Amanda Brumfield said the baby fell off the playpen

[Dakota Valkyrie]

http://i43.tinypic.com/24l23qs.jpgA woman was arrested Friday after her neglect led to the death of a toddler she was babysitting back in October, Ocoee Police said.

Amanda Brumfield, 29, told investigators the child had fallen and hit her head, but she did not call for help for another two and a half hours, police said.

Brumfield said she came out of the bathroom to find the child straddling her playpen. She said that shouting the child's name startled the child, who fell, hitting her head and biting part way through her tongue.
[...]

An autopsy determined that the child had a fractured skull and a subdural hematoma due to blunt trauma. The medical examiners office recently ruled the death a homicide because of the inconsistency between Brumfield's story and the injuries.

"We do believe her head hit a hard object," said Berish, but that injury could not be sustained from the 28-inch-fall from the pen to the floor. "You would either have to fall harder or hit something with more force," Berish said of the child.
[...]

Berish said that regardless of whether the death was a homicide, Brumfeild neglected her duties to the child when she didn't call for help immediately.

"It might have been an accident, but she had an obligation to get that child care. For two and a half hours she did not care for that child," said Berish.

Brumfield has been charged with child neglect.http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-bk-babysitter-neglect-death-todler-ocoee-05290,0,6067136.story

[Dneilz]

Sorry... I found it on another thread..... (ducking)

[Dneilz]

I didn't see this thread at first so I made a thread on it too... Sorry. Any updates on this, I can't find much out there on her.

[justjn]

I just read this on TMZ, they're claiming the "woman" (term used loosely) is Billy Bob Thorton's daughter.

I am not sure how much of the article I can copy here, but it is front page on TMZ right now.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

I just read this on TMZ, they're claiming the "woman" (term used loosely) is Billy Bob Thorton's daughter.

I am not sure how much of the article I can copy here, but it is front page on TMZ right now.
Yep - that's what they're saying - with a little different version of the story:
We've learned the oldest daughter of Billy Bob Thornton has been charged with child neglect in the death of a 1-year-old she was babysitting.

[...]

Brumfield told police that after the baby had fallen, she discovered her tongue bleeding, so Brumfield cleaned it with a paper towel. She then says she began playing with the child, feeding her bananas and fruit snacks, and said she was "happy" and playful.

Brumfield then said she laid the child on the couch next to her and fell asleep. She says was awoken sometime later by the phone and decided to take the child back to the playpen. When she lifted her, Brumfield told cops she discovered her body was limp.

[...]

Brumfield is Thornton's child with his first wife, Melissa Gatlin.http://www.tmz.com/2009/05/31/billy-bob-thornton-daughter--arrested/

[ineedanap]

I guess that's how she bonded out.

OCOEE, Fla. -- A Central Florida woman arrested in the death of her best friend's 1-year-old child bonded out of jail on Saturday.

TMZ story being picked up by other news agencies:

http://www.wesh.com/news/19616194/detail.html

ETA: Billy Bob doesn't make a pretty woman. There's no denying paternity there!

[silvahalo68]

What a neglectful stupid bitch. I'm wondering if at all this was an accident, I"m thinking not because of what was said that the fall would have to be from a higher distance....bitch hit or threw this poor baby.

She looks mean, ugly and resentful.....no sorrow on that face.

Rest in peace little one.

[Thinkgoat]

Statistically, a child must fall 3x their height to sustain injuries that would be considered "life threatening".

[thehesbomb]

The daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton has been arrested in Florida on charges of child neglect resulting in the death of an infant, police said Sunday.

Friday's arrest of Amanda Brumfield stemmed from an incident in which a child fell, said Officer Lee Stevens of the Ocoee, Florida, police. No other details were available Sunday.

Thornton's publicist, Arnold Robinson, said the actor is estranged from his daughter "and has had no contact with her for quite some time."

