Posted on 12/23/2004 5:06:42 AM PST by AppyPappy
Pregnant Woman Accused of Killing Toddler
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (AP) - A pregnant woman was charged with killing her boyfriend's toddler daughter by scalding her in what prosecutors say was 147-degree water, then ignoring her suffering for several hours.
Letitia Ann Johnson, 27, of Orion Township was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder in the death of 22-month-old Jasmine Phillips. She was ordered held without bond.
Johnson gave the girl a bath Saturday night in scalding water, then put her to bed, according to her statements to police. Johnson was aware Jasmine was in pain, according to prosecutors.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.netscape.cnn.com ...
Talk about a step-mom, what will she do to her own child.? Evil monsters like her should never get impregnated.
I have no idea how you put a toddler in a tub hot enough to scald them and keep them there long enough to be fatal. It must have been absolutely horrific.
agreed
2nd degree murder? How is that possible? This horrible monster intentionally murdered it's baby. Dear God.
I heard something on local radio today that this waste of oxygen also tried to salve the burns with gasoline.
Yea, it's a cultural thing.
Someone told me that scalding is used to punish children for infractions like soiling themselves. It's passed down from generation to generation. You see it alot in the South.
It's abuse, plain and simple.
A lot of it in the South? I was born and raised in the South and I've never heard of such Sh-t. A belt or a switch yes, scalding a child (or anyone else) NO.
You see a lot more scalding stories in poorer areas. We had a lot of them in North Carolina. Of course, the vast majority of the cases are never reported.
So the baby was in horrible pain during the bath!
Evil walks among us
I was raised in Texas and never heard of scalding. I had more than my fair share of Mr. Belt. I did have friends who had to kneel on a cookie sheet with uncooked rice on it as a punishment, though.
They each served minimal time - I think 2 years and were released from prison.
I have never heard of this and I was born, raised and currently live in NC. My wife, who hails from the Eastern part of the state, and lived so far out in the sticks they used to watch the stars while sitting in the middle of the road (NO ONE ever drives down that road unless they live there) has never heard of a case either.
My mom is a retired nurse with the health department and even she has never heard of this happening and she visted and has treated some of the poorest, backwoods people you have ever seen.
I am not doubting your position, just saying I have never heard of this as a form of "punishment". I will also say that, as a father of 2 boys, there is NO WAY she couldnt have known this child was in pain. I accidently had the bath water too hot a few times, but always checked it before bathing them. One one occasion I thought it was cool enough, but my son thought otherwise and screamed bloody murder. It wasn't hot enough to scald him, but he let me know real quick that it was too hot. To let a child sit in a bed with burns and treat it with vaseline is just cruel. How this can be 2nd degree is beyond me.
I say find a big cauldron, like we use to cook stews, fill it up and get it to the boiling point and drop this biatch in it with her hands and feet tied. See how she likes it.
Why is she still breathing my share of oxygen?
I was on a jury for a trial here in KC for a scalding. The little girl didn't die but she is scarred for life. The mother's boyfriend did it and tried to blame it on the little girl (4 years old). We gave the boyfriend the max - 5 years.
The woman was apparently too stupid to know that her torture method might kill a baby so it knocks out the pre-meditated murder part.
That's just not right. Burns are the worst way to go too.
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