A woman convicted of murdering her infant daughter by microwaving her was spared the death penalty Wednesday by a jury that couldn't reach a unanimous decision. China Arnold showed no immediate reaction, but she smiled and waved to family members as deputies led her from the courtroom. Her relatives told her they loved her. The defense had argued that Arnold was drunk when the offense occurred and had no motive, while prosecutors had called the crime "heinous" as they argued for the death penalty.
After about five hours of deliberation, the jury told Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Mary Wiseman that it couldn't decide whether to recommend the death penalty or life in prison, and that it wouldn't be able to make such a decision even if it deliberated through Thursday. Wiseman is now limited to sentencing Arnold to life in prison without parole, life without parole for at least 30 years, or life without parole for at least 25 years. She plans to impose her sentence Monday. Arnold was accused of killing month-old Paris Talley in 2005. A judge declared a mistrial in February, and the retrial began August 18. The jury found Arnold guilty Friday of aggravated murder.
Defense attorney Jon Paul Rion said that he is relieved that Arnold didnt receieved the death penalty. Rion had asked Tuesday for a new trial, saying a former cellmate who said Arnold confessed to the crime has changed her story. Wiseman has not ruled on the motion and said she would schedule a hearing. Rion said he plans to present witnesses that point to another person being responsible for the baby's death. During the trial, an 8-year-old boy said he saw another boy walk into the kitchen of a nearby apartment with the baby, heard the microwave go on and then later saw the burned baby in the microwave.
Attorneys for both sides addressed the jury before deliberations on Wednesday. The fact that Arnold had been a Girl Scout, that her father died when she was young and that she comes from a close family does not outweigh the seriousness of the crime, Assistant Montgomery County Prosecutor Daniel Brandt said. Defense attorney Kevin Lennen urged the jury not to recommend the death penalty, saying Arnold was drunk at the time and that she had no motive to kill her child. [End of report]
Fair sentence? Well I let you decide for yourselve. When I first heard this news, I was really shocked and felt really disgusted by Arnold's actions. I think anyone with a right frame of mind and who have any common sense in them would agree with me. Murdering your own child is already a terrible thing to do but to do it in such a way is even more terrible. How could a mother place her infant daughter in the oven and microwaving her. I dont care what the reason was for her to do that, whether she was drunk during that time or not, it was just unforgivable. If someone had done that here in Singapore, then Im sure she would have receieved the death sentence straightaway but I think she is fortunate the laws there isnt the same as the one here. I think everyone would want to see her receiving the death penalty but they wouldnt be thinking properly and they would probably be making a rash decision. Whatever the level of the crime is, I think everyone deserve a fair trial and they should be punished as such.
As you can see from the report, it also says that her Defense attorney Rion said he plans to present witnesses that point to another person being responsible for the baby's death. Now whether that is true remain to be seen but it is really difficult for me to believe his story, that an 8-year-old-boy was responsible for the death of the infant. And judging from the reaction of Arnold when the verdict was announced, it seems like she had the looks of someone guilty of the crime than someone not. I think it was also difficult to use the excuse that she had a difficult family background to justify her actions. She is not a child anymore. She is an adult and she should at least know that putting her child in the microwave is wrong, not to mention burning her in the microwave. In my opinion, I think the most likely sentence that can be considered as fair for all parties, apart from the death penalty is the life imprisonment without parole. She should be considered very fortunate that she gets to avoid the death penalty, irregardless of why she decided to do it.
At the end of the day, whatever sentence that she will receieved will not change the fact that the dead infant cant be brought back to life again. It is just sad to see that a mother could do something so cruel to her own child. If she dont want the child, then she should just give her away to someone else that are willing to take care for her. I'm just wondering what her family are thinking about her now. They say that they still love her but I dont know how they could possibly justify her actions. Alright, Im done now. Share your views regarding this story with me as I would love to hear from you.
*The report was taken from AP.
1 comment:
Only God has the right to take life away, killing does not justify another's death. Sadly there was no evidence that China was the actual person to put the child in the microwave, but there was a 5 yr old witness who claimed seing another child do it. I think she should be responsible for negeting the baby, being drunk with children is ridiculous. I don't know maybe she was so drunk she did it by mistake. It could have been she went crazy or suffered from a deep depressed state. Or possible someone else really did it, and she was too drunk to realise or passed out. China does have 3 smart healthy children and she did attempt to save her child. Hospital works stated she was shocked to even here the baby was microwaved. I do not find the death penalty justified in any case. But i do believe she should be punished for neglect because her drunken state caused the baby's safety to be compromised. If she would not have been drunk, it never would have happened.
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