hannah overton obituary

Hannah Overton passed away in Peterborough, Lincolnshire. Hannah and Andrew In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family and many friends. Dinner was potato soupIts good and filling, and its cheap, Larry told mewhich the kids dived into after saying grace. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. There have been a few tear-filled nights because one of the kids misses Andrew, Larry told me later. Left: Andrew and Isabel playing together. Hey dear, so sorry to hear this newstake care of yourself and your familythinking of you!! Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Does God want a child to go to bed hurting, in pain, fearful, being looked at by closed-circuit television? Lane earned her college degree and became an elementary school teacher, while Hannah played with, and later babysat, the children of missionaries who used the campus as a home base between trips abroad. . The sodium content of Zatarains is not listed on its packaging. While behind bars,Overton relied on her faith, family and supporters and led Bible studies. Gemma Mitchell, a phlebotomist, recalled overhearing Hannah tell medical staff that Andrew had stopped breathing after he was punished. No one could corroborate her story, and under cross-examination, she admitted that she had never told anyone this fact until taking the stand. Cortes believed that Andrews death was accidental. According to her family tree, she married Larry D. Overton on August 9, 1997 in Texas . Copyright 2023 GRB Studio | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Estelle and John We know that Hannah R. (Saem) Overton had been residing in Texas . Andrew liked to eat every day, all day, any time, she said. He found that they fit a narrow profile: they were between the ages of one and six, they had been in the foster system or were from abusive homes, and they had pica. One of her favorite books to revisit is Ruth. He died at 9:30 p.m. There was Andrews bedjust a bare piece of plywood, with no mattressand a security camera, as the baby monitor was later called at trial, trained on it. The new charges were dismissed because of a myriad of factors which came about after a careful review of the previous trial, re-interviewing some of the key witnesses, consulting with some of the medical experts involved in the case, reviewing evidence adduced at recent hearings and staffing the case with the current prosecutors assigned to the case, Skurka said in a news release Wednesday. When Gilmore polled the jury afterward, all twelve members stated that they had found Hannah guilty of capital murder by omission for not acting quickly enough to save Andrew; none believed that she had poisoned him. What a great sense of comfort to know that I could be greated on the other side by such a kind person. Much loved daughter of Andrew and Susan, dearly loved sister of. The media coverage of the case stirred widespread outrage. I could never thank my attorneys enough for fighting endlessly to prove my innocence and bring me home.. How do you poison someone with a substance you dont know the contents of? That Hannah had not sought immediate medical attention did not change his view. A colleague of mine who attended the trial told me that the prosecution described Andrew again and again as a normal child, and that is a great distortion of the truth. Good-night kisses, bedtime stories, playing in the yard, birthdays, loose teeth, Christmas plays . He seemed to enjoy having brothers and sisters to play with, and the Overton kidsespecially the girls, who doted on himwere enthralled by the new arrival. Support The National Registry of Exonerations , The Contribution of Forensic and Expert Evidence to DNA Exoneration Cases, Race and Wrongful Convictions in the United States, 2022, Government Misconduct and Convicting the Innocent, Witness Recantations: Preliminary Findings, May 2013, Exonerations in the United States: 1989 - 2012, Tell us about an Exoneration that we missed. We were just waiting for someone to look at it and say this is just an accident, Larry Overton added. Pleading out to that was much better than having my children grow up without a mother or a father. In exchange for his plea, Larry was given five years probation and a $5,000 fine. EMS records show that the boy was admitted with no more than a bruised knee and sores on his right elbow, but during his hospitalization, other significant black-and-blue marks emergedin particular, on his trunk and nose. Larry Overton was also charged with murder, but after his wife's conviction, he was offered a plea deal and was given probation. I knew Dabney through my daughter. The following evening, Andrew was dead. She is awakened every morning at 2:45 a.m., rarely sleeping well; the overhead light above her bed never shuts off, and announcements blare throughout the night over the loudspeaker. Theres An App for That. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. I feel so fortunate to have spent time with him. At the time of his retirement, he was one of the three oldest practicing attorneys in the Commonwealth. The boy was diagnosed with a toxic salt overdose and died the following day. I remember him as a fun loving gentle person that loved life. I kept denying that Hannah could do such a thing, she told me. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. After examining Andrews medical records, he had determined that the boys death was likely accidental. After he completed his probation, the charges were dismissed. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He will be missed by his many friends. News reports that followed, prominently featuring their grim-faced mug shots, cast the Overton home as a house of horrors. Emma, the youngest, trailed behind them with a doll, occasionally running inside to bang on the piano. I wish his family well. We are grateful for the help and support of so many over the years who contributed to achieving what, for the Overton children, is a joyous result. Melinek, the defenses expert witness, testified about pica and an array of factors that could have contributed to Andrews death, including undiagnosed diabetes. "We are so excited about all God has done in and through all of this. If you would like to discuss your case with an attorney at Goldstein & Orr, then please contact us to schedule a consultation. Fleeing for Your Life? Peace & Strength to your family at this time. (Andrew was told that he could not have any food at McDonalds, since he had already eaten.) Andrew flew into a rage. I would often see him riding with all the dogs in the back of the car. Because we were not thinking we were in a life-or-death situation, she insisted. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Finally she relented, heating up what she had on hand: leftover vegetable-beef soup flavored with Zatarains Creole Seasoning. To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our. Hannah R. (Saem) Overton . Larry hurried home to help, but Andrew, who had been vomiting, only grew worse. Dabney was born on July 31, 1963 and grew up in Essex County, Va. Before he left, Haller recalled his saying, You might want to prepare for the media.. Andrews former foster mother, Sharon Hamil, who was devastated by the boys death, testified that Andrew had not exhibited significant developmental or behavioral problems, aside from his speech delay, during the time that he lived with hera characterization that was rebutted by numerous members of Calvary Chapel later in the trial but that cast Hannahs credibility into doubt. Some people love stray animals, remembered her mother, now remarried. "Wow, we don't even know where to begin," Hannah Overton told ABC News exclusively after she heard that her case had been dismissed and she would not have to endure another trial. The Huntsville Times. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? No amount of money will ever bring back the years that were taken away, and the seven years of freedom I lost. My infrequent visits to my home of Richmond were always highlighted when I ran into Dabney and spend some time to catch up with one another. There was no evidence of external bleeding or injuries to Andrews head, however, and at a pre-trial hearing, Fernandez conceded that the hemorrhaging could have been related to elevated sodium in the blood. The website is updated daily, frequently with exonerations that occurred in the past. DABNEY OVERTON OBITUARY OVERTON, Dabney III, died peacefully on Monday, November 9, 2009 surrounded by family and friends. That was the most uncomfortable service I have ever done. Dabney will be missed by many. Before they started a family, Hannah worked as a private-duty nurse for disabled children, and her longest assignmentwith a four-year-old named Michael Subialdeabecame as absorbing to her as her time in Reynosa. (Both carry shorter sentences and differ from capital murder on the issue of intent; a motorist who hits and kills someone while driving too fast is often deemed to be criminally negligent in that he did not set out to take a life but was aware of the danger of speeding.) Dabney will be greatly missed, but not forgotten. Despite all the pain, she told me that if she could do it over again, she would not change their decision to bring Andrew into their home. I have mitigating testimony that I think would have been very useful to your client, he said in a voice mail he left for Gilmore. This was usually on a road trip up or down the Valley. I never knew him but it is obvious from all the wonderful things that people are saying that he was an incredible person and friend to so many. This is where Andrew used to sleep, Isaac told me softly as he led me into the boys room. He was preceded in death by his mother, Hannah Spencer Haile Overton and infant brother, Charles. The jury found that Mrs. Overton failed to procure medical care within a reasonable time frame, she wrote in an affidavit that was later filed with Hannahs appeal. I believe that the same God who made him is with him now in the most immediate sense. Overtons conviction and sentence were upheld on appeal. Sorry, I he began, when she asked him to put on his shoes. He is in my thoughts and his family