OLIVIA GARCIA - 1 yo - (2008) / Accused: Amanda Brumfield Ocoee FL

Amanda Brumfield murder trial set for December


Brumfield, the estranged daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton, is accused of killing a 1-year-old girl.


July 16, 2010|By Walter Pacheco, Orlando Sentinel

Orange Circuit Judge Thomas Mihok today set the first-degree murder trial for the estranged daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton for Dec. 13.
Amanda Brumfield, 30, is accused of killing a 1-year-old Ocoee girl who was in her care in 2009.
In addition to the first–degree murder charge, she faces charges of aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter in the death of Olivia García.
Ocoee police said Brumfield told them she had come out of the bathroom to find the child straddling her playpen.
She said that shouting the child's name startled the baby, who fell, hitting her head and biting part way through her tongue.
The babysitter used paper towels to stop the bleeding, reports show.
She painted Olivia's toenails and fed her bananas after the alleged fall, reports show.
Brumfield then waited more than two hours before calling for help and only did so after the child stopped breathing, authorities allege.
Police said it was doubtful the head injury could have been caused by a 28-inch fall from the playpen to the floor.
Testimony from Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner Jan Garavaglia shows the skull fracture was caused by an impact similar to injuries she has seen in car accidents.
Olivia died from the skull fracture and bleeding of the brain
Brumfield has been out of jail since July 2009 after paying a $277,000 bail.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-07-16/news/os-amanda-brumfield-trial-20100716_1_murder-trial-amanda-brumfield-28-inch-fall

05/23/2011

Jury Trial (8:15 AM) (Judicial Officer Whitehead, Reginald K)

http://myclerk.myorangeclerk.com/CaseDetail.aspx?CaseID=6432485

Autopsy findings conflict with babysitter's story in toddler's death
Billy Bob Thornton's daughter, Amanda Brumfield, waited until her husband returned home from work before calling 911

Bianca Prieto | Sentinel Staff Writer
12:01 PM EDT, June 5, 2009


Amanda Brooke Brumfield, the daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton, is
charged with child neglect after a toddler she was watching died.

Instead of calling 911, an Ocoee babysitter painted the toenails of a
1-year-old and fed her bananas after the child reportedly fell out of
playpen, according to new documents released today.

Authorities say that Amanda Brumfield, the estranged daughter of
Hollywood actor Billy Bob Thornton, waited until her husband returned
home from work before calling 911 -- about two hours after the injury.

By that time, 1-year-old Olivia Garcia's body was already limp and cool to the touch.

Olivia died from a skull fracture and bleeding of the brain early Oct. 4 while in the care of Brumfield, her godmother.

Brumfield, 29, was arrested over the weekend and charged with child
neglect causing harm or disability. She has since bonded out of jail.

Ocoee authorities say that Brumfield failed to properly care for the child and did not seek medical attention soon enough.

"Amanda Brumfield failed to provide the medical care Olivia needed which
caused her to slip into a coma, ultimately leading to her death," Ocoee
Detective James Berish wrote in a charging affidavit filed with the
State Attorney's Office on Thursday. "Olivia Garcia did not fall asleep
but instead succumbed to the head trauma received while in the care of
Amanda Brumfield."

Brumfield told investigators that around midnight Olivia fell to the
ground while teetering on the edge of the playpen she was supposed to be
sleeping in. The child's tongue began to bleed and Brumfield used paper
towels to stop the blood, according to the report.

Brumfield told investigators she fed Olivia snacks and bananas, and then
later painted the child's toenails before lying down on the couch with
the girl to put her back to sleep.

She said Olivia was in a good mood and playful after the fall, according to the report.

Shortly after the fall, Brumfield sent a text message to Heather Murphy,
Olivia's mother, that read, "So, funny little side note with a sad end!
Olivia can climb out of her playpen but has learned she has perfected
the landing."

Murphy, who was at her own home and already sleeping, did not receive
the message. Brumfield was watching Murphy's children overnight because
Murphy had to work an early shift the following day, Murphy said during
an interview earlier this week with the Orlando Sentinel.

A short while later Brumfield sent a second message to Murphy that read,
"Hey, I know ur asleep so u will get this in the am but I have a
question. Can the girls stay with me tom night too? I've missed them
sooooo much! I love them here!"

Other children who were in the home at the time, including Olivia's big
sister, likely did not witness the incident, according to the report.

