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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.". She had only one sibling, a brother who was seven years her junior, and a father who was largely absent from her life. The way it was explained to me, thats how I would be charged if I accidentally ran a stoplight and hit somebody, he said. Think of your other children, she urged the couple. Hannah and Andrew - Texas Monthly Hannah liked the tall, serious-minded student who shared the same hopes she had of creating a life centered on children and Christian outreach. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? 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 am sorry to hear of Dabney's passing. Search by Name. 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. 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. She had studied years earlier to be an EMT, she explained, and although she had never worked as a paramedic, she had felt confident in her training. Dear God, thank you for the soup, Isaac said, his head bowed, his eyes closed tightly. (CPS had not yet sent them his Social Security card, which they needed to get him insured.) Im a pretty easygoing guy, but I remember thinking, Six kids? Larry told me. Write your message of sympathy today. I feel happy. I pray that you will bring Mom home soon.. More outspoken was Andrews Sunday school teacher, who sat Hannah and Larry down and told them that he was a troubled kid. 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. His mothers and fathers parental rights were terminated soon after he turned three. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Until Proven Innocent: the Hannah Overton Story The Huntsville Times. They chattered about an upcoming birthday party and discussed the merits of their favorite colors, finishing each others sentences between slurps of soup. But Rotta was alarmed by his overall appearance. I am glad to have had the chance to know him and will pray for your family during this difficult time. He will be missed. He was the first one to introduce me to kayaking from Aylett to Walkerton on the Mattaponi. I was one of those who was lucky enough to share a friendship with this kind, strong and loving man. His foster mother had taken him to a pediatrician for an adoption screening shortly before he had come to live with them, and the checkup had raised no red flags. To never have been producedit was very strange.. On October 3, while Andrew was still hospitalized, the agency removed Isaac, Isabel, Ally, and Sebastian from their parents custody, placing them in two separate foster homes in Beeville, sixty miles away. 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. He didnt drink or smoke, and the bands he listened to sang about glorifying God. ), 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. 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. Other witnesses testified that they had detected signs of abuse. Finally she relented, heating up what she had on hand: leftover vegetable-beef soup flavored with Zatarains Creole Seasoning. Although the adoption agency that had worked with CPS to find Andrew a home had described him as developmentally on target except for his speech delay, Larry and Hannah observed otherwise. She is awakened every morning at 2:45 a.m., rarely sleeping well; the overhead light above her bed never shuts off, and announcements blare throughout the night over the loudspeaker. 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. He was kind and gentle with me, and he made himself available no matter how busy he was. It should be noted that during the entire conversation, Hannah Overton showed almost no emotion, he later wrote in his police report. 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. She is amazing!". The burden on the state to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt was, Gilmore told me, perhaps less than it should have been. 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. 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. Andrews adoption hadnt been finalized, Haller said. Yet her life behind bars, however incongruous, has taken on its own rhythm. Make sure relatives of Jonah Lee Overton know they have sympathy messages here. No amount of money will ever bring back the years that were taken away, and the seven years of freedom I lost. Left: Hannah Overton at the Murray Unit, west of Waco, on November 21, 2011. 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]. His dogs and ours were "buds". I worked with Dabney at Browder Russell just after he graduated from W & L, and saw him often at FBYC. When a four-year-old from Texas died mysteriously of salt poisoning, his foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder and sent to prison for life. May God wrap his loving arms around you until we meet again. Andrews preoccupation with eating intensified, and he began getting out of bed at night to forage for food in the kitchen. Dabney will be missed by so many. 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. The sheets were filthy, and he was getting poop everywhere. (92 years old). Or had the tragedy claimed its second victim? Fellow church member Anita Miotti remembers their telling her and her husband, Rich, that they were struggling. But there were many other things she had missed from behind bars. Hannah Mason "Tess" Overton Obituary (2019) | Gunnedah, NSW - Echovita Those were great times. Now, she is 8 years old. The burden on the state to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt was, Gilmore told me, perhaps less than it should have been. The court ruledher trial lawyers were ineffective, and sent her case back to be retried. He will be remembered fondly. 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! And a succession of witnesses, nearly all of them members of Calvary Chapel, recounted Andrews unusual eating habits and Hannahs attentive parenting. Cynthia Hujar-Orr, Gerry Goldstein and John Raley were apart of Overton's appellate team that helped overturn the . Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Todd Yates/AP Photo, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. Obituary: Wendell Leon Overton (Updated) - The Cullman Tribune 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. 