Maurice LaGrone Jr/Amanda Hamm drowning deaths of Hamm's three children

mysteriew · #1 06-29-2005, 06:37 PM

Many facts in the investigation into the deaths of three children in Clinton Lake are inaccurate and should not be disclosed to potential jurors in the murder trial of Maurice LaGrone Jr., a defense attorney says in a court document.
LaGrone and Amanda Hamm, both 29, are awaiting trial on nine counts of first-degree murder in connection with the drowning deaths of Hamm's three children in September 2003.

LaGrone and Hamm escaped from Hamm's car but Christopher Hamm, 6, Austin Brown, 3, and Kyleigh Hamm, 23 months, remained in the back seat as the car sank into the lake.

LaGrone attorney Jeff Justice defended his request to keep certain facts of the murder case behind closed doors in a response filed with the Illinois Supreme Court. The state's high court has been asked to reverse a ruling by DeWitt County Circuit Judge Stephen Peters to close a hearing to bar a jury from hearing certain statements made by Christopher and Austin.

Peters strongly urged the prosecution and defense to work toward an early October trial date. The case will be tried in Champaign County, where it was moved because of extensive pre-trial media coverage.

http://www.pantagraph.com/stories/06...50629005.shtml

mysteriew · #2 09-13-2005, 09:46 PM

A man accused of drowning his girlfriend's three children in Clinton lake cannot get a fair trial in McLean County and should be tried elsewhere, his attorney argues.
Maurice LaGrone Jr., 30, and his former girlfriend, Amanda Hamm, 29, each are charged with nine counts of first degree murder in the September 2003 deaths of Hamm's three children. His trial is scheduled to start next month but may be delayed.

Defense attorney Jeff Justice told Judge Stephen Peters on Monday a recent electronic survey of 8,126 households in McLean County showed the potential jury pool may be biased.

http://www.pantagraph.com/stories/09...50913025.shtml

mysteriew · #3 09-26-2005, 07:00 PM

The trial of a man charged in the drownings of his former girlfriend's three children is scheduled to begin Feb. 6 in Bloomington.

Lawyers for Maurice LaGrone Jr. agreed with prosecutors today on a final set of deadlines designed to bring the case to trial more than two years after the children's deaths.

LaGrone is charged with nine counts of first-degree murder in the drownings of 6-year-old Christopher Hamm, 3-year-old Austin Brown and 23-month-old Kyleigh Hamm. The children were in the back seat of a car that sank into Clinton Lake on Sept. 2, 2003.
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/update9261.html

PrayersForMaura · #4 12-12-2005, 12:37 AM

Updated: Saturday, December 10, 2005 12:30 AM CST
LaGrone murder trial on track for Feb. 21 start

CLINTON - Maurice LaGrone Jr. is ready to begin his trial on nine counts of murder in February, according to his attorneys.

LaGrone defense lawyer Jeff Justice recalled comments Friday from LaGrone about the upcoming trial in which LaGrone and former girlfriend Amanda Hamm will face a jury on charges that they deliberately drowned Hamm's three children in Clinton Lake in September 2003.

Christopher Hamm, 6, Austin Brown, 3, and Kyleigh Hamm, 23 months, were in the back seat of their mother's car when it went into the lake front first. LaGrone was behind the wheel when the incident occurred.

More: http://www.herald-review.com/article...ws/1011798.txt

GreenEyedGirl · #5 04-01-2006, 12:22 PM

Just an update:

Witnesses discuss wetness of LaGrone, Hamm's clothes
Testimony adds to dispute about whether pair were in sinking car

By JAN DENNIS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published Saturday, April 01, 2006

BLOOMINGTON - Defense witnesses testified Friday that a man and a woman charged with drowning her three young children in Clinton Lake were wet when seen at a hospital the night their car sank into the lake 21/2 years ago.

Defense attorneys say the witnesses dispute earlier prosecution testimony that Maurice LaGrone Jr. and then-girlfriend Amanda Hamm appeared dry, despite telling investigators that they escaped as the car slipped into the lake but couldn't save the children.

The testimony in LaGrone's murder trial touched off an out-of-court debate among attorneys over what happened to the clothes witnesses say the couple changed out of after the Sept. 2, 2003, incident.

More at link: http://www.sj-r.com/Sections/News/Stories/82539.asp

imthemom · #6 09-09-2008, 09:17 AM

http://www.hoinews.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=187440

The woman who was convicted in 2006 of child endangerment in the deaths of her three children will be free Tuesday.
Amanda Hamm, 32, is set to be released from Dwight Correctional Center in Tuesday morning.

Being released already, what a shame, you kill your kids and get out in a couple years! WTH!!

PattyCake · #7 09-10-2008, 10:11 PM

AMANDA HAMM WALKS FREE.

"The latter charge said she allowed her children to be caught in a life-threatening situation in the back seat of her car while it was parked on a steep boat ramp on the lake."

How nice, another mother of the year. Excuse me while I visit the lady's room.

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2...b996981112.txt