The Hannah Overton Case: The Story That Keeps Me Up at Night
EmailHannah Overton asked me to give her five kids a hug for her, knowing that I was going to see them the next day. She gets to see them once a month through a glass window in the visiting area of the women’s prison where she’s been serving a life sentence for murdering her adopted son Andrew. But for all these years, there has been a dogged group of supporters — including her church community — that believes steadfast in her innocence.
When she first arrived, the prison guards predicted that her husband, Larry, would slowly stop visiting and eventually divorce her within a year. Five years later, they all know him by name because he drives 300 miles every weekend — after being a single father of five all week long — to visit the woman he first fell in love with when they were teens.
Hannah was convicted five years ago today and sentenced to life in prison.
It all began on a normal day when her foster son Andrew, who’s biological mother was a Meth addict, had a temper tantrum then threw up and said he felt cold. Like harried mothers of many kids, she comforted him, put a blanket around him and even drew a bath to warm him. But Andrew’s condition deteriorated and they drove him to the hospital. He died the next day of salt poisoning.
Mother of five Hannah Overton, in prison on a life sentence, believes she will be set free. (Todd Yates/Corpus Christi Caller-Times/AP Photo)
We at “20/20″ found Andrew’s pediatrician who said he was not a typically developing child. According to Hannah and her supporters, he’d eat a jar of pickles or a dozen eggs; his pre-school teacher said he even ate things out of the trash. Another expert I spoke to said he believed, based on research into other salt poisoning cases he’d found, that Andrew most likely ate something salty voluntarily because of a disorder called pica—where people eat non-edible items.
But Hannah was found guilty of capital murder because the jurors felt she hadn’t called 911 or gotten medical treatment for him soon enough. The expert we spoke to felt that very few people, even medical experts, could have realized what was going on inside little Andrew’s body. And he added that even if the Overtons had gotten Andrew there earlier, he could not have been saved. Prosecution experts disagreed.
This is a story that keeps me up at night.
Five years later, there are serious allegations of misconduct against the former prosecutor in the case. Hannah’s lawyers say Sandra Eastwood improperly withheld evidence that would have helped Hannah. Even Eastwood’s own co-counsel questioned her judgment in testimony last April.
She has denied wrongdoing and disciplinary tribunals have declined to press charges after investigating. Every appeal thus far has failed to convince a court of any wrongdoing.
But Hannah Overton is still asking for her case to be reviewed. Meanwhile, her five children are growing up without their mother. They are polite kids who are still home-schooled by church friends and they all have a firm belief in their mother’s innocence.
Recently, I asked Hannah again if after all this, “Do you ever regret trying to adopt Andrew?” She didn’t pause for a nano-second.
“Absolutely not. Never,” she said. “The time that we had with him (meant) the world to us. We loved him.”
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Thank you so much for caring about Hannah and her family. I know she is innocent. And I believe God will release her when the work He has given her there is done. She is obedient to her King – Jesus Christ – and although she would rather be with her family, it’s more important to her (and to her family and husband) that she do what God has called her to do. I receive her letters and her godly character is such an encouragement. It’s nothing short of amazing! I thank God so much for her. But I want her to be with her family and I ask God to please allow her to be back with her family as soon as possible. I know He will do this at just the right time. His timing is always perfect and the eternal benefits of what He’s been doing through Hannah these past 5 years are priceless and will make it all worth it. Keep standing firm on His Word Hannah! And Mrs. Chang, please keep this in the news and on people’s TV’s and computer screens until justice is served. Thank you!
Posted by: Jill Ferrell | September 7, 2012, 10:46 pm 10:46 pm
R U NUTS? there is no way this Mom should have did one day in jail? this is nuts!
Posted by: Larry | September 7, 2012, 10:50 pm 10:50 pm
This is why it’s called CRIMINAL Court.
Posted by: mick | September 7, 2012, 11:08 pm 11:08 pm
Prosecutors never want to admit they messed up. Anyone who looked at this case in the beginning, would have decided not to prosecute.
