NoVA: Would you leave your two year old in the backseat? (home, live)

[cdmurphy]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

If you are referring to the case where the family had 13 kids, I can ALMOST understand it. He had 13 kids, they all went out in one of those big commuter vans. As large families often do, the father was relying on one of the other kids to get the younger child out of the car. The other kids, thought the dad was going to do it. Everyone thought the other one had the baby. I can see how that happens in a household with 13 kids.

I'm having a hard time coming to terms with this one.

Also, in the other case, the mom was in Ireland visiting family, and so the dad was really dealing with unfamiliar routines. He was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment, and was sentenced to seven years' probation and one day in jail each year, and has to conduct a blood drive in his daughter's name every year on the anniversary of her death.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by meatkins

Friends gather at courthouse to support Karen Murphy



A lot of people are defending this woman.


What do you all think?

I think a lot of people are defending this woman because this is a mistake a lot more people than would want to admit it could possibly make. How many times have you left something in a place and not remember it until you needed it? This mistake is something everyone could make whether they want to admit it or not.

However I think a punishment is in order. It was a mistake but one that resulted in a loss of a life. I don't think murder fits the crime but I see it as more involuntary manslaughter.

I also think if a man did this people would be screaming bloody murder for him to get the chair. People always to take it easy on a woman because they see them as defenseless creatures. The at-large public needs to give women what they want; women to be treated as equally as men.

[dkf747]

Just want to correct one myth. Deaf and/or mute kids do know how to make noise.

IMO, she should be punished. How much? I don't know. When I had kids, I always made darn sure they were never left in the car until all 3 of them knew how to unlock the doors and get out. Even when we were making a quick stop, we always made sure to take them in with us. I see no excuse for what she did.

[ChristineVA]

I think a lot of people are defending this woman because this is a mistake a lot more people than would want to admit it could possibly make. How many times have you left something in a place and not remember it until you needed it? This mistake is something everyone could make whether they want to admit it or not.

You are entitled to your opinion and you may be correct; however, I can't get there. I'm not the most organized person. At all. I have always been a working mom with two kids and a commute from HECK. Because my husband worked so early, I was solely responsible for years to get my kids ready in the morning, in the car, and to two different caretakers. I never, ever, ever forgot one of them. They are not a set of keys.

You are absolutely correct that people make mistakes. A few years ago, one of my coworkers who carpools discovered that no one took the kids to daycare that morning. She went to work early and thought her husband was doing it, and he got up (the kids were still asleep) and though his wife had already taken them to daycare. By the time they spoke to each other at around 10:00 am they realized the 3 year olds were home alone. I drove like heck to get her home and luckily nothing bad had happened but her home was ransacked. This was not forgetfulness though--this was a mistake due to changing routines and thinking one person had the responsibility while the other person thought the same thing.

With this woman's case, I don't see anything like that going on. I truly believe that something is wrong with her mentally. Got to be.

I also think if a man did this people would be screaming bloody murder for him to get the chair. People always to take it easy on a woman because they see them as defenseless creatures. The at-large public needs to give women what they want; women to be treated as equally as men

A man did do it, in Virgina (see above posts).

[HereinVA]

Originally Posted by cdmurphy

Also, in the other case, the mom was in Ireland visiting family, and so the dad was really dealing with unfamiliar routines. He was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment, and was sentenced to seven years' probation and one day in jail each year, and has to conduct a blood drive in his daughter's name every year on the anniversary of her death.

Actually, this family also had a "history" of losing track of children. The same little girl, Frances, had been found wandering the streets alone about a month before she died...and several months earlier, a different child from this family was accidently left at a video store for several hours.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/22/us...anted=2&src=pm

[dod236]

"How many times have you left something in a place and not remember it until you needed it? This mistake is something everyone could make whether they want to admit it or not."

How can you compare "leaving things" to "leaving people". Yep, I've left my lunch in the car, but for goodness sake, this is a human being we're talking about. Believe you me, this is not a mistake that everyone could make, unless they had some form of mental issues or they did it on purpose. She didn't leave her keys, she left a human being. Ofcourse murder is extreme unless they can prove that she did it on purpose, but I doubt that.

Originally Posted by Alanboy395

I think a lot of people are defending this woman because this is a mistake a lot more people than would want to admit it could possibly make. How many times have you left something in a place and not remember it until you needed it? This mistake is something everyone could make whether they want to admit it or not.

