Nixzmary Brown's Stepdad is a Bastard

**impqueen** · February 9th, 2008, 01:23 PM

Thanks, Ruby - this case needed its own thread.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/02/08/....ap/index.html

NEW YORK (AP) -- After police discovered the frail, battered body of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown in her home in 2006, authorities say her stepfather was quick to admit he had bound her to a chair with duct tape and beat her on a daily basis.

Videotaped and written statements by Cesar Rodriguez -- combined with grim crime scene photos from the room where the victim was tortured, starved and forced to urinate in a litter box -- have brought jurors to tears at his high-profile murder trial in Brooklyn.
But the emotion in the jury box hasn't discouraged Rodriguez's attorney from forging ahead with a brazen strategy: effectively putting Nixzmary and her mother on trial.
The aggressive former prosecutor, Jeffrey Schwartz, has portrayed the mother as the real killer, calling her a "monster" and mocking her as "Mommy Dearest."

He has also labeled Nixzmary a violent and uncontrollable "little Houdini" -- a reference to her supposed knack at slipping out of the makeshift restraints devised by her parents to keep her from attacking her younger siblings.....

(more at the link)

**ThreeOnAMeathook** · February 9th, 2008, 07:28 PM

That's pretty fucked up. He'll get life, She'll get 10-20. That's my speculation.

**impqueen** · February 9th, 2008, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by ThreeOnAMeathook

That's pretty fucked up. He'll get life, She'll get 10-20. That's my speculation.

You're probably right. And the "little Houdini" got the death penalty.

**Unamused Cat** · March 18th, 2008, 02:24 PM

The jury has totally blown it. WTF were they thinking???? They should have their asses kicked for being incompetent human beings. bah...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/ny...l?ref=nyregion

A jury in Brooklyn acquitted Cesar Rodriguez, the stepfather of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown, of second-degree murder Tuesday, but convicted him of a lesser charge, first-degree manslaughter, for fatally beating her as punishment for stealing a snack and jamming his computer printer with toys.

**skeptical** · March 18th, 2008, 02:32 PM

OMFG! Was the defense allowed to hand pick the jury? Is there hidden money to pay people of there somewhere? What is up with this shit? Those are the only two reasons I can come up with for a verdict like that.

**Unamused Cat** · March 18th, 2008, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by skeptical

OMFG! Was the defense allowed to hand pick the jury? Is there hidden money to pay people of there somewhere? What is up with this shit? Those are the only two reasons I can come up with for a verdict like that.

I am totally outraged about this. This guy deserved the death penalty in my opinion... or at least life with no parole. A horrific death of a child only gets manslaughter??? What a travesty of justice. Those jurors are total morons or something else is going on. bah...

**netty1172** · March 18th, 2008, 06:22 PM

I have read quite a lot on this story since the POS step-asshat's trial started in January. I read his hand written confession, read what he stated in his taped confession to the police after they were called to the apartment for a "non-responsive" child and she was found dead...she had been gone for HOURS prior to 911 being called...she was so badly bruised, so emaciated, so thin, so badly neglected.....but he DIDN'T murder her! I honestly do not know why I was so intent on reading everything I could about this case...possibly just so Nixzmary could somehow touch and change my life (which she has, in so many ways!)

I have litterally cried for this little angel, who NO ONE stepped up to help. NO ONE!! Not even her maternal Grandmother, whom she BEGGED to take her away with her after a visit at Christmas....just a few weeks prior to her death.

I (as I'm sure MANY others were) was hoping they would have convicted this waste of space of murder rather than manslaughter (oh ghee...I'm sorry, I didn't REALLY mean to kill her!) To make him pay more than just a few short years for what he ended up doing to Nixzmary...he will probably spend less time in prison than little Nixzmary was alive in this world. That is just absolutely disgusting and maddening!

I can only pray for Nixzmary now, her and ALL the other abused, molested and neglected children of this sick, sick world we live in. If I had the means to take them all in........I would!

