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You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. People who knew the Overtons were certain that Andrews bewildering death was accidental. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Loose teeth, first day of kindergarten, last day of kindergarten. The Huntsville Times. He introduced me to Bandy Field and our Labs also became friends. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family and many friends. The family will receive friends Tuesday, November 23, 2021 from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Cullman Funeral Home. Hannahwho had already lost a child and was now living apart from her four older oneswas in a fragile state of mind. . Just as she had hoped, they would have six children. Andrew seems very happy in this home.. Because we were not thinking we were in a life-or-death situation, she insisted. Or had the tragedy claimed its second victim? The newly discovered documents, Moritz later told me, were a monumentally important piece of evidence., The discovery soon exposed strains among the prosecution team. 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. If she had taken Andrew to the hospital earlier, what would she have taken him in for? Absolutely not, Hannah shot back. The burden on the state to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt was, Gilmore told me, perhaps less than it should have been. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. Then, in the spring of 2010, Hannahs appellate attorney, Cynthia Orr, made a startling discovery. "We are so excited about all God has done in and through all of this. Hannah Overton recently reunited with her husband, Larry Overton, since being released on bond last week. Left: Andrew and Isabel playing together. My Mother and Father will miss his visits to the house and his heartfelt caring and concerns for all of us. He would have been witness number one for the defense, Gilmore told me. 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, who has long maintained her innocence, spent seven years in prison for the young childs death. At Hannah Overtons 2007 trial, the prosecution portrayed her as a mother who had lost control. Dabney was a pleasant person to be around. That Sunday, October 1, Larry took the other kids to church while Hannah devoted some extra attention to Andrew. Or had the tragedy claimed its second victim? Kids loved her. He inspired me to take up running, and to go from owning 1 dog to 2! 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. 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. 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. I was shocked and saddened to hear of Dabney's premature death last week. Andrews foster mother, who had provided refuge to roughly three hundred children over three decades, was also supportive. Financially, the accident had come at a precarious time; Larry had recently purchased his bosss landscape lighting business, and he needed to put in long hours just to make ends meet. To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our. Hannah - Please accept our sincere condolences on your loss. — -- 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 . I am so sorry to hear of Dabney's sudden passing. Or had the tragedy claimed its second victim? When I first learned Andrew had died, I was angry, he explained to me. I think I'll always remember him as simply super cool himself. Her husband, Larry, took aplea deal for a lesser charge in the case and was given probation. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. But law enforcement officials are accustomed to handling child abuse cases, not medical mysteries, and salt poisoning is rare enough that most emergency room doctors will never encounter a case during their careers. But Rotta was alarmed by his overall appearance. Andrew flew into a rage. CPR had also been performed for an extended period by Hannah and later by medical personnel, who had squeezed the boys nose and administered chest compressions for 35 minutes. Fellow church member Anita Miotti remembers their telling her and her husband, Rich, that they were struggling. The paperwork Orr now forwarded to him, which showed that Andrews stomach contained a great deal of water, only confirmed the clinical directors initial conclusion. 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. I am over the moon that Hannah has been granted compensation by Texas for her wrongful imprisonment, Orr told ABC News. Funeral service for Wendell Leon Overton, 81, of Cullman, will be 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, November 24, 2021 in the Cullman Funeral Home Chapel. 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. Share Obituary. Hannahs supporters included a young churchgoer named Dawn Werkhoven, who had lived with the Overtons the year leading up to Andrews death. See our Cookie Policy. But after the girls, the Overtons conceived their fourth child, Sebastian. Would you like to offer Jonah Lee Overtons loved ones a condolence message? She is amazing!". The medical staff at Driscoll Childrens Hospital had determined that Andrew had nearly twice the normal level of sodium in his blooda highly abnormal findingas well as bleeding in the brain, and as Hess questioned her, he tried to ascertain what had happened. that he had unrestricted access to water. Given these facts, he explained, There is not a single piece of evidence which suggests that Hannah Overton salt-poisoned Andrew. Instead, Moritz added, the most likely scenario was that Andrew accidentally salt-poisoned himself., In light of this information, Moritz felt certain that Andrews prognosis would have been the same whether or not Hannah had called an ambulance. 