Nancy & Pete Draper & Laura Rinehart Charged In Death Of 2yo Joseph Rinehart

**Whisper** · May 14th, 2012, 05:08 PM

Nancy & Peter Draper

Laura Rinehart

FRANKLIN — The first of three Naponee residents charged in the death of a 2-year-old boy had his first day in Franklin County Court today.

The charge of felony child abuse resulting in death was read to Peter F. Draper, 47. He is hearing impaired, but reads lips. He does not sign.

He, his wife, Nancy L. Draper, 47, and his daughter, Laura E. Rinehart, 24, and all of Naponee, have each been charged with one count of felony child abuse resulting in death of Laura’s son, Joseph L. Rinehart Jr., 2.

Arraignments for the women were scheduled for this afternoon.

The charge is a Class IB felony, which carries a maximum of life in prison.

A hearing for Peter Draper was tentatively set for May 29.

According to court documents, Laura Rinehart and Nancy Draper brought Joseph to the Franklin County Hospital twice April 30. On the first visit, Laura told authorities that Joseph had been sick since April 27 and was unable to hold down food. Joseph was treated for constipation and released.

After the family returned to Naponee, Joseph became unresponsive and was taken back to the hospital at about 8 p.m. He was not breathing upon arrival and was pronounced dead. All three denied that any physical violence had occurred,

An autopsy conducted May 2 showed the toddler died of head and internal injuries caused by blunt force trauma. Investigators were shown several bruises on the boy’s extremities, a skull fracture and an internal abdominal injury.

Three other children between the ages 1 and 4 lived in the home and were taken into custody with the state Department of Health and Human Services.

The Family Advocacy Network in Kearney interviewed Joseph’s 4-year-old sister, and she described seeing Peter Draper hit Joseph in the stomach and knock him to the ground on at least one occasion.

Laura Rinehart also told investigators that she saw her father assault Joseph several times and saw injuries resulting from those assaults, including Joseph’s eye being swollen shut on at least one occasion.

When Joseph became ill April 30, Laura said Peter tried to stop her from taking the boy to the hospital. After the boy’s death, he told Nancy and Laura not to say anything about him assaulting Joseph and that law enforcement would “point fingers” at them after the autopsy.

Laura also said on at least one previous occasion, Peter told her that if she told police anything about the abuse, he would kill her. Court documents state that Laura is extremely fearful of her father and believes he will kill her if he is released because of her cooperation with law enforcement.

[....]
According to court documents, Laura had been granted temporary custody of the four children April 10.

http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local...9bb2963f4.html

**Zazen** · May 14th, 2012, 05:40 PM

Sounds like she was well aware of his abusive history, possibly from being the target of said abuse. So why in the hell did she move her kids in with them, knowing he likes child-sized punching bags? I know, I know... she has no money, her husband prolly dumped her and she had nowhere to turn...

No roof over your head is worth a dead child. Even in Kearney, Nebraska, there are fucking options.

**Tundratot** · May 14th, 2012, 06:08 PM

Maybe she believed whatever lies he told her because he wasn't injuring the other children? When only one is targeted . . .

**Dakota Valkyrie** · May 14th, 2012, 07:44 PM

Nancy Bishop Draper (where last of her daily religious postings stopped the day Joseph died): https://www.facebook.com/nancy.b.draper.1?sk=wall

Pete Draper: https://www.facebook.com/pete.draper.7?sk=wall

Laura Draper Rinehart: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php...050919&sk=wall

**DamagedGoods** · May 14th, 2012, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

Nancy Bishop Draper (where last of her daily religious postings stopped the day Joseph died): https://www.facebook.com/nancy.b.draper.1?sk=wall

Pete Draper: https://www.facebook.com/pete.draper.7?sk=wall

Laura Draper Rinehart: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php...050919&sk=wall

For some reason it really pisses me off when these assholes have facebook profiles chock full of self-righteous religious shit. Nothing but... "I LOVE JAYSUS! DO YOU LOVE JAYSUS? HAVE I MENTIONED HOW MUCH I LOVE JEEBUS??" They seem exactly like people who brag about getting laid. The more intense the bragging, the less likely it is to be true.

