Posted on 07/31/2007 6:36:54 PM PDT by aomagrat
HANAHAN, S.C. (AP) — Two small children who had been left in a hot car while their mother was at work were later found dead, their bodies in trash bags under an apartment sink, authorities said Tuesday.
Autopsies were scheduled Tuesday to determine the causes of death of 1-year-old girl Triniti Campbell and 4-year-old Shawn Campbell Jr., Berkeley County Deputy Coroner George Oliver said.
The children's mother, Sametta Heyward, 27, had taken them to work Monday in downtown Charleston and left them in her car all day as the temperature outside rose to 88 degrees, Oliver said.
Officers investigating a report of a disturbance at Heyward's apartment Monday night and found her crying and yelling, "'Oh, my babies,"' according to an incident report.
A man holding Heyward told officers "the kids were in trash bags and under the cabinet." The police report said Heyward tried to bite and kick the officers, had to be restrained, and was taken to a hospital because medics thought she could be having seizures.
"She stated she wanted to die and asked officers to kill her," the report said.
Hanahan Police Chief Don Wilcox said investigators have not been able to talk to the woman because she was advised by an attorney not to say anything.
"We're trying to run down the timeline, as well as get any physical evidence, so we can determine exactly what took place," Wilcox said.
Neighbor Brandon Coving said he saw Heyward and the children on Sunday. "They were running around, and she had a big smile on her face, and it seemed like a regular day," he said.
Coving lived about eight doors down from Heyward on the second floor of The Willows, a two-story apartment complex with cranberry red doors. There are 44 units at the complex, which resembles a motel.
Apartment manager Ricky Dyson said the 252 square-foot apartment had a queen bed, a small bathroom and an efficiency kitchen.
He said Heyward moved there in May and said she wasn't going to stay long and was looking for another place.
"She was just a regular working girl out there making a living," Dyson said.
Yellow police tape was put up along the door to Heyward's apartment, but there were no officers around at midday Tuesday. A small white teddy bear had been placed outside the apartment.
Hanahan is about 15 miles north of Charleston.
Quit spamming this thread with that blame America first garbage.
“Stick around? After the free sex?
Why?”
well that’s just it isn’t it?
People like to think our country’s attitude towards sex is progressive, intellligent, and liberating.
But this is the result isn’t it?
Children are an afterthought - they get hurt and forgotten.
It appears that the old stuffy repressive ideas about sex, marriage, and family are what keeps society from crumbling.
“Many times it has nothing to do with a father not sticking around: they don’t even know who the father is.”
Very true.
So you combine our new morality that feminists fought so hard for, and what do you get?
Attitudes towards women,sex, and children that in the end - only harm women and children.
And it is so sad that the most innocent ones are the ones who pay the ultimate price.
It would be nice if adults would start acting like adults so that kids can be kids again....sigh!
The "old" power women had, the power to build civilizations by directing the energies of men in a positive direction, was apparently not exciting enough (or not obvious enough) for feminists.
The power to make men work for sex, to put it bluntly, has been thrown away, to the detriment of both women and men, and society as a whole.
“The problem is that too often child care is not affordable.”
The problem is single mothers having babies. Where was the father?
She could have called in sick, or said I have no day care. Lots of parents do that.
I trust that you forgot the sarcasm sign. I do think that social services in most areas has help for single mothers. There are subsidized day care places and some special programs for short term help. This poor woman just seems too stupid to properly care for the kids. Stupidity isn't a crime, but the result might be.
It was not my intention to make any excuses for the mother's actions. I was merely pointing out that poverty may not have even been a factor in this case as you have insisted that it is.
to the best comment here—thank you
either she was the stupidest person alive or she wanted those children dead. no one can claim ignorance when it comes to leaving children in cars anymore. as far as the no daycare goes, before we make this about low income- lets ask the family if they turned her away that day, lets ask the employer if she explained the situation, if the told her she was going to be fired if she didnt come in to work. this isnt a poitical issue until you have the facts, right now its simply a horrible tragedy-—that cannot be called an accident
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.