Larry was charged with injury to a child for failing to get Andrew timely medical attention. Its not even a consideration, she said. 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. Larry with (from left) his children Ally, Isaac, Sebastian, Emma, and Isabel. The Overtons daughters, four-year-old Isabel and three-year-old Ally, reported back to their parents that the new boy in their class needed a family. Dabney was born on July 31, 1963 and grew up in Essex County, Va. That Andrew had sustained a head injury was based on the presence of a half-inch area of hemorrhaging under the scalp. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? Then District Attorney Mark Skurka dropped the case. 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. The writ is the final opportunity a defendant has to introduce new evidence into the record. ), As the Overtons wait on the appellate courts, Larry goes about the task of raising their five children, while also trying to rebuild his business. Dabney will be missed by a wide range of supportive friends and family. 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. (Larrys parents, who were friends of the Saenzes, were parishioners.) She would later admit, according to one report, to using alcohol, methamphetamines, cocaine and crack cocaine, LSD, marijuana, cigarettes, and taking prescription Xanax. His father was seventeen and worked for a traveling carnival. Larry hurried home to help, but Andrew, who had been vomiting, only grew worse. Skip to main content. Hannah Overton recently reunited with her husband, Larry Overton, since being released on bond last week. Obituary | Alton Overton | Ashby Funeral Home More outspoken was Andrews Sunday school teacher, who sat Hannah and Larry down and told them that he was a troubled kid. I asked Hannah if her faith had been shaken by Andrews loss and the suffering that she and her family had experienced. Finally she relented, heating up what she had on hand: leftover vegetable-beef soup flavored with Zatarains Creole Seasoning. Andrews adoption hadnt been finalized, Haller said. The jury was not just going to let her walk. Capital murder carries two possible punishments in Texasthe death penalty or life without paroleand the district attorneys office had already decided not to seek death. 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. Andrew accompanied his foster mother to services every Sunday, and with his thatch of blond hair and beaming grin, he was hard to miss. It should be noted that during the entire conversation, Hannah Overton showed almost no emotion, he later wrote in his police report. But Hannah, who was bewildered by Andrews condition, had no ready answers. It did not matter that Haller, who had seen Andrew in the days leading up to his hospitalization and who was frequently in the Overton home, had never observed any suspicious bruises or indications of abuse. He was a good guy and a good friend. And then there was the abnormally high sodium level, coupled with Hannahs account of feeding him Creole seasoning after he had misbehaved. Andrews preoccupation with eating intensified, and he began getting out of bed at night to forage for food in the kitchen. 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. Instead we were arrested.. That Larry is able to be with the children at all, much less raise them, is a huge blessing, he told me. Michael, who had been born prematurely, was severely impaired; he had cerebral palsy, was blind, and could not walk or talk. Dabney will be missed by many. This was not a child that came into the office looking well, with a story of, you know, Hes just a tomboy, and he falls and hits himself, Rotta would later testify. I feel honored to have shared his presence. Myron Overton Obituary (1935 - 2013) - Bakersfield, CA - Legacy information about the Registry, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. 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. While behind bars,Overton relied on her faith, family and supporters and led Bible studies. Days after she gave birth to her daughter Emma, CPS took the newborn into protective custody. Overton was convicted of capital murder after being accused of force-feeding Burd enough sodium to kill him. But just as the prosecution could not show exactly how Hannah had forced Andrew to ingest a lethal dose of salt, neither could the defense give precise details for how the four-year-old had come to have so much sodium in his body. I worked with Dabney at Browder Russell just after he graduated from W & L, and saw him often at FBYC. The salt poisoning case earned international attention because many believed she was wrongfully convicted and her story was featured in the 2017 documentary, Until Proven Innocent. ABC News has followed Overton's and her husband's story since her original 2007 trial. May God bless you and. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. I knew Dabney through my daughter. A Texas mother who spent years in prison before she was exonerated for capital murder has welcomed a new child. 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. 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. 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. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. After her shift ends in the late morning, there are letters to write home, in which she tries to stay present in her childrens lives by choreographing what she can from a distance. I regret that I didnt push harder from the beginning to find out what was wrong with himthat I believed his problems were just due to his previous abuse and neglect, and that, when I finally decided he needed to see a doctor about his pica, we didnt get him in quicker. When I pressed her to explain why she and Larry had not called 911, she leaned forward, as if pleading with me to understand. — -- Murder charges against Hannah Overton, a south Texas mother of five who had been convicted in the 2007 salt poisoning trial in the death of her foster son, have been dismissed by the district attorney. Those were great times. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. In 2005 the Overtons began to pursue the idea seriously. He called Hannah and Larry Mommy and Daddy, and he followed Larry everywhere he went, often stepping on Larrys heels as he trailed after him. He. I would often see him riding with all the dogs in the back of the car. She found him standing on a stool in the pantry, near the baking ingredients, having pulled something off the shelf. A state judge has rejected claims by Hannah Overton that she was wrongly convicted of capital murder in 2007 because prosecutors withheld exculpatory evidence, her lawyers were ineffective . And its full of great reads, yall. I feel sad. Its about trusting God and seeing how he is a god of redemption and restoration, she said. Anne Turner Overton Haile died peacefully at home in Portland, Oregon on December 7, 2021. Obituaries Section. Dabney OVERTON Obituary (2009) - Legacy A Federal Judge in Amarillo Could Effectively Ban the Abortion Pill. Hannah must sit on the opposite side of a metal divider, behind Plexiglas. 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. I'm not saying goodbye but that I will see you later. 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. They also discovered that Hannah was pregnant again. He struck up a correspondence with Hannah, but she did not warm to him until their paths crossed again at a year-long missionary training school outside Tyler, when she was nineteen and he was a more clean-cut twenty. Andrew continued eating until he threw up. 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. He was preceded in death by his mot After drinking a little, he threw another tantrum that continued unabated for twenty minutes. I spent many nights beating myself up over Could I have done this or could I have done that? Hannah told me, staring at her hands. Hannah Overton Obituary - Death Notice and Service Information The boys symptoms that afternoonvomiting, chills, and lethargyinitially suggested to the Overtons that he had a routine ailment, like a stomach bug. See production, box office & company info. Prosecutors exploited that uncertainty in final arguments, asserting that Andrew did not have pica. Or had the tragedy claimed its second victim? (Haller, their next-door neighbor, has since moved to Houston.) May God wrap his loving arms around you until we meet again. We spoke last Tuesday about a biking trip we had plan in the spring to Cherokee,N.C. 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. 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. 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. . I wouldnt give up that time we had with him and that he had with us., As we sat across from each other in the dayroom, Hannah and I discussed her case and the anguish that had consumed her following Andrews death. Sister Overton grew up in Tuscumbia and lived most of her life in Florence. The thoughts and prayers of your co-workers are with you and your family. After he completed his probation, the charges were dismissed. Every Saturday for the past several years, Larry has ridden his motorcycle from Corpus Christi to the Murray Unit, the maximum-security womens prison west of Waco where Hannah is incarcerated: a squat, concrete building walled off from the world with cyclone fencing and coils of razor wire. 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. hannah overton obituary The world was a better place because of him. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? According to juror number three, a high school English teacher named Margaret Warfield, that was not the case. I am a better person for knowing him. Hannahs conviction was upheld in 2009 by the Thirteenth Court of Appeals. The cause of death was determined to be salt poisoning, an extremely rare occurrence that, in children, results from either a child inadvertently ingesting too much salt or a caretaker deliberately forcing the child to do so. That was the most uncomfortable service I have ever done. 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. Submit an Obituary . Two years later, the Overtons learned that their adoption application had been approved and that Andrew would be joining their family. 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. I didnt realize the seriousness of the situation. Eastwood questioned how Andrew had come to have scratches on his neck. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Hannah understood little of what had taken place except that she, her mother, and her brother had to leave Corpus Christi behind. Finally he agreed to plead no contest to criminally negligent homicide. Just as she had hoped, they would have six children. He was good to everyone he met. 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. The boy was diagnosed with a toxic salt overdose and died the following day. Not long after his arrest, a grand jury upgraded the charges against him to capital murder, and he feared that he too might face life in prison. (A subsequent investigation by the attorney generals office found that no crimes had been committed. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. 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. Losing his patience, Larry took the sheets to the familys fire pit and burned them. Please call me at your earliest convenience.. Hannah Spencer Haile (1937 - 1981) - Genealogy - Geni Family Tree 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. He is survived by : his children, Valerie Overton Castano (John), Glenn Overton (Donna) and Allen Overton (Amy); his grandchildren, Morgan Castano Petty (Kyle), Jordan Castano, Zack Castano (Andie), Julia Overton Kahsar (Alex), Alyssa Overton McSteen (Dylan) and Drake Overton; his great grandchildren, Overton Petty, Cotten Petty, Davant Petty, Preston McSteen and Layton Kahsar; his brothers-in-law, Bruce Preston Cotten and Grant Cotten; his friends, Jimmy, Sarah Trado, Joyce, Jerry Dellinger, Betty Jo Mullis and Bob Butler; and also, Scott and Tana Lloyd. Despite Eastwoods zeal, there were still basic questions that the prosecution could not explain. 