PDA

View Full Version : Mother pleads guilty to fatally scalding son



Denise1972
12-16-2004, 10:10 AM
This happened awhile ago... Its not too far from where I live. about 25 miles. How in the world could this lady do this???? This woman is a MONSTER

http://www.sj-r.com/sections/news/stories/42740.asp


Mother pleads guilty to fatally scalding son

By JAMES WASHBURN
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

LINCOLN - Robin Graham showed no emotion Wednesday as she pleaded guilty to murdering her 11-month-old son last year by placing him in a bathtub of scalding-hot water, fatally burning him.

The 20-year-old San Jose woman faces a prison term of 20 to 60 years when she is sentenced March 3 by Logan County Circuit Judge David Coogan.

In black-and-white-striped jail garb, Graham sat quietly next to her defense attorney, Tim Timoney of Springfield, as she agreed to waive her right to a jury trial and enter into a plea agreement with Logan County State's Attorney Tim Huyett.

In exchange for Graham's guilty plea, Huyett agreed to drop two other counts - that the murder was "brutal and heinous" and the victim less than 12 years old - that carried the most severe potential punishments of life in prison and an extended prison term of 60 to 100 years.

Graham, who also has a 3-year-old son, was indicted by a Logan County grand jury a year ago on three counts of first-degree murder alleging she placed her 11-month-old, Austin Graham, into a bathtub of scalding water, knowing it would cause great bodily harm, and probably death.

Coogan told Graham that, because of the seriousness of her crime, she must serve 100 percent of her prison term and will not receive any day-for-day credit that typically reduces the length of sentences for lesser crimes.

As Huyett provided Coogan with a factual basis to support the conviction, he spent about five minutes summarizing the evidence he planned to use if the case had gone to trial.

"I'm a bad person. I murdered my baby. Take me to jail," Huyett said, quoting what Graham told Mason County chief sheriff's deputy Paul Gann, the first officer to arrive at Graham's mobile home Nov. 14, 2003 - the day Austin was murdered.

Graham admitted to police that she became angry with the 11-month-old because he had wiped feces on his clothes and hair while left unattended in his crib as she was doing laundry at her sister-in-law's neighboring trailer, Huyett said.

He said she told police that, as she was drawing his bathwater with the infant in the tub, she decided to return to her sister-in-law's, believing that her son probably would drown.

Huyett said water drawn from the faucet in the bathtub by police the following morning maintained a maximum temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit for up to seven minutes. The pathologist who performed Austin's autopsy said 30 seconds' exposure to water at that temperature would have resulted in third-degree burns to the child. And, any further exposure would have been fatal.

The autopsy revealed that Austin died from second- and third-degree burns to more than 80 percent of his body. Much of his skin had fallen off by the time he was removed from the tub by his mother more than two hours after she abandoned him.

Huyett said that as Graham returned to her sister-in-law's trailer clutching the infant's body, Graham threw Austin at her and told her, "Help him. He's dead." :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

DreamWorld
12-16-2004, 10:16 AM
Oh, that poor baby! :(

KATinKY
12-16-2004, 10:33 AM
that is so sad :(

DivineMsDi
12-16-2004, 10:43 AM
I CAN'T read it......another loser "mother." What the heck is WRONG with people?

:mad:

faygokraze
12-16-2004, 10:49 AM
That is one of the most worst stories I have read. I dont understand....why? Thats terrible if you didnt want the kid give him up for adoption!!!

Denise1972
12-16-2004, 11:08 AM
This baby was the most adorable thing you ever laid eyes on. I wish I hadnt read it either. It is all over the news tho. :( I just dont understand. If I accidentally scratch my 2 year old DD I feel so bad.

turbob
12-16-2004, 11:22 AM
10 minutes alone with her - thats all I ask. just 10 minutes.

faygokraze
12-16-2004, 12:23 PM
10 minutes alone with her - thats all I ask. just 10 minutes.
Put her behind in a tub of hot water and leave her there!! Ill run the water for ya you grab her and toss her in.

Thats so awful. I couldnt imagine how that baby felt.

iluvmybaby
12-16-2004, 01:23 PM
:eek: I can not stand to read anothers tory like this especially this time of year, the time fro family togetherness, love, and peace on earth it makes me physically ill :rolleyes:

First Lady
12-16-2004, 01:31 PM
I work with women who cannot have children, and to hear stories of these, just hurts so much! Here I have women who want children so badly and must spend thousands of dollars on medical procedures trying to have them, and here is a women who obvisiouly cares nothing about the one she had. Makes me sick!!!

queenangie
12-16-2004, 05:56 PM
This woman should never have had children and it just makes me sick!

BabyDolla
12-16-2004, 08:28 PM
No comment at this time. My human side wants to post something really bad and I need to pray for forgiveness of my thoughts.
ARGH!!!!!!!