SERENITY RICHARDSON - 3 yo (2009) - Summerville NC

A second person has been arrested in the Tuesday death of 3-year-old Serenity Richardson, Summerville police said Friday.

Shanita Latrice Cunningham, 23, of Congaree River Drive is charged
with homicide by child abuse, police Capt. Jon Rogers said in a news
release.

She was being held in Charleston County jail pending a bond hearing.

Cunningham lived in the house along with Serenity's caretaker, Erica Mae Butts, also 23.

Butts was charged with homicide by child abuse this week and remains in jail.

The child's mother, Ieshia Richardson, had left Serenity in Butts' care for several weeks while she was moving in Detroit.

Serenity's body was found at the Congaree Drive residence about 7
p.m. Tuesday after Butts' mother dialed 911 and said the child was not
breathing, according to court records.

Summerville firefighters found the child in full cardiac arrest.

An unidentified woman inside the house told a paramedic that the
girl was sitting in a chair, fell backward and struck her head,
according to the police report.

Charleston County EMS took the girl to Summerville Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 8:05 p.m.

Doctors and nurses at the hospital saw cuts and bruises on Serenity's chest, abdomen, legs, arms, feet and back.

The police report states there was a golf-ball-size bruise on her head and a large burn mark on her right leg.

An autopsy by a Medical University of South Carolina forensic
pathologist determined that the cause of death was "full body blunt
force trauma," the warrant states.

Butts had told police she had whipped the girl and that Serenity had hit her head several times, court records said.

It was unclear Friday why the second arrest was made. Rogers would say only that the person was a second resident of the house.

The news release said Cunningham was arrested based on information developed during the investigation.

Rogers said the investigation is still open and ongoing.

Authorities are releasing more information in the child abuse case that
left a three year old dead. This comes as investigators arrested 23
year old Shanita Cunningham in connection with the case. They have
charged her with homicide by child abuse. Cunningham is the second
arrest in the death of three year old Serenity Richardson. 23 year old
Erica Butts was arrested Tuesday and charged with homicide by child
abuse. Cunningham and Butts are roommates and live in Summerville.
Authorities say Butts was taking care of Serenity when the child died.
According to court documents, Erica Butts told authorities she beat the
child multiple times with a belt after the child urinated on the floor.
Butts also said Serenity hit her head multiple times while falling in
the bathroom and thirty minutes after the last fall, Butts said the
child’s breathing became shallow.
That’s when authorities say Erica Butts called her mother LaDawn Butts
to her home to help. They say LaDawn Butts was the one who called 911.
The investigation also shows that Shanita Cunningham was at the home
during the incident and also hit the child with a belt.
Court papers also show Cunningham realized the toddler was unconscious
and put the child on ice to shock her. When that did not work,
authorities say Cunningham put bleach under the child’s nose to attempt
to wake her up. Authorities say that is when Cunningham left the state
to avoid being arrested.
Investigators say the toddler had bruises all over her body and head
and a large burn on her leg.

Woman says she whipped girl with belt
Caretaker is charged with homicide by child abuse

BY DAVID MACDOUGALL , ANDY PARAS
The Post and Courier
Friday, November 6, 2009


A Summerville woman accused of killing a 3-year-old girl entrusted to her care told police she had whipped the child multiple times with a belt after she had urinated on the floor, according to court records.

Erica Mae Butts, 23, of Congaree River Drive, is charged with homicide by child abuse in the death of Serenity Richardson. Butts was being held in the Charleston County jail without bail after a bond hearing Thursday before county Magistrate Linda Lombard.

Serenity's lifeless body was found at Butts' residence about 7 p.m. Tuesday after Butts' mother dialed 911 and said the child was not breathing, according to court records. Summerville firefighters were the first to arrive and found the child in full cardiac arrest.

An unidentified woman inside the house told a paramedic the girl was sitting in a chair, fell backward and struck her head, the police report says.

Charleston County EMS took Serenity to Summerville Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 8:05 p.m.

Doctors and nurses at the hospital saw cuts and bruises on Serenity's chest, abdomen, legs, arms, feet and back. The police report said there was a golf-ball sized bruise on her head and a large burn mark on her right leg. An autopsy by a Medical University of South Carolina forensic pathologist determined that the cause of death was "full body blunt force trauma," the warrant says.

In addition to telling police she had whipped the child, Butts also told them Serenity had fallen and hit her head several times and that 30 minutes after her last fall, Serenity's breathing became shallow, court records said. At that point, instead of dialing 911, Butts called her mother, who lives in Goose Creek, for help.