"When informed about this situation, he [Thornton] commented that, 'Anytime a baby's life is lost is an unimaginable tragedy and my heart goes out to the baby's family and loved ones,' " Robinson told CNN in a written statement.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/31/florida.thornton.daughter.arrest/index.html

[thehesbomb]

Sorry y'all! I am a stone cold dumbass tonight!

[coffee achiever]

I don't know what it is about this story that makes me believe her, but I really, truly think this might be a freak accident. I know, they're rare, but they DO happen. And I absolutely can understand not calling 911 if the child was alert and coherent after the fall.

As hard as it is with all the other horrible stories on here, I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt until more damning evidence appears.

[songline]

I don't know what it is about this story that makes me believe her, but I really, truly think this might be a freak accident. I know, they're rare, but they DO happen. And I absolutely can understand not calling 911 if the child was alert and coherent after the fall.
As hard as it is with all the other horrible stories on here, I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt until more damning evidence appears.
I do not understand not calling 911 at all. Remember what happened to Natasha Richardson in March.
This week Angelina bumped her head she was filming in NY and was in the hospital in a NY minute. Hitting your head is no joke at all. NO MATTER how coherent. I did read this early this morning and my first question was, why didn't she dial 911?

[coffee achiever]

Really? We're gonna start calling 911 now every time a toddler falls and hits their head? What happened to Natasha Richardson was ALSO a freak accident - we can't start living our lives assuming that every head bump is going to be fatal.

Kids fall ALL the time. They do. It's part of being a kid. And you can't call 911 for everything. If she hit her head but didn't show signs of a head injury (mismatched pupils, incoherent or slurred speech, nausea, vomiting, etc) then I can totally understand not calling 911.

My GOD, if my mother had called 911 every time I fell out of a tree or fell off my bike or bonked my head on the playground because I fell off the monkey bars, the better part of my childhood would have been spent in the back of an ambulance.

[TheMorningStar]

Really? We're gonna start calling 911 now every time a toddler falls and hits their head? What happened to Natasha Richardson was ALSO a freak accident - we can't start living our lives assuming that every head bump is going to be fatal.

Kids fall ALL the time. They do. It's part of being a kid. And you can't call 911 for everything. If she hit her head but didn't show signs of a head injury (mismatched pupils, incoherent or slurred speech, nausea, vomiting, etc) then I can totally understand not calling 911.

My GOD, if my mother had called 911 every time I fell out of a tree or fell off my bike or bonked my head on the playground because I fell off the monkey bars, the better part of my childhood would have been spent in the back of an ambulance.

Not for nothing, but we are talking about a 1-year old here.

[coffee achiever]

Yeah, but it's not clear to me from the story whether we're talking about a 12 month old or a 23 month old. My not-quite-two-year-old started walking at 9 months, running and climbing at 11 months, and is pretty much all over the place now. And yeah, she's taken some nasty falls in the process. She's fallen when trying to climb up on the armchairs, and she's fallen off her little four-wheeled pushbike, and she's fallen down when she was running too fast and her feet got ahead of her body, and she's fallen off our bed. She's smacked her head on the hardwoods SEVERAL times, and every time I check her pupils and ask her to identify colors or letters to make sure she's ok. But I don't call 911, even though the hysterical and overprotective mom in me sometimes wants to. And I can't start calling 911 every time she falls, either. I have to be able to trust my own judgment, or I'd drive myself, my husband, and my pediatrician apeshit.

So I guess I feel like a little like "there but for the grace of God go I", assuming the babysitter is relating the facts accurately. If it is as she described, I would very likely have done the same thing.

I'll go ahead and emblazon "Bad Mom" on my chest now.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

[...]
Brumfield, 29, was released Monday from jail, according to a spokeswoman from the Orange County Corrections Department.

The story was first reported by gossip Web site tmz.com. Arnold Robinson, Thornton's publicist, said the actor hasn't spoken to Brumfield for "a substantial number of years."
[...]

