IL - Alexus Smothers, 8, drowned, body hidden in crawlspace, 19 July 2011

Yes, on that we can agree. I just wonder if she set out to break the kid's neck on purpose, or she may have fallen down the stairs, or the mother just plain "lost it".

I think we can all agree it is horrible to kill your child, no matter what the reason, but sometimes I sorta can understand how it might happen. Hiding the body, however, is not a good thing, but then again, fear. People do strange things when they are afraid. Or so I believe.

I believe in physical punishments to a minor extent. A smack on the butt.. hand.. to emphasize discipline. HOWEVER, if you strike a child or anyone for that matter in anger.. you have lost control of yourself and you are the one that needs help with your own self and your own stresses and issues. And frankly..if you cant outthink and control yourself around an 8 yr old.. then you just plain cant control yourself.

Not going to get into a debate on this topic. I have been stressed to the max with having 9 kids all under the age of 11 living with me for almost a year so I am well aware of how stressful they can be and how much you want to smack the hell outa them sometimes. I also made my mistakes at how I handed out discipline when I lost my cool, but hitting them in anger is NEVER justifiable and should never be condoned. This is just my opinion and at 50 years old.. its not changing.

pat
 
Yes, on that we can agree. I just wonder if she set out to break the kid's neck on purpose, or she may have fallen down the stairs, or the mother just plain "lost it".

I think we can all agree it is horrible to kill your child, no matter what the reason, but sometimes I sorta can understand how it might happen. Hiding the body, however, is not a good thing, but then again, fear. People do strange things when they are afraid. Or so I believe.

does it matter if she broke her daughter's neck on purpose or not?
Her skull was smashed, her neck broken and she was beaten black and blue.
She was EIGHT years old. There is nothing that an 8 year old does that deserves this type of abuse.
 
There. Is. NO. Excuse. For. Killing. A. Child.

Period.

(MHO)
 
There. Is. NO. Excuse. For. Killing. A. Child.

Period.

(MHO)

You are 100% correct!

No way this was spanking gone wrong.

This was horrific abuse that led to death!

I also agree with tlcox. This woman is a monster.
 
I raised 5 children-ages now 22-38. I have 15 grandchildren. I have never hit one-I was a single parent for all intents and purposes.(Navy Mom). I have grounded, taken away privileges and 'left home' with a sitter. My children obeyed me because I was authority. Not because they were afraid of me. We talked out our issues, and I did lecture. To this day my 38 year old son says would rather have had a spanking than a lecture! I don't always know how I did it, but I did it. One rule I strictly adhered to was 'never hit your kid when you are angry'. I always felt any idiot could hit a kid-it took someone smarter and special to handle one without hitting them. I take pride today, however, watching my children handle their children without 'spanking' them. I know I did something right.
 
This is a summary of the video... paraphrased unless it's in quotes.
There were several important things in the video I hadn't seen in articles.

http://www.kmov.com/video?id=125896568&sec=549692

This Aunt is the sister of Alexus' mother.
She did attempt to go visit the defendant to find out why, what happened, why didn't she call one of them... they would have gone to get Alexus, they would have taken all the kids.
But she didn't call them to do that.

Alexus just caught her first fish with her grandmother.
Alexus had her first bike ride at her Aunt's house.
Alexus came home from Mississippi with fire ant bites all down her legs and thought they were freckles at first.

Alexus is always happy, always a bright smile that brightens everyday.
Alexus is reserved, kept to herself but if she wanted something she wouldn't stop until she got it.
Alexus had a great attitude, always made everyone's day better... if she smiled flashed her big smile you couldn't help but smile back at her.

Alexus is very intelligent.
Alexus and her cousin were going to work at McDonald's together and then be doctors together, she had life long plans.

Alexus went through things with her Mom, such as not being stable.

Alexus is a very loving girl and they are never going to stop loving her.

Aunt doesn't want to believe her sister did this... she didn't just lose one person, she lost 2. Even though her and her sister didn't always get along, she's still her sister.

If Alexus' Mom didn't do it then she is feeling really bad for her, because she shouldn't have to go through this alone.

If she did do it, she wants to know why... why she didn't just pick up the phone.

