TRANQUIL LANEY HOME TRAGIC SCENE (Mom kills kids w/Rocks Trial)

The Tyler Morning Telegraph ^ | 3/31/04 | CASEY KNAUPP

[Texas2step]

READY FOR DAY 2: Deanna Laney, left, enters Smith County's 114th District Court on Tuesday morning, followed closely by lead defense attorney F.R. "Buck" Files Jr. (Staff Photo By: Tom Worner)

Homemade pictures and photographs of three smiling boys were displayed on the refrigerator door. Two of the boys lay dead in the front yard; the other lay in his crib - his life forever changed.

An hourlong video of the crime scene where Deanna LaJune Laney, 39, killed two of her sons and seriously injured a third was shown to jurors Tuesday in her capital murder trial.

The family's nice three-bedroom house sits on five acres of land, just outside of New Chapel Hill.

Fourteen-month-old Aaron Laney, now 2, was first. Mrs. Laney took him from his crib and bashed him on the head with a 4-pound rock she had stashed earlier.

Keith Laney was awakened from his son Aaron's screams after the boy was hit on the head. He entered the dark bedroom and saw his wife leaning over him and assumed she was changing his diaper. After she said, "Everything's OK," he returned to bed, he testified.

Then one-by-one, she led Luke, 6, and Joshua, 8, from their beds into a rock garden in the front yard, instructed them to lie down and struck their heads with heavy rocks. She killed the boys in the same spot, dragging Luke into a darkened part of the yard about 60 feet away before stoning Joshua. Aaron's blood was found on Luke's ankles, Smith County sheriff's office crime scene Investigator Noel Martin testified, and Joshua had Luke's blood on his back.

Smudges of Aaron's and Luke's blood also were found in Luke and Joshua's bedroom, he testified.

The two older boys died in the late hours of May 9 or the early hours of May 10, 2003, just a day before Mother's Day. Aaron spent weeks in a hospital and is still recovering. He suffers visual impairment and will never be self-sufficient, Acting Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham said.

Later that night, Mrs. Laney called 911 and in a tranquil voice told a dispatcher she had killed her boys - something she just had to do because God told her to.

The video showed what Martin saw as he first approached the Laney's house and yard. The neat and tidy house contrasted Aaron's room, where toys scattered across the floor were splattered with his blood.

Dr. Sheila Spotswood, a forensic pathologist at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas, performed the autopsy on Luke and supervised Joshua's.

The state showed gruesome photographs of the examinations as the defendant hung her head and kept her eyes lowered. Family members looked away while the boys' father, Keith Laney, lowered his head and wiped his eyes at times.

Dr. Spotswood said Joshua's body had suffered at least eight blows from the 16-pound rock found atop his body. Luke had fractures to the left and right side of his skull, as well as a pattern of fractures to the base of his skull, Dr. Spotswood said. He also suffered "deep, crushing, gaping lacerations" and open skull fractures.

She said the boys' wounds required tremendous force, would have been very painful and were intentionally inflicted.

Joshua began to struggle with his mother after he suffered the first blow to his head. She placed her knees on his arms and resumed beating him until he no longer put up a fight, Bingham said.

Bloody foam that escaped Luke's nose led Dr. Spotswood to believe he was breathing after he had suffered the blows to his head and neck, although she could not speculate for how long.

Lead defense counsel F.R. "Buck" Files Jr. and attorneys Tonda Curry and LaJuanda Lacy are defending Mrs. Laney, who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

Doctors hired by the state and defense who individually evaluated Mrs. Laney are expected to testify she was insane at the time of the killings.

If found not guilty by reason of insanity, she would be evaluated for 30 days at a state mental facility. Doctors would recommend what type of treatment, if any, they thought she needed.

Mrs. Laney's fate would ultimately be in the hands of 114th District Judge Cynthia Kent, who would decide if Mrs. Laney received out patient or inpatient care and for how long. She could be placed in a mental facility for life.

The state's team, made up of Bingham, First Assistant DA Brett Harrison and Chief Felony Prosecutor April Sikes, is not seeking the death penalty in the case.

The trial is scheduled to continue Wednesday morning.

Casey Knaupp covers state and federal courts. She can be reached at 903.596.6289. e-mail: news@tylerpaper.com

©Tyler Morning Telegraph 2004

[Texas2step]

If you haven't read the 911 transcript, this was an absolute atrocity.

DEANNA LANEY: "I JUST KILLED MY BOYS"

No punishment is severe enough. I cannot imagine what the children's father is going through.

