GUILTY AZ - Matthew Vandergriff, 6 wks, tortured to death, Bullhead City, 15 June 2010

[Melanie]

If this comes out with a CPS connection, I'm going to flip out. Did no one ever see this poor baby? Did no one ever hear this baby crying? He had to be crying all the time. Did anyone have the opportunity to make that call and failed to do so? Poor little baby.

Oh bless! I'm so sorry for this poor little baby.

Not sure many know about Bullhead City, AZ. My grandparents retired there many years ago, and I spent lots of summers there.

It's in the middle of the dessert -- quite a small town. My mum is buried nearby and we always drive thru town when we go to the cemetary. It sure is delapitated now. Lots of vacant homes, and homes are not on top of each other. I'm not suprised if anyone didn't hear this child scream

The population is about 100,000 -- so not a real big city. The crime rate is a 5 on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high).

Bullhead City, AZ, violent crime, on a scale from 1 (low crime) to 10, is 5. Violent crime is composed of four offenses: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The US average is 4.

Bullhead City, AZ, property crime, on a scale from 1 (low) to 10, is 6. Property crime includes the offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The object of the theft-type offenses is the taking of money or property, but there is no force or threat of force against the victims. The US average is 4.

It makes me sad to drive through, as it used to be such a nice little retirement town. Now it just seems run down and home to lots of low income families and a high rate of crime.

I didn't look, but assume these monsters are in a Vegas jail. I believe that's the closest large facility for violent crimes.

MOO

Mel

Source: http://www.bestplaces.net/crime/city/arizona/bullhead_city

 

[JeannieC]

Unbelievable! A infant has died. Where is the justice!

 

[LCoastMom]

Does anyone else think this article downplays the extent of the abuse to poor little Matthew? It's so much worse than "shaken baby syndrome"...

YES Columbo! I saw no mention of the rape that this baby suffered from, no mention that his parents didn't take him to a hospital due to the horrific nature of his injuries! This case just about put me over the edge.

Precious baby, Matthew - Rest In Peace. The state of AZ won't make your abusers pay the ultimate price for what they did to you because it's too expensive to try two death penalty cases - we can only hope they will reap their just rewards in the next life.

 

[JeannieC]

YES Columbo! I saw no mention of the rape that this baby suffered from, no mention that his parents didn't take him to a hospital due to the horrific nature of his injuries! This case just about put me over the edge.

Precious baby, Matthew - Rest In Peace. The state of AZ won't make your abusers pay the ultimate price for what they did to you because it's too expensive to try two death penalty cases - we can only hope they will reap their just rewards in the next life.

Not enough media coverage. They can push this under the perverbial rug!

SHAME ON YOU ARIZONA!

 

[LCoastMom]

Unbelievable! A infant has died. Where is the justice!

Apparently in AZ it costs too much to get justice for a murdered infant!

 

[mikeysmommom]

I never saw this about this poor baby OMG ,All I can say is no way in H3ll should these 2 be allowed to live.The state should have asked for donations to pay for a death penalty trial for these 's.All I can say is when I read about a family member who kills 2 like these 2, I will understand why they did it.We really do not have a Justice System for victims any more.Hanging in town square just cost a few dollars for a rope. I use to not believe in an eye for an eye but I do now.Just when you think you have heard the of most heinous crime something tops it.How the Paternal grandmother has not just went insane with all she is going thru and his brother as well amazes me.If anyone ever did this to my grandson If they didn't get the DP I would kill them myself.Rest Gently in God's arms Baby Matthew.

 

[JeannieC]

I never saw this about this poor baby OMG ,All I can say is no way in H3ll should these 2 be allowed to live.The state should have asked for donations to pay for a death penalty trial for these 's.All I can say is when I read about a family member who kills 2 like these 2, I will understand why they did it.We really do not have a Justice System for victims any more.Hanging in town square just cost a few dollars for a rope. I use to not believe in an eye for an eye but I do now.Just when you think you have heard the of most heinous crime something tops it.How the Paternal grandmother has not just went insane with all she is going thru and his brother as well amazes me.If anyone ever did this to my grandson If they didn't get the DP I would kill them myself.Rest Gently in God's arms Baby Matthew.

I'm finding more and more that criminals get "little time for little people"
It makes me sick!

 

[mikeysmommom]

Some how Laws need to be rewritten that if you can not afford to pay for attorneys you have to except the public defender or be your own darn lawyer!Just another money hungry,fame seeking who is grandstanding for his own agenda! I better sign off or I am gonna get banned,I just can not stand how little our most precious children mean in the eyes of the court. I wish more would try to run from LE so they could be shot on scene.

 

[mikeysmommom]

I'm finding more and more that criminals get "little time for little people"
It makes me sick!