But, the final autopsy report completed in March by Dr. Jan Garavaglia,
Orange County's medical examiner, painted a vastly different picture and
labeled the child's death a homicide.

Garavaglia's report said Olivia's injuries could not have been sustained
in a 28-inch fall from atop a playpen and the child's demeanor
afterward would not have been playful, but would have been in constant
pain and crying.

"Olivia Garcia would not have wanted to eat bananas or fruit snacks with this injury," the report said.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...,1025417.story

Judge denies bond for Billy Bob Thornton's daughter


Amanda Brumfield becomes emotional after making her initial court
appearance Thursday morning. (RED HUBER, ORLANDO SENTINEL / June 25,
2009)

Prosecutors say Amanda Brumfield, actor Billy Bob Thornton's daughter,
killed her 1-year-old goddaughter, whom she was babysitting in Ocoee

Bianca Prieto | Sentinel Staff Writer
9:10 AM EDT, June 25, 2009

The estranged daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton will not be released
from jail today, a judge decided at her first appearance this morning.

Amanda Brumfield, 29, was indicted Wednesday on charges of first-degree
murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child in
the death of a 1-year-old girl she was babysitting in Ocoee.

Brumfield's lawyer asked that she be given a bond amount and allowed to
leave the jail. The judge denied the request and ordered her to continue
to be held at the Orange County Jail without bond.

She said nothing during her first appearance but was shaking and frowning. At one point she appeared to be crying.

Brumfield was one of three people indicted Wednesday in Orlando on first-degree murder charges.

Ocoee police say Brumfield, the godmother of Olivia Garcia, claimed the
baby fell out of a playpen. An autopsy completed in March concluded that
the 28-inch fall could not have caused the skull fracture or bleeding
of the brain that Olivia suffered on Oct. 3, leading to a coma and death
the next day.

Prosecutors have not released what they think happened or given a motive.

Also indicted Wednesday was Jackson Fleurimon. The charge: first-degree
murder with a firearm. Details of the case were not immediately
available.

An Orange County Sheriff's Office detective testified, according to a grand-jury report.

The other indictments is sealed, so the identity of the person charged
is not public. Indictments usually are sealed until a suspect is
arrested.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-b...,2106554.story

Amanda Brumfield, the estranged daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton,
arrives in court during a pretrial release hearing in Orange circuit
court in Orlando, Fla., Monday, July 13, 2009. Judge Bob Wattles ruled
that she will not be released from jail until an expert witness can
testify about evidence in the case. Brumfield was indicted last month on
a first-degree murder charge in the death of her best friend's
1-year-old daughter, who she was babysitting. (Joe Burbank, Orlando
Sentinel / July 13, 2009)

Judge wants medical examiner to explain bruises found on skull of child who died in Amanda Brumfield's care

Bianca Prieto Sentinel Staff Writer

11:42 AM EDT, July 13, 2009

An Orange County judge ruled this morning that Billy Bob Thornton's
estranged daughter will not be released from jail until an expert
witness can testify about evidence heard during today's pretrial-release
hearing.

Amanda Brumfield of Ocoee was indicted last month on a first-degree murder charge and is being held without bond.

An Ocoee detective testified during the hour-long hearing that the
medical examiner found six bruises on the child's head and a 3.5-inch
skull fracture during the autopsy. Judge Bob Wattles wants Dr. Jan
Garavaglia, the area's medical examiner, to explain more about the
bruises before ruling if Brumfield will be released.

Brumfield's attorneys wanted her to be released from jail with
conditions of GPS monitoring or home confinement, but that was denied
until Garavaglia can testify as an expert witness.

Brumfield sat between her two attorneys and did not speak, but was
shaking and crying. When her Jacksonville attorneys viewed autopsy
photos, she refused to look at them and turned her head. People sitting
in the courtroom who could see the photos began to cry.

Brumfield was watching her best friend's 1-year-old daughter, Olivia
Garcia, last year when the girl died from a head injury. Brumfield said
Olivia fell to the ground while straddling the top of her playpen, but
appeared fine afterward. She died a short time later and her death was
ruled a homicide.

Garavaglia ruled that a fall could not have caused the injuries that the child suffered.

Check back for updates.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...,3707911.story

Amanda Brumfield, daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton, is charged in the death of a 1-year-old girl.

Sarah Lundy Sentinel Staff Writer

12:32 PM EDT, July 24, 2009


Amanda Brumfield, the estranged daughter of Billy Bob Thornton, will be
allowed out of jail while her first-degree murder case is pending in
Orange circuit court.

