Barbour & Williams abuse cases updates

[Palimpsest]

Maureen at Light of Day Stories has posted updates on the Douglas and Kristen Barbour sentences and Carri and Larry Williams convictions for the abuse of children adopted from Ethiopia. Thanks, Maureen.

Briefly:

Douglas Barbour (the Barbours pled no contest to the lesser charge of endangerment) is serving probation while working in the family gardening business. Kristen, who got jail time, is being allowed work release 5 days a week to care for her bio children. The Ethiopian children who survived with serious injuries have been adopted by another family.

Carri Williams, who was convicted for the homicide by abuse of Hana Alemu and the abuse of Immanuel, has appealed her sentence. Larry Williams may also appeal, but no details as yet.

More information and links, including to Carri Williams appeal, here: http://lightofdaystories.com/

(link not broken because Maureen won't care.)

ETA: I am so angry with judge's wrist slapping in the Barbour case that I just can't find the words. However, the kids' new parents are excellent advocates and will care for them well I think.http://www.post-gazette.com/local/north ... 1409150154

[Howl]

Thanks for following up on these two cases. I followed the Hana Williams case and that was my first exposure to this type of adoption abuse.

And yes, the judge just chafes my chaps. He seems to have so much sympathy for the Barbours and none for their victims.

It is my sense that the Barbour's were close to killing one or both of their adopted children from a combination of physical abuse and neglect. Had they not finally gotten medical intervention, I do believe at least one of those kids was weeks or days from death.

The new parents sound absolutely wonderful. The new father's victim impact statement (linked on the Light of Day site) is indeed very powerful.

I found a site called Jim Fisher True Crime that covers the Barbour case on June 14, 2014. The first commenter (Andrea Pittman) claims to have been Kristen Barbour's college roommate for two years and claims they never could have hurt any child. She references this blog for an alternate scenario, but I could not get this link to open -- even though I have two google accounts:

http://www.liberty5-3000.blogspot.com/2 ... isten.html

If anyone can get this link to open, I'd be interested in what it says.

I don't believe you can explain away starvation, sores from lying in urine soaked sheets and broken bones, so I want to know what excuses someone came up with.

[FundieWatcher]

Going to jail for child abuse, but getting out 5 days a week to care for children. Why don't we let bank robbers out of jail so they can work as bank tellers?

[ILoveJellybeans]

Why would they let a child abuser leave jail five days a week to care for her children? Why is she even allowed to keep the kids she wasn't abusing. The fact that she tortured two of her kids proves that she has potential to harm a child, therefore should not be allowed anywhere near kids, let alone be allowed to keep her kids. Just because certain kids were the scapegoats and got all the abuse doesn't mean that only the abused ones should be taken away from her-what if she turns on another kid? Can she be trusted not to beat the shit out of them next time one of the kids she was allowed to keep does something to piss her off? She has it in her.

Also why is only Kristen in jail and not her husband Douglas? He must have had some involvement in it, even if this seems to suggest that Kristen was the most abusive one, there must be something he did, as there is no way he didn't know the extent of what went on (and likely did things himself).

Judge Manning said he did not think that jail was appropriate for her.

“The whole aura of this matter has an aggravated [feel] about it, but I don’t find an aggravated range sentence would be appropriate,†he said. “It is clear there does not appear to be an intent to harm. I see no malice in this case.â€

There does not appear to be an intent to harm? Seriously? Surely there is nobody on Earth who thinks that it is harmful for a child to lock them in a dark bathroom and make them lie in urine soaked sheets. Its not like it isn't common knowledge that kids need food, and that beating them is harmful. They ignored the advice of professionals too, so nobody can say they didn't mean to harm them.

[Palimpsest]

Howl, I tried that link and it seems to be invitation only. That's why it doesn't open. I may be wrong, but I think it is a link to a Barbour support group and possibly their church. Their church defended them loudly and vociferously.

I haven't updated here on the Barbour case often because it is rather off-topic. Unlike the Williams case, there is no obvious Pearl link and a copy of TTUAC being found in the home. I only updated today because of the Carri Williams appeal. It's also great that the bill in WA, Hana's Law, passed. RIP, little Hana.

Re. the Barbours, if you read back on Lightofdaystories.com, Maureen has done an excellent job of discussing and comparing the two cases and pointing to the eerie similarities. I'd be willing to bet the Barbours read Pearl too.

