Posted on 12/15/2004 7:29:08 AM PST by Ellesu
The mother of murdered three year old Myia George will serve no time in prison, despite being ordered by a judge not to leave her daughter in the care of the man who killed her.
In September of 2003, Myia's mother, Melissa Turnage, left the toddler in the hands of Jessie White. Prosecutors say that's when White beat and sexually abused Myia. She died two days later in a hospital. White was convicted of Myia's death and is now serving a life sentence at Angola.
Thirty-one year old Turnage was charged with second degree cruelty to juveniles in connection with Myia's death. She faced a possible maximum 40 year prison sentence. Rather than jail time, Turnage will spend the next five years on probation. Judge Batiste suspended a five year prison sentence and ordered Turnage to serve 240 community service hours by sharing the story of her daughter's murder.
Judge Batiste told Turnage, quote: "It cannot be argued that the perpetrator of this crime was Jessie White, not you. I believe the memory of what happened to your child will haunt you for the rest of your life."
In making his decision, Judge Baptiste also took into account that Turnage was working two jobs to support her daughters. He also brought up the fact Turnage contacted the mother of Michell Sparks after authorities discovered the teenager dead in Pointe Coupee Parish.
Assistant District Attorney Becky Chustz says, "The last time she was told it was by Robin Free, so she was more than aware that Jessie White could cause harm to this child and was causing harm and yet, it didn't matter to her."
Chustz says she and District Attorney Ricky Ward suggested a 10 year prison sentence for Turnage. Chustz says they respect Judge Batiste's sentence, but strongly disagree.
February 7, 2004
Report says social workers warned mom to keep slain girl from man
PORT ALLEN - Prosecutors turned over a document to Melissa Turnage's defense attorney Friday describing how state social workers investigating alleged child abuse warned Turnage three times against leaving her two young daughters in the care of the man now charged with killing one of them.
Turnage, 30, 1590 Court St., Lot 12, is facing a second-degree cruelty to a juvenile charge for what prosecutors say was her role in the death of her 3-year-old daughter, Mya George.
An autopsy found that Mya died from blunt force trauma, the Sheriff's Office has said. The autopsy also revealed old and new signs of sexual assault.
Jesse White, Mya's stepgrandfather, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the case. Prosecutors said the girl was in White's care prior to her death.
White, 39, 4413 Raymond Labauve Road, Lot 36, had pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to the charge.
Turnage's other daughter, Rheanna Turnage, 6, died the week after Mya. An autopsy determined that Rheanna died from complications of pneumonia and diabetes. Rheanna also had Down syndrome.
Prosecutors handed over to Turnage's public defender, Jerome D'Aquila, a copy of the affidavit of probable cause in 18th Judicial District Court on Friday.
They let D'Aquila have the affidavit in reply to questions he raised about the alleged method used by Turnage to commit the crime of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile.
D'Aquila has said that state statutes for second-degree cruelty to a juvenile mention several methods that Turnage could be accused of using, including intentionally inflicting the injuries herself or being present while the child was hurt.
The affidavit states that Turnage was criminally negligent in the care and supervision of Mya, which resulted in Mya's death. The document states that Turnage "exhibited gross disregard for the welfare and supervision of her minor children."
The affidavit asserts that Turnage had three previously validated cases through the state Department of Social Services Office of Community Services for lack of supervision involving her children, Mya and Rheanna.
All of the cases involved White being the primary care giver at the time the children's injuries were sustained, and Turnage was advised not to leave the children in White's care, the affidavit states.
The first case occurred in September 1997, when Rheanna sustained a fracture to her upper leg while in White's care, the document says.
The second documented case occurred in April, when Mya sustained a subdural hematoma - a type of brain injury - while in White's care, the affidavit states.
The third case occurred in May, four months before Mya's death, when Mya sustained bruises and swelling to her face and numerous bruises to her mid-to-lower back and buttocks, according to the affidavit.
The Office of Community Service validated this case for a lack of supervision and physical abuse, the document states.
The children were taken into state custody. Upon their return, Turnage was told, as a condition of regaining custody of the children, that she not leave her daughters unsupervised in White's care, the affidavit says.
Mya was admitted to River West Medical Center in Plaquemine on Sept. 24, the affidavit says. She was unresponsive and severely beaten, the document states.
After being transported to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center's pediatric intensive care unit, Mya died Sept. 25 as a direct result of the trauma sustained to her head, the document says.
It says Mya was in the sole care and custody of White at his residence when she sustained the fatal injuries.
After court Friday, both Turnage and D'Aquila declined to discuss the allegations.
"We're going to do that in the courtroom," D'Aquila said. "I don't think it would be proper for me to discuss the evidence in any way."
Turnage is scheduled to stand trial June 28.
White, in court Thursday for a motion date, does not yet have a trial date. Physicians appointed to a sanity commission have found White able to proceed to trial, and he will be back in court in April.
He plead guilty and is serving life in prison at Angola.
A mother who would leave her child in the care of such a monster is the most pathetic creature on earth and not fit to live in our society. Can we bring back shunning, since she will receive no legal punishment?
My God this girl was three years old! This stuff makes me weary.
Yet she gets probation... Sad.
She's as guilty if not moreso. She was the first and only line of defense for her child. She failed.
As a side note, at least the second of the two stories appears to have been composed by a coherent writer. That TV station should consider leaving the news business to the others.
Two jobs or not, what mother in their right mind would leave a child is this slimeball's care? Poor little thing.
Better start shunning now. I can bet that's not the last child she'll ever have. This is one stupid woman.
Help me out here.
The mother is 30 and the step-grandfather is 39?
It's not entirely clear whether, as the judge asserts, this mother has a conscience to make her feel guilty.
In any case, that is a religious matter for the mother to deal with. Murder is a matter of justice, and justice should be done, whether or not the perpetrator repents.
Jessie white is my mothers brother (my uncle) and I hate what he did. If has been so many years now and to this day it disgraces me to no end. He deserves the punishment he has been issued!
Yeah... I was wondering the same thing.
Gotta love our modern "families."
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