GUILTY UT - Christina Harms, 22, disabled, found dead in closet, Kearns, 25 March 2011

[SuziQ]

And where did the neighbor hear LE talking about Harms?

 

[JoeFromLB]

And where did the neighbor hear LE talking about Harms?

I assume that she called the police that day. The story doesn't mention it, however.

 

[SuziQ]

It's tragic what the children in house witnessed. And then mom puts them in the position of lying for her and covering up the crime.

Child interviews played in hearing for Kearns woman's abusive death
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=17575162

 

[annmarie62]

God bless that spunky 5-year-old for telling the truth! These people deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law, may they rot in prison, all three of them!

 

[SuziQ]

Man on trial in disabled woman's death didn't know of abuse, attorney says

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=960&sid=181...omans-death-didnt-know-of-abuse-attorney-says

 

[Nefriahaia]

So what did LE do? Was adult protective services contacted?

Lately that agency seems pretty useless...they sure didn't help the late Laura Cummings of North Collins, NY.

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article36366.ece

 

[DianaElaine]

"Taped to the wall (in the closet) was a picture of Christ," deputy district attorney Alicia Cook said during her opening remarks".

Guess where Christina is going ... and her caregivers are NOT!

 

[SuziQ]

Jury finds defendant guilty of lesser charge in abuse of disabled woman

http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-j...isabled-womans-abuse-20111117,0,5598220.story

 

[Trident]

Jury finds defendant guilty of lesser charge in abuse of disabled woman

http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-j...isabled-womans-abuse-20111117,0,5598220.story

I have so many things I want to say about this, but I haven't been TO'd lately, so I shan't. I will say this though: THERE IS NO LOVE, NO CARING, AND PRECIOUS LITTLE JUSTICE ANY MORE.

 

[Cazzie]

Skipping the obvious comments that might get someone a timeout...

5 questions: how did this unusual person Cassandra Shepard get guardian status of poor Christina (I took that to mean legal guardian)? who is the father of Christina's child and all the other questions that brings up? who is taking care of the 3 children now? were drug abuse/manufacture/sales involved and if so, what drug? how/why do these horrific things happen?

So many more questions...

Rest In Peace, Christina. :rose:

Blessings to your child, the other children that lived with you, your family and friends.
:heartbeat:

 

[SuziQ]

Man sentenced to prison for abuse and death of vulnerable woman
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=960&sid=192...e-and-death-of-vulnerable-woman&s_cid=queue-7

 

[SuziQ]

Trial under way for Kearns woman accused in fatal abuse

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54912302-78/harms-beckering-abuse-closet.html.csp

 

[writer7]

What a horrible, horrible story I hadn't read about it.

Has there been any more news about what ever came of the neighbors' tips and the police coming to check out her story of running away? Or did they just take her back there? OMG.

Justice should come to more than just the evil legal guardian and her family, imho. There couldn't have been much of an investigation, and all neighbors can do is alert the authorities! It sounds like a preventable death

 

[josie1986]

Really wish I hadn't of read this.this is one of the most disturbing and unthinkable things I have read in my year on WS.

Ultimately these people will meet with their maker and we all know where they are going!

God bless u Christina .

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[MsFacetious]

Noting that even a 5-year-old knew what was going on in the house, a judge on Friday sentenced Sherrie Beckering to the maximum term of five years to life in prison for the death of a disabled woman living in her home.

Sherrie Beckering, 51, was found guilty in September of aggravated abuse of a disabled adult, a first-degree felony, in the 2011 death of Christina "Nina" Harms.

The courtroom, however, was largely empty.
None of Harms' friends or relatives were present, though several submitted letters to the court.

---------------------

Dale Beckering, Sherrie's former husband, was sentenced in February to one to 15 years in prison after he was convicted of a reduced charge of aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult, a second-degree felony. He, too, claimed he had no idea of the abuse taking place.

Shepard is charged with murder, a first-degree felony, aggravated abuse of a disabled adult, a first-degree felony, and obstructing justice, a second-degree felony. Her seven-day trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 25.

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=23620823&ni...e-in-death-of-disabled-adult&s_cid=featured-1

 

[OneLostGrl]

Breaks my heart that nobody was there for her

 

[Peazzzer]

Nobody.....

 

[SuziQ]

I feel so awful that no one was there for Christina. I have a feeling no one was EVER there for her, and that is how she ended up with these evil people to begin with.

ETA: I want to give a shout out to the Prosecutors though. They have been there for Christina. They didn't let this one slide under the rug. No plea bargains, no concessions, no mitigating circumstances, etc. They didn't buy the defendants BS and told the court exactly that. And kudos to the judge for listening to what the Prosecution was saying.

 

[MsFacetious]

A Kearns woman charged with murdering a disabled woman she was caring for has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

Cassandra Marie Shepard, 29, pleaded guilty to aggravated abuse of a disabled adult, a first-degree felony, and manslaughter, a second-degree felony, in the death of Christina "Nina" Harms, 22.

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=24202175&ni...-of-disabled-woman&fm=home_page&s_cid=queue-6

 

[OkieGranny]

From March 2013:

http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php...373-78/harms-shepard-beckering-abuse.html.csp

Shepard, 29, was sentenced to spend between five years and the rest of her life in prison on charges of first-degree felony aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult and second-degree felony manslaughter...

But for Marilee Nelson and Tonya Willprecht, family friends of Harms from Minnesota, the sentence was not enough... Each said they had offered to care for Harms before Shepard moved from Aberdeen, S.D., to Utah in 2010, but Shepard refused...

After Shepard and Harms moved to Utah in May 2010, the women lost all contact.