Vegan couple starve baby, sentenced to life
The couple felt a diet of no fat, consisting mostly of soy milk and apple juice, was enough to sustain a baby. There’s a reason why breast milk has such a high concentration of fat, carbs and protein. It’s required for the baby to survive and grow.
What shocks me the most is…it sounds like the baby has never seen a hospital. Their son, Crown Shakur, was born at home. He was malnourished his whole life until he finally died at 6 weeks old.
Not knowing what this baby’s birth weight was, I can only wonder if he never grew or if his birth weight was higher than his 3 1/2 lbs at the time of death. I can’t imagine he was ever smaller than 3 1/2 lbs.
It’s appalling that parents with such a noticeably underweight child wouldn’t take their own son in to get medical attention sooner. And why were there no friends or family that noticed?
Lately it seems like there are too many people that receive light sentencing. I for one am glad this couple received a life sentence.
The news of this couple has been all over in the media recently. Many PBB tippers have been madly forwarding all the articles to me, more so than normal.
I can only assume this story has deeply touched us all for so many people to be so passionate about it. Maybe it’s because we all know people with a Vegan diet? I dunno… tell me your thoughts…
Tags: diet, jade-sanders, lamont-thomas, malnourishment, vegan, vegetarianRelated Stories
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36 opinions for Vegan couple starve baby, sentenced to life
Amber
May 10, 2007 at 3:17 pm
uuuummmmm….Can you tell my why soy based formula was out of the question?? You would think that would have been monumentaly more nutritious. Poor baby. Can we save a few taxpayer dollars by starving these two to death??
Meg
May 10, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Those “parents” are insane…what a couple of nuts…the poor baby…I wonder why she didn’t breast feed?
Tamera
May 11, 2007 at 5:19 am
Why the hell didn’t she breastfeed?!?!
NIKKI
May 11, 2007 at 5:26 am
HELP ME OUT HERE…I don’t understand. Was mom breast feeding? and to give a baby apple juice at such a young age is bad for his digestive system! Babies need the extra “fat” for their brains up until age 5. After that u can put them on low fat or less fat milk and such. My kids drink 2% milk only. but not until after 5. If mom was breast feeding properly her milk would’ve been sufficient even with her diet. God made us that way. Unless mom lives in a famine stricken area. My parents were vegetarian. And we did well. We ate pretty good. Our protein came from nuts and eggs. Our mom made this “protein burgers” from a box. They were pretty good. I think som ppl start things without full knowledge!
Stephanie
May 11, 2007 at 5:28 am
Soy formula is plenty nutritious so there has to be more to it. My friend’s son is lactose intolerant and could not breastfeed nor take regular formula and was on a strict soy formula diet throughout his infancy. He is smaller and thinner than most kids his age (but his daddy is a small man too)but he is a perfectly healthy child otherwise. For an infant to literally starve to death it has to be more along the lines of neglect than a strictly soy formula diet. These two parents are total pieces of shit and I hope they burn in hell….. this has nothing to do with being vegans…. this has to do with bad parenting. That poor, poor little boy.
Stephanie
May 11, 2007 at 5:29 am
Soy formula is plenty nutritious so there has to be more to it. My friend’s son is lactose intolerant and could not breastfeed nor take regular formula and was on a strict soy formula diet throughout his infancy. He is smaller and thinner than most kids his age (but his daddy is a small man too)but he is a perfectly healthy child otherwise. For an infant to literally starve to death it has to be more along the lines of neglect than a strictly soy formula diet. These two parents are total pieces of shit and I hope they burn in hell….. this has nothing to do with being vegans…. this has to do with bad parenting. That poor, poor little boy. God rest his soul.
Mysticalchick79
May 11, 2007 at 7:58 am
Nothing in the above post led me to believe they were feeding the baby soy formula - which is carefully fashioned to provide the baby with the fats and nutrients needed in a form that the baby can digest. I am under the impression that this couple were feeding their baby with soy MILK - as in 8 Continent or the like.
