I think in this case specifically the press reports and LE statements are biased due to Berlean's race and class...
Keep in mind that no one had anything bad to say about Berlean except the press and LE. LE reported that she seemed "distant" and that he didn't care about her, but the judge said she was "devastated." People who take good care of daycare children and do not abuse their own children do not tend to suddenly neglect or murder a child...
And I don't think Berlean would have turned the child over to other relatives and then told the police anything else given the amount of pressure and legal ramifications he was facing... If he had, it would have all been gone if he had confessed to doing it, and the church would have seen it just a few days before...
I guess he did something irresponsible, but normal at the time, like leaving the girl alone in an open car, just not looking at her very closely/absentmindedly forgetting that he brought Leonoria shopping (see all the parents who forgot their sleeping children in the back of their vehicles) or let her play outside unsupervised and something happened... She could have gotten lost or been kidnapped, etc.
If that's the case, is it absolutely wrong for Berlean to lie about it to avoid taking responsibility, but she would explain her changing story, etc.? Be careful, I don't defend her at all.
either way
rest in peace little one
People who are taking good care of daycare children and dont abuse their own children dont tend to suddenly neglect or murder a child. But neither are they up for feeding a three year old strong medicine thats risky to use and usually not prescribed to kids so young. How do you even diagnose a 3 year old with ADHD is beyond my comprehension. May be just the matter of shockingly irresponsible doctor who convinced Lenoria's aunt thats necessarry and absolutely appropriate step to take. May be. But to me its very very far from normal to do such a thing. Especially for someone who has a daycare and few kids of their own. Thats usually not a person whos unable to (lovingly) handle even the wildest kids without looking for ways to sedate and numb the child cause thats what norpramine does.
So excuse me but I dont have much good to think about a person whos going for that even if its "just" ignorance and neglect that somehow in the mind of that person passes as care and right choice.
Lets say thats exactly what happened. Lenoria's aunt was totally convinced that shes doing whats right, doc prescribing these meds convinced her thats totally necessary step. Then what fault in her that feeding a child with risky med that brings an immense risk of unintentional overdose and death ended up with unintentional overdose and death? Would be a tragedy but not neccessarily a reason to hide that from everyone and stage up kidnapping. Unless she (all my opinion) already knew that she shouldnt be doing that and thats bad for Lenoria. Then yeah, I see that she would panic and start lying.
If she did something irresponsible but "normal at the time" like leaving Lenoria alone in open car while shopping, then pretty sure in aunts mind it would be exactly that - normal, terrible decision to made in handsight but not a crime, not shocking neglect - so a reason to call cops and tell exactly what happened: I went to the store, Lenoria was asleep in the car, I was there for only xx minutes and when I came back she wasnt there SEARCH FOR MY CHILD IMMEDIATELY. No ill will, right? No bad intentions, right? So the main concern in that situation would be:
WHO took her?! where she is?! I need her back - not delaying stuff, preventing the search, covering up for the abductor and feeding LE changing stories.
She might be devastated cause her life fell apart and she failed to convincingly cover up for Lenore's death. Thats also a reason to feel devastated, not necessarily cause losing the child. And also (still IMO) fells in line more with feeding her deadly dangerous medicine just to have her more comatosed and easier to care for and not reacting asap if it was kidnapping. Nobody covers up for their kid possibly pedo unknown kidnapper. Nobody. In the history of time, nobody.
To me it looks like Lenoria ended up dead cause of the risk that her aunt knew that exist before and hasnt done (in her mind) enough to protect her cause before and after Lenorias death she was more concerned with protecting something or someone else. So: her own life circumstances or someone'simportant to her quality of life.
Thats interesting tendency that may not be accurate, cause thats just what my impression is and what I've noticed but somehow its always a step child or foster child or adopted child that gets put on shockingly strong meds, not biological ones. Same group thats few times more likely to be abused by their caretakers than biological kids because the level of care and concern is just statistically not the same. Not saying that step kids arent loved and cared for, not that biological are not getting abused.
To me its obvious that no abduction happened here. Would be more likely if Lenoria's aunt appeared as a very carefree, neglectful and irresponsible person. Then maybe such a person would get so scared of herself while realizing that someone abducted the child that their stories would just end up all around the place. Doesnt seem to be the case here.
But also, if all that info available is accurate it neither doesnt seem like aunt could seriously want Lenoria's dead or that her death could be a result of her getting angry and hitting/pushing her harder that she expected it to and accidentally killing her. That also (to me, all to me, my opinion, my impression) doesnt seem to be the case.
To me it sounds like not-so-accidental accident that would be obvious if there was a body.
More like putting Lenoria on these horrific meds cause she was getting on somebodys nerves. Maybe in aunt's mind that was necessary or lesser-evil kind of decision that she had to make to protect Lenoria or/and that other person or/and her relationship with that other person. Then it didnt worked out and either that person more or less accidentally killed Lenoria anyway, or fed her too much of these new magical pills OR did one of these two and kept feeding Lenoria's aunt lies for some time and that was why she couldnt keep her story straight: cause she didnt have the whole story yet, and still hoped that some crazy scenario like "oh, I gave Lenoria to Jimmy's gf for a couple days and she left town with her but will be back" will somehow end up to be true and Lenoria will be returned home against her worst fears.
That scenario fits perfectly to me. Would leave aunt "devastated" and especially with press and cops being unsurprisingly not particularly fond of or trusting towards the aunt. What choice would she have then, especially in that last version of this scenario:
1) struggling with the situation and making some "hard" and not so good for Lenoria's choices that appeared to be the lesser evil or best option,
2) leaving Lenoria under someone's (person close to the aunt) supervision and discovering that Lenoria is missing,
3) being fed a lousy story & trying to figure it out for herself, delaying mp report,
4) feeling that there is no other choice but to report Lenoria as missing fast, without a good idea how to do it and what to say to not say the truth but say something,
5) being caught lying & unable to figure out what happened still,
6) realizing that Lenoria is most likely dead but also having enough time to think about it
what choice would she have then but to stop talking at all? Coming forward? And likely endind up as the only one who was not only caught lying but also later admitted to lying even more to cover for someone who says that they know nothing about this? Having the public against her saying anything more or trying to explain what really happened would only make things worse, not better and wouldnt help Lenoria, as it was already too late for that.
