PA - Porchia Bennett, 3, beaten to death, Philadelphia, 17 Aug 2003

mysteriew

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Jerry Chambers has told a psychiatrist that he is not a 33-year-old black man from South Philadelphia.

Instead, Chambers - charged with beating a toddler to death - claimed to be a 16-year-old white girl from Arizona named Darryl during an April 8 psychiatric evaluation.

Robert W. Stanton testified that during that court-ordered evaluation, the man accused of murdering 3-year-old Porchia Bennett in 2003 went to extreme lengths to pretend he is mentally ill.

He called Chambers' behavior a "classic case" of malingering.

"You could just feel it in the room - he was just pushing to convince me," Stanton, medical director of the Philadelphia courts' mental-health clinic, told Common Pleas Court Judge Renee Cardwell Hughes yesterday during a competency hearing.

"When I asked him about Philadelphia, he said, 'What's Philadelphia?' " Stanton testified.

Stanton said Chambers also claimed that his birthday was in 1948 and insisted that he was in jail on a car-theft charge - not a murder case.

Assistant District Attorney Richard Sax has argued that Chambers is faking mental illness to avoid a death-penalty trial.

Stanton testified that he believes Chambers wants to go to Norristown State Hospital rather than stand trial, and "upped the ante" to attempt to convince Stanton that he is incompetent.

"It was clear throughout the interview that he made every effort to appear sicker than he was," Stanton said in his report. "... This represents merely an effort to avoid the criminal-justice system."

Chambers is accused of beating Porchia with a belt and whipping her with an extension cord, then smashing her into a radiator after he caught her watching him have sex with her aunt in the South Philadelphia apartment they shared.

Chambers; the aunt, Candace Geiger, 20; and Porchia's mother, Tiffany Bennett, 29, were scheduled to stand trial together April 11. That was postponed when the issue of Chambers' competency was raised last month.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/11408128.htm
 
A judge has ruled that Jerry Chambers is competent to stand trial on charges he beat a 3-year-old girl to death, even though Chambers yesterday told the judge his name was Bob.

The 33-year-old black man from South Philadelphia previously told a psychiatrist that he was a 16-year-old white girl from Arizona named Darryl.

Common Pleas Court Judge Renee Cardwell Hughes ruled that Chambers was "lucid and clear" until a March 30 psychiatric evaluation, when he began "a very aberrant presentation of who he is."

"We're going to go forward and go to trial, and he needs to focus and help his lawyers," Hughes said.

Assistant District Attorney Richard Sax argued that Chambers was faking mental illness to avoid a death-penalty trial.

As attorneys discussed the issue of his competence, Chambers kept his head in his hands and stared at the floor. His attorneys, Charles P. Mirarchi 3d and Norman Scott, told the judge that Chambers did not wish to testify yesterday about his competence.

When a court officer asked Chambers to raise his right hand to be placed under oath, Chambers raised his left hand. He then said his name was "Bob Chambers" and spelled his last name "C-h-r-s-o-n-d."

"Are you also known as Jerry Chambers?" the judge asked.

"No," Chambers replied in a low voice, shaking his head.

That caused his alleged accomplice, 20-year-old Candace Geiger, to drop her jaw open and shake her head in apparent astonishment

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/11437154.htm
 
Holy Smokes . . .

Chambers' attorney, Charles P. Mirarchi 3d, told jurors that his client was addled by crack cocaine and did not intend to kill the child. A specific intent to kill is a necessary component of first-degree murder, Mirarchi explained.

Taking a 20 lb. 3-year-old child and smashing her head into a radiator in my book is specific intent.

"This is not a whodunit, ladies and gentlemen. We're going to ask you to return a verdict of third-degree murder," Mirarchi told the jury. He added that medical evidence does not conclusively show the oldest sister had been raped.

Riiiiiighhhhtt ... 10 year olds really are into consentual sex.

Bennett's attorney, Charles Dennis, argued that the children's mother was not aware of the abuse. Dennis suggested that Chambers is a "monster" who was careful to hit the children only where the marks could be hidden by clothing.

"Everywhere you look on the skin of this child, there was a mark," Hood testified. "There were so many of them that they did overlap and coalesce... so I can't give you an exact count of the number of impacts this child sustained."

Now explain to me again how the mother missed this abuse????
 
