VANESSA HART - 4 yo (2010) - Kearns (SW of Salt Lake City) UT

Well if family wants to protect family at the cost of a child's life, then all of them should be put in prison. There is no excuse on earth for protecting murdering scum, I don't care what "clan" you belong to.
RIP Vanessa--you are safe now little one.

Zaylie---

Everything that you have said about the Hart family is correct!!!! I was involved with the family 13 yrs ago and even though things were not to this extreme, I knew something would happen someday! Thank God I got my son out of there when I did! I can't imagine him turning out like his father!!!!
It has nothing to do with the "indian side" of them, it is strictly how they were raised and the physical and mental abuse they endured by first their father and then their mother. I would love to talk to you more!!!

to bad the gifts went to the dark side and believe me thats true...the poor mom of the child god bless her and justice will come..I hope and pray she can feel peace for god one day and vision her beautiful girl in gods loving arms. And I did somewhat get involved and helped. so we all need to let the right people know what we know. I dont know of things in the latest part of what was going on in there lives. but gave insight of what i know .. the fact is we all need to tell people to get involved more give ideas i have my grandkids put whistles on when they are out
you can here them far out if lost and if grabbed it will draw attention and they most likely will leave. tell everyone and other ideas you have.

Welcome Zaylie. I couldn't agree with you more. People need to get involved. Good on you for speaking out.

Something strange was going on in the Kearns
basement bedroom where Clinton Hart lived with his two young children
and his girlfriend, Marina Navarro.

Hart’s nephew, 16-year-old Dakota Hart,
called the bedroom “the dungeon” because Navarro rarely let 4-year-old
Vanessa Hart and her younger brother come upstairs to play with their
cousins, according to testimony Friday during a preliminary hearing in 3rd District Court.

But no one testified of concerns that Vanessa might be in mortal danger.

Navarro, 21, who was home with Vanessa on
June 13 when she suffered terrible head and abdominal injuries, has been
charged with aggravated murder, which carries the potential for the death penalty.

But this week’s preliminary hearing was for the girl’s father.

Even though 21-year-old Clinton Hart was at
work when the fatal beating apparently occurred, he was charged with
first-degree felony murder, child abuse and obstructing justice.

Prosecutors allege Hart knew child abuse was going on, and that
he participated in the abuse and tried to cover it up.

But defense attorney Steven Shapiro told news
reporters that, at most, Hart might be guilty of child abuse based on
the only direct evidence against him — his own admission to a doctor and
police officer that he may have inflicted bruises on Vanessa’s chest by playing too roughly.
Shapiro called the murder charge a huge legal
stretch, as demonstrated by the prosecution’s request to provide Judge
Ann Boyden with briefs to support their theory of the crime. Boyden said
she welcomed the state’s offer to brief the issue because of the
“different approach” they had taken against Hart.

Oral arguments are scheduled for Sept. 27.

Navarro, who is seven months pregnant with Hart’s child, is not due back in court until Nov. 9.

Navarro called Hart at work at about 11:30 a.m. on June 13 to report
Vanessa had lost consciousness after falling down a flight of stairs.

But pediatrician Kristine Campbell, a member of the Safe and Healthy Families Team at
Primary Children’s Medical Center, testified the chances Vanessa was injured accidentally
were “as close to zero as you can get.”

Campbell said the girl’s abdominal injuries were “the worst … I’ve seen outside of fatal motor vehicle accidents.”

The girl’s abdomen had been mashed against
her spine with enough force to tear blood vessels from the girl’s colon,
crush the head of her pancreas and rupture the juncture of her small
intestine with her stomach.

Campbell said there also was massive bleeding
and swelling in the girl’s brain, caused by shaking and a blow to the
head, which required surgeons to remove portions of her skull to reduce
pressure on her brain stem.
Doctors fought in vain for more than 10 hours to save Vanessa’s life, she said.

Campbell said she interviewed Hart at the hospital that night and found he had explanations for almost everyone of
the many bruises on the girl’s body, including her face, ears, arms, legs and torso.

Hart reported that round bruises, which
Campbell associated with being hit with a belt buckle, were caused by
tickling the girl or when she had run into his fingers while playing.

As for linear bruises that Campbell said could have been inflicted by a belt, Hart explained they came from a
fall in the bathtub.

