Ezra's Death. LE's Reports* & Early Investigation.
I think I can see why the first death (Ezra's 2021 drowning) was not brought to trial, at least not back then.
One GENERAL point point may have been TN's image as law abiding, family loving, good citizen, middle class status, former teacher & principal, a retiree, w no crim record (presumably true). Easy to think "accident," maybe negligence but no "culpable negligence.
Then stmts to LE in the first couple weeks of investigation. These discrepancies & conflicting stmts from TN & husband caught my attention as being potential difficulties for prosecutor to overcome, right from day one.
1. G'pa said, when he left, Tracey was awake.
G'ma said: she was asleep, says, maybe the meds.
2. G'pa said he c/h/bn. gone "up to AN hour."
Later interview G'pa said, "about 2 hours.
3. G'pa said toddler could open (their) house doors.
Same day G'ma said toddler not able.
My Q: did LE interview them separately?
4. G'pa said he put "metal Dachshund doorstop behind the door," to prevent toddler from leaving, that day (& other times?).
G'ma said doorstop was to prevent cat from leaving. Toddler cannot open doors, so not needed for him.
5. G'pa said toddler does not like water, not like baths (w. brother).
G'ma said he loves baths.
6. G'pa said, would take him on "side-by-side" to see ducks & other animals at pond.
7. G'ma said, when she saw toddler was missing, she got in car, drove 343 ft down driveway, turned, drove 817 ft, then returned, thinking toddler could not have walked that far.
Hmm. Toddler was found about 340+ ft from garage door.
8. G'ma said, coming back in driveway, she does not know why, but she looked pond, saw something white. Thought it was not toddler, then knew it was.
My Q: When waking up & not finding toddler in house, w his love of baths, why did she not immed.'ly think of toddler being in pond? Per LE report: "A large pond that is stocked with ducks... within feet of their home." sbm
This series of reports in pdf has NO INTERVIEWS w Mother & Father about toddler Ezra's capabilities (reach) & likes (water? bath? ducks?). Seems odd imo if, a big IF, LE did not speak w them. Why not include info in reports?
Did LEO's responding to initial call that day have BODY WORN VID CAMS?
If so, either I missed it or that vid was not ref'ed in those reports.
Ditto the "FORMAL" stmts by TN & husband at LE STATION. Any aud/vid recordings?
I'm not commenting on the merits of possible crIm case, in earlier years or now. Just saying, seems the def. could have room to wrangle.
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* LE REPORTS here.
One family. Two kids. Their deaths — both while in their grandmother Tracey's care. Hardee County grandmother charged after forgetting infant in a hot car.
www.abcactionnews.com