GUILTY NY - Isabella Tennant, 5, Niagara Falls, 27 Aug 2012

Sorry I should have read the article before I answered, it says he is accused of killing her with "his own bare hands" which to me implies strangulation, causing compression and obstruction of her airway and death.

Poor little lady.
 
I think there was a sexual component to it. He did not have any 'issues' with a 5 yr old that would lead him to kill her. So I think he was acting out in a sexually sadistic way. jmo


eta:
In a statement released Monday night, Falls detectives said, “At this time we believe Freeman killed Isabella with his bare hands." Falls Police Capt. William Thomson, who commands the Criminal Investigation Division, said at a news conference that there were some signs of "trauma" on Tennant’s body, but “no evidence of sexual abuse.”
http://niagara-gazette.com/local/x321548386/Please-Click-Here
[ at least it seems that he did not rape her.]
 
Maybe he was trying to talk her into doing something to him, exposed himself, etc and she told him she was going to tell her Gma and he silenced her?
 
I agree. Not blaming the great g/ma but I would not go to bed and leave a 6 yr. old child in the company of a teenage boy, period. Too much temptation.
I trust a lot of people, some of them with my life, but there is no need to invite trouble to your doorstep.
She could have gotten cranky, threatened to tell her g/ma for something he was doing and he just snapped. Who knows what happened, but still, it was not a good idea to go off to bed with this child still up in the first place, let alone with a teenage boy in the house. It was just a disaster waiting to happen.
I just call it like I see it.

I agree- heartbreaking story and good advice- with that said, when my kids were small (although I did have qualms at first) our best, favorite babysitter was a teenage boy. He could hold the baby boy, while pushing the sister on a tricycle, while tossing a football to the older brother and walking the puppy! My kids LOVED HIM! He was an amazing young man, a role model, and is now a grown married man- I officiated at his wedding - he is a wonderful husband and son.

On the other hand I totally agree with you. doubtful I would ever have a sitter of any kind again- after reading these stories in WS.
 
Maybe he was trying to talk her into doing something to him, exposed himself, etc and she told him she was going to tell her Gma and he silenced her?

I have wondered about sexual. But, possibly she saw him stealing from Gma. Maybe she said she would tell on him for that. Or one other option I have considered is that he was doing drugs. He may have been doing some sort of drug, and then there really may not be a motive other than lose of control.
 
If you look at actual statistics, the greatest danger to children comes from parents or step-parents. We hear so much about a case like this because it is atypical.
 
Grandma let the guy to sleep there when his heat was turned off. Mother of the child did not like this guy hanging with grandma when grandma was babysitting the little girl. You really have to be careful with a small child around. And why did grandma go to bed herself but left the young child with this teen?

"Crystal Walker told WIVB-TV that 16-year-old John Freeman would frequently come and go from Walker's grandmother's house in Niagara Falls. She asked her grandmother, Sharon Lascelle, not to keep letting him in, but she told the Buffalo-based television station that Lascelle had a big heart, couldn't say no and would let Freeman sleep at the house when his heat was turned off."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/charged-death-ny-girl-court-17096376#.UD4dlKDwGSo
 
I have wondered about sexual. But, possibly she saw him stealing from Gma. Maybe she said she would tell on him for that. Or one other option I have considered is that he was doing drugs. He may have been doing some sort of drug, and then there really may not be a motive other than lose of control.


Nothing has been mentioned about drugs in this case. Testing would show that in his system. Perhaps he was looking at something on the computer and she threatened to tell. I'm really thinking the "I'm going to tell" scenerio is it. But what she was going to tell about we probably will never know :(
 
Maybe he was trying to talk her into doing something to him, exposed himself, etc and she told him she was going to tell her Gma and he silenced her?

I think you hit the nail on the head! I agree.I believe he wanted to do something sexual with her and when she refused he got mad and killed her.

I cannot fathom any other reason to do this to this lil girl who you have know since birth. I'm still sickened by this .I just keep asking "why"??
 
JMO but it sounds more like an impulsive, angry act rather than a sexual act. Maybe she wouldn't let him use the computer, told him to go home, made a derogatory remark about him (his home, his mother, etc.). If they didn't have heat in his home at times, then I am betting they didn't have a computer at his house either so this was probably a big deal to him to come over and get on g'mas computer. The games they each like would likely be very different due to the big gap in age difference. IMO he was probably hoping she would go to bed so he could play his games, get on FB, etc. and she was holding him up playing games a 5 y/o likes. I could see a 5 y/o letting him know that it was her g'mas house and computer.

No matter what occurred, he was 16 and she was 5 and nothing she could have done warranted murder. It certainly is not an accident when you choke someone so he can't claim that. It may not have been premeditated but it was still intentional. He can't claim self defense with a 5 y/o.

Her family is fortunate that he asked for help moving the body. They may not know the whys but they know most of the whats and have her body to put to rest. Otherwise I believe he would have lied and they would be left to wonder until and IF her body was found.

