GUILTY MI - Carnel Chamberlain, 4, Mount Pleasant, 21 June 2012 #1

[vasportsmom]

I'm just sick and heartbroken reading this tonight. This beautiful little boy deserved so much better. I once posted in support of the mom but I can't bring myself to do it now. I was once a single mother to a 3 year old son. If my now husband had ever left bruises on him it would have been over with then and there. Carnel reach out for help as best he could and he was left to suffer unimaginable pain at the hands of the monster his own mother refused to protect him from. I have no doubt that she is suffering greatly tonight but she left her precious child to suffer and pay with his life. There is just no excuse for that and now knowing that there were warning signs and she had the opportunity to save him I can't help but put some of the blame squarely on her. How many more senseless, needless deaths must we read about before mothers start listening to their children and reading the writing on the wall instead of putting their own urges first?

 

[cluciano63]

I was born and raised about an hour from Mount Pleasant, Michigan. High, humid summer temperatures in Michigan do not create a "burning smell". But, perhaps you are referring to something else?

I meant as the body heated up...sorry I know it is an awful thought...

 

[cluciano63]

While I respect your opinion, I have to disagree to an extent. Yes, no parent should sacrifice their child's needs and safety to date, but I really don't see anything wrong with a single parent dating when precautions are put in place and the child's needs are met. I believe that a single parent can date and meet the needs of his/her child(ren) without putting the child(ren) at risk. These types of cases are not just isolated to significant others/step-parents, this can and does occur with bio parents as well.

But I think we all wish Mom had removed the BF once Carnel told her that he was mean and she saw the bruises on him and the BF admitted he "punished" him...

 

[vasportsmom]

But I think we all wish Mom had removed the BF once Carnel told her that he was mean and she saw the bruises on him and the BF admitted he "punished" him...

I'll never understand why she continued to have this man in her life and home after all that. All the signs were there but she continued to leave this monster alone with her precious baby. I'm sure she would do it all differently now but my God she had the chance to save him then and it's too d@mn late to be sorry now.

 

[Stash777]

But I think we all wish Mom had removed the BF once Carnel told her that he was mean and she saw the bruises on him and the BF admitted he "punished" him...

I wholeheartedly agree! I said as much in an earlier post, but I don't think that should mean that single moms should not date. Even a "minor" feeling that something might not be right should give pause to a single parent.

 

[Cubby]

Here is the last guy who killed his sister on the same reservation. He got 25 years.

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/i..._pleasant_man_sentenced_t.html?mobRedir=false

And according to the msm article linked, the guy took a plea. Plead down to 2nd degree murder.

Something tells me it's not very likely AB is going to try and plea on this one. And with the body found, there doesn't seem to be a reason for the prosecutor to offer AB a plea.

 

[AndiLA]

I have trouble believing the abuse started only one week ago and escalates to murder? I think, maybe, it's been going on far longer and JC knew.

 

[AndiLA]

Wouldn't there have been evidence of a fire in the backyard? I'm having difficulty even getting into a possible scenario like this.

It makes me sick to even think this, but I know people burn things in metal bins if they don't want to build a bonfire. So, maybe it was done in a bin and the bin was disposed of or moved?

 

[Soulmagent]

I wholeheartedly agree! I said as much in an earlier post, but I don't think that should mean that single moms should not date. Even a "minor" feeling that something might not be right should give pause to a single parent.

It is a shame that as parents and people ,we are not all equal.Some parents will never be able to fully protect there children no matter what . Peoples mental capabilties and reasoning skills vary from eachother. Some parents are not able to see what isnt right and not just because they blindly ignore it but because they lack the mental capabilties to detect certain signs.

I am not making excuses for this mother either I do not know her or her mental capabities, but I have met mothers who had very low IQ's and just didnt get or understand certain issues.

 

[Cubby]

Actually it depends on the tribe and if there governing body has opted in.

http://www.deepdyve.com/lp/universi...e-federal-death-penalty-and-indian-1ScOLl8GiJ

Tried to copy and past from the site, but can't.

According to the link above, only 1 tribal community in Oklahoma has opted in.. At least at the time the above link was written.

