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. Right, a photo of Andrew Burd held by Larry Overton. Rotta stopped short of describing the manner in which he believed Andrew had been made to eat a lethal amount of salta dose that, after analyzing Andrews blood, he determined would have consisted of 23 teaspoons of Zatarains Creole Seasoning or 6 teaspoons of salt. I was shocked and saddened to hear of Dabney's premature death last week. He soon lapsed into a coma. Could it be that you held his nose, held his neck, and made him drink this horrible concoction? the prosecutor challenged her during a withering cross-examination. I made sure that he saw that we had an identical set of Spider-Man sheets so he would calm down., That evening Larry laid a sleeping bag on top of Andrews plywood bed frame, where, he told the boy, he would have to spend the night while his mattress finished drying. Melinek, the defenses expert witness, testified about pica and an array of factors that could have contributed to Andrews death, including undiagnosed diabetes. I visited Hannah at the Murray Unit one bright, cloudless afternoon, when the warden granted her a few hours to speak with me. Always with a Northern Neck Gingerale for me--I still can't buy a 12 pack without thinking of him. Left: Andrew and Isabel playing together. . Anyone who knew Dabney loved him. We were just waiting for someone to look at it and say this is just an accident, Larry Overton added. The newly discovered documents, Moritz later told me, were a monumentally important piece of evidence., The discovery soon exposed strains among the prosecution team. Hannah, I am very sad to hear this news. Its about trusting God and seeing how he is a god of redemption and restoration, she said. (Like Eastwood, neither Norman nor Jimenez would comment for this article.) What a shock and a life cut too short. There are two phones that the kids can speak into, and they eagerly pass the receivers back and forth, recounting the months events in stereo. Haller . Overton spent seven years in prison for the murder of a young foster child that she says she didn't commit. He has carried us through.". She found him standing on a stool in the pantry, near the baking ingredients, having pulled something off the shelf. I enjoyed his company and was truly blessed to have shared time with him. At four, he spent most of his time playing with Sebastian, who was two, rather than Ally, who was his own age, and his motor skills lagged far behind those of his peers. Normans remarks were hardly the stuff of a cocksure prosecutor. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. They had 4 children and were expecting their fifth. Larry with (from left) his children Ally, Isaac, Sebastian, Emma, and Isabel. Andrews adoption hadnt been finalized, Haller said. Im supposed to be done crying, she said apologetically at one point, brushing away tears. Obituary OVERTON, Dabney III, died peacefully on Monday, November 9, 2009 surrounded by family and friends. He acted more like a toddler than a preschooler, they noted; if he wanted an object, he pointed to it and grunted. I am over the moon that Hannah has been granted compensation by Texas for her wrongful imprisonment, Orr told ABC News. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. But at a hearing on the defenses motion for a new trial, Eastwood stated under oath that Cortes had always been a passionate advocate for the prosecution; he had even remarked to her that he thought Hannah should fry. Cortes does not dispute that story. I was just trying to fix itto do anything I could to fix my baby, she said. At Sunday school, he became more expressive, stringing words into sentences and holding hands with his new sister Ally. And thanks for the movie, even though it was kind of weird. Despite appearances, however, he was hardly a reprobate. My sons in high school now. Myron F. Overton June 29, 1935 - June 6, 2013 Myron was born in Bakersfield, California to his loving parents Earl C. and Hazel J. Overton. I came in the morning, and I left in the evening. . The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. I could never thank my attorneys enough for fighting endlessly to prove my innocence and bring me home.. Any God, Christian or not, would have wanted a better mother for Andrew.. Shana Druckerman contributed to this report, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. I am truly saddened to hear of Dabney's sudden passing. He was a loyal Red Sox Nation member and I a Yankees Universe devotee. If you would like a copy via email, please let me know. During a wide-ranging interview with a social worker to determine if he had ever been abused, Isaac mentioned that he and his siblings had been given pepper, which he described as spicy stuff, as a punishment for lying. At the time of his retirement, he was one of the three oldest practicing attorneys in the Commonwealth. . Hannah was always drawn to stray people.. Hess suspicions had developed the previous evening during an interview with Hannah, who had consented to talk to him without an attorney present. But Rotta was alarmed by his overall appearance. The court, which could rule imminently or years from now, could send the case back to Judge Longoria for a hearing orfar less likelyoverturn her conviction. Hannah was sure I would eventually come around. Larry attempted to restore order upon his return, putting Andrews soiled sheets in the garbage and hosing off the boy and his foam mattress in the backyard. (92 years old). Hannahs supporters included a young churchgoer named Dawn Werkhoven, who had lived with the Overtons the year leading up to Andrews death. But after Hannahs conviction, the DAs office offered him several plea deals, each of which required him to acknowledge that he had intentionally caused Andrews death. Nueces County jurors believed she failed to seek medical care for her foster son in a timely manner. They get to see her for two hours, once a monthtwenty-four hours in a year, Larry said. I remember many lively discussions with Cabell and Dabney about the history of Virginia and North Carolina. Hannah did describe how she and Larry had at first tried to treat the boys symptoms themselves, often volunteering more information than the detective had asked for. Dick and Sue Kemper; St. Christopher's School, Share to let others add their own memories and condolences. The supervisor suggested that Andrew might have an eating disorder called pica, which is characterized by a desire to consume things that have no nutritional value, and she recommended that he be evaluated by a specialist if his behavior continued. 