Destiny Renee Carswell Broke Her Baby
Filed under: Assault, Beating, Child Abuse, Child Endangerment
UPDATE - Brian Hollingworth is now also charged with abuse causing great bodily injury to a child in connection with the abuse of his son Lanedon. He is being held without bond. Details at the bottom of the article.
Lyman, SC - Brian Hollingworth and Destiny Renee Carswell should be celebrating the arrival of their third son, born April 24. Instead, Destiny Carswell is in jail today, accused of abusing her newborn so badly that he has multiple fractures in various stages of healing. Most serious are the skull fractures that have left Brian and Destiny’s youngest son, Lanedon, in critical condition.
I don’t know if this baby has a name, or if I just haven’t been able to find it (edit: I wasn’t looking hard enough. It’s Lanedon) . The baby’s older brothers are named Jayden and Kierdyn, but while there are pictures of this newborn on family Myspace pages, nobody has called this baby boy by name except once, in a comment.
On Sunday, Brian Hollingworth (Myspace) took baby Lanedon to the hospital for what he called “seizure-like” behavior. But doctors there found serious injuries on the newborn. His skull was fractured in several places, and he had several broken ribs and a broken leg. Even more disturbing, it appeared that the various injuries were in different stages of healing, so that the baby was clearly beaten on more than one occasion.
Here’s what I wanna know: How do you get SO pissed off with your brand new baby that you break his bones on not one day, but at least two and probably three? HOW? Lanedon was transferred to a larger hospital, where he remains in critical condition in the pediatric ICU.
Police interviewed both parents and arrested Destiny Carswell after her statements to detectives on Monday didn’t match up. She apparently gave a couple of different stories to police, and in the absence of an eyewitness, they charged the mother. Also, she didn’t go to the hospital with the baby when he was taken in, which police may have seen as telling.
The Myspace pages belonging to Brian and Destiny aren’t perfect, but are surprisingly articulate given what we usually see in cases like this. Most of their friends seem to be family members. Brian is a newly vegan happy pothead, Destiny seems quite close to her own mom. My gut says something weird is going on somewhere, but it’s hard to put a finger on it based on the Myspace pages.
To me the most telling thing is that nobody seems to have this baby named in picture captions or congratulations. Maybe it was bad timing. Maybe Lanedon was an accident. Maybe people couldn’t figure out how to spell “Lanedon”. Maybe Destiny was exhausted and overwhelmed, or maybe Destiny’s covering for someone else. But most likely, she did it. And baby Lanedon, if he survives, will be taken into emergency DSS custody. No word on who has the other two boys.
Destiny Carswell is charged with abuse to inflict great bodily injury upon a child. She is being held without bond at Spartanburg County Detention Facility.
UPDATE 5/22/08 - Brian Hollingworth, Lanedon’s father, has also been charged in connection with Lanedon’s abuse. According to investigators, Brian Hollingworth admitted to “committing acts that contributed to the abuse.” Hollingworth was arrested within a few hours of my posting this article on Tuesday night - about 24 hours after Destiny Carswell was taken into custody.
Further, police now say that Destiny was intoxicated when she was abusing Lanedon, and that she initially claimed Lanedon had fallen off a bed. As one investigator said, “That bed would have had to be two stories high.”
Both Carswell and Hollingworth remain in jail without bond, charged with abuse to inflict great bodily injury upon a child.
Ok I am sobbing my eyes out right now. Youre right. I dont want you to be right but you are.
He doesnt even look like himself in that photo… He’s so thin and gaunt. I’m done for today. I have to go. I can admit when I am wrong and Kathy, I was too quick to jump down your throat. This is emotional for me. But the fact remains that if he didnt do it he let it happen and that is just as bad. When my baby was a month old, I dont think I slept because I couldnt put him down. He was so beautiful. Lanedon should have been that beautiful to them. He wont ever be the same and that is beyond comprehension…..
I really am sorry for what you’re going through. I think you’ll find, if you hang around a little, that most of our regulars can be very supportive and will be here for you as you deal with this.
You may need to give yourself some time to just grieve the loss of the person you knew. And it is a loss to you, because clearly you cared very much for him and probably still do. I know we all wish he hadn’t done this, that Destiny hadn’t done this, that this had never happened.
Reading through this whole thing makes me want an ativan.
Epiphanies are tough FunkMama.
This is a public shaming site. We point and ridicule those who wrong others. That is what we do. Hopefully you see through your emotional blinders to know that the people here kick ass. If you were getting carjacked you can bet your ass these people would be willing to beat down for you.
