Amanda Hamm Faces Judgment for Choosing Loser Boyfriend over Her Kids (UPDATED)
Holy hell! Did I go a whole day without updating?! Trust me, it wasn’t (sadly) for lack of material. When I attemped to log in late last night, I found that my password had been reset due to some…um, unpleasantness at b5media.
But I’m back in action now, and here to tell you about a case I’ve been meaning to write up since last week. Apparently, the new trend in child abuse is killing your children in order to pledge fealty to your loser boyfriend. We’ve already seen this go down in the case of Shalinda Glass. And if a jury comes back with a “guilty” verdict this week, we’ll be able to say the same thing about Amanda Hamm, a Decatur, Illinois mother of three. Well, a former mother of three: her sack-o’-shit boyfriend, Maurice LaGrone Jr., has already been convicted of murdering them by rolling the car they sat in into the lake, staging the scene to look like an “accident”. And prosecutors allege that Hamm was part of the conspiracy, choosing to kill her kids so that this scumbag wouldn’t leave her.
The victims in all of this? Six-year-old Christopher Hamm, three-year-old Austin Brown, and 23-month-old Kyleigh Hamm.
The jury’s still piecing together whether they believe Hamm had foreknowledge of the crime. I haven’t followed the case closely enough to declare one way or another. At the very least, this disgrace of a mother stuck by her boyfriend during the trilal, proclaiming the whole thing was a tragedy. She had to know beforehand what the prosecution knows: that LaGrone hated the kids and wanted them out of her life. The only question is, did she attempt to rescue her kids as they drown…or did she sit there, stone-faced, and watch them sink?
It’s too awful to contemplate. You’d like to think that no mother could do that to her kids. Unfortunately, regular readers of PBB know just how possible it is for some parents to do the unthinkable.
UPDATE: Commenter T asked why there were nine charges of murder, but only three kids. Here’s an elaboration of the indictment:
The charges accuse Hamm and Lagrone with three separate counts of murder for each of the three children. One count charges each with causing the death of each child, another accuses each of causing the car to go down the boat ramp knowing it would kill each child, and the third accuses each of causing the car to go down the ramp knowing that doing so created the strong probability of death for each of the children.
On another note, here’s a great article about the case that describes Hamm as a lifelong follower. Even Hamm’s mother has a hard time believing she’s innocent. Also, an officer testified that Hamm told him she knew the boyfriend was “planning an accident”, and that she asked to play with her kids one last time.
Ugh. Bitch.
(Hat tip: Diamond)
Tags: boyfriend, child, decatur, illinois, mother, murder, parentsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Uncategorized
20 opinions for Amanda Hamm Faces Judgment for Choosing Loser Boyfriend over Her Kids (UPDATED)
Aaron Brazell
Dec 12, 2006 at 1:09 pm
Sorry about that, Scott… :(
T
Dec 12, 2006 at 1:26 pm
Why are they charging her with nine counts of first degree murder, if only three people died? (See last link)
MissMommie
Dec 13, 2006 at 12:53 am
In the Case of Shalida Glass, I have found that she has been sentenced to LETHAL injection by decision of the jury. I certainly can think up a better punishment than that.
But in this case, I believe they should shove all that evidence in her face. The pictures, and autopsy of the poor dead children, and have some one get up in her face and explain how gruesomly it is to die by drowning. Death is already grotesque enough, She had no right to abandon her children like that. And Hope fully she might get Life in prison, where other moms and dads are ready and willing to drown her and her deadbeat asshole boyfriend.
Sorry, But I had to rant. This is rediculous!
As I say, Chaos Presumes its abnormal rounds in this world, with no stopping it.
Emari
Dec 13, 2006 at 7:13 pm
The charges accuse Hamm and Lagrone with three separate counts of murder for each of the three children. One count charges each with causing the death of each child, another accuses each of causing the car to go down the boat ramp knowing it would kill each child, and the third accuses each of causing the car to go down the ramp knowing that doing so created the strong probability of death for each of the children.
The technicalities of the law never cease to amaze me.
Sarah
Dec 13, 2006 at 8:46 pm
Amanda Hamm was found guilty yesterday of child endangerment and acquitted of the murders. She will be sentenced on feb 1 and could get anything from probation with time served to 20 years. Makes me sick. How can she live with herself?
not surprised
Dec 14, 2006 at 1:03 pm
If these baby killers keep getting off with ridiculous jury verdicts and sentences, why have a justice system? Oh yeah lawyers and judges will be out of jobs. When is the CJ community gonna grow some and start putting them away forever? Life and no parole is the least they should get…my God, certainly not probation!!!! Time already served? Get serious people!!!
