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lilbay

Active Member
This warm and loving couple (as put by their neighbors anyway)
were sentenced to 22 years for their crimes.
The crime they committed,
Starving a child to death.

22 years??

I guess I just do not understand the law. The max they could have gotten was only 30 years??
So you can starve a kid to death and get nothing but 30 years??
Why is that possible?

Dennis was treated like a criminal — he was locked in his room; he was monitored when he had to use the bathroom. ... He never wore clothes except for Sundays and holidays,â€￾ said one of Dennis’ sisters, whose identity was being withheld at prosecutors’ request. “When he was adopted, Dennis had no scars or bruises, but they multiplied.â€￾ She recounted an incident when Dennis was punished by being made to walk up and down stairs until he passed out and fell back down them
to read rest of story
http://www.examiner.com/a-1347669~Harford_couple_sentenced_to_22_years_after_guilty_plea_in_son_s_starvation_death.html

Again can anyone explain why all they could be given was 30 years?
The things that they done to this kid explained in the link and quote above as well as the one below is just sick. I would not do that to a dog let alone a child.

the fact that these two "parents" forced the boys biological siblings who were also adopted into the home into playing a part not only in the cover up but in the actual confining of this little boy Their blood brother is sickening. i can not imagine having to live with that. i pray they get these kids therapy and that they can possibly find placement for them that is healthy and loving and emotionally stable.


Another sad fact is that and I am not coming down on homeschooling. However this kid may have been saved if they had laws in place here in Maryland (unsure what they are in other states) to check in on Homeschooled kids if nothing but every 6 months just come around check on the kids see the work they are doing.Than that likely will never happen because it would mean more caseworkers, more cases, and more money, and we know that ain't happening.

More on story here

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/harford/bal-md.ha.child18apr18,0,3881826.story


Notice how they have so much support from their neighbors who call them loving and supportive. Wow I am glad I do not live in that community. The fact that they have so many supporting them and went to court as character witnesses just amazes me.


Bay
 
Dennis was 3-foot-4-inches tall at his death, but weighed only 37 pounds, 2 pounds less than his weight when he was adopted at age 4.
:mad: I hate people like this. Why adopt to turn around and do something like this to the poor kid?
 
I wanted to have their pics in the thread:

nlueiv.jpg
2gv53pw.jpg


To add to the nausea quotient:

One by one, friends and co-workers stepped into the witness stand and told the judge how Samuel and Donna Merryman are very giving.

They talked of the loans the Whiteford couple, parents of seven children, made to those in need. How Samuel Merryman repaired homes and roofs, for free, for struggling or disabled families.

And when each witness was done, the prosecutor offered a reply: an autopsy photograph of the 8-year-old son who had starved to death. Dennis Gene Merryman's jawbones and cheekbones jutted from his face, and his ribs protruded from his skeletal body.
.
.
.
Yesterday, friends, family and church members packed the courtroom, some even waiting in the hallway, to testify about the couple's good deeds.

One witness, Joan Rineholt, talked about how she became friends with Donna Merryman at church.

"I wouldn't hesitate to have them sit with my kids if I had any young kids," she said.

Tobin asked the witnesses whether they noticed that Dennis wasn't growing. Some said Dennis had "looked fine." Others said they never realized that he wasn't growing because they "didn't pay attention to Dennis."


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/harford/bal-md.ha.child16apr16,0,2964318.story

Yeah, welcome to America, Dennis.
 
Sorry I was going to add them and forgot my password to photobucket and well got distracted while waiting for it.
thanks for adding

I also found it sickening that so many could look past their actions and speak on their behalf.
 
yea tinypic or imageshack.us are just simpler, you dont need no password...
 
22 years??

I guess I just do not understand the law. The max they could have gotten was only 30 years??
So you can starve a kid to death and get nothing but 30 years??
Why is that possible?

Because the boy was not a minority or an animal, and therefore did not have either NAACP, PETA, or ASPCA lobbying for stricter sentencing guidelines for such cases. It would have been better if the boy had been a golden retriever. The people would probably have been charged with many more offenses, and been sentenced on each of them to run consecutively, instead of concurrently. They probably would have spent the rest of their lives in jail. Because our legal system is FUCKED UP!:mad:
 
"The Merrymans adopted four siblings from Russia and brought them to their Harford County farm."

This couple spent approximately $100,000 for all 4 children to be adopted from Russia (I know people who have adopted from there and looked into it awhile back). So... wtf? They just ran out of money to feed the poor kid or what?
 
You said a mouthful Angel it truly is screwed up.

immortalone. They claimed not that it makes it right but this is their excuse.
The child had behavior issues and they were at the end of their rope.

Actually though I wish they would end up at the end of a rope after doing this to this child. It is sickening why not ask for help? They had these kids HELPING to do this that part really gets me too. I can just hear them trying to justify it :mad:
 
This warm and loving couple (as put by their neighbors anyway)
were sentenced to 22 years for their crimes.
The crime they committed,
Starving a child to death.

22 years??

I guess I just do not understand the law. The max they could have gotten was only 30 years??
So you can starve a kid to death and get nothing but 30 years??
Why is that possible?


to read rest of story
http://www.examiner.com/a-1347669~H...er_guilty_plea_in_son_s_starvation_death.html

Again can anyone explain why all they could be given was 30 years?
The things that they done to this kid explained in the link and quote above as well as the one below is just sick. I would not do that to a dog let alone a child.

the fact that these two "parents" forced the boys biological siblings who were also adopted into the home into playing a part not only in the cover up but in the actual confining of this little boy Their blood brother is sickening. i can not imagine having to live with that. i pray they get these kids therapy and that they can possibly find placement for them that is healthy and loving and emotionally stable.


