The next morning, Corpus Christi police detective Michael Hess paid a visit to Kathi Haller, the Overtons next-door neighbor, who knew the family well. Weeping, they told the children that their brother had gone to be with Jesus. Myron F. Overton June 29, 1935 - June 6, 2013 Myron was born in Bakersfield, California to his loving parents Earl C. and Hazel J. Overton. If you need legal advice, then retain an attorney to discuss the facts of your case. Please know that you all are surrounded by love, no matter how great your grief. I know he will be missed by all his family and friends. People who knew the Overtons were certain that Andrews bewildering death was accidental. Jonah Lee Overton Obituary It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Jonah Lee Overton (Charlotte, North Carolina), who passed away on January 21, 2023, at the age of 92, leaving to mourn family and friends. As he grasped for the right words to convey the depth of pain a parent feels over the loss of a child, he noticed a row of unfamiliar faces. A family birthday celebration in the summer of 2006. Before the family returned home, Andrew asked if he could have lunch, and Hannah told him that he needed to wait; Larry was bringing them something to eat, she explained, and he would be back in a few minutes. "Wow, we don't even know where to begin," Hannah Overton told ABC News exclusively after she heard that her case had been dismissed and she would not have to endure another trial. The ministry's name Syndeo is taken from a Greek word meaning "to connect" or "be connected." The best memory is of riding camp the following summer when Dabney and a friend opted for motorcycle helmets rather than riding hard hats. Larry taught Sunday school, Hannah led a Bible study, and their children, whom Hannah homeschooled, attended youth group and socialized with other members kids. He had a speech delay and spoke haltingly, sometimes with a stutter, but every week, when his Sunday school classmates went around in a circle to say their prayer requests, he made the same wish aloud: that he would be adopted. He struck up a correspondence with Hannah, but she did not warm to him until their paths crossed again at a year-long missionary training school outside Tyler, when she was nineteen and he was a more clean-cut twenty. But former Nueces County District Attorney Mark Skurka charged Overton a second time for murder after her release. Hannah: i was and remain so sorry to hear about Dabney's unfortunate death. Benign conditions and life-threatening conditions look the same in the beginning, he said. But the damage was done: that Hannah had confessed to force-feeding Andrew and beating him was repeated, uncorrected, on the local news. . Push him? Throughout the interrogation, which spanned more than two hours, Hannah insisted that she had never harmed Andrew. (Andrew was told that he could not have any food at McDonalds, since he had already eaten.) Larry attempted to restore order upon his return, putting Andrews soiled sheets in the garbage and hosing off the boy and his foam mattress in the backyard. It has been a long time since I saw Dabney last. I was shocked and saddened to hear of Dabney's premature death last week. The churchs pastor, Rod Carver, and his wife, Noreen, had initially considered taking in Andrew but ultimately decided he was more than they could handle. One of her favorite books to revisit is Ruth. Overton has accused Eastwood of acting unethically in her case, something Eastwood has denied repeatedly. Heritage Funeral Home 3700 Forest Lawn Dr, Matthews, NC 28104, Weddington Methodist Church 13901 Providence Rd, Weddington, NC 28104. Yet the jury had never heard from him. Michael, who had been born prematurely, was severely impaired; he had cerebral palsy, was blind, and could not walk or talk. It was a catastrophic decision. There are really no words. There's also a pen pal program and Overton is often featured inFacebook videos in which she talks about ways to help women in prison. When Gilmore polled the jury afterward, all twelve members stated that they had found Hannah guilty of capital murder by omission for not acting quickly enough to save Andrew; none believed that she had poisoned him. Dear God, thank you for the soup, Isaac said, his head bowed, his eyes closed tightly. They had 4 children and were expecting their fifth. I dont see what caused the high salt content. The intentional poisoning of a child is usually perpetrated with sedatives, anticonvulsants, or medications like injectable insulin, not food, he told me. We truly thought his obsession with food was a behavioral issue, not a medical one, Larry said. As Larry stood in the kitchen and peeled potatoes, the kidsexcited to have a visitorshowed me around their house, pointing out their favorite hiding places and the plaster cast of their footprints in the hallway, which includes the letter A for Andrew. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. He was a great classmate and teamate at St Christopher's. Against the backdrop of possible abuse, authorities wasted little time. He was a Southern Gentleman and true Virginian who touched the hearts of many. She and Larry were under tremendous financial strain, she admitted, but she stressed that they had rushed for help as soon as they realized how critical Andrews condition was. I feel at such a loss, as do all of us who were fortunate enough to have been graced with Dabney's presence. There are two phones that the kids can speak into, and they eagerly pass the receivers back and forth, recounting the months events in stereo. The website is updated daily, frequently with exonerations that occurred in the past. Afterward, she instinctively looked back to check on the children, not realizing that her face was covered in blood. He moved unsteadily, and he was so clumsy that Hannah had him wear a life jacket whenever he splashed around in their inflatable kiddie pool. Absolutely not, Hannah shot back. The court ruledher trial lawyers were ineffective, and sent her case back to be retried. Not the brightest thing to do, Larry conceded. At a subsequent family court hearing, in which Hannahs civil attorney argued that she should be given access to the infant so that she could continue nursing her, Judge Lewis returned Emma to her parents, but with conditions. Only Hannah had been able to break through. Overton spent seven years in prison before the Texas Court of Appeals overturned her capital murder charges on September 17, 2014. Estelle and John They speculated Andrew might have had pica, an eating disorder characterized by an obsessive appetite and that Andrew accidentally poisoned himself by consuming a fatal amount of sodium. Mr. Overton continued in private practice until the age of 80. To the Overton Family and friends of Dabney: I first met Dabney in the fall of 1972 when he was in fourth grade at Aylett Country Day School. Hess suspicions had developed the previous evening during an interview with Hannah, who had consented to talk to him without an attorney present. During closing arguments, Gilmore emphasized that Hannah had no motive to kill Andrew and that the state had failed to prove that she had intentionally caused the boys death. Her husband, Larry, took aplea deal for a lesser charge in the case and was given probation. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. He had the heart of a lion and graciously allowed me into his circle of friends. He and Noreen had recently lost their own son, who had been stillborn, making his grief particularly acute. They considered adopting a nine-year-old girl who was deaf, but when, after much prayer and deliberation, they decided to move forward with the adoption, they learned that the girl had been placed with another family. (He was subsequently fired by CPS after having three car accidents on the job in less than six months.) The jury was not just going to let her walk. Capital murder carries two possible punishments in Texasthe death penalty or life without paroleand the district attorneys office had already decided not to seek death. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Witnesses outside the home said they had seen Andrew's bizarre habits, too. Despite Eastwoods zeal, there were still basic questions that the prosecution could not explain. Four subsequent investigations were triggered by reports of abuse or neglect, including one allegation that both his mother and maternal grandmother were incapable of properly caring for him because they used methamphetamines. I wasnt thinking, obviously, or I would have just taken him to the hospital, Hannah told the detective. The Carvers, like most members of Calvary Chapel, never doubted her innocence. A more thorough investigation would have uncovered ample evidence to suggest that Andrew had an undiagnosed eating disorder, raising the possibility that he had unintentionally consumed too much salt on his own. Published in Legacy from Nov. 11 to Nov. 12, 2009. Hannah went into labor with her first child, Isaac, at the Subialdeas house, and though she had planned to come back to work after her sons birth, she found the separation from him too wrenching. It seemed to me, based upon the wording of the charge, that we had no choice but to find her guilty of capital murder. But, Warfield added, I do not believe that Mrs. Overton knew that her actions (or lack thereof) would kill Andrew Byrd [sic]. The Huntsville Times. Those charges were not considered double jeopardy because Overtons conviction was overturned by the higher court on the basis of ineffective counsel, which granted her a new trial. The kids now range in age from four to twelve, and when I visited them late one afternoon, not long after I had seen Hannah, they seemed unencumbered by the tragedy that had engulfed their family. Hess remained skeptical of Hannahs account. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. He was preceded in death by his mother, Hannah Spencer Haile Overton and infant brother, Charles. Short on time as the trial drew to a close, the defense had asked Moritzwho needed to return to Pittsburghto sit for a videotaped deposition; when the deposition ran long and could not be completed, the defense was unable to enter it as testimony. I worked with Dabney in the mortgage industry a few years ago and he was everything you described. All those that I know who knew Dabney will miss him greatly. At the clinic, she continued giving him mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions until paramedics took over, but the four-year-old lay motionless. Andrew spent his first night at the Overtons modest ranch-style house on Mothers Day, when he was two months shy of his fourth birthday, and he seemed to quickly grow attached to his new family. Andrews adoption hadnt been finalized, Haller said. . 1 x 120' / Produced for Discovery Networks. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. How do you poison someone with a substance you dont know the contents of? That Hannah had not sought immediate medical attention did not change his view. It is unclear, read the courts ruling, whether the state actually knew of Dr. Cortess opinion. The court also ruled that the wording of the jury charge was free from error. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declined the opportunity to reconsider the decision. This is where Andrew used to sleep, Isaac told me softly as he led me into the boys room. Yet according to the unusual wording of the jury charge, jurors had to believe just one of two scenarios to find Hannah guilty: that she deliberately made Andrew ingest a lethal amount of salt or that she purposely neglected to get timely medical attention, knowing that this would kill him. She had been released on bond in December after a Texas appellate court overturned her conviction and life sentence for the death of 4-year-old Andrew Burd, the child Overton and her husband, Larry, were in the process of adopting before he died. Meanwhile, those who once pursued Hannah with such certainty have undergone their own trials. He was a very quiet and caring man. I knew Dabney years ago while living in Richmond. The states case would be predicated in part on the findings of Ray Fernandez, the Nueces County medical examiner, who ruled Andrews death to be a homicide. My husband Al and I were shocked and saddened to hear of Dabney's death. Yet her life behind bars, however incongruous, has taken on its own rhythm. Pleading out to that was much better than having my children grow up without a mother or a father. In exchange for his plea, Larry was given five years probation and a $5,000 fine. Their arrests came so quickly after Andrew died, they said, that they had no time to grieve for the boy they hoped to permanently make a part of their family. Haller . The day Andrew died Hannah said she found him in the kitchen pantry but could not determine what he had consumed, if anything. He was simply "a wonderful person" I am so sorry for your loss. There were the charred remnants of his Spider-Man sheets in the fire pit. In 2011, Overtons appellate attorney, Cynthia Orr, filed a state petition for a writ of habeas corpus seeking a new trial. But just as the prosecution could not show exactly how Hannah had forced Andrew to ingest a lethal dose of salt, neither could the defense give precise details for how the four-year-old had come to have so much sodium in his body. This was usually on a road trip up or down the Valley. Haller was stunned by the accusation. "God is so good!," Overton wrote in the social media post. (You can just tell by looking at her how evil she is, one wrote.) He was an example to many by the way he lived his life and his loyalty to those values that determine a true friend. Andrews standard answer whenever he was asked to perform a simple task was Sorry, I cant, but Hannah was heartened one day that summer when he deviated from the script. Once a month, Larry loads the kids into his van and they make the trip together, although on those visits, no contact is allowed. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? They chattered about an upcoming birthday party and discussed the merits of their favorite colors, finishing each others sentences between slurps of soup. Hannah Spencer Overton (born Haile) in FamilySearch Family Tree Hannah Overton in U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Hannah Spencer Haile in MyHeritage family trees (Baker Family Site (23andMe)) view all Immediate Family Private ex-spouse Private child Hannah Overton Tiffany daughter Private child Edmond Ware Haile father Irene Margarite Tyler Dabney will be greatly missed, but not forgotten. Hoping to show him that his behavior was self-destructive, Larry told Andrew one morning that he could have as much as he wanted for breakfast. Hannah and Andrew In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. Rotta stopped short of describing the manner in which he believed Andrew had been made to eat a lethal amount of salta dose that, after analyzing Andrews blood, he determined would have consisted of 23 teaspoons of Zatarains Creole Seasoning or 6 teaspoons of salt. Hannahs conviction was upheld in 2009 by the Thirteenth Court of Appeals. The defense presented