Butts and Serenity's mother, Ieshia Richardson, were best friends, according to Richardson. Butts' lawyer, Christopher Lizzi, said Butts was Serenity's godmother. According to reports from WDIV-TV in Detroit, Richardson had left Serenity with Butts for several weeks while she was in the process of moving in Detroit.

The bond hearing was the first opportunity for Ieshia Richardson to deal publicly with her child's death. She was at her home in Detroit when she spoke to The Post and Courier on Wednesday and said she had hoped to be able to attend the hearing.

The bond hearing was held via a closed-circuit television system. Butts was in the county jail across the street. Her image appeared on a monitor in the courtroom.

Richardson had a number of relatives and friends standing at her side as the hearing began. Friends had their arms around her for support.

Appearing on Butts' behalf, in addition to Lizzi, her attorney, were Butts' mother and sister.

When Lombard read the charge to Butts, Richardson's knees buckled and she burst into tears when she heard the word "homicide."

Lombard explained to all present that she would not be able to set a bond, that only a circuit court judge could set bond on the charge. Then she asked if any of them had anything to say.

Lizzi said Butts and her family were very upset. "This is a very tragic event," he said. He went on to tell Lombard that Butts has a clean record and has never been in trouble.

Lombard then looked toward the victim's side of the courtroom. "The entire family is devastated," said Pam Stone, a victim's advocate with the Summerville Police Department. "This was her only child." Overwrought with grief, Richardson wailed loudly.

Butts, who could hear what was going on in the courtroom, also began crying. "I'm sorry, Ieshia. I'm so sorry," she said.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/nov/06/woman-says-she-whipped-girl-with-belt/

Serenity Princess Erica Ty’el Richardson-Sumerlin
November 24, 2009



Serenity didn’t suffer her abuse at the hands of strangers, but her own godmother who was also her mother’s best friend inflicted the blows that led to the three year-old’s death.

Court records indicate that Erica Mae Butts, 23, beat the toddler after she had urinated on the floor. After Serenity began to show respiratory distress, Butts called a relative. It was the relative that finally made the call to 9-1-1 where paramedics responded to find the child in full cardiac arrest.

Charleston County EMS took Serenity to Summerville Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 8:05 p.m.

Doctors and nurses at the hospital saw cuts and bruises on Serenity’s chest, abdomen, legs, arms, feet and back. The police report said there was a golf-ball sized bruise on her head and a large burn mark on her right leg. An autopsy by a Medical University of South Carolina forensic pathologist determined that the cause of death was “full body blunt force trauma,” the warrant says.
In addition to telling police she had whipped the child, Butts also told them Serenity had fallen and hit her head several times and that 30 minutes after her last fall, Serenity’s breathing became shallow, court records said. At that point, instead of dialing 911, Butts called her mother, who lives in Goose Creek, for help.
Butts and Serenity’s mother, Ieshia Richardson, were best friends, according to Richardson. Butts’ lawyer, Christopher Lizzi, said Butts was Serenity’s godmother. According to reports from WDIV-TV in Detroit, Richardson had left Serenity with Butts for several weeks while she was in the process of moving in Detroit.

An arrest warrant was also issued for Shanita Latrice Cunningham, 23, Butt’s roommate who was also present when the incident took place and admitted to her mother that she had also beat the child. Cunningham, who has been charged with homicide by child abuse, fled the residence prior to paramedics arrival. Reports indicate that Cunningham tried to revive the comatose child by putting her in ice, and when that failed, she put bleach under her nose.
Serenity’s body was returned to Detroit for burial. Her grief-stricken mother, Ieshia Richardson, 25, tried to understand how her daughter could have been killed while in the care of someone she trusted completely.

“My baby went down there in one piece, happy, no scars, no nothing,” Richardson said. “They sent her back to me in a box.“

---------

Ieshia Richardson
December 10th, 2009 on 4:04 pm
I am Serenity’s mother and I appreciate the person who created this profile so that Serenity’s story will be told. Serenity was the love of my life and all I had. I miss her very much and can’t wait for her to get justice. Serenity mommy loves you always!