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. Home; Memorials; Cemeteries; Famous; Contribute; Register; Sign In; Register; Sign In; Memorial updated successfully. Over the course of the three-week-long trial, Eastwood sought to convince jurors that a mother with no history of violence or mental illness had force-fed her child to deatha scenario that each prosecution witness helped, incrementally, to suggest was possible. And Eastwood was fired from the DAs office in 2010. I dont see what caused the trauma to the brain, he said. I think I'll always remember him as simply super cool himself. He delivered sermons to a small but devoted following that met every Sunday, and during services he also played guitar. Love Carl Robertson, My thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of grief. But Rotta was alarmed by his overall appearance. The information on this website does NOT constitute legal advice and you may not rely on it as such. She had only one sibling, a brother who was seven years her junior, and a father who was largely absent from her life. Peace be with you, Dabney. What a loss for all of us; he will be missed. We dont know precisely how she got it down Andrew, but we know that he was very, very obedient, Eastwood told the jury, standing before the TV news cameras that Judge Longoria had allowed inside the courtroom. See you then, my friend. Within hours of Andrews arrival at the hospital, the Overtons home had been searched, and soon more facts seemed to bolster the notion of abuse. Looking for any information that might bolster the appeal, Orr requested access to the prosecutions case file. A block away from the clinic, as they waited at a red light, Andrew stopped breathing. 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. Overton had to have a blood transfusion and her new. Hannah would never harm a child. Even setting aside her loyalty to her friend, the detectives theory made no sense to her. . On several occasions his fits had grown so extreme that she had resorted to asking a male parishioner to physically remove him from the classroom until he could regain self-control. Hannahs father was the Reverend Bennie Saenz, an evangelical preacher in Corpus Christi whose fall from grace profoundly altered the course of her childhood. Share Dabney's life story with friends and family. Although he hung back when his siblings embraced their parents in group hugs, Larry and Hannah learned that if they asked Andrew to join in, he would do so enthusiastically, throwing his arms around them. My sons in high school now. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. Here are the tributes to Jonah Lee Overton. We had known each other for ten years, and I dont think Id ever seen her mad, Haller told me. That perception would throw her other children into the investigation as well. Anne Turner Overton Haile | Obituaries | newsontheneck.com I remind them that the Lord loves him more than anyone could and we will see him again someday.. Until we specifically agree to act for you on a matter, you should not provide us with any confidential information or material. I was blessed to know him, and his family is in my prayers. When Andrew started breathing funny, she told Hess, she had administered asthma medication with a nebulizer, hoping to open up his airways. You can ask, Why didnt she go to the hospital sooner? but in hindsight, everything is obvious. He touched my heart and those of my dear friends. Hannah and Larry had taken her in after her marriage ended in divorce, giving her their extra bedroom while she got back on her feet. Our lives are richer having known him. Then he corrected himself. I was privileged to know Dabney at W&L and as a fraternity brother at LXA. He acted more like a toddler than a preschooler, they noted; if he wanted an object, he pointed to it and grunted. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? 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. celebrity wifi packages cost. Andrew was a sweet boy who had significant neurological and developmental disorders. The original prosecutor in the Overton case, Sandra Eastwood, was terminated for reasons unrelated to this case years after the trial concluded. Mommy, Im cold, he said, and threw up. He was a member of Mt. All those that I know who knew Dabney will miss him greatly. We will always remember him fondly as a fellow Friend of Bandy Field. 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. When Andrews condition worsened, she and Larry had debated whether to call 911 or go to the nearby urgent care clinic, a concern because Andrew lacked health insurance. Hannah Overton and her family spend Christmas together for the first time in seven years. Write your message of sympathy today. . "We are so excited about all God has done in and through all of this. If you need legal advice, then retain an attorney to discuss the facts of your case. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. Overtons conviction and sentence were upheld on appeal. Andrew seems very happy in this home.. Hannah Mason "Tess" Overton Obituary (2019) | Gunnedah, NSW - Echovita Funeral arrangement under the care ofHeritage Funeral Home. Hannah Overton announced the birth of her sixth child, Gabriela Aliana, this week in a Facebook post that described a difficult delivery. The media coverage of the case stirred widespread outrage. At 4 a.m., she reports to the laundry, where she folds shirts and hands out clean clothes to inmates. He and Hannah are allotted two hours, during which they sit together in the dayroom, flanked by other inmates and their families. 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. "God is so good!," Overton wrote in the social media post. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. December 22, 1930 - 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. By the time Hannah took the stand, jurors appeared to have made up their minds. Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002. Dabney was born on July 31, 1963 and grew up in Essex County, Va. 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. Dabney will be missed by so many. It came as a shock when I got the call from Peter Detlefs letting me know that Dabney had passed away. Much loved daughter of Andrew and Susan, dearly loved sister of. It seemed to me, based upon the wording of the charge, that we had no choice but to find her guilty of capital murder. But, Warfield added, I do not believe that Mrs. Overton knew that her actions (or lack thereof) would kill Andrew Byrd [sic]. In 2007 he published a seminal paper on salt poisoning, in which he examined, among other things, documented cases of children who had accidentally ingested excessive quantities of salt. Overton spent seven years in prison before the Texas Court of Appeals overturned her capital murder charges on September 17, 2014. The Huntsville Times. Both sides worked hard independently to determine the truth and achieve justice for the Overton family, the entire family. If I failed in my duties of disclosure before the Hannah Overton trial (which the record corroborates I did not), then so did Ms. Jimenez., Orr filed the writ in April 2011, and soon afterward San Antonio Express-News reporter John MacCormackwhose reporting has raised questions about the fairness of Hannahs convictionmade a routine call to the office to gauge the reaction to the recent developments in the case. We have a child that was well until that afternoon, that had behavioral issues, that was having temper tantrums, that was then given something . The jury was not just going to let her walk.. A more thorough investigation would have uncovered ample evidence to suggest that Andrew had an undiagnosed eating disorder, raising the possibility that he had unintentionally consumed too much salt on his own. Hannah Spencer Overton (born Haile) in FamilySearch Family Tree Hannah Overton in U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Hannah Spencer Haile in MyHeritage family trees (Baker Family Site (23andMe)) view all Immediate Family Private ex-spouse Private child Hannah Overton Tiffany daughter Private child Edmond Ware Haile father Irene Margarite Tyler Reaching for his shoes, he announced, I can do all things. Larry remembered, We felt like we were really making headway with him.. 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. In Marchshetold ABC News she would receive nearly $600,000 in compensation, along with other benefits, though she acknowledged no sum could give her back the years of freedom she lost. Overton spent seven years in prison for the murder of a young foster child that she says she didn't commit. Hannahs supporters included a young churchgoer named Dawn Werkhoven, who had lived with the Overtons the year leading up to Andrews death. He was a good friend and a great dancer!! There were days I had to remind her to eat, to brush her teeth, to get out of bed, Noreen told me. Overton, who has long maintained her innocence, spent seven years in prison for the young childs death. 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. CPS launched its initial investigation into Andrews well-being shortly after his first birthday, when his mother took him to a local hospital with a broken arm. Sign . He recalled how Michael used to chew on his fingers, a chronic problem that left his skin bloody and raw. While he was relieved not to have to serve prison time, the discrepancy between his wifes punishment and his own left him stupefied. 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. 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. Overton's original trial attorneys admitted at an appeals hearing that they had made errors. When she refused to give him a second helping, he threw a tantrum and shouted, I hate you! Finally, Hannah resorted to sprinkling some Zatarains into a sippy cup of water, hoping that the taste alone would appease him. He hoarded food and sometimes ate from the trash, she warned, and he threw intense temper tantrums, which could be tamed only by holding and rocking him. Does anybody remember that? I was so shocked and saddened to learn today of Dabney's sudden and all too premature death. I knew Dabney years ago while living in Richmond. 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. 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. Andrews standard answer whenever he was asked to perform a simple task was Sorry, I cant, but Hannah was heartened one day that summer when he deviated from the script. Overton had to have a blood transfusion and her new daughter spent a few days in a neonatal intensive care unit. But law enforcement and emergency medical personnel who treated Andrew thought otherwise. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. She and her Menu. But I told prosecutors five months before the trial that I believed Hannah had no intent to kill him and that this was not a capital murder case. Hannah Overton was just an ordinary homeschool mom. A pediatric critical care specialist who treated Andrew at Driscoll, Alexandre Rotta, grew equally troubled. Preceded in death by his mother Hannah Spencer Haile Overton and infant brother Charles. I believe that the same God who made him is with him now in the most immediate sense. Dabney is survived by his sister, Hannah Overton; and nieces Emma and Lizzie Schmidt, all of Tappahannock; a half-sister Mallory Overton McKendry of Jacksonville, Fla.; and his father, Dabney Overton Jr. of Harrisonburg. If you would like to discuss your case with an attorney at Goldstein & Orr, then please contact us to schedule a consultation. Anyone who knew Dabney loved him. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. 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.