the jury with a medical mystery. But there were many other things she had missed from behind bars. A comment someone made was that it appeared that this child had been in a fight with a porcupine, the physician stated. A church member who homeschools her daughters educates the Overton children, using lesson plans Hannah sends her. My Mother and Father will miss his visits to the house and his heartfelt caring and concerns for all of us. The jury was not just going to let her walk.. If anything had been wrong, I would have known it, she insisted. At the time of his retirement, he was one of the three oldest practicing attorneys in the Commonwealth. (A subsequent investigation by the attorney generals office found that no crimes had been committed. Loose teeth, first day of kindergarten, last day of kindergarten. Andrew seems very happy in this home.. What a great sense of comfort to know that I could be greated on the other side by such a kind person. "We are so excited about all God has done in and through all of this. Larry called out that dinner was ready, and we gathered inside around a rough-hewn oak table he had made years ago. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. (CPS had not yet sent them his Social Security card, which they needed to get him insured.) Richard and his wife had tried all sorts of tactics to deter him: redirecting his attention, putting gloves on him, even restraining his hands. Today I will thank God that I knew Dabney, if only a little. The information on this website does NOT constitute legal advice and you may not rely on it as such. He and Hannah are allotted two hours, during which they sit together in the dayroom, flanked by other inmates and their families. I worked with him at Branch, Cabell many years ago. When she was fifteen, Hannah returned to Corpus Christi with her family to visit, and Larry, who had not seen her since they were kids, was immediately smitten. Both Larry and Hannah had done missionary work, and as a teenager, Hannah had spent holidays volunteering at an orphanage across the border, in Reynosa, where she had fed, bathed, and ministered to kids who had been living on the streets. However, Judge Longoria could allow the jury to consider a lesser charge if he felt that the evidence did not support capital murder, and after hearing the states case, he did so, telling both the prosecution and the defense that he was willing to let the jury consider manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide. I was truly saddened to hear of Dabney's passing. My friend Dabo - thanks for the fun at Washington and Lee but mostly for these last few years when your selflessness and wisdom were refreshing to see and experience. According to Haller, he told her, Look, shes pregnant and she has all these kids, but it was just too much for her. More:Hannah Overton, family celebrate her pregnancy months after she's declared innocent in boy's death. Peace be with you, Dabney. Created by: Red; Added: 9 Apr 2016 . I always knew I'd be able to catch up with him on occasion at the Village Starbucks. He seemed a peaceful man. There was a dead child, he observed. What little is known about Andrew Burds early life is contained in a slim Child Protective Services case file that chronicles the boys descent into the child welfare system. Nevertheless, the idea that Andrew had sustained a head injury propelled the case forward, further casting Hannah as an abuser. He embodied the characteristics of a Saint and we will miss him very much. Prosecutors exploited that uncertainty in final arguments, asserting that Andrew did not have pica. Just after five oclock, the Overtons put him in their car and rushed him to a nearby urgent care clinic. After he completed his probation, the charges were dismissed. I worked with him at Branch Cabell years ago and also lived down the street from him for a while. Tell
If he had Downs, that was the blessing that God had chosen to give us, Larry said. Ive seen doctors and nurses freeze up when a patient comes in convulsing or in extremis, he said. She and her Menu. The boy was diagnosed with a toxic salt overdose and died the following day. I wish his family well. May God bless you and. Hannah Overton, far right, sits next to her attorney, Cynthia Orr, center, and prosecutor, Doug Norman, April 26, 2012 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Hannah R. (Saem) Overton . We spoke last Tuesday about a biking trip we had plan in the spring to Cherokee,N.C. Both womens accounts were problematic; Gonzalez had never made a statement to police and was testifying from memory after nearly a years worth of negative media coverage, while Zapata had failed to mention anything about Hannah smirking when she wrote her initial report about the incident. If she had taken Andrew to the hospital earlier, what would she have taken him in for? In his role as single dad, he is aided by his extended family and his many friends from Calvary Chapel, who pitch in to do cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, and babysitting. Andrews foster mother, who