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. In 2005 the Overtons began to pursue the idea seriously. When people are under severe stress, their judgment becomes poor., Cortess perspective was revelatory. . Andrews behavior worsened that September, after the family was involved in a car accident. He was preceded in death by his mot January 21, 2023 Dabney will be missed by so many. I will miss Dabney greatly, having spent hours drinking coffee & talking with him; a kind, gentle soul who made the world a better place and who always had time for people in his life. What a shock and a life cut too short. Estelle and John It was very tense. Sifting through it one afternoon, Orr came across documents she had never seen before, which showed that Andrews stomach contents did not have an elevated amount of salt when he arrived at the urgent care clinic. She reported Andrews unusual eating habits to his adoption supervisor when she visited the Overton home on September 25. She and Larry were under tremendous financial strain, she admitted, but she stressed that they had rushed for help as soon as they realized how critical Andrews condition was. 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 . Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002. This is where Andrew used to sleep, Isaac told me softly as he led me into the boys room. . It should be noted that during the entire conversation, Hannah Overton showed almost no emotion, he later wrote in his police report. Please allow 24 hours for your entry to be reviewed for appropriate content. Overton's original trial attorneys admitted at an appeals hearing that they had made errors. Hannah, I am very sad to hear this news. One attorney was even moved to tears explaining how sorry he was for the mistakes he had made in Overton's case. As the verdict was read, Hannah looked horror-struck. 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. . And thanks for the movie, even though it was kind of weird. Obituary - Middle Island, L.I., December 5 - Mrs. Hannah M. Overton died yesterday morning after a short illness. "We cannot say thank you enough for all who have helped especially the attorneys who worked endless hours to prove my innocence and gain my freedom," Overton told ABC News today. Larry Overton was also charged with murder, but after his wife's conviction, he was offered a plea deal and was given probation. 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. 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. The entire Davila family sends our heart felt condolences to Dabney's family. 1 x 120' / Produced for Discovery Networks. 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. He left me with that gift. Theres An App for That. Yet according to the unusual wording of the jury charge, jurors had to believe just one of two scenarios to find Hannah guilty: that she deliberately made Andrew ingest a lethal amount of salt or that she purposely neglected to get timely medical attention, knowing that this would kill him. Hannahs father was the Reverend Bennie Saenz, an evangelical preacher in Corpus Christi whose fall from grace profoundly altered the course of her childhood. She and her family do so much good with nothing. Despite appearances, however, he was hardly a reprobate. 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. I will always remember Dabney's love of animals, nature and good music. If convicted, Hannah would receive an automatic life sentence. Although I believe that Mrs. Overton was remiss in seeking timely medical care for Andrew Byrd, I do not believe that she intended or knew that this would result in his death. The wording of the jury charge, she added, had been ambiguous and confusing. Ultimately, Warfield wrote, I do not feel that justice has been served., Two days after Hannah was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, a pediatrician named Edgar Cortes took the unusual step of contacting Gilmore. I was convinced that we were in the presence of a crime.. (92 years old). Just after five oclock, the Overtons put him in their car and rushed him to a nearby urgent care clinic. 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. Hannah Overton passed away in Peterborough, Lincolnshire. . 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. She believed that Andrews eating habits were not the stuff of pathology but those of a growing boy. [I] fully disclosed the DAs offices case file to the defense, she wrote in the lengthy statement. Hess had given me his word that he would tell me if and when warrants were going to be issued, so that Hannah and Larry could turn themselves in. Instead, law enforcement officials had apprehended the Overtons by making a felony traffic stop, a practice usually reserved for suspects believed to be armed and dangerous. Does God want a child to go to bed hurting, in pain, fearful, being looked at by closed-circuit television? Dabney was always smiling, no matter what was going on in his life. 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. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time., With love and warm memories of our Cousin Pete. 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. A Texas mother who spent years in prison before she was exonerated for capital murder has welcomed a new child. Sadly she lost her . When a four-year-old from Texas died mysteriously of salt poisoning, his foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder and sent to prison for life. I visited Hannah at the Murray Unit one bright, cloudless afternoon, when the warden granted her a few hours to speak with me. 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. 