Sounds like step mother was resentful she had to take care of somebody's else child. Then she shouldn't have married a man that already had a child.
GUILTY OH - Austin Cooper, 4, scalded to death, Franklin, 15 March 2016 *Arrests*
- Thread starter Tssiemer
- Start date
Sounds like step mother was resentful she had to take care of somebody's else child. Then she shouldn't have married a man that already had a child.
oceanblueeyes
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 26,446
- Reaction score
- 43,689
I think this must be one of the most horrific ways to die. I am sure everyone has burned themselves before even slightly and realizes it causes so much pain but to be scalded to death is an unimaginable horror for this little boy. God rest his sweet little innocent soul.
This story reminds me of one that happened in a neighboring city from mine about 20 years ago. To this day when I close my eyes I can clearly see the little boy's sweet dimpled angelic face. In that case DFC emloyees should have also been charged with an accessory to murder. He was five years old and had a smile that would melt concrete. Such a cute little boy someone would have loved to adopt.
The mother of that little boy had him taken from her several times because she had abused/neglected him or because she had been in jail for drugs and prostitution. But, like in so many of these sad cases which involves the most innocent among us, DFC would keep returning the precious child to her time, and time again when she got out of jail. The last time she got out of jail she was living with her mother, and her little boy.
One day she scalded him in hot water and threw his naked little body on his bed, and left him there to die. It took five days of what had to be the most agonizing pain and suffering imaginable before the little guy passed away. What did his own grandmother do? Not one thing. She only walked into that room of utter despair checking to see if he had died yet.
They had planned to call 911 after then saying it was an accident because they knew dead children cant talk.
When he passed away the ME found beyond the horrible severe scalding burns many bruises and numerous broken bones which had improperly healed on their own. Everyone let him down. DFC, mom, and grandmother. DFC put him back into his house of horrors.
He never had a chance at being loved by good parents like he so much deserved to be. All he ever wanted was someone to think he was special and showing how much they loved him. It is one case that has stuck with me all of these years. It didn't have to happen and it never should have happened. Their records on him were so large they had several binders documenting her grossly abusing him violently or neglecting him, and all of the records showed what a dangerous risk it was to let him be returned to this worthless woman he called Mama. DFC in that case had blood on their hands imo. The only good thing to come out of it was the DFC workers involved in his case were fired. It came out that the last social worker that gave him back to his mom hadn't even read his voluminous background history with his mom and all the abuse she had done to him each time they gave her custody of him.
It irks me when family law Judges thinks it is in the best interest of the child for them to remain in the home with the abusive parent/s. Bio mothers are the worst ones in both genders for grossly neglecting/maltreating overall) and abusing their child or children. 59% of gross maltreatment done to a young child is done by their own mothers.
Then we have heartbreaking cases like this one. Its a never ending trail of tears for so many of these children who are living daily in their own torturous hell behind closed doors and so many tears have been shed by those who care so deeply about all of these children even if they/we never knew them personally.
We frequently remind young children about stranger danger, but the truth is 95% of children who are grossly abused/neglected and murdered it is by either bio-parents or bf/gf or step/dad/mom. A child is more apt to be hit by lightning rather than be abused by a stranger.
She most likely was jealous of his little son but then how could someone logically be jealous of a four year old little boy or be jealous of any step children for that matter regardless of the age of the children? That is very strange to me.
I love my two stepdaughters as if I had given birth to them myself and would do anything for them if the need arose as fast as I would do it for the three I birthed. My step daughters know it too. Blood flowing through the veins of the child or the parent isn't what makes a loving parent anyway. Its all about what they have inside of them that fills their heart with overwhelming love for their step child/ren even if there isn't an ounce of bloodline linkage to be found. I call them my bonus children given to me by God and what a treasured blessing they have been for over 32 years now. So stepmoms like this one are foreign to me.
