Charged with - Murder

AlexsPajamaMama wrote:

Woman Charged With Murder For Leaving Son In Car

POSTED: 3:17 am EDT April 6, 2006

AIKEN, S.C. -- A mother in Aiken, S.C., accused of leaving her 15-month-old son in a car, was been charged with murder by child abuse Wednesday.

According to sheriffs, Karla Edwards, 35, left the baby in a car for nine hours Tuesday while she went to work at a home-improvement store. Sheriffs said when she returned to the car, the child was unresponsive. Authorities said the baby died from dehydration.

The weather service said Tuesday's high in Aiken was 73.

NEWMOM05 replied: We were just posting about this the other day.

BAC'sMom replied: Sad thing is that when the weather starts getting warmer we will hear a lot more of these cases. I have never understood how a person can “forget” a child in a car. Even with 3 to keep track of I have never found that a problem to keep ALL my ducks in a row.

mckayleesmom replied:

~Roo'sMama~ replied: That's so sad.

ashtonsmama replied: That's so ridiculous for an innocent child to die...

I remember hearing about this...makes me so mad...

Kaitlin'smom replied: I heard about this this moring. breaks my heart to think about what that child went through in those 9 hours. how coudl some one not see or miss him. I have sooo many questions, mainly where is he supposed to go while she is at work?

DVFlyer replied:

1lilpeanut2love replied:

luvbug00 replied:

punkeemunkee'smom replied: I am NOT trying to start a debate because I am NOT saying that leaving a child in a car is OK! STUPID PEOPLE!!! But I did not realize a child could die of dehydration in 9 hours-I am NOT saying Oh 9 hours no biggie what I am saying is how long had it been before that that she had given him a drink? I am so glad they are charging her with murder! I hope she gets the stiffest possible penalty! Parents who abuse their children and people that turn a blind eye to it deserve whatever comes to them!

Oh and we hear that crap down here too-I forgot the child was with me.... WTH? It is 105* here in the summer on an average day-how do you NOT think I think I forgot to stop at the babysitter's today...

luvmykids replied: And the child was in the car because ......? What does a parent usually do with their child before they go to work? Sorry, I'd rather lose my job for calling in sick if I didn't have child care than lose my child.

mummy2girls replied:
well if the weather is really hot outside it is alot hotter in the car and that is probably how it died of dehydration...

kimberley replied: why do people think a car is a babysitter. so tragic and avoidable.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Well - and please don't take this the wrong way... but it's about time parents get charged with murder. Maybe they will be a little less neglectful now that they can get charged...

ilovemybaby replied: Who the h*ck does that. GRRR
Does she get a fine too? I know they introduced a law called Brians law. And if the child dies you are automatically fined. But I think jail is much better.

ilovemybaby replied: I think it would have been the heat. The heat would make the baby so hot that his/her body would have been using all it's water supplies to cool down. And therefore he/she would have become dehydrated.

3xsthefun replied:

holley79 replied: Unfortunately there will be more of this during the summer months. I have three spare keys because I am paronoid of just accidently locking Annika in the truck. You would not believe the calls that we get on a daily basis of parents who have locked their keys and kids in their cars.

ETA: How does someone not hear a child at a home improvement store parking lot??? You know he had to be crying or something at some point. IMO, she should get the death penalty.

MommyToAshley replied: I read the article as it was another case where the parent forgot about the child, and not that she just went to work and intentionally left the child in the car, but I could be wrong. I never understoood how someone "forgets" about their child either.

Either way, I would think that living with the fact that she killed her baby will be worse than any other punishment she could get.

ilovemybaby replied: That is so true.

Like the father on Oprah that left his baby in his car for 6 hours because he was asked to drop him/her off at daycare and forgot about the baby. He went to work and someone came in hours later saying that someone left a baby in the car. Imagine how much guilt and pain he would have gone through ... and probably still does have some pain.

My grandparents once forgot to pick my mother up from the babysitters on their way home. I don't know how long it was before they realized... probably when they got home. But it could have been the next morning.