I am a better person for knowing him. The congregation quickly dissolved. Report an error or add more information about this case. Dabney is survived by his sister, Hannah Overton; and nieces Emma and Lizzie Schmidt, all of Tappahannock; a half-sister Mallory Overton McKendry of Jacksonville, Fla.; and his father, Dabney Overton Jr. of Harrisonburg. Throughout the meal, Andrew repeatedly asked, Is my mom okay? He also kept requesting more food. Looking for any information that might bolster the appeal, Orr requested access to the prosecutions case file. The death of a childparticularly a sudden, unexplained death in which abuse is suspectedevokes strong emotions, even among seasoned investigators, doctors, forensics experts, and prosecutors. She was unflappable and unfailingly patient with children. I worked with him at Branch, Cabell many years ago. The ministry's name Syndeo is taken from a Greek word meaning "to connect" or "be connected." Dabney always took time to talk to people and was a friend to many. I knew Dabney through my daughter. Four subsequent investigations were triggered by reports of abuse or neglect, including one allegation that both his mother and maternal grandmother were incapable of properly caring for him because they used methamphetamines. I am truly saddened to hear of Dabney's sudden passing. He found that they fit a narrow profile: they were between the ages of one and six, they had been in the foster system or were from abusive homes, and they had pica. (A subsequent investigation by the attorney generals office found that no crimes had been committed. On October 2, 2006, 29-year-old Hannah Overton and her husband, Larry brought Andrew Burd, their four-year-old foster son whom they were in the process of adopting, to a hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas after the boy stopped breathing. He touched my heart and those of my dear friends. I figured, Well, weve got to start with one, so lets see how far we get. Isabel, and then Ally, followed. According to juror number three, a high school English teacher named Margaret Warfield, that was not the case. His dogs and ours were "buds". Those were great times. Pleading out to that was much better than having my children grow up without a mother or a father. In exchange for his plea, Larry was given five years probation and a $5,000 fine. Another nurse, Dina Zapata, remembered Hannah smirking as she tried to resuscitate him. But Hannah, who was bewildered by Andrews condition, had no ready answers. If someone was trying to murder Andrew, they would have restrained him and prevented him from drinking water, Moritz subsequently wrote in an affidavit. However, that didn't stop us from having friendly and lively conversations about the greatest game. Only Hannah had been able to break through. Although the adoption agency that had worked with CPS to find Andrew a home had described him as developmentally on target except for his speech delay, Larry and Hannah observed otherwise. A comment someone made was that it appeared that this child had been in a fight with a porcupine, the physician stated. Hannah Overton spent seven years in prison until her conviction was overturned. An Unforgettable Texas Tale of Envy, Embezzlement, and Fruitcake, How the Texas Rangers Became One of the Most Powerful Forces in the State. Think of your other children, she urged the couple. Larry attempted to restore order upon his return, putting Andrews soiled sheets in the garbage and hosing off the boy and his foam mattress in the backyard. "God is so good!," Overton wrote in the social media post. I could never thank my attorneys enough for fighting endlessly to prove my innocence and bring me home.. Send your deepest condolences with fresh flowers. ABC News has followed Overton and her husband's story since her original trial. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. information about the Registry, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense. As long as I can make a nonfrivolous argument, Ill make it, but nothing in my job prevents me from praying for a more just outcome., There have been a few tear-filled nights because one of the kids misses Andrew, Larry said. Witnesses outside the home said they had seen Andrew's bizarre habits, too. At Sunday school, he became more expressive, stringing words into sentences and holding hands with his new sister Ally. Hannah Overton, a south Texas mother of five whose wrongful conviction for the 2006 death of her foster son was overturned last year, is expected to receive over $500,000 in compensation from the state for the years she spent in jail. But was this churchgoing young woman a vicious child killer? Dinner was potato soupIts good and filling, and its cheap, Larry told mewhich the kids dived into after saying grace. Hannah Overton, a south Texas mother of five whose wrongful conviction for the 2006 death of her foster son was overturned last year, is expected to receive over $500,000 in compensation from the state for the years she spent in jail. Thank you Dabney for blessing my life with your presence. Mr. Overton continued in private practice until the age of 80. Larry taught Sunday school, Hannah led a Bible study, and their children, whom Hannah homeschooled, attended youth group and socialized with other members kids. A church member who homeschools her daughters educates the Overton children, using lesson plans Hannah sends her. Larry outside his family's home, in Corpus Christi, on November 22. Hannah Overton was just an ordinary homeschool mom. Although he hung back when his siblings embraced their parents in group hugs, Larry and Hannah learned that if they asked Andrew to join in, he would do so enthusiastically, throwing his arms around them. (A former pastor of Hannahs had advocated reprimanding children when they were dishonest by putting a single red pepper flake on their tongues.) Short on time as the trial drew to a close, the defense had asked Moritzwho needed to return to Pittsburghto sit for a videotaped deposition; when the deposition ran long and could not be completed, the defense was unable to enter it as testimony. I was one of those who was lucky enough to share a friendship with this kind, strong and loving man. Though the kids were in poor health, Hannah