LANDON PAYNE - 4 yo (2009) - Minden (South-Central) NE

My heart goes out to the children that were surrounded by the environment and people (demons) that took Landon Payne's life. I pray they go to loving homes that will help them to begin their healing processes. Landon is with Jesus, where he belongs. Jesus saved him from the absolute despicable life dished out to him through a negligent mother and father. His mother, Samantha Head, should also be arrested. I read where she is whining about the HHS not getting in touch with her. It's not realistic to think a mother would not see or check on her baby in three years. Since when is it HHS's responsibility to babysit children. She was not even looking for them. She stated that she thought they were with there father. Uh, well that's a copout. Regardless of custody she should have kept track of her children's whereabouts and been at minimum in telephone contact with them. She has no excuse, she's as guilty as the three. I will not be surprised if the scumbag attempts a lawsuit against HHS for not telling her where here children were. She's apparently delayed in her ability to lie or act, to admit that she had lost track of them three years ago because HHS did not tell her where they were. I hope she is implicated in this, she's guilty!

Buffalo County Sheriff Neil Miller said his department
was aware of Charles and Sharon Turnell as “a high-maintenance
family,” but they weren’t on deputies’ radar screens as a child abuse threat.
“They’re a problem family no matter how you slice this thing,”
Miller said of the Turnells. “These people are a law enforcement,
high-maintenance family. There’s no two ways about it. They didn’t
get along with their neighbors, they didn’t get along with anybody.”
During the three years the Turnells lived in Pleasanton, from
September 2006 to October 2009, the sheriff’s office was called to
their home five times on reports of child abuse or neglect and four
times to check welfare.However, Miller and Sheriff Capt. Bob Anderson say they have no
information that Landon Payne, Sharon Turnell’s nephew, was in the
Turnell home at the time. Landon and his older sister came to live
with the Turnells in August 2009, according to court records, just
before the family moved to a rural Kearney County house southeast
of Minden in October 2009.Landon died Dec. 22, 2009.The Turnells and Sharon’s adult daughter, Katie Payne, were
charged in July in Kearney County Court with child abuse that led
to Landon’s death. That charge against Katie Payne was dismissed
Friday in exchange for her cooperation in the case. She still faces
a charge of being an accessory to a felony During the time Landon lived with the family, Buffalo County
deputy sheriffs responded to two disturbance calls at the
Pleasanton home. Miller says incident reports make no mention of
Landon. Other Turnell children’s names have been mentioned in
department abuse/neglect and disturbance reports.Miller said many of those reports weren’t public.
“Landon was not there. Landon was not there for a single call we
handled,” Miller said. “We have one call that we know of that he
may have been there, but we don’t know if it’s him.”Sheriff Capt. Bob Anderson echoed Miller.
“I have not seen Landon Payne’s name at all in any sheriff’s
department report that was generated as abuse and neglect or any
other type of call,” he said. “The calls we responded to were more
neglect, living conditions, hygiene.”The sheriff’s office was called to the home 33 times from
September 2006 to October 2009 for reasons other than child abuse,
neglect or to check welfare, according to Anderson, for a total of
42 calls to the house. Reasons for the other calls included
disturbances, traffic violations, arrest warrants, civil disputes
and an animal call.The Hub had previously reported deputies had been called to the
Turnells’ Pleasanton home 59 times based on information provided by
the Kearney/Buffalo County Law Enforcement records department.
Miller said those figures were inaccurate.
The discrepancy was caused because the Kearney Police Department
also had contact with the Turnells while they lived in Pleasanton
and earlier when they lived at several homes in Kearney.
KPD Chief Dan Lynch agreed with Miller that the Turnells were a
high-maintenance family and said his department had several
contacts with the Turnells while they lived in the city. Those
calls included disturbances, welfare checks and alleged criminal
activity. He didn’t have the exact number of cases involving the
Turnells his department handled.“I don’t think it was very many at all,” he said. “But I think
in the entire period we probably had maybe as many as 15 cases with
them, because they really didn’t reside in Kearney all that
long.“For us maybe not as high of maintenance as other people, but we
had frequent contact with them,” Lynch said. “A lot of people in
this life never get to meet a police officer, so you have the two
extremes.”Kearney County Sheriff Scott White said his department had no
contact with the family until Dec. 21, 2009, the day Landon was
found unconscious in a bedroom in the Turnells’ rural Kearney
County home.Kearney County Attorney Dave Wondra said when Landon died,
Wondra requested information on the contact the Nebraska Department
of Health and Human Services had had with the family.
Wondra said he was told HHS had 54 prior calls on the family.
HHS has declined to comment on any specific case details. Anderson
said some of the calls from HHS might have overlapped with the calls to Buffalo County.