According to the charging affidavit, Brumfield told detectives her goddaughter, Olivia Garcia, fell from a playpen, hit her head and bit her tongue Oct. 3 in her Ocoee home. The girl seemed normal after the fall, eating bananas and fruit snacks, and Brumfield told investigators she even painted the toddler's toenails before she went to sleep on a sofa.

More than two hours later, Brumfield was moving the girl to a playpen and noticed she was limp. She called her husband, who was leaving work, and then waited 10 minutes until he came home before calling 911, the affidavit said.

An autopsy determined the girl had a fractured skull and brain injury. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide and said Brumfield's explanation was inconsistent with the child's injuries, police said.

Brumfield's mother, Melissa Parish — who went by Melissa Lee Gatlin when she married Thornton in 1978 — said her daughter shouldn't have been charged. She said there was no reason to call the police because the baby showed no signs of distress.http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jun/01/police-thorntons-daughter-waited-call-police/

A limp child is not a sign of distress???

[silvahalo68]

According to the charging affidavit, Brumfield told detectives her goddaughter, Olivia Garcia, fell from a playpen, hit her head and bit her tongue Oct. 3 in her Ocoee home. The girl seemed normal after the fall, eating bananas and fruit snacks, and Brumfield told investigators she even painted the toddler's toenails before she went to sleep on a sofa.

I have a problem with this part. After a head injury even minor accident, you should watch a child closely for strange behavior. Going to sleep was not a good thing to do as she should have keep a close eye on her. I know not all caregivers/parents even think or know of this simple rule, but getting tired after a head injury, even seemingly minor is a red flag.

I don't know all the details even with what was put here to read, but the autopsy did say the injuries didn't jive with what she said happened. I think she maybe omitting a crucial piece of info that could explain the severity of the injury.

Rest in peace baby Olivia.

[Tazzzz]

Sorry I am not buying Amanda's story, We are talking about a fractured skull and a subdural hematoma. Thats pretty hard to do falling from a playpen. Then we have the tongue that was injured enough it was bleeding, Her story says the kid was fine and ate bananas and fruit snacks. UHhh hello bleeding sore tongue ????? kind of hard to freakin eat stuff. I bit my tongue before , it hurts like hell and so does eating stuff.

From the autopsy findings I would imagine she was woozy and lethargic pretty damn fast. So her napping would be a natural occurrence, however any decent parent knows to not let the child nap. Her pupils were probly fixed and dilated. there are tons of signs to look for, But what did Amanda do??? Ohh thats right she feel asleep with the kid for a 2 hour fucking nap. Even if she didn't hurt the kid she still showed pretty bad judgment. I think she is ling about stuff to cover her ass.

A subdural hematoma means the brain started swelling, growing bigger and bigger, doing more damage the bigger it got. At each stage there are more and more signs, to look out for and Amanda missed evry damn one of them. Because she was sleeping.

More than two hours after the fall, Brumfield awoke from a nap to find the toddler "limp". Doctors later discovered she had died as a result of a fractured skull and a subdural hematoma.

[ineedanap]

biting part way through her tongue

Even if she didn't suspect a serious head injury, she should have received medical care for her tongue. You don't just ignore a partially bitten through tongue that is bleeding. The child would have been screaming her head off, and if she wasn't that too would be a sign of a serious head injury. Biting your tongue fucking hurts!

Did you ever see the movie Million Dollar Baby? That's how Hilary Swank's paralyzed character tries to kill herself, by biting off her tongue. Tongues bleed A LOT.

Tazz- I agree with your post.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

http://i41.tinypic.com/23m4zs8.jpgHeather Murphy wants only one thing in life: to know the truth about how her 1-year-old daughter died at the baby-sitter's Ocoee house.

Did she fall from the side of the playpen as the baby sitter suggested? Or did something more sinister happen?
[...]

Recently the Orange-Osceola County medical examiner ruled the girl's death a homicide after finding her severely bitten tongue and three-and-a-half inch skull fracture were inconsistent with Brumfield's account of the accident.

"I stood up at the funeral and defended her," Murphy said Monday. "I know that Amanda loved Liv, but two months ago it was ruled a homicide. Right now we are just waiting for the truth, that's all we want."
[...]

