Child Murder
Mother Kills 22 Month Old Toddler After Arguing With Father
Gemma Gaye Killeen
A YOUNG woman who pleaded guilty to murdering her son never intended to kill him but abandoned him in a bid to grab the attention of her on-and-off again partner, WA’s Supreme Court has been told.
Gemma Gaye Killeen, 23, is facing the possibility of life imprisonment after admitting to killing her 22-month-old son Te Reringa Kayden Wetere at Hillarys Boat Harbour in November 2010.
She was due to be sentenced today however Justice Stephen Hall reserved his decision until Friday.
During the sentencing hearing, the court was told the toddler’s body was found floating in the water by passersby just over an hour after his mother had falsely claimed he had been abducted.
Where Good Men Don’t Count: The Dire Repercussions of Ignoring Men’s Welfare – Story Bridge Murder/Suicide
In another case reflecting the lack of support experienced by separated fathers in this country, many Australians are now questioning the wisdom of Australia’s family support services which have focussed almost exclusively on the welfare and support of women, while ignoring  the needs men, resulting in a culture of vilification that has driven some men over the edge, with dire consequences for the innocent children of separated families.
IT WAS dark outside when Danielle Lees woke and reached for her mobile phone. It had only been hours since she last saw him, but something made her dial her husband to see if everything was OK.
By the time the call connected with Jason Lees’ mobile, both he and their son, Brad, were already dead.
Danielle, a psychologist, had been staying with her parents on the Gold Coast.
Neighbours say the couple appeared to have separated, but Jason, a teacher at Brisbane’s “Churchie” and a former rugby union referee, drove to meet her for lunch on Sunday.
He left again for home in the afternoon, taking Brad with him – the two-year-old attended his school’s kindergarten.
It was about 2am when Jason strapped Brad into the car, loaded his bike and drove from their Seven Hills home in suburban Brisbane to Kangaroo Point.
Mother Murders Children – Sole Custody Takes Three More Children’s Lives
THE heartbroken Hobart father of two children killed by their mother in murder-suicide in Melbourne will always be haunted by the knowledge he missed out on their final years.
Dominic Maher yesterday said he felt let down by a system that had prevented him from seeing son Matthew, 11 and daughter Melanie, 13, for three years before they died.
Police believe mother Kylie Fowler, 36, argued with the children’s older half sister Sammantha Fowler, 18, before killing all three children, setting fire to the house and committing suicide.
Mr Maher, of Chigwell, said he had spent years locked in court battles with Ms Maher, but when it consistently decided in her favour, he eventually moved to Tasmania.
He been preparing a video for his children explaining why he had lost contact with them which he planned to hand to them on their 18th birthday.
Tanilla Warwick-Deaves – another child murdered by mother and her boyfriend
THE mother of murdered toddler Tanilla Warwick-Deaves has faced court charged with being an accessory after the fact.
Handcuffed and dressed in a yellow cardigan Donna Deaves faced Gosford Local Court this morning where she did not apply for bail during her brief appearance.
The 27-year-old was arrested about 9am yesterday at Erina on the state’s Central Coast.
Two-year-old Tanilla was found with serious injuries at her mother’s Watanobbi home just before 4am on August 27.
She was taken to Wyong Hospital but pronounced dead a short time later.
Mother murdered children, started horror house fire, police say
Police believe a mother stabbed two of her children and set her house on fire during a family dispute that killed all four people inside the Heidelberg Heights home on Sunday.
Police revealed today that those killed in the blaze were a 36-year-old mother and her three children – an 18-year-old woman, a girl, 13, and a boy, 11.
The bodies of the 18-year-old woman and 11-year-old boy suffered wounds consistent with being stabbed with a sharp object, according to a police statement today.
The eldest daughter’s boyfriend saw her bleeding heavily after a fight with her mother moments before the house erupted in flames.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said no suspects were sought over the fire, which tore through the Southern Road property about 4pm on Sunday.