in my prayers. Being in the Overtons home had afforded Werkhoven an intimate view of the family. I always knew I'd be able to catch up with him on occasion at the Village Starbucks. According to Hannah, Andrew once again asked for an early lunch, and once again, when she told him that he would have to wait, he defecated and smeared feces across the floor. I came in the morning, and I left in the evening. The three oldest Overton children had gone to their aunts house to see their cousins, who were visiting from out of town, and Andrew grew increasingly agitated and restless, throwing a tantrum at three oclock in the morning. Short on time as the trial drew to a close, the defense had asked Moritzwho needed to return to Pittsburghto sit for a videotaped deposition; when the deposition ran long and could not be completed, the defense was unable to enter it as testimony. If not for a Corpus Christi couple named Larry and Hannah Overton, Andrew might have lingered in state custody, shuffled from one foster home to another. The Overtons rushed him to a nearby urgent care clinic after his breathing became labored and he stopped responding to their questions, but by the time they arrived, he had fallen unconscious. (Hannahs mother and stepfatherwhom the courts had named managing conservators of the childrenwere then able to return them to Larrys custody.) Hannah went into labor with her first child, Isaac, at the Subialdeas house, and though she had planned to come back to work after her sons birth, she found the separation from him too wrenching. He was born on April 2, 1940 in Little Rock, Arkansas to the late Lewis Franklin and Dwight Katherine Overton. The intentional poisoning of a child is usually perpetrated with sedatives, anticonvulsants, or medications like injectable insulin, not food, he told me. . Report an error or add more information about this case. In the context of a criminal investigation, the calm that she had always exhibited in the midst of crisis was suddenly a liabilityan indication, perhaps, that she was cold-blooded enough to have killed a child. Rather than let him remain in his wheelchair most of the day, as previous caretakers had done, Hannah kept him moving; she took him into his familys pool to stretch and used massage to loosen his contracted muscles. I am glad to have had the chance to know him and will pray for your family during this difficult time. Haller was stunned by the accusation. H-E-Bs True Texas BBQ Restaurant Is Slipping, West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country. Finally he agreed to plead no contest to criminally negligent homicide. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. Yet the Overtons were not too concerned. Former prosecutor Anna Jimenez, who had assisted Eastwood as second chair at Hannahs trial, subsequently wrote a letter to Orr claiming that a sheaf of medical records that Eastwood had asked her to fax to an expert witness before trial had not included the documents that Orr had uncovered. As Andrews condition deteriorated, CPS barred the Overtons from visiting their son. Both womens accounts were problematic; Gonzalez had never made a statement to police and was testifying from memory after nearly a years worth of negative media coverage, while Zapata had failed to mention anything about Hannah smirking when she wrote her initial report about the incident. The court ruledher trial lawyers were ineffective, and sent her case back to be retried. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. An Unforgettable Texas Tale of Envy, Embezzlement, and Fruitcake, How the Texas Rangers Became One of the Most Powerful Forces in the State. Before Hannah got married, when she was still Hannah Saenz, she knew she wanted a large familyat least six kids, she used to tell people. He was a great classmate and teamate at St Christopher's. Sorry to hear of Dabney's passing. It was a catastrophic decision. All rights reserved. What little is known about Andrew Burds early life is contained in a slim Child Protective Services case file that chronicles the boys descent into the child welfare system. If she had taken Andrew to the hospital earlier, what would she have taken him in for? Andrew seems very happy in this home.. I knew Dabney as a friend of my daughter, Stephanie. We had known each other for ten years, and I dont think Id ever seen her mad, Haller told me. . . "I'm very thankful that this compensation is finally coming through," Overton told ABC News. I am sad that I won't see my friend Dabney again in this life here on Earth. I was shocked and saddened to hear of Dabney's premature death last week. Other couples they knew who had adopted foster children assured them that their kids had outgrown similar eating issues, and the Overtons assumed that, with time, Andrew would outgrow his as well. If he was denied a second or third helping, he would routinely throw a tantrum or get down on his hands and knees to scavenge the floor for crumbs. