At the clinic, she continued giving him mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions until paramedics took over, but the four-year-old lay motionless. He recalled how Michael used to chew on his fingers, a chronic problem that left his skin bloody and raw. Search by Name. Larry, who was sitting behind her, broke down. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. The entire Davila family sends our heart felt condolences to Dabney's family. In loving memory of Jonah Lee Overton, She found him standing on a stool in the pantry, near the baking ingredients, having pulled something off the shelf. Hannah Overton spent seven years in prison until her conviction was overturned. (More shocking details on abuse suffered by four-year-old before death, began one breathless report.) H-E-Bs True Texas BBQ Restaurant Is Slipping, West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country. Prosecutors exploited that uncertainty in final arguments, asserting that Andrew did not have pica. 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. They speculated Andrew might have had pica, an eating disorder characterized by an obsessive appetite and that Andrew accidentally poisoned himself by consuming a fatal amount of sodium. If you would like to discuss your case with an attorney at Goldstein & Orr, then please contact us to schedule a consultation. Gilmore urged Hannah more than once to agree to have the jury consider a lesser charge, but she was uneasy with what she perceived as an underlying suggestion of wrongdoing. Weeping, they told the children that their brother had gone to be with Jesus. . I never saw Hannah be anything but patient and loving with all the kids, the now-married mother of two told me. I am a better person for knowing him. He was a supportive friend to so many people, including me. Overton's original trial attorneys admitted at an appeals hearing that they had made errors. While behind bars,Overton relied on her faith, family and supporters and led Bible studies. I worked with him at Branch, Cabell many years ago. 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. Finally he agreed to plead no contest to criminally negligent homicide. 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. She had been released on bond in December after a Texas appellate court overturned her conviction and life sentence for the death of 4-year-old Andrew Burd, the child Overton and her husband, Larry, were in the process of adopting before he died. . Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. We truly thought his obsession with food was a behavioral issue, not a medical one, Larry said. Larry had also tried to rouse him by giving him a warm bath. The Overtons were returning from a visit to the obstetricians office, where they had brought the children to find out whether the baby they were expecting was a boy or a girl. I see Dabney very clearly at the dog park with Moose and Betsy, gliding along with that long stride of his and his big smile for everyone. Four subsequent investigations were triggered by reports of abuse or neglect, including one allegation that both his mother and maternal grandmother were incapable of properly caring for him because they used methamphetamines. What a loss for all of us; he will be missed. There are really no words. The experience had affected her deeply, and she told Larry that she was willing to adopt a child with disabilities or an older child who had been unable to find a permanent home. On their honeymoon, they stopped at the orphanage in Reynosa, where Hannah wanted Larry to meet some of the children she had told him so much about. Hannah R. (Saem) Overton was born c. 1977. More outspoken was Andrews Sunday school teacher, who sat Hannah and Larry down and told them that he was a troubled kid. As I read the comments of so many I realize he touched everyone's lives just the same. By clicking or navigating the site, you agree to allow our collection of information through cookies. Relatives, neighbors, and members of the Overtons church pitched in to look after the kids during Hannahs recovery, but the revolving door of caregivers proved to be difficult for Andrew, who began acting out on a scale they had not seen before. With guns drawn, police officers had surrounded Hannah and Larrys car as they returned from an errand, forcing them to the ground and handcuffing them. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? They said Andrew was going through a very difficult time, she said. Exhausted from the previous night, she briefly dozed off, then awoke to discover that Andrew had slipped out of the room. Hannah - Please accept our sincere condolences on your loss. And anyone who loves dogs as much as Dabney did is a special soul indeed. Yet the Overtons were not too concerned. God bless you Dabney, we'll miss you. But law enforcement and emergency medical personnel who treated Andrew thought otherwise. Until then, she said, Andrew was doing nothing that my other kids hadnt done with the flu. But he was adamant that the boys death had not been accidental. Given that Hannah was suspected of poisoning Andrew with Creole seasoning, the suggestion that the Overtons had used pepper to discipline their children raised immediate concerns. The appellate court did not rule specifically on Overton's claims of prosecutorial misconduct, saying she deserved a new trial on claims of ineffective counsel. They declined to do any further chromosomal testing and turned to prayer instead. He served as president of the School of Law. And given that abuse and neglect during the first year of life can profoundly affect behavioral development, they were not surprised that Andrew was different. So it is the context and the totality of the injuries that worried me. If you need legal advice, then retain an attorney to discuss the facts of your case. Standing just five feet tall, with wide-set brown eyes, a girlish laugh, and a warm, easy manner, Hannah was almost childlike herself. The Overtons are nurturing, loving, patient, and very family-oriented, an adoption supervisor noted in her paperwork. Hannah was seven when Saenz was arrested in 1984 and charged with a singularly horrific crime: the bludgeoning death of a sixteen-year-old girl whose nude body was discovered at the waters edge on Padre Island. Yet the image they conjuredof a woman grinning at the sight of a comatose four-year-oldwas devastating. Overton spent seven years in prison after she was sentenced in 2007 to life without parole for the death of 4-year-old Andrew Burd, a boy she had planned to adopt with her husband. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Before he left, Haller recalled his saying, You might want to prepare for the media.. Overton spent seven years in prison before the Texas Court of Appeals overturned her capital murder charges on September 17, 2014. May your memories bring you comfort. A memorial service will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Miller's Tavern, Va. on Sunday, November 22nd at 2 p.m. She was born April 24, 1945 to Dabney Overton Sr. and Henrietta Mallory Overton and grew up in Warsaw, VA. She was graduated from St. Margaret's School in 1963 where she was awarded the Bishop's Prize all four years. Overton, 38, was convicted in 2007 after being accused of force-feeding young Andrew Burd enough salt to kill him, even though she had no previous problems with the law and was raising four children and was pregnant with a fifth. I was blessed to know him, and his family is in my prayers. He soon lapsed into a coma. Following college, he worked as a financial consultant and more recently as a consultant for Terrestar Networks. As he grasped for the right words to convey the depth of pain a parent feels over the loss of a child, he noticed a row of unfamiliar faces. I have shared a memorial tribute I wrote about Dabney with all who've asked. Hannah Overton, family celebrate her pregnancy months after she's declared innocent in boy's death, Hannah Overton, supporters chant 'Actually innocent' after capital murder dismissal, Nueces County DA to dismiss Overton case, declare woman innocent, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. All rights reserved. Sign . I wish his family well. . It came as a shock when I got the call from Peter Detlefs letting me know that Dabney had passed away. He was a member of Mt. Please call me at your earliest convenience.. Before they headed to bed, Larry turned up the lights for their nightly devotions. I was shocked and saddened to hear of Dabney's premature death last week. Andrews behavior worsened that September, after the family was involved in a car accident. Disclaimer: We created this website to give you general information about a variety of criminal offenses and possible defenses that might apply to those charges. He was such a kind person, always with a smile on his face and a warm hug. 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. But Rotta was alarmed by his overall appearance. Before the family returned home, Andrew asked if he could have lunch, and Hannah told him that he needed to wait; Larry was bringing them something to eat, she explained, and he would be back in a few minutes. Larry was charged with injury to a child for failing to get Andrew timely medical attention. She was unflappable and unfailingly patient with children. Guest Book Not sure what to say? Being in the Overtons home had afforded Werkhoven an intimate view of the family. After drinking a little, he threw another tantrum that continued unabated for twenty minutes. Hannahs conviction was upheld in 2009 by the Thirteenth Court of Appeals. 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. Throughout the meal, Andrew repeatedly asked, Is my mom okay? He also kept requesting more food. According to juror number three, a high school English teacher named Margaret Warfield, that was not the case. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? The children liked to hang out in her room and talk to her, particularly Andrew, who always visited her for an extra hug before bedtime. To find Hannah guilty, jurors had to believe either of two scenarios: that Hannah Overton force-fed Andrew salt knowing it would kill him or that she neglected to get medical help fast enough knowing that it would kill him. A family birthday celebration in the summer of 2006. The defendant has portrayed herself as a nurturing Christian woman, Eastwood proclaimed. She was native of this place and had been twice married. He was born on April 2, 1940 in Little Rock, Arkansas to the late Lewis Franklin and Dwight Katherine Overton. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. He has carried us through.". My deepest sympathy to his family on the loss of a truly extraordinary person. The sodium content of Zatarains is not listed on its packaging. The court ruledher trial lawyers were ineffective, and sent her case back to be retried. (A former pastor of Hannahs had advocated reprimanding children when they were dishonest by putting a single red pepper flake on their tongues.) Early in the pregnancy, Hannah and Larry were informed that the boy would likely have Down syndrome. Their arrests came so quickly after Andrew died, they said, that they had no time to grieve for the boy they hoped to permanently make a part of their family. She had studied years earlier to be an EMT, she explained, and although she had never worked as a paramedic, she had felt confident in her training. Please know that you all are surrounded by love, no matter how great your grief. He moved unsteadily, and he was so clumsy that Hannah had him wear a life jacket whenever he splashed around in their inflatable kiddie pool. They had also watched the video of Hess questioning Hannah, during which she described calling a paramedic friend in Oklahoma for guidance when the boys condition deteriorated, and even using her cameras flash to check if his pupils were reactive, but never calling for an ambulance. In a 2012 interview from a Texas prison, Overton told ABC News that during one of the monthly visitations with her children, [Emma] took her first step, I was there. Zion Church of the Brethren. He reached Doug Norman, who was part of the prosecution team at Hannahs trial and who is now responsible for fighting her appeal. Fueling the publics antipathy was an affidavit written by a CPS child abuse investigator named Jesse Garcia, who claimed that Hannah had admitted to forcing Andrew to drink two cupfuls of chili with water and quoted her as saying that she then beat the shit out of him. Garcia never produced any documentation or witnesses to corroborate his claim, and internal police memos show that law enforcement officials doubted the veracity of his story. He was preceded in death by his mot That Larry is able to be with the children at all, much less raise them, is a huge blessing, he told me. 