In The Year 2037

Taegen Elise McKinney








She would have and should have been able to celebrate her second birthday on November 11th. In 30 years, she probably would have been a beautiful, married woman with children of her own-celebrating her 32nd birthday. That was all taken away from little Taegen McKinney. Now her killer, Jose Garcia will have, at the very least, the next 30 years of his life taken away.


Jose Garcia pleaded guilty to child abuse in the stomping death of Taegen McKinney. He will be eligible for parole in the year 2037. In the year 2037, Jose Garcia will be 49 years old. No "spring chicken" by any stretch--but still young enough to live a productive life, when and if he gets out.

Taegen, on the other hand, as well as her family will never get that opportunity. Her Daddy will never get to walk her down the aisle, and give her away to her would-be husband. Her Mommy will never get the chance to give her advice or hold her when she's mending a broken heart. There will be no groundings for sneaking in late from a date. There will be no praise for good grades, no punishment for bad grades. All these moments--good, bad, and otherwise--have been taken away.

In September, I had the pleasure to go to Sahuarita, AZ and help out with the rally for Taegen's Law. It was an experience that I will never forget. I am grateful to have been able to help out in any way to honor Taegen's memory.

Taegen's family have a website in her memory. There is also a petition for tougher laws for child abusers and killers. Even though Taegen's killer is where he belongs, her family still needs help from everyone. This shouldn't have to happen to another family.


Sources: KOAT.com
memory-of.com
i-petitions.com

A Birthday In Heaven

Five years ago today, Ariana Socorro "NaNa" Payne was born. For those who have been following Ariana's case, you know that Ariana is not with us in the physical sense to celebrate. If you haven't been following the case, you can find several past posts about both Ariana and her older brother, Tyler here.

I would like to take this opportunity to ask everyone to take a moment of silence in honor of Ariana, Tyler, and every other child that has lost their lives- whether it's from abuse, accident, or disease. Thank you.

I can imagine that Ariana is in heaven, coloring and watching Scooby Doo movies with Tyler! God Bless You, and Happy Birthday, little angel!

Four Corners Creep Of The Week: Michael Anthony Douglas

**NOTE: **This entry is edited to note that the child victim is 21 days old, NOT 21 months old. Thanks again to Kathy for catching my error!

Well, by the looks of the poll, I think that most people would agree that Michelle Tufts is pretty creepy.

Let's move on to this week's alleged creep. His name is Michael Anthony Douglas, 23, of Colorado Springs, CO. He's accused of smacking his 21 day-old baby on the side of his head and causing injuries. The child is in critical condition, according to this article at the Rocky Mountain News website.

Just as a personal note, I'm getting a little tired of hearing about these creeps that hit and beat babies because they cry. That's how babies- who have no other way of communicating-tell you that they need something, or something is wrong. It's up to you to figure out what that is most of the time. If you can't figure out what to do then you need to do one of two things: Either hold and comfort the baby until they stop crying, or if you feel yourself breaking down, put the baby in a safe place, such as their crib, leave the room, have someone else take him or her---whatever you have to do, other than hitting the child or putting them in another unsafe situation. Stop beating on defenseless little babies that have no communication skills. Jerks.

Taegen's Law Rally

Saturday, September 15th was a hot day in Sahuarita, Arizona with the temperatures soaring to the 100 degree mark before noon. But the heat was overshadowed by the mission at hand--getting signatures for Taegen's Law.

I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in the rally, and it is truly an experience I will never forget. The people I met there, my new friends, were just all incredible people.

I arrived shortly after 9:00 A.M. to help my friend, Chrissi, and her husband, P.J. set up for the rally, which was held at the Walmart in Sahuarita. The staff at Walmart were very supportive, helping to set up tables and umbrellas, to help shade at least some of the sun's searing rays. We were soon met by Jamie Hallam, mother of Ariana and Tyler Payne, and her best friend, Tara, as well as her father, Richard. I had previously only met Jamie briefly, at the memorial service for Ariana and Tyler, so it was nice to be able to speak with her and meet Tara and Richard.

Everyone who participated, some of them whose names I can't recall, were really working hard. It really was a team effort. Considering the size of Sahuarita, a town about 20 miles south of the southside of Tucson, the results were incredible. We were able to get over 500 signatures in just a couple hours.

The efforts obviously would not have paid off if it wasn't for the people that signed the petition. Their support and willingness to listen and sign was exhilarating. They came that day to shop for what ever needs they had, and left hopefully making a difference in a child's life. The majority of people we were able to come in contact with were more than happy to sign. It's a great mark for humanity.

I posted a few pictures from the rally on my Myspace, if anyone is interested in seeing them.

Remembering Ariana and Tyler Payne - Part Two

For those that have been following my blog entries about the Ariana and Tyler Payne case, I would like to take the time to give you links to their online obituaries so that you can express your condolences, if you wish. As stated in my previous entry on this case, the memorial service will take place this Saturday, August 25th.