[Texas2step]

Laney trial...day 2

Yesterday's article

[shicky]

they should kill her by throwing stones at her head those poor children and what sucks is they will find her innocent and let her out.

[Texas2step]

what sucks is they will find her innocent and let her out.

Not in Tyler, I don't think. We're the guys who sent the 17 year old to death row for murdering a couple and stealing their car. Not an option in this instance, but I don't think she'll walk.

[Texas2step]

Another article from yesterday

[deport]

what sucks is they will find her innocent and let her out.

---

What makes you think that? Since you don't fly your state flag I'll have to assume by the above statement you aren't from Texas. Texas juries aren't that likely to overlook killing unless it's a case of 'he needed it' type thing. I can't speak for the what the jury will find but my guess is this Smith County jury won't find her innocent. My guess is there won't be much arguement that she did the deed. Now what they find regarding 'insanity' is another question.

[dandelion]

My mother is 76 and on oxygen, but I thought she was going to climb through the television screen and kill that woman. She started cussing the newspaper when Ms. Laney pictured on the front, too. Ms. Laney better pray my sweet little ol' mother never sees her in person.

If they'd just let us Texas moms have our way with her, justice would be served - quickly.

[Texas2step]

If they'd just let us Texas moms have our way with her, justice would be served - quickly.

No doubt. Us Texas dads would like a piece as well.

[Texas2step]

I thought I posted this in extended news but it doesn't seem to be showing up there. Did I do something wrong?

[spectre]

"I cannot imagine what the children's father is going through."

Do the words "Rusty Yates" come to mind?

sw

[MeekOneGOP]

I bet they find her guilty. That means life in prison.

Thanks for the post and ping (and linking previous article), Texas2step ...

[Texas2step]

I bet they find her guilty. That means life in prison.

I'm betting so, too. Surely the good citizens of Smith County will see through Buck Files (defense attorney of record) insanity plea defense.

She knew what she was doing was wrong. If she didn't know, she wouldn't have called 911, and she wouldn't have told her husband "everything's OK" when he woke and heard the youngest boy crying.

She even said as much in her comments on the 911 call. She said "I think I did wrong by Aaron", meaning she knew that what she was doing was wrong. No way she walks on the insanity plea.

Thanks for the post and ping (and linking previous article), Texas2step ...

You're welcome. I did think we'd see more people commenting on this. Maybe everyone's too wrapped up in the 9/11 commission stuff.

[Texas2step]

Do the words "Rusty Yates" come to mind?

Yes, but no. Andea Yates had an established pattern of instability. By all accounts, this woman did not. She's a very introspective person and kept things inside. I don't think her husband had any idea she had this kind of mental problem.

So, maybe a little like Rusty, but I think even more surprising. JMO.

[MeekOneGOP]

I did think we'd see more people commenting on this.

Well, let's try another bump then ...

When they find her GUILTY, that thread will get some action, I bet ! ...

[spectre]

The husband still loves and supports his wife, testifying on her behalf, and is the reason I made the comment about "Rusty Yates".

I am contrasting these two fathers against the husband of Susan Smith, who still hates her guts for killing HIS sons, and rightfully so.

sw

[agrace]

Does anyone know how the baby is doing? I have read several articles but haven't caught any info on his condition.

[deport]

TODDLER FACING SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS AFTER BEING ATTACKED BY MOTHER IN CRIB

snip
Aaron, now 2 years old, will never be the same, his doctor testified Monday.

"He will have on-going problems with language, motor development and vision," said David Sacco, a neurosurgeon with Children's Medical Center in Dallas. "He will never be a normal child. He will never be able to learn like a normal child."
end snip

[SoVerySad]

I live 6 miles from this monster and it horrifies me to think that something of this nature has happened in our small area...We live in this **bible belt**and sometimes I just wanna hide from it all...I love God, but he will not control me to the extent of harming my 2 boys..This is such BS..I cannot believe God would tell us to kill our children...This woman is whacked, but should be punished to the extent of the law..My 11 y/o son asked me **Mom, If God told you to kill me, would you?*..I replied..*No baby, I would take my own life for God before I harmed you*...How far do we have to go for our Religion...It makes me ill to think this is our escape

[deport]

This is such BS..I cannot believe God would tell us to kill our children...

---

And so do most rational sane people I believe. However I think that is the point or the point the defense is trying to use is that she wasn't rational/sane at the time of the event. Thus she was incapable of determining the true word of God. JMO and I've not heard any of the evidence that has been presented or will be presented.

[deport]

Welcome to FR.... I hope you enjoy the forum. Be proud and fly your Texas state flag.