DeSoto, TX - Jonathan Potts, 12, died Tuesday because his father, Terence A. Potts, 40, spanked him to death. Terence Potts called police from a gas station in Dallas at about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday to report that his son, who was riding in a minivan with him, was not breathing.
When paramedics arrived to assess the child, they found that Jonathon’s back was covered with “looped marks” and extensive bruising. Some of the marks were older and crusted with blood, but some looked fresh. Jonathon suffered a cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital and was pronounced dead early Tuesday afternoon.
Based on Jonathon’s critical condition and subsequent death, police were notified and met the family at the hospital. On interviewing Terence Potts, he admitted to “spanking” Jonathon the night before. Autopsy results completed today report that Jonathon died of blunt force trauma to the abdomen, causing internal bleeding and death. Sounds like one hell of a spanking to me.
I want to know why Terence Potts had his child, beaten nearly to the point of death, out riding around in the family minivan. What didn’t he want medical personnel to see? Implements of destruction? Extension cords that could be looped and used to beat a kid to death? Bloodstains? I am so sick of these people who think they can discipline their children until the kid is dead and call it a “spanking”. I got your spanking right HERE, Terence Potts, you despicable bastard. And where was Jonathon’s mother while he was being beaten to death, hmm? The Imp wants answers, dammit.
Jonathon was a student at DeSoto East Middle School, and counselors will be on hand to help students through their trauma. I wonder if they were around while Jonathon was going through his. This can’t have been the first “spanking” that poor kid ever got.
Child Protective Services has removed Jonathon’s 9 and 11-year-old siblings from the home while they continue their investigation. Terence Potts is being held in Dallas County on murder charges, which were upgraded from felony injury to a child after the medical examiner’s report came in today.
39 responses so far ↓
1
nurseronda
Mar 26, 2008 at 7:37 pm -Bet he used some kind of rubber hose on this kid to produce those type of marks on the kids body.
2
Angel
Mar 26, 2008 at 7:41 pm -Awww…shit, Imp. You mean I can’t beat my kids with extension cords? What the fuck am I gonna do with all of those I got at the after Christmas sales, now? You know the green ones that have several outlets at the end, so you can plug in multiple cords? I don’t have enough shit that I need to run at one time to make them useful for anything else! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!
Hey, anybody here need any extension cords? They’re brand new, and I’ll sell ‘em cheap!
3
Angel
Mar 26, 2008 at 7:43 pm -Rubber hoses are out, too? Well, just exactly what CAN I beat my kids with, then? Y’all people ruin all my damn fun…..
4
impqueen
Mar 26, 2008 at 7:52 pm -Feathers. you can beat the hell out of the little darlings with feathers! See? Ever helpful, that’s me…
5
nurseronda
Mar 26, 2008 at 7:55 pm -Giggles….Angel, anything you can hold in your hand to spank a child with is called a weapon…lol…Try your hand, they didn’t take spanking children away from the parents, just what they use to spank with, like a belt, rubber hose, electric cords, crow bars, boards, curling irons (heated or not), broom handles, knife sharping belts, hot wheel track, fists, tree branches and this list can go on and on, but you get the idea.
6
Angel
Mar 26, 2008 at 8:23 pm -But if I use my haaand (insert appropriate level of whining), it might make my hand stiiiinnnng. And I’m not the one who’s in trooooouble. Mean kids, making my hand sting in order to correct them! Bah……
7
Angel
Mar 26, 2008 at 8:26 pm -How about feather pillows? feather mattresses? Maybe the box springs used to support the mattresses? C’mon, gimme a break here! How about if I just use the whole damn bird to beat ‘em with? Is that OK?
8
Angel
Mar 26, 2008 at 8:38 pm -I don’t even mean a really big bird - not like a peacock or a turkey, or anything like that. Maybe just a chicken or a duck? Please? Even a wren would be okay. I could stand back and fling that fucker pretty damn hard if I tried……
I better stop, before some newbie shows up and really thinks we beat our kids with barnyard animals……LOL.
Or somebody from PETA shows up to arrest me for conspiracy to commit cruelty to animals. In which case I would probably get more jail time than if I beat my kid…..
