Posted on 10/21/2005 12:50:33 PM PDT by SmithL
Members of the family of La-shuan Ternice Harris said they had argued that the 23-year-old woman was unstable and unfit to care for her boys -- 6-year-old Trayshaun Harris, 2-year-old Taronta Greely Jr. and 16-month-old Joshua Greely.
They had given up trying by Wednesday, when Harris went to the home of a cousin and told her she was going to feed her children to the sharks.
The cousin tried frantically to prevent Harris from leaving for San Francisco with her boys, but she failed, relatives said. At 5:30 p.m., police said, Harris took the children to the end of Pier 7 along the Embarcadero, stripped them naked and threw them in the water.
Taronta's body washed up more than four hours later at Fort Mason. The bodies of the other two children have not been found, and the Coast Guard suspended its search late Thursday, about the time Harris was formally charged with three counts of murder and three counts of child assault.
Her aunt, Joyce Harris of Oakland, said Thursday that Lashuan Harris' mother had contacted Alameda County social services officials about three months ago to seek partial custody of the children because Harris had stopped taking medication for schizophrenia and had made threats regarding the boys.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I seriously wonder why when these people hear voices, it's only evil, bad things. Why don't the voices ever tell them to go volunteer somewhere or go shopping....
Doesn't work that way here in Iowa. Grandparents have no rights what-so-ever. I know a grandma that got arrested and charged with kidnapping her granddaughter. She has a restraining order on her too.
Schizophrenia, bipolar and other disorders are pretty non-subjectively diagnosed in a controlled setting.
They're real illnesses. And someone hearing voices because they are off their meds are just as dangerous as a diabetic driving without taking insulin.
Personal responsibility.
As a ret. Legal Support Asst. with the County Attys.
First problem getting around liberal laws.
Second, you are dealing with civil service which is
a different mentality.
I delt with cases where foster kids were raped or killed
and where parents should have been strung up but still
had their kids. Thank liberal laws and civil service
mind set.
I was never so glad to retire.
Often the voices do say pretty mundane things...
One woman went on a cleaning jag with hers, another believed she was in school again, and another refused to eat the food because it's tainted (OK, so the voices are right on that one).
You would be shocked to know the level of freedom a certified mental patient has. The best case if these folks should've reported her to the authorities as being a "danger to others" with the threats she was making about her children and being offer her medications. She could've been checked into a local hospital or mental institution temporarily and forced back on meds if she could be certified.
She wanted help to drown her kids? Why is that? They were so small, I think she did just find heaving them over by herself. Americans are just so lazy these days.
She told people she was going to feed them to the sharks. She was methodical. Why no one who witnessed this didn't stop her before she stripped the third child naked I have no idea. Looking at the pier, there may not have been a lot of focus directed her way...
The actions of the woman who drowned her children in the bathtub were blamed on an oppressive husband (by feminists, by and large). Wonder what or who they'll blame this hideous act on.
Well .. the mother did charge me with kidnapping - but it was the DA who asked a lot of the right questions and then agreed (as a grandma herself) she would probably have done the same. The key was - the law - the DA's office gave my son and his wife the opportunity to file for guardianship - and that stopped the charges of kidnapping from going forth and I was never charged.
But .. laws are different - and people should find out what the laws are before they do something as risky as kidnapping a child. Even though the mother had abandoned her, and the other family members were only too glad for me to take her off their hands, the mother still had the option to file a complaint. I knew that.
But .. I also knew from the Social Services office (who I discussed the situation with at length) that the mother had a rap sheet a mile long - and this abandonment was only one of many she had done. I never was told of those times because the mother's family was protecting her.
One of the chapters of my book is the story of Samantha. I'd do it again tomorrow - to protect my grandchildren.
The key is - get the law on your side. And the other is - have a place where the child can be held safely - while you file for some type of custody - depending on what your county or state regulations allow.
Since the father of Samantha gave up his parental rights - it allowed his older brother and his wife to file for guardianship - and being her legal Aunt and Uncle - the court was only too happy to assist us.
But .. the real key was our belief in GOD. I trusted God to somehow help us - and I saw that help manifested in ways that you couldn't explain in the natural. I mean - what were the chances I would get a DA who was also a grandma herself ..?? Or an elderly judge who was totally disgusted with the mothers's actions.
when they realized what she did they should have chunked her sorry ass in too-if she was smart enough to have them and feed and cloth them she knew right from wrong unless she snapped completely-in which case she should be put out of her misery-no excuse for killing your own flesh when their are people willing to help someone-there are organizations all over this country that will help black mothers like this-it is just a damn shame-i cannot imagine what that cold water was like
On and on it goes. We just had a baby girl killed by her scum stepfather here in Oklahoma. An idiot judge even made the grandparents return her to her mother and the murderer.The grandparents had protested, sought help, provided documentation to the Department of Human Services and to local television stations and politicians, all to no avail. The baby suffered horrifically before she died and no one protected her. He broke both her legs and nothing was done, he put bruises all over her body and nothing was done. I know this is true the grandparents have provided pictures and documentation and now it's big news--but now she is dead!(It makes me so furious that I have difficulty telling about it and not making too many typos.I have corrected this about 10x)
Terrible. I think it would be worth charge of "custodial interference" to save the children's lives, though.
Hindsight, of course ... and I have no personal experience of situations like this.
I am so happy things worked out well for you and all concerned in your situation. Sounds like you are truly blessed.
Yes, we truly were blessed - and she's such a sweet young lady - it's sad that her parents will never get to know the child they were so eager to get rid of.
Why on Earth must you bring abortion into this story. Don't you realize how crazy it makes you sound?
I was just very frustrated by the story. As I noted in the post, it is too bad for the children.
Good for you, CyberAnt...thank you for stepping up and really taking care of your grandchild and your family.
Too many people, I guess, just don't act? I don't know. So sad.
It goes on here in San Antonio. Just last night a tiny 2 month old was beaten by his "father" ... now has brain bleeds, in critical condition.
My question... when people saw this woman undressing the children and when she threw the first one in, what in the HE** were they doing continuing watching instead of rushing to the little one's aid??????????
We need to stop making excuses for all of the bad that's going on with children and PUNISH the offender. Mental or not..... if they can do it, they can suffer because of it. You may not agree, but it's my opinion and until something is done, it will continue and get worse as it does.
Nana
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.