The story of a 9-year-old girl in Alabama who died after allegedly being forced to run for three hours as punishment for lying to her grandmother will likely leave you raging mad or speechless or wondering how in the world evil monsters like this should be allowed to mix in with normal members of society and procreate. Or maybe even all of the above.
According to witnesses, little Savannah Hardin was told to run laps around the yard and not allowed to stop for three hours on Friday. Her stepmother called 911 because she began seizing and then became unresponsive; she died days later allegedly from dehydration and low sodium levels.
Right about now, I'd bet good money that you're wondering what this little girl could have possibly done to warrant such a severe punishment, and you won't believe it when you hear it ...
She ate candy bars on the school bus. Oh, the horror.
But wait. The story gets even more infuriating. Hardin's grandmother and stepmother offered us this baseless defense as to why her "punishment" -- I'm more inclined to call it "torture" -- was so harsh: Because Savannah had a bladder condition and eating chocolate caused health problems for her, they were worried she would hurt herself.
And yet they would force her to run around the yard for hours with no water because THAT is a safe and healthy activity?
I hate to say it because this story is so very sad and tragic, but you've got to wonder if Savannah is better off now. Obviously, these women are cruel and incredibly dumb and have no business taking care of a child. (Savannah has a father, but he was working overseas.) To be forced to live under the "care" of these women who can't tell the difference between abuse and discipline, yeah, I can't imagine that's any kind of life.
As for the grandmother and stepmom, they're in jail facing murder charges. Hopefully, a long, long stint behind bars is in their future ... although I can actually think of a more appropriate punishment.
Do you think the grandmother and stepmother are guilty of murder?
Image via Etowah County Sheriff's Office
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Comments 362
I just read this on Yahoo before you posted it - SO sad. And where was the father? And the bio mother? The article didn't state much on them just that the father filed for divorce 2 years ago b/c the mom was looney - and then it got retracted. Feel horrible for that baby girl. And that Grandmother looks horrifically scary.
Of course this was (murder that is)! This was the first news story I saw this morning when I turned my computer on and its stories like this that make it so I never want to read the news sites again. They can claim they did this for her own good, but that's such a lie. This was torture, plain and simple from people who can't put control into their pathetic lives so they feel the need to inflict pain on innocent children.
And on another note, the article I read talked about a boy who attended school with the little girl. He had just given her a valentine a week ago, the boy's grandmother recounted while in tears, and wanted the girl to be his 'girlfriend' to which the girl happily said yes to.
so incredibly sad.
it says her father was working overseas...but i wonder too where her real mother is....
very very sad :( i agree with smallfryes...torture, plain and simple
I think instead of sitting in a comfortable luxury prison these women should be forced to run in the hot sun until they drop dead.
They seriously need to start doing home studies before they let people pass on their DNA. Poor kid the only thing she did wrong is being born into a dysfunctional family and then to have the step mom in on this also??? I hope they throw away the key on these two. So sad and criminal!!! I bet there's drugs involved. No one in their right mind would do this.