80s_Fan
12-17-2004, 01:37 PM
Mother pleads guilty to scalding infant
Inmate Robin Graham is led away by a Logan County Sheriff's deputy (unseen). Graham pleaded guilty Wednesday to scalding her infant son to death.Photo by Josh Bradshaw / Times staff
By Jared L. Olar
Times staff writer
LINCOLN -- Robin L. Graham showed little emotion as she pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon in Logan County felony court to one count of first-degree murder, a charge stemming from the Nov. 14, 2003, scalding death of her 11-month-old son Austin.
Graham, 19, of San Jose, shed no tears and did not speak during the plea hearing, other than to answer, "Yes," in a quiet voice to a series of questions asked by Judge David Coogan to ensure that she was sure she wanted to plead guilty. Her voice broke for the first time, as she answered, "Yes."
Graham began to shake as Logan County State's Attorney Tim Huyett read aloud the factual basis for her plea of guilty, the narrative summarizing the evidence the state would offer if the case were to go to trial.
Graham was indicted Dec. 10, 2003, by a Logan County grand jury on three counts of first-degree murder. She pleaded guilty Wednesday to the third count, and the state agreed to dismiss the first two counts.
No family or friends attended the hearing.
According to Huyett, on the morning of Nov. 14, 2003, Graham's son Austin had a soiled diaper that was especially messy, with feces soiling the inside of his sleeper and getting into his hair. Graham became angry with Austin, taking him to a bathtub in the trailer where she lived with her husband, Nathan, and 2-year-old son, Byron.
Graham turned on the water and placed Austin in a bathing ring, even though she knew the water was very hot to the touch and too hot for an infant. She washed the feces from Austin's hair as he screamed in pain from the scalding water.
Tests of the tub's faucet showed the maximum temperature of the water from the faucet was 130 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that would cause extensive burns to an infant and result in death if the infant did not receive medical attention, Huyett said.
As Austin continued to scream, Graham took her son Byron and left, going next door to her sister-in-law Tonya Graham's residence, where she remained for about two hours.
She told investigators that she knew as she left that the water was burning Austin, and that she expected him to kick and knock over the bathing ring and then drown, Huyett said.
She also said that she knew Austin was hurt and didn't want to watch him as he died.
Urged by her sister-in-law to check on Austin, Graham returned to the trailer twice.
The first time she reportedly found Austin with a glazed look in his eyes, as if he were in shock, Huyett said.
The second time, she found Austin floating in the water around 11:45 a.m. and brought him outside.
Witnesses said she was screaming. She told her sister-in-law Tonya Graham, "Help him, he's dead!"
"What did you do to him?!" Tonya Graham said.
"I don't know," Robin Graham replied.
The baby was unconscious, not breathing and had no pulse, but was rushed to Pekin Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:55 a.m. An autopsy determined that Austin died not from drowning, but from second and third degree burns over 80 percent of his body. He also had a fracture on the lower right side of his skull.
According to Huyett, while at the scene of Austin's death, Robin Graham stood behind her son, Byron, with her hands on Byron's shoulders. A female relative pried Graham's hands off Byron's shoulders, took him away, and said, "You don't deserve to have no more kids."
Graham replied, "I finally did it. I killed him."
Huyett also said that Graham's relatives had previously admonished her when they learned she had left Byron unattended in a bathtub.
Also at the scene of Austin's death, Graham got into a Logan County deputy's car and said to the deputy, "I'm a bad person. I murdered my baby. Take me to jail," and, "I need to go to prison. I just need to be shot."
A note found in the trailer was addressed to her husband, and read, "Nathan, don't see me. Tell everyone I'm sorry."
She remains in custody at the Logan County Jail, awaiting a sentencing hearing set for 9 a.m. March 3, 2005.
Graham faces a possible sentence of 20 to 60 years in prison, and will not be eligible for early release for good behavior.
Inmate Robin Graham is led away by a Logan County Sheriff's deputy (unseen). Graham pleaded guilty Wednesday to scalding her infant son to death.Photo by Josh Bradshaw / Times staff
By Jared L. Olar
Times staff writer
LINCOLN -- Robin L. Graham showed little emotion as she pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon in Logan County felony court to one count of first-degree murder, a charge stemming from the Nov. 14, 2003, scalding death of her 11-month-old son Austin.
Graham, 19, of San Jose, shed no tears and did not speak during the plea hearing, other than to answer, "Yes," in a quiet voice to a series of questions asked by Judge David Coogan to ensure that she was sure she wanted to plead guilty. Her voice broke for the first time, as she answered, "Yes."
Graham began to shake as Logan County State's Attorney Tim Huyett read aloud the factual basis for her plea of guilty, the narrative summarizing the evidence the state would offer if the case were to go to trial.
Graham was indicted Dec. 10, 2003, by a Logan County grand jury on three counts of first-degree murder. She pleaded guilty Wednesday to the third count, and the state agreed to dismiss the first two counts.
No family or friends attended the hearing.
According to Huyett, on the morning of Nov. 14, 2003, Graham's son Austin had a soiled diaper that was especially messy, with feces soiling the inside of his sleeper and getting into his hair. Graham became angry with Austin, taking him to a bathtub in the trailer where she lived with her husband, Nathan, and 2-year-old son, Byron.
Graham turned on the water and placed Austin in a bathing ring, even though she knew the water was very hot to the touch and too hot for an infant. She washed the feces from Austin's hair as he screamed in pain from the scalding water.
Tests of the tub's faucet showed the maximum temperature of the water from the faucet was 130 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that would cause extensive burns to an infant and result in death if the infant did not receive medical attention, Huyett said.
As Austin continued to scream, Graham took her son Byron and left, going next door to her sister-in-law Tonya Graham's residence, where she remained for about two hours.
She told investigators that she knew as she left that the water was burning Austin, and that she expected him to kick and knock over the bathing ring and then drown, Huyett said.
She also said that she knew Austin was hurt and didn't want to watch him as he died.
Urged by her sister-in-law to check on Austin, Graham returned to the trailer twice.
The first time she reportedly found Austin with a glazed look in his eyes, as if he were in shock, Huyett said.
The second time, she found Austin floating in the water around 11:45 a.m. and brought him outside.
Witnesses said she was screaming. She told her sister-in-law Tonya Graham, "Help him, he's dead!"
"What did you do to him?!" Tonya Graham said.
"I don't know," Robin Graham replied.
The baby was unconscious, not breathing and had no pulse, but was rushed to Pekin Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:55 a.m. An autopsy determined that Austin died not from drowning, but from second and third degree burns over 80 percent of his body. He also had a fracture on the lower right side of his skull.
According to Huyett, while at the scene of Austin's death, Robin Graham stood behind her son, Byron, with her hands on Byron's shoulders. A female relative pried Graham's hands off Byron's shoulders, took him away, and said, "You don't deserve to have no more kids."
Graham replied, "I finally did it. I killed him."
Huyett also said that Graham's relatives had previously admonished her when they learned she had left Byron unattended in a bathtub.
Also at the scene of Austin's death, Graham got into a Logan County deputy's car and said to the deputy, "I'm a bad person. I murdered my baby. Take me to jail," and, "I need to go to prison. I just need to be shot."
A note found in the trailer was addressed to her husband, and read, "Nathan, don't see me. Tell everyone I'm sorry."
She remains in custody at the Logan County Jail, awaiting a sentencing hearing set for 9 a.m. March 3, 2005.
Graham faces a possible sentence of 20 to 60 years in prison, and will not be eligible for early release for good behavior.