IloveJellyBeans, I have no idea how Douglas Barbour got off with merely probation. I suppose he was the one who took the little boy to the hospital with hypothermia and it does seem that the wife was the primary abuser. But still. He must have known and condoned what was going on, just like Larry Williams.

I want that Judge Manning off the bench! Are judges appointed or elected in PA?

That said, apparently investigators found no evidence of risk to the bio children in the Barbour case. They were monitored for a while though, IIRC. Covering why adopted children are often at increased risk of abuse, especially from this type of "Save Orphans for Jesus" adoptive parents who want to beat Satan out of little foreign adoptees and have no understanding of their needs, is hard because it's a huge topic. I think it was discussed at length in the Hana thread (see the archives) but perhaps we should talk about it some more. Also see Kathryn Joyce's book. http://www.amazon.com/The-Child-Catcher ... 1586489429

[dianapavelovna]

I have little doubt that the Barbours' race, religion, and socioeconomic status had an enormous influence on Judge Manning's perception and sentencing of them. A quick Google reveals that he's a real peach.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/pit ... e-the-law/

http://www.city-data.com/forum/pittsbur ... bench.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/pittsbur ... again.html

http://www.post-gazette.com/frontpage/2 ... 0701250311

http://caselaw.findlaw.com/pa-court-of- ... 18062.html

Supposedly he's up for reelection every 10 years. According to this link, he's on the ballot in 2015. So if there are any western PA FJers out there, please go vote against this asshole.

Thanks for posting the updates on these cases, Palimpsest.

[thoughtful]

the kids' new parents are excellent advocates and will care for them well I think.http://www.post-gazette.com/local/north ... 1409150154

Well, now I'm crying.

“As a psychiatrist with expertise in the effects of brain injury on future function, I could tell you what I know academically and medically,†Dr. Patterson said. “As a father, I know that someone tried to kill my little girl, and that someday I will have to help her come to terms with that knowledge.â€

[Howl]

thanks for these links. After reading them, I'm surprised that the Barbours got any punishment at all. Manning is an absolute ass.

I have little doubt that the Barbours' race, religion, and socioeconomic status had an enormous influence on Judge Manning's perception and sentencing of them. A quick Google reveals that he's a real peach.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/pit ... e-the-law/

http://www.city-data.com/forum/pittsbur ... bench.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/pittsbur ... again.html

http://www.post-gazette.com/frontpage/2 ... 0701250311

http://caselaw.findlaw.com/pa-court-of- ... 18062.html

Supposedly he's up for reelection every 10 years. According to this link, he's on the ballot in 2015. So if there are any western PA FJers out there, please go vote against this asshole.

Thanks for posting the updates on these cases, Palimpsest.

[KateFowler]

thanks for these links. After reading them, I'm surprised that the Barbours got any punishment at all. Manning is an absolute ass.

I'm so horrified the Barbours got to keep their biokids -- if making the bios watch their parents beating, starving & failing to provide medical care to their adopted siblings isn't abuse, I don't know what is. Sigh.

[dairyfreelife]

Why are you resurrecting old threads, KF?

[doggie]

now if a black woman does it she gets 78 years

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crim ... 80325.html

[Palimpsest]

Why are you resurrecting old threads, KF?

There's no rule against it. :)

Actually, I'm glad this thread was resurrected because I never thanked DianaPavalovna for those excellent links on Judge Manning.

Thanks!

[Trynn]

now if a black woman does it she gets 78 years

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crim ... 80325.html

I... Actually would totally support giving a child abuser/murder 78 years, race aside.

[KateFowler]

I... Actually would totally support giving a child abuser/murder 78 years, race aside.

The Barbours SHOULD have had their parental rights terminated - to all their kids, including the bios. Anyone who did what the Barbours did to their adopted children is a danger to ALL kids and has no business parenting. At. All.

[Hane]

The Barbours SHOULD have had their parental rights terminated - to all their kids, including the bios. Anyone who did what the Barbours did to their adopted children is a danger to ALL kids and has no business parenting. At. All.

Yes to all of this. Although the bio kids weren't directly abused, what effect has it had on them to see the horrendous abuse their adoptive siblings suffered? Has it hardened them to the suffering of "lesser" people (as in "They didn't toe the line and got what they deserved"), or will they carry lifelong survivors' guilt--or a toxic mixture of the two?