CONVICTION OVERTURNED TX - Andrew Burd, 4, dies of salt poisoning, Corpus Christi, 2 Oct 2006

CORPUS CHRISTI - Hannah Overton has been found guilty of killing four-year-old Andrew Burd. The verdict came down just after 3 p.m. Friday afternoon. It took the jury 10 hours of deliberation to decide Overton was guilty of capital murder.

From the link.
 
From what I am reading seems like a gross miscarriage of justice??
What's the general feeling? There isn't too much in the articles and this is the first I have heard of this case. It sounds like she did what she could.
 
This child was supposed to be adopted by a minister at her Church, which quite frankly I don't think much of. He and his wife changed their mind because the kids had 'problems'.
Anyway. She gave him chili for dinner and he wanted more. She said he was always too hungry and she told him no and mixed up Zattarain's spice and water in a huge glass and then thought that would make him sick so filled a sippy cup full of the mixture. Then when he is dying she waits at least an hour to call EMS. He had so much sodium in his system the Hospital reran the tests thinking they were a mistake.
When they asked Hannah's mother on the stand if she thought it was appropriate to give a child a mixture like this to drink, she said ' I really couldn't say'.
The whole trial they tried to make this child out to be a monster which he wasn't he was a kid who was still hingry after dinner. Good God feed him a little extra. Haven't we all had days where we are still hungry?
I am upset about this because the State gave this mom (who kills the child) money to care for this foster child and refused to let the natural grandma raise him because she was old. I guess when you are in your 60's you are supposed to curl up and die. At least he would be alive.
 
Oh. Those articles are not so clear. They kinda make out he was just vomiting after she gave him a soup-like mixture in an attempt to fill him up so he wouldn't over eat on stodgier food. At least, that was my take.
 
Now I get it. I hope the witch gets exactly what she deserves.

Thank you so much for taking the time to educate me. I greatly appreciate your effort :)
 
Man if she dont get whats coming to her on earth, she will answer for it one day. This made me sick.
 
300_0000024379_0000029013.jpg


Biological family not notified about child's death, investigation continues
Oct 7, 2006 03:36 PM CDT
CORPUS CHRISTI - A young boy, [Andrew Burd, age 4] who died while in the care of his adoptive parents, was laid to rest on Friday. Funeral services for little Andrew Burd, were held at Seaside Memorial Park.
After family and friends paid their final respects, his casket was placed in a mausoleum. The four-year-old boy, who choked and then stopped breathing, after he was reportedly forced to drink salt water laced with cajun spices, died Tuesday night.
Police are treating his death as a homicide, because they claim his adoptive parents, Larry and Hannah Overton waited nearly three hours, before taking him to a hospital.

More shocking details on abuse suffered by 4-year-old before death

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CORPUS CHRISTI - A shocking confession in the investigation into the death of 4-year-old Andrew Burd. According to court documents, the woman who was going to adopt the boy confessed to beating the boy just hours before his death.
The preschooler died Oct. 3, after police said his mother, Hannah Overton, gave the child water with chili powder. Doctors ruled the death as sodium poisoning. Those details contained in an affidavit filed by Child Protective Services.
According to the document, at least one of those parents is accused of killing the boy. Details of the last hours of Andrew's life have angered, appalled and shocked people for the last few weeks, and now new details are surfacing.
Court documents say Andrew was hungry and wanted to go to McDonald's. Hannah Overton did not take him there. She took him home.
"At the home she fed him chili, which he ate and then he asked for more, according to Mrs. Overton," it states in court documents. "She then took chili powder and poured it in a glass of water to give to him. Andrew drank the chili water, dropped to the ground and then threw up and complained of being cold."
Hannah Overton said she put Andrew in the bath to warm him up, but it did not work. While talking to Corpus Christi police, Hannah Overton changed her story.
"Mrs. Overton stated she fixed two sippy cups with the chili with the water and forced Andrew to drink it. The first cup to teach him a lesson, and the second as a form of punishment. At that time, Andrew fell over, hit his head and then threw up. She then picked him up and 'beat the s*** out of him,' " the affidavit states.

Sunday school teachers describe 4-year-old Andrew Burd
KRIS-TV


CORPUS CHRISTI - Jurors in the capital murder trial of Hannah Overton heard from members of the Overton's church. She is accused of killing 4-year-old Andrew Burd with a lethal dose of Cajun spices.
Sunday school teachers who taught Andrew described him as happy but hard to manage. The defense team for Hannah Overton called three members of the Overton's family church.
All three witnesses were Sunday school teachers for Calvary Chapel of the Coastlands. The first was Victor Castillo.
He would continually ask, even after snack time, if he could have more and generally, I would give him more," Castillo said.
Castillo taught along side his wife, Terry. Both described Andrew as a handful.
"There were times when he would take food out of the trash," Terry Castillo said. "He would immediately walk in and ask me when snack time was going to be. He would crawl underneath the tables and pick up crumbs."
Christina Velasquez, who also worked as a Sunday school teacher, said she noticed Andrew always picking at his skin.
"I had to make sure that classroom was always stocked with extra band aids, just for Andrew, because he would always pick at his scabs to the point they would be bleeding," she said.
But Velasquez also described Andrew as a sweet boy. One memory brought her to tears on the stand.
"We made a craft, and when he was finished, he said "I made it for my mommy," and his face was so happy," Velasquez said. "I had never seen Andrew, happy like that."