Rest in peace, sweet angel, Nixzmary Brown

**Mom of 4** · March 18th, 2008, 06:48 PM

I am speechless. Trust me that never happens either. WTF is wrong with this jury? That poor baby girl deserved so much better than that, she deserved justice and this verdict doesn't even come close to justice. :grrrrrr:

**Lizard** · March 25th, 2008, 10:01 PM

Nixzmary Brown’s mother Nixzaliz Santiago is due in Brooklyn Supreme Court Wednesday for a pre-trial hearing.

The defense attorney who represented Cesar Rodriguez had pointed the finger at and painted a gruesome picture of Santiago. He labeled her “Mommy Dearest,” called her the real killer, and introduced evidence from a jailhouse snitch that corroborated his claims.

The jailhouse informant testified at Rodriguez’ trial that Santiago, who was haunted by recurring dreams of the murder while the two of them were locked up in Rikers Island together, confessed to beating and killing her daughter. She testified that Santiago told her that she became enraged with jealousy when she discovered Rodriguez molesting Nixzmary. The two parents killed Nixzmary together, she said.

According to the jailhouse snitch, whose claims were never confirmed nor deemed credible, Santiago thought Nixzmary was so evil that she nicknamed her “Diablo,” meaning “devil” in Spanish.

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categor...id=27&id=19433

**aspartame** · March 26th, 2008, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by Unamused Cat

A jury in Brooklyn acquitted Cesar Rodriguez, the stepfather of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown, of second-degree murder Tuesday, but convicted him of a lesser charge, first-degree manslaughter, for fatally beating her as punishment for stealing a snack and jamming his computer printer with toys.

so with this logic it would be okay for me to beat the living hell out of my neice for putting her peanutbutter and jelly sammach in the VCR?

true story. she said she wanted to see pb&j on the tv.

stupid me all i did was make her another one and kept a better eye on her while she ate it.

**rubylou** · March 26th, 2008, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by Unamused Cat

The jury has totally blown it. WTF were they thinking???? They should have their asses kicked for being incompetent human beings. bah...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/ny...l?ref=nyregion

From article, emphasis added:

"A law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said with a shrug of the shoulders, 'It could be worse.'

One juror, Terrence Cobwell, said afterward, 'We would have liked to have upped the charges but the prosecution didn’t really give us enough.'

Mr. Cobwell said the verdict had been 'sort of' a compromise. 'We just wanted justice for the little girl,' he said.

Nixzmary lived and died in a two-bedroom apartment on Greene Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant with her mother, her stepfather and five half-siblings.

SO- stepdad beats and starves little girl because she isn't his. He uses a defense of "I didn't know beatings could be dangerous to children." He is acquitted of murder, what, because the jury believed he was stupid enough not to understand the dangers of constant abuse? AND THEN all the adults, charged with the responsibility of at least honoring this child in death SHRUG and say they did their best?

While I never considered myself naive about our justice system and it's flaws, even I am SICKENED. This is beyond fucked up, this needs it's own new word for fucked up.
I'm thinking ultramegabullshittasticwithasideofstupid. it just makes me angry and sad at the same time.

**Lizard** · March 28th, 2008, 05:52 PM

As Nixzaliz Santiago rode in the back of the prisoner-transportation vehicle the other day on her way into Brooklyn Supreme Court, her fellow inmates spit on her and called her a “baby killer,” according to her defense attorney.

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categor..._id=4&id=19538

**nurseronda** · March 28th, 2008, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by Lizard

As Nixzaliz Santiago rode in the back of the prisoner-transportation vehicle the other day on her way into Brooklyn Supreme Court, her fellow inmates spit on her and called her a “baby killer,” according to her defense attorney.

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categor..._id=4&id=19538

She should be glad they only spit on her.....I could think of about a hundred things they could have done to this little witch.
:)

**Angel** · March 29th, 2008, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by aspartame

so with this logic it would be okay for me to beat the living hell out of my neice for putting her peanutbutter and jelly sammach in the VCR?

I don't know about okay, but at least you wouldn't tote a murder charge.

**Angel** · March 29th, 2008, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by rubylou

From article, emphasis added:

This is beyond fucked up, this needs it's own new word for fucked up.
I'm thinking ultramegabullshittasticwithasideofstupid. it just makes me angry and sad at the same time.