This woman tried to help a kid born from a Meth Addict, and she ended up with her life destroyed. That is pure evil, acting in the name of the State.
VOTE LIBERTARIAN to end such abuse.
Posted by: Mike Minder | September 7, 2012, 11:46 pm 11:46 pm
Hannah’s defense team originally refused a lesser charge b/c they didn’t think the jury would convict this lady? See – all lawyers play to win. But in this case, it was Hannah who lost.
Posted by: nikkie | September 8, 2012, 12:52 am 12:52 am
It breaks my heart knowing that an innocent woman has been sent to prison for a crime she has NEVER committed. Even my own mom says she is innocent. We discussed about the judge and the prosecutors and they never stood up for their own mistakes. Instead they are relaxed, living a normal life, knowing that an innocent woman sits behind prison bars.
What upset me the most was the judge NEVER manned up for his mistakes! MAN UP JUDGE MAN UP!
Posted by: Alexia | September 8, 2012, 1:22 am 1:22 am
I hate seeing stories like this. Hannah is obviously innocent but an overzealous prosecution and an arrogant judge will not allow her to have justice. The “justice system” is such a farce. Now that new information about the prosecutor’s alcoholism and unethical behavior has come to light, the other cases she prosecuted during that time need to be re-examined.
Posted by: Nichele | September 8, 2012, 7:31 am 7:31 am
It’s a shame that these days we have some judges and others in our judicial sysytem who wish to make themselves look like bigshots at the expense of others. This was obviously what the lead prosecutor did by allowing only the available evidence that would get Hanna a guilty conviction to be presented to the jury and not allowing the other available evidence that would have freed Hanna to be presented to the jury.
SHAME ON THESE INDIVIDUALS!!!
Posted by: Patty | September 8, 2012, 10:11 pm 10:11 pm
This is just so sad. Whatever happened … still sad. The boy is dead and now Hanna cannot raise her own children either. If the boy had PICA… then that’s enough proof that he can GO and eat noneattable things and when that craving is there, hard to find a STOP to him. With all these kids running around in the house, how in the world could she watch him EVERY MINUTE? Didn’t the system KNOW how many kids she has and yet ALLOWED her to look after extras – a special need child? Well, then, it is to be expected that she had more on her shoulders. If she did use salt as discipline, certainly she didn’t think it was poisonous nor did she give that many teaspoons of salt (you know the media always exaggerates the store to get attention). But for the boy, I feel sorry for him too, he didn’t know any better. I hope the mom finds justice in this and if she is at no fault truely, that she will compensated of MILLIONS OF $ for all the hell she had to go through. I admire her desire to want to adopt a special need child, that tells you her heart was compassionate and it is unfortunate to have such a tragedy. But remember, it can happen to anyone and when it happens to you or your loved one, it feels like nobody believes you that’s the truth, but it is.
Posted by: floare | September 8, 2012, 11:48 pm 11:48 pm
I can’t believe that this mother is STILL in Jail. Has anyone considered that this child (who likely had PICA and other markers of developmental disorder ) may have had an adrenal dysfunction….craving of salt and potassium (5 bananas at a time/craving salty food). It may in fact be the hospital’s delay in diagnosing the issue coupled with the administration of sodium chloride which may have hastened or caused this poor baby’s demise.
Posted by: pbarb | September 9, 2012, 11:36 pm 11:36 pm
I firmly believe that this woman is innocent. There is more to this story than meets the eye.
Posted by: JT | September 10, 2012, 9:39 am 9:39 am
This case kept me the night after I watched it! I have two adopted sons. My heart breaks for this Momma who was trying to do the right thing. I don’t believe for a minute she killed him. I’m with other commentors…did they ever consider he may have had a disorder that didn’t allow him to break salt down and it built up in his body. Something in this case is MISSING! I wish the media was all over this….A LOT MORE…things would be moving a lot faster in court. For the sake of her kids…cover this story MORE!
