TN - Jonathan Goodrum & Kristina Sawyer for rape of newborn, McKenzie, 2006

[Annie]

I just don't think they would do this to a one day old baby that was still in the hospital. I think maybe this baby had a birth injury some way and they are trying to pin it on the parents. This just doesn't make sense. If she had been a little older and out of the hospital I might have believed it, but this just doesn't ring true to me.

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

I can believe it even at one day old. There are some sick, evil "people" out there. But why would they do this in the hospital? Unless there was some added perverse sexual pleasure from violating a child as young as possible, why wouldn't they have just waited to get to the privacy of their own "home" to do something like that? Why risk getting caught?

 

[Txmom]

At our hospital, anyone with "patient care" is not allowed to wear fake nails. The nails can and will collect germs and bacteria. Nails are not to extend past the finger tip, and believe me when I say that we have a "police patrol".

Also, to get into our maternity area, you must scan your hospital id tag, or you must check in with the front desk, and be "buzzed" into the maternity area. NO ONE can leave the maternity area unless a staff member sees you leave, and what you are carrying and buzzes you out again. No one is allowed to bring in big bags. This extra security is to keep babies with their mothers.

When I have been in the matenity area, babies are kept with mothers and also in the nursery. When mothers go for any testing, babies are taken to the nursery. I know that babies are checked by maternity staff every day, and I do know that most of the maternity staff have been there a number of years. Several were there when my children were born and they are 18 and 20 now.

When our hospital built the new maternity wing several years ago, they tried to make sure that all the babies would be safer than what was available years ago.

 

[tweedledee]

I know this isn't a joking matter, but the first thing that came to mind is the MONSTER who did this probably has a dick the size of a peanut and that's one of his major problems. :doh: :doh: :doh:

I thought the same thing. He would have to have a whacker the size of a pencil. Being a nurse, I can not see how penetration with an adult male anatomy is possible. Think about it, there would be MAJOR damage not just skin tears. I tend to agree with the thinking that this was done by taking a rectal temp or something.

 

[Tristan]

I agree....there would be horrific damage to a one day old infant if there was
an actual rape.

Something sounds very fishy with this case.

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

I agree....there would be horrific damage to a one day old infant if there was
an actual rape.

Something sounds very fishy with this case.

If this young couple did not deliberately harm that child, I hope that they have the ability to find themselves a good lawyer. Maybe someone could set them up with free counsel. They're so young and seem so financially broke. I wonder what their story is - why they're living in the motel; if they have any family in the area, etc.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

If this young couple did not deliberately harm that child, I hope that they have the ability to find themselves a good lawyer. Maybe someone could set them up with free counsel. They're so young and seem so financially broke. I wonder what their story is - why they're living in the motel; if they have any family in the area, etc.

They can get a public defender. Some of the best criminal defense attorneys started out there. They don't all suck!!

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

They can get a public defender. Some of the best criminal defense attorneys started out there. They don't all suck!!

True but I'd be a little nervous about that because you never really know what you're gonna' get. Although from what I've seen, there are more good, dedicated PD's than those that aren't.

 

[Paladin]

I can't determine from the article whether the penetration was um...anal, or vaginal. From what the article says it sounds like anal. If that is the case, and if indeed SOMEONE did something as sick as this, isn't it technically sodomy and not rape?

From what I understand rape is defined as vaginal penetration, while sodomy is anal penetration.

Sorry for the explicit words.

 

[Marie]

Another article

This one answers a lot of questions and includes photo's of the parents. The damage done to the baby was more than a 'mistake' or temperature taking gone wrong could cause. Still very baffling.

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

The accused are 18 year-old Kristina Louise Sawyer and her boyfriend, 19 year-old Jonathan Wayne Goodrum. (Just putting their names here so that I'll remember them for future web searches.)

 

[Marine Mom]

Another article

This one answers a lot of questions and includes photo's of the parents. The damage done to the baby was more than a 'mistake' or temperature taking gone wrong could cause. Still very baffling.

They're living in a motel, yet the arrest photo has the guy wearing a suit and tie. :waitasec: Did he dress up for the arrest?

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

Another article

Thanks for the great article, Marie. Some details from it:

... The court has set June 6 as the date to hear any motions in the case, a court clerk said.

(The child suffered) ... "minute tears" around that area with a larger tear extending to the front private area, arrest warrants said.

... Goodrum is being held on a $100,000 bond. Sawyer's bond was reduced to $5,000 following her arraignment because police are still looking into what role, if any, she had in the incident.

Huntingdon attorney Steve West was appointed to represent Sawyer. Goodrum is being represented by the 24th Judicial District's Public Defender's Office.

... Asked what Sawyer did for a living, (her sister) Ward said she was a student in an adult education program.

Police have said Sawyer and Goodrum were living at the Value Inn Motel and were engaged to be married.

(The maternal grandmother), Lorraine Brandl of McKenzie, said she was too hurt by the incident to comment Monday. A sign on her apartment door stated in part: "Do not disturb. My daughter is not a rapist..."

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

They're living in a motel, yet the arrest photo has the guy wearing a suit and tie. :waitasec: Did he dress up for the arrest?

I was wondering about that too. Maybe they took the photos when the defendants appeared for a preliminary hearing?

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I hope to God that these are not false charges against these two. Seems like a very confusing case.

 

[Floh]

So it would seem 18-year-old Kristina Louise Sawyer has two children?

"She's healthy," Donna Ward said of the child in a telephone interview on Monday. Ward said she is keeping the baby girl and her sister's 1-year-old daughter.

http://tinyurl.com/phvsy

i trust the older daughter has been checked?

 

[dale46]

Hi All,
In some cases I could see this to be true but I just don't think the parents are guilty of this.
For one the baby was just born and I can't see them doing something like this to their own child right in the hospital where a nurse could come in any time.
I think it was a worker myself.
Most kids that are molested is done by the step dad and I just have a gut feeling it was a worker.

 

[GlitchWizard]

It's not working for me that it's the parents either. I remember just after having my daughter - sexual ANYTHING was the last thing on my mind. Everyone in the family is just too tired, busy making phone calls - too much on their minds to be thinking anything like that.

Hospital staff, however, to them - baby birthing is routine and there is so much access to the babies...

 

[fran]

Thanks for the article Marie:

I still don't believe the story about the couple. I'm wondering if the hospital isn't protecting their own. After all, if it was a hospital employee, they're looking at a huge scandal and lawsuit.

JMHO
fran

 

[Amraann]

An object inserted in the child's rear private area caused "minute tears" around that area with a larger tear extending to the front private area, arrest warrants said. McKenzie Police Lt. Tim Nanney has said the incident happened before the child was taken home from McKenzie Regional Hospital



I still contend that is not injury indicitive of sexual assault.


Fran, My point exactly..