I just don't get how anyone could purposefully hurt children much less murder them. I have learned after years of following cases like this one, that I will never understand how any parent-(bio-step-adopt. or foster) can look into the innocent face of children and do violent acts against them. Maybe its best I don't understand these kind of monsters who resorts to abuse or the murder of children. The love her boyfriend had for her (if he loved her) is far different than the love he had for his little boy. If jealousy is the motive for murdering him it shows how self centered she truly has to be. If she didn't want to be a mom to him then she shouldn't have ever married his father in the first place, but, because she did there is another little innocent life lost now who never got a chance to live the life he deserved.
This story reminds me of one that happened in a neighboring city from mine about 20 years ago. To this day when I close my eyes I can clearly see the little boy's sweet dimpled angelic face. In that case DFC emloyees should have also been charged with an accessory to murder. He was five years old and had a smile that would melt concrete. Such a cute little boy someone would have loved to adopt.
The mother of that little boy had him taken from her several times because she had abused/neglected him or because she had been in jail for drugs and prostitution. But, like in so many of these sad cases which involves the most innocent among us, DFC would keep returning the precious child to her time, and time again when she got out of jail. The last time she got out of jail she was living with her mother, and her little boy.
One day she scalded him in hot water and threw his naked little body on his bed, and left him there to die. It took five days of what had to be the most agonizing pain and suffering imaginable before the little guy passed away. What did his own grandmother do? Not one thing. She only walked into that room of utter despair checking to see if he had died yet.
They had planned to call 911 after then saying it was an accident because they knew dead children cant talk.When he passed away the ME found beyond the horrible severe scalding burns many bruises and numerous broken bones which had improperly healed on their own. Everyone let him down. DFC, mom, and grandmother. DFC put him back into his house of horrors.
He never had a chance at being loved by good parents like he so much deserved to be. All he ever wanted was someone to think he was special and showing how much they loved him. It is one case that has stuck with me all of these years. It didn't have to happen and it never should have happened. Their records on him were so large they had several binders documenting her grossly abusing him violently or neglecting him, and all of the records showed what a dangerous risk it was to let him be returned to this worthless woman he called Mama. DFC in that case had blood on their hands imo. The only good thing to come out of it was the DFC workers involved in his case were fired. It came out that the last social worker that gave him back to his mom hadn't even read his voluminous background history with his mom and all the abuse she had done to him each time they gave her custody of him.
It irks me when family law Judges thinks it is in the best interest of the child for them to remain in the home with the abusive parent/s. Bio mothers are the worst ones in both genders for grossly neglecting/maltreating overall) and abusing their child or children. 59% of gross maltreatment done to a young child is done by their own mothers.
Then we have heartbreaking cases like this one. Its a never ending trail of tears for so many of these children who are living daily in their own torturous hell behind closed doors and so many tears have been shed by those who care so deeply about all of these children even if they/we never knew them personally.
We frequently remind young children about stranger danger, but the truth is 95% of children who are grossly abused/neglected and murdered it is by either bio-parents or bf/gf or step/dad/mom. A child is more apt to be hit by lightning rather than be abused by a stranger.
She most likely was jealous of his little son but then how could someone logically be jealous of a four year old little boy or be jealous of any step children for that matter regardless of the age of the children? That is very strange to me.
I love my two stepdaughters as if I had given birth to them myself and would do anything for them if the need arose as fast as I would do it for the three I birthed. My step daughters know it too. Blood flowing through the veins of the child or the parent isn't what makes a loving parent anyway. Its all about what they have inside of them that fills their heart with overwhelming love for their step child/ren even if there isn't an ounce of bloodline linkage to be found. I call them my bonus children given to me by God and what a treasured blessing they have been for over 32 years now. So stepmoms like this one are foreign to me.