Porchia's death ultimately changed the way the city searches for at-risk children and responds to hotline reports. Three days before Porchia died, a neighbor called the city's abuse hotline to report that the girl's older sister had severe bruises on her face. Two days later, when a social worker arrived at the apartment, no one answered the door. The social worker left a note and did not contact police. Porchia was pronounced dead the next afternoon.

So once again, the system failed and a child died. What a sad world we live in.
 
Speaking from expirence w/ Philly child services I can say Im surprised the social worker even bothered to leave a note! :banghead:
 
I don't understand why they would leave a note. I called CPS to investigate a situation that I knew was dangerous. The father is an alcoholic who forgets to come home or drives drunk or passes out places. The mom is a crackhead who comes home occassionally. The child usually has no real food in the house. If I didn't feed her she would eat a box of rice. This child hasn't been to a dentist in 6 years and complains that her mouth hurts. Her clothes are filthy. anyway, CPS goes to her home and when nobody was home they left a note. A week later, they made an appointment to speak to the parents. BIG DEAL. They made a recommendation that the family get therapy. The joke is that there has been no follow up. I understand that there is no physical abuse, BUT there is definate neglect. CPS is a joke.
Those poor children. It breaks ny heart.
 
csds703 said:
I don't understand why they would leave a note. I called CPS to investigate a situation that I knew was dangerous. The father is an alcoholic who forgets to come home or drives drunk or passes out places. The mom is a crackhead who comes home occassionally. The child usually has no real food in the house. If I didn't feed her she would eat a box of rice. This child hasn't been to a dentist in 6 years and complains that her mouth hurts. Her clothes are filthy. anyway, CPS goes to her home and when nobody was home they left a note. A week later, they made an appointment to speak to the parents. BIG DEAL. They made a recommendation that the family get therapy. The joke is that there has been no follow up. I understand that there is no physical abuse, BUT there is definate neglect. CPS is a joke.
Those poor children. It breaks ny heart.

I can only speak for the places Ive worked at and they leave a note so they have an alibi when the child is found dead they can say "See! We followed up! We left a note!". Its CYA on their part.
KEEP CALLING!!!! KEEP COMPLAINING!! and start documenting the neglect.
It also helps to have other witnesses.
I have a BA in Social work and worked for nearly 6 years as a social worker.
There are some really good,over worked/under paid,,being held hostage by the law and red tape social workers who give a damn and go out of their way (sometimes nearly breaking the law) to get children saved.
You then also have jaded,lazy,over worked/underpaid,ignorant,grumpy,full of their own drama ,falsifying reports and work hard at NOT working social workers.
DONT GIVE UP!!! Neglect cases are hard to prove Im afraid and some workers say "the child has both parents,theres no obvious abuse so lets save our resources for the obviously abused" which although imo is b.s but is standard m/o in some departments.
I think every states dept is so broken it can never be fixed but thats another story for another time!
 
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/11558061.htm




.............
Posted on Wed, May. 04, 2005


Young sister vividly recounts abuse and 'who hurt Porchia' - 'Jerry'
.....................

But there were moments between the childish uncertainties when heartbreaking moments emerged. One of those passed when Sax asked the child if she knew why Chambers had hurt her baby sister.

The little girl paused and looked up, tossing those clattering barrettes. She rolled her eyes and screwed up her lips, searching for the right answer.

Finally, she found it:

"I don't know," she said.

Chambers is accused of tossing Porchia across the room that the adults and children shared because she wouldn't stop watching him and Geiger having sex. Porchia - who was undernourished and suffered from a condition of neglect and abuse known as inanition - suffocated while wedged between the bed and radiator.
 
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/11556254.htm
...............

Detective Aaron Booker testified yesterday that in an interview the day of Porchia's death, Geiger admitted punching the child in the stomach when she refused to eat a sandwich and would not stop staring at her.

"We only beat them when they do something wrong. Not every day, maybe every other day," Booker said Geiger told him. "Sometimes we would smack them. Sometimes we would punch them. Sometimes he [Chambers] would kick them, but he never kicked them in the face."

The victim's mother, Tiffany Bennett, 29, is charged with four counts each of conspiracy and endangering the welfare of children. She allegedly left Porchia and her three other daughters in Chambers' care. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty.
 