9
impqueen
Mar 26, 2008 at 9:08 pm -Imp’s rule of bird-beating:
A parakeet is an acceptable spanking tool. A Macaw, not so much. They’re expensive. And a bit large. Really, duck size is best. Also, you can cook ‘em when you’re finished tenderizing. The duck, not the kid.
10
orion
Mar 26, 2008 at 9:20 pm -i love you imp! i think we should all be able to get our hands on those “spankers” and dish out a little punishment ourselves. rat bastards make me sick.
11
mom of 4
Mar 26, 2008 at 9:27 pm -A spanking? Huh….who would have thought a spanking would cause blunt force trauma to the abdomen?? When I was a kid I recall getting my ass spanked a time or two but never my abdomen. Is this some new age parenting thing I don’t know about??
Naw….just another stupid son of a bitch who should rot in prison for the rest of his life!
12
Angel
Mar 26, 2008 at 9:31 pm -Thanks for the guidelines, Imp. I’ll be sure to visit some of the local duck ponds tomorrow, to scout for a good spanking/meal combo. Are you free for dinner this weekend? I’ll be serving fowl……
13
L1LuvMamita
Mar 26, 2008 at 9:58 pm -I thought that I was being such a bad amom by putting my son in time out. I really thought that time out and going to his room was the end of the world, boy was I wrong! Wonder if I should tell my 3-year-old that I am not being “such a meany”??!!!
I want to know what a 12-year-old did to deserve such a beating, because it certainly could not have been taking Dad’s portion of the meals…. LOL
14
Totemic
Mar 26, 2008 at 11:16 pm -Alright, I’m from the age when “hacks” were still acceptable forms of punishment at schools. I had a grand dad that beleived the willow switch was the best thing for a kid since sliced bread. Somehow in being spanked, hacked, and in knockdown drag out fights… I never suffered blunt force trauma. Granted, there were times I couldn’t sit for a few minutes, but jesus christ, I can just feel the kids pain. I vote for the plugged in electic cords, with the ends all torn off, you know bare wires showing, and him standing in a tub of water punishment. Oops, dropped my cord.
15
LeeMouse
Mar 27, 2008 at 5:46 am -My god…how hard do you have to be hitting to beat a 12 yr-old to death?
16
solange822001
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:25 am -I cant even laugh at the jokes on this post, this is just so sad it makes me want to cry. Poor little boy, twelve years of pure hell and then he dies.
17
Angel
Mar 27, 2008 at 12:00 pm -I understand where you’re coming from, Solange - but, beating a kid with a DUCK? I don’t care who you are, THAT’S funny! LOL.
Keep your chin up, smile, and don’t forget to let me know when you need that alibi!
18
txchick1971
Mar 27, 2008 at 1:02 pm -i spank my son about once every couple of months….i have a paddle that is special made but sometimes i have to use a belt….i tell him it would be easier if he didn’t move around so much…..i always worry about marks but i definitely don’t “beat” my child……this guy was definitely angry at something else
19
michelle
Mar 27, 2008 at 1:19 pm -Nothing wrong with a swat on the behind in my book. This is not that situation. This is just screwed to no end. My heart hurts for the fear and pain this boy must have had in his life on a daily basis, from the one who should have protected him.
:( 
20
Ruby
Mar 27, 2008 at 1:48 pm -WTF!?! A belt? I sure hope you’re kidding, TXChick. How old is your child?
21
cld79
Mar 27, 2008 at 3:32 pm -I hope you are joking around.
If not, why would you be worried about marks if what you are doing is not WRONG?
22
maryhaze
Mar 27, 2008 at 3:53 pm -i will admit that when my bratz were 5 & 7 & i caught them tunneling thru the drywall in their room with crochet hooks, their butts met my hand a few times, but they have still managed to live thru it. this asshat wasn’t spanking, he beat that boy to death.
23
bornagainpagan
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:04 pm -yes you do, txchick1971, yes you do. I hate people who think hitting a child for discipline/punishment is reasonable or justifiable, and your worrying about marks should be the giveaway that you are doing the wrong thing. This is the same bullshit justification that allowed fuckers to beat and kill slaves, wives, children and domestic pets for centuries. get over it - it’s the 21st century goddammitt!
