GUILTY OR - Jeanette Maples, 15, dies of abuse, torture in Eugene, 9 Dec 2009

[Missizzy]

LCoastMom--Yes, it is heartbreaking. I advocated for adoptive children and their families in Far Northern California (north of Sacramento primarily) for NACAC from 1994-2006. Things were a mess. I was even called to SF once to be interviewed by the feds on several counties which were being investigated. California has a county based DHS system, rather that the state based system which Oregon uses. Some counties were literally awful!! Funneling funds into other agencies, doctoring the books concerning visits and complaints, never returning calls. Quite a number were taken over by the state until they cleaned up their act.

It's interesting when you look at the dates of Jeanette's time in CA foster care as so much was changing, specifically because of these issues. This was the decade of the advent of the Inter-jurisdictional placement Act (a requirement to look beyond county and state borders for possible families for adoptive placement), the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act (which leveled the field for families to adopt children of all races), concurrent planning, and the regulations on keeping sibling together.

I have the saddest feeling that poor Jeanette was just behind the curve of changes. I also think that her brothers must have been placed separately from her. That was common at the time. My guess is that they went to a home which advocated for them. It just seems odd to me that DHS allowed this reunification to drag on for 5 1/2 years. I have my own theories (DHS makes money on foster care--far more than with adoption or return of the child) but it still seems excessive. This is exactly why judges must now follow a set timeline concerning termination of parental rights. And even still, the parents' attorneys will often be allowed extensions. It really angers me.

But returning a little 6 1/2 year old girl to an unstable woman who had a toddler she was most likely bonded to was crazy. I'm really hoping that both states trace this case back and investigate just how and why this occurred. This seems to be known as an Oregon case. But it's a California case too.

 

[LCoastMom]

Grandmother Testified Tuesday

Sentencing phase of the trial of Angela McAnulty continues this week in Lane County Circuit Court.

McAnulty’s mother-in-law gave the jury an inside look at the treatment 15-year-old Jeanette Maples suffered before she died at the hands of her mother.

- Angela rarely showed any kind of affection toward Jeanette and clearly favored her younger daughter.

- In 2009, Angela began to cut family ties, not allowing the grandparents to see the children and only supervised phone calls were allowed.

- Lynn McAnulty helped the family move to a home. Jeanette was made to sit in the corner during the move.

- When she was allowed to hug the teen, she was startled by what she felt. “She was so skinny. She didn't have anything on her. She was skinny. She just looked worn out for a 15-year-old,” Lynn McAnulty told the jury.

- She told her son that the girl needed to see a doctor.

- The grandmother told the jury she reported her concerns to the Oregon Children, Adults and Families Division several times in early fall of 2009.

http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story/Grandmother-testifies-in-McAnulty-penalty-hearing/2zKwDKOJJUKa4mHC7ABtAA.cspx

 

[less0305]

I am so incredibly sad for this child. I don't think I'll ever forget this horrific story.

 

[LCoastMom]

McAnulty to jury: ‘Sorry’

The Lane County Circuit Court jurors will begin deliberating today on whether to sentence McAnulty to death or to life in prison for torturing, beating and starving Jeanette Marie Maples. The River Road girl died Dec. 9, 2009, of malnutrition, bleeding in her brain from a head injury and hundreds of other wounds, some infected to the bone.

McAnulty, 42, did not take the witness stand and testify. Rather, she exercised her right to make an “elocution,” described by Lane County Circuit Judge Kip Leonard as a “personal statement on her own behalf to mitigate the punishment that is to be imposed.”

Such statements are not subject to cross-examination by prosecutors.

Reading from a prepared statement, McAnulty told jurors, “I am very sorry for hurting my daughter in a very bad way, and I take responsibility for what I have done.”

She also apologized to the prosecution and to detectives who investigated the case, then concluded by telling the jury: “I want you to know I am at peace with whatever sentence you give me.”

Lane County Deputy District Attorney JoAnn Miller questioned the sincerity of Mcanulty’s remorseful statements.

“The repeated sorries don’t cut it,” she said. She reminded jurors that McAnulty so minimized her actions that she told detectives hours after Jeanette’s death that maybe she should have taken up smoking as a “comparable alternative” stress reliever to torturing her daughter to death.

Miller also reminded the jury how McAnulty deprived her oldest daughter of possessions — even a bed.

“The only thing that belonged to Jeanette was her cardboard,” Miller said, reminding jurors that its purpose was to keep her bleeding wounds from soiling the carpet as she slept.


http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/25926249-41/mcanulty-death-jeanette-daughter-jury.csp

Much more at link -

 

[LCoastMom]

Brothers describe childhood horrors
Angela McAnulty’s mother was killed, her father was abusive

A local woman who fatally starved and tortured her daughter lost her own mother to murder at age 5 and grew up with a violent father who also kept food from his hungry children and beat them for “stealing” it, two of her brothers testified Tuesday.