Now look what you made me do. I’m supposed to be telling you what a cuntbubble you are. Fine. Baby mamma and daddy are CUNT BUBBLES, not you.
Just kiss your baby and be glad it ended when it did. That’s all you can do.
FunkMama, congratulations on your responsible behavior. Changing your entire life because of having a son is what it means to grow up and be a parent. Not everyone does it — Brian is an example. No matter how much fun he was when he was drunk or stoned, no matter that he returned to the woman he’d accidentally knocked up, it still remains that he’s a self-indulgent man-child.
You need to be tougher in how you judge your friends. They can and should meet the excellent standards that you showed that you have when you cleaned up your life and became a real mother.
Thank you. I thought about this situation all night last night. I had nightmares about it… For what its worth, I dont have friends anymore, maybe 3 or 4 that I’ve had all my life…. I don’t need all the drama, I just want my son to be happy. I work 50 hours a week to do that so my life isnt nearly as exciting as it was… but its worth every fucking second. He’s incredible. I hope Lanedon can grow up somewhat normally and have new parents that think he is incredible. I wonder how something like this could happen… and I get sick to my stomach… that poor family…
Funkmama - I thought about you a good deal last night. It seems, the pooh is late as usual, as many have stated sort of what I thought. When thinking of you last night, I decided that maybe you weren’t really trying to defend him as much as you were trying to come to terms with it yourself. I thought about your posts, you never excused him, even when you believed he just turned a blind eye. You continually acknowledged that he had some sort of responsibility. I truly feel that you were just working through it instead of making an actual defense for him.
Imp is right, we will be supportive of you while you come to terms with what happened. We understand about the family and friends not wanting to believe. What we don’t get is people who honestly try to excuse the perp. Now, I realize you weren’t doing that. Its hard to accept knowing and caring for an asshat that doesn’t deserve your love and it hurts like hell. I’m sorry you lost the friend that you knew.
I also commend you on your change of lifestyle for the sake of your baby. That’s a very good sign that you have your priorities straight and that your child will be loved and very well taken care of. Keep on keeping on - you appear to be on the right track.
Thanks Pooh
- Love the site btw…
You guys are such blog snobs! How dare you come together with virtual strangers and publicly shame people who can’t seem to figure out the right thing to do? Murderers, abusers, rapists, baby beaters, and others of that ilk get no compassion from you. How snobbish can you get??
How can you throw stones when you don’t even keep evil doers in your heart and home? How dare you recognize heinous person when you don’t even know them! You should practice tolerance and be blind to the difference between right and wrong.
You should base your opinions on what people think and not on any of the facts. Trust is so important - who cares about facts.
And the way you treat family and friends of the victims and accused is shameless!! Supporting those who believe wrong is wrong. compassion for those in pain, and tossing the unseeing supporters to the wolves.
Many in this so-called clique have taken family and friends (of victims and perps alike) into their arms with comfort and grace. When action is needed in real life, many here take up arms in defense of the victims with letters and calls. Some of you even have the nerve to question facts if they don’t seem legit! When apologies are needed, they have been given. This should not be tolerated because you are blog snobs!
You need to get a life! Turn a blind eye to the bad guys. Leave them flourish in a world where everyone is innocent because they, their family and friends say so. If more people were like that, everything would be so much easier. Who would care who got killed, maimed or abused? Would it matter?
I don’t care if I don’t get invited to the prom. I just want you all to keep on being such a shameless clique of blog snobs.
LOL… point taken… damn!
Funkmama <3
Welcome to the other side. I hate you had to get here the way you did.
Me too, you are some ruthless bitches! LMFAO!
That’s what being a mother does to you. You should know that.
Just think of it this way. We consider ourselves mothers to all those children in the world whose real parents have failed them.
they do it because they find it easier to talk shit then get off their ass and try to help some one out what a life they dont stop to think there is other people they are hurting than just the person who the blog is posted about how in the world is this helping any thing but giving them some thing to run their mouth they no nothing about
I’m glad you’re coming around Funkmama. I know from experience what it’s like to find out that someone you knew and cared about is a monster. It almost feels like the person you knew died, they don’t exist anymore. As more information comes out, it may hurt, but eventually you will get over it. Trust me
Uh, Sum1, WE aren’t the ones hurting family members. The abuser is. They chose to commit the heinous act they did, and with little regard to the feelings of the victim, much less the family members that will eventually be involved in the aftermath.
Thank you, Dakota! But you’ll get invited to the prom, just as soon as we blog snobs find a place good enough for our gracious highnesses!
