Girl Found in Cooler Died of Malnutrition

[sujan]

KITTANNING, Pa. - A 4-year-old girl who weighed 11 1/2 pounds when her body was found in a picnic cooler behind her home died of malnutrition and dehydration, an autopsy shows.

Armstrong County Coroner Robert Bower released the autopsy results Sunday for Kristen Tatar, confirming initial findings that the girl suffered from malnutrition, dehydration and neglect.

Kristen's body was found in the cooler Thursday as state police and child welfare officials searched the home in Parks Township, about 20 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Officials have said they believed the girl had been dead for weeks.

The cooler had been wrapped in garbage bags and placed in a trash can near a shed in the back yard, authorities said.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/6504331.htm

[LauraK]

1. What a strange post. I feel like I'm in a grocery store.

Bring me home some cashews please.

[MiddleRiverRefugee]

2. No wonder it's so hot this weekend...

Satan had to stoke up another furnace or two.

[Skittles]

3. there is no hell below

it's right here on earth

[TahitiNut]

4. Gee, I wonder if her parents ...

... were "pro-life"?? :eyes:

[roughsatori]

5. Poor Kristen Tatar never had a chance

It is so sad. I had a pretty rough childhood and my heart truly goes out to abused children. Though I do not believe in an afterlife--stories like this make me hope there is one so that little girl can taste love.

[PartyPooper]

6. Amen!

O8)

[kimchi]

7. Not seen, not heard, not fed, not watered.

What a sick thing to do to an animal, much less to an innocent human. I don't believe in the death penalty, but I do believe in the wisdom of setting an example for others.

Nothing being shackled in the village square wouldn't go a long way to cure.

I think I'm kidding.

[onehandle]

8. Somebody kill this post....

Sorry for the girl, but this post is pointless in the context of this site..

If this had a place at DU, I could post a thousand stories a day.

[sujan]

9. care to read this

1. NO opinion pieces, editorials, or other stories that are not news.

2. NO news that is more than 12 hours old.

3. NO duplicate posts of stories that have already been posted.

4. NO polls, petitions, or other action items.

5. All of our other rules for posting apply as well, including copyright rules.

6. When posting articles, please use the published title of the article as the title of the discussion thread.

7. Discussion of Israeli/Palestinian issues is not permitted in the Latest Breaking News forum, and instead must be posted in the Foreign Affairs/National Security forum. If, however, the news item is primarily about U.S. policy in Israeli/Palestinian affairs, you may post it in the Latest Breaking News forum.

-----------------------------------------------------------

[Guaranteed]

10. Yeah but what does this have to do with politics?

Was she a Republican?

[sujan]

11. did you read the rules I posted?

How did it contradict those in any way?

[roughsatori]

14. Preventing Child abuse has a lot to do with politics

As someone who has worked as a therapist in the mental health field I can tell you child abuse has a lot to do with politics. The Republicans are against the underclass receiving quality treatment if they can not afford it. They are even more prone to be against programs that provide assessment, outreach, assessment, and treatment to help prevent child abuse.

Though the article is not written in explicitly political language, it is political. Why do they not know who the parents are? If the child was ever in the system, who fumbled and cost her her life? Who are the politicos who are paid with our tax money to oversee this system? Etc.

[Bunny]

24. This is very close to home for me.

Literally - the girl's body was found within a half-mile of my house. Part of the problem was that the family transferred from Westmoreland Co., where I live, to Armstrong Co., where her body was found. While in Westmoreland County, the child had been placed in foster homes for a period of time. Her parents won her back, then moved. She got lost in the system between the two counties, and died as a result. Beauracratic fustercluck. We live in a rural and increasingly Republican area.

Edited to add this story: about 4-5 years ago, a couple in a county just south of Allegheny (Pittsburgh) was found guilty of starving their young daughter to death. The mother was found guilty of Murder One and sentenced to death. Although the death penalty normally makes me a little queasy, I do not have a problem with the state taking HER life. I don't recall exactly what happened to the stepfather, but I think he got the same.