Negligence ( ignorance? ) Either way, this couple failed this baby on so many levels and from the beginning. I also have to wonder about what kind of issues the baby might have had from birth - perhaps IUGR or prematurity…
sarah
May 11, 2007 at 8:13 am
Soy formula does contain ingredients derived from animal products, so many vegans are hesitant to use it. And maybe the parents were so against the use of animal products that even the mother’s breastmilk fell into that category. Crazy.
There are some vegans out there who really understand what they’re doing and how to make good nutritional choices. But there are a lot of stupid people in the world. Most of the “vegans” I know don’t seem particularly healthy - dull skin, hair, etc. They eat a lot of candy and processed crap, because preparing food that is both nutritious and animal-free takes a great deal of time and planning. When people who can’t properly care for themselves on a vegan diet impose their lifestyle on their children, the children will suffer.
NIKKI
May 11, 2007 at 8:14 am
mystical, I read a report that said the baby was born prematurely in the grandparent’s bathtub. The chose to have the baby at home. I don’t know how premature he was. From what I have read…. They were just NOT prepared to take care of this baby. One of the grandmothers said they were afraid of hospital germs and did not know about a midwife or doula. Their Ignorance killed the baby. I read another report that stated the dad is now dying the same way. WOW is all I have to say. The Lord moves in mysterious ways! Whatever a man soweth THAT shall he also reap! Be careful of what your THAT is!!!
Robot B9
May 11, 2007 at 11:05 am
This is what happens when people truly believe more in magic/religion then in the reality of science and nutrition.
Laura
May 11, 2007 at 11:21 am
I the couple used organic soy formula in the first place maybe the baby would be alive. Did you see the baby. He was skin and bones,and if a parent can’t see that the baby is looking unhealthy,come on parents. And the other picture of his birth he looked premature,very tiny. Never went to a hospital.
karen1066
May 11, 2007 at 11:36 am
as far as a child needing fat in their milk until they’re 5 years old isn’t necessarily true. my pediatrician recommends 2% or fat free skim after two years old. they still get the calcium they need and receive the rest of the needed calories and nutrition from solid food at that point. i guess it’s up to each pediatrician. i also didn’t read anything about soy formula…probably soy milk. could be the infant couldn’t tolerate it and was definitely not getting the nutrition he need. very very sad.
Mysticalchick79
May 11, 2007 at 1:02 pm
The reason i bring up the prematurity/IUGR is because my youngest child was 7wks early and was IUGR. I know how hard it was, and still is, to keep her weight going in the right direction… and that is with a dietician helping us try and get her growing with the right balance of food!
This baby never had a fighting chance… how very sad.
kate
May 12, 2007 at 1:01 am
This story is incredibly sad. I can’t understand what possesses two adults to stand by and watch a baby literally starve to death and do nothing. That said… Catfish…. that is without a doubt the most bizarre wish I have come across in my 29 years… drinking penis’ and vaginas, even in a milk shake… um not sounding too appealing…
SageMother
May 12, 2007 at 10:17 am
Soy milk isn’t the same as soy formula and this entry is using the term “soy milk”.
A mom of four, so far
May 12, 2007 at 1:37 pm
These people give homebirthers and vegans a bad name. We are not vegans, but all the ones I have met that have children have children that are doing just fine. Most of them breastfeed their babies. This must be extremism. How far off the common sense tree does one have to fall and how many branches do you have to hit on the way down to come to the conclusion that HUMAN breastmilk is an “animal product”? Seriously.
And if you cannot breastfeed and you don’t want your child to have dairy, that is what soy formula is for. Also, we don’t give my autistic dd any dairy; she drinks Silk Soymilk and Almond Breeze Almond Milk on her cereal and in her cups and EVERY BOX of soymilk and almond milk I have in my house says on the side that it is NOT to be used as baby formula, so I don’t know how they can claim ignorance to that one.