Now, back to this fat oaf. What this child must have endured over 12 years. Child murder is so depressing, taking away all that promise, opportunity and hope for better things with each new generation. But on top of that, Jonathan’s living years would have been filled with pain, anger, fear, confusion. He joins the swelling child ranks of the ‘cheated’.
I hope this brick with eyes doofy shit sack gets shivved sooner rather than later, ’cause it don’t look like he’s a learner from his mistakes, and there’s no point wasting good air.
24
ImmortalOne
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:17 pm -Okay, clarifications…
child abuse = bad, beating a child = bad, beating your child, neglecting your child all = bad. Period.
However, I will whip my child’s ass (not the baby of course) if they need it. No I don’t spank them often, never have had to (about once a year). I use my hand, have used a belt when I was younger. I have strong views that when we took the proper ability to punish a child (’time out’ and ‘bad step’ does not work-I’m sorry). Every day we see how today’s kids really needed more discipline growing up. Somewhere along the lines we told parents it was okay to try to “reason” with the child that later goes out and kills people. This of course is my personal views.
There is a large difference between appropriate discipline with teaching, and spur of the moment discipline out of anger/frustration. Clearly this father just wanted to beat the fuck out of someone and wasn’t man enough to start a bar fight so someone his own size could kick the shit out of him.
25
psychmama
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:22 pm -first of all you have a set time to spank your child, that is not healthy. Oh it has been 2 mos. time to get busy, try not to move???? WTF??? Not to mention your paddle that was specially made, maybe you should put that effort towards communication, teaching patience, teaching forgiveness, teaching about consequences that don’t harm another physically. I bet that would work better than that paddle.
If you worry about marks…I am sorry you are beating your child!!!
What r u going to do when the child gets brave enough to hit back, and when they get big enough that you can’t control them. Are you going to fist fight with the child, are you going to rumble with your teen???
You better learn some different tactics because this one may turn on you real soon.
26
psychmama
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:24 pm -btw… I am positive they will hit you back since you are teaching them that hitting is OK.
27
michelle
Mar 27, 2008 at 11:39 pm -Part of me will agree, part of me won’t. I do not agree with beating the shit out of a kid, regardless of age, However, sometimes, kids need to have a little fear of the parents or at least the discipline or reaction from parents. Shit, wake the fuck up and take a look online and see what the hell the kids are doing. This liberal way of raising kids has them all thinking their little adults. What bullshit! Fuck that! Kid’s aren’t paying their way, they expect to be treated as adults without any of the responsibilities. I am getting really pissed now. So much bullshit out here. Of course don’t beat your kids to death or even close to death, but let them know you mean business. Who out here at 15 years had a car, cell phone, computer, tv in room, game console, MP3 player, or even a social schedule. We have become a nation of I want, I deserve, without any effort. The result is a bunch of pussies who steal, kill, or maim to get theirs.!
28
ImmortalOne
Mar 28, 2008 at 12:53 am -I work in an industry that sees this first hand, cellphones are the worst, and parents feel they are obligated to allow their children to be “cool”. You are right we are a nation of “I want, I deserve, the world owes me” and largely this is inpart to the fact that discipline has been foregone in the home (not beating a child, beating a child is when you worry about leaving marks… a spanking isn’t going to do that - at least long enough for it to be necessary to be concerned about).
I see 17 yr old kids driving around new cars that mommy and daddy pay for and they don’t care about that they are driving a lethal weapon. They are holding a huge responsibility in their hands, and they have no respect for it… (This disgusted me so much that I made a deal with my daughter that for her 18th birthday I would only match dollar for dollar what she worked and earned and saved for a car, and that she wasn’t getting one, period).
29
Angel
Mar 28, 2008 at 1:28 am -OK, folks, not that I’m going to change anyone’s mind here, but here goes….
There IS a difference between spanking, and beating. I know this difference firsthand, as my father was a mean bastard when I was a kid, and beating me was a great stress reliever for him.