Murphy spent several hours with her two young daughters at Brumfield's house the night Olivia died. She had to work an early shift and decided to let the children sleep over rather than wake them in the morning, she said.

Murphy left Brumfield's Ocoee home around 11 p.m. and went to sleep. Within 45 minutes Brumfield sent a text message to Murphy's cell phone saying that Olivia had fallen. But Murphy was asleep and didn't get the message, she said. Hours later, around 2:30 a.m., police knocked on Murphy's door and told her Olivia was dead.
[...]
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-billy-bob-thornton-daughter-060109,0,1344219.story

[coffee achiever]

Recently the Orange-Osceola County medical examiner ruled the girl's death a homicide after finding her severely bitten tongue and three-and-a-half inch skull fracture were inconsistent with Brumfield's account of the accident.

Well, that just destroyed any benefit of the doubt I was giving her.

Fry her.

[McQuest]

Really? We're gonna start calling 911 now every time a toddler falls and hits their head? What happened to Natasha Richardson was ALSO a freak accident - we can't start living our lives assuming that every head bump is going to be fatal.

I think they are reading this site.

Billy Bob Thornton's ex wife claims their daughter did nothing wrong during the events that led to the death of a 1-year-old child she was babysitting back in October -- and claims the incident was eerily similar to the death of Liam Neeson's wife.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/01/billy-bobs-ex-tragedy-mirrors-natahsa-richardson/

[Special2bme]

A limp child is not a sign of distress???

Yes

Yeah, but it's not clear to me from the story whether we're talking about a 12 month old or a 23 month old.


Investigators did not believe Anna's claim that the child had fallen down after straddling a playpen that was less than three feet tall. Said James Berish, a spokesman for Florida's Ocoee police, "It's not believable that a one-year-old can balance themselves on a railing.
http://www.actressarchives.com/news.php?id=16634

Even if she didn't hurt the kid she still showed pretty bad judgment. I think she is ling about stuff to cover her ass.

Agree

A subdural hematoma means the brain started swelling, growing bigger and bigger, doing more damage the bigger it got. At each stage there are more and more signs, to look out for and Amanda missed evry damn one of them. Because she was sleeping.

Yep, she could have noticed, lethargy, nausea/vomiting, possibly seizures and weakness. So she was definitely neglectful in caring for this child. But I still think their is a possibility she had something to do with how it happened.

[Tazzzz]

I think they are reading this site.

Billy Bob Thornton's ex wife claims their daughter did nothing wrong during the events that led to the death of a 1-year-old child she was babysitting back in October -- and claims the incident was eerily similar to the death of Liam Neeson's wife.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/01/billy-bobs-ex-tragedy-mirrors-natahsa-richardson/

I saw that Amanda's mom was saying that. Thing is, its 2 completely different things. Natasha Richardson ( Liam Neeson's wife & daughter of Vanessa Redgrave) was in a skiing accident. She fell and tumbled down the hill, thats hardly the same thing as falling from a playpen like Amanda says happened. She is only saying that because Natasha did not show any visible sign of injury, the truth is she did but no one knew what to look for. She actually died of a epidural hemorrhage (bleeding between the skull and the brain). Thats actually a bad example for her to use, the ski instructor stayed with Natasha and kept her awake and talking. Unlike her daughter who laid down for a 2 hour nap with the injured infant. All Amanda had to do is call for help and she wouldnt be in this mess, its the whole nap thing that has her in trouble.

[ineedanap]

On Friday, investigators released several key pieces of information. Brumfield's story just isn't right according to a newly released autopsy report which stated that “a fall from a playpen 28 inches in height could not have caused the fracture found on Olivia Garcia's skull."

Also, Olivia would not have wanted food because of her serious tongue injury nor would she have been still enough with a head injury for toe painting.

