At Least They Didn't Get The Death Penalty For Murdering The 3 Year Old Black Girl From Detroit, Then This Murder Trial Would Have Been Controversial

The Serinity Richarson Murder Trial

Taken From Hinterland Gazette For Reanalysis


Two South Carolina Women Sentenced To Life For Murdering A 3-Year Old Toddler From Detroit

A single mother Leshia Richardson, seeking to participate in the "Reverse Great Migration" from Detroit to Summerville, South Carolina in search of opportunities that were not found in Detroit - entrusted the care of her 3 year old daughter Serinity into the hands of  her best friend from her childhood,  Erica Mae Butts. 

In the two weeks that the child was entrusted into the care of the two housmates - Ms Butts and Ms Sharita Latrice Cunningham, a series of beatings of 3 year old Serinity took place.

The fatal assault which triggered the attack which took the life of little Serinity was her act of urinating on the floor of the house and needing to be disciplined.

She never recovered from the "disciplinary action" put upon her young body that were meant to "teach her a lesson".

An examination of Serenity’s body revealed a horror story. She was covered with bruises, inflicted by belts and plastic coat hangers everywhere except the soles of her feet. There was a large burn mark on her leg. Investigators concluded that the toddler had been abused steadily since being dropped off in Butts’ care.

They also found that Cunningham had participated in the abuse, so both women were charged with homicide by child abuse.

Greater than their need for legal council these two are in need of spiritual guidance.

Evidently, defendants had held out hope that by entering pleas and denying an intent to kill, the judge would be more moderate in sentencing. That was a wholly unwarranted assumption.

The judge was probably influenced by photos of the deceased child, which she later admitted were dreadful. And the assistant county solicitor (prosecutor) who handled the case said it was the worst she had encountered in her years of prosecuting cases involving crimes against special victims.

Nonetheless, the two women were shocked by the life sentences; both fell to the courtroom floor hyper-ventilating. Butts’ mother added to the drama by being physically ejected for yelling.

The defendants may appeal, of course, but plea-based convictions are tough to overturn, and on these facts a reviewing court won’t find the sentence to be an abuse of the judge’s discretion.

Butts will have plenty of time to reflect on her breach of a good friend’s trust and the death of a child whose only offense was being a child.

Upon hearing the sentencing these two self-absorbed beings could not bear to connect what they did to Serinity to the Life Sentences that was dolled out by the judge who had more sensibility about her than the two on trial.