Hart also described accidents in which
Vanessa fell against a coffee table while putting on her underwear, or
was struck by a toy thrown by her 2-year-old brother.

Hart said pinching type bruises on the insides of the girl’s ears had possibly been done by the girl herself.

“My impression,“ Campbell said, “was that she had been beaten.”

Informed by prosecutor Rob Parrish that
make-up was found on the girl’s face during autopsy, Campbell said, “It
tells me someone was trying to cover up her injuries.”

According to charging documents, Navarro
called Hart at work several days prior to the fatal beating to say the
girl had stepped on her stomach, and Navarro put Hart on speaker phone
so he could scold the child.

The following day, when the girl wet her
pants, Hart told Navarro by phone to make the child stand in the corner
until he got home, a punishment that lasted 5½ hours, charging documents state.

Hart’s estranged wife, Stephanie Alfaro,
testified he had never abused their daughter while they were together,
and that he did not believe in spanking as punishment.

Well my cousin stay with them for a while when she was younger and she said they would flick and pinch her ears they were blue purple and red it hurt so bad. she could not wait til her dad found them a place to stay. she is in Boston area now. This lawyer is trying this case in the paper and. If they were smart they would find that there is domestic violence on the sister living there and the mom of Clint even tried to beat a nurse up years ago.. she is the best at manipulation and she is good. the only people they want to hear from on stand is the family who are witnesses that have been coached well and believe me they are in more fear of what the grams and whats going on.. if they would notice they dont make a wrong move until given approval from the grams clints mom.. she scars alot of people ..Ive talked to detective and familly services they dont think it protains to the case.. this lawyer for clint that his mom got may get him off.. sad when they are very guilty..deseret news says.. well we keep trying all children need a voice...

I am happy they are going ahead with the murder against Clint Hart. I hope justice is done. they are saying that he knew, he help add the makeup.. they all knew and maybe helped. I think its funny his mom has not been around for any news to talk or on TV. she should feel some blame here.. but i think the cycle of abuse is normal to them that all they know. I wish they would talk to more people who know the family..but they are only concerned with who was at the scene or in home. which family will protect family.. they have been trained well.. I still see those kids look at there mom if it was ok to talk make a move. she controlled them even with a node look of the eye.. But I think justice will be done This at least is a good sign...

Father to stand trial for his daughter’s beating death

By stephen hunt
The Salt Lake Tribune Published Sep 27, 2010 07:04PM
Updated Sep 27, 2010 11:24PM

Clinton Hart will stand trial on first-degree felony murder for the death of his 4-year-old daughter, even though it was Hart’s live-in girlfriend who allegedly beat the girl.
Prosecutors argued Monday that Hart knew the girl was being beaten and did nothing to stop it.
Like a getaway driver in a robbery where an innocent victim dies, Hart shares an almost equal responsibility for the girl’s June 13 death, according to the prosecution’s theory of the case.
The legal arguments came six weeks after 3rd District Judge Ann Boyden heard preliminary hearing testimony.
In addition to the murder charge, Boyden ordered Hart to stand trial on two counts of second-degree felony child abuse.
Hart, 21, of Kearns, is to be arraigned Oct. 18 before Judge Robert Faust.
Boyden dismissed one count of obstructing justice, saying there was insufficient evidence to show Hart deliberately deleted cell phone text messages between himself and his girlfriend, Marina Navarro, to disrupt the police investigation.
Navarro, 21, is charged with aggravated murder, which carries the possibility of the death penalty. Navarro, who is expected to give birth to Hart’s child next month, has a scheduling hearing Nov. 9 before Boyden.

