Disabled pregnant woman used as target practice (died after weeks of abuse)

[Breeze54]

Disabled pregnant woman used as target practice

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/03/21/torture.slaying.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

ALTON, Illinois (AP) --

Banished to the basement, the 29-year-old mother with a childlike mind and another baby on the
way had little more than a thin rug and a mattress to call her own on the chilly concrete floor.

Dorothy Dixon ate what she could forage from the refrigerator upstairs, where housemates used her
for target practice with BBs, burned her with a glue gun and doused her with scalding liquid that
peeled away her skin.

They torched what few clothes she had, so she walked around naked. They often pummeled her with
an aluminum bat or metal handle.

Dixon -- six months pregnant -- died after weeks of abuse. Police have charged two adults, three
teenagers and a 12-year-old boy with murder in the case that has repulsed many in this Mississippi
River town.

"This is heartbreaking," police Lt. David Hayes said. "It was almost as though they were making
fun of the abuse they were administering. This woman was almost like living in a prison."

Investigators put much of the blame on Michelle Riley, 35, who they said befriended Dixon but
pocketed monthly Social Security checks she got because of her developmental delays.


Five adults and a 12-year-old child were charged with Dorothy Dixon's murder.

Dixon saw little, if any, of the money, Hayes said. For months she weathered the torment to keep
a roof over her head and that of her year-old son, who weighed just 15 pounds when taken into
state custody after his mom's death.

"I've never seen an almost conspiratorial effort by a group of people to continuously torture
someone until she finally died, then not really show any remorse," Hayes said. "It was just a
slow, torturous, tragic way to die. I highly doubt Dorothy Dixon even knew she was dying."

Riley, 43-year-old Judy Woods and three teenagers, including Riley's 15-year-old daughter,
LeShelle McBride, are charged with first-degree murder, aggravated and heinous battery,
intentional homicide of an unborn child, and unlawful restraint. Riley's 12-year-old son
is charged as a juvenile.

Riley, her daughter, Woods and 16-year-old Benny Wilson have public defenders who did not
immediately return messages for comment. An 18-year-old defendant, Michael Elliott, planned
to get his own attorney, court records show.

All remain in jail on $1 million bond.

More....

There are no words....

[lost-in-nj]

1. ....

no...
no words......

:cry: :cry:


lost

[Breeze54]

4. You know, they must've believed Bush & Cheney that torture is OK?

That this even happened is unbelievable to me but it was a 'family' pastime!!!! :grr:

Who the fuck ARE these people?!

I don't understand how they could even do this, let alone as a group, for cripes sake!!

And to include your own 12 year old child in the torture and abuse?! :wtf:

I can't even imagine how these animals found each other and conspired to do this!

The more I think about it the more outraged I become... :nuke:

[Berry Cool]

2. No, there really aren't any, are there?

Imagine being the lawyers who have to serve as public defenders for these vermin. I do not envy them. Not at all.

There must be times when doing their duty of helping provide everyone with a lawyer, even those who cannot afford one, turns their stomachs. And this must be one of them.

[Snotcicles]

3. The inhumanity. nt

[Hersheygirl]

5. Unbelievable that human beings could act that way

But then again, can we really call them human?

[Breeze54]

6. Animals.... all of them!!!

:grr:

[RC]

7. No they are not animals.

Real animals do not treat each other that way. Only Humans would treat others of their kind that way.

[Breeze54]

10. You're right, animals wouldn't conspire to torture.

Only depraved and inhuman humans could conspire to band together to do such a horrible thing.

Just like Bush and Co.! :grr:

[Breeze54]

9. .....

[KingOfLostSouls]

8. Jesus

it takes a lot to bring a grown man to tears but that did.

I honestly sat down and prayed for her and her unborn child. on Easter, that was the one thing you could honestly do.

seriously, may the Lord and all his blessings be upon her in heaven and that of her unborn child.