**Jerri Blank** · May 30th, 2012, 04:49 PM

Overzealous punishment resulted in death of Naponee boy

FRANKLIN — An out-of-control temper that got the better of Peter Draper when disciplining his grandchildren led to the death of his 2-year-old grandson, an investigator testified Tuesday.

Draper’s wife and daughter may have less culpability in the April 30 death of Joseph Rinehart Jr., the investigator said, but as the only two other caretakers, they each showed negligence in care by doing nothing to stop the abuse.

Those characterizations of Joseph Jr.’s home life were shared during the preliminary hearings for the three defendants charged in the boy’s death.

County Court Judge Michael Offner found probable cause to send the cases against Peter Draper, Nancy Draper and Laura Rinehart to Franklin County District Court Tuesday evening.

The toddler’s mother, Laura Rinehart, 24; and maternal grandparents, Peter and Nancy Draper, both 47, all are charged with child abuse resulting in death — a Class 1B felony punishable by 20 years to life in prison.

http://www.hastingstribune.com/may/news0530naponee.php

**Whisper** · June 29th, 2012, 09:09 PM

FRANKLIN — A man accused in the death of his grandson has pleaded not guilty in Franklin County District Court.

Peter Draper, 47, of Naponee entered a written plea of not guilty during his arraignment Tuesday. Draper is charged with one count of felony child abuse resulting in the April 30 death of his grandson, Joseph L. Rinehart, 2.

Draper’s wife, Nancy, 47, and their daughter Laura Rinehart, 24, also are charged in the case.

Nancy Draper and Laura Rinehart both entered pleas of abatement, a technicality that is filed in district court that asks the district court judge to dismiss the case because of insufficient evidence or probable cause on behalf of the prosecution.

Nancy Draper and Laura Rinehart’s hearings have been set for 10 a.m. Aug. 23. Peter Draper’s hearing is not scheduled.

According to court documents, Laura Rinehart and Nancy Draper brought Joseph Rinehart into Franklin County Hospital twice on April 30. On the first visit, Laura Rinehart told authorities that Joseph had been sick since April 27 and was unable to hold down food. He was treated for constipation and released.

Joseph was unresponsive and taken back to the hospital at about 8 p.m. He was not breathing upon arrival and was pronounced dead. All three adults denied that any physical violence had occurred.

An autopsy conducted May 2 showed the toddler died of head and internal injuries caused by blunt-force trauma. Investigators were shown several bruises on the boy’s extremities, a skull fracture and an internal abdominal injury caused by blunt-force trauma.

Court records say that three other children between the ages of 1 and 4 lived in the home and were taken into protective custody
[..]
The Family Advocacy Network in Kearney interviewed Joseph’s 4-year-old sister, and she described seeing Peter Draper hit Joseph in the stomach and knock him to the ground on at least one occasion.

Laura Rinehart also told investigators that she saw her father assault Joseph in her presence on several occasions and saw injuries resulting from those assaults, including Joseph’s eye being swollen shut on at least one occasion.

When Joseph became ill, Laura Rinehart said her father tried to stop her from taking Joseph to the hospital. After the boy’s death, Draper allegedly told his daughter and wife not to say anything about him assaulting Joseph and that law enforcement would point fingers at them after the autopsy.

Laura Rinehart also allegedly said on at least one occasion, her father told her that if she told police anything about the abuse, he would kill her. Court documents state that Laura Rinehart is extremely fearful of her father and believes he would kill her if he were released because she cooperated with law enforcement.

http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local...a4bcf887a.html

**DamagedGoods** · June 30th, 2012, 01:45 AM

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater

Curious. Very curious. He calls the father a pedophile and a thief, but who murdered the baby? What a complete asshole. (This is the dad in this photo, where they've blacked out Joseph Jr. I was able to find his facebook and there's no mistaking him. I won't post a link though, since he's not guilty of any crimes unless you're willing to take the baby-killing cuntwaffle's word for it.)