-------

Ieshia Richardson
February 13th, 2011 on 5:30 pm
Serenity’s full name is: Serenity Princess Erica Ty’el Richardson-Sumerlin

http://www.flutterbyewings.com/?p=1782

Butts, Erica Mae Order/Subsitution Of Counsel/ MELISA GAY FOR PD Order 06/08/2011
Butts, Erica Mae Motion/Brady Motion/Edwards Notice Motion 04/14/2011
Butts, Erica Mae ORDER FOR CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY AND CAPACITY TO CONFORM EV Order 11/08/2010 11/08/2010
http://jcmsweb.charlestoncounty.org/publicindex/CaseDetails.aspx?County=10&CourtAgency=10001&Casenum=2010GS1004182&CaseType=C


Cunningham, Shanita Latrice Jury Trial Requested Filing 06/28/2011
http://jcmsweb.charlestoncounty.org/publicindex/CaseDetails.aspx?County=10&CourtAgency=10101&Casenum=88249FQ&CaseType=C

I am so sorry for the pain of a truely greiving Mother.How heart wrenching to read this mothers words..."they sent her back to me in a box'

She was beaten on nearly every inch of her small body.
Bruised and broken, the 3-year-old fell several times in the bathroom.
She was then placed on ice and exposed to bleach in a desperate attempt to bring her back.
But the damage was done. Serenity Richardson died. All for urinating on the floor.
Now two women -- the child's godmother and the woman's housemate --
could spend the rest of their lives in jail after entering pleas Thursday in Serenity's death.


Erica Mae Butts (left) and Shanita Latrice Cunningham

Erica Mae Butts and Shanita Latrice Cunningham, both 25 and dressed
in gray striped jail jumpsuits, appeared in circuit court individually
to answer to a charge of homicide by child abuse.

Butts, the godmother, entered an Alford plea, meaning she maintains
her innocence but acknowledges that taking her case to trial would
likely result in a conviction. For practical purposes, she is considered
guilty in the eyes of the law.

Cunningham pleaded guilty.

The court treats the two pleas the same, and each woman faces 20
years to life in prison on the charge. The judge accepted their pleas,
and they will be sentenced later, when Serenity's family can appear in
court. The girl's family, living in Michigan, was unable to attend the
hearing on short notice.

Serenity's mother, Ieshia Richardson, was best friends with Butts and
had brought her daughter to stay at her godmother's home on Congaree
River Drive in Summerville for about two weeks, beginning in late
October 2009. A prosecutor summarized in court what happened next:

Butts admitted to Summerville police on Nov. 3 that she whipped the
girl with a belt for urinating on the floor, and that Serenity had
fallen several times in the bathroom.

When the child's breathing became shallow that day, Butts called her
own mother in Goose Creek but didn't tell her what happened, an arrest
warrant said. Butts' mother called 911.

Paramedics found the toddler cold, with rigor mortis beginning to set in,
according to Assistant Solicitor Elizabeth Gordon.

"The child had bruises, contusions, scrapes, swelling to her entire
body," Gordon said. "The only parts of this child's body that were
spared were the soles of her feet and her armpits."

Investigators ruled that full-body blunt-force trauma caused Serenity's death.

Cunningham, a parent herself, admitted to her own mother that she
also had hit the girl, then saw the extent of her injuries while giving
her a shower, according to an arrest warrant.

Cunningham said the girl should be put on ice, in an attempt to shock
her, and held bleach under her nose, again hoping to revive her, the
warrant said. When the child didn't wake up, Cunningham fled the state.

Police arrested Butts after Serenity's autopsy. Cunningham turned herself in three days later.

With donations from Charleston and Detroit, Serenity's family flew the girl's body home to Michigan for burial.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/aug/26/pair-to-go-to-prison-in-death-of-girl-3/

Erica Mae Butts and Shanita Latrice Cunningham were sentenced to life
in prison today on a charge of homicide by child abuse in the death of
3-year-old Serenity Richardson last year.


"Nobody deserves what she received, " Serenity's mother, Ieshia
Richardson, said during the sentencing hearing. She asked for a maximum
sentence.


After the verdict was read, court officials had to carry out both
women as they collapsed and family members from both sides sobbed.


During the hearing, Cunningham's attorney said her client is less
culpable than Butts in little girl's death. Cunningham was abused as
child and didn't know Serenity's injuries were life-threatening, her
attorney said.


Butts' attorney said her client is "meek."


Butts, the child's godmother, entered an Alford plea at an August
hearing, meaning she maintains her innocence but acknowledges that
taking her case to trial would likely result in a conviction.


Cunningham pleaded guilty.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/nov/03/sentencing-today-two-charged-beating-death-3-year-/