Attorneys for a Minden couple accused of child abuse in the death of a little Nebraska boy said there's not enough evidence to go ahead with a trial.

Wednesday the attorney for Sharon and Charles Turnell filed a plea of abatement.

The Turnells said the state failed to prove they caused the death of four–year–old Landon Payne.

The judge took this case under advisement–which allows him to review evidence and statements by the defense and prosecution.

Landon died last December while in the care of the Turnells and Sharon's daughter Katie Payne. The couple claims he fell off a bunk bed.

But the state said a pattern of abuse led to Landon's death.

* * * *

District Court Judge Stephen Illingworth will consider whether there is enough evidence to try Charles and Sharon Turnell for child abuse. The couple appeared in Kearney County District Court Wednesday for a hearing on the pleas in abatement they filed in August. Both are charged with aiding and abetting child abuse that led to the Dec. 22, 2009, death of Landon Payne, Sharon Turnell's 4-year-old nephew. The charge is a Class IB felony punishable by 20 years to life in prison.The pleas in abatement, filed Aug. 16, are a technicality filed in district court arguing that the defendant should not have been bound over to district court.The Turnells' attorneys, William Tringe of Holdrege and Thomas Stewart of Kearney, argued Wednesday that the aiding and abetting charge is not appropriate because no principal actor is charged in the crime."My argument is the charge on which Mr. Turnell was bound over to district court is defective," Tringe said. "He is charged as an aider and abettor, but no principal is identified. It is difficult if not impossible to defend against a charge when you don't have a principal actor."Illingworth said he will take the pleas under advisement.

A preliminary hearing is set for next week in the case of Dustin Scoville-a young man charged with child abuse. He's one of four Minden people linked to the death of four year 4-year-old Landon Payne.

It's a story that sent shock waves throughout central Nebraska and created a call for action.

This particular case has helped the community become more aware of child abuse.

Landon would've been a kindergartener at East Elementary School in Minden.

Although his classmates will never meet him, they'll know his story and what to do if they are being abused or know someone who is.

Minden Machine turns out up to 40 different products each week, but there's one that stands out from the rest.

"The whole reason it's being done is to raise awareness about child abuse and to help remember Landon Payne," said Minden Machine owner Kerry Lempka.

The city recently dedicated this bench in memory of the 4-year-old who allegedly died after suffering months of abuse and neglect.

"I see a lot of love I see a lot of dedication in those gentlemen that built this bench. It wasn't just for me, they built it from their heart and they build it for Landon," Ramona Vogt said.

Minden Machine Shop also built a smaller bench in honor of Landon Payne. It sits at the local library.

On each bench, there's a plaque with Landon's picture and a poem. This poem shares his story and encourages kids to report abuse.

"His sister and cousin went to school here for only two months and we had no idea they were carrying such a burden to school and we feel really bad about that but when you don't know as an adult you can't do anything to help the child," said East Elementary Principal Mary Lieske.

A child whose life was cut short, but whose memory lives on forever.
Two projects created in a shop to memorialize a very special little boy.

Landon's aunt Sharon Turnell and her husband Charles Turnell have both pleaded not guilty to child abuse.

NE man charged in boy's death wants trial moved

MINDEN, Neb. (AP) - A man charged in the death of a 4-year-old Minden boy wants his trial moved out of Kearney County.

Dustin Scoville is charged with child abuse that resulted in death. The boy, Landon Payne, died on Dec. 22, 2009, at a Kearney hospital.

Online court records show Scoville's attorney, Charles Brewster, filed a motion March 4 requesting the trial be moved, citing pre-trial publicity.

Two others also are charged in the case, Sharon Turnell and her husband, Charles Turnell. The child was Sharon Turnell's nephew, and he had been living with the couple.

All three defendants have denied causing the boy's death, saying he fell from a bunk bed. Doctors say he had several injuries in various stages of healing.

http://www.nebraska.tv/Global/story.asp?S=14237007

Three guilty pleas - all in connection with the death of 4 year old
Landon Payne. The pleas to lesser charges were entered in Adams County
District Court Wednesday afternoon.

Dustin Scoville, the boyfriend of Payne's mother entered a plea to attempted child abuse in connection with the case.

Payne's Aunt, 37 year old Sharon Turnell also entered a plea to the same charge .