After a nearly two-hour hearing, Orange Circuit Court Judge Bob Wattles
set her bond at a total of $277,000. It's unclear when she will be
released.

Brumfield is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse
and aggravated manslaughter of a child in the death of Olivia Garcia, a
1-year-old girl she was babysitting.

Police say Brumfield, a mother of two, said the girl was injured when she fell out of a playpen.

Investigators say otherwise. That's why Wattles wanted to hear from the area's medical examiner, Dr. Jan Garavaglia.

She testified that Olivia suffered several small cuts and a large
fracture at the base of her skull. The skull fracture is not an injury
that she could have received from a short fall from a playpen.

It's a type of fracture that "we would see in a car accident," Garavaglia said.

She and one of Brumfield's attorneys got into a heated exchange about what led to the baby's death.

Attorney Sean Dore pointed to a picture of brick fireplace in the home
and asked if she considered whether that caused the injury. He said
Brumfield later told investigators that she didn't know exactly how the
baby landed.

Garavaglia said she had no information from the investigators or
Brumfield that the fireplace was involved. It's her opinion that girl
died from a homicide not an accident.

"It's up to you to try (the case)," she said.

Her job, she said, was to determine how the child died not who did it.

Wattles set a trial date in December. He said everyone involved -- both Brumfield and Olivia's mother -- need to have closure.

As Brumfield was being escorted out of the courtroom, she turned to her
husband and mouthed "I'm coming home." He smiled and gave her thumbs up.

He did not want to comment afterwards.

Olivia's mother, Heather Murphy, who was once friends with the
Brumfields and watched their children, didn't want to comment either.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...,6670920.story

Billy Bob Thornton's estranged daughter's murder trial begins

Amanda Brumfield is charged with first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter

May 23, 2011 8:16 AM

ORANGE COUNTY -- The murder trial is set to begin Monday for the estranged daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton.

Prosecutors said Amanda Brumfield, a mother of three, was watching a friend's child in Orange County in 2009 when the 1-year-old girl fell, hit her head and died.

The medical examiner said bruises were found on the child's head, and says the child's skull was also fractured.

According to investigators, Brumfield didn't get immediate medical attention when the girl got hurt.

She's charged with first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter.

Thornton's publicist has said the actor hasn't spoken to Brumfield for a number of years.


www.cfnews13.com/.../Billy-Bob-Thorntons-estranged-daughters-murder-trial-begins.html

Murder trial begins in '08 death of Ocoee 1-year-old girl


Amanda Brumfield, estranged daughter of Billy Bob Thornton, is accused of killing her best friend's 1-year-old daughter, Olivia Garcia, in 2008


Thirteen floors below the Casey Anthony trial, another woman charged with a child's murder is on trial at the Orange County Courthouse.
Amanda Brumfield, 32, is accused of killing her best friend's daughter during an overnight stay in October 2008 and waiting more than two hours to call police for help.
Brumfield, the estranged daughter of Hollywood actor Billy Bob Thornton, claims she never hurt 1-year-old Olivia Madison Garcia and the death may have been caused by an accidental fall from a playpen.
Orange Circuit Court Judge Reginald Whitehead's courtroom was full Tuesday as Assistant State Attorney Ken Lewis delivered opening statements in the case.
A three-and-a-half inch fracture on back of Olivia's skull, as well as bleeding and swelling of the toddler's brain, caused her death, Lewis said. Doctors testified it is "impossible" for those fatal injuries to be caused in a fall from such a short distance, he said.
She would not have lasted more than 15 minutes with these types of injuries," Lewis said.
Brumfield sat quietly throughout the openings and wiped tears occasionally. One woman in the gallery cried as Lewis described the child's injuries.
An assistant public defender spent 15 minutes delivering opening statements.
"There is not good news to be had here," said her public defender, Jamie Kane.
Kane described the close-knit relationship Brumfield and her family had with her best friend, Heather Murphy, and Olivia. Brumfield had diapers and a playpen for Olivia at her home and had planned to take her to SeaWorld to celebrate her birthday the day she died, he said.
Murphy even had a key to the Brumfield home, he said.
"The bottom line is they were very, very close," Kane said.
Brumfield maintains that Olivia was trying to climb out of the playpen and fell the short distance, hitting her head on the ground. She fed the girl a banana, painted her nails and then lay down in the living room with Olivia.
The defense suggests the fall may have triggered a "second-impact syndrome," which means a previous injury could have been aggravated and caused her death.
It was after midnight when Brumfield noticed the girl was lethargic. She called her husband, a manager at a Chili's restaurant, and told him she was concerned. It wasn't until he got home and the girl wasn't breathing that she called Ocoee police, records show.
Kane said there was "panic, heartache, immediate grief and sorrow as a little girl was dying."
In addition to first-degree murder, Brumfield is charged with aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child. The trial is expected to last the rest of the week.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/crime/os-amanda-brumfield-child-murder-tria20110524,0,4052875.story