LOL! Who’s talking shit now?
Talk about running your mouth about something you know nothing about. Hypocrite.
Sum 1 You are NO ONE.
You can go fuck yourself. I personally took in my step-grandson when it became clear that his mother was too young and was being negligent. I have been raising him for almost three years now.
My mother is a Guardian Ad Litem in Florida and does what she does for free.
When my grandson goes to school full time I plan on becoming a CASA volunteer and follow in my mom’s footsteps.
I donate children’s clothing and baby food/diapers to the food pantry and have taught my kids to have compassion for the poor kids in school who get picked on. You know the ones. They smell and have old clothing. No one cares.
My daughter brought a basket of soaps and body wash and gave it discreetly to one such girl in her class at Christmas. The girl wept and was sooo appreciative.
I know a lot of people on here volunteer and make their careers helping kids.
So fuck off. OK?
they do it because they find it easier to talk shit then get off their ass and try to help some one out what a life they dont stop to think there is other people they are hurting than just the person who the blog is posted about how in the world is this helping any thing but giving them some thing to run their mouth they no nothing about
you said that in one HUMONGOUS run on sentence
WE point out the obvious. If it hurts then your pointy little finger should turn right back towards the person who started the drama in the first place. These are the few that would have your back. You, on the other hand, would sit in your corner complaining about how unfair it is and feeling sorry for yourself.
I will not, under any circumstances, pretend that I feel sorry for baby beaters, wife killers, people who prey on children or any other low life, degenerate, TWAT WAFFLE, CUM BUBBLE, waste of space parasites.
THIS IS A PUBLIC SHAMING SITE.
If you’re a complete idiot and forget that babies heads aren’t for beating than your lucky this is what it is. It could be an angry, pitch fork holding mob, hanging you buy your nuts and giving you the same treatment and courtesy giving to the baby whose head was beat on.
AND for the record. It’s know nothing. Not “no nothing”
Not so speechless, I commend you. This is how I want to raise my child.
Sum 1- I was singing that same old song yesterday, but what I have found is these women are intelligent and understanding… ruthless and tactless… I enjoy hearing what they have to say even when its not what I want to hear…
Cluless1 let me see if I can help you with a few things. I get off my ass everyday and work with kids who are abused. Some are abused physically, some mentally, some sexually and many are abused in all three ways. 9 times out of 10 the abuser is a family member. You think my sympathy should be for the friends and family of the abuser?? Sorry my friend but first foremost and always the victims of the abuse get my sympathy, compassion, empathy, love and help.
You see when I encounter family and friends of the abuser I fully understands that it sucks to find out someone you cared for, loved, grew up with, partied with, dated etc. isn’t the person you thought they were. I get that it is sometimes a shock and it causes pain and you don’t want to believe it. Acknowledge that and I will have empathy for you; try to help you in anyway I can even. What I pray is that you will eventually see the big picture and realize that what matter’s most is the victim and victims deserve justice and protection from those that abused them.
So when folks like you come here and post your comments about how we don’t think about the families and loved ones it is clear to me you are still in the whoa is me pity party stage. You have lost a friend or family member because they are in jail. You haven’t yet started thinking about the innocent victim who was abused or worse killed, because if you were thinking about the victim you would agree that they deserve justice even if that means someone you care about must pay for what they did.
FUNKMAMA
Welcome to the DD. Yes we are ruthless bitches when it comes to those who harm children but thats a good thing really. I am glad you stuck around and weathered the storm. I’m also very glad that your baby has a good mommy and wasn’t harmed by Brian in anyway when he was with you.
You idiot. It helps so that OTHER people reading this blog may take a look at their own lives, or the lives of their friends or family who may be in similar situations. I hate that other potentially innocent family members get hurt in this process, but we are not the ones who decided to use a child as a fucking punching bag.
We cannot turn back the clock to stop what Destiny and her husband did, but the idea is that maybe ANOTHER couple just like them may see this, and the outrage it cause with complete strangers, and possibly seek help. Or maybe, just maybe, some friends or family members of a couple like this one may attempt to get involved or step in to possibly circumvent this type of act being committed against a baby, and not end up in jail, not end up with yet another dead\injured kid and not end up on the front page of this site.
But to you, I would like to give you a nice warm, “Fuck You”. We do more to help from behind these keyboards than your dumbass could possibly fathom. You have no CLUE just how involved we are with some of these cases, both personally AND legally, and maybe one day, me and Imp will be able to share just how close we are to some of these stories.
