LAUREN MICHELE McCONNIEL - 5 yo - (2010) Muncie (NE of Indy) IN

Here's an early article; I think it has been archived.

Amber Huggins, Lauren McConniel's mother, spent six months trying to find daughters
By SETH SLABAUGH • • June 18, 2010

MUNCIE -- The biological mother of Lauren McConniel says she lost custody of the girl because she couldn't afford an attorney. She also says she pleaded unsuccessfully with the girl's father and stepmother -- via e-mail -- to tell her where they were living in the months before Lauren's death.

"I was kept from my daughter for six months," said Amber Huggins, a Marion native now living in Knoxville, Tenn. "I looked everywhere for them (Lauren and her 9-year-old sister) for six months."

Five-year-old Lauren's father, Ryan McConniel, and stepmother, Brittany McConniel, have been charged with felony neglect of a dependent resulting in Lauren's death on March 9.

Amber and Ryan's divorce decree in White County, Ark., granted Ryan custody of both girls in 2007.

"I did not have the financial resources to have an attorney," Amber said this week in a telephone interview. "Ryan had an attorney and I did not. There was no other reason he got custody. I was not an unfit mother. I never hurt my children."

Ryan kept the older daughter, but let Amber have Lauren starting at Christmas of 2008 after Amber filed a complaint of child abuse.

"She had bruises on her," Amber said. "I asked her what happened and she said she didn't know. I took pictures of the bruises but they were old and not good quality pictures. Child protective services in White County said it was not enough."

Amber had Lauren until August 2009 when Ryan took her back. He gave Knoxville police an address in Winchester where he said he would be living.

But Amber later traveled to Winchester, and, accompanied by the police, went to the address Ryan had provided to Knoxville police.

Nobody had lived at the address in a long time.

"I sent numerous e-mails begging them to give me their address," Amber said. "I was told they were living in Winchester. I heard they were living in Farmland. I heard Fort Wayne. I heard Muncie. I heard everything."

Amber said Ryan and Brittany responded by e-mail that she could see the girls when they got old enough to decide for themselves if they wanted to see her.

"I went to the Muncie police the same day I went to Winchester," Amber said. "They told me to file contempt charges against Ryan (for denying her court-ordered visitation rights). I was in the process of filing contempt charges when I got the phone call that Lauren was in the hospital."

Ryan, Brittany and the two girls had been living with Brittany's sister, Samra Lee, and Brittany's mother and stepfather, Angie and Robert E. Lee, on South Ebright Street.

"My daughter was alive and perfectly happy and normal and healthy when she was with me," Amber said. "She was a normal delivery, a normal pregnancy and a normal daughter. I should be signing her up for kindergarten and she should be cheerleading."

After Lauren's death, child protective services removed the 9-year-old from Ryan and Brittany's custody and placed her in foster care.

On March 19, Muncie attorney Kimberly Dowling, representing Amber, filed a petition for emergency custody of the 9-year-old, who now lives with Amber. The petition said Lauren was emaciated, significantly bruised and had elevated salt levels in her blood when she died.

"Child protective services in Arkansas was involved in December of 2008 or January of 2009 over allegations that Lauren had bruises," said Muncie police Sgt. Jimmy Gibson. "They investigated it, and I believe it was reported by the father and stepmother that Lauren was now living with the bio-mom, so the case was closed. The father and stepmother reported that Lauren had bumped into a trash can. The bio-mom had pictures of bruising but I think they were taken with a cell phone and weren't very good."

The Lees remain under investigation by Gibson for failure to report child abuse and neglect.

"Hopefully, some family might come forward and have a conscience and do the right thing," Gibson said. "The uncle next door threatened to call child protective services but never did."

Angie Lee gave police a statement, while Samra Lee declined to be interviewed, according to Gibson. Robert E. Lee went in for a police interview but reported he was hurting and ended up putting himself in the hospital, according to Gibson. "He said he needed to leave and never came back."



http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20100618/NEWS01/6180307/Amber-Huggins-Lauren-McConniel-s-mother-spent-six-months-trying-to-find-daughters

Brittany McConniel's sentencing hearing postponed
June 11, 2011
6 Comments
Written by
The Star Press

Brittany McConniel

The sentencing of Brittany McConniel, convicted of a neglect charge last month that stemmed from last year's death of her stepdaughter, has been postponed.

McConniel, 25, was scheduled to be sentenced Monday, but Delaware Circuit Court 5 Judge Thomas Cannon Jr. this week granted a continuance at the request of her public defender, Zaki Ali. The attorney asked that his client be examined by a psychiatrist or psychologist before being sentenced.