I just don't get how anyone could purposefully hurt children much less murder them. I have learned after years of following cases like this one, that I will never understand how any parent-(bio-step-adopt. or foster) can look into the innocent face of children and do violent acts against them. Maybe its best I don't understand these kind of monsters who resorts to abuse or the murder of children. The love her boyfriend had for her (if he loved her) is far different than the love he had for his little boy. If jealousy is the motive for murdering him it shows how self centered she truly has to be. If she didn't want to be a mom to him then she shouldn't have ever married his father in the first place, but, because she did there is another little innocent life lost now who never got a chance to live the life he deserved.
Where is her apology? ^That is not an apology, imo.
BrownRice
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2008
- Messages
- 4,791
- Reaction score
- 16,734
So true. Unfortunately.
Tssiemer
Well-Known Member
BrownRice
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2008
- Messages
- 4,791
- Reaction score
- 16,734
18 years. Wow. And will she get out in 10?
Regardless, she will still be young. Will have plenty of years left to live.
Where is the bio mom? I didn't see her mentioned. I do admit I couldn't do a lot of reading on this. It's just too much for me.
Regardless, she will still be young. Will have plenty of years left to live.
Where is the bio mom? I didn't see her mentioned. I do admit I couldn't do a lot of reading on this. It's just too much for me.
bio mom didn't have custody.
She was deeply sorry...yes, for herself at being thrown in jail, not an ounce of remorse for that little boy. She can't even argue that her temper snapped and she acted on impulse-what human being with an ounce of compassion can listen to a child crying for hours? Let alone one they KNOW is in pain?
And the father? IMO he KNEW. who doesn't check on their children? At least before they go to bed themselves if no other time? Mine are ages 7, 3 and 18 months. The 18 month is still in with me but the others are in their own rooms. I put them to bed, check on them an hour or so later, then when I go to bed and if I wake up in the night to visit the bathroom or anything I pop my head in too. Even the 7 year old. A quick discussion with my friends show they're not all like me but the general consensus seems to be they at least peek in on their own way to bed. More if the child is unwell.
Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
And the father? IMO he KNEW. who doesn't check on their children? At least before they go to bed themselves if no other time? Mine are ages 7, 3 and 18 months. The 18 month is still in with me but the others are in their own rooms. I put them to bed, check on them an hour or so later, then when I go to bed and if I wake up in the night to visit the bathroom or anything I pop my head in too. Even the 7 year old. A quick discussion with my friends show they're not all like me but the general consensus seems to be they at least peek in on their own way to bed. More if the child is unwell.
Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
rosie_lee
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2013
- Messages
- 2,079
- Reaction score
- 257
Karin Johnson WLWT (@karinjohnson): https://twitter.com/karinjohnson?s=09
Anna admits during police questioning that there was skin in the tub after she took 4 year old Austin, her step-son, out. #RobRitchieTrial
Anna says she didn't point ointment on Austin's legs but she put socks on his bleeding feet.
Anna admits she put socks on Austin's bleeding feet to cover up the injuries. "I felt guilty and I didn't want my husband yelling at me"
Ann Ritchie: "i will admit it was a form of punishment but I didn't think it would cause skin to fall off"
In the courtroom, Rob Ritchie is watching video of police questioning Anna about death of his son. He's crying, with hand on his head.
Anna Ritchie says "thought did not cross my mind" go call ems.
Prosecutors will not be calling Anna Ritchie to testify.They have one more witness to call before they rest. It's a deputy. #RobRitchieTrial
WCSO Det. Christopher Wong extracted information from Anna Ritchie's phone after she killed 4 year old Austin Cooper, her stepson.
Anna admits during police questioning that there was skin in the tub after she took 4 year old Austin, her step-son, out. #RobRitchieTrial
Anna says she didn't point ointment on Austin's legs but she put socks on his bleeding feet.
Anna admits she put socks on Austin's bleeding feet to cover up the injuries. "I felt guilty and I didn't want my husband yelling at me"
Ann Ritchie: "i will admit it was a form of punishment but I didn't think it would cause skin to fall off"
In the courtroom, Rob Ritchie is watching video of police questioning Anna about death of his son. He's crying, with hand on his head.