ETA: JFC, this guy is cuckoo for coco puffs. He's got a handwritten "legal" document that everyone has signed saying he has control over an "investment" account set up for the daughter's 4 kids and that her ex (Joseph Jr's dad) HAS to deposit almost $500 of his own Veteran's benefits... from each cheque I assume. And he posted it on Facebook. With personal information abounding. Then he adds another document, as some sort of "HAHA CAUGHT YOU!" saying he agreed to this for 10 years, ignoring the fact that this same document says the ex can revoke it at ANY TIME.

**VAS1326** · June 30th, 2012, 04:01 AM

I don't get it. She was in the Army but she was so terrified of daddy she let him abuse her children to death???? WTF....she's full of shit. She just didn't care (ther are pictures of her in the military on her father's facebook) I think she got out from what it looks like but still. If you can protect and defend your country you should be able to protect and defend your own child. Grrr...she's a scum bad. Pity cause she looks really pretty in her military photo. She's really gone to shit since she got out. I had two double check twice to make sure it was even the same girl.

The dad sure does make a lot of accusations about the father of the children. I'm assuming nothing came of any of that or the father would be in jail. I wonder if he has the other 3 kids while mama's in jail.

**DamagedGoods** · June 30th, 2012, 04:11 AM

Originally Posted by VAS1326

I don't get it. She was in the Army but she was so terrified of daddy she let him abuse her children to death???? WTF....she's full of shit. She just didn't care (ther are pictures of her in the military on her father's facebook) I think she got out from what it looks like but still. If you can protect and defend your country you should be able to protect and defend your own child. Grrr...she's a scum bad. Pity cause she looks really pretty in her military photo. She's really gone to shit since she got out. I had two double check twice to make sure it was even the same girl.

The dad sure does make a lot of accusations about the father of the children. I'm assuming nothing came of any of that or the father would be in jail. I wonder if he has the other 3 kids while mama's in jail.

Another thing I find rather telling, is that Laura's brother seems to be on the ex's side. He's on his fb friends, but neither of his parents, nor Laura are listed as contacts. In addition, he posted links to news articles that tell what they are accused of. He doesn't come out and say anything, but he does offer condolences to the ex. That is VERY unusual in my experience and coupled with Pete Draper's posting of legal documents designed to control both his daughter and her ex, I'm lead to assume that he was a rather shitty father and a controlling conniving twat. Imagine having to sign a handwritten document giving power-of-attorney to your father in law, as well as promising to fork over what I assume is a LARGE chunk of your benefits for him to invest and do with as he pleases. (For the children... of course.) Especially a FIL kooky enough to think that posting that shit on facebook will make him look like the winner in all this. Honestly, who does that?!

**VAS1326** · June 30th, 2012, 10:41 AM

@DamagedGoods That is telling. The brother probably knows more about the inside workings of that family and if he is siding with the ex it's because he knows they are crazy. At least the brother was smart enough to get away and stay away!

I'm guessing the power of attorney he posted was given to him while both parents were in the military. It's very common for military members to have them on file when they deploy so someone can handle their affairs while they are over sea's. It appears the ex signed these papers while still married. He probably trusted his wife's judgement about her father. The whole deal appears skeevy to me and I would have never signed anything that hadn't gone through my lawyer first.

The father looks like a complete asshole. Even so I still don't believe the daughter (mother of the children) couldn't have found a way out of her parents house to protect her kids. There are a lot of resources available out there. There is no excuse for letting anyone harm you child.

**lespacino** · June 30th, 2012, 03:16 PM

Here's the victim's father's facebook, with pics of Joe Jr. https://www.facebook.com/joseph.l.rinehart

**Krystal** · June 30th, 2012, 05:50 PM

I hate that they call it "over zealous punishment" like that somehow lessens what they did. Over zealous punishment to me is when you forget you put your child in time out for like 30 minutes, which I do all the time, they always have to remind me they're in time out.

