GUILTY MI - James Nelson, 2, dies in hot car, Shelby Twp, 3 Sept 2013

[BetteDavisEyes]

In an earlier post on this thread, I mentioned that the mobile home park where this tragedy occurred is about 7 miles from my home (in a neighboring county). I also posted that I knew exactly how hot it got that day because I had a siding/painting crew working on my home.

I have a difficult time comprehending how no one was near the vehicle for more than 8 hours that day without noticing the little boy inside. Did the "roommate" never leave the mobile home during the day? No children playing outdoors, riding bikes, running through sprinklers, etc.? Really hard to imagine that so many hours could go by without anyone noticing the boy in the vehicle. Even harder to imagine a mother not calling to check on her little one during the entire work day. No communication between the mother and any of the usual sitters with whom the child might have been? Something terribly wrong with this picture. :banghead:

lease: Please let there be Justice for James lease:

 

[longtallcold]

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/i..._set_for_mother_cha.html#incart_river_default

$500,000 bond

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Preliminary hearing adjourned while Audrionna Rhoades undergoes competency exam

James Nelson died Sept. 3 after being left in van for more than 9 hours

Author: Halston Herrera, Senior News Editor for ClickOnDetroit.com, hherrera@wdiv.com

Published On: Oct 08 2013 01:28:40 PM EDT Updated On: Oct 08 2013 03:21:11 PM EDT

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. -
A woman who is accused of leaving her 2-year-old son to die buckled inside a sweltering minivan is faced her preliminary hearing on Tuesday.

Audrionna Rhoades, 21, of Shelby Township is charged with child abuse and second-degree murder.

The hearing was adjourned while Rhoades undergoes a mental evaluation and competency exam...

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...-van/-/1719418/22333508/-/psyesp/-/index.html


October 8, 2013 at 3:42 pm

Shelby Township mom to undergo exams in 2-year-old son's death in van

Ursula Watson /The Detroit News

Audrionna Rhoades, 21, cries during a hearing adjourning her case for 60 days in 41A District Court in Shelby Township on October 8.

Shelby Township — A Shelby Township woman charged in the death of her 2-year-old son had her case adjourned Tuesday for 60 days so she can undergo culpability and mental illness exams.

Audrionna Rhoades appeared before Judge Matthew Rumora in 41-A District Court in Shelby Township on second-degree murder and child abuse charges.

Police allege Rhoades, 21, buckled her son, James Nelson, into the safety seat of a minivan at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 3 and then drove another car to work...

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131008/METRO03/310080102#ixzz2hAHoG2Zl

 

[OkieGranny]

From last month:

http://www.macombdaily.com/general-...o-seek-probation-for-mother-of-hot-van-victim

Audrionna Rhoades, 22, is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 15 in Macomb County Circuit Court for her role in the September 2013 death of her 2-year-old son, James Nelson, who was left strapped in Rhoades’ van outside her mobile home for nearly 10 hours.

Rhoades will face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison instead of up to life in prison, after the state Court of Appeals in a 3-0 vote last week denied Macomb prosecutors’ appeal of Judge Jennifer Faunce’s dismissal of a second-degree murder charge against Rhoades last February.

Upon Faunce’s ruling, Rhoades immediately pleaded no contest to child abuse, leaving a child in a vehicle causing death, a charge similar to manslaughter.

 

[wendybtn]

The saddest part of this to me is that the perp will likely serve much less than 15 years but Baby James only got two years.

 

[Rayemonde]

November 2012:

A woman who left her toddler in a hot vehicle in Shelby Township in 2013 received three years probation but could receive additional time behind bars if she violates probation.

Audrionna Rhoades, 23, received a sentence below the advisory sentencing guideline range of 15 to 25 months in prison Tuesday from Judge Jennifer Faunce of Macomb County Circuit Court...

She was originally charged with second-degree murder, punishable by up to life in prison, but it was dismissed by Faunce. Macomb prosecutors' appeal was rejected by the state Court of Appeals...

Rhoades had served nearly eight months in the county jail before posting 25 percent of a $50,000 bond, which Faunce had reduced.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20151118/woman-who-left-child-in-hot-van-gets-probation

 

[Rayemonde]

http://law.justia.com/cases/michigan/court-of-appeals-unpublished/2015/326047.html

Dr. Daniel Spitz, a medical examiner, testified that the victim was put in the van at approximately 8:00 a.m. Defendant told Shelby Township Police Detective Jason Schmittler that she left for work at approximately 8:15 a.m. Defendant did not ask Walden to watch the victim on the day of the incident. Instead, defendant told Detective Schmittler that she assumed Walden would watch the victim...

Defendant also stated that she “‘didn’t do it’” at “odd times” during her interview with Shelby Township Police Officer James Osterland, and when Officer Osterland had not asked defendant about her involvement, which further suggests that she put the victim in the van.

 

[Rayemonde]

She denied putting him in the van... But why would she go out to work and leave a two year old with someone who was asleep and didn’t know they were supposed to be watching him??

If the roommate had been arrested, would she ever have owned up? Or would she have seen her go to prison?