Williams Abuse Trial - Hana Alemu/Hannah Williams - Merge

[BravaAmica]

I am glad that national news outlets are finally paying attention to this story. I was really surprised that there hadn't been much coverage of the trial outside of the immediate area. Do you think the coverage would have been different if the tortured child had been a photogenic white adoptee?

YES. And the trial would have already happened, too. There is *some* media coverage but not a lot around here. It's mainly in Skagit county- not in surrounding counties.

[2xx1xy1JD]

[Trigger warning - as if this entire topic wasn't horrible]

This trial reminded me of a local case here, which I just noticed was in today's paper as a coroner's inquest is due to start.

Jeffrey Baldwin was 6 yrs old when he died in his grandparents' care. He was severely malnourished, forced to use diapers and confined to a cold room, while the rest of the family lived in relative comfort. Other adults in the home testified at the trial about his deteriorating condition, but they did nothing to interfere or get him any help. I had to follow this case for my work, and like Hana's case, it still gives me nightmares. The only small good thing that came out of it was that laws and procedures were changed, so that courts are now forced to look at criminal records, past court proceedings, past child protection involvement and past parenting, even in cases where all parties agree on custody.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/09 ... death.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Baldwin

Both of these cases also have a chilling similarity to the case of Randall Dooley, who was murdered by his father and step-mother. Again, one child was singled out for punishment and inhuman treatment, the parents blamed each other for the death, they both said that they didn't intend to cause death and that it could have happened from other causes, and there was a sickening cycle of a child having issues with soiling and vomiting and receiving hideous punishment for it.

http://www.canada.com/national/features ... y.html?id={77807A5E-651E-4A75-868A-C5CDDFD0DCCE}

[J'ean Skirt]

Paging Anderson Cooper and Nancy Grace....

The victim is not a blond girl. Nancy Grace isn't going to care. /snark

I hope it is picked up and becomes more widely known. Evil people.

[starfish]

FYI, if they are acquitted, the prosecution does not have any recourse. If new evidence comes to light, they still cannot be retried. If they are found not guilty, they could go on tv, tell every detail about what they did and still cannot be retried. That would be double jeopardy and is never allowed. The only way there can be a retrial is if there is a mistrial. Not guilty means it is over.

Well....................there is double jeopardy for the state but not so for the federal government. I'd like to see a federal prosecution if necessary.

A clever AUSA could find a way.

[Palimpsest]

From twitter a few minutes ago:

lee stoll @LeeStoll 8m

Williams trial: jury sign they can't reach verdict on homicide by abuse charge. Ask to move on to other charges: manslaughter and assault

I was never optimistic about the Homicide by Abuse charge sticking, but this stinks. Let's hope that the jury can reach a verdict on the other charges. Otherwise we will have a hung jury.

[javafriend]

I hadn't really thought about it until now, but all it would take for these two murders to go free would be one fundie jury member who believes that Carry and Larry are godly parents who meant well but were in over their heads. I can imagine a fundie juror thinking they were doing God's work by causing a hung jury.

Just from what I read about the testimony in the trial, it seemed very obvious that Hana's death was caused by her parents. Did they explain to the jurors that reasonable doubt is not the same thing as any possible crazy scenario proposed by desperate attorneys?

[Palimpsest]

New info, from the Facebook page and quoting another tweeter -- it may just have been a request to the judge for clarification:

Dawnmarie Oyler Eric Wilkinson @EricWilkinson 6m

If we can't come to a verdict on "Homicide by Abuse" for one defendant, does that mean we cannot consider a manslaughter charge for another?

Possibly the jury wants to convict Carri on the "Homicide by Abuse" but wants to convict Larry of Manslaughter 1, 2 or 3? I hope so. I'd understand Larry getting the lesser conviction because he wasn't there. And he at least tried to seem remorseful. Unlike Carri.

Gah! I can't tell and dinner is in the oven. I'll have to pull it out soon. We may know more tomorrow. I hate relying on telegraphic tweets.

From all I've read, the Homicide by Abuse charge is rarely used because it is so hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. All praise to the Prosecution for attempting it in this case. They still have the Manslaughter charges to fall back on.

Of course, in Hana's case HbA is even harder to prove because of the doubt about her exact age. Then there is the total indifference to human life bit. Could a jury member see Carri's looking out the window at dying Hana as concern not indifference and negate that part. I just don't know.

I'm just sending good thoughts and holding the jury in the light right now. Could you all pray, or do whatever is meaningful to you, in the hopes that the jury sees this right and convicts the Williamses on Manslaughter at the very least?

[WonderingInWA]

New info, from the Facebook page and quoting another tweeter -- it may just have been a request to the judge for clarification:

Possibly the jury wants to convict Carri on the "Homicide by Abuse" but wants to convict Larry of Manslaughter 1, 2 or 3? I hope so. I'd understand Larry getting the lesser conviction because he wasn't there. And he at least tried to seem remorseful. Unlike Carri.

Gah! I can't tell and dinner is in the oven. I'll have to pull it out soon. We may know more tomorrow. I hate relying on telegraphic tweets.