**VAS1326** · July 2nd, 2012, 02:30 AM

You know what really sucks, and I know on FB people do not always update their photos and stuff but every picture of little Joseph Jr. are from when he was a baby. It's like dad doesn't have more recent pictures. I'm betting these assholes did everything in their power to block him from seeing his kids. He has posted pictures since of him with the older kids during visits and the article so I'm thinking if he had a more recent pic of his son he would have posted it too. What a shame, this father didn't even see his son in who knows how long before he passed away because these loons didn't want to give up any control. I'm betting that's why they stated accussing him of shit. I wonder how long the accusations came after the dad tried to break the contract paying grand daddy to "handle the kids investments for the future" Grrr....I'm just so sad about this case. I hope these freaks all go down together.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · January 28th, 2013, 02:16 PM

Peter Draper has been charged with an additional count in the 2012 death of his grandson.

Draper, 48, of Naponee was charged with one count of child abuse, a Class II felony, on Jan. 4 in Franklin County District Court. A preliminary hearing was Jan. 18 in Holdrege, and he was bound over for trial in district court on the new charge.

He was previously charged with one count of child abuse resulting in the death of Joseph L. Rinehart, 2.

According to court records, Draper “knowingly and intentionally caused or permitted” Joseph Rinehart to be placed in a situation that caused him serious bodily injury between July 12, 2011 to April 22, 2012.

Franklin County attorney Patrick Duncan said in recent weeks probable cause had been found to file the new charge.
[...]

Peter Draper was originally scheduled to go on trial in February. In light of the new charge, Duncan said he expects the trial to go forward in April.

http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local...9bb2963f4.html

Old info (from the May 2012 hearing):

Peter Draper would let his temper “get the better of him” when he disciplined his four grandchildren, his wife told Nebraska State Patrol officers after her arrest on May 2.
[...]

“Laura’s demeanor was not as emotional as I expected,” Kavan said of the interviews on the day of Joseph’s death. “But I’ve worked enough death cases to know there’s no standard response.”

An autopsy conducted May 2 showed the toddler died of head and internal injuries caused by blunt force trauma. Kavan said injuries included a broken pubic bone, a skull fracture, broken ribs, a perforated bowel and bruises on his upper body.
[...]

Both women recalled an incident on approximately April 23 in which Peter took Joseph into his older sister’s room for a punishment, Kavan said. Laura, who witnessed the incident, told investigators that her father threw the toddler on to the bed and knelt on the boy with one knee until he cried out.

On April 27, Joseph began to vomit and was made to stand in a corner for two days straight from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. as punishment. During this time, he continued to vomit, and a towel had to be put down to clean up after him.

Nancy also told investigators that when she and Laura left Joseph alone with Peter during this time, they would come back to discover Joseph sitting in his own vomit.

The women recalled other incidents that happened before April.

Around Christmas, Nancy said she saw her husband kicking Joseph in the back hard enough to send him flying down the hallway of their mobile home in Naponee.

She also saw him push Joseph’s 3-year-old brother to the ground hard enough to leave rug burns on his face, and Peter once grabbed his 4-year-old granddaughter by the hair and pull of a chunk of it from her head.

“(Nancy) told me she knew she should’ve stepped in sooner,” Kavan said. “There was an incident where Peter was upset at Laura because he thought she wasn’t disciplining the kids properly, and he grabbed Laura by the throat. Nancy said she didn’t want (Peter) to turn on her.”

Neither women told medical officials about the abuse when they visited the hospital, Kavan said, because Peter had told Laura the Department of Health and Human Services would take the children away. The family was also “not excited” about having an autopsy performed on the boy’s body, he said.

Peter and the women’s preliminary hearings were conducted separately because Peter is hearing impaired and Offner wanted to make sure he could understand all the testimony. The court gave Peter a laptop which allowed him to read the real-time testimony instead of having to rely on lip-reading.

Offner gave a much longer statement to the women than he did to Peter. He said the women failed to provide Joseph adequate medical care by not telling medical officials about the abuse and for not acting to stop the abuse.