Also, three of my four children were born at home with midwives, but we knew their birthweights because homebirth midwives carry a baby scale as well as equipment needed if there is a problem with the birth.
I also had my last child lose quite a bit of weight (like 3 lbs in a month) around four months of age before we realized that she was not thriving anymore and my breastmilk had dried up. She got fussier around four months, but I just thought she was teething; I didn’t realize she was losing weight because it was so gradual. She didn’t look like an Ethiopian child or anything, but looking back in pictures her arms were starting to get quite thin. We put her on formula once we discovered the problem and she fattened right back up and caught up where she left off, so it IS possible to have a baby lose weight (and a pretty drastic amount) without really seeing it for awhile. But I agree that 3 1/2 lbs. at six weeks is totally ridiculous; that child must have had every bone in his body visible. I don’t know how you could miss THAT. Sickening.
Alicia
May 12, 2007 at 1:46 pm
I am not condoning what these people did, but they were first-time parents, we all remember how scary that was. When my son was a week old, I had to take him into the emergency room. It turns out, he had lost about a pound, he was down to 5.5 pounds. I was attempting to do what I thought was best for my son by breastfeeding him 100%, and I didn’t realize that he was hardly getting any of my milk. So, these parents should have known that something was wrong, but I don’t think they deserve life in prison… I think they should be punished, but malice murder, I honestly don’t think that they did this with the intent to murder this little angel.
A mom of four, so far
May 12, 2007 at 2:20 pm
((HUGS))) Alicia, my fourth child who lost a ton of weight was also being exclusively breastfed. Mind you, I was NOT a first-time mom when she was losing weight yet she still lost quite a bit before I finally woke up to what was wrong with her (I just thought she was teething or colicky). I did think she looked on the small side, but all my children are on the small side. She lost enough that she fell of the curve for awhile and was considered failure to thrive until I put her on formula and she gained weight again. We went through doctor’s visits every week and the like; it was such an awful time. I look back at her Christmas pictures and it just makes me totally heartsick that I didn’t see what the problem was and she suffered for so long. I never thought to check and see if my milk supply was low because I exclusively breastfed my other three children and never had ANY issues with them thriving or gaining weight. My daughter is doing just fine now; at 9 months old she weighs 16 lbs., 1 oz. and is 26 inches long and she is crawling all over the place and pulling up on everything. So she is still small, but no longer considered failure to thrive. I just saw her ped on Thursday and she is so pleased with her weight that I don’t have to come back in until she is a year (she was going in weekly for awhile, then monthly, for extra weight checks).
HOWEVER….
This case is COMPLETELY different. They were not breastfeeding and they were feeding their baby a liquid where it SAYS ON THE CONTAINER that you are not supposed to use it as a substitute for baby formula. I know because like I said, one of my older kids drinks soy and almond milks and on ALL the containers it says not to use it as a formula substitute. I also wonder where they got the idea to use apple juice.
If she could not breastfeed they should have consulted a doctor or another professional to help them choose a formula for their baby instead of “winging it” and making their own. I know that back in the day people used to make baby formula all the time out of whatever was in the cupboard and babies did just fine, but some did not do fine. In this day and age, with all the commercial formulas available that have been tried and tested, there is no need to try and make your own. I wouldn’t dream of it.
An old friend of Jade Sanders
May 12, 2007 at 2:26 pm
It hurts me deeply to know that someone who I grew up with and was soooo close to could make such a stupid decision/ mistake or whatever. By the looks of the baby’s pics, how could one not know that their child was starving and dying. WTF? Where is the common sense? I personally don’t believe in subjecting children to all of my beliefs because they should have the opportunity to decide whether or not they want to be a vegan on their own. And Jade is a follower, she wasn’t a vegan for all the years I knew her but when she moved to the South she got brand new. The reality of this whole situation saddens me to no end.
A mom of four, so far
May 12, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Here are a few other weird vegan cases where for some reasons the parents did not breastfeed the baby. I remember hearing about these in the media a few years ago.
