Found Deceased SC - Harlee Lane Lewis, 11 months, Chesterfield County, 29 May 2018 *arrest*

[Amonet]

This case is getting weirder and weirder by the minute. So was she a good mom or did she neglect and starve Harlee? They're contradicting themselves constantly

"House is full of baby stuff."

"Baby may not have been fed properly."

I just...what?

There was no visible trauma. Maybe she accidentally ingested something poisonous or mom was on hard drugs and left them out in the open for the baby to discover

The baby in the Turpin family looked 'thin' for a baby. There have been other cases where year-old babies looked thinner in the face, arms, and legs than I would normally expect. I expect a baby to look chubby, and Harlee looked chubby like a pre-walking baby, not like a child that was being starved.

 

[Waterdog]

This one? https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.te...death-after-trying-to-escape-tinder-date/amp/

Why you super sleuther. Yes!! Thank you!

 

[Kankan]

Not defending her actions even a little bit. But I don’t think we should discount how hard being a single mother, or any kind of mother/caregiver for that matter can be. It is undoubtedly stressful at times. If she was already struggling, which is sounds like she definitely was, the added stress of a small child did not help. I consider myself to be a top notch parent and I even struggle with patients and sanity some days. Lol

 

[appleeye]

Not defending her actions even a little bit. But I don’t think we should discount how hard being a single mother, or any kind of mother/caregiver for that matter can be. It is undoubtedly stressful at times. If she was already struggling, which is sounds like she definitely was, the added stress of a small child did not help. I consider myself to be a top notch parent and I even struggle with patients and sanity some days. Lol

I fully 100 percent agree. It is NOT easy. I could not do what she did, ever... but it is not a piece of cake. Babies are not just about giggles and happy times.

 

[beatrixpotter]

Not defending her actions even a little bit. But I don’t think we should discount how hard being a single mother, or any kind of mother/caregiver for that matter can be. It is undoubtedly stressful at times. If she was already struggling, which is sounds like she definitely was, the added stress of a small child did not help. I consider myself to be a top notch parent and I even struggle with patients and sanity some days. Lol

Thank you. I was thinking about this thread while out and about today. There is no excuse to abuse or kill a child. But we don't have to deny the reality of how hard and challenging taking care of small children almost non stop can be. Even super super easy children aren't a piece of cake. Parenting small children is both a lovely, rewarding, exhausting and challenging experience.

 

[MistyAlina]

I was in an accident, last year. I had Post Concussive Syndrome. My daughter, at the time, was just over a year old. And a spitfire! I had to have family travel from out of state to help me for a few days. I, am still, struggling with short memory issues, spelling, finding words, and noise overstimulation. My accident was nine months ago. We can only speculate. It sounds as though she had the odds stacked against her, for whatever reasons. Poor Little Harlee is the one that suffered the consequences. No matter what happened, I hope the baby isn’t lost in the story. Injuries or not, she was the one responsible for caring for this precious little one. Ultimately, her being lost too soon should be the focus. If she wasn’t able to care for her, she could’ve sought help. I try not to judge too harshly; however a baby is gone. I hope (it’s all we have) that answers are found and that this little one can rest finally. I know I won’t forget her anytime soon. <3

Thank you. I was thinking about this thread while out and about today. There is no excuse to abuse or kill a child. But we don't have to deny the reality of how hard and challenging taking care of small children almost non stop can be. Even super super easy children aren't a piece of cake. Parenting small children is both a lovely, rewarding, exhausting and challenging experience.

 

[Blef]

I have TBI from a domestic violence incident that causes me to have (very rare) seizures where I just black out. Last November I blacked out in our kitchen and went down and cracked my head big style on the tiled kitchen floor. When I came round I asked my where daughter was. She’s at university in the UK! I completely thought she was in Canada with me, even though she’s never lived in Canada with me.

For weeks afterwards I had post-concussion, headaches, irritability, crying. I can see how hard it could be to have post-concussion, plus maybe add in post partum, PTSD from seeing the Harlee’s daddy’s suicide and the stress of a custody battle and boom! Tinder box waiting for a spark.

 

[pinamia]

I have TBI from a domestic violence incident that causes me to have (very rare) seizures where I just black out. Last November I blacked out in our kitchen and went down and cracked my head big style on the tiled kitchen floor. When I came round I asked my where daughter was. She’s at university in the UK! I completely thought she was in Canada with me, even though she’s never lived in Canada with me.

For weeks afterwards I had post-concussion, headaches, irritability, crying. I can see how hard it could be to have post-concussion, plus maybe add in post partum, PTSD from seeing the Harlee’s daddy’s suicide and the stress of a custody battle and boom! Tinder box waiting for a spark.

I agree 100%. She's only 19. These days 19 year olds are so immature in general. To have so much on her plate perhaps accident resulting in brain injury was the final straw that broke her. I was thinking child could have been injuried as well in accident if she was in car.

 

[Gardener1850]

Do we know the cause of death yet?

 

[Jasper52]

Do we know the cause of death yet?

The autopsy on the baby was completed Wednesday but preliminary results are not being released yet. Full toxicology and blood tests could take several more days.