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. I may harbor doubts, but a jury heard this case and made a decision, and everyone has to respect that decision, he told the Express-News. Find Hannah Overton obituaries and memorials at Legacy.com Right, a photo of Andrew Burd held by Larry Overton. The information on this website does NOT constitute legal advice and you may not rely on it as such. I believe that the same God who made him is with him now in the most immediate sense. Early in the pregnancy, Hannah and Larry were informed that the boy would likely have Down syndrome. According to her family tree, she married Larry D. Overton on August 9, 1997 in Texas . A colleague of mine who attended the trial told me that the prosecution described Andrew again and again as a normal child, and that is a great distortion of the truth. Not long afterward, Larry and Hannah heard about Andrew at their church, Calvary Chapel of the Coastlands, which Andrews foster mother also attended. Larry outside his family's home, in Corpus Christi, on November 22. Being in the Overtons home had afforded Werkhoven an intimate view of the family. We thought that he would stop turning to food for comfort when he learned that he could trust us.. I could never thank my attorneys enough for fighting endlessly to prove my innocence and bring me home.. 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 Overton was just an ordinary homeschool mom. He and the kids return home the same day so that he can teach Sunday school the next morning. He hoarded food and sometimes ate from the trash, she warned, and he threw intense temper tantrums, which could be tamed only by holding and rocking him. Today I will thank God that I knew Dabney, if only a little. Dabney will be missed by a wide range of supportive friends and family. As Andrews condition deteriorated, CPS barred the Overtons from visiting their son. By the time Hannah took the stand, jurors appeared to have made up their minds. 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. The writ is the final opportunity a defendant has to introduce new evidence into the record. There were so many bruises and scratches that it would be difficult to describe them all. Rotta allowed that the appearance of Andrews body may have been due in part to the fact that he was coagulopathic, or not able to clot blood properly, a condition that occurs after a person has gone into cardiac arrest and can cause excessive bleeding and bruising. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. Dabney was a pleasant person to be around. Brother Paul Campbell will officiate the service. He was a very quiet and caring man. Throughout the meal, Andrew repeatedly asked, Is my mom okay? He also kept requesting more food. Prosecutors exploited that uncertainty in final arguments, asserting that Andrew did not have pica. 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. 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. In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. information about the Registry, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. She found him standing on a stool in the pantry, near the baking ingredients, having pulled something off the shelf. 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. And Eastwood was fired from the DAs office in 2010. A very special person has been taken from our midst and is and will be greatly missed. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. Hess became exasperated. I will always remember Dabney's love of animals, nature and good music. 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. I remind them that the Lord loves him more than anyone could and we will see him again someday.. All he needs is lots of love and attention, she told Larry. 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. Ive missed, you know, so many things, she said at the time. 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. (Hannahs mother and stepfatherwhom the courts had named managing conservators of the childrenwere then able to return them to Larrys custody.) She could not recall later what, exactly, he had been holding in his hand. In other words, if the jury could not agree conclusively that she had poisoned Andrew, it could still rule that she was guilty of capital murder by omission, or by failure to act. Absolutely not, Hannah shot back. 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. Knowing Hannah, it was inconceivable that she would ever hurt a child, said Noreen. Obituaries Section. I am sad that I won't see my friend Dabney again in this life here on Earth. We spoke last Tuesday about a biking trip we had plan in the spring to Cherokee,N.C. Because we were not thinking we were in a life-or-death situation, she insisted. Losing his patience, Larry took the sheets to the familys fire pit and burned them. My two boys will remember him always as "that tall man with the super cool motorcycle". 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. Her husband, Larry, took aplea deal for a lesser charge in the case and was given probation. Haller . There was a dead child, he observed. Funeral service for Wendell Leon Overton, 81, of Cullman, will be 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, November 24, 2021 in the Cullman Funeral Home Chapel. 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. It was later believed the boy suffered a rare medical condition called hypernatremia, which can cause fatal sodium levels in the body. Anne Turner Overton Haile died peacefully at home in Portland, Oregon on December 7, 2021. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. ABC News has followed Overton and her husband's story since her original trial. Hannah Marie Hurtin Overton (1823-1901) - Find a The boys symptoms that afternoonvomiting, chills, and lethargyinitially suggested to the Overtons that he had a routine ailment, like a stomach bug. 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. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. OVERTON, Dabney III, died peacefully on Monday, November 9, 2009 surrounded by family and friends. . Overton spent seven years in prison for the murder of a young foster child that she says she didn't commit. Todd Yates/Corpus Christi Caller-Times/AP. God bless you Dabney, we'll miss you. We were in it for the long haul.. My prayers and thoughts are with you all. My husband, Tom, and I were deeply saddened to hear of Dabney's sudden passing. Its not even a consideration, she said. The day Andrew died Hannah said she found him in the kitchen pantry but could not determine what he had consumed, if anything. At the time of his retirement, he was one of the three oldest practicing attorneys in the Commonwealth. Always with a Northern Neck Gingerale for me--I still can't buy a 12 pack without thinking of him. Cynthia Hujar-Orr, Gerry Goldstein and John Raley were apart of Overtons appellate team that helped overturn the conviction. Former prosecutor Anna Jimenez, who had assisted Eastwood as second chair at Hannahs trial, subsequently wrote a letter to Orr claiming that a sheaf of medical records that Eastwood had asked her to fax to an expert witness before trial had not included the documents that Orr had uncovered. . 