Or, y'know, we could employ the new favorite word of many here at D'D - fucktardery. Not as fancy or precise, but a helluva lot easier to spell!:p

**nurseronda** · September 19th, 2008, 01:18 AM

Nixzaliz Santiago went on trial in Brooklyn state court on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and reckless endangerment in the death of her daughter, Nixzmary Brown. She has pleaded not guilty.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...091802360.html

**Unamused Cat** · October 17th, 2008, 04:20 PM

update: Mother found guilty

A state Supreme Court jury has found the mother of the 7-year-old Brooklyn girl who died a torturous death inside her apartment guilty of first-degree manslaughter, CBS 2 has learned.

http://wcbstv.com/local/nixzmary.bro....2.841019.html

**Just my luck sucks** · October 17th, 2008, 04:29 PM

"The last words of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown, moaning in pain and gasping for air, were, 'Mommy, mommy, mommy,"' Dwimoh said. "She didn't love or comfort, and she didn't stop the beatings, and she didn't get any help."

Absolutely heartbreaking. Rest in peace little angel.

Your Mother didn't deserve your love and I'm glad she was found guilty.

**Sister Iroz** · October 17th, 2008, 05:05 PM

"The last words of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown, moaning in pain and gasping for air, were, 'Mommy, mommy, mommy,"' Dwimoh said. "She didn't love or comfort, and she didn't stop the beatings, and she didn't get any help."

This made me cry! May she rest in peace.

A state Supreme Court jury has found the mother of the 7-year-old Brooklyn girl who died a torturous death inside her apartment guilty of first-degree manslaughter, CBS 2 has learned.

Best news I heard all day!

**crickett** · October 18th, 2008, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Unamused Cat

The jury has totally blown it. WTF were they thinking???? They should have their asses kicked for being incompetent human beings. bah...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/ny...l?ref=nyregion

A jury in Brooklyn acquitted Cesar Rodriguez, the stepfather of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown, of second-degree murder Tuesday, but convicted him of a lesser charge, first-degree manslaughter, for fatally beating her as punishment for stealing a snack and jamming his computer printer with toys.

She probably stole food because she was hungry. My younger daughter once put a PB and J sandwhich into my VCR (back in the day when they were expensive)....she got time out and some toys taken away for a few days. She and her sister (2 & 3 years old at the time) also poured a whole bottle of whiteout over a term paper for a nursing project (back in the day when it was all typed out on a typewriter and I didn't have another copy). And what did they get?
A fucking thorough exam (mouth, etc) and an immediate bath! I was afraid that the white out might be toxic....
Oh....wait, those were my precious kids...more valuable than a class paper...so I must be a NORMAL parent....
Hard to believe that the jury was SO pathetically stupid and blind that they let the blame for her own death be placed on the 7 year old victim. Pathetic stupid ass poor excuses for human beings.
MAY THIS PRICK, THE SO-CALLED MOTHER AND HIS ATTORNEY ALL ROT IN HELL!!!!

**crickett** · October 18th, 2008, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by Lizard

As Nixzaliz Santiago rode in the back of the prisoner-transportation vehicle the other day on her way into Brooklyn Supreme Court, her fellow inmates spit on her and called her a “baby killer,” according to her defense attorney.

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categor..._id=4&id=19538

GOOD! Hint of what is to come!
She said she was JEALOUS because she caught Rodriguez molesting the girl??? WTF?????????
OMG...they BOTH deserve life without parole..........fucking stupid worthless jury.

**Pixie** · October 18th, 2008, 05:45 PM

The mother of Nixzmary Brown, the 7-year-old whose death stunned a city and influenced a new law named for her, was found guilty of manslaughter but cleared of second-degree murder in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn on Friday.

Nixzaliz Santiago, 30, appeared unresponsive as the jury also found her guilty of second-degree assault, unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child.

"The journey for justice for Nixzmary is almost over," said prosecutor Ama Dwimoh. She went on to praise the jury of 10 women and two men for ruling on the case "professionally and stoically."

"Today is a good day for the children because this jury said loud and clear that parents have a duty - it's not just what you do, it's what you don't do," Dwimoh said.

Santiago faces 25 years in prison on the manslaughter charge alone. She is to be sentenced Nov. 5.