From all I've read, the Homicide by Abuse charge is rarely used because it is so hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. All praise to the Prosecution for attempting it in this case. They still have the Manslaughter charges to fall back on.

Of course, in Hana's case HbA is even harder to prove because of the doubt about her exact age. Then there is the total indifference to human life bit. Could a jury member see Carri's looking out the window at dying Hana as concern not indifference and negate that part. I just don't know.

I'm just sending good thoughts and holding the jury in the light right now. Could you all pray, or do whatever is meaningful to you, in the hopes that the jury sees this right and convicts the Williamses on Manslaughter at the very least?

I am not hugely spiritual, but I am definitely praying for the best justice for Hana, and if that means praying for the jurors to see this for what it was, I'm praying for them, too. I guess they've probably released for the day by now as it's 4:30pm here.

[BravaAmica]

BITCH IS GOING TO JAIL FOR REALS!!! GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS!!!!

http://www.goskagit.com/news/local_news ... f887a.html

(ETA: Larry's homicide by abuse charge was declared a mistrial but he was convicted of manslaughter and abuse.)

[WonderingInWA]

Verdict is in:

Larry Williams: No verdict on Homicide by abuse (Jury unable to agree)

Guilty of Manslaughter in the 1st degree

Guilty of Assault of a Child in the 1st degree

Carri Williams: Guilty of Homicide by Abuse

Guilty of Manslaughter in the 1st degree

Guilty of Assault of a Child in the 1st degree

JUSTICE FOR HANA, JUSTICE FOR IMMANUEL.

[WonderingInWA]

Larry Williams: No verdict on Homicide by abuse (Jury unable to agree)

Guilty of Manslaughter in the 1st degree

Guilty of Assault of a Child in the 1st degree

Carri Williams: Guilty of Homicide by Abuse

Guilty of Manslaughter in the 1st degree

Guilty of Assault of a Child in the 1st degree

JUSTICE FOR HANA, JUSTICE FOR IMMANUEL.

ETA: Quoted directly from the Lightofdaystories.com website/blog.

[BravaAmica]

And justice for their other children. I hope they stay where they're thriving. And I hope they never see their children again.

[lilith]

Yay!!!!!!

I think the jury got it right - Carri is more culpable than Larry, but he still abused Hanna terribly.

[thoughtful]

Whew.

I'm so glad the jury had the sense to see what was really there.

[thoughtful]

So relieved that the jury saw through the crap.

[DifferentGurl]

I agree with Lilith. I was hoping Larry would be guilty on the Homicide by abuse, but at least he was guilty of manslaughter and assault of a child. I'm especially happy that Carri was proven Guilty of Homicide by Abuse. She was the one that especially needed to be guilty on that charge.

[Palimpsest]

Thank you, to the jury!

The jury paid attention and saw the situation as it was.

Justice has been done for Hana and Immanuel!

I might quibble at the Larry verdict, but I'm just so happy that Carri got her just deserts.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I am so glad that she was found guilty. I hope she is never allowed around another child again.

[Palimpsest]

Thank you to the jury!

Yes, I quibble about Larry's verdict too, but the jury saw Carri for the murderer she is.

I hope that Immanuel, that supremely brave little boy, and the bio children can now recover as well as they can from the abuses heaped upon them by Larry and Carri Williams.

RIP, sweet little Hana. Justice has been done.

It won't bring you back or alleviate your suffering.

But perhaps your death won't have been in vain, if we can push through some reforms in the adoption industry. I'll do my best.

[FreeJosie]

RIP Hana.

Thank you to the jury for delivering justice for this poor girl.

[sparkles]

I've been following this case and this thread but haven't posted before, only because I had nothing new to add except my own outrage and sadness. I'm glad that justice has been served in some fashion, but in truth there is no justice for Hana, an innocent child who was beaten, abused and neglected and had to live with the daily horror of never understanding why the people who should have loved, nurtured and cherished her instead treated her as subhuman. No amount of jail time for her abusers can ever give her back the life she should have had. Rest in peace, sweet one.

[dianapavelovna]

I agree with sparkles - there is no true justice. But I'm so glad that the Williamses have not gotten away with what they did to Hana.

[formergothardite]

I was afraid to click on this because I was worried that somehow they would get off free and clear. Like Sparkles said, there is no real justice that could be done for that poor child, but at least these horrible people will suffer some punishment for their actions.

[WonderingInWA]

Well, I know, there will never be justice for Hana in the sense that she lost her life in a most horrible way at the hands of these people. I guess it's more justice for Larry and Carri in that they have been convicted and have been stripped of their rights. It doesn't bring Hana back and it doesn't put them through what she had to endure. But I'm happy for the verdict. Let's just hope they are sentenced to the fullest degree possible.

[ThisOlGirl]

Same here, FG. I just had a bad feeling all along that Carri & Larry were going to get off. I'm glad they didn't. Hopefully, they'll both receive sentences that will keep them locked up at least until their kids are all adults. As for the Williams' minor children--I hope the authorities are very selective in who they choose as guardians. I'd hate to see them handed over to like-minded relatives/friends of Larry & Carri.