was unreserved in her affection. In October 2006 a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. Hannahs conviction was upheld in 2009 by the Thirteenth Court of Appeals. Each pregnancy felt extraordinarily fortunate; after Isaac, Hannah had suffered two miscarriages and been advised that she might not be able to have more children. Some people love stray animals, remembered her mother, now remarried. Hannah went into labor with her first child, Isaac, at the Subialdeas house, and though she had planned to come back to work after her sons birth, she found the separation from him too wrenching. Why Does He Get to Make That Call? I would often see him riding with all the dogs in the back of the car. When Andrew started breathing funny, she told Hess, she had administered asthma medication with a nebulizer, hoping to open up his airways. He was good to everyone he met. This is a child that came in [to the emergency room] in cardiopulmonary arrest and was dying. The doctor had been the on-call emergency medicine physician at Driscoll the day that Andrew arrived, and he had resuscitated the boy as he was transported to the intensive care unit. Alton Lewis Overton, age 66, of Bryant; passed away Wednesday March 7, 2007. Hannah managed to clean him up, but when she reiterated that he would have to wait until lunchtime to eat, he defecated on the floor again. I will always remember Dabney's love of animals, nature and good music. It was later believed the boy suffered a rare medical condition called hypernatremia, which can cause fatal sodium levels in the body. Larry, who was sitting behind her, broke down. He was the first one to introduce me to kayaking from Aylett to Walkerton on the Mattaponi. We have a child that was well until that afternoon, that had behavioral issues, that was having temper tantrums, that was then given something . The Overtons moved forward with the adoption process, and in the spring of 2006, they received word that Andrew would be coming to live with them for a six-month trial period before the adoption was finalized. Overton spent seven years in prison before the Texas Court of Appeals overturned her capital murder charges on September 17, 2014. Like Hannah, Haller homeschooled her children, and the two mothers split teaching duties; the Haller children went to the Overton home for instruction for part of the day and vice versa. But after Hannahs conviction, the DAs office offered him several plea deals, each of which required him to acknowledge that he had intentionally caused Andrews death. Early in the pregnancy, Hannah and Larry were informed that the boy would likely have Down syndrome. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. I visited Hannah at the Murray Unit one bright, cloudless afternoon, when the warden granted her a few hours to speak with me. (Like Eastwood, neither Norman nor Jimenez would comment for this article.) celebrity wifi packages cost. (More shocking details on abuse suffered by four-year-old before death, began one breathless report.) Always with a Northern Neck Gingerale for me--I still can't buy a 12 pack without thinking of him. Being in the Overtons home had afforded Werkhoven an intimate view of the family. At a subsequent family court hearing, in which Hannahs civil attorney argued that she should be given access to the infant so that she could continue nursing her, Judge Lewis returned Emma to her parents, but with conditions. . I worked with him at Branch Cabell years ago and also lived down the street from him for a while. that he had unrestricted access to water. Given these facts, he explained, There is not a single piece of evidence which suggests that Hannah Overton salt-poisoned Andrew. Instead, Moritz added, the most likely scenario was that Andrew accidentally salt-poisoned himself., In light of this information, Moritz felt certain that Andrews prognosis would have been the same whether or not Hannah had called an ambulance. He didnt drink or smoke, and the bands he listened to sang about glorifying God. There is no photo or video of Jonah Lee Overton.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. Her bedroom was just a few feet away from the childrens rooms, which were always open; their doors had been removed so that the kids could easily come and go as they pleased. On October 3, while Andrew was still hospitalized, the agency removed Isaac, Isabel, Ally, and Sebastian from their parents custody, placing them in two separate foster homes in Beeville, sixty miles away. Inside the Bro-tastic Party Mansions Upending a Historic Austin Community, The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools. Please know that you all are surrounded by love, no matter how great your grief. They said Andrew was going through a very difficult time, she said. When Hannah was sent to prison, her daughter, Emma, was still a breast-feeding newborn. The thoughts and prayers of your co-workers are with you and your family. Former prosecutor Anna Jimenez, who had assisted Eastwood as second chair at Hannahs trial, subsequently wrote a letter to Orr claiming that a sheaf of medical records that Eastwood had asked her to fax to an expert witness before trial had not included the documents that Orr had uncovered. Larry and Hannah knew that Andrew loved Spider-Man, so they made sure to have all manner of Spider-Man-themed necessities for him: sheets, pajamas, a toothbrush, a towel, a swimsuit, and even a plate embossed with the superheros image. He was simply "a wonderful person" I am so sorry for your loss. One paramedic recounted how he had seen two sores on Andrew that looked to me like cigarette burns because they were round. Another paramedic also believed the sores were cigarette burns, though he admitted he had only looked at them from a distance. Fernandez, the medical examiner, said he had observed burnlike scarring on Andrews arm that had likely been caused by contact with a hot surface. But neither Larry nor Hannah smoked. Dabney was one of those people that are angels without wings. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. As the verdict was read, Hannah looked horror-struck. Peace be with you, Dabney. They were not allowed to be at Andrews bedside on the evening of October 3, when he experienced massive organ failure.