Nixzmary's stepfather, Cesar Rodriguez, was convicted of manslaughter in March and sentenced to 26 1/3 to 29 years.

Defense attorney Sammy Sanchez told The Associated Press after the verdict that Santiago should not have been looked at in the same light as Rodriguez. "Cesar was the true criminal," Sanchez said.

Outside the courthouse, Santiago's mother, Maria Gonzalez, avoided reporters as she hustled to a nearby garage.

The nearly monthlong trial brought back to the public's memory the grisly details of Nixzmary's death, including the chair to which she was often violently bound and the litter box she was forced to use as a bathroom.

Nixzmary was beaten by Rodriguez after she took yogurt from a fridge and messed up Rodriguez's printer. Rodriguez slammed her head against a bathtub as she was being doused with cold water. Nixzmary weighed only 36 pounds when she died Jan. 11, 2006.

Her death brought swift and comprehensive changes to New York City's Administration for Children's Services and helped influence "Nixzmary's Law," which charges parents of children who have died as a result of abuse with first-degree murder.

During the trial, Santiago sometimes broke down into tears when prosecutors showed photos of Nixzmary's bruised corpse, even remarking, "This is messed up."

The jurors also heard testimony from an ACS worker how Santiago kept the remains of a miscarriage of hers in a jar. Santiago told Child Welfare Specialist Vanessa Rhoden that she kept the remains because "once she saw the baby's eyes, she couldn't let it go."

Santiago has five other children. Gonzalez is seeking their custody.

http://www.newsday.com/services/news...,4247075.story

**TheLittleFriend** · October 18th, 2008, 08:04 PM

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny...0,629913.story

Bullshit.

**crickett** · October 20th, 2008, 02:59 AM

Originally Posted by TheLittleFriend

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny...0,629913.story

Bullshit.

You're right, absolute BULLSHIT!!!! She knew about the beatings....she KNEW that the child was being beaten to death. And, she did NOTHING to protect this child....RIP little angel.

**Etoile** · November 12th, 2008, 10:10 PM

Stepfather got 29 years. Mom got 40 years. (source)

**Etoile** · November 12th, 2008, 10:14 PM

A friend of mine wrote a blog post about this. She feels the increased punishment for what the judge called "an act of omission" was justified - that the mom had a responsibility to protect her daughter.

I'm not sure I agree. In this case, it may be correct. But let's assume that a mom fears for her life, and that intervening will get her killed as well as her child. Is it appropriate to stand back in that case? I don't have the answer, it's a multi-faceted issue. But I'm not sure that additional punishment is justified.

Again, this apparently wasn't the case with Nixzmary's mother. But just thinking hypothetically...I dunno.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · October 10th, 2009, 06:31 AM

Gov. Paterson yesterday signed a new child-protection measure into law named for Nixzmary Brown, the 7-year-old girl who died of abuse and malnourishment.

The law increases the sentences for an adult convicted of torturing a child, changing the maximum sentence to life in prison.
[...]

The law amends the murder statute to add a section for the murder of a child under 14 in an "especially cruel and wanton manner," eliminating the chance of parole.

The previous maximum for the crime, a charge of first-degree manslaughter, was 25 years, with the chance of parole.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/g...ItYusqmo4PogkO

**skeptik** · October 10th, 2009, 09:54 AM

Too little. Too late.

**curethispain** · October 10th, 2009, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by Just my luck sucks

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The last words of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown, moaning in pain and gasping for air, were, 'Mommy, mommy, mommy,"' Dwimoh said. "She didn't love or comfort, and she didn't stop the beatings, and she didn't get any help."

NO NO NO NO NO! I don't want to hear that. I get so frustrated with my kids sometimes...and all they have to say is "Mommy?" and I'm done. How could someone allow that to happen?

**Echo** · October 10th, 2009, 12:53 PM

My heart broke for that poor little girl. Her "parents" should never see the light of day again.

When are crimes against women and children actually going to be taken SERIOUSLY? That sentence is wayyy too light and does not fit the crime. It shouldn't have taken poor Nixmary's death for Paterson to pass that law.

Remember Lisa Steinberg? That was like 25 years ago.