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. "God is so good!," Overton wrote in the social media post. After drinking a little, he threw another tantrum that continued unabated for twenty minutes. We were in it for the long haul.. Michael, who had been born prematurely, was severely impaired; he had cerebral palsy, was blind, and could not walk or talk. 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 Larry and Hannah had done missionary work, and as a teenager, Hannah had spent holidays volunteering at an orphanage across the border, in Reynosa, where she had fed, bathed, and ministered to kids who had been living on the streets. Sorry to hear of Dabney's passing. Hannah Overton was just an ordinary homeschool mom. Copyright 2023 GRB Studio | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions I feel honored to have shared his presence. OVERTON, Dabney III, died peacefully on Monday, November 9, 2009 surrounded by family and friends. Not until Sebastian was born did doctors discover that his only impairment was a hole in his heart, which healed on its own. 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. 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. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. We were in awe.. I figured, Well, weve got to start with one, so lets see how far we get. Isabel, and then Ally, followed. Andrew accompanied his foster mother to services every Sunday, and with his thatch of blond hair and beaming grin, he was hard to miss. In the eyes of law enforcement, Hannah and Larry were not grieving parents but perpetrators of an appalling crime. 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. Myron attended Longfellow elementary, Panama Union and Kern And anyone who loves dogs as much as Dabney did is a special soul indeed. Submit an Obituary . His dogs and ours were "buds". 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. 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. It is unlikely that any intervention would have made a significant difference as Andrew had already taken the most critical step to save himself [by consuming] copious amounts of fluid, he wrote. My husband, Tom, and I were deeply saddened to hear of Dabney's sudden passing. lakers celebrity seating chart 2019 bottle caps candy root beer only bottle caps candy root beer only The onus for the boys death fell on Hannah, who was charged with capital murder. Both sides worked hard independently to determine the truth and achieve justice for the Overton family, the entire family. Please call me at your earliest convenience.. Dabney will be greatly missed, but not forgotten. Although Cortes had been scheduled to testify for the prosecution, he was never put on the witness stand. I was truly saddened to hear of Dabney's passing. May God wrap his loving arms around you until we meet again. But as the afternoon wore on, his symptoms grew troubling; his breathing became congested, and he became less and less responsive. Overton was convicted of capital murder, an automatic life sentence in Texas because the child was under the age of 6. . The following evening, Andrew was dead. The defense presented the jury with a medical mystery. He will be remembered fondly. All NRE reports represent a moment in time. 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. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Overton was convicted of capital murder after being accused of force-feeding Burd enough sodium to kill him. He was such a kind person, always with a smile on his face and a warm hug. During the consultation the attorney can discuss whether our firm can assist you. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. Thendistrict attorney Jimenez did not publicly disclose the reasons for the termination, but it occurred one week after Eastwood informed her superiors that she had been romantically involved in the past with a sex offender; she reported that she feared the information had been used by the offenders defense attorney to get him probation in a criminal case. (Andrew was told that he could not have any food at McDonalds, since he had already eaten.) Benign conditions and life-threatening conditions look the same in the beginning, he said. He had a speech delay and spoke haltingly, sometimes with a stutter, but every week, when his Sunday school classmates went around in a circle to say their prayer requests, he made the same wish aloud: that he would be adopted. Dick and Sue Kemper; St. Christopher's School, Share to let others add their own memories and condolences. Detective Hess was put on administrative leave in 2008 after it came to light that he had disclosed confidential information to the suspect in an ongoing investigation for indecency with a child. 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 I am so sorry to hear the news. 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. 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. Obituaries Section. After dinner the kids settled down in front of the TV to watch a movie that was Isabels pick: a Japanese animated film that her brothers and sisters showed less enthusiasm for, fidgeting as they lay next to each other on the carpet. Does anybody remember that? I enjoyed his company and was truly blessed to have shared time with him. If you would like a copy via email, please let me know. 