NC - Randolph Thomas, 4, starved to death, Durham, 1 Sept 2005

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mysteriew

mysteriew

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The boy, Randolph Thomas, weighed only 12 pounds and was reported in critical condition at Duke Hospital.

The arrest warrants against Richard and Amber Dowen of Riverside, Texas, alleged the couple had starved the child since April.

Police said Dowen earlier told them that his stepson appeared to be unconscious and needed a doctor. The boy had bruises on his head and marks on his chest.

Another child inside the tractor-trailer, a 15-month-old girl, appeared to be healthy and is now with a county social worker, police said.
http://pub2.bravenet.com/news/92920030/8325/1
 
The 4-year-old boy found unconscious and badly malnourished in a tractor-trailer truck on Wednesday died at Duke University Hospital this morning, and his parents now face murder charges.

Randolph Thomas weighed 12 pounds when his stepfather flagged down a deputy sheriff on South Miami Boulevard near Interstate 40 and said the boy needed to get to a hospital, according to police.

Investigators say they think the couple had starved their son since April. The boy also had bruises on his head and marks on his chest, according to a statement from police.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/2774583p-9213154c.html
 
WRAL.com - News - Judge Denies Bond For Texas Mother Accused Of Killing Son

... Investigators said they believe the abuse had lasted for several months. Photos of the child show his eyes and cheeks were sunken and his ribs and most of his bones were protruding.


But Amber Dowen's attorney, Michael Driver, said in court Wednesday that the whole picture of what really happened and who was responsible was still unclear.


"We don't know who played what role in what happened here," Driver said.


Although he would not explain why, Driver repeatedly reminded the judge that Amber Dowen was just 20 years old and that her husband was 32 years old.


"He is certainly 12 years older than she is," Driver said. "And he's not Randy's biological father."


The couple does have together a 15-month-old daughter, who is now in custody with Durham County Social Services. Photos of her show a seemingly happy and apparently well-fed little girl.


Gerrell told the judge, however, that he also had some concerns about the daughter as well.


Prosecutors said they are considering the death penalty and may announce their decision in the next couple of weeks.


Richard Dowen is also in jail without bond.
 
A 4 year old weighed 12 pounds :snooty: My grandson weighed more than that by the time he was 3 months old. I hope the little girl is okay.
 
WRAL.com - News - Texas Couple Faces Murder Charges In 4-Year-Old's Death

... Investigators say Amber Dowen cursed at them and spat at them, but she and her husband never explained how their little boy wasted away to nearly nothing.

Detective Tony Gill, who is working on the investigation, said the case has made an impact on the whole police department.

"You feel bad for the kid," Gill said. "You can't imagine what he's going through. It was something I've never seen before, something I'll never forget."
 
WRAL.com - News - Texas Couple Indicted On Murder Charges In 4-Year-Old's Death

... Authorities said Randolph Dowen weighed just 19 pounds and had bruises and cutlike marks on his body.

... Investigators seized rolls of film from the truck and developed them. In one of the photos, Randolph was eating a slice of pizza. In another, he was on a float in a pool. In both pictures, investigators said the boy had bruised and marks on his face and appeared to be thin and pale.

Officers said from the pictures, it was clear that he had been abused for some time...
 
:( I dont understand how any mother could starve their child like this ,I hope she gets the DP-it sounds like the little girl was next.:banghead:
 
You know, I keep thinking about this. Starving a child to death takes TIME. It's not some heat of the moment- parent out of control. It's calculated. Now, that makes me wonder... WHO could EVER do such a thing? I have a picky eater at home, and I worry about him all the time. I make sure he eats enough. I am always worried he isnt getting enough nutrition and the like... Good lord, what kind of mother would I be if I didnt worry about that? LET ALONE..... intentionally starving a kid? Ugh.... unforgiveable.:furious: :furious:
 
And it sounds like the defense is going to be obvious ... she was 20, he was 32. It wasn't his biological child. He was abusive, controlling, etc.

They should both be put to death, IMO. To starve that little boy and make him die such a slow, painful, calculated death - and all the while taking "good" care of the little girl that DID belong to the two of them ... I just can't put it into words. Was this a vendetta against the father of the boy? Was this her way of proving to her husband that she loved him more than the first guy? I'm sensing an insanity defense coming on here.

God bless that little soul. :(
 
What amazes me about these stories, besides the obvious how in the world parents can be so cold like this, is their denial.

Like in the case of Nixzmary, and all the other cases of children who have been abused to death over a long period of time, why do the parents call for help when the child is dead?

When they look at the child, they don't see what everyone else sees - that child was abused to death.

Is anyone else astounded at this? Here, there is this boy who was starved to death and his abuser flags down help for him, a state trooper. To show his abused to death child to.

The parents would almost seem more sane if they secretly buried these babies they kill. Instead they stand there, stupidly, pointing to their abused dead child.

There's something bizarre in this denial.
 