McConniel, 25, was scheduled to be sentenced Monday, but Delaware Circuit Court 5 Judge Thomas Cannon Jr. this week granted a continuance at the request of her public defender, Zaki Ali. The attorney asked that his client be examined by a psychiatrist or psychologist before being sentenced.

A jury found the Muncie woman guilty of a Class A felony carrying a standard 30-year prison term. She was accused of abusing and failing to seek appropriate medical treatment for 5-year-old Lauren McConniel, who was severely emaciated when she died on March 9, 2010.

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20110611/NEWS01/106110333/Brittany-McConniel-s-sentencing-hearing-postponed?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage

MUNCIE -- With her father and stepmother already facing long prison
terms, authorities aren't letting up in their investigation of the
events that led to the March 2010 death of Lauren McConniel.On
Tuesday, a third adult who lived in the South Ebright Street house
where 5-year-old Lauren spent her final months was arrested on charges
stemming from her mistreatment and death.

Robert
E. Lee, 44 -- the stepfather of Brittany McConniel, Lauren's stepmother
-- is charged with aiding, inducing or causing neglect of a dependent, a
Class A felony carrying a standard 30-year prison term; three counts of
battery, a Class D felony with a standard 18-month sentence, and
failure to immediately report child abuse, a misdemeanor.Lee,
listed on court records at addresses in both Muncie and Farmland, was
arrested late Tuesday afternoon, and was being held without bond in the
Delaware County jail.Details
of the allegations against Lee were not available Tuesday night,
although more information was expected today after related court
documents are unsealed."I'll
spend the rest of my career, and all the resources of our office,
chasing down and investigating anybody who had anything to do with (the
abuse and death of) Lauren McConniel, and get them in front of a jury,"
Delaware County Prosecutor Jeffrey Arnold said Tuesday night. "If you
were involved in that, look over your shoulder, because I'm coming."Deputy Prosecutor Eric Hoffman called the case "an active, ongoing investigation."To those who followed last month's trial of Brittany McConniel, Lee's arrest can't come as a complete shock.Testimony
indicated that after Lauren was removed from her mother's home in
August 2009, the girl became dangerously emaciated -- and was subjected
to sadistic forms of physical abuse --in the seven months she would
spend in the custody of her father, Ryan, and her stepmother, Brittany.Lee, his wife and their adult daughter also lived with the McConniels.Lauren
died in Riley Hospital for Children on March 9, 2010, apparently after
her as-yet-unexplained ingestion of a lethal amount of table salt, which
caused seizures and brain injuries her malnourished body could not
recover from.
Ryan McConniel -- who had struck a deal with prosecutors to plead
guilty to a neglect charge that could send him to prison for 20 years --
testified that both his wife and Lee routinely punished Lauren by
beating her hands and the soles of her feet and forcing her to exercise.A
jury on May 19 deliberated for less than 90 minutes before finding
Brittany McConniel guilty of neglect of a dependent. She will face up to
50 years in prison when she is sentenced by Judge Thomas Cannon Jr.Sentencing hearings for the McConniels have not yet been scheduled.Deputy
Prosecutor Hoffman had said during Brittany McConniel's trial that it
was "only round one," apparently referring to future prosecutions.It was not immediately clear whether Lee's arrest Tuesday was the result of a grand jury investigation.Lee
and his daughter were observed about two weeks ago sitting in a
Delaware County Building hallway near the room where local grand juries
convene.Lee was
arrested by Wabash County authorities in 2002 after he was accused of
sexually abusing Brittany, then in her mid-teens, for as long as a
decade.However,
court records reflect Lee in that case was convicted only of a
misdemeanor count of battery, resulting in a 45-day jail term.

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20110622/BUSTED/106220321

just shoot these ppl!!!

MUNCIE — Nearly two years after the death of 5-year-old Lauren
McConniel, two more arrests were made Monday in connection with the
abuse and neglect of the Muncie girl.Angela
Rice Lee, 45, is charged with aiding, inducing or causing neglect of a
dependent, a Class A felony carrying a standard 30-month prison term,
and failure to immediately report child abuse or neglect, a misdemeanor.
Lee — the mother of Brittany Lee McConniel, Lauren’s stepmother — was being held without bond in the Delaware County jail.
Also arrested was Angela Lee’s other daughter, Samra Lee, 21.
The
younger Lee faces the same charges as her mother, although the aiding
and inducing charge is a Class D felony with a standard 18-month
sentence.
Samra Lee was apparently in police custody on
Monday night, but she had not been booked into the Delaware County jail
as of 8 p.m.
Court documents related to the charges had
been sealed, and details of the allegations against the women were not
immediately available.
With Monday’s arrests, all five
adults who lived in the South Ebright House where Lauren McConniel spent
her final months have now been charged in connection with her death.
Last
May, Brittany McConniel, now 26, was found guilty of neglect of a
dependent resulting in death. She was later sentenced to 50 years in
prison by Delaware Circuit Court 5 Judge Thomas Cannon Jr.
Testimony
during that trial indicated that after Lauren was removed from her
mother’s home in August 2009, she became dangerously emaciated. She also
was subjected to sadistic forms of abuse in the seven months she would
spend in the custody of her father, Ryan, and her stepmother.
Lauren
died in an Indianapolis hospital on March 9, 2010, after her apparent
ingestion of a lethal amount of table salt, which caused seizures and
brain injuries her malnourished body could not recover from.
http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20120123/BUSTED/120123019