Hitting out of anger, beating (i.e. punching, kicking, throwing, pulling hair, or any other form of physical punishment that leaves a bruise or welt or open wound), or calling a child belittling names, or psychological torment, are all unacceptable. As is using a rope, hose, tree branch (not a switch, I mean a branch), or any other object to physically discipline a child in a manner that will leave a lasting mark (lasting = more than 5 min. or so).
Using a bolo paddle, ping pong paddle, switch, flyswatter, or lightweight belt to pop a kid’s fanny to draw their attention to an error they have made, is NOT abuse.
I have six children. A couple of them, I don’t spank at all, because just telling them I am disappointed in their behavior is usually enough to straighten them up, and quick. One of mine, if I used only ‘verbal instruction’ would have long ago decided that she could do anything she pleased, because words don’t carry a whole lot of weight with her. Another of my children, I learned, has as high a pain threshold as I do. I learned this by watching her run into a wall, full speed, when she was 18 months old. She bounced off, staggered a few steps, shook her head like a puppy shedding water, and laughed as she attempted the same feat again. In order for spanking to have any effect on her at all I would HAVE to beat her bloody, so instead, I take away her privileges. Another of my children could care less about any material possessions, or lectures, but, if I pop her ass once or twice with my hand or a bolo paddle, she tows the line.
Each child is different, and no one form of discipline will work the exact same way on every child. I do not now, nor have I ever, beaten one of my children. My oldest is in college now, and told me over three years ago that she was thankful she had me for a mom, and that I was a wonderful parent. It was less than 24 hours after she had raised her voice to me, told me I couldn’t MAKE her do anything she didn’t want to, and challenged me in front of my other children. I reached out my hand, and slapped her full in the face. It’s the only time I had ever done that, and I will most likely never have to do it again. Her cheek was red for about 5 minutes, and she refused to speak to me for the rest of the night, which was probably a good thing for both of us. But the next morning, she woke me before dawn, apologized for her actions, and said, and I quote, “I deserved a lot more than a slap last night, Mom. I am SO sorry.” About a year later, she actually told me that that night she was testing ME to see if I was going to let her be disobedient just because she was ‘bigger’ than I was. And she also told me that she, herself, thought she had not gotten nearly as many spankings as she probably deserved when she was younger. I had to pinch myself, to make sure I was not hallucinating, when I heard that one!
Now, hearing that come from a fifteen year old child, I have to believe that my parenting skills were adequate then, and probably still are. I don’t go around smacking my kids indiscriminately, but if one pops off with a mouthy remark, well, after seeing me pop the oldest, they usually retract it immediately, and apologize even before I have time to react. And as with my 14 year old (who has her mother’s mouth, LOL), who sometimes likes to test her boundaries, I have ’swatted’ her mouth a couple of times. I have never even left a temporary red mark on her cheek, though. It’s more of a ‘tap’ really, to get her attention. And it works. She has never attempted to continue a ’smartass session’ after, and the attention getting properties of the ‘tap’ are amazing. I don’t do it with the intention of inflicting pain, or venting anger, and I doubt she has ever had even more than a mildly ’surprised’ reaction when I had to use that technique to get her attention.
If I were slapping her with the intent of causing pain, or hard enough to leave even a scratch, I would question my own parenting abilities. But having been physically abused as a child, I KNOW the difference. My father would hit me out of anger and rage. If he slapped me it was with enough force to knock me to the ground. He usually didn’t even bother with the open hand, though, he would just use his fists.
I understand that many of you here think that any type of corporal discipline is wrong, but I have to respectfully disagree. I DON’T worry about leaving marks on my kids, because I don’t use enough force to do so. It is not necessary. I use corporal discipline as a means for getting their attention, so that the instruction (read: lecture), will be understood, and hopefully, followed.
Sorry for the rant, but I had to put in my two cents worth.
30
Angel
Mar 28, 2008 at 1:32 am -Oh, and in case any of you were wondering because of comments I posted earlier in this thread, I have never beaten any of my kids with a chicken, duck, or any other animal - small or large. PETA would come after my ass for sure!
