directors initial conclusion. And a succession of witnesses, nearly all of them members of Calvary Chapel, recounted Andrews unusual eating habits and Hannahs attentive parenting. I spent many nights beating myself up over Could I have done this or could I have done that? Hannah told me, staring at her hands. The thoughts and prayers of your co-workers are with you and your family. There was a dead child, he observed. Top: A family birthday celebration in the summer of 2006. At first, the transition with Andrew went smoothly. I knew Dabney from the Richmond Athletic Club. Hannah Overton, far right, sits next to her attorney, Cynthia Orr, center, and prosecutor, Doug Norman, April 26, 2012, in Corpus Christi, Texas. "I could never thank my attorneys enough for fighting endlessly to prove my innocence and bring me home," she said. How can one person get probation and another get life without parole for the same thing? Larry said. Andrew seems very happy in this home.. He would have been witness number one for the defense, Gilmore told me. I feel happy. I was blessed to know him, and his family is in my prayers. Hess suspicions had developed the previous evening during an interview with Hannah, who had consented to talk to him without an attorney present. Nueces County jurors believed she failed to seek medical care for her foster son in a timely manner. January 21, 2023 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. The prosecution portrayed her as a mother who had lost control and tried to punish the young boy by giving him seasoning mixed in water. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Sometimes he cried inconsolably for hours. Because he felt cold? He suspected that as the boys condition worsened, Hannah had fallen victim to what he calls stress blindness, a phenomenon he had witnessed many times during his 42 years of practicing medicine. In 2007, Hannah Overton was sentenced to life in prison for the death of her 4-year-old foster son. Moritz, in fact, had been asked to testify as an expert witness for Hannahs defense at her trial. The congregation quickly dissolved. Always with a Northern Neck Gingerale for me--I still can't buy a 12 pack without thinking of him. Once a month, Larry loads the kids into his van and they make the trip together, although on those visits, no contact is allowed. During closing arguments, Gilmore emphasized that Hannah had no motive to kill Andrew and that the state had failed to prove that she had intentionally caused the boys death. 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. Hannah R. (Saem) Overton . After he completed his probation, the charges were dismissed. We had been told to expect a lot of the things we were seeing with Andrew, Larry told me. She is also qualified to receive insurance and education benefits. I'm not saying goodbye but that I will see you later. Overton spent seven years in prison before the Texas Court of Appeals overturned her capital murder charges on September 17, 2014. Share Obituary. AP. Peace be with you, Dabney. 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. Dabney Overton III Birth 30 Jul 1963 Death 9 Nov 2009 (aged 46) Days after she gave birth to her daughter Emma, CPS took the newborn into protective custody. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Following college, he worked as a financial consultant and more recently as a consultant for Terrestar Networks. 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. He was a member of Mt. She found him standing on a stool in the pantry, near the baking ingredients, having pulled something off the shelf. She and her husband Larry lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, and served faithfully in their church. How do you poison someone with a substance you dont know the contents of? That Hannah had not sought immediate medical attention did not change his view. Ill put it this way. The very dilute gastric sodium contents suggest . I knew Dabney through my daughter. . Yet the jury had never heard from him. They asked us, Can you pray that we have discernment and wisdom in helping him through this?. Hannahs supporters included a young churchgoer named Dawn Werkhoven, who had lived with the Overtons the year leading up to Andrews death. Even more devastating to Hannah were the actions that CPS took that January. An Unforgettable Texas Tale of Envy, Embezzlement, and Fruitcake, How the Texas Rangers Became One of the Most Powerful Forces in the State. He had so many interests and was loyal to those he knew and was involved with, especially those he sailed with as that is where I knew him. I am sorry to hear of Dabney's passing. If Hannah had been looking for a way out, she would have called the adoption agency and told them that she and Larry couldnt go through with it. Hess was unmoved. My deepest sympathy to his family on the loss of a truly extraordinary person. When she was fifteen, Hannah returned to Corpus Christi with her family to visit, and Larry, who had not seen her since they were kids, was immediately smitten. "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. According to juror number three, a high school English teacher named Margaret Warfield, that was not the case. 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. As a former private-duty nurse, Hannah felt equipped to handle the challenges of a foster child; she had spent several years caring for special-needs children, some of whom were profoundly disabled. At Hannah Overtons 2007 trial, the prosecution portrayed her as a mother who had lost control. (Andrew was told that he could not have any food at McDonalds, since he had already eaten.) Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Todd Yates/AP Photo, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Haller . My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Every Saturday for the past several years, Larry has ridden his motorcycle from Corpus Christi to the Murray Unit, the maximum-security womens prison west of Waco where Hannah is incarcerated: a squat, concrete building walled off from the world with cyclone fencing and coils of razor wire. My husband Al and I were shocked and saddened to hear of Dabney's death. May your memories bring you comfort. . Thats what Im trying to get you to tell me. With no obvious explanations to consider, he focused his attention on Hannah. 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.
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