Posted by: Micah | September 10, 2012, 3:13 pm 3:13 pm
So is everyone saying that the jurors were all morons? Where was an “expert” at trial who would say that the child’s condition would not be apparent?
Perhaps a “harried” mother of 5 shouldn’t be adopting another child. Perhaps this behavior is negligent, if not reckless. Did she adopt for financial purposes and when the child turned out to be more of a handful than she expected, perhaps consciously or subconsciously, was she was not as responsible as she should have been?
No one commenting here, nor the author of the article, heard all the evidence at trial.
How about interviewing the jurors? . . .
Posted by: Dennis | September 11, 2012, 11:56 pm 11:56 pm
Dear Dennis,
Two of the jurors were interviewed on last weeks 20/20 episode.
Posted by: Ellen | September 12, 2012, 10:50 am 10:50 am
Courts are not fair nor do they seek justice. Set here free Gov. Perry!
How stupid were those two women jurors on 20/20? Single digit IQ
Posted by: VA Viewer | September 16, 2012, 1:21 am 1:21 am
Dennis – you seem to think that adoption is a way to make money. In reality, the Overtons were this child’s foster family at first, and that is indeed something that people get paid for. They then chose to adopt Andrew, which both costs them money and then makes them fully financially responsible for Andrew, just as with one of their own children. If they were in it for money, they could have continued to foster him, which would have meant they would have continued to get paid for caring for him. They didn’t, they adopted him and loved and cared for him as one of their own.
Posted by: Hope | September 23, 2012, 8:49 pm 8:49 pm
Ever heard of Prader-Willi syndrome?
Posted by: Christy | September 30, 2012, 11:29 pm 11:29 pm
I believe this child may have had Prader-Willi Syndrome. Please investigate. It is a genetic disorder and can be proven with DNA.
Posted by: Christy | October 1, 2012, 10:29 pm 10:29 pm
This would not have happened had the jury been of normal moral character. Grand juries and juries need to be held accountable along with DA’s and their prosecutors. Holding accountable should be in the form of death. Nothing seems to sway DA’s, but the possibility of a death sentence might do the trick. Eye for an eye is true justice.
Posted by: Annie Gonzaba | October 15, 2012, 1:57 pm 1:57 pm
The M.D. retained by the prosecution to testify that Hannah was guilty of murder was NOT allowed to testify because he told the prosecution that he believed Hannah to be innocent. The doctor said, on 20/20, that he explained emphatically, several times, to the team of prosecutors (including the admitted, practicing alcoholic, drug addicted prosecuting D.A.) why he thought Hannah was innocent. Of course, to be expected, the prosecution would not allow Hannah’s OWN expert witness (another M.D.) to testify, either. The judicial system in most of Texas is conviction focused, not justice focused. The attorneys, D.A.s and judges want too be seen as the most blood thirsty, meanest, most punishing hombre on the block, bar none. Those statistics look great on billboards, in newspaper ads, on radio stations and every other medium in run-ups to elections. The “hang-em-high crowd” try to out red neck each other on a dark, comic stage where Ghaddafi’s execution would be stately English humor.
Posted by: Stuart Snow | October 15, 2012, 6:11 pm 6:11 pm
You left out very major details. This was a foster child who had not yet been adopted. This is a fundamentally religious woman who had four small child with another on the way who decided to “take in” this child who was doing well in foster care. He was covered in scratches and bruising on the day he died with a traumatic head injury in addition to hypernatremia, extreme salt poisoning. The other kids admit mom liked to use pepper in the mouth as a punishment. She also failed to call 911 or EMS when the poor child collapsed and went into a seizure. She tried to tend to the poor baby herself. She took him to an urgent care. She is where she belongs.