This one was in New York a few years ago; amazingly the baby girl, whose name was Ice, survived. When she was found she only weighed 10 lbs. at 15 months and was too weak to even cry.
http://www.courttv.com/trials/swinton/040103_ctv.html
This one happened in Florida, for some reason these people were feeding their baby wheatgrass juice and coconut oil and she died at 6 months weighing just under 7 lbs.
http://www.courttv.com/trials/andressohn/101805_background_ctv.html
A mom of four, so far
May 12, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Where are you all seeing pictures of their baby? I couldn’t see any photos of him in the news stories.
Lisa
May 12, 2007 at 10:24 pm
My daughter is 10 lbs. 7 oz. at 6 weeks old (last Thursday), so explain to me how anyone can think that 3 and a half pounds is a healthy weight for a newborn, much less a 6 week old baby? I believe we should be allowed to raise our children in any way we see fit, unless it involves abuse or neglect. This is without a doubt neglect. You can make any excuses you want for these monsters (first time parents, vegans, or plain stupidity), but none of them cut it. Nothing can be said for parents who watch their child suffer and do not seek help for him in one of the most developed nations in the world. I’ve said it before and will say it again, these “parents” are why we have ‘gator filled swamps.
Michelle G.
May 14, 2007 at 6:54 am
This is not a vegan issue nor a homebirthing issue, but rather one of incredible ignorance and probably extremely low intelligence. Almost all lifestyle vegans breastfeed and are educated people. There was no food in that house, the cupboards were totally bare - their assertions of being “vegan” are irrelevant, in fact it was probably an excuse. They are just really stupid and maybe involved in a religious cult like the one that clamined a couple of babies a few years ago whose parents were told to feed them only almond milk.
LaTasha
May 15, 2007 at 6:07 am
I too grew up with Jade in Connecticut and when I first heard the news I was surprised to hear what she was in jail for. Back a couple of years when she first moved to ATL and her and Lamont we’re together I thought that he was rather strange. Then in 2004 my other friend told me they had a child, and all I could think was poor child. They both seemed a little off, and when Jade was in Connecticut she was always a follower. But, who am I to judge, they shall both meet their ultimate judgment in the end.
Katie
May 16, 2007 at 7:00 am
I would have to agree. These people are STUPID. Just one more case of idiots thinking they can parent. I love stories about people who have children and then stop parenting after they’ve given birth, as if that’s all they have to do. It happens way too often in our society, and I wish there was some way to educate people further on how to be functional human beings. You should have to pass some sort of serious test before being allowed to parent. For God’s sake!!! These people are delusional! They had no business whatsoever having a child.
NIKKI
May 16, 2007 at 9:07 am
MOM OF FOUR, I had a preemie in 93. She was 4lb 9oz. Once she came off the vent and feeding tube (nasal/gastric) I only breastfed her. I would pump and pump and bring my milk to the hospital. They told me that because she was tiny that she burned up more calories than she was consuming= weight loss. They used my milk but put it in a bottle that way she did not have to work as hard. This happened IN the hospital. So I too know what it’s like to have a baby that loses weight. When she came home I had to go to weekly weight checks. I kept pumping and using the bottle. She was just not getting enough calories. I started to supplement and that’s when we found out about the lactose intolerance. We tried soo many different formulas. Eventually we had to use a pre- digested formula. I stank to high heaven! But she started to get fat. (baby fat Cute fat) And it was 8 dollars a can and she drank 1 and 1/2 cans a day! This was back in 93-94. We used that for 6 months and started to introduce foods and she was able to go to soy milk. Bottom line is you do what you have to for your child’s health and safety. I was grossed out by the “pre-digested” thing. I would always wonder who digested before her!! Haha My mind can come up with some crazy stuff!! I just knew that she had beaten the odds and fought so hard just to live and I was not going to let her down!!