The family was told she was found in the crawlspace.
They checked for a pulse and found none.

"The cops told us that she was beat, almost her whole body was black and blue."
"Her neck was broken and the back her head bludgeoned severely."

"They think where it really happened was at the bottom of the steps and that's where she passed away at."
That Alexus' Mother was so scared that she just tried to hide everything.

"I don't understand how she can carry her lifeless body and put her somewhere else, that's the part I don't get. That's the part where I don't understand. You know, how can a Mom do that period. If she didn't do, how could she still cover it up, how could she still try to cover it up."

"There's a lot of questions all of us have. What happened, how did it happen... did she suffer? That's the most question that all of us have been asking in this house tonight."

"Did she suffer? You know, I don't want to think she did. Honestly, I know this sounds bad, but I hope she went... you know I hope she died fast...rather than died a gruesome death where she had to suffer a long time.
You know she's my niece... but it's just heart wrenching. It's just hard to deal with, for all of us."

They sat down and went through pictures, remembering about all the good times. They found the last message Alexus wrote... "I love you Phoebe."

The reporter asks about Alexus' brother and sister.
Including a younger, 6 year old sister.


The Aunt says that "yeah, she seen it happen, she was there."

An adult in the background says "and so did the autistic son."

The crying child says: "She was sitting on the couch when Aunt Mary killed my cousin, she watched it happen."

http://www.kmov.com/video?id=125896568&sec=549692

And I want to go hug that child and tell her that it will be okay... and make it all go away for her.

I feel horrible for this Aunt... and seeing her cry, smile, laugh... when remembering Alexus.
Seeing her go from "Alexus is" to "Alexus was" and back again... (acting like a typical grieving family member) was horrible.
But hearing that little girl in the background crying... was just above and beyond.

My daughter and Alexus are 3 months apart and about 3 letters apart on their names.
My daughter was almost named Alexus... spelled that way.

alexus3.jpg
alexus2.jpg
 
I always felt any idiot could hit a kid-it took someone smarter and special to handle one without hitting them.

Carmel, I commend you on raising a wonderful family. I also agree 100% that we shouldn't hit anyone in anger let alone children.

My father was anything but an idiot. As a small child I blatantly disobeyed my mothers orders to wait to go outside until she finished caring for my two brothers who were barely a year apart. An infant and a baby.

Not only did I leave the house I ran between parked cars and across the street which I was forbidden to ever cross alone. Not only was I spared being killed by inches I gave the man driving a heart attack. Literally the man had to be taken by ambulance because he suffered a heart attack thinking he hurt me.

Aside from neighbors screaming and screeching tires I to this day remember the beating I received when they reached my dad on his Highway Patrol duty. I got the belt. I also remember my poor mom beside herself and I remember him saying that he felt awful, but he'd feel worse if I once again ran in that street and was killed.

If I had not gotten that whooping I guarantee that I would have done it again. I was that kind of kid. I believe that my parents would have been negligent if I hadn't gotten that beating. There's plenty of idiotic parents that wouldn't even care what their children are doing let alone giving poor elderly men heart attacks.

Of course this is all different from what poor Alexus suffered. My dad didn't hit me in anger. He hit me out of fear. Fear that I would cross that street again and be killed.
 
"The cops told us that she was beat, almost her whole body was black and blue."
"Her neck was broken and the back of her head bludgeoned severely."


That's not "discipline" gone awry. That's cold-blooded MURDER. Period. End of story.
 
"The cops told us that she was beat, almost her whole body was black and blue."
"Her neck was broken and the back of her head bludgeoned severely."


That's not "discipline" gone awry. That's cold-blooded MURDER. Period. End of story.

I agree.

However, I worry about 3 defenses in this case... if she doesn't plead guilty.

"They think where it really happened was at the bottom of the steps and that's where she passed away at."


I am concerned if it happened at the bottom of the stairs that they are going to try and say it was an accident with the stairs.

I am concerned that she is going to use the "overwhelmed mother" excuse. Especially if the very last part of that video is correct... about the 6 year old sister and the brother with autism witnessing the crime. The overwhelmed mother with two little girls and a son with special needs... blah blah blah. (I have two children with special needs, including autism.)