Defense attorney Steven Shapiro argued Monday there was no evidence Hart knew Navarro was physically abusing his daughter. He noted that Hart’s idea of punishment was to make the girl stand in the corner.
And even though Hart gave a pediatrician explanations for the girl’s many bruises and scrapes by describing a number of accidents that did not match the nature of the injuries, Shapiro claimed that was not evidence of Hart’s complicity. Shapiro claimed Hart was simply distraught and “racking his brains” for some explanation of what had happened to his daughter.
Boyden said she was persuaded that Hart was “very involved” in Navarro’s attempts to discipline the girl. The judge noted that Navarro frequently called or texted Hart for advice on what to do when the girl misbehaved.
Boyden also noted that, according to testimony, when Hart was called home June 13 by Navarro — who claimed the girl had fallen down the stairs — Hart tried to revive her by running cold water across her forehead.
Hart later told police he had used cold water before to bring the girl back to consciousness, suggesting he had knowledge of other serious injuries.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50365798-76/hart-girl-navarro-boyden.html.csp

SALT LAKE CITY -- A family looking for justice following
the death of 4-year-old Vanessa Hart will have to wait
another day after the court postponed sentencing.
Clinton Hart, the girl's father, plead guilty to child
abuse homicide charges last month, despite saying he was
not home when his daughter's fatal injuries occurred.
Monday's sentencing derailed when Hart's defense attorney
Steven Shapiro claimed the prosecution gave inaccurate
information to the judge, calling the prosecution "unethical."

"He did plead guilty to that which he was responsible for, which was
failing to supervise and failing to protect his daughter from a
situation that -- which as it turns out -- was very dangerous." Steven Shapiro

His strong words came as a result of the pre-sentence
report, where prosecutor Robert Parish said Hart caused
the injuries in his daughter's death. But Shapiro said
Hart never plead guilty to those charges and no evidence
had been presented by the state to support the report's accusation.
"He did plead guilty to that which he was responsible for,
which was failing to supervise and failing to protect his
daughter from a situation that -- which as it turns out --
was very dangerous," Shapiro said.
Vanessa Hart died on June 13, 2010 from what doctor's
described as "multiple severe injuries, including massive
trauma to her head." Clinton Hart's then-girlfriend Marina
Navarro was taking care of Vanessa when the injuries were inflicted.
Hart was initially charged with murder and two counts of
child abuse after an autopsy uncovered a history of child
abuse. But those charges were later reduced to child abuse
homicide and three counts of child abuse since Hart wasn't
home at the time the fatal injuries were inflicted to Vanessa.
Vanessa's grandmother Linda Romero was disappointed Hart
wasn't sentenced to prison Monday. She believes Hart is
responsible for her granddaughter's death.
"I think this should be over and done with," Romero said.
"Clint should be put in prison for life, and he is going
to pay to God for what he did to this little girl."
The sentencing was postponed to Aug. 8 after Parish said
he would strike the comments he made in the pre-sentencing
report. Hart's attorney said he will be asking for no
prison time since he wasn't the person who inflicted the fatal injuries.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=16424759

Kearns woman pleads guilty for death of boyfriend's daughter
July 9th, 2011
A Kearns woman has pleaded guilty to first degree murder in the death of her boyfriend's daughter.

22-year-ol Marina Navarro was arrested in June 2010 for the death of 4-year-old Vanessa Hart. Police say Navarro originally called the girl's father, saying she had fallen down a flight of stairs.

As part of her plea deal, prosecutors dropped three counts of inflicting serious physical injury on a child.

Navarro is scheduled for sentencing on August 29.
http://westvalley.fox13now.com/news/crime/kearns-woman-pleads-guilty-death-boyfriends-daughter/57850

