Rich’s Cup of Tea

Mom Let Out Of Jail To Attend Son’s Funeral Ends Up At Bar

Woman Charged In Son’s Drunken-Driving Death

ERIE, Pa. — A northwest Pennsylvania woman charged in the drunken-driving death of her son went to a bar after his funeral in Ohio instead of reporting back to prison as required, state police said.

A judge had given Erin Howard, 26, of Corry, permission to leave the Erie County Prison for 24 hours to attend her son’s funeral in Ohio, with orders to return to the lockup by 3 p.m. Saturday. Instead, Howard went to a bar called Tailgaters in Hamilton, Ohio, about a mile from the church where the funeral for 6-year-old Samuel Carpenter was held, police said. Howard had been in prison in lieu of $75,000 bail on charges that she was driving drunk when she crashed into a creek bank near Corry, killing Samuel, on June 14 — her 26th birthday. Trooper Mark Van Horn said in a criminal complaint that he was notified at 8 p.m. Saturday that Howard had not returned to prison. State police in Erie found out Sunday morning that Howard had been arrested in Hamilton after her son’s father tipped Ohio authorities to her whereabouts. She was being held in Ohio awaiting extradition to Erie. Howard has now been charged with escape in addition to involuntary manslaughter, drunken driving, child endangerment and other charges related to the crash. Howard told investigators she was celebrating her birthday and had smoked marijuana and drunk liquor mixed with root beer in the hours before the accident, police said. Her son was sitting in the front seat and not wearing a seat belt. “Who would have thought that someone who was extended the courtesy of attending a dead child’s funeral would not comply with the terms and conditions of the furlough?” Erie County District Attorney Brad Foulk told the Erie Times-News. “It is absolutely beyond my comprehension,” Foulk said. A message left for the owners of Tailgaters by The Associated Press was not immediately returned Monday night. State police in Erie said Van Horn or the barracks’ spokesman would not be available for comment until Tuesday morning.

Rich’s Note: One would think that drinking, smoking pot, and subsequently killing one’s son would sober one up pretty quickly. Evidently not. Here’s hoping she’ll never see the light of day again. I say, upgrade the manslaughter charge to murder… But that’s MY opinion.

Source: NewsNet5.com, June 24, 2008.

Tags: General Stupidity by Rich
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Boy tied to tree as punishment dies, parents charged with murder

A North Carolina couple is charged with murder after police say they tied their son to a tree for two nights to punish him for disobedience.

Authorities say Brice McMillan told a deputy that he forced his 13-year-old son to sleep outside Tuesday while tied to a tree.

The boy was released Wednesday morning, but authorities say he was tied up again that night for bad behavior.

He was left there until Thursday afternoon, when the local sheriff says the boy’s stepmother found him unresponsive.

The teen was pronounced dead at the hospital.

An emergency worker who responded to the scene says he doesn’t know the cause of death.

McMillan and his wife, Sandra, are also charged with child abuse. Two other children in their home have been placed in state’s custody.

Rich’s Note: …and what punishment should the parents get for THEIR disobedience?

Source: WKYC.com, Friday, June 13, 2008

Tags: General Stupidity by Rich
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