Me too!It is INSANE!

 

[tlcya]

This one just sucks all the way round. The horrific abuse this tiny infant was subjected to, the manipulation of the legal system, the injustice.

This child caught no break in his short life and has gotten no justice on this earth. May he be wrapped in loving, comforting, abiding love now and evermore.

 

[JeannieC]

Some how Laws need to be rewritten that if you can not afford to pay for attorneys you have to except the public defender or be your own darn lawyer!Just another money hungry,fame seeking who is grandstanding for his own agenda! I better sign off or I am gonna get banned,I just can not stand how little our most precious children mean in the eyes of the court. I wish more would try to run from LE so they could be shot on scene.

It seems the death or murder of a child is the new meaning to, "Getting away with murder".

 

[JoeFromLB]

to keep track of the progress of the case against Vandergriff:


http://apps.supremecourt.az.gov/publicaccess/caselookup.aspx

Search under: Mohave County Superior

Case Number:
CR-201000580

 

[charok]

and people say we are crazy for wanting to go back /revert to vigilante justice, hey we are trying by the "system" and it has sooo horribly failed us..first casey anthony. here in ok, a 2 yr foster child girl dies, foster parent? $5000 fine!!!! wth???? "THEIR" system, their rules, their processes, are horribly failing, and worse, failing the tiniest victims unable to defend themselves!!! where is the justice??? im sorry im just venting, and all MOO. i think id better go smoke a cigarette..grrrrr

 

[JeannieC]

If we don't protect the babies, children, and elderly what kind of nation are we. Something has got to be done. I don't think most people realize how many children are abused, tortured, sexually abused, and murdered EVERYDAY!

Newborn infants murdered, abandoned in bathrooms and toilets. We all know the poor mother was distraught. Mental problems, upset, didn't know what she was doing!

It makes me sick! Sorry about for rant.

 

[LCoastMom]

January 6th, 2012 is the sentencing for Staci Barbosa for her role in Matthew's abuse and death. She plead guilty and is only facing 13-20 years in prison. 13 to 20 years! No justice for baby Matthew.

RIP angel baby.

 

[JoeFromLB]

13 to 20 years? In California she'd be out in about 6 years. I don't know about Arizona.

She should have been sentenced to death or LWOP, nothing less.

 

[vlpate]

You're right, it doesn't get much worse. R.I.P. sweet baby.

It actually does. I still have nightmares from a case I read about a year ago. I won't repeat what was done to the little 3 month old baby, but here's the really scary part of the story - the baby was being abused by 3 men and the mother lived in the trailer, the grandmother frequently visited them. These five people were the only ones to even know there was a baby in that trailer house. There were no pictures and no birth certificate. The girl, apparently had the baby at home and these twisted men used her as their own personal toy. If I remember correctly, the grandmother called LE. She was charged for having knowledge. I'll have to look the story up again because I don't know if they were tried, and if so, what sentences they received.

If a has sex with a baby or a child, he deserves nothing less than to die, because he can never be let out on the streets to harm again....human rights has nothing to do with it, he is not in the least bit human. JMO

 

[LCoastMom]

13 to 20 years? In California she'd be out in about 6 years. I don't know about Arizona.

She should have been sentenced to death or LWOP, nothing less.

Original charges:

Count 1: First Degree Murder, Class 1 Felony

Count 2: Child Abuse by Domestic Violence, Class 2 Felony

Count 3: Sexual Assault of a minor under fifteen years of age, Class 2 Felony

Count 4: Sexual Conduct with a minor under fifteen years of age, Class 2 Felony

Under a plea agreement, Barbosa pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with the remaining charges being dropped. Judge Steven Conn will sentence her to a prison term ranging from 13 to 20 years when she is sentenced Jan. 6, 2012.

I haven't looked to see how much time 13 to 20 years will actually amount to in AZ, but it's never going to be enough. Hoping she is handed some good ol' fashion prison justice once she is sentenced. She has been in PC while awaiting trial.

Vandergriff was recently appointed a public defender, so far he's managed to have one postponement after another.

 

[LCoastMom]

Staci Barbosa was supposed to be sentenced today to 13 - 20 years in prison, so far I can't find anything! She's not on Judge Conn's calendar and there are no updates to her court records since October!

Please keep your eyes out for any news articles (I've been checking them all).

 

[cluciano63]

I know how you feel, I feel sick to my stomach just thinking of this sick horrible disgusting man, using this precious baby as he wished! When are children going to be considered priceless?!?

These prosecutors makes me just as sick as Vandergriff!!! JMO

When are they going to be considered even as proper victims? That this should happen to anyone of any age is beyond comprehension, but to an infant, I can't even breathe thinking about it.