Karen Davenport-Chandler
Davenport Found Guilty Of Involuntary Manslaughter In Daughter's Starvation Death; No Jail Time--$5,000 Fine:4:08 PM
Kathee Baird
8
Karen Davenport-Chandler
A woman from Rogers, Arkansas has been found guilty of second-degree involuntary manslaughter for starving her little girl to death.
A McDonald County jury found Karen Davenport-Chandler, 33, guilty after three days of testimony for the January 29, 2005, death of her 6 year-old daughter, Hannah.
Hannah was born with a birth defect, ectopic anus, that made it difficult for her to digest food and have bowel movements. Doctors ordered a special diet for the little girl that was ignored, and was a contributing factor in her death.
Davenport-Chandler testified that her daughter had reconstructive surgery in 2002 to correct her birth defect and that she treated her daughter with a fiber heavy diet and children's laxatives as prescribed by a doctor.
Hannah Davenport
Dr. Keith Norton, who performed the autopsy, testified that Hannah suffered from infections in her abdomen caused by a weakness in her colon that allowed bacteria from her stool to enter her abdominal cavity.
The defense's expert testified that the little girl could not have starved to death because her intestines were full of stool. Dr. Thomas Young said her body wasn't absorbing any nutrients from the food she was eating.
Norton said Hannah, who weighed 27 pounds and stood three and a half feet tall at the time of her death, died of malnutrition and dehydration. He said if she had received medical treatment shortly before her death she probablywould have lived.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Davenport-Chandler had seen at least nine doctors in the last two years of her daughters life, but failed to provide medical treatment for her critically ill daughter.
Leonard Davenport, Hannah's father, testified that he and his ex-wife were going to take the little girl to see a specialist in Kansas City but that the woman backed out because she didn't want her daughter treated as a constipation patient.
Linda Walsham, Davenport-Chandler's mother, was also facing the same charges. However, prosecutors dismissed them citing lack of evidence.
Davenport, who could have been sentenced to four years in prison for her daughter's death, was instead fined $5,000. Prosecutor Janice Durbin says she's satisfied with the outcome because Davenport is now a convicted felon.
Kathee Baird
8
Karen Davenport-Chandler
A woman from Rogers, Arkansas has been found guilty of second-degree involuntary manslaughter for starving her little girl to death.
A McDonald County jury found Karen Davenport-Chandler, 33, guilty after three days of testimony for the January 29, 2005, death of her 6 year-old daughter, Hannah.
Hannah was born with a birth defect, ectopic anus, that made it difficult for her to digest food and have bowel movements. Doctors ordered a special diet for the little girl that was ignored, and was a contributing factor in her death.
Davenport-Chandler testified that her daughter had reconstructive surgery in 2002 to correct her birth defect and that she treated her daughter with a fiber heavy diet and children's laxatives as prescribed by a doctor.
Hannah Davenport
Dr. Keith Norton, who performed the autopsy, testified that Hannah suffered from infections in her abdomen caused by a weakness in her colon that allowed bacteria from her stool to enter her abdominal cavity.
The defense's expert testified that the little girl could not have starved to death because her intestines were full of stool. Dr. Thomas Young said her body wasn't absorbing any nutrients from the food she was eating.
Norton said Hannah, who weighed 27 pounds and stood three and a half feet tall at the time of her death, died of malnutrition and dehydration. He said if she had received medical treatment shortly before her death she probablywould have lived.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Davenport-Chandler had seen at least nine doctors in the last two years of her daughters life, but failed to provide medical treatment for her critically ill daughter.
Leonard Davenport, Hannah's father, testified that he and his ex-wife were going to take the little girl to see a specialist in Kansas City but that the woman backed out because she didn't want her daughter treated as a constipation patient.
Linda Walsham, Davenport-Chandler's mother, was also facing the same charges. However, prosecutors dismissed them citing lack of evidence.
Davenport, who could have been sentenced to four years in prison for her daughter's death, was instead fined $5,000. Prosecutor Janice Durbin says she's satisfied with the outcome because Davenport is now a convicted felon.
Trial Dates Set For Mother And Grandmother Accused Of Starving Little Girl To Death
A mother accused of allegedly starving her 6 year-old daughter to death in 2005 is scheduled to go to trial on May 5, 2009, in McDonald County.
Karen Davenport, 32 was originally charged with involuntary manslaughter in 2005 starvation death of her daughter, Hannah, by former prosecutor, Steve Greeding.