had provided refuge to roughly three hundred children over three decades, was also supportive. "I could never thank my attorneys enough for fighting endlessly to prove my innocence and bring me home," she said. Isaac read John 9 aloud while Larry helped him sound out the difficult words (synagogue, Pharisees). Its somebodys worst nightmare, Hannah Overton told ABC News in an earlier interview. When Michael put his fingers in his mouth, she would call his name softlythere was no anger in her voiceand he would smile and slowly slide his fingers out, Richard said. The salt poisoning case earned international attention because many believed she was wrongfully convicted and her story was featured in the 2017 documentary, Until Proven Innocent. ABC News has followed Overton's and her husband's story since her original 2007 trial. Hannah Overton, a south Texas mother of five whose wrongful conviction for the 2006 death of her foster son was overturned last year, is expected to receive over $500,000 in compensation from the state for the years she spent in jail. My two boys will remember him always as "that tall man with the super cool motorcycle". You and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks. There is no photo or video of Jonah Lee Overton.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. The nondenominational church, on the south side of Corpus Christi, drew many young evangelicals with its emphasis on a verse-by-verse understanding of the Bible, and Larry and Hannah were well-regarded members. With her first husband, whose name was Stephens, she lived in Iowa, and had one daughter. The Overtons already had four children, and Larrys incomehe installed landscape lightingwas barely enough to make ends meet. Plant a tree to honor the memory of your loved one. Your family will be in my thoughts and prayers. The daughter of a pastor and a homemaker, she had grown up longing for the companionship and boisterous energy of the big, churchgoing families she saw around her. Sending hope that your healing is swift. Cynthia Hujar-Orr, Gerry Goldstein and John Raley were apart of Overton's appellate team that helped overturn the . Left: Hannah Overton at the Murray Unit, west of Waco, on November 21, 2011. His foster mother, Hannah Overton, was charged with capital murder, vilified from all quarters, and sent to prison for life. Larry Overton was also charged with murder, but after his wife's conviction, he was offered a plea deal and was given probation. To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our. Dabney will be missed by a wide range of supportive friends and family. Until we specifically agree to act for you on a matter, you should not provide us with any confidential information or material. He visited us in the country and brought his serinity along. Although he hung back when his siblings embraced their parents in group hugs, Larry and Hannah learned that if they asked Andrew to join in, he would do so enthusiastically, throwing his arms around them. He was an avid sailor who was active in the Fishing Bay Yacht Club and raced with the crew of La Maga. OVERTON, Dabney III, died peacefully on Monday, November 9, 2009 surrounded by family and friends. I didnt realize the seriousness of the situation. Eastwood questioned how Andrew had come to have scratches on his neck. Anne Turner Overton Haile died peacefully at home in Portland, Oregon on December 7, 2021. Looking for any information that might bolster the appeal, Orr requested access to the prosecutions case file. He will be missed. My prayers and thoughts are with you all. I will always remember Dabney's love of animals, nature and good music. Overton's original trial attorneys admitted at an appeals hearing that they had made errors. . Each pregnancy felt extraordinarily fortunate; after Isaac, Hannah had suffered two miscarriages and been advised that she might not be able to have more children. The National Registry of Exonerations is a project of the Newkirk Center for Science & Society at University of California Irvine, the University of Michigan Law School and Michigan State University College of Law. His mother was just sixteen, the file shows, when she gave birth to him in Corpus Christi on July 28, 2002. I dont see what caused the trauma to the brain, he said. He introduced me to Bandy Field and our Labs also became friends. After your child dies to be told that somebody think its your fault. Hess had given me his word that he would tell me if and when warrants were going to be issued, so that Hannah and Larry could turn themselves in. Instead, law enforcement officials had apprehended the Overtons by making a felony traffic stop, a practice usually reserved for suspects believed to be armed and dangerous. He was such a kind person, always with a smile on his face and a warm hug. Did you at any time strike him? Hess asked. Skurka ended up dropping the new case against her in 2015 but Overton remained in legal limbo until Gonzalez officially declared her innocence last year, thus closing a significant chapter on this decade-long case.