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. on our list, Other Overton cites a Bible verse from Hebrews 13:3 on the ministry website to explain its mission: "Remember those in prisonas if you were bound with them! The National Registry of Exonerations is a project of the Newkirk Center for Science & Society at University of California Irvine, the University of Michigan Law School and Michigan State University College of Law. The Huntsville Times. I believe that the same God who made him is with him now in the most immediate sense. They convicted her based on the latter argument, that she did not seek help quickly enough. You and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks. Todd Yates/Corpus Christi Caller-Times/AP. Hannah Overton, a south Texas mother of five whose wrongful conviction for the 2006 death of her foster son was overturned last year, is expected to receive over $500,000 in compensation from the state for the years she spent in jail. Dabney will be missed as one of the "regular" offshore racing crew members at Fishing Bay. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. Dear Overton Family and Friends of Dabney. There were the charred remnants of his Spider-Man sheets in the fire pit. A pediatric critical care specialist who treated Andrew at Driscoll, Alexandre Rotta, grew equally troubled. In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. ", More:Hannah Overton, supporters chant 'Actually innocent' after capital murder dismissal, More:Nueces County DA to dismiss Overton case, declare woman innocent. Throughout the trial, Eastwood had suggested that the Overtons had withheld food as part of a larger pattern of abuse, and as she addressed the jury, she insisted that Andrew had scavenged for food because he was hungry. 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. Any God, Christian or not, would have wanted a better mother for Andrew.. According to her family tree, she married Larry D. Overton on August 9, 1997 in Texas . Hannah Overton and her family spend Christmas together for the first time in seven years. 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 Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. 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. OVERTON, Dabney III, died peacefully on Monday, November 9, 2009 surrounded by family and friends. Hannah must sit on the opposite side of a metal divider, behind Plexiglas. 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. 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. He will be missed. Veteran defense attorney John Gilmore, whom the Overtons had retained using funds raised by their church, was stunned to learn of the arrests from reporters, who called asking for comment. It was while watching the monitor that Hannah saw him trying to eat part of his foam mattress and paint off the wall. 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. It was Emma whom Hannah was pregnant with when Andrew died, and she is the child Hannah knows least. Ive missed, you know, so many things, she said at the time. I wish you and your family peace in this difficult time. Nueces County jurors believed she failed to seek medical care for her foster son in a timely manner. The Overtons live in East Texas and told ABC News they have housed and supported prisoners after their release through their non-profit organization, Syndeo Ministries. The way it was explained to me, thats how I would be charged if I accidentally ran a stoplight and hit somebody, he said. I'm not saying goodbye but that I will see you later. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. A committed Christian, he had gone on mission trips with his family since he was a child, including a fourteen-month stint in Papua New Guinea and several treks across Mexico. Then he corrected himself. It should be noted that during the entire conversation, Hannah Overton showed almost no emotion, he later wrote in his police report. It was a catastrophic decision. I was privileged to know Dabney at W&L and as a fraternity brother at LXA. 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. 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. But as devoted Christians, their desire to adopt a foster child was rooted in faith more than in practicality. She left nursing behind, channeling her energy instead into raising the large family she had always wanted. But the damage was done: that Hannah had confessed to force-feeding Andrew and beating him was repeated, uncorrected, on the local news. Hess remained skeptical of Hannahs account. My job requires me to be an advocate for the state. Her husband, Larry, took aplea deal for a lesser charge in the case and was given probation. As Larry stood in the kitchen and peeled potatoes, the kidsexcited to have a visitorshowed me around their house, pointing out their favorite hiding places and the plaster cast of their footprints in the hallway, which includes the letter A for Andrew. However, that didn't stop us from having friendly and lively conversations about the greatest game. Im a pretty easygoing guy, but I remember thinking, Six kids? Larry told me. What a great sense of comfort to know that I could be greated on the other side by such a kind person. After examining Andrews medical records, he had determined that the boys death was likely accidental. At the time, Overton had four children and was pregnant with a fifth, and had no prior trouble with the law. When Emma took her first steps, Larry brought her to the parking lot outside the county jail so that Hannah could watch from her cell above. Although the adoption agency that had worked with CPS to find Andrew a home had described him as developmentally on target except for his speech delay, Larry and Hannah observed otherwise. One of her favorite books to revisit is Ruth. As Andrews condition deteriorated, CPS barred the Overtons from visiting their son. But had jurors fully understood the decision they had been asked to make? She is amazing!". She is also qualified to receive insurance and education benefits. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. The detective had been alerted to Andrews grave condition when the boy was transported to a nearby hospital the previous afternoon and, as was protocol, had begun looking into the circumstances surrounding the boys unusual and rapid decline. Hannahs father was the Reverend Bennie Saenz, an evangelical preacher in Corpus Christi whose fall from grace profoundly altered the course of her childhood. But former Nueces County District Attorney Mark Skurka charged Overton a second time for murder after her release. Overton was convicted of capital murder, an automatic life sentence in Texas because the child was under the age of 6.

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