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Couple Charged In Death Of Toddler By Python

Posted by Nick M., Jason M. at 8/24/2009 6:07:34 PM

Couple Charged In Death Of Toddler By Python

Posted: 5:27 pm EDT August 24, 2009Updated: 5:52 pm EDT August 24, 2009
SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. -- A Sumter County couple was booked into jail Monday afternoon for manslaughter, third-degree murder and child abuse in the death of 2-year-old Shiuanna Hare.

MUGS: See Mug Shots For Arrested Couple

The toddler was suffocated by an albino Burmese python in July. The reptile had slithered into the girl's crib at her home near the Oxford community.The decision was made to charge the child's mother, Jaren Hare, along with her boyfriend, Charles Darnell, because the snake was not properly secured.Both Hare and Darnell are being held on $35,000 bond.

Comments:

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Randy Middleton,	Posted At: 8/24/2009 6:22:16 PM
	im glad to see thats happening to the parents i just feel but about the little girl

vonnick52,	Posted At: 8/24/2009 6:27:05 PM
	This is outstanding. I am incredibly happy to see these people behind bars. Too bad we don't sterilize the morons when they go into jail as well.

Deborah D,	Posted At: 8/24/2009 6:27:46 PM
	Good riddens! Let them rot in jail :[ It's just a shame that it's more bad press for burms and pythons in general... poor husbandry, bad choices, and that's what gets televized. If I had a child there would certainly not be any large pythons in my home.

Meg Francoeur,	Posted At: 8/24/2009 6:41:19 PM
	I still don't think the snake killed that child. I'm betting big money the boyfriend did and got the snake to bite the kid to make it look that way. That snake was also waaay underfed. I understand the boyfried was busted for drugs the following week as well.

Jackie ,	Posted At: 8/24/2009 7:05:27 PM
	Children in home or not.... large pythons or snakes for that matter should be properly secured. I have a little one in my house with my large snakes but they are properly caged and are under lock and key.

Katie M,	Posted At: 8/24/2009 7:09:53 PM
	yeah, I don't think kids with large pythons are the problems... it's stupid people with large pythons PERIOD... it's the child that makes this story tragic. I live by myself, but everything over 7 foot is under lock and key - it just makes sense.

Ed ,	Posted At: 8/24/2009 7:12:50 PM
	I agree with Meg. Not only is it hard to believe an 8' python would even attempt to eat a child, the guy's story didn't make sense.

Jeff ,	Posted At: 8/24/2009 7:28:43 PM
	I agree with Jackie and Katie...lock and key minus the stupid people. It's no different than being responsible enough to buckle up the kids in the car. I also agree with Meg and I highly doubt that anyone would be able to convince me that the snake killed that poor child.

shellboa,	Posted At: 8/24/2009 8:27:05 PM
	Wow...I sure hope this gets a deeper investigation burm or no burm... My carpet pythons are under lock and key and my kid is 15, my boas are also locked down although not with a key. I don't have anything bigger. Most of the reason (besides local laws) for not having anything so big is how many people it really takes to handle one safely. My opinion is you should always have at least two but three is even better. Look at all of those pictures out there with ten people holding a huge python...I'm all for responsible keeping, it's just not for me. Stupid people just suck and to me this isn't much different than the woman who drowned her own damn kids then tried to blame a black guy...kill the kid then blame the bad ol snake.

Izzy,	Posted At: 8/24/2009 11:00:18 PM
	I, actually, have no problems believing that the python killed the baby. It was crawlin around the house, looking for food, came upon the babys crib, a very climbable object. So, it goes higher to take a better look-see and there's the todler in it's crib. Of course, what does every two year old do? get in the face of something it's curious about, this really cool lookin new toy that's introduced it's self to his crib. Now, if I'm a starving burm, and here's this great looking pinky... I'm thinkin I'm going to try and get it, because who knows when I'm going to get fed again. The truly sad thing is in all likelyhood if the records weren't private, i would bet money on the existance of prior neglect reports with local CPS. If it hadn't been the python, it would have been something else. The unfortunate truth appears to be that the python was just a unfortunate tool.

