GUILTY IL - Raashanai Coley, 11, beaten to death, Waukegan, 6 Sept 2014

tlcya · Sep 7, 2014

The Lake County Coroners office said an autopsy determined Coley had a torn stomach as the result of blunt force trauma and those injuries led to her death.
The girls mother, Nicholette Lawrence, allegedly told police she struck the girl in the stomach earlier that week.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/n...-274265381.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_LABrand

32-year-old Nicolette Lawrence is held on a $5 million dollars bond after her 11-year-old daughter Raasania Coley died Saturday.

http://wgntv.com/2014/09/07/mother-...-murder-girl-died-after-being-hit-in-stomach/

Nicholette R. Lawrence, 32, was charged with first-degree murder for the death of her daughter Raasania J. Coley, Waukegan police said

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...ting-death-of-daughter-11-20140907-story.html

RT51 · Sep 8, 2014

That poor child! What a painful slow death she must have endured.

I understand getting angry at children. But I would never have punched them. I used to say "I'm really angry right now, so you need to leave the room or I will, because I don't want to do anything you and I might regret." I admit my kids were spanked a couple of times in their life, but it was always when I was able to control my anger and it was never done out of rage. As an adult, it is your responsibility to be in control of your emotions.

Ok, I'll get off my soap box now. :tantrum:

LarkBunting · Sep 8, 2014

This little one must have been in pain & agony for days before she died.

Did she go to school this last week? I imagine she would have been in too much pain??
Was she left writhing in a room in agony & ignored until she became unresponsive?
Unbelievable.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

oh_gal · Sep 8, 2014

I can't imagine the thought process going on in your head, that you would punch your child. Eleven years old.

OkieGranny · Sep 9, 2014

http://www.suntimes.com/news/297728...eath-shock-neighbors-police.html#.VA6HvCgqWAA

While a Waukegan neighborhood remained in shock Monday over the death of an 11-year-old girl, some neighbors expressed surprise to learn that Raasania Coley had been living on their block.

Terry Banks, who has lived next to Raasania’s family in the north side neighborhood for about a year, said he didn’t even know a third child was living in the Gillett Avenue two-flat...

Doctors reported malnutrition, old scarring and bruises, said Cynthia Vargas of the Lake County State’s Attorney Office. Authorities determined the death was the result of blunt-force trauma... A preliminary autopsy showed the punch went all the way to her spine and caused a tear in her stomach... Waukegan Sgt. Cory Kelly said the 11-year-old weighed only 60 pounds.

Lawrence's FB: https://www.facebook.com/nicholette.lawrence

She made some interesting comments about her daughter on March 8, 2012.

lizzybeth · Sep 9, 2014

I read this in the news yesterday. What causes someone to single out one child? Why was this sweet baby the punching bag for this woman? I couldn't see the comment on her facebook because it's been taken down.

OkieGranny · Sep 9, 2014

Hmm, you're right. That one post complaining about Raasania being a difficult child is gone, and yet everything else is still there. Usually the entire profile vanishes.

sloane7777 · Sep 9, 2014

ugh! how ? how could she ! that poor baby !i could not live with that, anyone want to take bets on sentencing on this? I will be surprised if she does over 5 years.

Lovejac · Sep 9, 2014

https://www.facebook.com/nicholette...4102021&set=yo.1815111362.2009&type=1&theater

Lovejac · Sep 9, 2014

Police responded to the home on June 21 after an anonymous caller reported a child may have been beaten. But Kelly said that case was still open and declined to provide details about what officers found that night

“The home was dirty and they found vomit that had not been cleaned up,” Vargas said. “The defendant also admitted to beating the girl with an extension cord in the past.

According to Waukegan Public Schools, Raasania was pulled out of school during the 2012-13 school year.

http://newssun.suntimes.com/2014/09/08/waukegan11-year-olds-death/

tlcya · Sep 9, 2014

OkieGranny said:
Hmm, you're right. That one post complaining about Raasania being a difficult child is gone, and yet everything else is still there. Usually the entire profile vanishes.

fortunately at least one person got a screen cap and lovejac linked it above. I too now have it tucked safely away.

So sad when a child is apparently scapegoated by a caretaker to receive the brunt of all the anger rage and wrath they cannot seem to control. Vile horrible behavior. I hope she pays the max penalty.

Okay, just found it still there on her page, it is not gone, it is posted on Mach 11, 2012 and has 3 comments beneath it.

