GUILTY WV - Sanrina Smith & Amanda Wills for starving 6yo girl, Beckley, 2010

[Texas Mist]

Two women were arrested and face several charges including attempted murder of a child by a parent.

Sabrina Smith, 41, and her roommate, 30-year-old Amanda Wills were arrested and charged with child abuse substantial injury, child neglect with substantial risk of injury or death, and attempted murder of a child by a parent or a guardian. Bond for both women were set at $500,000.

Chief Detective for Beckley Police, Jeffrey Shumate, said due to the severe injuries the child suffered it’s the worst child neglect case he has seen in 20 years.

“They did admit they would tie her down with zip ties to the seat, because they didn't want her to get into the cabinet inside the kitchen,” he said. :furious:

Despite the charges Smith said she is sticking to her story of innocence.

"I' know I'm being misunderstood,” she said. [oooooh - puhLEEEEEEZE!!!]

Smith had six other children in her custody, but all of them including the six-year-old are now in Child Protective Services.


more here

http://www.wvnstv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=88374


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Beckley, W.Va (WVVA)- A mother and her roommate are charged with attempted murder and child abuse of her 6-year-old daughter.

In September the child was rushed to Raleigh General Hospital after she stopping breathing. She only weighed 18 lbs. Doctors and nurses told police the child was so small they weighed her in an infant scale. Her core temperature was 80 degrees and she had a blood sugar level of two. According to Child Protective Services, the child also had large bruises on her face and a large pressure sore on her lower back from being strapped in a car seat. According to reports, the women would strap the child in the uncovered car seat with zip ties inside the home over night.

more here

http://www.wvva.com/Global/story.asp?S=13392482


Bless this little angel's heart - she must have been nothing but bones to weigh only 18lbs....what could her 'mother' have been thinking? how could she have looked at her while she starved to death right in front of her? And the roommate could stand by & let this happen?????

I know I shouldn't be stunned - but I always am because I just don't know how this can happen.

 

[fhc]

and as if it couldn't get worse

http://www.wsaz.com/newswestvirgini...ian_Charged_with_Child_Neglect_105880448.html

Police say girl's siblings also played a role in the abuse. Detectives say food was used as a punshishment with the child, giving her little food and when she was fed it was foods she did not like. The siblings range from 13 years old to 5 years old. Police aren't sure why the girl was singled out.

 

[believe09]

and as if it couldn't get worse

http://www.wsaz.com/newswestvirgini...ian_Charged_with_Child_Neglect_105880448.html

Police say girl's siblings also played a role in the abuse. Detectives say food was used as a punshishment with the child, giving her little food and when she was fed it was foods she did not like. The siblings range from 13 years old to 5 years old. Police aren't sure why the girl was singled out.

What a lesson for those children. Mom and friend need to be taken out to the wood shed.

That poor baby-she was singled out because she looked like Bio dad, looked like bio mom, showed some strength of charecter or some beauty that bio mom and friend could not deal with. Who cares, she is finally safe now.

I will take her. No zip ties, no nothing. My snack cabinets are always open and we specialize in foods my lovelies like.

 

[Texas Mist]

and as if it couldn't get worse

http://www.wsaz.com/newswestvirgini...ian_Charged_with_Child_Neglect_105880448.html

Police say girl's siblings also played a role in the abuse. Detectives say food was used as a punshishment with the child, giving her little food and when she was fed it was foods she did not like. The siblings range from 13 years old to 5 years old. Police aren't sure why the girl was singled out.

Thanks for posting this, fhc...I was just gonna post another link that said almost the same thing.

Sooo - what's the "medical condition" this little girl had, hmm? I'm trying really hard to think of one that requires starving one's child til it dies - because it sounds like this little sweetie was only minutes/hours away from getting her angel wings.

Ugh - I'm just so :furious: about what those evil, twisted women did!

 

[2goldfish]

poor lil girl. what strength she has. my lil one hasnt weighted 18lbs since he was about 16 months old...if they didnt manage to break her little spirit she will go mighty far in life with that strength.

 

[Belinda]

Welcome back Texas Mist! Nice to see you. This is indeed another horrible story of a severely abused child. Thankfully this one was saved just in the nick of time. I will never, ever understand what goes on in the minds of people like this.

 

[OrdinaryLife]

There's a reason why I normally stay away from these type of news facts, but today, not so much.

To help put it into a weight perspective I will share this fact of my own: #1 son at birth, 7 lbs 14 ozs, daughter #1 was 10 lbs 13 ozs, and daughter #2 was 9 lbs 8ozs. Newborns. Think about this. A *6 year old* sweetpea only weighed 18 lbs. 18 lbs.

In a heartbeat, this wee one would be mine. Arms of love she's never, ever known. I will never, ever understand why innocents must be victims of control freaks so the freaks feel better about themselves. Ever. Beyond my comprehension....