Anna Ritchie says "thought did not cross my mind" go call ems.
Prosecutors will not be calling Anna Ritchie to testify.They have one more witness to call before they rest. It's a deputy. #RobRitchieTrial
WCSO Det. Christopher Wong extracted information from Anna Ritchie's phone after she killed 4 year old Austin Cooper, her stepson.
rosie_lee
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2013
- Messages
- 2,079
- Reaction score
- 257
Karin Johnson WLWT (@karinjohnson): https://twitter.com/karinjohnson?s=09
Jurors are about to see text messages between Rob Ritchie and Anna Ritchie after 4 yo Austin Cooper's death.
State is going to rest in the Rob Ritchie trial. They're addressing exhibits now. Rob Ritchie could take the stand in his own defense today.
Defense makes a motion to dismiss the charges in Rob Ritchie trial.
Frank Schiavone: Rob was told child had what was similar to sunburn on foot. That's what he knew.
Schiavone: Rob Ritchie didn't know the extent of the injuries. He did not ignore anything. He accepted what his wife told him.
Judge Peeler denies Schiavone's motion to dismiss.
First witness for the Defense is Kelly McCoy.
Kelly McCoy is an attorney who represented Rob Ritchie in custody
fight for his son, Austin Cooper.
McCoy: he loved his son, wanted to protect him and came to me for help. No more questions.
Rob Ritchie is the next witness.
Jurors are about to see text messages between Rob Ritchie and Anna Ritchie after 4 yo Austin Cooper's death.
State is going to rest in the Rob Ritchie trial. They're addressing exhibits now. Rob Ritchie could take the stand in his own defense today.
Defense makes a motion to dismiss the charges in Rob Ritchie trial.
Frank Schiavone: Rob was told child had what was similar to sunburn on foot. That's what he knew.
Schiavone: Rob Ritchie didn't know the extent of the injuries. He did not ignore anything. He accepted what his wife told him.
Judge Peeler denies Schiavone's motion to dismiss.
First witness for the Defense is Kelly McCoy.
Kelly McCoy is an attorney who represented Rob Ritchie in custody
fight for his son, Austin Cooper.
McCoy: he loved his son, wanted to protect him and came to me for help. No more questions.
Rob Ritchie is the next witness.
rosie_lee
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2013
- Messages
- 2,079
- Reaction score
- 257
Karin Johnson WLWT (@karinjohnson): https://twitter.com/karinjohnson?s=09
Court took a short break. Rob Ritchie gets shackles removed so jury doesn't witness that. He takes the stand.
Rob Ritchie will be the final witness for the defense. Jurors return to their seats.
Rob Ritchie went to Franklin HS. Went to career center and specialized in computer graphic design.
Rob Ritchie sounds nervous on the stand. Schiavone asked him if he was and he said yes.
Ritchie tells jurors how he would play Star Wars w his son, Mr. Potato head.
Ritchie: Austin's son was an avid drug user and would often leave Austin in house w strangers.
Ritchie: got emergency custody of son after someone sexually abused him while at his mom's.
Ritchie: Son had social issues. Getting him to bed was a difficult task. If he was agitated, would be a like a "Texas tornado"
Ritchie: bath time was difficult bc he believes thats when something happened to him at moms.
Ritchie: Anna would yell at Austin when he wouldn't cooperate during bath time.
Ritchie: Anna wanted me to discipline him but I never had heart to do it. "He was my best friend"
Ritchie: Anna would be rough in the way she treated me.
Court took a short break. Rob Ritchie gets shackles removed so jury doesn't witness that. He takes the stand.
Rob Ritchie will be the final witness for the defense. Jurors return to their seats.
Rob Ritchie went to Franklin HS. Went to career center and specialized in computer graphic design.
Rob Ritchie sounds nervous on the stand. Schiavone asked him if he was and he said yes.