Mighty big pill for g'ma to have to swallow. I imagine it is going to leave a bitter taste in her mouth that she didn't have before. She was victimized by JF for being kind.

Wonder how long before he will hit the streets again. I read that the minimum in NY for 2nd degree "with conditions" is 10-25 and with no conditions it is life. I am not a lawyer so what are "conditions"?

I wish after these people are assessed/treated that if they can't be rehabilitated they wouldn't be put back into society. If they put this boy into the adult population, he will be worse coming out than when he went in.
 
Grandma let the guy to sleep there when his heat was turned off. Mother of the child did not like this guy hanging with grandma when grandma was babysitting the little girl. You really have to be careful with a small child around. And why did grandma go to bed herself but left the young child with this teen?

"Crystal Walker told WIVB-TV that 16-year-old John Freeman would frequently come and go from Walker's grandmother's house in Niagara Falls. She asked her grandmother, Sharon Lascelle, not to keep letting him in, but she told the Buffalo-based television station that Lascelle had a big heart, couldn't say no and would let Freeman sleep at the house when his heat was turned off."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/charged-death-ny-girl-court-17096376#.UD4dlKDwGSo

So sad: Bella was so excited for school that she had packed her lunch 2 weeks before school started.

Okay, so great-grandma was a push over and let this kid stay there in the winter when the heat was off BUT a) it is summer so no need for heat and b) if crystal didn't want that kid there when Bella was there, Great-grandma should have listened. Big heart or not, she should have taken her own grand-daughter's wishes into consideration before a random teenage neighbour's. IMO
 
So sad.
I have a 7 year old daughter and a 16 year old son. My daughter follows him around and always wants to do everything he is doing. Luckily my son would do anything for her: she was doing a cheerleading routine at school in front of her class and needed someone to be the bottom of her pyramid so he went on his lunch and did that for her. Once he accidentally dropped a water bottle on her and he was so upset by the thought that he hurt his little sister. It is too bad this boy didn't treat Bella the same way. :(

Bless your son!! But this boy was not her brother, there was no family connection, IIRC.
I had two older brothers who used to pick on me a lot, and we even got into fights... but neither one of them would have deliberately hurt me to the point of death. The oldest one was like your son, very protective.
 
I agree- heartbreaking story and good advice- with that said, when my kids were small (although I did have qualms at first) our best, favorite babysitter was a teenage boy. He could hold the baby boy, while pushing the sister on a tricycle, while tossing a football to the older brother and walking the puppy! My kids LOVED HIM! He was an amazing young man, a role model, and is now a grown married man- I officiated at his wedding - he is a wonderful husband and son.

On the other hand I totally agree with you. doubtful I would ever have a sitter of any kind again- after reading these stories in WS.

I'm sure there are exceptions. You obviously felt he could be trusted and you were right. Sometimes mothers have a sixth sense regarding those who are around their children. He had already shown that he loved your kids, and his actions around them gave you no reason to distrust him. Thank you for your thoughts.
 
So sad: Bella was so excited for school that she had packed her lunch 2 weeks before school started.

Okay, so great-grandma was a push over and let this kid stay there in the winter when the heat was off BUT a) it is summer so no need for heat and b) if crystal didn't want that kid there when Bella was there, Great-grandma should have listened. Big heart or not, she should have taken her own grand-daughter's wishes into consideration before a random teenage neighbour's. IMO

Wonder how old Ggma is? Maybe her health is not good, she could be getting kind of senile, not really able to handle watching a child for hours, maybe thought she could get some rest because the 16 y.o. was there to watch the child.
I'm sure she didn't intend for this to happen. But yes, I agree... when the mom protested, she should have paid attention. Or maybe Mom should have found someone else to babysit, even if it cost her a little more money.
I raised two boys by myself, and usually my mother kept them while I worked. But on occasion, if she was sick or needed a break for awhile, I had to get someone else to keep them. Not easy in a very small town. I didn't make much money, and sometimes it meant eating baloney sandwiches for a week to pay the babysitter, but I did what I had to do.
 
Does he have a FB?

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2
 
this hits really close to home for a few reasons....

We live in western NY less than an hour from the falls/Buffalo area and this has been all over our news, totally heartbreaking. Secondly I have an almost 5 year old who is getting ready to start kindergarten in a week just like Bella. I also have a 16 year old son who adores his little sister. It's hard to believe a precious little girl could do anything to warrant such an attack. I know we all ask why he did it? but really no explanation can excuse or rationalize the murder of this little girl. I think that's why this story really makes me sick to my core. I'm already pretty over-protective of my little ones but cases like this really hurt my heart and make me afraid for all kids, everywhere.
 
Does he have a FB?

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2


Usually the news would show that on TV, but no mention of one at all. Not sure but it may also be against TOS because of his age. They did mention on the news today that the coroner saw no signs of anything sexual, though. So reasons still unknown.
 
Usually the news would show that on TV, but no mention of one at all. Not sure but it may also be against TOS because of his age. They did mention on the news today that the coroner saw no signs of anything sexual, though. So reasons still unknown.



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