[NickB79]

15. When did this turn into a strictly politics board?

Yes, I know that that is what the majority of the posts here are about, but the title is "Latest Breaking News." In Kansas, this IS latest breaking news.

[onehandle]

12. I stand corrected...

I'll start posting several hundred random news stories a day.

They can rename the site RANDOMSTORY UNDERGROUND.

[sujan]

13. as long as it doesn't violate the DU guidelines

Of course.

[timbo]

16. onehandle, please help me understand

what "politics" really is then. I was under the impression that as Democrats we were concerned with the quality and nature of our collective lives here, our personal efficacy in determining our political and social future and welfare, and the state of our democratic institutions.

As a relatively simple person, hearing about a four-year-old girl who weighed 11 pounds at her death brings the reality of our society's, and our government's, indifference to the plight of its citizens and its children home, to my heart and my mind.

Perhaps I should try to remember that hearing endlessly about Lieberman's betrayal of our party, former Governor Bush's stupidity, President Clinton's penis, and stupid Freeper tricks is more in line with what we call politics.

[Robin Hood]

21. It's called Late breaking news.

Not late breaking news that YOU agree with. I often come here to get my news. it is often reported here way before I get it on CNN or the radio.

[kimchi]

17. No it isn't pointless in the context of this site.

It is a sad reminder that we can do much more, politically, and socially, to improve the lives of the children, who are our only future. It is much more politically relevant than half the junk that gets posted here.

A child died needlessly, through neglect, which might have been prevented. These things NEED to be broadcast to the public at large until the people understand that cutting social programs harms children, and that those who do such disgusting things will be shunned by the community at large, and punished severely.

[geomon]

19. It is political..if they had been democrats then..

the child would have been aborted and therby spared its sad life.

As we all know all democrat are pro abortion (or "choice" for those who can't tell the truth)

[demigoddess]

20. Dear,(I always call my children dear) when I am correcting them

I think the point of the story is that the republican slant on public life has been" every man for himself" but if we do that it leads to stories like this. When we democrats care what happens in our society to our children, wanted and unwanted, we look out for kids like this and provide for them as a society, something the republicans do not believe in. Even in a prochoice world, some people are going to have children they dont want and treat them badly, but the grown ups of us must keep an eye out for the little ones of the world. So get up off your pro life and care about children enough to pay taxes to prevent it.

[geomon]

23. Please read post #4

should clear it up for you.

"When we democrats care what happens in our society to our children, wanted and unwanted, we look out for kids like this and provide for them as a society, something the republicans do not believe in"

Sounds like the same crap I see on FR only the names have been changed.

I would love to see your statement defended, without rhetoric please.

[davsand]

27. Can you please explain to me waht position you are taking here?

I'm a bit confounded as to what you are trying to say. Before I get much more involved, I'd like to understand what exactly your views are.

Laura

[JNelson6563]

25. choice it truth

I am pro-choice and prefer life over abortion.

Most of all I am pro-butting-out-of-other-peoples'-lives, but then I am not a self-righteous, judgemental kind of girl either.......

Julie

[slackmaster]

18. Some people should not be allowed to breed

Pardon my excursion into hyperbole, but I wish there was a way to ensure that people would actually love and care for children before having them.

[lfairban]

22. Not sure breeding was the problem.

Police said the couple had been acting as Kristen's parents, but that they didn't know if either adult was her biological parent.

[spinbaby]

26. Here's how the story is playing out in local news

These people do seem to have been her real parents.

The girl was born prematurely with some swallowing problems corrected by surgery. She was placed in a couple of foster homes. One of the foster mothers was interviewed and said that she had told CYS that whenever the girl went to visit her parents for a weekend she came back filthy and starving.She also said that she had warned CYS that she suspected sexual abuse. Somehow the parents got custody anyway.Sadly, both foster mothers said they had been willing to adopt the girl if the parents would only sign her over.

There is evil in the world.