MARIAH GIBSON - 19 Months- Goshen IN

Parents lied about toddler hit-and-run
Updated: Sunday, 22 May 2011, 11:01 AM EDT

GOSHEN, Ind. (Republic) - An Indiana toddler whose mother claimed she was killed in a hit-and-run accident actually died after falling out of a moving vehicle driven by the mother's boyfriend, police said.
The Elkhart County coroner ruled this past week that 19-month-old Mariah Gibson died from blunt force trauma as a result of an accident.
Mariah's mother, Mande Turner-Berger, 22, and Berger's boyfriend, Daniel Pennington, 30, were each being held on $10,000 bond Saturday in the Elkhart County Jail in Goshen. Both were formally charged Friday with obstruction of justice. It wasn't clear whether they had attorneys.
Turner-Berger initially told police that Mariah broke free of her hand Monday in Goshen and ran out into the street, where she was hit by a car that didn't stop.
But according to court documents filed Friday, Pennington later admitted to officers that the hit-and-run story wasn't true.
According to the documents, Pennington told police Mariah fell out of a sport utility vehicle he was driving. He said the girl's mother was riding in the vehicle, too.
After the incident, Pennington convinced Berger not to tell the truth about what happened, according to the documents.
South Bend television station WSBT reported that family members said Pennington lied because he did not have an Indiana driver's license. The station reported that records from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles show Pennington has never had a license and is listed as a habitual traffic violator.

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/indiana/parents-lied-about-toddler-hit-and-run

As usual, the boyfriend is more important than her very own baby.

Why wasn't this baby in a car seat? Manslaughter charges should be filed against both of them.

GOSHEN -- The mother of Mariah Gibson and her boyfriend, who was driving the car from which Mariah fell and died May 16, were formally charged Wednesday with child neglect.

Mande Turner-Berger, 22, and Daniel Pennington, 30, are accused of neglect of a dependent causing death, a Class A felony, and obstruction of justice, a Class D felony, said Ed Windbigler, chief investigator for the Elkhart County prosecutor.

Both remain jailed with bonds set at $10,000.

Turner-Berger originally told police May 16 she was walking with her toddler daughter Mariah and her younger child. When she set Mariah down to walk, she said, Mariah dashed out into the intersection of Bridge and Eighth streets and was hit by an older, rusty red passenger car that then fled the scene. Mariah was taken to a house about three blocks from the alleged crash, where she was given CPR until medics arrived. She was taken to IU Health Goshen Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

An autopsy revealed she had died from blunt force trauma, the result of an accident.

In court documents filed Friday, a Goshen detective said Turner-Berger had lied about Mariah's death. Mariah actually had fallen out of a car that Turner-Berger's boyfriend, Pennington, was driving. Turner-Berger was a passenger. Pennington had told her to lie about the accident, the investigation uncovered.

Both Turner-Berger and Pennington face a June 2 initial hearing, Windbigler said.

http://ehdev.sx.atl.publicus.com/article/20110526/NEWS01/305269995

ELKHART, Ind. (AP) — A Goshen woman who authorities say lied about how her 19-month-old daughter died has pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent and obstruction of justice.

The Goshen News reports (http://bit.ly/rpcW0G ) that 22-year-old Mande Turner-Burger entered a plea agreement that calls for her to receive a five-year prison sentence and 10 years of probation.

Police say 19-month-old Mariah Gibson was killed May 17 when she fell out of a car being driven by Turner-Burger's boyfriend, 30-year-old Daniel Pennington of Goshen. At first the couple told police that Mariah was killed by a hit-and-run driver. Police say Pennington later admitted Mariah fell out of a sport utility vehicle he was driving.

Pennington is charged with obstruction of justice. He is scheduled to go on trial Nov. 7.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/wsbt-goshen-mom-gets-5-years-in-prison-in-girls-death-20110811,0,2865667.story

The trial of an Elkhart County man accused of playing a role in the death of a 19-month-old girl was expected to start Monday, but has been rescheduled. There will be a pre-trial on December 15, 2011 to select new trial date.

Daniel Pennington is charged with obstruction of justice. The girl's mother, Mande Turner-Berger and Pennington told police in May that Mariah Gibson was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Goshen.

But police say the child actually fell out of the car while Pennington was driving.

Turner-Berger pleaded guilty last month to neglect of a dependent resulting in death and to obstruction of justice.

A judge sentenced her to 20 years in prison, but suspended 15 of those years.

http://www.wsbt.com/news/wsbt-trial-today-in-elkhart-county-babys-death-20111107,0,5820044.story