 

[MsMarple]

'How do you put a child in a trash bag and throw her away?' Sheriff talks about baby's death

Brooks said one of the deputies took a photo of the box, then came and showed it to Lewis. That's when she admitted the story about the abduction was a lie.

Brooks said Lewis could "remember the elaborate story" about the abduction, but couldn't remember disposing of Harlee's body or what happened to her except one thing - Breanna told investigators that Harlee had "pushed her to the brink."

However, Brooks said, there is a "real possibility" that Harlee died of natural causes. He said there was nothing "readily visible" on the child that could indicate a cause of death.

I'm having a hard time with this. Yes, I get that the mom is young and I certainly get how difficult it can be taking care of a little one, especially without much support from others. Her own mother seems involved in her life though I haven't seen whether or not she lives nearby.

Breanna's baby is deceased yet she talks about how difficult she was to care for, even saying Harlee "pushed her to the brink." That's a big red flag for me. Regardless of age or circumstances IMO her reactions are not normal, frazzled mother reactions and she seems to use blacking out and not remembering what she did as a way to say she's not responsible yet she offers the possibility that Harlee died of natural causes. How would she even know?

I'm suspicious that she could have suffocated Harlee. I hope she is given a mental evaluation, then perhaps the pieces will better fit together. She had the option of giving Harlee to others if she couldn't handle caring for her and I question why she didn't choose that option.
MOO.

 

[Jennifer17]

I have a guess on the food thing. I'm wondering if the house didn't have official boxed up packaged "baby food" so someone suggested she wasn't being fed properly? I have not used baby food with my last few children personally. I mash up real food at meals and they start with soft easier foods. No cereals and jarred fruits. When I read about the house not having baby food or appropriate food I immediately thought, "Hmm wonder what my pantry would have looked like to someone?"

FTR this is a very common method of weaning and feeding baby. I find it easier and preferable personally. That said mom seems really unstable and it's hard to imagine she's actually carefully thinking through weaning and feeding baby solids.

Also the car accident and thinking she had the baby in the car? She must have been hit in the head pretty darn hard. Very disoriented and out of it. I wonder if she sustained more head trauma than she was aware of. I can't imagine enough to cause someone to kill their child, dispose of the body and fabricate a kidnapping. BUT I wonder if a car accident and head injury were enough to push an already very unstable woman over the edge?

Yes, that is how we all did it years ago, but you would have had milk of some kind, fruit and vegetables, not junk food.

 

[Gardener1850]

'How do you put a child in a trash bag and throw her away?' Sheriff talks about baby's death

I'm having a hard time with this. Yes, I get that the mom is young and I certainly get how difficult it can be taking care of a little one, especially without much support from others. Her own mother seems involved in her life though I haven't seen whether or not she lives nearby.

Breanna's baby is deceased yet she talks about how difficult she was to care for, even saying Harlee "pushed her to the brink." That's a big red flag for me. Regardless of age or circumstances IMO her reactions are not normal, frazzled mother reactions and she seems to use blacking out and not remembering what she did as a way to say she's not responsible yet she offers the possibility that Harlee died of natural causes. How would she even know?

I'm suspicious that she could have suffocated Harlee. I hope she is given a mental evaluation, then perhaps the pieces will better fit together. She had the option of giving Harlee to others if she couldn't handle caring for her and I question why she didn't choose that option.
MOO.

I agree that it is a red flag--I thought the same thing. Just a small correction-- it was the sheriff who said natural causes was still a real possibility, not Breanna. So at least we know this baby was not beaten to death (or stabbed, shot, etc) as there were no "readily visible" injuries. Small consolation that it is.
19 year old mom saying she was "pushed to the brink" and no obvious injuries makes me think Harlee may have been smothered with a pillow or shaken because she wouldn't stop crying. But I'm trying really hard to wait for COD before saying more about "mom" (Poor baby didn't deserve to be tossed in a trash bag and a diaper box, regardless).

 

[MsMarple]

I agree that it is a red flag--I thought the same thing. Just a small correction-- it was the sheriff who said natural causes was still a real possibility, not Breanna. So at least we know this baby was not beaten to death (or stabbed, shot, etc) as there were no "readily visible" injuries. Small consolation that it is.
19 year old mom saying she was "pushed to the brink" and no obvious injuries makes me think Harlee may have been smothered with a pillow or shaken because she wouldn't stop crying. But I'm trying really hard to wait for COD before saying more about "mom" (Poor baby didn't deserve to be tossed in a trash bag and a diaper box, regardless).

Yes, you're absolutely right - it was the sheriff and not Harlee's mother who suggested that the baby may have died from natural causes. Duh, my bad. Thank you for the correction!

I'm still suspicious that Harlee was suffocated but why the sheriff would suggest that is beyond me. Maybe trying to gain her trust in hopes that she'll tell what happened?

 

[beatrixpotter]

'How do you put a child in a trash bag and throw her away?' Sheriff talks about baby's death

I'm having a hard time with this. Yes, I get that the mom is young and I certainly get how difficult it can be taking care of a little one, especially without much support from others. Her own mother seems involved in her life though I haven't seen whether or not she lives nearby.