31
psychmama
Mar 28, 2008 at 1:56 am -LOL Angel, I know your sense of humor by now and actually enjoy it a great deal I personally did NOT believe you ever beat any of your kids. LOL
thanks for sharing!!!
32
Angel
Mar 28, 2008 at 2:11 am -Just wanted to make sure nobody was gonna call PETA or the ASPCA on me. The kids weren’t a worry for me, I would at most get a slap on the wrist for THAT, but that cruelty to animals charge might actually get me a couple years jail time! LOL.
Pretty fucking sad huh? That even though that was meant as a joke too, there was enough truth in the statement to make you blanch? Sad that animals seem to carry a higher premium than babies, these days…..
33
Angel
Mar 28, 2008 at 2:14 am -And, thanks for the kind words, Psychmama; I’m glad I could spread some cheer! Making others smile always makes me happy, too.
34
Wonder
Mar 28, 2008 at 4:11 am -to remove the other children they must suspect the mother of allowing this abuse… if those kids speak the parents will cry you brainwashed my children against us …
This is really sad … I would like to know why myself. crazy unnecessary -
———————-
TXCHICK - that is not ok even in TX. I do hope you don’t have one of those paddles that have holes drilled in. Christopher Ellis (PA) http://www.dreamindemon.com/20.....-for-kids/
Ellis is facing assault and felony child endangerment charges after using a handmade wooden paddle with holes drilled in it to beat his children. Except they’re not quite his children, because he was in the process of trying to adopt them. Outstanding parenting, there.
I have heard of parents, putting the dates of usage on the wooden paddles - sounds like milestones - surely nothing to be proud of.
35
Kathy
Mar 28, 2008 at 8:41 am -Nah. I never hit my parents back. I never would. I got spankings. I got hit with lots of things. But I survived and I still love my parents.
I believe in discipline, I believe in spankings when needed. I feel my parents may have hit in anger too many times, but I learned from their mistakes and am raising my daughter differently.
Don’t paint all parents who use spanking as a form of discipline with one brush. There is a difference.
36
michelle
Mar 28, 2008 at 9:17 am -I am with you.
All you gotta do is read some of the comments from family and friends regarding the criminal DD posts about. No one takes responsibility for their actions at least no the bad ones. They are all good, only misunderstood people.
*bleh*
37
WryBread
Mar 28, 2008 at 6:30 pm -Remember the mother with the dead kid and her Happy Meal in the back seat? I can only guess that these parents know they are in big trouble and are trying to hide it. They drive around hoping for a miracle (like instant healing) or trying to get enough nerve to toss the kid off a bridge and claim she/he was kidnapped. I’m glad he looks scared in the mugshot.
38
nurseronda
Mar 28, 2008 at 6:52 pm -He ain’t scared, that is his “don’t look at me, I didn’t do it look”.
39
Nerdzilla
Mar 29, 2008 at 2:49 am -I got spanked, too, and I eventually hit back. But I was bad like that.
And don’t paint all parents who DON’T spank with the same brush. There are parents who choose not to discipline at all, and then there are parents who choose not to hit/spank, and find other methods to discipline and teach their kids. Not saying this to you in particular, just in general, it kind of gets to me that people assume that because we don’t spank, my kids walk all over me or something, and that’s not the case.
Time outs DO work. Both of my kids respond very well to timeouts and “hands off” discipline. I do reason with my kids, I do let them question me, and in the end, I think we’re going to end up with kids who are able to make good decisions on their own, who understand the consequences of each action. I think, in a way, by teaching my kids that I respect their bodies and won’t touch them in a violent way (perhaps poor word choice, but we are very affectionate with the kids, so we do touch them via hugs and pats on the back and carrying them and whatnot), I’m teaching them to respect their bodies, and thereby decreasing the risk of abuse to them, and increasing the likelihood they’d tell me if something was going on. My ultimate goal is not blind obedience, it’s an understanding of the rules we have, and a willingness to comply of their own accord because they “get it”, and so far, they do.
Sorry, this got so long, just felt a need to defend my choice as a parent not to spank. And FTR, I would call what Terrence Potts did far more than a spanking. That poor boy, I can’t imagine what his life was like.
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