Three Children Killed in Hudson River Plunge Are Buried as Families Feud
Mother LaShanda Armstrong was buried Thursday; their brother did not attend.
April 25, 2011 — -- The three youngest children of LaShanda Armstrong, the New York woman who drove a minivan into the Hudson River with herself and her four children inside, were laid to rest today as emotions boiled over between her relatives and their father's family.
Police helped funeral staff keep the families separated as mourners attended today's service in Spring Valley, N.Y., for Landen Pierre, 5; Lance Pierre, 2; and Lainaina Pierre, nearly 1. The boys were dressed in dark suits; Lainaina was dressed in white.
The three were killed when Armstrong, 25, drove her minivan off a boat ramp April 12 in Newburgh, N.Y., minutes after arguing with her boyfriend and their father, Jean Pierre. La'Shaun Armstrong, 10, the eldest of Armstrong's children and a son from a previous relationship, survived by escaping through a window.
A joint service for Armstrong and the three children had been planned, but last week Pierre said he would hold a separate service for the children. They were not buried in the same cemetery as Armstrong, relatives told WABC-TV today.
One family member said Armstrong's relatives were angry about that decision. "We're all still dealing with everything and coping with it," the relative said.
At today's service, the Armstrongs were forced to wait outside. They stood on one side of the lawn in front of the Alphonso E. Brown Funeral Home as Pierre and his family and friends were escorted into the building. Armstrong's mother was allowed to view the children, but then returned outside to be with family.
Funeral staff checked lists for the names of those invited. A lawyer for Pierre told The Associated Press that there was no restriction on guests from Armstrong's family. He said relatives were asked to provide a list of guests for police and the funeral home.
"We didn't hear any complaints" in advance, said lawyer Michael O'Connor.
La'Shaun did not attend the service, according to Gwendolen Green, a second cousin to LaShanda Armstrong.
"It was too much for him," she told the AP. She said he did attend his mother's funeral Thursday.
Green said that too few of her family were allowed into the service. She said she was escorted out of the private funeral after she stood up for her 17-year-old son who was "manhandled" when he tried to enter.
Though she was not on the list, she managed to get in. "You're not going to keep me from going in and seeing my family," she said.
The Associated Press and ABC News affiliate WABC-TV contributed to this story.