It is hard to say the reason. Yes the little girl was fed. But if you think about it, all they had to do for her was put some milk in a bottle and hand it to her. For the little boy, they would have had to cook. LE has been hinting at some problems with the little girl. I am not so sure that the little boy was targeted, I think that probably when the little girl went off the bottle, she would have suffered the same fate.
 
mysteriew said:
It is hard to say the reason. Yes the little girl was fed. But if you think about it, all they had to do for her was put some milk in a bottle and hand it to her. For the little boy, they would have had to cook.
Click to expand...
True except that the boy also had cut marks on him and bruises on his face in the photos. So I think that it was more than just neglecting to cook dinner or to hand him a sandwich. Besides, 4 is old enough to open a fridge to grab something ... ANYTHING ... to eat if you're hungry. Hunger is primal. If there was food of any kind available to this child, I think that he would have gotten it himself if his parents didn't. Unless he was somehow punished or intimidated not to. I could be totally wrong, but I do believe that this child was targeted. I guess we'll have to wait to find out if anything was found regarding the girl. For her sake, I hope she didn't suffer at the hands of these sickos too. :(
 
KatherineQ said:
What amazes me about these stories, besides the obvious how in the world parents can be so cold like this, is their denial.

Like in the case of Nixzmary, and all the other cases of children who have been abused to death over a long period of time, why do the parents call for help when the child is dead?

When they look at the child, they don't see what everyone else sees - that child was abused to death.

Is anyone else astounded at this? Here, there is this boy who was starved to death and his abuser flags down help for him, a state trooper. To show his abused to death child to.

The parents would almost seem more sane if they secretly buried these babies they kill. Instead they stand there, stupidly, pointing to their abused dead child.

There's something bizarre in this denial.
Click to expand...
Very good observation. It is totally bizarre how these abusers reach out for help when it's already too late. I wonder if it's really wanting help or if it's like you say - they just don't see how obvious it is to everyone else exactly what happened to their child. Could it be even that they think that they're going to get a legitimate death certificate on the child and then just move on with their lives? I hate to think that people are so cold but apparently, many are.

This boy didn't die quickly. Why did they wait until he was unresponsive to "look for help". He was certainly sick for some time.
 
This is heart breaking 19 pounds at 4 years old!!! Somebody must have seen something, why did it never surface until his death. Evil parent, evil parents. This is cold calculated killing in the worst way.. It breaks my heart, this poor little soul wasted away painfully, starved for food and love no doubt. Both of these worthless freaks need the death penalty, but first starve them for about 3 to 4 years first, then lead them to the death chamber, hungry and starving for love, give them a big joy juice of sodium penothal (sp?). How anyone could do this is beyond my ability to understand, but there is definitely evil among us and here's another prime example. Good buy sweet baby, God will feed and love you now.
 
What a brave and strong little boy Randolph was! He must have struggled so hard to stay alive - only 12-19lbs - he really had a strong spirit and it's so sad that this world will have to go on without someone as admirable as he was.
 
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/story/878898.html

So-called mom wants to retract her guilty plea and start over. :furious: That witch knows she is guilty! Her and the other monster let that poor baby suffer and starve to death. IMHO the 26 years he got wasn't even enough for the pain that poor Randolph must have suffered.
 
Aspiration pneumonia...most likely he inhaled his own vomit...how is she not guilty of watching her son die and not saving him? She could have slipped him food or milk, or dropped him off at a fire station or hospital??? She deserves the same kind of hell-ironic that she is clearly getting her three squares in prison, if you forgive me for pointing it out...
 
Richard Dowen

Housed: Pamlico Correctional Institution
Sentence Date: 09/17/2007

Offense: 2nd Degree Murder
Sentence: 16 years 4 months - 20 years 5 months

Offense: Child Abuse-ISBI
Sentence: 7 years 8 months - 10 years (consecutive)

Offense: Child Abuse-ISI
Sentence: 2 years 7 months - 3 years 11 months (consecutive)

Total Term of Sentence: 34 years 3 months 25 days
Projected Release Date: 09/28/2037

Amber Nicole Dowen

Housed: NCCI Women
Sentence Date: 01/14/2008

Offense: 2nd Degree Murder
Offense: Child Abuse-ISBI
Offense: Child Abuse-ISI
Sentence: 16 years 6 months

Offenses combined for sentencing purposes.

Projected Release Date: 10/04/2018
 
Posted: January 14, 2008

Durham, N.C. — A judge on Monday refused to strike out the guilty plea of a woman for starving her son to death and instead gave her at least 13 years in prison.

snip

In December, Amber Dowen asked Superior Court Judge Ronald Stephens to allow her to withdraw her plea. She said she had inadequate legal representation and felt she had no choice but to plead guilty.

Stephens denied that request on Monday after reviewing the court transcript. He sentenced Amber Dowen to between 13 years and 1 month and 16 years and 6 months. She had faced up to 24 years in prison.

More at link:
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2301144/
 
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