However I think a punishment is in order. It was a mistake but one that resulted in a loss of a life. I don't think murder fits the crime but I see it as more involuntary manslaughter.

I also think if a man did this people would be screaming bloody murder for him to get the chair. People always to take it easy on a woman because they see them as defenseless creatures. The at-large public needs to give women what they want; women to be treated as equally as men.

[dod236]

"I never, ever, ever forgot one of them. They are not a set of keys.
I truly believe that something is wrong with her mentally. Got to be."

EXACTLY!!!!!!

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

You are entitled to your opinion and you may be correct; however, I can't get there. I'm not the most organized person. At all. I have always been a working mom with two kids and a commute from HECK. Because my husband worked so early, I was solely responsible for years to get my kids ready in the morning, in the car, and to two different caretakers. I never, ever, ever forgot one of them. They are not a set of keys.

You are absolutely correct that people make mistakes. A few years ago, one of my coworkers who carpools discovered that no one took the kids to daycare that morning. She went to work early and thought her husband was doing it, and he got up (the kids were still asleep) and though his wife had already taken them to daycare. By the time they spoke to each other at around 10:00 am they realized the 3 year olds were home alone. I drove like heck to get her home and luckily nothing bad had happened but her home was ransacked. This was not forgetfulness though--this was a mistake due to changing routines and thinking one person had the responsibility while the other person thought the same thing.

With this woman's case, I don't see anything like that going on. I truly believe that something is wrong with her mentally. Got to be.



A man did do it, in Virgina (see above posts).

[dod236]

"It's a tragic accident, IMO, and can happen to anyone."

Trust me, it cannot happen to anyone, that kid was not a bunch of keys, lunch, or a backpack.

Originally Posted by bmwguydc

There was a similar tragic case in Manassas a few years back, where it was the father who inadvertently left the child in the van. It's very difficult to comprehend that someone would intentionally murder their child in this manner, so I think the murder charges are excessive.

It's a tragic accident, IMO, and can happen to anyone. I once forgot my dog in the car for a few minutes, as she fell asleep on the way to the groomer, after coming in on a redeye flight. It was in the winter, and when I walked across the parking lot, I realized that I was there for the dog. Another time, I set out to take the dog to her groomer, and drove right past the salon to where I needed to go. When we're on auto pilot, as many can be in the morning, or at other times of the day when they have brain fog, all sorts of things can happen.

Volvo had a heartbeat detector for the key fob on certain models as an option, as the intruder detector. And, it has to be accessed via the key fob, not an automatic function. Had it been marketed differently, as a safety device for children and pets, I think it would have had promise. However, it was marketed more along the lines of the hidden slasher in the backseat, not unlike a bad horror movie. I wish they had made the feature work with recirculating air-conditioning and heat in the passenger cabin, while sounding an alarm. Many cars can recirculate the air when the car is turned off, so that would not be a problem, and after that expires, the horn should sound and the windows open for ventilation. The other thing that such a system should be capable of doing is remembering the number of doors opened when the car was first started, and then when it is shutoff. I agree that seat sensors should also be utilized as they are currently in many cars for the air bag deployment. It would not be difficult to determine that there was weight there, combined with the door opening, to conclude that this might require driver attention if both conditions are not met when the doors are attempted to be locked with the windows up, especially in conjunction with a heartbeat detector like Volvo had developed.

[dod236]

Yep, even at home, I make sure I know where they are.

Originally Posted by dkf747

Just want to correct one myth. Deaf and/or mute kids do know how to make noise.

IMO, she should be punished. How much? I don't know. When I had kids, I always made darn sure they were never left in the car until all 3 of them knew how to unlock the doors and get out. Even when we were making a quick stop, we always made sure to take them in with us. I see no excuse for what she did.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by dod236

"How many times have you left something in a place and not remember it until you needed it? This mistake is something everyone could make whether they want to admit it or not."

How can you compare "leaving things" to "leaving people". Yep, I've left my lunch in the car, but for goodness sake, this is a human being we're talking about. Believe you me, this is not a mistake that everyone could make, unless they had some form of mental issues or they did it on purpose. She didn't leave her keys, she left a human being. Ofcourse murder is extreme unless they can prove that she did it on purpose, but I doubt that.

Okay people can say they would never do something all they want but it does not take a lot to do something that can ruin your life. People say they won't get a DUI but one drink too many and you pull a Donte Stallworth. Don't lie to yourselves, this mistake can happen to people you'd never expect it to. That is the first step in preventing it from happening.