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cleanhippie

(19,705 posts)
Wed Sep 19, 2012, 01:58 PM Sep 2012

Russel and Brandi Bellew Avoid Jail, Let Son to Die from Burst Appendix

Russel and Brandi Bellew avoided jail after admitting that they allowed their 16-year-old son, Austin Sprout, die because they chose to pray away his burst appendix instead of taking him to a hospital in Creswell, Oregon, last December.

The Bellews' son Austin (pictured below) died a painful death from a burst appendix after suffering from appendicitis for a week.

Instead of jail, the couple was sentenced to five years probation after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors. They were originally charged with second-degree manslaughter, reports the Daily Mail.

The couple, who have six children, are members of the General Assembly and the Church of the First Born in Pleasant Hill, Oregon, which teaches that faith healing and prayer will cure disease. The six children were removed from the Bellews' home by social workers.

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/crime/russel-and-brandi-bellew-avoid-jail-after-allowing-their-son-die-burst-appendix


IMO, these people should be locked away, far from children. What are your thoughts?
18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Russel and Brandi Bellew Avoid Jail, Let Son to Die from Burst Appendix (Original Post) cleanhippie Sep 2012 OP
Wouldn't that at least be Flashmann Sep 2012 #1
That certainly seems reasonable. cleanhippie Sep 2012 #2
They pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide: struggle4progress Sep 2012 #18
More than likely... rexcat Sep 2012 #3
Somebody let religious freedom cloud their thinking...a 16 year old is a child. silvershadow Sep 2012 #5
Christian Scientists........ Mopar151 Sep 2012 #4
What would you say about parents who refuse to vaccinate their children? hedgehog Sep 2012 #6
That they are endangering their children and the general population HERVEPA Sep 2012 #7
Might not have had insurance. Downwinder Sep 2012 #8
"they chose to pray away his burst appendix instead of taking him to a hospital" cleanhippie Sep 2012 #9
better to be dead with jesus than alive thanks to science. that's religion for ya nt msongs Sep 2012 #10
I have no thoughts whatsoever on this. rug Sep 2012 #11
But I asked for thoughts on THIS particular case, not on religion in general. cleanhippie Sep 2012 #12
I have none, as I said, although you did post it in Religion as opposed to, say, Odd News. rug Sep 2012 #14
I think the couple should sue the church and their god for fraud Angry Dragon Sep 2012 #13
This is faith-based reasoning at work. It's also murder. cpwm17 Sep 2012 #15
They got away with murder. begin_within Sep 2012 #16
One of the comments below the story says it all: begin_within Sep 2012 #17

struggle4progress

(118,032 posts)
18. They pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide:
Fri Sep 21, 2012, 07:42 PM
Sep 2012
... Brandi Shaunai (Smith Sprout) Bellew, 36, and Russel Lewis "Rusty" Bellew, 39, the mother and stepfather Austin Lewis Sprout, a local teenager who passed away at home on Dec. 20, 2011 pled guilty to criminally negligent homicide in a plea agreement in Lane County Circuit Court on Sept. 18 ...

Bellews enter plea agreement in son's death
Published: September 19, 2012
By Jeanne Olson
http://www.thecreswellchronicle.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=10648

rexcat

(3,622 posts)
3. More than likely...
Wed Sep 19, 2012, 02:03 PM
Sep 2012

they would do the same thing again despite the evidence.

It should have been more than manslaughter. It should have included child abuse, child endangerment and whatever they could have loaded on them. There is no excuse for what these people did to their child and their is no excuse for what the prosecutors did.

 

silvershadow

(10,336 posts)
5. Somebody let religious freedom cloud their thinking...a 16 year old is a child.
Wed Sep 19, 2012, 02:07 PM
Sep 2012

These people should be charged to the extent the law will allow. Let them argue their case before a jury if that's their desire. What is up with this?

Mopar151

(9,965 posts)
4. Christian Scientists........
Wed Sep 19, 2012, 02:06 PM
Sep 2012

Something like this happened in NW Massachusetts ~ 25 yrs ago. A guy from that area was telling me about it "I knew they were crazy, but i didn't know they were sick in the head!"

 

HERVEPA

(6,107 posts)
7. That they are endangering their children and the general population
Wed Sep 19, 2012, 02:09 PM
Sep 2012

... and that the cvaccination should be mandatory with severe penalties for those that don't.

cleanhippie

(19,705 posts)
9. "they chose to pray away his burst appendix instead of taking him to a hospital"
Wed Sep 19, 2012, 02:30 PM
Sep 2012

Insurance is not needed to go to the ER.

 

begin_within

(21,551 posts)
17. One of the comments below the story says it all:
Thu Sep 20, 2012, 11:05 AM
Sep 2012

"I was raised in this religion. They claim "We trust in God for everything" except they don't. They go to dentists, optometrists, collect food stamps, unemployment, social security, buy home insurance, auto insurance, fire & flood insurance. They let their children die to prove trust in god while wearing glasses. Unbelievable."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2205306/Russel-Brandi-Bellew-Faith-healer-parents-avoid-jail-Austin-Sprout-16-dies.html

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