But Michael and George F. of California both said they chose to break the cycle and spare their children from abuse — unlike their sister, Angela Feusi Mc*Anulty. She pleaded guilty Feb. 1 to the aggravated murder of her oldest daughter in late 2009. Her brothers testified before a Lane County Circuit Court jury charged with deciding whether she gets the death penalty or life in prison.

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cm...42-41/mcanulty-feusi-tuesday-angela-death.csp

Much more at link...

She had a horrific childhood - no one would disagree and yet she chose everyday to inflict even worse treatment to her precious daughter.

 

[LCoastMom]

Angela McAnulty’s sentencing trial continued into day four today with her husband, Richard McAnulty taking the stand.

Because his trial remains pending for May 2011, no cameras were allowed while he testified.

He described the living conditions and the days leading up to Jeanette’s death saying his wife took control of nearly everything, including his wallet, his car keys, cabinet keys and more. According to him, Angela refused her daughter water and wouldn’t allow her to go to the bathroom in privacy if at all. She kept locks on the food cabinets, counted the items in the refrigerator so much that even Richard himself felt threatened.

Jeanette Maples, 15, died December 9th, 2010 from cardiac arrest.

He said his wife would punish Jeanette almost daily, but never actually saw any physical abuse take place. He witnessed threats and insults, but mostly, he saw Angela take Jeanette into what they called “the girls bedroom,” – although police say it was barely a bedroom, as there was no actual bed or dresser to be found in there. Jeanette would not exit the room crying or screaming, but he is certain if any physical abuse took place, it occurred in that room.

http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story/Richard-McAnulty-tesitifies-against-his-wife/o7Z--h2HS0OZQGhgf2C0dw.cspx

Much more at link.

These two deserved each other. Jeanette deserved so much better...

 

[LCoastMom]

Angela McAnulty's younger daughter faces her mother in court

The girl was asked various questions by the state. The prosecutor then asked her how her mother treated her, her brother and Jeanette. She made it clear that her mother treated them all very differently, allowing R. and herself to play video games, watch television and attend school. Jeanette, however, seemed to face a punishment everyday for nearly everything she did. Besides physical abuse, Jeanette was forced to eat raw chili peppers and stand in a corner with her hands above her head, balancing on one foot. She was not allowed to speak to anyone except her mother.

According to the teen, R., who claimed yesterday he had nothing to do with such torture, did in fact hit Jeanette on multiple occasions. He would use shoes as weapons and not allow Jeanette to go to the bathroom, drink water or eat food – similar to her mother’s rules. If she disobeyed, he would report to Angela and measures would be taken.

http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/stor...aughter-faces-her/GF7yvUnWakW-30QqeNQEnw.cspx

More at Link

 

[LCoastMom]

McAnulty trial concludes; A life sentence with or without parole or a death sentence is in the jury's hands

http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story/McAnulty-trial-concludes-A-life-sentence-with-or/_Xg5j0eDXUC02NLyWbzS8g.cspx

McAnulty’s attorney said there is no excuse but Angela is ready and willing to take whatever punishment she is given.

Erik Hasselman rebutted. He said the facts of this case couldn’t be any worse. Hasselman himself got emotional during this time, explaining that this woman has no chance of changing and therefore a life sentence would do no good.

When the younger daughter took the stand, the court room was amazed at how well she handled questioning. Prosecutors call the now 13 year-old a ‘survivor.’ She answered the questions and relived her past without emotion, prosecutors say, because she was brought up in a home where tears were prohibited. Tears resulted in worse punishment.

More at LINK

 

[southern_scout]

This is a failure of the system in so many ways. I rarely am moved to tears by cases on WS, but I cried for Jeanette today, and I cried for her siblings, that will be scarred by living through all of this and having to come out on the other side and will have to survive what has happened. I will never understand how a mother could so violently abuse the very child she gave birth to, how she could have so little maternal instinct.

 

[Missizzy]

Thank you, LCoastMom for those updates. There's another here but it pretty much covers the same ground:

http://kezi.com/news/local/205178

I'm very concerned about the lack of emotion shown by the 13 year old sister. This is not a healthy response at all. I'm so hopeful she can be reached in time. The child desperately needs help building empathy.

The story of McAnulty's childhood is exactly the reason I worry so tremendously when children are rescued from environments such as the one described. Some little minds do not heal. Yes, her brothers chose a higher path and I admire them. But not all children are resilient and not all children get the help they need when horribly traumatized, as McAnulty was.

Every time a child is "saved" from a home like McAnulty's childhood home, there is not a happy ending. The information revealed today was what I feared but expected. Jeanette's death was almost pre-ordained decades ago. It shouldn't have to be that way but it often is.

And it breaks my heart.

 

[Missizzy]

An interesting overview of McAnulty's behavior in jail:

http://kezi.com/news/local/205167

"...."Ninety-nine percent of the time was very submissive, passive. She would round her shoulders. She would hang her head, never make eye contact," said Deputy Kelly Michelle Rahm.