I am concerned that if the brother with autism (still assuming there is one) is incapable of defending himself... that she might claim it was him acting out in a violent tantrum/rage... that he didn't mean to hurt his sister and that she panicked to cover up for her son.

If she doesn't plead guilty that 6 year old girl is going to have to testify.
I so hope that she just pleads guilty.
 
Carmel, I commend you on raising a wonderful family. I also agree 100% that we shouldn't hit anyone in anger let alone children.

My father was anything but an idiot. As a small child I blatantly disobeyed my mothers orders to wait to go outside until she finished caring for my two brothers who were barely a year apart. An infant and a baby.

Not only did I leave the house I ran between parked cars and across the street which I was forbidden to ever cross alone. Not only was I spared being killed by inches I gave the man driving a heart attack. Literally the man had to be taken by ambulance because he suffered a heart attack thinking he hurt me.

Aside from neighbors screaming and screeching tires I to this day remember the beating I received when they reached my dad on his Highway Patrol duty. I got the belt. I also remember my poor mom beside herself and I remember him saying that he felt awful, but he'd feel worse if I once again ran in that street and was killed.

If I had not gotten that whooping I guarantee that I would have done it again. I was that kind of kid. I believe that my parents would have been negligent if I hadn't gotten that beating. There's plenty of idiotic parents that wouldn't even care what their children are doing let alone giving poor elderly men heart attacks.

Of course this is all different from what poor Alexus suffered. My dad didn't hit me in anger. He hit me out of fear. Fear that I would cross that street again and be killed.

I remember getting my butt beat at 5 for the same reason. The car I ran in front of barely missed me, in fact my mom said it hit the ribbon on my dress. I never ran out in the street again.
 
Yes, on that we can agree. I just wonder if she set out to break the kid's neck on purpose, or she may have fallen down the stairs, or the mother just plain "lost it".

I think we can all agree it is horrible to kill your child, no matter what the reason, but sometimes I sorta can understand how it might happen. Hiding the body, however, is not a good thing, but then again, fear. People do strange things when they are afraid. Or so I believe.

Me being a parent that does believe in a spanking, I cannot at all understand how it this happened ,black and blue all over with a broken neck?

No I do not understand how it might happen. I also know that kids who are paid attention to and responded to with patience are mostly redirected before the child reaches a point of needing to be spanked.
I am no expect but I have 4, I have seen lots of people and their kids and the kids with the problems are always the ones who are pretty much ignored by the parents and the parent put their laziness and their wants and needs well before their childrens and blame the kids behavior for it.

I do think this mom is an awful person , I think she is selfish and didnt care about what emotional damage she might be doing to her kids and only was concerned with whatever it was that made her mad at the moment.

Maybe it is beyond her mental capability to be able to think about how to be a better parent or maybe she didnt care but good parents do not beat their children to death unless they decided to. Bad parents do it quite often.
 
I agree.

However, I worry about 3 defenses in this case... if she doesn't plead guilty.

"They think where it really happened was at the bottom of the steps and that's where she passed away at."


I am concerned if it happened at the bottom of the stairs that they are going to try and say it was an accident with the stairs.

I am concerned that she is going to use the "overwhelmed mother" excuse. Especially if the very last part of that video is correct... about the 6 year old sister and the brother with autism witnessing the crime. The overwhelmed mother with two little girls and a son with special needs... blah blah blah. (I have two children with special needs, including autism.)

I am concerned that if the brother with autism (still assuming there is one) is incapable of defending himself... that she might claim it was him acting out in a violent tantrum/rage... that he didn't mean to hurt his sister and that she panicked to cover up for her son.

If she doesn't plead guilty that 6 year old girl is going to have to testify.
I so hope that she just pleads guilty.

Where did you see the 10 yr old was there and he has autism? It is written the son is with his grandmother? I am just curious. Thanks in advance.
 
I completely disagree.I can't even begin to imagine what it should accomplish.
Teaching your child that it is ok to use violence to get someone else to do or to stop doing something?What else could a spanking possibly teach a child?