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. Shana Druckerman contributed to this report, 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. Diane and Peter. I feel sad. Fernandez determined that the boy had died as a result of acute sodium toxicity, with blunt force head trauma as a contributing factor. This was usually on a road trip up or down the Valley. While he was relieved not to have to serve prison time, the discrepancy between his wifes punishment and his own left him stupefied. Frustrated with a naughty child, prosecutors said, she tried to punish him with seasoning mixed in water. Still, the overall impression was a damning one. I feel so fortunate to have spent time with him. 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. 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. 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. She looked after dozens of children, including my grandchildren, and in all the years she was here, I cant recall one negative thing being said about her, the commissions founder, Joe Fauss, told me. So I got to see that.. Preceded in death by his mother Hannah Spencer Haile Overton and infant brother Charles. Another nurse, Dina Zapata, remembered Hannah smirking as she tried to resuscitate him. In 2011, Overtons appellate attorney, Cynthia Orr, filed a state petition for a writ of habeas corpus seeking a new trial. Thank you Dabney for blessing my life with your presence. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. Updated: June 20, 2015 . DABNEY OVERTON OBITUARY OVERTON, Dabney III, died peacefully on Monday, November 9, 2009 surrounded by family and friends. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. See production, box office & company info. 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. 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. 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 Huntsville Times Homepage. The Registry provides detailed information about every known exoneration in the United States since 1989cases in which a person was wrongly convicted of a crime and later cleared of all the charges based on new evidence of innocence. The world was a better place because of him. After years of appeals and hearings the state'shighest criminal court overturned her conviction in 2014. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. information about the Registry, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. It came as a shock when I got the call from Peter Detlefs letting me know that Dabney had passed away. He was a good guy and a good friend. While behind bars,Overton relied on her faith, family and supporters and led Bible studies. The passenger side of their old Ford van was not equipped with an air bag, and Hannah, who had pulled down her seat belt so she could turn to talk to the kids, was jolted forward, her face hitting the dashboard. Larry turned them down. 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. I was privileged to know Dabney at W&L and as a fraternity brother at LXA. The defendant has portrayed herself as a nurturing Christian woman, Eastwood proclaimed. He touched my heart and those of my dear friends. Hannah, we met a couple of times, and Dabney and I visited your grandparents several times in Tappahannock. After nearly eleven hours of deliberationduring which jurors sent out thirteen notes to the judge, primarily seeking to clarify medical testimonythe jury found her guilty of capital murder. Hannah, we are all so sorry for the loss of your brother. As long as I can make a nonfrivolous argument, Ill make it, but nothing in my job prevents me from praying for a more just outcome., There have been a few tear-filled nights because one of the kids misses Andrew, Larry said. Push him? Throughout the interrogation, which spanned more than two hours, Hannah insisted that she had never harmed Andrew. I fear she may have purposely withheld evidence that may have been favorable to Hannah Overtons defense, Jimenez wrote in her letter, which Orr would include in the writ. There wasnt anything that I thought was dangerously wrong with him at that point. Sign . He was such a kind person and always had a smile on his face. He was the first one to introduce me to kayaking from Aylett to Walkerton on the Mattaponi. He was preceded in. He didnt drink or smoke, and the bands he listened to sang about glorifying God. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. She was even slighter in person than I had expected, and as she related the events of the past five years in her soft voice, she looked hopelessly out of place in her white prison jumpsuit. 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. I am sorry to hear of Dabney's passing. His mothers and fathers parental rights were terminated soon after he turned three. It has been a long time since I saw Dabney last. Nueces County District Attorney Mark Skurka had charged Overton a second time for murder after her release. "After further review of all the evidence and meeting with her defense attorneys and everyone involved, my office decided that we're going to dismiss the case and include language in there that would actually indicate that she's not guilty of the charge that we charged her with, or the previous administration," Gonzalez said at the time. Not long afterward, Larry and Hannah heard about Andrew at their church, Calvary Chapel of the Coastlands, which Andrews foster mother also attended. The nondenominational church, on the south side of Corpus Christi, drew many young evangelicals with its emphasis on a verse-by-verse understanding of the Bible, and Larry and Hannah were well-regarded members. Every Easter and Christmas holiday was spent at the Reynosa orphanage, whose wards were primarily the unwanted children of prostitutes who worked the nearby red-light district. Top: A family birthday celebration in the summer of 2006. (You can just tell by looking at her how evil she is, one wrote.) celebrity wifi packages cost. 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.