NIKKI
May 16, 2007 at 9:11 am
oh, I forgot to ask….If she,Jada, were truly vegan …..why did she believe her breastmilk had animal products? Maybe sneeking a burger when Lamont wasn’t looking? He looks wasted (like wasting away) But she does not.
NIKKI
May 16, 2007 at 10:51 am
mom of four, i linked to those other stories and the swintons have been released. They did three years. They are reunited with their kids and now know how to feed them. Thank God their daughter didnt die and the son was a new born so he was still ok. Her parents took the kids while they were in prison. In these situations, it’s hard to decide. After reading mom’s testimony she thought they were doing the right thing for their baby. These parents (SWINTONS) made their baby’s formula with nuts and herbs and something else. So they tried. The father’s face was slashed and he needed 51 stictches in his his face and I think 19 on his neck. i have made parenting mistakes and I would not want to be slashed in the face for making mistakes. It’s crazy. I don’t know
Incognito
May 17, 2007 at 2:42 pm
The mother did claim she was breastfeeding and giving the child soyformula. Whether this is true who knows. I think the main issue, though, is that they did NOT deserve a life sentence. The average jail sentence for people who have tortured and murdered their children is 11 years. Life sentence for ‘ignorance’ is very extreme. That’s why people should have to take parenting and nutrition classes when they are pregnant.
I wouldn’t know what a normal weight for a 6 week old would be, and they apparently said the baby was born prematurely.
Who knows what the true story is, and that’s what is shameful, people jumping to conclusions without knowing.
Mom of four, so far...
May 22, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Nikki, thanks for the update on Ice Swinton. I post on a message board for homebirthers, natural parenting, etc., and I can remember way back in 2001 (my first child was a baby then) someone on that board posted a link to the story about baby Ice. I remember reading quotes from the father, how he was upset that she was starting to get fat in foster care. I can remember the other moms on the message board saying that the guy was delusional and there was no way that these people would ever see their daughter again.
I do agree that they were probably a bit extreme and the father was probably a bit delusional; that is sad, really, that he got his face slashed. I know when I read about her case a few years ago and read the quotes from the father I felt almost as bad for him as the baby girl; I thought “He really DOES love her, he just refuses to see that what they are doing is hurting her.” I agree that being TRULY delusional and ignorant is different than just not caring or willfully hurting your child because you cannot control your temper. I hear about the latter and I want to fry them, I hear about the former and it just makes me sad, if you KWIM.
Mom of four, so far...
May 22, 2007 at 10:38 pm
Sorry, meant to say I hear about the former and feel sorry (the delusional and ignorant) and I hear about the latter (the not caring and parents who willfully hurt their children) and I want THEM to fry, if you KWIM!
Jennifer
May 30, 2007 at 6:57 am
The “boob nazis” jumped all over this case gleefully, but they never mention that the child WAS fed breast milk, if not for a short while. Personally, I think their story is complete shit and that they starved their child to death for whatever sick reasons they had in their minds. If your baby is smaller than when s/he was born, something is WRONG, dumb asses!
Jennifer
May 30, 2007 at 6:58 am
Quick note: I wasn’t trying to use the word “nazi” as a slur; I’ve heard rabid breastfeeding mothers (the kind who accost you in public if they see you buying formula) call themselves “boob nazis”. Ho-kay.
Becky
Jul 10, 2007 at 11:29 am
THEY MAKE SOY FORMULA!!! THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS!
christine
Jul 12, 2007 at 1:59 am
what about the grandparents that were mentioned why didnt they intervene and help this poor child …it is common sense you cannot feed a newborn a vegan diet …all i can say is they both are stupid asses….and do not belong having anymore children
becca_xoxo_09
Dec 5, 2007 at 9:41 pm
I’m glad they’re in jail for life, they have time to think about what they did and maybe they will kill theirselves because of it. I sure as hell hope so…But I see it as eye for an eye…they should only get fed soy milk and apple juice for the rest of their pathetic lives.
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