You spend a week with my daughter, who is more difficult than any "normal" child I've ever met, and then tell me spanking isn't an option. When you have done everything there is to do and she STILL doesn't listen, spanking doesn't sound quite so bad.

ETA: There is a difference between spanking (discipline) and beating your child. I have been SO upset trying to deal with my daughter and her tantrums and I've had to walk away so I wouldn't hit her out of anger. If a parent can't do that, they're in for trouble. It's when you start hitting/spanking out of pure anger that danger looms.
 
Yes, on that we can agree. I just wonder if she set out to break the kid's neck on purpose, or she may have fallen down the stairs, or the mother just plain "lost it".

I think we can all agree it is horrible to kill your child, no matter what the reason, but sometimes I sorta can understand how it might happen. Hiding the body, however, is not a good thing, but then again, fear. People do strange things when they are afraid. Or so I believe.

While I do get your point in a previous post about being honest and saying you can see how a parent might lose control. I've spanked when I shouldn't have spanked just because I was mad, tired, and just plain sick of her crap. BUT I have never EVER done anything more, nor have a I thought about it. I honestly haven't. So while I see myself as an honest person when it comes to my parenting, I can't say that I can "see" how a parent, while disciplining, may accidentally kill a child. No. You stop yourself. You never EVER let it get even close to going that far. Period. So even if this was an "accident", too bad. She deserves prison time for what she did.
 
Where did you see the 10 yr old was there and he has autism? It is written the son is with his grandmother? I am just curious. Thanks in advance.

I didn't say or know that he was 10 years old...

Sorry, I thought I made the source of this clear... :banghead:


The reporter asks about Alexus' brother and sister. There is a bit of discussion that is hard to hear about the child discussing the situation/crime.

The Aunt mentions the 6 year old niece and an adult in the background says that she saw the crime.

The Aunt says "yeah, she seen it happen, she was there."

That same adult in the background says "and so did the autistic son."


The crying child says: "She was sitting on the couch when Aunt Mary killed my cousin, she watched it happen."

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Illinois Eight-year-old found dead in home, mother arrested


Of course, do not trust my transcription.
I listened to it a dozen times and couldn't come up with anything that sounded enough like "autistic" to be it.
"10 year old" definitely doesn't.

I had not heard mention of autism until I was listened to that video so it caught me completely off guard.
I just listened to it several more times and I still swear that is what she says. :waitasec:

The Aunt also said they would have gone to get Alexus, they would have taken all the kids. But she didn't call them to do that.
That implies all 3 kids were there, even if they didn't all live there. Nobody said the son lived there. (In fact knowing he didn't makes me feel better, she can't use that as an excuse.)

Here is the link to the video... it is an emotional one.

http://www.kmov.com/video?id=125896568&sec=549692

If you are just looking for the "autistic" part and discussion about the siblings and wish to skip the rest, the mention of the siblings is about 5:25 into the video. The last minute.

It is hard to hear the reporter but she says "She has a brother and a sister..." and then the discussion starts. The initial background discussion is very hard to hear. What I wrote down was very clear.

You may listen to it several times, turn up speakers to hear all of it.

Or you might just trust what you hear the first time... unlike me. :innocent:
 
"This has been going on for three-fourths of her life. She's had a really hard life. She had to grow up really fast," Gaskin said. "She's at peace now. She was a precious angel. She had the most beautiful smile - I'm going to miss it so much."

Gaskin said her sister had three children, two girls and a boy. The girls lived with Zumwalt-Jophlin, while the boy lives with a grandmother, she said.

Gaskin said Zumwalt-Jophlin and her daughters lived with her until about four months ago. "I wish they'd stayed," she said.

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/stat...cle_9293d844-b2d7-11e0-85cb-001cc4c03286.html


However, the DCFS investigator said the agency is investigating an allegation of abuse and neglect in the case. DCFS had prior contact with the family in 2004, when a previously indicated allegation of neglect resulted in the removal of children from Zumwalt-Jophlin's home.

The family was reunited when the court case was closed in November 2005. A relative retained guardianship of Zumwalt-Jophlin's son, who has lived with her and not Zumwalt-Jophlin since the initial DCFS intervention.

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/stat...38f-11e0-aab5-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1TLVe1X1I
 

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