Another sad fact is that and I am not coming down on homeschooling. However this kid may have been saved if they had laws in place here in Maryland (unsure what they are in other states) to check in on Homeschooled kids if nothing but every 6 months just come around check on the kids see the work they are doing.Than that likely will never happen because it would mean more caseworkers, more cases, and more money, and we know that ain't happening.

More on story here

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/harford/bal-md.ha.child18apr18,0,3881826.story


Notice how they have so much support from their neighbors who call them loving and supportive. Wow I am glad I do not live in that community. The fact that they have so many supporting them and went to court as character witnesses just amazes me.


Bay[/QUOTE it's been years since this horrific crime happened and as I look back and read the news articles about how neighbors and church members came to their defense. It really bothers me because I lived next door . We had four acres and they had six they had a pasture and we had a small woods that was in between our homes. I always felt something was off about their lifestyle. Donna had a way in passing at mail box to make you feel like she was a superior mother because she home schooled kids and went to church during week and weekends and taught Sunday school. My kids would be playing on swing set or in our yard and her kids were in pasture feeding all their animals . Reminded me of Noah's arc. Well her kids would meet my kids at fence and talk until their parents would yell at them. My daughter would invite girls over and they were never allowed over . I think maybe three times they were allowed to come play for maybe a hour. They always were eager for fruit snacks etc but wouldn't take any with them when I tried to send them goodie bag to take home and share with siblings. My daughter was invited to go to church with them a couple of time and I allowed her to until Donna made me uncomfortable about it. I was raised Lutheran and also exposed to Catholic growing up. My husband and I worked alot and then around time Dennis died my husband was diagnosed with cancer. He passed before they were sentenced. I always felt in my gut that something was off but because I only had interaction with two kids for short amount of time I didn't pick up on physical abuse. In no way did we ever or would have come to their defense.we lived in farming community and large farms were split among family members or sold . So the neighbors that supported the so called giving and loving couple were family members or in-laws close friends of their family or church members. I was shocked to read about the abuse not to mention the night Dennis died and we were plowing our driveway and saw all the sheriff cars there for hours . I didn't even know they had a nine year old son ! I feel the adoptions were for the disability checks they received after they adopted and brought home.I ask my self feeling guilty when I shouldn't but how do you live next to someone for twelve years and not know how they treat their kids. They were standoffish and we were busy raising our kids and working alot our time at home was gardening and spending time with our kids.I always told my husband I could never understand how she could home school and not give kids room to be social ! So this neighbor next door who wishes she knew something was happening could have known so we could have reported and helped the kids. In no way did we support them or talk highly of them
 
Okay, Demonetts, I reposted Smellissa's comment below because she is a visitor and didn't know how to use the site. She buried her comment in the reply section. All mistakes are her's, I just cut & pasted.

Smellissa said:

it's been years since this horrific crime happened and as I look back and read the news articles about how neighbors and church members came to their defense. It really bothers me because I lived next door . We had four acres and they had six they had a pasture and we had a small woods that was in between our homes. I always felt something was off about their lifestyle. Donna had a way in passing at mail box to make you feel like she was a superior mother because she home schooled kids and went to church during week and weekends and taught Sunday school. My kids would be playing on swing set or in our yard and her kids were in pasture feeding all their animals . Reminded me of Noah's arc. Well her kids would meet my kids at fence and talk until their parents would yell at them. My daughter would invite girls over and they were never allowed over . I think maybe three times they were allowed to come play for maybe a hour. They always were eager for fruit snacks etc but wouldn't take any with them when I tried to send them goodie bag to take home and share with siblings. My daughter was invited to go to church with them a couple of time and I allowed her to until Donna made me uncomfortable about it. I was raised Lutheran and also exposed to Catholic growing up. My husband and I worked alot and then around time Dennis died my husband was diagnosed with cancer. He passed before they were sentenced. I always felt in my gut that something was off but because I only had interaction with two kids for short amount of time I didn't pick up on physical abuse. In no way did we ever or would have come to their defense.we lived in farming community and large farms were split among family members or sold . So the neighbors that supported the so called giving and loving couple were family members or in-laws close friends of their family or church members. I was shocked to read about the abuse not to mention the night Dennis died and we were plowing our driveway and saw all the sheriff cars there for hours . I didn't even know they had a nine year old son ! I feel the adoptions were for the disability checks they received after they adopted and brought home.I ask my self feeling guilty when I shouldn't but how do you live next to someone for twelve years and not know how they treat their kids. They were standoffish and we were busy raising our kids and working alot our time at home was gardening and spending time with our kids.I always told my husband I could never understand how she could home school and not give kids room to be social ! So this neighbor next door who wishes she knew something was happening could have known so we could have reported and helped the kids. In no way did we support them or talk highly of them

End of Smelissa's comment.
 
And your point is ?
If she didn't know about the boy and wasn't one of the neighbors who surported them

I don't get it .
 
And your point is ?
If she didn't know about the boy and wasn't one of the neighbors who surported them

I don't get it .
Then move along.
Maybe the rest of us would like to engage with our new poster to gain some info.

You complain a lot about rude members and then you post this gem.
 
And your point is ?
If she didn't know about the boy and wasn't one of the neighbors who surported them

I don't get it .

She did live next door, though, so it has bothered her that she had no idea what was going on. She still feels like she should've known, feels really bad like we all do about this, and is looking for some sort of closure which is why she ended up here. I agree that you could've been more sympathetic. :hug:
 
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