Breanna's baby is deceased yet she talks about how difficult she was to care for, even saying Harlee "pushed her to the brink." That's a big red flag for me. Regardless of age or circumstances IMO her reactions are not normal, frazzled mother reactions and she seems to use blacking out and not remembering what she did as a way to say she's not responsible yet she offers the possibility that Harlee died of natural causes. How would she even know?

I'm suspicious that she could have suffocated Harlee. I hope she is given a mental evaluation, then perhaps the pieces will better fit together. She had the option of giving Harlee to others if she couldn't handle caring for her and I question why she didn't choose that option.
MOO.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not defending the mom. I don't think she's a normal frazzled mother. I think the comments by her ex girlfriend that she was "evil" and that she knew right away her claims were lies is very telling. It sounds like she has a history of very unstable behavior with a lot of people.

I was bothered more by the general remarks made in this thread about how ludicrous it was to act like a baby that age was hard to take care of at all. I don't think we should downplay reality to make someone else's lies look more like lies. I think it's very likely she's both a horrible person who killed her baby AND a baby that age can be very exhausting to care for and even more so with little support. But I think it should obvious no one saying that is defending or justifying killing a child either.

 

[Waterdog]

Thank you, beatrixpotter. No one is justifying or defending anything or anyone. I know for me, I just described realities as I know them. Realities that could relate to her state of mind and abilities, not defend her actions...whatever they might be. FWIW, I've seen whackadoodle behavior after accidents when people don't want to face any consequences whatsoever. Because LE thinks it could be natural causes (I think she was either smothered, shaken, or starved, tho,) I'm waiting on COD before commenting further because jumping to conclusions rooted in emotions does no one any favors.

 

[AC's Grandma]

I think if the sheriff said it could be natural causes, it's not an obvious type of injury that killed baby Harlee, it could be drugs though and they need the tox reports to know that. Could be she gave her something to quiet her down and make her sleep and gave her too much.
I certainly have no interest in defending this mother.

 

[Insomnia Momma]

I just don’t buy her “blackout” story at all. BL knows exactly what happened, she’s just not telling. I agree with smothering also, I just don’t know, after what the sheriff said about her playpen/crib being full of suffocation hazards, if they could prove that suffocation was intentional.

 

[nyvictoria]

I just don’t buy her “blackout” story at all. BL knows exactly what happened, she’s just not telling. I agree with smothering also, I just don’t know, after what the sheriff said about her playpen/crib being full of suffocation hazards, if they could prove that suffocation was intentional.

JMO

I agree she knows exactly what happened. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought. I’m on the fence as to what I feel about the situation if indeed the baby was murdered. I remember when my children were that age I thought it was probably the easiest age to handle. They’re usually over the colic and other issues and are busy exploring the world around them. I thought from 8 months to about 18 months was the easiest time. BUT I had a lot of help if and when I needed it. My hubs was willing, able and usually eager to help out day or night. AND I was 15 yrs older than this mom. I don’t know how I would have managed without help. I also took great care to NOT get pregnant when I wasn’t ready to be but that’s a whole other issue.

I absolutely am not giving her a pass on the manner in which she dealt with her dead baby IF Harley was deceased when thrown away like trash. I have a feeling, as some other posters have indicated, that Harlee may have been smothered or shaken. I just can’t pin down how I feel about this situation other than great sadness that yet another child may have been needlessly lost.

 

[MsMarple]

Don't get me wrong. I'm not defending the mom. I don't think she's a normal frazzled mother. I think the comments by her ex girlfriend that she was "evil" and that she knew right away her claims were lies is very telling. It sounds like she has a history of very unstable behavior with a lot of people.

I was bothered more by the general remarks made in this thread about how ludicrous it was to act like a baby that age was hard to take care of at all. I don't think we should downplay reality to make someone else's lies look more like lies. I think it's very likely she's both a horrible person who killed her baby AND a baby that age can be very exhausting to care for and even more so with little support. But I think it should obvious no one saying that is defending or justifying killing a child either.

I hear you and I agree that taking care of a child of any age can be exhausting. I can only speak for myself but still, I think others here may have meant what I personally felt, that it's odd to hear a mother talk about what a handful her dead child was and how she "pushed her to the brink," given that the child was found 1000 feet away hidden in a diaper box. It doesn't compute to many of us.

It's a little difficult trying to explain but IMO there's a difference between normal mom complaints and disparaging your child who was found wrapped in a trash bag, stuffed into a box and thrown out like yesterday's garbage. I think others, like me, were reacting to that more than anything else. I think we're all aware that caring for a baby isn't easy.

And as an aside, I think the sheriff's remarks about an accidental death should be taken with a grain of salt since we don't know how privvy he is to the autopsy findings. For all we know Harlee had internal bleeding or something that isn't immediately obvous.

For now I don't trust the mother and frankly the manner in which she disposed of little Harlee leaves me with very little sympathy for her regardless of the circumstances. IMO a loving mother, even young or scared would not dump her beloved child in that way in order to hide her death. MOO.