VICTORIA VINER - 2 yo - Jones County (N of Hattiesburg) MS

Two charged in infant's death in Jones County

JONES COUNTY, MS (WDAM) - A Jones County mother and her boyfriend are expected to make their initial court appearance Tuesday morning on charges of capital murder and negligence in the death of a 2-year-old toddler.

Victoria Viner died at a Jackson hospital August 13, two days after she was taken to South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel with unknown injuries.

An autopsy indicates the baby died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head.

Justin Blakeney is charged with capital murder and Lydia Guadalupe Ruiz Viner is charged with felony child abuse and neglect.

Forgot you liken caps, sorry.
just caught this case though it's from Aug. just awful.

Jones County sheriff’s deputies have arrested two suspects in the August death of 2-year-old Victoria Viner.

On Wednesday, 26-year-old Justin Barrat Blakeney ws charged with capital murder. The child’s mother, 34-year-old Lidia Guadalupe, has been charged with child abuse.

According to an affidavit signed by Jones County Sheriff’s Investigator Nick Messersmith, he responded to South Central Regional Medical Center on Aug. 10 for a possible child abuse call, where doctors said Viner was suffering from a brain injury.

Viner was transported to University Medical Center in Jackson the same day. She died Aug. 12 from her injuries.

The two people charged in connection with the August death of a
2-year-old toddler had their arraignment hearings Wednesday in Jones
County Circuit Court.

In November after several months of investigation, the Jones County
Sheriff’s Department arrested Justin Blakeney, 26, of 20 Craven Drive,
and Lydia Guadalupe Ruiz Viner, 34, of 5136 Highway 84 West in
connection with the child’s death.

Blakeney was charged with capital murder in the death of 2-year-old
Victoria Viner, who died Aug. 12 at the University Medical Center in
Jackson.

Lydia Viner, the toddler’s mother, was charged with contributing to the
neglect or delinquency of a child; felonious abuse and/or battery of a
child.

Last week, the two were indicted by a Jones County Grand Jury.

In the Dec. 16th indictment, Lydia Viner was indicted on the charge of
neglect of a child and Blakeney was indicted on the charge of capital
murder.

The two suspects dressed in their stripped jail attire entered their
pleas of “not guilty” during their arraignments before Jones County
Circuit Judge Billy Joe Landrum on Wednesday.

These pleas come after affidavits filed in court records of the case
show several factors. According to documents, Jones County investigator
Sgt. Nick Messersmith responded to a child abuse call at South Central
Regional Medical Center on Aug. 10.

According to the affidavit, Dr. Michael LaRochelle, the hospital’s
emergency room medical director, believed Victoria Viner was suffering
from a brain injury possibly from child abuse. Viner had no signs of
trauma to her body.

According to the affidavit, Dr. Scott Benton, who works with the
University Medical Center, informed Jones County investigators that he
believed the incident to be a case of child abuse. Benton said Viner
received a fatal injury “seconds to minutes” before she became
unresponsive.

According to the affidavit, investigators also interviewed the medical
first responder who arrived when Blakeney called 911. The first
responder noted that Blakeney was alone with Viner when he arrived on
scene, which Blakeney later confirmed in interviews.

However, investigators reported a number of inconsistencies in
Blakeney’s statements. Blakeney had reported Victoria fell from a stool
at the residence, but Benton said a fall was not consistent with the
pattern of bruising shown in the photos.

Autopsy results later determined that Viner’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.

According to the affidavit, Viner had received several injuries since
Blakeney had started baby-sitting her while Lydia Viner was working.
Investigators had obtained photographs of Victoria Viner taken by
family, friends and the daycare center she attended that showed black
eyes and large bruises on Viner’s head.

According to the affidavit, Lydia Viner originally reported no injuries
to Victoria. During a later statement, Lydia Viner said she was aware
of multiple injuries, but never took her daughter to a doctor.

According to the affidavit, Lydia Viner said her daughter was vomiting
and complaining of headaches two weeks before her death. Lydia Viner
said she believed in homeopathic medicines, and had previous dealings
with the Department of Human Services and didn’t want them aware of any
problems.

The Grand Jury’s indictment just released states that Viner “for a
period of time did willfully, unlawfully, feloniously, without authority
of law knowingly permit the continuing physical abuse of a child, her
daughter, Victoria Viner, age 2, by Justin Blakeney, all in violation of
the Mississippi Code constituting the crime of neglect of a child.”

During Wednesday’s hearing, as Assistant District Attorney J. Ronald
Parish read Blakeney’s indictment before the court, the suspects showed
little expression. Blakeney bowed his head once.

According to the capital murder indictment against Blakeney, he “on or
about the 10th day of August did then and there willfully, unlawfully,
feloniously, without authority of law, with or without the design to
effect death, did kill and murder Victoria Viner, age 2, a human being,
said killing occurring at a time when Justin Blakeney was engaged in the
commission of the crime of felonious abuse or battery of a child.”

The indictment also states that Blakeney “did intentionally strike or
otherwise abuse Victoria Viner in such a manner as to cause serious
bodily harm, all of said act complained of resulting in the actual death
of the said Victoria Viner on Aug. 12th.”

However, Wednesday after the not guilty pleas were entered during court
proceedings, the judge then set Jan. 19th as the next court date for
the case, where attorneys will give a status report on the case.

The defense attorneys for Blakeney and Viner said bond issues were handled prior to the arraignment hearings.

Officials said because Blakeney is being charged with a capital crime,
he is not eligible for bond. However, Parish said, Viner’s bond has been
set at $250,000 cash only.

Parish said Viner is a citizen of Mexico and is considered a flight risk.

Parish said while the January 19th date is designed to allow for
motions to be made in the case and the setting of a definite trial date,
“the state will be ready to go forth at anytime.”

The assistant district attorney called the case tragic.

“It’s particularly tragic to have to deal with something like this at
this time of year when we are thinking about the birth of the most
precious baby ever born,” Parish said. “It’s a sad occasion for
everyone. ... It’s disturbing to me personally.”

Both Viner and Blakeney are being held in the Jones County Adult Detention Facility.

Woman Pleads Guilty In Death Of Daughter

2-Year-Old Died Last Summer

March 30, 2011

ELLISVILLE, Miss. -- A Jones County woman has pleaded guilty to felony neglect in the 2010 death of her 2-year-old daughter.


WDAM-TV reported that Lydia Viner entered the plea Tuesday in Jones County Circuit Court. Prosecutors said she neglected her child and allowed ongoing abuse to happen to her daughter while in her care.

Her daughter, Victoria, died at a Jackson hospital last Aug. 13. An autopsy showed the child died of blunt force trauma to the head.

Circuit Judge Billy Joe Landrum sentenced Viner to five years in prison and then suspended the sentence.

Justin Barrat Blakeney is charged with capital murder in the case. He is being held without bond.

No trial date has been set for Blakeney.

How awful that this woman did not go to prison. Her poor daughter is still dead. Now she is free to find another man, seemingly her only purpose.

I hope when the boyfriend is convicted and sentenced he has a different judge, one who cares that a tiny child has been murdered.

No word on how long we will have to wait for his trial.