In a statement released this afternoon, police said the eldest daughter, who lived in Skye, had gone to her mother’s house with her 19-year-old partner shortly before the fire broke out.
The mother had let her daughter into the back door of the house but prevented her boyfriend entering.
The boyfriend saw the mother and her daughter arguing and unsuccessfully tried to enter the house, before seeking help from a neighbour.
When he returned to the house, he saw his girlfriend bleeding heavily. He again tried to break in, but was unsuccessful.
A fire, which is thought to have started in the kitchen, then ripped through the house.
Police and Metropolitan Fire Brigade crews arrived shortly after 4pm and forced their way into the home but were unable to save anyone inside.
The police statement said the four dead family members were found in three different rooms of the house.
Post-mortem examinations have been completed on the bodies, but the exact cause of death is still not known and police have ordered toxicology reports, which are expected to take up to eight weeks.
Police are also awaiting forensic reports to determine the cause of the fire, however an accelerant was used to start the blaze and police have deemed it suspicious.
The arson and explosives squad will now prepare a brief for the coroner.
Police have urged anyone who witnessed the fire or tried to assist and has not already spoken to investigators to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au
Former Female Olympian guilty of murdering her baby
Former water polo champion Keli Lane has been found guilty of murdering her baby.
Lane screamed "no", collapsed and fell off her seat on to the floor of the Sydney court as the verdict was read out. An ambulance was called.
Her mother also screamed "no" from the public gallery and burst into tears.
Lane, 35, had pleaded not guilty to murdering her daughter, Tegan, shortly after leaving Sydney’s Auburn hospital in September 1996.
It took a week of deliberations for the NSW Supreme Court jury of six men and six women to reach a verdict following a four-month trial.
She was also convicted of three counts of making a false statement on oath in relation to documents dealing with her adopting out two other babies.
About ten minutes after the ambulance was called, Lane composed herself and sat in the dock with her lawyer.
Her barrister applied for bail, which was refused.
Justice Whealy told the court he "felt some sympathy for the accused" but did not want to give her false hope as the murder conviction she has carries a custodial sentence.
In thanking the jurors, Justice Whealy said, "I realise this must have been a difficult case for you" and said he would recommend the twelve never have to serve as jurors again.
He said to them, "I bid you farewell for the last time."
Lane was taken into custody until sentencing submissions in February.
Outside the court, John Borovnik, a social worker who first raised concerns to DOCS that Tegan was missing, spoke to media.
"It is in memory of Tegan that justice has been served," he said.
‘Surreal case’
At the end of an inquest in 2006, coroner John Abernethy described the case as surreal.
Lane did not give evidence at that inquest and she was not charged with Tegan’s murder until November 2009.
She told police she gave Tegan to a man she first named as Andrew Morris, then Andrew Norris. She said he was the baby’s father, whom she had a brief and secret affair with.
But the Crown claimed that was a fictitious person and Lane murdered Tegan because she did not want the responsibility of a child to interfere with her ambition to compete for Australia in the 2000 Olympics.
Tegan’s body has never been found.
The missing person search for Tegan involved police writing to thousands of primary schools with female students and more than 500 girls were investigated.
During the trial, the jurors were given flow charts to help them keep track of the evidence presented about the police investigation.
Lane’s barrister, Keith Chapple, argued the essence of the murder charge itself was in dispute.
He told the jury there was no proof of how, when or why Lane murdered her newborn child or even that Tegan was dead.
Mr Chapple said Lane "took the responsible course" by adopting out two other children.
Secrets and ‘lies’
Senior Crown prosecutor Mark Tedeschi alleged Lane told 95 lies to cover up three secret and unwanted pregnancies so she could preserve her "golden girl" image.
But Mr Chapple told the jury "there are many things in the case that do not amount to lies at all".
He said Tegan’s birth was unremarkable and Lane was not responsible for what other people did not notice.