Ritchie tells jurors how he would play Star Wars w his son, Mr. Potato head.
Ritchie: Austin's son was an avid drug user and would often leave Austin in house w strangers.
Ritchie: got emergency custody of son after someone sexually abused him while at his mom's.
Ritchie: Son had social issues. Getting him to bed was a difficult task. If he was agitated, would be a like a "Texas tornado"
Ritchie: bath time was difficult bc he believes thats when something happened to him at moms.
Ritchie: Anna would yell at Austin when he wouldn't cooperate during bath time.
Ritchie: Anna wanted me to discipline him but I never had heart to do it. "He was my best friend"
Ritchie: Anna would be rough in the way she treated me.
rosie_lee
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2013
- Messages
- 2,079
- Reaction score
- 257
Karin Johnson WLWT (@karinjohnson): https://twitter.com/karinjohnson?s=09
Ritchie: Anna Grabbed my by shirt, said don't you go in that room. I trusted my wife. She just didn't want me going in that room that night
Ritchie: Anna would criticize his manhood. I looked up to my dad. All I ever wanted to be was a dad.
Ritchie: didn't think son's life was in danger by the way she described it.
Ritchie: I get upset when he gets a bump knee. i break down in tears. He's my little boy. I'd give anything on this earth to bring him back.
Ritchie: I've known wife for 4 years, she used to be a nurse, trusted her opinion and what she said about Austin's injuries.
Lots of tears in the courtroom gallery as Rob Ritchie describes the moment he realized his 4 year old son was dead.
Ritchie: still can't imagine his wife killing his son. Still can't imagine. Who could do that to a child who is defenseless? 4 years old.
Rob Ritchie: he was my little scout. Ritchie is crying on the stand. Cross examination.
Defense rests. Closing arguments tomorrow at 9am in Rob Ritchie trial.
Ritchie: Anna Grabbed my by shirt, said don't you go in that room. I trusted my wife. She just didn't want me going in that room that night
Ritchie: Anna would criticize his manhood. I looked up to my dad. All I ever wanted to be was a dad.
Ritchie: didn't think son's life was in danger by the way she described it.
Ritchie: I get upset when he gets a bump knee. i break down in tears. He's my little boy. I'd give anything on this earth to bring him back.
Ritchie: I've known wife for 4 years, she used to be a nurse, trusted her opinion and what she said about Austin's injuries.
Lots of tears in the courtroom gallery as Rob Ritchie describes the moment he realized his 4 year old son was dead.
Ritchie: still can't imagine his wife killing his son. Still can't imagine. Who could do that to a child who is defenseless? 4 years old.
Rob Ritchie: he was my little scout. Ritchie is crying on the stand. Cross examination.
Defense rests. Closing arguments tomorrow at 9am in Rob Ritchie trial.
rosie_lee
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2013
- Messages
- 2,079
- Reaction score
- 257
Karin Johnson WLWT (@karinjohnson): https://twitter.com/karinjohnson?s=09
Closing arguments underway in the Rob Ritchie trial. His wife killed his 4 year old son, Austin.Prosecutors say Rob is partially responsible
Jury just got the case. #RobRitchie trial
Jurors in the Rob Ritchie trial just had a question. They wanted to know the time of Austin's death.
Closing arguments underway in the Rob Ritchie trial. His wife killed his 4 year old son, Austin.Prosecutors say Rob is partially responsible
Jury just got the case. #RobRitchie trial
Jurors in the Rob Ritchie trial just had a question. They wanted to know the time of Austin's death.
MsMarple
Member since 2013
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2013
- Messages
- 11,880
- Reaction score
- 71,962
Tssiemer
Well-Known Member
Maybe I'll be on the next jury.