 

[Texas Mist]

Welcome back Texas Mist! Nice to see you. This is indeed another horrible story of a severely abused child. Thankfully this one was saved just in the nick of time. I will never, ever understand what goes on in the minds of people like this.

Thanks, Belinda! I've missed y'all, too! :grouphug:

I had to take a break to deal w/ the true crimes perpetrated on people close to me & life has been a whirlwind drama.

Glad to have the time to follow these cases again - lotsa little ones needing prayers & positive thoughts for them.

 

[carrie]

It's amazing the child is alive. 18 lbs. !!
My grandson is 11 months old and weighs 21 lbs. My granddaughter is a little smaller for her age while he's a little bigger for his. At 18 months she weighs 22 lbs. They are about the same height. How could a 6-year-old weigh so little? Someone needs to starve those two women till they weigh a small fraction of what they should, IMO.

 

[alwaysonmymind]

What is wrong with people?? Every child in that home have been damaged by this.

It makes me think of the little girl from Hutchins, Texas. She was 8 years old and only 25 lbs. and 3" tall. She was starved and sexually abused.

I saw her mother, Barbara Atkinson, while volunteering at the county jail. She was in protective custody in the single-cell area. Some of the other inmates would scream at her for what she did. She slept on the floor so other inmates couldn't see her.

The little girl was adopted by a couple that tried to adopt her at birth. A few years ago, she was in the news again. She had been sexually abused by the new parents nephew-in-law. What a . :furious:

Prayers for healing.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=93008&page=1

 

[Texas Mist]

I just googled looking for updates, and found yet another Sabrina Smith (and her boyfriend) charged w/ abusing a 3yo that weighed only 19 lbs.! Obviously not the same person, but what are the odds that 2 kids could have mothers by the same name & suffer such extreme abuse?

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/6363936/exclusive-couple-arrested-in-extreme-case-of-child-abuse

 

[Texas Mist]

Yea!! The 6yo has gained 13 pounds!

http://dailymail.com/policebrfs/201011070325

 

[MorenoI]

I'm so glad she was rescued in time. My son is 4 months and weighs 14 pounds. I just can't imagine she only weighed 18 lbs. Hopefully she will recover with no long term damage and live the rest of her life with a loving family.

BTW i saw one of the comments that said Willis is a teacher? How sad, that she didn't do a darn thing!

 

[MorenoI]

Beckley Woman Arrested, Charged for Child Abuse Again.

http://www.wvnstv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=98987

 

[Rayemonde]

The detectives say the child suffered severe bruises over a large portion of her body as well as other injuries.

The suspects admitted to restraining the child with zip ties in a car seat for long periods of time. The padding was removed from the car seat and at times she was left for more than 9 hours at a time, police say. The child also slept in the seat.

The child could speak, but never went to school. The child's mother says she was homeschooled.

http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/...l?device=phone&dtype=android&device=phone&c=y

 

[Rayemonde]

2013:

Sabrina Smith of Beckley pleaded guilty to a pair of charges against her in a case of child abuse that began in October 2010. She will sentenced to two to 10 years for Child Abuse Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and one to 10 years on a charge of Child Neglect Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.

The sentences will be served consecutively. Judge H.L. Kirkpatrick suspended the sentence and allowed her to serve the time on home confinement. She did not credit for time she has already served on home confinement. She also lost custody of all six of her children and will have to register as a child abuser for the rest of her life. That means she cannot live in a home with a minor.

http://www.wvnstv.com/story/23830292/sabrina-smith-scheduled-for-plea-hearing-in-beckley

 

[Rayemonde]

Keller said Coronet-Smith offered various explanations about how M.S. had become so malnourished, such as her daughter suffering from cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome (CFC) and autism.

CFC is an extremely rare genetic disorder that causes multiple health issues, including skin abnormalities, delayed growth and heart malfunctions.

“Witnesses, the child and her siblings, would testify that they were deprived of food as punishment,” Keller said.

She said M.S. was also “cinched” into a car seat at night because Coronet-Smith was afraid she would aspirate on “stolen” food in the middle of the night...

Keller said Coronet-Smith offered various explanations about how M.S. had become so malnourished, such as her daughter suffering from cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome (CFC) and autism.

CFC is an extremely rare genetic disorder that causes multiple health issues, including skin abnormalities, delayed growth and heart malfunctions.

“Witnesses, the child and her siblings, would testify that they were deprived of food as punishment,” Keller said.

She said M.S. was also “cinched” into a car seat at night because Coronet-Smith was afraid she would aspirate on “stolen” food in the middle of the night.

http://m.register-herald.com/news/c...047-d15d-57f1-8d84-203f72887d3b.html?mode=jqm