Mom, Boyfriend Charged With Drowning Kids

[StPaulieGirl]

The male defendent isn't the father of these children, so where are the dads?  Maybe dying a thousand deaths right now.  According to the picture caption, one is the half brother of the other 2?  I don't want to look at the pic again.  It makes me sick.  

Anyone one would try and rescue their children.  Look at how many people die running into burning buildings, not only to rescue their kids, but other people as well.  I think the key to this may be the bf.  No people I'm not bashing men.  The Susan Smith case rears its ugly head again.  She did it because the man she was cheating with, didn't want to raise her boys.  Bye bye kids, I'm more important than you!

[StPaulieGirl]

Good analysis, Kitty.  It very well could be because of a custody dispute.  There could be multiple fathers involved, so were all of them going for custody at the same time?

We all know car seats save lives, but I could just imagine in a real accident, where the car ends up in the water, trying to hold your breath and fumble with the damn things.  This brings back the whole Susan Smith thing.  Poor babies.

Let's see what comes out during trial.  Of course there is a special place in hell for them.  Not to mention special sections of prison....

[Kitty C.]

'Special prosecutor Roger Simpson, a private attorney from Monticello, will lead the prosecution to avoid a possible conflict of interest because Hamm's mother works in the DeWitt County state's attorney's office.'

They ain't taking any chances of having a mistrial, are they now???  These people are TOAST.  The death penalty???  WoooHoooooo!  Some may consider that the easy way out for these vermin, but think about it.  It just means they will find that special place in Hell that much sooner.

Davy, if you find out anymore on this case, please post it, would you?  I am confused on the part where Massey says the case is too complicated for everyone to understand.  Just points more in the direction that there's a custody issue involved here as well.  Betcha dollars to donuts that's the case, that a custody fight had SOME bearing on it some way....

[StPaulieGirl]

[p]He also suggested that the case was too complicated for people to understand anyway.

[p]"Believe me, you wouldn't understand it," Massey said. "You'll have to see the whole case to understand it."

[p]Oh boy.  Custody dispute?  

[p]Massey said Hamm and Lagrone will face nine counts of first-degree murder with aggravated circumstances. The aggravated circumstances allow a prosecutor to seek life in prison or the death penalty.

[p]Paraphrasing the charges, Massey explained that the aggravated circumstances were presented partly because "the acts of the defendants that caused the deaths of these children was exceptionally brutal and heinous, indicative of wanton cruelty." Other reasons were the number of victims and their ages.

[p]"Most people are going to be appalled when they see this case in court," the sheriff said.

[p]Can anything be worse than drowning, trapped in your car seat?  Were they trapped in their car seat?  This is quite possibly going to be uglier than we think...

[p]close tags...

[StPaulieGirl]

I'm thinking there's something else going on here, besides murder by drowning.  9 counts=death penalty...well it should.  Now why are there 3 counts against each death?  

A theory: the children were already dead.  The car was pushed off the boat ramp, with the murderers planning on just walking away.  They realized that someone saw the whole thing, and they had to change their plans.  Yeah, it's swiss cheese....full of holes.  

[Indigo Mom]

I can't be certain, as I was getting the kids ready for school and not paying "too" much attention, but I believe someone said the seatbelts were NOT on.  

[Brent]

> However, Hamm's former neighbors in Clinton have staunchly
> defended her and Lagrone, saying it's "ridiculous" to think they
> would intentionally hurt the children.

Yeah, parents never hurt their children. Just like Susan Smith didn't.

[Helping Dad]

I live about 30 minutes from Clinton IL and was totally sickened when I heard about this back in September.  What a precious picture of those three kids!  Hopefully the case against them is strong and they will get what they deserve!  I know I would have been in that lake getting my babies out with ever inch of my being.  What a poor excuse for a mother!  Sorry, just had to get that out of my system!

[sweetnsad]

You know, right after I wrote that, I told my SO what had happened and he said the EXACT same thing as you...Good minds think alike...

[sweetnsad]

I get absolutely SICK to my stomach when I think of how those kids died...Ok, I have tears in my eyes, it's just so awful...How do you do this?  I mean, how sick are you to do this to your flesh and blood?  Innocent babies, that's all they were...Imagine their cries for help...