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition. I first met him shortly after the death of my husband 4 years ago and his kind, gentle spirit and wonderful sense of humor made such a difference at that time and ever since. information about the Registry, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. Skurka ended up dropping the new case against her in 2015 but Overton remained in legal limbo until Gonzalez officially declared her innocence last year, thus closing a significant chapter on this decade-long case. They wed a year later and moved to Corpus Christi. We welcome new information from any source about exonerations already on our list and about cases not in the Registry that might be exonerations. If convicted, Hannah would receive an automatic life sentence. That Andrew had sustained a head injury was based on the presence of a half-inch area of hemorrhaging under the scalp. Once reunited with their childrenwho were terrified by the ordealLarry and Hannah had to break the awful news to them about Andrew. We were in it for the long haul.. (In his 32 years of practicing law, Gilmore told me, he has never run across the charge of capital murder by omission before or since.) CORPUS CHRISTI - Early on Oct. 3, 2006, the morning after her neighbor Hannah Overton had rushed a dying 4-year-old boy to a nearby urgent care clinic, Kathi Haller got a visit from police. The best memory is of riding camp the following summer when Dabney and a friend opted for motorcycle helmets rather than riding hard hats. I was so shocked and saddened to learn today of Dabney's sudden and all too premature death. You can ask, Why didnt she go to the hospital sooner? but in hindsight, everything is obvious. Hannah Overton was just an ordinary homeschool mom. (Larrys parents, who were friends of the Saenzes, were parishioners.) There wasnt anything that I thought was dangerously wrong with him at that point. When Michael put his fingers in his mouth, she would call his name softlythere was no anger in her voiceand he would smile and slowly slide his fingers out, Richard said. The burden on the state to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt was, Gilmore told me, perhaps less than it should have been. Cynthia Hujar-Orr, Gerry Goldstein and John Raley were apart of Overtons appellate team, http://pr-prod.com/project/until-proven-innocent/, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/05/10/da-declare-texas-woman-innocent-salt-poisoning-case/315400001/, https://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-mother-freed-spending-years-prison-foster-sons/story?id=26186920. Submit an Obituary . (You can just tell by looking at her how evil she is, one wrote.) I dont see what caused the trauma to the brain, he said. Hannah Overton announced the birth of her sixth child, Gabriela Aliana, this week in a Facebook post that described a difficult delivery. To the Overton's; Please accept my deepest sympathy and condolences for your loss. She is amazing!". See you then, my friend. The following week, Hannahwho had no history with CPS and no previous arrests, and had never had so much as a parking ticketwas charged with capital murder. He embodied the characteristics of a Saint and we will miss him very much. Hannah understood little of what had taken place except that she, her mother, and her brother had to leave Corpus Christi behind. There was a dead child, he observed. The congregation quickly dissolved. Once a month, Larry loads the kids into his van and they make the trip together, although on those visits, no contact is allowed. Shortly after noon, Larry picked her and the boys up and took them to a McDonalds drive-through, and then the chiropractor, before returning to work. I knew it would probably make him sick, but I wanted him to understand why we were setting limits, Larry explained. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. A very special person has been taken from our midst and is and will be greatly missed. Ill put it this way. I am over the moon that Hannah has been granted compensation by Texas for her wrongful imprisonment, Orr told ABC News. Advertisement. While Larry tried to scrub down the bedroom, Andrew pulled his sheets out of the trash several times, despite repeated warnings not to do so. He recalled how Michael used to chew on his fingers, a chronic problem that left his skin bloody and raw. I was privileged to know Dabney at W&L and as a fraternity brother at LXA. This small benefit will allow her and her sweet family to continue to share their goodness with all of us with some degree of comfort. Yet her life behind bars, however incongruous, has taken on its own rhythm. It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Jonah Lee Overton (Charlotte, North Carolina), who passed away on January 21, 2023, at the age of 92, leaving to mourn family and friends. He was a nice guy. There are really no words. I'm so saddened to here the news but I know that Dabney is walking his dogs in the park right now in another very special place. Its about trusting God and seeing how he is a god of redemption and restoration, she said. He enjoyed everything he did, was always friendly and supportive. EMTs and hospital staff had vigorously poked and prodded