 
I haven't been able to read up on this one, but just from the first article I thought it was the whole deal with Zatarain's - the rice etc. I couldn't figure out why that was so horrible. NOW I get it. :(

I wish that spicy drink was all she was allowed to have in prison for the rest of her life. Really, I do.
 
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/80514/corpus_christi_couple_charged_in_death.html

This infuriates me!

"Part of recent court documents is an affidavit containing Hannah Overton's confession to authorities. Her story had changed from the original one, and she stated that on the day of his death, she had been angry with Andrew (for what is unclear) and had made him two sippy cups of water mixed with chili powder: one to teach a lesson, and the other as a punishment. He drank the water, then threw up and fell and bumped his head. She said she then picked him up and beat the s*** out of him. When she discovered he was not breathing, she panicked and called her husband who came home from work. Eventually, the husband took Andrew to a clinic. Authorities say the couple waited hours before taking him anywhere. Hannah Overton's attorney says that everything in the affidavit is a lie."
 

Sunday school teachers describe 4-year-old Andrew Burd
KRIS-TV
CORPUS CHRISTI - Jurors in the capital murder trial of Hannah Overton heard from members of the Overton's church. She is accused of killing 4-year-old Andrew Burd with a lethal dose of Cajun spices.
Sunday school teachers who taught Andrew described him as happy but hard to manage. The defense team for Hannah Overton called three members of the Overton's family church.
All three witnesses were Sunday school teachers for Calvary Chapel of the Coastlands. The first was Victor Castillo.
He would continually ask, even after snack time, if he could have more and generally, I would give him more," Castillo said.
Castillo taught along side his wife, Terry. Both described Andrew as a handful.
"There were times when he would take food out of the trash," Terry Castillo said. "He would immediately walk in and ask me when snack time was going to be. He would crawl underneath the tables and pick up crumbs."


Good Grief! From all I have read about this baby, IMHO he was freakin' starving!!!!!!!!!!! His Sunday school teachers failed him too...:snooty:
 

thanks for the links.

oh my gosh, this makes me so upset:

"According to court documents, the Overton children told investigators little Andrew underwent stricter punishment in the home.
Isaac, 7, also told police that his brother, Andrew, is the one who got in more trouble and was never doing antyhing right. Isaac said Andrew had to stay in his room, and his mother watched him through the 'security camera' which was pointed at his bed.
Another of the Overton's children noticied problems as well. Isabel, 5, told investigators, "He gets no food, has to stay in bed, and does not get to go on trips. Isabel indicated on one occasion Andrew had to stay in bed for two nights and he could not even get up to go to the bathroom, and he had to 'poop' in the bed."
She too mentioned that the Overtons made sure Andrew stayed in bed by watching him on the camera. "

from the first link in the quoted post
 
Court documents say Andrew was hungry and wanted to go to McDonald's. Hannah Overton did not take him there. She took him home.
"At the home she fed him chili, which he ate and then he asked for more, according to Mrs. Overton," it states in court documents. "She then took chili powder and poured it in a glass of water to give to him. Andrew drank the chili water, dropped to the ground and then threw up and complained of being cold."

:( he wanted to go to McDonalds.....I hope this errr female dog rots!:razz:
 
I think this women should be in prison for life and should be given nothing to eat or drink for the next fifty years but chilli water!!! What a sick *****
 
thanks for the links.

oh my gosh, this makes me so upset:

"According to court documents, the Overton children told investigators little Andrew underwent stricter punishment in the home.
Isaac, 7, also told police that his brother, Andrew, is the one who got in more trouble and was never doing antyhing right. Isaac said Andrew had to stay in his room, and his mother watched him through the 'security camera' which was pointed at his bed.
Another of the Overton's children noticied problems as well. Isabel, 5, told investigators, "He gets no food, has to stay in bed, and does not get to go on trips. Isabel indicated on one occasion Andrew had to stay in bed for two nights and he could not even get up to go to the bathroom, and he had to 'poop' in the bed."
She too mentioned that the Overtons made sure Andrew stayed in bed by watching him on the camera. "

from the first link in the quoted post

WTF.... why do people do this stuff... :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
 
They just featured this story on 20/20. They had a quite different take on it than I see here.

They'll rule on her appeal in 2 weeks.
 
After hearing both sides, I think mom is full of excuses. I do believe because of the child's background and developmental disorders, he did suffer from Pica. I do believe that the child ingested the salt on his own, but I also believe that mom used cruel and unusual punishment on other occasions.
However, the jury is wrong based on the evidence that was presented, and they could not say that this was murder beyond a reasonable doubt. I think if they had been properly shown the evidence, she wouldn't be in jail for life. I think her appeal will go through.

IMHO, this is manslaughter based on the fact that she didn't seek medical attention fast enough for him.

Hinky? yes. Life? Not with the evidence presented. Sorry.
 
After watching 20/20 and especially after hearing from the child's doctor and an expert on PIKA (pica?), I do not think this woman killed her son. It was obvious that the lead investigator and a couple of the jurors did not have a strong understanding of the charges, which is a damn shame.
 

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