Kimberly Frazier,	Posted At: 8/25/2009 12:48:56 AM
	I am very happy to see something done with the two of them, they need to be held accountable for their actions/lack of actions in the care of the snake and the child. I have 5 children in my home, they may not be small children (youngest is 6) but I also have neices and nephews that are under 3. My snakes are locked in cages and there is a lock on the door. I think there is more to the story then we are being told, I mean my first thought was who sleeps that late with a baby in the house. I know mine never let me sleep that late until they could get their own ceral with out making a mess and I am still up by no later than 8 or 9. I am with you Izzy, I would bet money for the existance of CPS reports as well... I just feel sorry for the baby.

Ken ,	Posted At: 8/25/2009 1:18:28 AM
	Like I posted in the previous blogs about this subject there were other reports to child services so there's no speculation there. What everyone is missing about those charges is they got charged with third degree murder that means law enforcement knows that snake didn't kill that baby or they would have been charged with involuntary manslughter as opposed to man and murder 3

Jeff ,	Posted At: 8/25/2009 1:52:42 AM
	According to the article in the Orlando sentinel: Chief Assistant State Attorney Ric Ridgway said the manslaughter by culpable negligence charges reflect a "reckless disregard" that is criminal. The third-degree felony murder charge indicates "the death was not intended. You didn't set out to kill somebody, but it was the result of your behavior." http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-python-death-charges-082409,0,427820.story

Ken ,	Posted At: 8/25/2009 8:01:22 AM
	That is the extremely old school dfefinition of murder 3. "Killing that results from indifference or negligence" that hardly applies in courts nowadays and it's pretty much just a term for severity of the crime now. I assure you law enforcement knows more than they are leading on in this particular situation. There's either something they can't prove beyond a shadow of a doubt or they don't want to downplay the snakes part since it sparked such a political campaign.

Ken ,	Posted At: 8/25/2009 8:05:16 AM
	As a side note you can also get charged with murder 3 for shaking a baby to death. You didn't mean to kill it but it died resulting from something you did. So if there is evidence that they killed the baby accidentally they would still be charged with murder 3.

Ucowboy,	Posted At: 8/25/2009 8:56:56 AM
	Honestly I think the charges are a bit severe but warranted. The animal was not housed properly and anyone who thinks putting a snake in an aquarium with a quilt tied on top is proper needs to stay out of this hobby. The parents had numerous complaints with Social Services and just weeks prior to the accident were told by DFS to get rid of the snakes if they couldn't be housed properly. The "father figure" was a dope dealer and the mother not much better for allowing someone like that around her children.Negligence is negligence and if it results in the death of someone you should be charged. Also the parents sleeping till 10 am ....hmmm...if a child was bitten by a snake while awake wouldn't that child scream or cry? I guess if you are stoned out of your mind it wouldn't matter. I still don't buy that the snake killed the child. With all the lies that were told and misinformation given by the snakes owner I'm leaning towards coverup. He sold cocaine and they had to get a warrant to search the house for a snake the day of the incident....what parent wouldn't want it caught immediately and removed why did he make them get a warrant?

Ken ,	Posted At: 8/25/2009 9:10:10 AM
	Those charges aren't very severe really considering manslaughter and murder 3 are interchangeable and they can only be convicted of one or the other both carry about a 15 year max the child abuse another 5 max consider neither have violent past offenses they can plea out they'll be out most likely in say 10 or so years. I think a decade in prison for killing a baby is pretty lax.

John ,	Posted At: 8/25/2009 9:26:22 AM
	I'm really glad to see them charged. I hope they go to jail and really get what they deserve.

Anjeanette Porter,	Posted At: 8/25/2009 10:37:36 AM
	I just feel really bad for that baby. She was an innocent in a house full dummies! And she is the one that paid for their stupidity without a choice in the matter. :( I'm sure glad those adults were charged and put in jail. They deserve that and a lot more punishment.

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