FB has a habit of hiding some of your posts if you post a lot sometimes you need to look for the tagline beneath posts that reads "more posts from between [date range]" When you click that the comments that FB hid return.

BatWoman · Sep 10, 2014

No more pain, Raasania. Life isn't fair.

OkieGranny · Dec 18, 2014

http://www.nwherald.com/2014/12/17/trial-set-for-waukegan-mother-accused-of-murder/ax3dnk/

A trial has been set in March for a Waukegan mother accused of killing her 11-year-old daughter... She faces life in prison if convicted of the charges...

She remains in Lake County Jail on $5 million bond.

wendybtn · May 5, 2015

http://www.chicagotribune.com/subur...lawrence-murder-case-0331-20150330-story.html

New public defender assigned to (what kind of) mother, accused of killing her daughter that neighbors didn't even know lived there. Autopsy showed malnutrition and long-term abuse. Trial date set for June 29, but may be delayed.

perfectingpink · Oct 21, 2016

Mom pleads guilty to first-degree murder in 2014 death of Waukegan girl

A crying Nicholette Lawrence pleaded guilty to the 2014 murder of her 11-year-old daughter Thursday in Lake County Circuit Court and faces up to natural life in prison at a January sentencing hearing.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/subur...rence-murder-plea-st-1021-20161020-story.html

OkieGranny · Jan 13, 2017

http://www.chicagotribune.com/subur...cing-waukegan-mom-st-0113-20170112-story.html

Nicholette Lawrence alternately cried and buried her face in her hands as her sentencing hearing for the murder of her 11-year-old daughter unfolded Thursday in an audio- and video-assisted depiction of cruelty and brutality...

On Thursday afternoon, video clips from an iPhone recovered by Waukegan police from the home depicted the girl's pleas and cries as her mother beat her and screamed at her. The picture was wandering, appearing to show a video game screen as the swearing, screaming woman scolded the child and loud whipping sounds could be heard.

Those video clips were recorded April 3 and 5 of 2013, the year before Coley died, according to Assistant State's Attorney Fred Day...

After the cellphone clips were shown, Booras suspended the hearing until Friday morning, when the defense is expected to provide evidence, and closing arguments are expected.

LietKynes · Jan 13, 2017

What a beautiful girl she was !

Rest gently, Raasania !!

Too bad the punishment can't fit the crime.

byo · Jan 15, 2017

Waukegan mother apologizes for fatal abuse of daughter
Judge taking the weekend to ponder her sentence for killing girl
updated: 1/13/2017 6:52 PM | by Lee Filas

The Waukegan woman who pleaded guilty to killing her 11-year-old daughter said she is taking responsibility for what she did and apologized during her sentencing hearing Friday in Lake County court.

Lawrence was initially charged with 14 counts of first-degree murder but pleaded guilty to one count in October 2016. She faces 20 years to life in prison.

Testimony and attorney arguments ended in the sentencing hearing Friday. Booras said he wants to review the case and will rule Tuesday on Lawrence's prison sentence.

(. . .)

Defense attorney Keith Grant argued Lawrence was caught in a "cycle of violence" throughout her life, was a teenage runaway, was forced to be an exotic entertainer, and was physically and sexually abused by her parents.

He asked Booras to give Lawrence a "sliver of hope" of being freed in her lifetime.

OkieGranny · Jan 17, 2017

http://www.chicagotribune.com/subur...m-murder-sentence-st-0118-20170117-story.html

At one point referring to Nicholette Lawrence as a "monster mom," a Lake County Circuit Court judge sentenced her to 43 years in prison Tuesday for the murder of her 11-year-old daughter, Raashanai Coley.

Booras noted that the sentence must be served in its totality, meaning Lawrence will not be eligible for good-behavior time off. She will be given credit for more than two years served in Lake County Jail, so Lawrence, now 35, could be released at approximately age 76...

Referring to video clips showed in court last week in which Lawrence could be heard screaming obscenities at the child and loudly beating her, Booras said he could reach no conclusion other than "this was an orchestrated way to kill this child."

"The defendant and others ... treated this child as an animal," Booras said. "We saw the video of this child being beaten by her mother with a belt, and to someone's amusement. Someone was videotaping it. People are strange."

GUILTY IL - Raashanai Coley, 11, beaten to death, Waukegan, 6 Sept 2014

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