-grumble grumble-
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-grumble grumble-
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
gregjrichards
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2010
- Messages
- 12,478
- Reaction score
- 70,433
September 1, 2015
6:28 PM UPDATED WARNING GRAPHIC
Franklin woman admits guilt in scalding death of 4-year-old stepson
The woman who held her 4-year-old stepson in a bathtub of scalding water before he eventually died of shock has been sentenced to 18 years to life in prison by a Warren County judge.
Prosecutors showed gut-wrenching autopsy photos of the boy and the injuries he suffered just after Anna Ritchie pleaded guilty as charged Thursday in Warren County Common Pleas Court to murder, involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and felonious assault.
Ritchie, 24, held Austin Cooper in a bathtub of scalding water on March 16 until he was burned on about 28 percent of his body. Then she put the boy to bed, where he eventually died of shock.
<SNIP>
Many present in the courtroom could not look at the photos that showed burns to the childs feet, buttocks, legs and genitalia.
As bad as these pictures are, probably the most horrifying picture that we have is not terribly graphic, Fornshell said as the final photo was displayed.
In that photo, Ritchies fingernail marks can be seen on the boys upper arms, an indication that she held him down as he fought and screamed to get out of scalding hot water, Fornshell said.
Ritchie offered an apology before sentencing, saying, I am deeply sorry for what happened. I know no amount of Im sorry can bring him back.
<SNIP>
Anna Cooper resented Austin Cooper she could no longer go on as many dates with her husband, he said.
Bath time, which the young body disliked, became a focus of that resentment and Ritchie purposely held the child in water that she knew was scalding, Fornshell said.
When she saw the childs skin floating in the tub and his feet bleeding, Ritchie put him in pajamas and socks so that his blood would not stain the bedding, he said.
He cried in his bed for two to three hours, Fornshell said.
Neither Ritchie nor her husband, Robert, checked on the child until 16 hours later, but by that time he had died from shock.
Robert Ritchie, 31, is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and felony child endangering for allegedly failing to obtain medical treatment for his son.
http://www.todayspulse.com/news/news/franklin-woman-admits-to-scalding-death-of-4-year-/nsQMC/
:devil:Anna Cooper
:angel2: Austin Cooper
18 years and possibly out in 10 WTH? I would have gave her the death penalty due to the severity of the suffering Austin suffered. This is way, way too lenient. Why was she given a plea deal in the first place?
I'm very sorry I haven't followed Austin's case more closely my heart can't take coming to the children's section often as the suffering endured by these angels crushes my soul inside.
JusticeWillBeServed
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2014
- Messages
- 7,647
- Reaction score
- 2,346
Prosecutors to retry Ohio dad of scalded boy who died - December 16th
http://www.whio.com/news/local/prosecutors-retry-ohio-dad-scalded-boy-who-died/WRL55yva4J9H8q1tCM0THL/
http://www.whio.com/news/local/prosecutors-retry-ohio-dad-scalded-boy-who-died/WRL55yva4J9H8q1tCM0THL/
Hoosgirl
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2012
- Messages
- 2,447
- Reaction score
- 3,797
This comment by his defense attorney really chaps my hide:
http://www.wlwt.com/article/jury-de...ordered-to-work-harder-toward-verdict/8457725
The burns were treatable!
Plus, dad claims he could hear Austin "playing with his toys". SMH.
http://www.wlwt.com/article/jury-de...ordered-to-work-harder-toward-verdict/8457725
The burns were treatable!
Plus, dad claims he could hear Austin "playing with his toys". SMH.
Tssiemer
Well-Known Member
Pleeeeease draw my name for jury duty.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
JusticeWillBeServed
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2014
- Messages
- 7,647
- Reaction score
- 2,346
Warren County father faces second trial in childs scalding death
http://www.journal-news.com/news/crime--law/warren-county-father-faces-second-trial-child-scalding-death/ZTNIeg39vqRtVWC8lnDgYL/
http://www.journal-news.com/news/crime--law/warren-county-father-faces-second-trial-child-scalding-death/ZTNIeg39vqRtVWC8lnDgYL/