I’m appalled by all of it. Microwaving newborns? Watching your kids roll to their drownings? Someone else said it right…..UUUGGGHHHH!
T
Dec 14, 2006 at 2:29 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised if the jury acquitted her simply because they didn’t like the idea of trying her for three counts of murder for each kid.
Stephanie
Dec 20, 2006 at 1:08 pm
Family Starts Petition to Call for Maximum Sentence
Dated: 12/20/2006 6:45:11 AM Updated: 12/20/2006 09:49:50 AM
The family of the three children who drowned in Clinton Lake is using an online petition to call for a stiff sentence for their mother.
Amanda Hamm was convicted of child endangerment earlier this month.
By law that means she’s innocent of first degree murder.
A family member says they started the petition asking for the maximum sentence.
Early Wednesday morning, it had nearly 200 signatures.
The family plans to give it to the judge about a week before the sentencing, which is scheduled for February first.
Hamm faces up to 20 years in prison.
LETS ALL SIGN THIS PETITION!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/For_Christopher_Austin_Kyleigh/
not surprised
Dec 21, 2006 at 8:41 am
I am curious how the jury came to it’s decison and apparently they are not talking. Was it the possibility she claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse?
I am a survivor of domestic abuse, and am insulted if the jury used this possibility to form their decison concerning the verdict.
Hopefully the Judge has the authority to overturn the jury verdict and impose his own sentence. Or would that mean another trial? Still, the Max 20 years is not adequate for what she allowed to transpire. Especially in light that she could be freed in as little as 7 years!
How can the families of those chidren ever have another Merry Christmas?
Outraged in St. Louis
Stormblast
Dec 23, 2006 at 9:21 pm
I posted this story from http://www.courttv.com under my myspace blogs because I thought it was very disturbing. How can a mother (and I use the term loosely) choose a man over her own kids? This is posted on my blog along with other blogs entitled “More Dicktards Who Should Not Be Allowed to Procreate” parts I and II. These people fuckin’ make me sick!
anita
Jan 5, 2007 at 10:32 am
She should be given a hysterectomy.
Kelly
Feb 1, 2007 at 4:30 pm
I live in Central Illinois and she was just sentenced today to 10 years in prison. In Illinois, in most cases inmates serve 50% of their sentences, which with time served she will more than likely be out in under 2 years. I have spent many years working in the criminal justice and have never seen such a miscarriage of justice. The boyfriend was found guilty of Murder and sentenced to life in prison, which was an appropriate sentence for this offense. If he is quilty of Murder there is no way she should have been convicted of anything less.
Amanda Hamm Update: Mom Gets Light Sentence - from Parents Behaving Badly by Jay Andrew Allen
Feb 1, 2007 at 4:46 pm
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Stephanie
Feb 2, 2007 at 10:37 am
Amanda Hamm will only have to serve 14 month in IDOC. Because of time served in the County Jail and then day for day good time, her 10 year sentence ended up being 14month. Where is the justice? I did hear today that the father’s of her babies were going to file a wrongful death suite against her. We will just have to watch and see what happens. IN a few days you will be able to find Amanda on this IDOC web site:
Illinois Department of Corrections - Inmate Search
This all just really saddens me!
Stephanie
Feb 2, 2007 at 10:38 am
Amanda Hamm will only have to serve 14 month in IDOC. Because of time served in the County Jail and then day for day good time, her 10 year sentence ended up being 14month. Where is the justice? I did hear today that the father’s of her babies were going to file a wrongful death suite against her. We will just have to watch and see what happens. IN a few days you will be able to find Amanda on this IDOC web site:
Amanda Hamm will only have to serve 14 month in IDOC. Because of time served in the County Jail and then day for day good time, her 10 year sentence ended up being 14month. Where is the justice? I did hear today that the father’s of her babies were going to file a wrongful death suite against her. We will just have to watch and see what happens. IN a few days you will be able to find Amanda on this IDOC web site:
http://www.idoc.state.il.us/subsections/search/default.asp
This all just really saddens me!
This all just really saddens me!
K. Sommers
Feb 4, 2007 at 9:16 am
Please don’t believe everything you read in the news… there is always another perspective. Visit http://www.relativetruth.org for short (9 minute) film in progress and blog.
Betty
Feb 6, 2007 at 7:28 pm
Looking for information and found it at this great site…
Jairo
Feb 12, 2007 at 1:00 pm
hi nice post, i enjoyed it
Guillermo
Feb 12, 2007 at 1:26 pm
hi i enjoyed the read
rockdoll_71
Dec 3, 2007 at 3:40 am
This is just disgusting. Another Susan Smith dumb bitch who would rather have a fucking boyfriend than her precious children. God, I hate dumb bitches like that!!
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