Mr Chapple spoke of the passage of time involved in the case and said Lane was young when she gave birth to Tegan.
He said she gave some conflicting information about the birth of her children because she "didn’t want everybody to know about her business".
Mr Chapple said adopting out two of her other children was stressful for Lane and an involved process.
The jury was warned by Justice Anthony Whealy that only three of the alleged 95 lies Lane had told were relevant to the issue of guilt, while the others could only be used to assess her character.
The judge said to find Lane guilty of murder the jury must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt she killed the baby.
"Suspicion is never a substitute," Justice Whealy said.
Justice Whealy told the jurors that emotion was to play no part in their decision and warned them not to make moral judgements against the accused.
"Moral judgments, bias, condemnation of other people’s behaviour and dislike of people have no place in a court of law," he said.
Justice Whealy said the fact Lane did not give evidence at her trial did not disadvantage her.
"It is the right of an accused person not to give evidence," he said.
Witnesses at the trial included Lane’s ex-boyfriend, the former rugby league and union player Duncan Gillies, who said they were once very much in love but that he did not know she carried two pregnancies to term during their relationship.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/13/3091886.htm?site=newcastle
Two year old Girl Dies after being tossed over Bridge by her Grandmother
A grandmother was arrested and accused of the unthinkable, killing her two-year-old granddaughter. Fairfax County Police say she threw the child from a 6th floor walkway at Tysons Corner Center Monday night. On Tuesday, the grandmother was charged with murder.
The girl’s mother and uncle witnessed her fall to her death. Initially it looked like an accident, but the walkway wall is waist high, with a guardrail. After talking with witnesses and looking at video from mall security, investigators say it became clear the grandmother, 50-year old Carmela Dela Rosa, threw the girl over and no one seems to know why.
“We’re puzzled,” said Victoriano Torres, the child’s uncle.
He says the family never suspected anything like this could happen.
By all accounts, Dela Rosa was a loving grandmother who often babysat her granddaughter Angelyn Ogdoc. Neighbors say she doted on the little girl and can’t fathom her killing the child.
“She seems happy,” said neighbor Makra Chhay, who often saw Dela Rosa with Angelyn. “That’s her first grandchild.â€Â
On Monday night, after shopping at Tysons Corner Center, police say Dela Rosa inexplicably threw her granddaughter from a walkway leading from the mall to the garage, on the 6th floor. One of the girl’s uncles and her mother were with them.
“It happened so quickly, the other two adults didn’t know what was going on,” said Officer Tawny Wright, a Fairfax County Police spokesperson.
Police say mall security captured the crime on video. That video, which is not being released, doesn’t explain why. Family and friends are struggling for answers. They gathered at the child’s home. Lynne Kreher and her husband Bill walked past the family’s home this morning, saddened by her death even though they didn’t know her.
“When I heard it this morning tears ran down my eyes. What does a two-year-old do to deserve this? I don’t know,” said Lynne Kreher.
The couple has two grandchildren of their own and can’t make sense of this.
“You don’t, no rationale as far as anyone’s heard. You know, to be coming back from a shopping trip and have something like this happen, it’s inconceivable,” said Bill Kreher.
Police don’t know what prompted something so horrendous. As part of their investigation, police will be looking to see if there were any family problems, mental illness or something in Dela Rosa’s background that can offer some explanation.
“It’s very tragic, it’s atrocious. I don’t know who does that. We don’t know why people do what they do and these things do happen unfortunately,” said Wright.
Dela Rosa remains behind bars after her first court appearance Tuesday. She has another hearing in January. She was initially charged with aggravated malicious wounding, but after the two-year-old died early this morning, those charges were amended to murder.
Relatives are at a loss for answers. No one, not even Dela Rosa’s family or neighbors, saw it coming.
“She’s very nice, sometimes she’d come to our house and bring popcorn and candy,” said Chhay.
For the family, the pain of losing a child is even greater because the person accused is no stranger but her grandmother.
By SHERRI LY