“I think you did know what was going on, and you negligently allowed an overbearing grandfather to do this,” Offner said. “He has much more culpability than you do.”

http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local...a4bcf887a.html

**Tundratot** · January 28th, 2013, 02:31 PM

Jesus, my heart aches after reading that litany of abuse and it weeps for children left with that monster by women who knew very well how mean and abusive he was. The boy had a broken pelvis!! Perforated bowels, FFS! And he was being punished for vomiting?!! WTF is wrong with you!!!

**TheLittleFriend** · January 28th, 2013, 04:05 PM

"Laura Rinehart also allegedly said on at least one occasion, her father told her that if she told police anything about the abuse, he would kill her. Court documents state that Laura Rinehart is extremely fearful of her father and believes he would kill her if he were released because she cooperated with law enforcement...."

I rather to be killed than have my children die from abuse. If I have to, I will live in box under bridge with kids. How can she be so extremely fearful of him when she have the opinions? I don't believe her. What a full of chickenshit.....

**AngelFire** · January 28th, 2013, 04:17 PM

These animals deserve death.

**Whisper** · May 7th, 2013, 10:36 PM

HASTINGS — Jury selection took up most of the first day of Peter Draper’s child abuse trial Monday in Adams County District Court.

Draper, 48, of Naponee is on trial for the 2012 death of his grandson, Joseph L. Rinehart Jr., 2. Draper is charged with one count of felony child abuse resulting in Joseph’s death and one count of felony child abuse.
[....]

ttp://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local/draper-child-abuse-case-begins/article_264aef90-b73c-11e2-8b87-0019bb2963f4.html

**Tundratot** · May 8th, 2013, 04:45 AM

It disgusts me that people like this seem to be everywhere. Human offal. I feel like becoming a hermit . . .

**Krystal** · May 8th, 2013, 07:05 AM

My Dad is a big guy, almost a foot taller than me and easily 100 pounds heavier, but if he laid a hand on my boys I would fuck him up! No one puts their hands on my sons, they were all spanked when that was the age appropriate punishment but only by me, I don't for a second buy that she was too scared to stop the abuse. Fuck that, I would die trying to protect my boys, bottom line. When it comes to protecting my boys, NO ONE scares me!!

**Dakota Valkyrie** · May 9th, 2013, 08:39 AM

An emotional Laura Rinehart testified Tuesday that when she and her husband separated in 2011, her father – Peter Draper – became the main disciplinarian to her four small kids, and that she witnessed him abuse Junior on a regular basis, saying she didn't think it was right, but was too scared of her father to do anything about it.

She told the courtroom Draper criticized the way she disciplined her children, and that he said she needed to "show them who's boss."

She also said Draper repeatedly forcefully grabbed Junior by his arm and jerked him around, and when he thought the toddler was misbehaving he would force him to lift three- to five-pound hand weights above his head for up to ten minutes at a time. And if Junior dropped them, he had to start over.

Peter Draper also allegedly made the boy stand in the corner for up to eight hours at a time, only allowing him to leave to eat and have his diaper changed. And if he cried, Laura Rinehart says, her father would shove him to the ground, causing him to hit his head on the hard linoleum floor.

Draper even made the boy sleep in a closet, she testified.

Graphic photos of Junior's body from the night of his death show the toddler covered in bruises and cuts from head to toe.
[...]

During cross–examination, the defense gave several other theories for Junior's injuries, arguing that his brother – who was one year older than him at the time – was aggressive and could have caused them.

But Laura Rinehart said though she did have to seek professional help from a therapist for her other son because of his constant tantrums, she never witnessed him hurting Junior.

The defense also suggested that Junior had a suspected disease that caused his bones to become brittle and fracture easily, but testimony Tuesday from two different doctors who treated the boy refuted that claim.

Dr. Steven Coy Haskett, a pediatrician at the Kearney Clinic, who treated Junior when he was brought in with a fractured leg – which Laura Rinehart claimed Tuesday was caused by Peter Draper – testified that, to his knowledge, Junior was never diagnosed with a bone disease.
[...]

In exchange for Laura Rinehart's testimony against her parents, prosecutors agreed to reduce her charge from intentional child abuse resulting in death to attempted child abuse. If convicted, she faces up to 50 years in prison.