I am beyond being mad. I am beyond being angry. I am beyond being furious. I am so totally SICK! Why? Why does this keep happening? Where was the father, the landlord or manager, the neighbors, the school, the other family members? Why? Why wasn't this reported before it got to this point?
 
mysteriew said:
I am beyond being mad. I am beyond being angry. I am beyond being furious. I am so totally SICK! Why? Why does this keep happening? Where was the father, the landlord or manager, the neighbors, the school, the other family members? Why? Why wasn't this reported before it got to this point?

I can just sit here in stunned silence. Wasn't there anyone, anywhere who cared about this poor babies.
 
golfmom said:
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/11558061.htm




.............
Posted on Wed, May. 04, 2005


Young sister vividly recounts abuse and 'who hurt Porchia' - 'Jerry'
.....................

But there were moments between the childish uncertainties when heartbreaking moments emerged. One of those passed when Sax asked the child if she knew why Chambers had hurt her baby sister.

The little girl paused and looked up, tossing those clattering barrettes. She rolled her eyes and screwed up her lips, searching for the right answer.

Finally, she found it:

"I don't know," she said.

Chambers is accused of tossing Porchia across the room that the adults and children shared because she wouldn't stop watching him and Geiger having sex. Porchia - who was undernourished and suffered from a condition of neglect and abuse known as inanition - suffocated while wedged between the bed and radiator.
I'm sick just reading this. I could never be on that jury. I would find it impossible to control my rage. That little girl is so brave to be able to testify.
 
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/11575437.htm

Posted on Fri, May. 06, 2005

Two boys testify their uncle beat Porchia Bennett

They said Jerry Chambers punched the 3-year-old and her sisters. Chambers is charged with killing her.

By Jacqueline Soteropoulos

...........................

"Bad," answered Jayshawn, who wore an Eagles football jersey to court. "They got hit with extension cords and belts [by] Jerry and Candice."

Jayshawn also testified that Jerry Chambers sometimes brought his two large pit bulls up from the basement to attack the Bennett sisters. Once, he said, one of the girls was bitten on the eye.

His brother, Jayshine, testified that he saw Jerry Chambers hit Porchia in the face, and that he heard her crying.

Jayshine said he also saw Geiger hit Porchia's 10-year-old sister in the face.

"They got beat. They got punched. They got hit by hands and extension cords," Jayshine, clad in a jacket and tie, quietly told the jury.

........................
 
How could an adult (any adult) expose children to another adult doing this? This enrages me.

I grew up under the control of a violent drunk (my father). My mother lived in the home with us (4 children). She was beaten too. For the life of me, I will never understand why she let this go on. I have forgiven them both, but I believe they were both responsible. Granted, times were different then, but it's still no excuse. My mother's excuse was that she did the best that she could under the circumstances we were in. Sorry, but I just don't buy into that. I married young, and my ex is an alcoholic. I educated myself about alcohol, addiction, abuse, the cycles, etc, and I recognized that I was headed down the same road. I got out. I was not about to play a role in continuing the cycle.

God, help the children. It makes me want to cry.
 
I've been meaning to keep up on this thread and got distracted by the recent murders of Krystal and Laura . . .

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/11614410.htm

.........
In the trial over the child's death, the prosecutor earlier suggested to jurors that in addition to essentially abandoning her children to the man she paid to care for them, Porchia's mother, Tiffany Bennett, tried to conceal their declining conditions from the caring grandfather.

"I, Tiffany Bennett give Kirkbride School permission to keep [the 10-year-old girl's] grandfather away from the school during and after school hours," stated the handwritten note, dated March 25, 2003.

Oliver Bynum Sr. told investigators he had helped raise the girl and walked her to school until Bennett ensured he no longer had contact with the child. Even then, he said, he continued to deliver lunches to the school in hopes that his granddaughter would receive them.

Bynum told investigators that he knew nothing of continuing abuse of the eldest sibling and her sisters, and that he did not see any physical injuries on the eldest girl through March 2003.
............
 
The mother of slain toddler Porchia Bennett, who is accused of virtually abandoning the child and her three sisters, testified yesterday that she visited the girls nearly every day and never saw bruises or scars.

However, after the jury left the courtroom, Common Pleas Court Judge Renee Cardwell Hughes angrily confronted 29-year-old Tiffany Bennett.

"How much did Porchia weigh in September 2002, and how much did Porchia weigh in August 2003? And you really expect me to believe that you saw Porchia every day - when she lost 50 percent of her body weight?... She was so gaunt that she looked like a flippin' skeleton!" the judge said, glaring at Bennett.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/11643835.htm
 

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