Texas woman finds son, 5, dead in oven

AP ^ | 4-17-04

[Indy Pendance]

BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) — The body of a 5-year-old boy was found in an oven at his home Friday, and his mother's boyfriend was charged with capital murder. The suspect, Kenneth Pierott, 27, previously had been found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1996 slaying of his handicapped sister.

Pierott was arraigned and jailed Friday night in the death of Tre-Deven Odoms.

The child's mother, Kathy Jo Odoms, found her son's body in the oven Friday morning, Justice of the Peace Paul Brown said. The burners on the stovetop were turned on, the oven was not, he said.

The boy had no visible injuries, Brown said. Autopsy results were expected Monday.

Odoms told police she woke up Friday morning because she was hot and smelled gas, The Beaumont Enterprise reported in its online edition Friday. She found the burners were on and turned them off. She discovered the boy's body after Pierott left the house.

Pierott spent six months in state mental hospitals beginning in 1998, after he was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the December 1996 beating death of his 25-year-old sister, who had cerebral palsy.

Court documents obtained by the Enterprise show Pierott hit his sister in the head with a metal dumbbell. He was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

[EGPWS]

Insane people deserve the death penalty moreso than sane people. At least a sane person has a degree of predictability.

What's the difference between murderous contempt for life and and insanity?

IMHO anyone who takes a life in cold blood is insane for doing such a thing, thus there is no difference between a murderer and an insane person.

A sane person wouldn't even conceive the notion of placing themselves in a situation to be judged as sane or insane would they?

A murderer is what they are, a taker of life in cold blood, that is a fact, the idea of the murderers state of mind is speculation only, which is derived from experts in the field of psychology. Some of which could be considered insane by their own standards but would never be found to be insane for they are the standard makers.

Jees, I'm going to bed before my own post drives my tired mind insane!

[Arkinsaw]

I believe its quite possible for someone with paranoid schizophrenia to be insane enough to commit murder without being responsible. I think the defense is valid.

However, if the defense is successful, someone who is insane enough to take a life is too insane to ever be released from an institution or trusted in society ever again. I don't think there is a "cure" for that.

He should have remained institutionalized permanently after the first death.

[MEG33]

Guilty,but insane and imprisoned or hospitalized for the same sentence as a "sane" person.

[Fishing-guy]

In my state, a judge has to agree to the release of the person from the state hospital. Of course, you would hope that the justice system will continue to monitor the person and make sure that he takes his medication.

[MEG33]

Agreed..and the guilty but insane judgement would do that.

[Dan from Michigan]

I can't think of a worse way to go.

[Stew Padasso]

"previously had been found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1996 slaying of his handicapped sister"

America needs to grow up and realize that crazy people are not exempt from punishment.

The folks that left him off the first time should be hauled out in front of the public to explain themselves.

[Stew Padasso]

left = let

BTW - shouldn't be long before the Andrea Yates supporters throw a media parade for this crazy too.

[csvset]

Picture of the perp

He looks looney. What the heck was mom thinking about, shacking up with this chump?

[Smokin' Joe]

If the courts find someone NG by reason of Insanity, the defendant should by all means be institutionalized

If the defendant isn't institutionalized (and did it) the court should be.

[katz]

The libs got them all out of the psycho hospitals and on the streets 20+ years ago. That is why we have all the psycho homeless roaming the streets. If they are insane, put them in a closed home. Give them the medication that they need. Do not give them government monthly incomes to live aimlessly on the streets. Another example of the liberal assault on us.

[FITZ]

What the heck was mom thinking about, shacking up with this chump?

Sex is so important to some women --- she probably met him in some bar and brought him home the first night --- some women really don't care to protect their children from men who will go home with them.

[sheik yerbouty]

His defense attorney will show a junior high school picture and tell the court "He was an honor student".

[TheSpottedOwl]

RIP little boy :-(

[TheSpottedOwl]

When stupid women make really stupid choices?

Maybe she was desperate. Do you have a pic of her?

[dasboot]

The article doesn't mention any evidence that the guy killed the kid. They haven't even done an autopsy. The youngster coulda been playing "space shuttle" with the rocket engines blasting, he in his capsule, and died of asphyxiation. Who knows?

The nut is a suspect; and has not, apparently, confessed. It sounds like they're just assuming (and with good reason) that the kid was murdered....but that may not be the case.

Stranger things have happened.

[FITZ]

That's true. And the mother is likely equally insane --- not too many sane women pick up men who previously murdered their sisters but got off for being insane to bring home to spend time with their children --- it's very possible that the mother herself murdered the child and because of his record is putting the blame onto him.

[csvset]

I haven't seen a pic of the mother. The suspect was "off his medications". The suspect's father called the cops due to the suspect, "running around naked, proclaiming he was God".

The suspect had "fathered" a child with the mother of the deceased boy.

[vetvetdoug]

That figures. He will walk and the press will give him a pass. Affirmative action in progress you know.

[Devil_Anse]

should have gotten the death sentence for killing his sister

Should have given him capital punishment the first time

FRY HIM

What'th the MATTER with you people??? KILL the MENTALLY ILL?? What ARE you, thome kind of NAZIS, or thomething?

(My opinion: YES. Kill the mentally ill--IF they commit murder!)