I wish there was something called a torture penalty and that monsters like this were subjected to the same (and worse) torture that they used to kill their victims. This is one of the worst cases of family torture and homicide I have seen. And how Lauren's father could sit around and let it go on is incomprehensible. When is that nasty evil monster Brittany going to be sentenced? I wish she could get 100 years in jail and serve hard labor. And I hope her father and mother get the same. It's just a horrendous story and made me sick to read through it.

i agree with u whole heartedly, BJ.

These sadistic SOB, POSs are the biggest cry babies when they are in prison. I hope they get a daily beat down.

For the chilling admissions he was making, Robert E. Lee spoke in a
calm, low-key manner on Monday, when he acknowledged being a player in
the events that led to the March 2010 death of Lauren McConniel.Lee,
45, of Muncie, pleaded guilty to aiding, inducing or causing neglect of
a dependent, a Class A felony carrying a standard 30-year prison term.
Delaware Circuit Court 5 Judge Thomas Cannon Jr. took under advisement a plea
bargain that places a 40-year cap on the prison term Lee could receive,
and tentatively set sentencing for June 4.
Authorities say Lauren became dangerously emaciated and was physically abused
during the final seven months of her life, while staying in a South
Ebright Street house with her father, stepmother and the Lees -- Robert
and his wife, Angela, and their daughter Samra.
Lauren died in an Indianapolis hospital on March 9, 2010, after her apparent
ingestion of a lethal amount of table salt, which caused seizures and
brain injuries from which her malnourished body could not recover.
Last summer, Judge Cannon sentenced Lauren's stepmother, Brittany McConniel
-- Angela Lee's daughter from a previous relationship -- to 50 years in
prison after she was convicted of neglect of a dependent resulting in death.
In court on Monday, Robert Lee admitted he had made suggestions to Brittany
McConniel about what his public defender, Doug Mawhorr, called
"different forms of punishment" she could inflict on Lauren.
Those punishments, Lee acknowledged, included forcing the little girl to do
jumping jacks until she collapsed from exhaustion; to hold heavy produce
cans, with her arms extended, for long periods of times; and beatings,
some inflicted with wooden slats on the palms of her hands and the soles
of her feet, and others inflicted with wet towels on her legs.
Lee also said he had done nothing to seek help for Lauren when she was
"wasting away," not being fed regularly and not eating.
"She looked like skins and bones before she went to the hospital, didn't
she?" Delaware County Prosecutor Jeffrey Arnold asked Lee.
"Yes, sir," the defendant responded.And
Lee admitted he didn't contact police or welfare officials about the
abusive acts he had suggested his stepdaughter inflict on her own stepdaughter.
While being questioned by Arnold, Lee said his wife -- also charged with a
Class A felony in Lauren's death -- was aware of the child being abused
and the decline of her health, and did nothing on Lauren's behalf.
Angela Lee's trial is set for May 15 in Cannon's court.
Robert Lee maintained his daughter, Samra -- who faces less severe charges --
was not present when most of the abuse took place.
The plea agreement calls for four lesser charges pending against Robert Lee
to be dismissed. He would waive all rights to appeal his conviction and
whatever sentence would be imposed by Cannon.
After the hearing, Prosecutor Arnold maintained the state had forfeited
little in the plea agreement, noting that Lee likely would have faced no
more than 50 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
The deal provides for a certain conviction and spares Lauren's survivors --
including her mother and siblings -- the ordeal of yet another trial, he said.
Lee -- who said he could read "a little bit" -- told Judge Cannon he understood
and approved of the plea agreement.
He answered most questions from the attorneys and Cannon on Monday with
simple responses of yes or no.
Lauren's father, Ryan McConniel, has pleaded guilty to a neglect charge that
could result in a prison term of up to 20 years.
During his now-ex-wife's trial last year, Ryan McConniel testified he didn't
do more to protect his daughter in part because he was physically
intimidated by Robert Lee, who is his first cousin.

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20120410/BUSTED/204100331