Her husband, Charles Turnell entered a guilty plea to attempted child abuse resulting in bodily injury.

Technically, all three defendants entered no contest pleas, but those pleas have the same legal effect as a guilty plea.

All three are scheduled to be sentenced on September 20th.

4
year old Landon Payne died in December of 2009. Authorities say he was
being cared for by his aunt, Sharon Turnell at the time and her husband,
Charles Turnell.

The two say a fall from a bunk bed likely led
to Landon's death. But an examination of the body revealed extensive
injuries including lacerations and bruising.

http://www.khastv.com/news/local/Guilty-pleas-entered-in-Landon-Payne-abuse-case-127488653.html

A fourth person has pleaded no contest in the death of a 4-year-old boy in south-central Nebraska.The
Kearney Hub reports (http://bit.ly/nasKtv) 20-year-old Katie Payne
entered the plea in Kearney County District Court to one count of
intentional child abuse without injury in the December 2009 death of Landon Payne. She'll face up to five years in prison at sentencing.
Katie Payne's mother, 37-year-old Sharon Turnell, and Payne's ex-husband, 24-year-old Dustin Scoville
have pleaded no contest to attempted child abuse resulting in death.
Each faces up to 50 years in prison when sentenced Sept. 20.
Turnell's husband, 38-year-old Charles Turnell, pleaded no contest to attempted child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
The little boy was Sharon Turnell's nephew.
http://www.chron.com/news/article/4th-person-pleads-no-contest-in-Neb-boy-s-death-2164530.php

Three people who pleaded no contest to lesser charges in the death of a 4-year-old Minden, Neb. boy are going to prison.



Dustin Scoville, Sharon Turnell and her husband,
Charles, were charged in the December 2009 death of Landon Payne. He was
Sharon Turnell's nephew, and lived with couple.
The Hastings Tribune says
Scoville and Sharon Turnell were sentenced on Tuesday to 49-50 years in
prison for attempted child abuse resulting in death. Charles Turnell was
sentenced to 19-20 years in prison for attempted child abuse resulting
in serious bodily injury.



A fourth person, Katie Payne, pleaded no contest to intentional child abuse without injury and is awaiting sentencing.
http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/Three_Get_Prison_Time_For_Death_Of__130239933.html?ref=933

Woman gets probation for Minden boy's death

Posted: Friday, November 4, 2011 12:39 pm

MINDEN, Neb. (AP) - The last of four people charged in the death of a 4-year-old Minden boy has been given probation and a suspended jail sentence.
The Hastings Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/t2NIND) that 20-year-old Katie Payne was sentenced on Wednesday to 90 days in jail and five years of probation. The jail time was suspended, pending Payne's performance on probation.
Payne had pleaded no contest to intentionally committing child abuse without injury.
Dustin Scoville and Sharon Turnell were sentenced to 49-to-50 years in prison. Sharon Turnell's husband, Charles Turnell, was sentenced to 19-to-20 years.
The child, Landon Payne, was Sharon Turnell's nephew and had lived with the couple since August 2009. The boy died Dec. 22, 2009, a day after he was taken to a hospital.


Read more: http://m.siouxcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/article_513d4920-06f6-11e1-87dd-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1dELtRCEo

MINDEN — The Nebraska Court of Appeals has denied an appeal request
from one of the men sentenced in the Landon Payne abuse case.

• 
  
  
  Charles Turnell
  

Related Content & Coverage

• Article: Turnells, Scoville get max sentences in Landon Payne death
  
• Article: Payne avoids trial in Landon's death with no-contest plea
  
• Article: During abusers’ sentencing, judge, lawyers talk of torture Landon endured
  
• Article: Three convicted in Landon Payne's death
  

The court held up the sentence of Charles Turnell, 39,
who received 19 to 20 years in prison after being convicted of felony
attempted child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury in September.

The other two involved in the case – Sharon Turnell, 38,
and Dustin Scoville, 24 – have also appealed, but their sentences have
not been reviewed by the court.

Sharon Turnell and Scoville each were convicted of felony
attempted child abuse resulting in Landon Payne's death and sentenced
to 49 to 50 years in prison.

Payne, 4, died Dec. 22, 2009, from severe blunt force
trauma to the head after being transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.

Scoville and the Turnells claimed Payne received his wounds when he fell from a bunk bed.

It was later revealed Payne suffered long-term abuse while living in the Turnell household.
http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local/article_f43e0086-7787-11e1-a0f5-001871e3ce6c.html#.T3HKsXnLuSo