Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Murdered Infant Was A Life, Not A Toy Doll

Take a good look at these two individuals who starved their 5 month old helpless, infant child.
Neither one of them should ever, see the light of day। There are those who would possibly defend this man and woman making excuse's such as they had a troubled past or a history of mental illness themselves and the general pubic should not be so hard on the parents of the murdered child. I disagree. We have to hold those who commit these unimaginable crimes of horror, accountable. We must stop using the abuse and mental illness "cushion" as an excuse and a defense in these particular crimes. This is not a doll, This was a human life!

Journal Register-Peoria, IL , Benjamin Sargent died with his eyes open, fists clenched and strapped into a car seat after eight days without food or water, authorities say।
The 5-month-old was dropped off at his parents’ house on Feb. 4, wearing a bright-blue snowsuit and strapped into his car seat. Eight days later, he was found in the filth-strewn home in the same position, Peoria County State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons said Wednesday during a bond hearing for the parents, Tracy D. Hermann, 21, and James E. Sargent, 23, both of Peoria, who are charged with murder for their son’s death.
“It’s the worst case of child neglect we have seen since the turn of this century,” Lyons said afterward. “(On Tuesday), I told (Peoria Police) Chief (Steven) Settingsgaard that this case even rattled me.”
The charges state the parents’ actions, or lack thereof, were “brutal and heinous ... indicative of wanton cruelty,” factors that could mean they face up to 100 years in prison if convicted.
Lyons also said he might seek the death penalty for the two. State law allows a capital charge if the accused is older than 17 and the victim is younger than 12.
“He died from starvation due to neglect from these two defendants, his parents,” Lyons said, spitting out the last word with contempt.
Circuit Judge Glenn Collier ordered Sargent and Hermann held without bond, pending a hearing this afternoon, when it is expected that Lyons will present more evidence as to why the two should not be released pending trial.
Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said Benjamin weighed 10 pounds when he was found by police. He was nearly eight pounds at birth, she said.
Reading from a prepared statement, Lyons said police found the infant sitting in his own waste, all the while strapped into the seat, which was in a crib.
A person who was staying at an unattached garage adjacent to the house had seen Benjamin at some point, thought it was “odd” that he was still on the living room floor after being dropped off and moved him, car seat and all, into the other room.
There Benjamin sat for eight days, most of which both Hermann and Sargent were home, “playing video games, watching TV, feeding and caring for themselves,” Lyons said afterward.
Police had interviewed Sargent, who at first told them he had moved the baby “once or twice,” but later conceded that he might not have moved Benjamin at all during the week, Lyons said.
Hermann’s last contact with her son was the night before police were notified. Then, she allegedly told police she “looked at the baby in the crib and presumed he was sleeping, so she said she stuck a bottle between the baby and the side of the car seat so that when he woke up, he could grab it and feed himself,” Lyons said in open court.
The house, Lyons said, was in complete disarray, with clothing everywhere and spoiled food left out. The temperature in the baby’s room was nearly 80 degrees, he said.
Hermann then left for Iowa to meet with a man she had met over the Internet, the prosecutor said, noting that she allegedly told police “ Benjamin was not her duty and that it was James’ responsibility.”
Prosecutors from Lyons’ juvenile division have already begun proceedings to permanently remove Hermann’s 3-year-old daughter from the home.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree with you excuses are made when parents murder their children. I had difficulty reading this-the childs eyes were open when authorities found him. He was in soiled clothing amind rotted and spoiled food. The mother when to meet someone from the internet. Where there neighbors and couldn't someone smell they fould odor? Prayers to the boy who in now with the angels in God's Holly Kingdom. And prayers to you for caring.
J. Fugate-WI

LarryHarriet said...

This is brutal 1st degree homicide. I'm very pleased to hear that Lyons may seak the death penalty, I would absolutely encourage and push him to do that. You not only need to do it to provide justice to the infant but to send a message to the public that this kind of crime will not be tolerated. I hate bail! They should not be released pending trial... they should be in jail. Its really interesting for me to hear defense attorneys say that these people should be found not guilty because of their "troubled past" and "history of mental illness." They absolutely refuse to let their clients take any responsibilty. It goes back to what I was saying about defense attornies, I just don't understand how they do what they do. If their fight in the courtroom allowed these parents back on the street to do it agian... I just couldn't live with myself.

The authorities need to be working around the clock to remove the 3 year old from the home.

Anonymous said...

I hope they both burn in hell, killing an infant starving him to death. May the couts not show mercy on these two.

Jonny said...

The child did not starve to death. The child died from gangrene on his lower extremities, due to an infection which set in on his legs and groin from sitting in a soiled diaper for 8 days.

These barbarians should be executed with baseball bats. Even the most primitive tribal dwellers are capable of caring for infants properly. There is no accounting for this except to say these people are evil.

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