Unless the tribe Carnel belongs to has since opted in, it doesn't appear this will be a DP case at the federal level.

Very good link, I highly recommend reading it..

 

[Cubby]

I have trouble believing the abuse started only one week ago and escalates to murder? I think, maybe, it's been going on far longer and JC knew.

Using this post as a springboard.

We do not yet have a COD, so we don't know if it was murder or accidental. an accident AB attempted to cover up.

I'm on the fence with regards to the discussion surrounding abuse. Carnel and his mom were not isolated from their family or community. AFAIK Carnel lived with his mom, AB and mom's sister. Family lived next door. If they believed C was in danger why did no one, not one soul, report it?

I don't know what the bruises on Carnel's bum looked like. That said, and this is not an excuse... it is simply another train of thought. Children tend call a person who tries to discipline them, mean. According to my son I am very mean when I discipline him. His saying I am mean, does not mean I am abusing him.

 

[Knox]

I thought felony crimes always fell under federal court jurisdiction. I knew BIA or Tribal Police could investigate, but thought prosecution was always a fed matter?

Criminal jurisdiction in Indian Country is a complicated web of tribal, state, and federal rules. The sovereign status of many tribes precludes most states from exercising jurisdiction. Instead, that authority resides with the tribes, but only for non-felony offenses. It is the FBI’s responsibility to investigate major crimes such as murder, and tribal authorities rely on the muscle of the federal judicial system to prosecute those crimes to the fullest.

“By law these major crimes are federally prosecuted, and the FBI is the vehicle for getting them to federal court,” said Special Agent Mike Harrigan, who supervises a squad of Indian Country investigators. “But the successful investigation of such crimes isn’t just a Bureau role,” he added, “it is a tribal and Bureau partnership.”


http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/june/journey-through-indian-country-part-3

ETA- Never mind, I think I misunderstood the previous posts, I see you are talking about the DP.

 

[AndiLA]

Using this post as a springboard.

We do not yet have a COD, so we don't know if it was murder or accidental. an accident AB attempted to cover up.

I'm on the fence with regards to the discussion surrounding abuse. Carnel and his mom were not isolated from their family or community. AFAIK Carnel lived with his mom, AB and mom's sister. Family lived next door. If they believed C was in danger why did no one, not one soul, report it?

I don't know what the bruises on Carnel's bum looked like. That said, and this is not an excuse... it is simply another train of thought. Children tend call a person who tries to discipline them, mean. According to my son I am very mean when I discipline him. His saying I am mean, does not mean I am abusing him.

Very true, we don't know all of the details and I probably jumped the gun. It's easy to let emotions take over with a case like this.

And, very good point about a child's definition of mean. I was the "meanest mommy ever" when I sat on my 3-year-olds imaginary friend and made him cry.

 

[HeinekenMan]

My God. I feel like I'm going to vomit. Lots of stuff running through my head. RIP to a sweet little boy. I can't say what I'd like to do to the person who did this.

 

[butterfly1978]

so sad. RIP little one

 

[RT51]

I have been following this thread since day 1, but did not post as I am not familiar with tribal rules, etc. Now I have no words, except Rest in Peace little guy. I am so sad to hear the outcome. I can only hope your short life is remembered, and justice is followed.

 

[otto]

So he went from standing beside the pool to being badly burned and buried under the porch. Is there any question about who did it? Has the boyfriend been arrested yet?

He certainly wanted it to appear like an abduction, but something very different happened. How did the body become badly burned? Who else was at the home at the time?

 

[tiredblondy]

This is so sad and has become all to familiar here at Websleuths. At four years old this child could tell more and knew what was going on. I won't believe he didn't tell more than reported.

 

[BizzyC]

RIP Carnel. This never should have happened. One question...is this in custody yet?

Sorry if already been posted...yes he has been arrested

 

[otto]

This is so sad and has become all to familiar here at Websleuths. At four years old this child could tell more and knew what was going on. I won't believe he didn't tell more than reported.

Are you saying that this child was abused at home by the boyfriend for quite some time? Was the mother involved? If it has been going on for any length of time, the mother had two choices: report it or be complicit. Abuse, that ends with "badly burned" body of a four year old buried under the porch, didn't start yesterday or on June 21.