SALT LAKE CITY — Marina Navarro wasn't there to see her former
boyfriend receive a prison sentence for the fatal beating that she
delivered to the man's daughter.
But her name was everywhere in court Monday as a
number of people told 3rd District Judge Robert Faust that whatever
Navarro did to Vanessa Hart, the girl's father — Clinton Joseph Hart —
should have known about it.
"My daughter was a sweet, innocent little 4-year-old
who did not deserve to be abused and have her life taken by someone who
should have protected her," Stephanie Alfaro, the girl's mother, said.
Faust agreed, handing down four concurrent sentences of one to 15
years in prison for charges of child abuse homicide and three counts of
child abuse, all second-degree felonies, to the 22-year-old man.
"There is no doubt you loved your daughter, which is …
so tragic because you were the only one who could have protected her …
and you failed to do so," the judge said.
Hart's daughter, Vanessa, died June 13, 2010, from
what doctors at Primary Children's Medical Center described as "multiple
severe injuries," including head trauma and swelling of her brain.
Hart was initially charged with murder, a
first-degree felony, but he pleaded to a reduced charge, largely because
Hart was at work when it is believed his daughter sustained the fatal injuries.
He was working when Navarro sent him a text message
saying that Vanessa had fallen down the stairs, was lethargic and was
having a hard time breathing. He returned to find his daughter
unresponsive, but prosecutors were adamant that it was a pattern of
abuse that led to the girl's death.
"(Hart) certainly bears responsibility for failing to
protect his daughter from a pattern of torture," prosecutor Rob Parrish
said, before reading a number of threatening text messages Navarro sent Hart.
"The child's spirit and body was broken by both of
these people," Parrish said. "Vanessa should be here today. She should
be a thriving, happy 5-year-old, not the victim of a perfect storm
created by her natural father."
Defense attorney Steven Shapiro said that while his
client was involved in some "inappropriate discipline," the severity of
the injuries that would lead to Vanessa's death was "unforeseeable" to the amateur father.
"Nobody had any idea Marina was going to do that to
that girl," Shapiro said. "The thing that couldn't be foreseen was the
gravity of the injuries Marina inflicted."
He said Navarro, who was pregnant with Hart's child
at the time Vanessa died, constantly threatened to leave the man and
take the unborn child with her.
Still, Hart said he was almost at a loss for words over the tragedy.
"I made mistakes," Hart said tearfully. "I missed signs, and I've
done things I should not have, and they are all things I can now no longer change."
He said that he struggled to hear himself
characterized as a poor father and a "bad person." He said his daughter
was an "inspiration" to him.
"I have disciplined and I have seen my daughter
disciplined by Marina," Hart said tearfully. "It did not seem a bad
thing compared to what I grew up with … but now I can't describe how
much pain I'm in to have to live with this for the rest of my life."
The girl's mother and grandmother said they repeatedly tried to track
down the girl and her younger brother, but Hart was evasive. They felt
Hart was just as responsible as Navarro and were not satisfied with the sentence.
"Naturally, I want death," Alfaro said. "I don't feel
it's fair. He did not get the sentence he deserved. Who fails to take
care of their child (to this degree)?"
Navarro has pleaded guilty to murder, a first-degree
felony. She was originally facing charges of capital murder and three
counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony. She will be sentenced Aug. 29.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705388895/Kearns-man-ordered-to-prison-for-his-part-in-daughters-death-ex-girlfriend-delivered-fatal-blows.html?pg=2

SALT LAKE CITY—
Marina Belen Navarro was given 15 years to life for the murder of a 4-year-old girl
who died from being physically abused.
Navarro, 22, was sentenced for the murder of Vanessa Hart, who died a little
over a year ago after succumbing to physical abuse. Navarro was given
the maximum sentence after the courtroom learned of Navarro's ongoing
physical abuse towards Vanessa.
Navarro was not at her sentencing Monday. Instead, she had her
attorneys read a three-page letter to the little girl's family. The
letter said she was not asking for forgiveness "because I can't even
forgive myself," Navarro wrote. "I wish I could take it back. I'm
prepared to spend the rest of my life in prison." But Vanessa's mother
thought Navarro's sentence should have been death instead of prison and
says she does not accept any plea from her child's killer.
"I don't believe any of it. I don't believe she had a close relationship to
my daughter," said Vanessa's mother Staphanie Alfaro. "I believe that's
why she went through the abuse she did."
Alfaro says her soon-to-be ex-husband and Navarro, his girlfriend at the time, kept her
daughter away from her for a year. She says last time she saw her
daughter was on her deathbed June 13, 2010.
"I feel like I can't move, because I feel like she's still here and I can't leave her," says Alfaro.
Navarro was convicted of first-degree murder and will spend her sentence at the Utah State Prison.
"The hardest part is realizing how little parenting skills there were among
these two people and how many red flags there were when they would not
let Vanessa be seen by anyone else in her family, when they started
doing things like applying makeup to her bruises so they could take her
out in public," says Salt Lake County Deputy District Attorney Rob Parish.
Vanessa's father, Clint Hart, was found guilty of child abuse homicide and three
counts of child abuse neglect and was sentenced earlier this month. He
will spend one to 15 years behind bars.
http://www.fox13now.com/news/local/kstu-child-abuse-murder-woman-sentenced-in-child-abuse-murder-of-4yearold-girl-20110829,0,5756197.story