The Drapers are each charged with intentional child abuse resulting in death, and face 20 years to life in prison.
Nancy Draper's trial is scheduled to begin June 17. A trial date for Laura Rinehart hasn't been set.

http://www.nebraska.tv/story/2218957...ys-grandfather

Nancy Draper, Joseph's grandmother, refused to testify against her husband when the state called her as a witness. She faces charges in this case as well, and immediately invoked her 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination.

The state gave her testimonial immunity, which means anything she would say couldn't be used against her later, but Draper would only respond with "On the advice of my attorney, I invoke my 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination."

The judge declared her a hostile witness, and ordered Draper to answer the prosecution's questions. The state tried to ask her about interviews and a written statement she gave to Nebraska State Patrol investigators after her arrest, including the statement "I have seen [Peter] kick Joe Jr. down the hall of our house." She was dismissed when she still would only state her 5th Amendment intentions instead of answering.

She could now face contempt charges as well as the child abuse charges filed against her.

http://www.1011now.com/home/headline...l#.UYuVx8o7bKc

**DamagedGoods** · May 10th, 2013, 02:48 AM

I really, REALLY hate these people.

**Tundratot** · May 10th, 2013, 05:40 AM

I really, really want to kill these people. I am just disgusted. The world is blighted.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · May 11th, 2013, 10:44 AM

Peter Draper was found guilty Friday on both counts of child abuse leveled against him in the 2012 death of his 2-year-old grandson.
[...]

He will be sentenced at 10 a.m. Aug. 1 in Franklin.

Joseph Rinehart’s paternal grandparents, Michael and Heidi Rinehart of Racine, Wis., attended the trial and were present for the reading of the verdict. Heidi Rinehart cried as the verdict was read, and said afterward she was relieved that there was justice for Joseph.

“I’m excited, happy and relieved,” she said. “I’m glad it’s over.”

Heidi said she and her husband attended the trial because Joseph’s father, Joseph Rinehart Sr., wouldn’t be able to emotionally handle the testimony, and they wanted to show their support for the toddler and other children. Joseph Sr. is trying to regain custody of the other three Rinehart children, Heidi said, and has weekly visitation with them.
[...]

Rinehart’s testimony was a key argument for both the prosecution and defense during the closing arguments. Assistant Attorney General Sandra Allen and Draper’s attorney, Charlie Brewster, battled over Rinehart’s credibility because she was the key witness in the state’s case.

Brewster said Rinehart changed elements of her story and that the jury could not trust her. He called Rinehart’s testimony about her father’s abuse “fairy tales” that only came out once she was arrested and scared for herself.

“You can’t believe anything this woman told you in the course of the trial,” he said.

But Allen argued that Rinehart was the only one taking responsibility for what happened to her son and had come forward with information by talking to investigators about an incident in the week before Joseph’s death. She said she saw her father kneeling on and putting pressure on the boy’s abdomen. The toddler later died of a perforated bowel and multiple blunt force trauma to the head, torso and extremities.

Rinehart will still be held accountable for her part in Joseph’s death, Allen said.

“The state’s not asking for you to like Laura Rinehart. She is a lousy mother. You should all hate Laura Rinehart,” Allen said to the jury. “We have a dead child because she didn’t protect him, but she’s trying to find justice for Junior now.”
[...]

The jury was given several options for deliberation. If they could not find Draper guilty of the full weight of the first count, they also could have found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter, negligent child abuse or not guilty. For the second count, he could have been found guilty of child abuse not resulting in serious harm, negligent child abuse or not guilty.

Allen asked the jury to not even consider those other options.

“Negligent child abuse is a joke, involuntary manslaughter is a joke,” she said. “He perpetrated a pattern of abuse.”

She also asked the jury not to be sympathetic to Draper’s various ailments discussed in the trial.

“Don’t feel sympathy for this man,” she said. “The fact is that he is a man of rage. There’s no sympathy for that.”

http://www.kearneyhub.com/grandpa-gu...a4bcf887a.html