Posted by: Maddie | October 15, 2012, 7:48 pm 7:48 pm
“Hannah Overton watched Andrew on a security camera in a bedroom and used food and pepper as a form of punishment” – Caller-Times
“the Overtons waited nearly three hours on Oct. 2 before taking Andrew Burd to a medical clinic after he drank the mixture, vomited and drifted in and out of consciousness” – Caller-Times
“Hannah Overton called [a neighbor] about 2:52 p.m. that day and asked her to watch one of her children because Andrew was intentionally vomiting and defecating and ‘smearing it everywhere.’” – Caller-Times
“‘He is not sick, he is doing it to get to me,’ Hannah told the neighbor, adding he had defecated eight times, the affidavits said. — Caller-Times
“When the autopsy was performed the cause of death was ruled as sodioum poisoning with a secondary factor of blunt force trauma.” –Parents Behaving Badly
“Hospiatl workrers also noticed bruising in his body and an untreated wound on his arm that was consistent with a burn” –Parents Behaving Badly
Posted by: Maddie | October 15, 2012, 7:56 pm 7:56 pm
Oh my God.
Someone please stop this horrible injustice… I just seen the 20/20 episode and chills went through my body. An obvious loving mother and father up against a win at all costs system.
I don’t blame the prosecutor, I blame the system. If a case is put in one’s hands to prosecute, the goal is to win. Period. Regardless of the real truth. The real truth is never sought. Only smoke and mirrors focused on winning. A record of winning is all that matters to climb that promotional ladder. The most despicable thing here is to use a sick disturbed out of control child to accomplish this extreme miscarriage of justice.
Hannah Overton and family; I know it must feel overwhelming to go through this horrible injustice. One can only imagine what you must endure. My heart hurts so for you and your family. To be a mother stripped of your life, husband and 5 children. I believe you are completely innocent. I know you are. Your husband was completely innocent as well. There was NO crime here at all. None!!!! I think your calling is to fight this injustice. To expose the system. The Win at all cost system. The prosecution is charged with winning the case. It’s not their job to find the truth. That must change. I wish I was a billionaire so I could finance your fight for not only freedom of incarceration but freedom of this horrible injustice.
Sincerely
Tears from a stranger
Posted by: Ken Garnsey | October 24, 2012, 1:56 pm 1:56 pm
I honestly don’t think this woman is guilty of capital murder, I am not even sure she’s guilty of neglect…..my husband and I have 3 children and although we would most definitely take one of our children to the hospital immediately if they had a seizure, I would not jump to take one to the hospital (Ok when we had our first maybe lol) for vomiting and being chilly….I mean just a few months ago our son was ill, he had a temp, chills, nausea, ect…There is really not a whole lot that an ER or DR will do in these situations especially considering the time of year is one where a lot of kids get sick but not only that, when a kid is sick, vomiting, fever, there is really almost nothing that can be done other than try to alleviate the symptoms…..for petes sake, most ER docs will write off a parent with concerns unless there is something staring them in the face in situations like this. I of course can’t say what happened that day, no one can, there are only 3 people who really know what happened, Hannah, God, and that little boy, if she did do it, I hope she burns but there is so much doubt that I dont think a capital murder charge is appropriate….I don’t know, I watched the 20/20 episode, when asked if she regretted trying adopt the little boy, there was like zero hesitation, no wavering, no nothing except absolutely not….I understand that….my husband and I lost a child as an infant, a very piece of my heart and soul is forever gone and we have been asked if we knew then what we know now would we have still had the baby….there is not even a split second of hesitation from either of us to say we absolutely would still have the baby because despite the pain, we will NEVER regret the time we had with her and the joy she brought to our family in that short time…..
Posted by: Enraged | October 24, 2012, 1:58 pm 1:58 pm
just saw this 20/20 episode in Australia,..I’m sitting here in tears for this beautiful Mom,..
I will pray for justice for this family, and for healing in those kids lives.
So unfair, and so heartbreaking/
Posted by: Anne | December 20, 2012, 9:13 am 9:13 am