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. But law enforcement officials are accustomed to handling child abuse cases, not medical mysteries, and salt poisoning is rare enough that most emergency room doctors will never encounter a case during their careers. EMTs and hospital staff had vigorously poked and prodded the boy as they attempted to revive him, first at the clinic, then in an ambulance, then at Christus Spohn Hospital, where he was initially taken, and finally at Driscoll, where he was transferred to the intensive care unit. You and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks. Most striking to the Overtons, and to their neighbors and friends, was his preoccupation with eating. Hannah understood little of what had taken place except that she, her mother, and her brother had to leave Corpus Christi behind. 2023 www.caller.com. 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. Our paths crossed later in life and we renewed our friendship. At 13, he served as a page for the General Assembly of Virginia. There are really no words. (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.) 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. He embodied the characteristics of a Saint and we will miss him very much. 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. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration Knew him well growing up. 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. Andrew continued eating until he threw up. I wish you and your family my sincere condolences. He was a very sweet and kind person. The boy was diagnosed with a toxic salt overdose and died the following day. The sodium content of Zatarains is not listed on its packaging. Hannah R. (Saem) Overton . 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. After drinking a little, he threw another tantrum that continued unabated for twenty minutes. If convicted, Hannah would receive an automatic life sentence. It has been a long time since I saw Dabney last. Four months later, on October 2, 2006, Andrew fell suddenly and acutely ill while he was alone with Hannah. The best memory is of riding camp the following summer when Dabney and a friend opted for motorcycle helmets rather than riding hard hats. He was a supportive friend to so many people, including me. Hannah was sure I would eventually come around. Im very thankful that this compensation is finally coming through, Overton told ABC News. He was kind, he was gentle, he had a great smile. I was blessed to know him, and his family is in my prayers. After he completed his probation, the charges were dismissed. He was a good guy and a good friend. A family birthday celebration in the summer of 2006. Overton spent seven years in prison after she was sentenced in 2007 to life without parole for the death of 4-year-old Andrew Burd, a boy she had planned to adopt with her husband. Hannah R. (Saem) Overton (born 1977) - Texas Our condolences to his family and friends. "We are so excited about all God has done in and through all of this. He was a gentle and kind person always willing to help others. Hannah Spencer Overton (born Haile) in FamilySearch Family Tree Hannah Overton in U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Hannah Spencer Haile in MyHeritage family trees (Baker Family Site (23andMe)) view all Immediate Family Private ex-spouse Private child Hannah Overton Tiffany daughter Private child Edmond Ware Haile father Irene Margarite Tyler In the eyes of law enforcement, Hannah and Larry were not grieving parents but perpetrators of an appalling crime. 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. . 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. Hannah and Andrew In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. Frantic, Hannah began administering CPR in the backseat. Hannah managed to clean him up, but when she reiterated that he would have to wait until lunchtime to eat, he defecated on the floor again. More:Hannah Overton, family celebrate her pregnancy months after she's declared innocent in boy's death. Hannahwho had already lost a child and was now living apart from her four older oneswas in a fragile state of mind. See our Cookie Policy. 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 ministry's name Syndeo is taken from a Greek word meaning "to connect" or "be connected." . But others at Calvary Chapel expressed their concern. Dabney was born on July 31, 1963 and grew up in Essex County, Va. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. 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. 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. I was just trying to fix itto do anything I could to fix my baby, she said. Dabney was always smiling, no matter what was going on in his life. I figured, Well, weve got to start with one, so lets see how far we get. Isabel, and then Ally, followed. Hess, who investigated child abuse cases for the police forces family violence unit, had a very different impression of Hannah. I wish you and your family peace in this difficult time. Once reunited with their childrenwho were terrified by the ordealLarry and Hannah had to break the awful news to them about Andrew. Elaine and I are deeply saddened by his sudden passing. (You can just tell by looking at her how evil she is, one wrote.) The appellate court did not rule specifically on Overton's claims of prosecutorial misconduct, saying she deserved a new trial on claims of ineffective counsel. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital. But after Hannahs conviction, the DAs office offered him several plea deals, each of which required him to acknowledge that he had intentionally caused Andrews death. 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. Sometimes he cried inconsolably for hours. My only hope is that I will see him again. They had 4 children and were expecting their fifth. In 2007, Hannah Overton was sentenced to life in prison for the death of her 4-year-old foster son. He was loved by many for his gentle nature and loyalty. Prosecutors had accused her of givingthe boy a mix of water and spicy seasoning that contributed to the high levels of sodium in his system. But after the girls, the Overtons conceived their fourth child, Sebastian. CORPUS CHRISTI - Early on Oct. 3, 2006, the morning after her neighbor Hannah Overton had rushed a dying 4-year-old boy to a nearby urgent care clinic, Kathi Haller got a visit from police. A pediatric critical care specialist who treated Andrew at Driscoll, Alexandre Rotta, grew equally troubled. Channel Three, Channel Six, Channel Ten, the Caller-Timesthey all knew ahead of time, Gilmore said. lakers celebrity seating chart 2019 bottle caps candy root beer only bottle caps candy root beer only I think I'll always remember him as simply super cool himself. They convicted her based on the latter argument, that she did not seek help quickly enough. The jury was not just going to let her walk. Capital murder carries two possible punishments in Texasthe death penalty or life without paroleand the district attorneys office had already decided not to seek death. I never knew him but it is obvious from all the wonderful things that people are saying that he was an incredible person and friend to so many.