But deputies say this wasn't completely innocent behavior. They say McAnulty constantly broke rules, like sending unauthorized messages to other inmates, exchanging items and slipping things under cell doors.

When she was caught, deputies say she was overly apologetic.

"(She did this) to the point where it became artificial. It just seemed like she was attempting to convince me that she was perfect, yet she continued to break these rules," Rahm said. This led many deputies to feel like they were being manipulated by McAnulty and said she would "deputy shop" for better treatment...."

more at link

Note: At the bottom of the page are links to other reports of testimony.

 

[Missizzy]

Death.

http://registerguard.com/csp/cms/si...-57/death-mcanulty-jurors-jeanette-oregon.csp

 

[peeples]

Yes!!!!

 

[LCoastMom]

Eugene Woman is 2nd Female on Oregon's Death Row

The jury took six hours to reach its verdict of death for McAnulty. It will take much, much longer before any sentence is carried out. First, the case will automatically be appealed. The last death penalty carried out in Oregon was in 1997.

http://www.kxl.com/Eugene-Woman-is-2nd-Female-on-Oregon-s-Death-Row/9284140

That was fast....

 

[LCoastMom]

EDITORIAL: Rough justice
McAnulty’s sentence closes the door on redemption

<<SNIPPED>>

Executing McAnulty would ensure that she never commits another crime — but so would other sanctions, such as life in prison without parole. Oregon now has true life sentences for people who should always remain behind bars, both for purposes of punishment and for the protection of the public.

Society has a strong interest in preventing others from committing similar crimes, but a death sentence for McAnulty will have no deterrent effect. Certainly McAnulty herself was undeterred by the prospect of punishment. Other abusers would not change their ways after seeing McAnulty go to death row — abusers’ actions arise from mental processes impervious to either humane feelings or rational thought.

Above all, society has an interest in keeping faith with the promise of redemption — the idea that every life has value, hard as it may be to glimpse in some people. To put McAnulty to death would be to concede that some people are utterly without even potential worth. The spark of promise in McAnulty may be dim, but in one year or 20 it might be fanned to life, with effects that cannot be predicted.

To apply the death penalty is to abandon hope. McAnulty deserves no sympathy, and certainly no liberty, but she ought be punished in a way that does not diminish an appreciation of life’s possibilities.
______________

This editorial is well written to state a point - but AM took all of the potential that was her daughter - she took all the possibilities that Jeanette was born with, cruelly cutting her life away with tools of destruction.

Sitting on death row, even if it takes years seems a more fitting punishment than allowing AM the freedom of "life" in prison. If she is to be redeemed, if she has any potential - let her find it the hard way, deep within herself.

 

[less0305]

The death penalty if ever deserved was deserved in this case.

 

[believe09]

From MissIzzy's link:

“If Jeanette Maples had been snatched by someone else and held captive in their home, if the atrocities that she experienced both pyschologically and physically had been inflicted by a stranger, would any of us have a serious question if death would be the appropriate sentence?” he asked them. “Is it somehow mitigating that her killer was her mother?”
In fact, he said, it aggravated the crime, by taking from Jeanette “that glimmer of hope that she would be rescued by her parents.”

My point exactly.

 

[Missizzy]

An overview of what Angela McAnulty's life will be be like during the ongoing appeals:

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-n...year-old_daughter_lands_on_new_death_row.html

Angela McAnulty, Eugene woman who killed 15-year-old daughter, lands on new death row

 

[LCoastMom]

An overview of what Angela McAnulty's life will be be like during the ongoing appeals:

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-n...year-old_daughter_lands_on_new_death_row.html

Angela McAnulty, Eugene woman who killed 15-year-old daughter, lands on new death row

She is exempt from the state law that requires inmates to work 40 hours a week. But prison officials said McAnulty may nonetheless get a prison job.

"A work assignment will provide her an opportunity to earn her funds and practice pro-social behavior," said Jana Wong, public information officer at Coffee Creek..."

She plead guilty! Why does she deserve years of appeals?

This really bothers me - in addition to being allowed to live free from physical abuse, she is being handed a much better existence than what she allowed her precious daughter - food, water, exercise, a bed, even shelves and the opportunity to buy things from the commissary. So much more than the bloody piece of cardboard that Jeanette slept on on the floor.

I have no trouble with forcing her to take a 40 hour per week job, but it surely should not afford her the opportunity to "practice pro-social behavior". Jeanette was cut off from any semblance of a social life, even within her own family. Give AM a push broom or a tiny cubicle - let her learn the devastation of having no one.

 

[Missizzy]

Being that she's tremendously segregated and rightly so, I too cannot figure out what the pro-social training is supposed to accomplish. To train her to be more polite to the guards?

My heart goes out the family members as this is still years and years away from any resolution. I'm so hopeful that the children will be protected from further testimony.