But to all of you coddlers and haters, keep on comin’. I fucking love you guys. If it were not for you, I would not realize just how high my horse is and how much I love hearing the sound of you assholes being trampled under hoof.
And I think Brian should be ashamed of screwing a woman that had the reputation for being a psycho. He should have put down his OWN penis and walked away.
Nicely put!
Morbid. You rock.
Thanks Morbid, you sure have a way with words!
Welcome also. I know I was kinda hard on you yesterday and I am sorry. Besides being 7 months pregnant and BITCHY about baby beating stories, it saddened me that you thought we were picking on you for fun. I came to this site for many of the same reasons you did. If you look in the Jericho Wright story you will find I lived through a similar situation with my sister. I commented on it briefly there. I know how tempting it is to Google people you care about and then get angry at people bashing them. Don’t. That was what I was trying to say. Take a break if you need to, then come back. We will be here for you.
Blog snobs unite! I’ve never felt so loved. Sniff. Me and my fat ass is so happy!
awww shucks. I’m all misty eyed now.
It’s the drugs mamma…snap out of it!
s’ok nell.. I love a good blog fight! LMAO. I did care about him, but what he did was unexcusable. I wasnt too sure how I felt about this honestly. You ladies helped me come to terms, so to speak… I look forward to bashing the other evil-doers in this world, if I didnt know him I would have been there right with you… I’m not the type to hold a grudge… so, bring it on bitches!
Oh and Nell, congrats on the baby! So exciting! I love babies! Boy or Girl? Have you thought of any names?
AMEN!!! He almost did get away, almost.
Thanks for the congrats. I had to get out of the forums for a little, I was spreading my bitchiness over there. So what do I do? Come to the front page and get in a fight! I should be banned. JK! Please, don’t ban me! I have no life, I am on bedrest!
And Funkmama, this is my 5th baby, a girl due in August. My man is naming her Serendipity Jacquelyn Delilah Brook. Can you tell he is a hippie? I love it!
You should come to the forums. You’d love it.
Hey guys I’m just dropping in from IMPENDING -DIVORCE - WITH -2- SMALL - KIDS - AND - APPARENTLY - SUDDENLY - NO - MONEY - land, trying to distract myself by reading about other people’s misery. This site never fails to make me grateful for my shitty yet not horrific situation.
Funk, I think you were quite mature and insightful in your posts. It takes alot of balls to admit that you were blinding yourself from a horrible truth. I know from experience that one of the most painful experiences you can have is to discover that you totally and utterly misjudged a person’s character. It makes you fundamentally question your own sanity and perception of reality. It’s a sickening, traumatic experience, especially if you have considered yourself a rather intelligent, streetwise, good judge of character.
So I know the turmoil that prompted you to post, and I give you props for working through it like you did. It would be so much easier to remain in denial, wouldn’t it?
I had to lol at how the “blog snobs” here that I’ve come to know and love just tore into that denial like rabid wolverines. That anger comes from the knowledge that a defenseless mushy little newborn baby was EVER EVER EVER touched violently by “adults.” That’s an evil that “surpasses understanding.” No matter what shit we grownups are dealing with, #1: children have to be loved, safe and secure.
I think Funk is probably correct in surmising that dad’s culpability lies in being too impaired by drugs to keep his son safe. That’s abusive, too. I bet that’s what his charges are based on.
I don’t send “prayers” in blogs or message boards (I think it’s usually bullshit when people say it), but hope with all my heart that this innocent child is able to recover and grow up in a loving home.
Now I’m gonna go back to obsessing about my own problems till hub brings my kids home…
It may be bullshit when some people post it, but not me. I would never say “I’ll pray for you” and not. You can’t use the “Lord” to make yourself look better. Its way wrong. I do respect the fact, that if you are truly not gonna pray for them, that you won’t write “you’re in my thoughts and prayers”. Very upstanding of you, in fact.
Good luck to you and your upcoming court procedings. I’m sorry you have to go through this shit and mostly sorry for your two children. Remember, no matter how much it sucks for you and your husband, your kids are getting it 10 times as bad. Good luck to all of you.
Thanks so much. I totally agree with you. It has never even been a consideration for ME to break up our family, but seems he’s not on the same wavelength. The most painful part of this is its effects on our kids. The innocents dont deserve to suffer.
Welcome to Funkmama from another newbie. The civility in this comment section puts some of those with the later front pages to shame. The regulars on here are always the same (and I admire them for it), so the civility must be due to you……
Wishing poor Lanedon and Funkmama’s healthy baby both all the love and tenderness they deserve and Lanedon better guardians the second time around.
Thanks!