Police Say Parents Tied Up, Beat Daughter

[shawn703]

An 11-year-old girl's parents tied her up in the garage, starved the child and beat her with an umbrella until she died during the Thanksgiving holiday, police said.

The sixth-grader tried to escape her home in Stockbridge just south of Atlanta, but she was only punished more severely she was left without food, water, a bathroom or a bed, police said.

The girl's father, 37-year-old Rodney Michael Reaves, and her stepmother, 38-year-old Charlott Lynett Reaves, were arrested Monday and charged with felony murder and cruelty to children.


more...
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20031203_1501.html

[Insider]

1. R.I.P.

rest in peace, joella.

[onehandle]

2. Bush Country. nt

[gttim]

3. Near Atlanta

It was the child's father and step-mother. Her biological mother has been dead for years. The father had just gotten custody of the girl in the past year. The neighbors spoke very highly of the girl, but knew little of the parents. n upper middle class neighborhood.

The lawyer they have hired is one of Atlanta's top criminal defense lawyers. He is known for fighting like a pitbull, and for wearing a seriously out of style ponytail.

Local story with photos of parents.

They look pretty stocky, like they could do some damage hitting you.

[arcane1]

6. hey, be nice to ponytails!

they never go out of "style"

[truthisfreedom]

4. what a horrible, horrible story.

made me cry.

[UpInArms]

5. this man should rot in a jail cell for the rest of his natural life

and he should have to think about his failure to protect his daughter every moment until his wretched damned soul descends into a fiery hell

"Mr. Reaves absolutely denies any liability for the tragic death of his daughter," Harvey said. "We categorically deny that."

[coloradodem2005]

8. Agreed

[Nlighten1]

7. God...what a horrible thing

poor, poor girl.

[Noordam]

9. Grrrrrr and another girl got lucky

But I failed as a nice guy. ;( The email addy at the web site does not work.

At this addy http://filipinawives.com/reaves.htm is a 9 yo in 2000 looking for her Navy father. Both Rodney Reaves where in the Navy.