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. He enjoyed everything he did, was always friendly and supportive. When Hannah was sent to prison, her daughter, Emma, was still a breast-feeding newborn. Much loved daughter of Andrew and Susan, dearly loved sister of. Hannahwho had already lost a child and was now living apart from her four older oneswas in a fragile state of mind. Then District Attorney Mark Skurka dropped the case. Exhausted from the previous night, she briefly dozed off, then awoke to discover that Andrew had slipped out of the room. us about an exoneration that we may have missed, Correct an error or add information about an exoneration
It is a small thing for one who has suffered so greatly.". Witnesses outside the home said they had seen Andrew's bizarre habits, too. Hess and a group of CPS workers were standing in the back with dark glasses on, their arms crossed, scowls on their faces, Carver said. In 2007, Hannah Overton was sentenced to life in prison for the death of her 4-year-old foster son. 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. 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. She also described her unease with Eastwoods trial strategy, claiming the prosecutor had told her that they would not be calling Cortes because a record in his file indicated that Andrew had behavioral problems. The Overtons moved forward with the adoption process, and in the spring of 2006, they received word that Andrew would be coming to live with them for a six-month trial period before the adoption was finalized. The boy was diagnosed with a toxic salt overdose and died the following day. All rights reserved. Fleeing for Your Life? Regardless of how much food he consumed, he complained that he was hungry. He was an example to many by the way he lived his life and his loyalty to those values that determine a true friend. The particulars of her crime, as sketched out by the prosecution, were vague; assistant district attorney Sandra Eastwood, a passionate child advocate, conceded in opening arguments that she was not sure how Hannah had made Andrew eat so much salt. The Overtons have said they believed he instead had a rare medical conditioncalled hypernatremia that caused the fatal sodium levels. There have been a few tear-filled nights because one of the kids misses Andrew, Larry told me later. The prosecution portrayed her as a mother who had lost control and tried to punish the young boy by giving him seasoning mixed in water. 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. 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. As a frequent witness for the state in child abuse cases, Cortes was not in the habit of reaching out to defense attorneys, but he was so angered by the verdict that he picked up the phone. Impatient to return to the boys bedside, she gave a hurried, disjointed account of the day that omitted critical details, such as how she had found Andrew in the pantry unattended, and she made only fleeting mention of his unusual eating habits. All NRE reports represent a moment in time. Hannahs father was the Reverend Bennie Saenz, an evangelical preacher in Corpus Christi whose fall from grace profoundly altered the course of her childhood. Andrew had an enraged mother who didnt, I dont think loved him the way that she loved her own biological children, former Nueces County prosecutor Sandra Eastwood said at trial. Hannah Overton, far right, sits next to her attorney, Cynthia Orr, center, and prosecutor, Doug Norman, April 26, 2012 in Corpus Christi, Texas. We met when he was helping her move. You and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks. Larry, who was sitting behind her, broke down. information about the Registry, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? The churchs pastor, Rod Carver, and his wife, Noreen, had initially considered taking in Andrew but ultimately decided he was more than they could handle. I wish you and your family my sincere condolences. Even more devastating to Hannah were the actions that CPS took that January. Those charges were not considered double jeopardy because Overtons conviction was overturned by the higher court on the basis of ineffective counsel, which granted her a new trial. In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. Thats what Im trying to get you to tell me. With no obvious explanations to consider, he focused his attention on Hannah. Prosecutors had accused her of givingthe boy a mix of water and spicy seasoning that contributed to the high levels of sodium in his system. Overtons conviction and sentence were upheld on appeal. The day Andrew died Hannah said she found him in the kitchen pantry but could not determine what he had consumed, if anything. The defense presented the jury with a medical mystery. I feel happy. Our lives are richer having known him. Because the court has not been inclined to intercede so far, members of Calvary Chapel have begun a letter-writing campaign to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles in hopes of securing a pardon or a commutation. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. In his role as single dad, he is aided by his extended family and his many friends from Calvary Chapel, who pitch in to do cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, and babysitting. He embodied the characteristics of a Saint and we will miss him very much. They wed a year later and moved to Corpus Christi.