the boy as they attempted to revive him, first at the clinic, then in an ambulance, then at Christus Spohn Hospital, where he was initially taken, and finally at Driscoll, where he was transferred to the intensive care unit. Larry and Hannah knew that Andrew loved Spider-Man, so they made sure to have all manner of Spider-Man-themed necessities for him: sheets, pajamas, a toothbrush, a towel, a swimsuit, and even a plate embossed with the superheros image. He was predeceased by : his parents, Theodore Roosevelt 'Jack' and Annie Overton of Washington; and his wife Claudia Cotten. In 2007, Hannah Overton was sentenced to life in prison for the death of her 4-year-old foster son. Mommy, Im cold, he said, and threw up. He was the first one to introduce me to kayaking from Aylett to Walkerton on the Mattaponi. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In the eyes of law enforcement, Hannah and Larry were not grieving parents but perpetrators of an appalling crime. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Here are the tributes to Jonah Lee Overton. Hannah and the girls, who complained of feeling achy, were taken to the hospital in an ambulance while Larrys parents picked up the rest of the family and, after dropping Larry off at the hospital, took the boys to a nearby Whataburger. But what Ive realized is that I can trust his heart, even though I dont understand his plan. The reality that Hannah, who is 34, may spend the rest of her life in prison for capital murdera sentence usually reserved for violent criminals who pose a continuing threat to societyis one she is still struggling to understand; even harder to grasp is the possibility that she might never be reunited with her children. Hannah Overton and her husband hold up one of their Christmas presents. He and Hannah are allotted two hours, during which they sit together in the dayroom, flanked by other inmates and their families. probably to punish his behavior, that then goes into cardiorespiratory arrest.. If someone was trying to murder Andrew, they would have restrained him and prevented him from drinking water, Moritz subsequently wrote in an affidavit. Hoping to show him that his behavior was self-destructive, Larry told Andrew one morning that he could have as much as he wanted for breakfast. Benign conditions and life-threatening conditions look the same in the beginning, he said. Michael, who had been born prematurely, was severely impaired; he had cerebral palsy, was blind, and could not walk or talk. Hannah - Please accept our sincere condolences on your loss. And we do have some evidence of bruising to his nose [which could indicate] his nostrils were squeezed and he was made to drink it.. on our list, Other I worked with Dabney at Browder Russell just after he graduated from W & L, and saw him often at FBYC. Then, abruptly, Andrew grew quiet and stumbled to the floor. That official statement granted her access to state funds that are provided to the wrongfully convicted and also prevented her from being tried for the crime again. Hess became exasperated. Dabney will be missed by a wide range of supportive friends and family. That Larry is able to be with the children at all, much less raise them, is a huge blessing, he told me. (He was subsequently fired by CPS after having three car accidents on the job in less than six months.) I also could never begin to thank those who supported us, prayed and prayed for us, and walked with us along the entire way, Overton said. She and her Menu. Although Cortes had been scheduled to testify for the prosecution, he was never put on the witness stand. Lane and her children moved to the East Texas town of Lindale, where a missionary organization, the Calvary Commission, allowed them to live in a modest apartment on its grounds free of charge. It should be noted that during the entire conversation, Hannah Overton showed almost no emotion, he later wrote in his police report. Write your message of sympathy today. In other words, if the jury could not agree conclusively that she had poisoned Andrew, it could still rule that she was guilty of capital murder by omission, or by failure to act. Reaching for his shoes, he announced, I can do all things. Larry remembered, We felt like we were really making headway with him.. Why Does He Get to Make That Call? Andrew was a sweet boy who had significant neurological and developmental disorders. Unlike the three physicians who had testified for the prosecution, Cortes was the only doctor who had seen Andrew before his hospitalization; he had evaluated the boy during a routine checkup when Andrew was three years old and still living with Hamil. Yet the image they conjuredof a woman grinning at the sight of a comatose four-year-oldwas devastating. At Hannah Overtons 2007 trial, the prosecution portrayed her as a mother who had lost control. Push him? Throughout the interrogation, which spanned more than two hours, Hannah insisted that she had never harmed Andrew. Hannah R. (Saem) Overton was born c. 1977. Channel Three, Channel Six, Channel Ten, the Caller-Timesthey all knew ahead of time, Gilmore said.