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/orange_news/060509new_details_in_toddlers_death

Brumfeld sent a text message to the girl's mother, Heather Murphy, saying "Olivia can climb out of her playpen but has learned ... she has perfected the landing," according to police.


http://www.clickorlando.com/news/19670458/detail.html

Edited to add second article.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

She's back in jail and new charges:
The daughter of Oscar Award-winner Billy Bob Thornton is in the Orange County Jail Thursday morning, facing first degree murder charges.

On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted Amanda Brumfield on murder charges in the death of her friend's one-year old daughter.

In May, Brumfield was arrested in Ocoee for child neglect when the little girl died while in her care. Brumfield had initially told police that Olivia Garcia died from after fall.
[...]

Brumfield also faces aggravated child abuse charges and aggravated manslaughter charges. She is being held without bond.http://www.wftv.com/news/19855496/detail.html

[proudmom]

In my opinion, right or wrong as it may be, if my 14 month old son were to fall hard enough to severely cut his tongue i would definitely take him to the hospital immediately. If he had fallen and had no injuries but a bump or briuise, no doctor for us. On this one i beleve it is an easy decision. Never mess around with a baby, they are so fragile.

now thats thats out of the way...
Calling the husband first after finding baby unresponsive sounds suspicious to me. So does waiting an alleged 10 min between that call and 911 (as i understand it).
Who would believe that a child can fracture a skull falling out of a playpen. Or that a one year old has the strength to pull herself over the top rail from the bottom. if there was a toy there for her to stand on there is still neglect there. Small toys in the pen. big toys on the floor. not hard.
this woman should pay for what is clearly not an accident no matter what famous father she has! May this mother find justice if there is such a thing for a life lost too soon.

[pissedoffindaytona]

she's full of shit, my son was always trying to get out of the playpen and succeded on many occasions and yes at a t 1 1/2 yo, they have thier ways, but if the child cuts his tongue and especially if the child seems stunned, that calls for an er run no matter what, jesus why are people so stupid

[totallytoddler]

Who puts a 1 yr old on a COUCH to sleep? Thats an accident waiting to happen! And I dont believe her either....and stop putting pics of these adorable happy babies up!!! You are making me cry! :bawling:

[Dakota Valkyrie]

She is NOT a happy camper

http://i32.tinypic.com/10mn5mb.jpg http://i25.tinypic.com/4rclxl.jpg http://i25.tinypic.com/11v5t07.jpgAn Orange County judge ruled this morning that Billy Bob Thornton's estranged daughter will not be released from jail until an expert witness can testify about evidence heard during today's pretrial-release hearing.

Amanda Brumfield of Ocoee was indicted last month on a first-degree murder charge and is being held without bond.

An Ocoee detective testified during the hour-long hearing that the medical examiner found six bruises on the child's head and a 3.5-inch skull fracture during the autopsy. Judge Bob Wattles wants Dr. Jan Garavaglia, the area's medical examiner, to explain more about the bruises before ruling if Brumfield will be released.

Brumfield's attorneys wanted her to be released from jail with conditions of GPS monitoring or home confinement, but that was denied until Garavaglia can testify as an expert witness.

Brumfield sat between her two attorneys and did not speak, but was shaking and crying. When her Jacksonville attorneys viewed autopsy photos, she refused to look at them and turned her head. People sitting in the courtroom who could see the photos began to cry.
[...]

Garavaglia ruled that a fall could not have caused the injuries that the child suffered.http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/orl-bk-billy-bob-thornton-daughter-071309,0,3749421.story

http://i26.tinypic.com/2e3tnxs.jpg http://i28.tinypic.com/2w359c1.jpg

[silvahalo68]

Who's crying now stupid bitch. Damn, that guard looks like she's just hoping she does something to give her a reason to knock her upside the head.

http://i32.tinypic.com/10mn5mb.jpg

I just knew this smelled like bullshit from the beginning. Sweetie just had her fist birthday, and this bitch goes and steals the rest.

Rest in peace baby Olivia, you were such an angel, one in heaven now.
http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s341/silvahalo68/Fallen%20angels/23m4zs8.jpg