However, after reviewing the case in 2007, Janice Durbin, Greeding'ssuccessor, dropped the manslaughter charge and replaced it with second degree murder.
Durbin also amended the charge to include failing to provide adequate medical treatment for the girl as an alternative charge in the case against Karen Davenport.
Durbin said that she filed the amended charge because, "I would like the jury to be able to deliberate every aspect of this case."
When Hannah Davenport was born she had a defect in her digestive tract that made it difficult for the toddler to have bowel movements or to digest many foods. She needed surgical intervention for the problem when she was two years old.
Investigators say that doctors ordered a special diet for the little girl that was ignored, and that that was a contributing factor in her death.
Dr. Keith Norton, a forensic pathologist in Springfield, testified that Hannah Davenport suffered from dehydration and bowel infections before she died.
He said if the little girl had received medical attention in what was to be her final days, or even hours, she may have lived.
Hannah was only three and a half feet tall, and weighed less than thirty pounds when she died.....the result of malnutrition and dehydration according to the medical examiner.
Hannah died from a perforated colon.
NOTE: Hannah Davenport's grandmother, Linda Walsham, is also charged with second degree murder in the little girls death. Her trial is set to begin two weeks after her daughter, Karen Davenport's, on May 14th.
https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/searchCases.do
07MC-CR00544-03 - ST V KAREN DAVENPORT
07MC-CR00547-01 - ST V LINDA WALSHAM
Hannah Renee Davenport
Hannah Renee Davenport
Dec. 20, 1998-Jan. 29, 2005
Hannah Renee Davenport, 6, of Anderson, Mo., departed this life Saturday, Jan. 29, 2005, in Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, Mo.
Hannah was born Dec. 20, 1998, in Fayetteville, Ark., the daughter of Leonard Ray and Karen Renee (Weible) Davenport. Hannah had a joyous spirit, and would often be found singing while playing with her brothers and friends. She greatly enjoyed her Strawberry Shortcake collection. Although Hannah's life on earth was short, the memories she created for us will live on in our hearts forever.
Hannah is survived by her mother, Karen Davenport of the home; her father, Lenny Davenport, and his wife, Christina, of Little Rock, Ark.; two brothers, Clay and Robby Davenport, both of the home; a step-brother, Dakota Davenport of Little Rock, Ark.; maternal grandmother, Linda Walsham of Anderson, Mo.; maternal grandfather, Robert Weible of the state of California; paternal grandmother, Mary Davenport of the state of Virginia; paternal grandfather, Gary H. Davenport of Little Rock, Ark.; maternal great-grandparents, John and Joann Stutts of Anderson, Mo.
Graveside funeral services are 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, 2005, in the New Bethel Cemetery west of Anderson, Mo., with Pastor David Munoz officiating.
Visitation will be on Thursday noon until 1:45 p.m. in the Ozark Funeral Home Chapel.
Arrangements are under the personal care and direction of the Ozark Funeral Home, of Anderson, Mo.
Dec. 20, 1998-Jan. 29, 2005
Hannah Renee Davenport, 6, of Anderson, Mo., departed this life Saturday, Jan. 29, 2005, in Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, Mo.
Hannah was born Dec. 20, 1998, in Fayetteville, Ark., the daughter of Leonard Ray and Karen Renee (Weible) Davenport. Hannah had a joyous spirit, and would often be found singing while playing with her brothers and friends. She greatly enjoyed her Strawberry Shortcake collection. Although Hannah's life on earth was short, the memories she created for us will live on in our hearts forever.
Hannah is survived by her mother, Karen Davenport of the home; her father, Lenny Davenport, and his wife, Christina, of Little Rock, Ark.; two brothers, Clay and Robby Davenport, both of the home; a step-brother, Dakota Davenport of Little Rock, Ark.; maternal grandmother, Linda Walsham of Anderson, Mo.; maternal grandfather, Robert Weible of the state of California; paternal grandmother, Mary Davenport of the state of Virginia; paternal grandfather, Gary H. Davenport of Little Rock, Ark.; maternal great-grandparents, John and Joann Stutts of Anderson, Mo.
Graveside funeral services are 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, 2005, in the New Bethel Cemetery west of Anderson, Mo., with Pastor David Munoz officiating.
Visitation will be on Thursday noon until 1:45 p.m. in the Ozark Funeral Home Chapel.
Arrangements are under the personal care and direction of the Ozark Funeral Home, of Anderson, Mo.