Ariana Payne



Ariana's Obituary



Tyler PayneTyler's Obituary

Remembering Ariana and Tyler Payne

The release of the remains of Ariana Payne by the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office has put her mother in a difficult situation. The body of her son and Ariana's brother, Tyler, have yet to be found. Therefore, sadly, she must bury her young daughter, and have a memorial service, without Tyler.

The memorial service will be for both Ariana and Tyler. It will take place this Saturday,

Taegen McKinney: "Lil' Butterfly"

Taegen McKinney was just 17 months old when her babysitter's boyfriend allegedly murdered her. Her brief time on Earth has touched the hearts of many. Here is a video tribute to Taegen someone made that I wanted to share.
Rest In Peace, "Lil' Butterfly". Justice will come soon.

Plane Nuts

Within the next week, I will be boarding an airplane headed to Las Vegas to celebrate my 15th wedding anniversary. I've never been there before, so it should be an interesting trip. Other than the usual pre-boarding stuff, I am hoping for an uneventful flight. I just want to get on the plane, go to Vegas. When our stay is over, I want to get on the plane, and go back home. That's how I'm hoping

Lives Forever Changed

I wanted to share this video with my readers who share my passion for the rights of children, and the fight against child abuse.


Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Dear Lilliana: Children And Pets Are NOT Game Pieces!

I'm a little hostile this morning, but that's because I get sick of hearing about women who are willing to put their children (and in this case, a pet, too) in harm's way, all because a man wants to leave them.


A puppy is dead after Maricopa County sheriff's deputies said a woman arguing with her boyfriend tried to keep him from driving away by placing her children at either end of his moving

Excuses, Excuses

You hear it all the time- from serial killers, child molesters, murderers.

The excuses.

'I came from a broken home'; 'I was high on drugs'; 'I was molested'; 'I had a rough childhood'.

'I was abused' .

While I believe that children learn by example, I also believe that when you reach adulthood, you have a choice as to whether or not you are going to allow yourself to repeat that past. I know

Updates

I have several updates on several different cases that I have been blogging about.

The Ariana and Tyler Payne Case

The autopsy report regarding the death of Ariana Payne showed injuries that happened before her death. A broken shoulder, several broken ribs, and a fractured vertebrae. More details about how Christopher Payne gained access to the storage locker where Ariana's body was found and

Answering Ken

There are times when I have to wait a few days before writing about a story. The reason being because I have to wait and calm down long enough so I can get my thoughts down, with a reasonable amount of coherency. Otherwise, it sounds like rambling.

Anyone that knows me, knows that the protection of our children is very important to me. So, when I read about people, agencies, and such that are "

Guadalupe Antonio Chavez

While searching for more information about the Cynthia Tureman case, I came across this story about Guadalupe Antonio Chavez.

Chavez, age 36, is a registered sex offender, a Level 3 sex offender, in fact--the highest level. Chavez should have been at his Apache Junction, Arizona address; but he wasn't. He was in Scottsdale, living with his girlfriend and her two children-one of which was an 11-

11 Days

When Reina Gonzales, alleged child abuser in connection with the Ariana and Tyler Payne case, was released from jail on April 20th, she had to meet several conditions or face going back to jail. One of those conditions was that she had to meet with a Pretrial Services officer every Friday. Gonzales' attorney argued that she was not a flight risk and had long standing ties to the Tucson area. So,

Cynthia Tureman-Not Your Typical Baby Abandonment Case?

When I think of cases where young women dump their newborn babies, I think of a young teenage girl who thought she was in love, had sex, and caught up in the moment-became pregnant. Suddenly, the one she thought loved her wants nothing to do with her; he doesn't even think the kid is his. Scared, alone, unable to tell her parents because of fear-she does the unthinkable-she delivers the child and

More Questions Than Answers

Whenever I read or hear about crimes against children by the hands of their parents, the questions immediately start flooding in. Particularly, when it's the mother accused of the crime. I ask myself, "How could someone carry around a child for nine months, experiencing the wonders of pregnancy, preparing for the arrival--how could they do such a thing?"

I still don't know the answer, and I

A New Search

The Tucson Police Department is once again searching the Los Reales Landfill for the remains of five-year-old Tyler Payne. The new search is based on a tip they received that he was put in a dumpster at the U-Store-It storage facility, where his sister Ariana Payne was found decomposing in a plastic tub in one of the units.

I am praying that they are able to find Tyler so that his family can

Marsh Madness

Yet another stellar example of why I am losing faith in the human race is Diane Marsh. However, there are two people that would probably consider Marsh a humanitarian, or their hero of sorts. What a kind woman, she takes in homeless people. She took in Flower Tompson and her common-law husband, Mark Moss.

Too bad Marsh didn't have the same consideration for her five-year-old son, Brandon

The Payne(ful) truth

Sometimes what you hope for and what you really feel with your heart treads a very thin line. The case of Ariana and Tyler Payne, is a perfect example. I've said before that as much as I hope Tyler Payne is found alive and safe, I know deep down it's very unlikely. Apparently, a Pima County grand jury felt the same. Christopher Payne was indicted yesterday by the grand jury on 2 counts of first