Baby Sitter On Trial For Murder

Amanda Brumfield Charged With Murdering 1-Year-Old

POSTED: Wednesday, May 25, 2011
UPDATED: 6:57 pm EDT May 25, 2011




ORLANDO, Fla. -- The daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton is in court facing first-degree murder charges in the death of an infant she was baby-sitting, just a few floors below the Casey Anthony murder trial courtroom at the Orange County Courthouse.

Amanda Brumfield, 32, is accused of killing her best friend's daughter in October 2008.

Police said Brumfield waited more than two hours to call for help after she said the 1-year-old fell out of a playpen.

The trial began Tuesday.

Orange County Medical Examiner Dr. Jane Garavaglia, the same person who performed Caylee Anthony's autopsy, testified that the death of Olivia Garcia was intentional.

Garavaglia said Olivia suffered so much head trauma that she would have been unconscious within minutes and dead within an hour. Garavaglia said there is no way Olivia could have suffered such serious injuries by falling from a playpen.

"That is my opinion. Over 25 years. Backed by literature. That is not how the child died (by accident)," Garavaglia said.

Brumfield told investigators that she was baby-sitting Olivia in her Ocoee home when the child lost her balance and fell about 2 feet. She said the girl was fine, and she even fed her a banana, which is why she waited two hours to call for help.

Olivia's mother, Heather Murphy, said she just wants to know what really happened to her daughter.

The prosecution called experts to testify that Olivia was too small to even climb out of the playpen.

The defense said Olivia's injuries do not prove she was murdered.

"We want closure. We want to start the next chapter in our lives," Murphy said.


http://www.clickorlando.com/news/28025543/detail.html

Billy Bob Thornton's Daughter Guilty of Manslaughter in Baby's Death



Thursday June 02, 2011

The estranged daughter of Billy Bob Thornton had been convicted of aggravated manslaughter in the death of a friend's baby daughter, but was found not guilty of first-degree murder.

The verdict was handed down last Friday to Amanda Brumfield, 32, in the same Orlando, Fla., courthouse where Casey Anthony is being tried for the murder of her daughter, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Brumfield had claimed the death of 1-year-old Olivia Madison Garcia, while in her care as a babysitter one night in October 2008, was an accident – and that she had simply fallen a short distance out of a playpen.

Prosecutors said such a fall would not account for the three-and-a-half inch fracture found on the girl's skull and the bleeding and swelling on her brain.

Brumfield will be sentenced in July. She was also found not guilty of a third charge of aggravated child abuse.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20499530,00.html?xid=email-peopledaily-20110602-20499530&hpt=hp_t2

Amanda Brumfield, estranged daughter of Hollywood actor Billy Bob Thornton, is asking to have her recent conviction in the death of a friend's toddler tossed out, or to be given a new trial in the case.Records
show Brumfield's attorneys renewed an earlier motion for acquittal or
retrial on Monday. Brumfield was convicted on a charge of aggravated
manslaughter of a child last month.Brumfield, 32, had faced a
murder charge in the killing of her best friend's daughter during an
overnight stay in October 2008. She claimed the death of 1-year-old
Olivia Madison Garcia was an accident.Brumfield was found not
guilty on first-degree murder and aggravated child-abuse charges,
records show. She is expected to face sentencing on the manslaughter
charge in late July.In a four-page motion, Brumfield's attorneys argue that the state
failed to prove that the child died as a direct result of negligence by
Brumfield.Brumfield has maintained the girl was trying to climb
out of a playpen and fell a short distance, hitting her head. The
defense suggested the fall may have aggravated a previous injury,
causing her death.The prosecution argued it was impossible that a
fall from that height caused a three-and-a-half-inchfracture on the
back of the girl's skull and the bleeding and swelling found in her
brain.The new motion also argues that the state failed to prove
that more prompt medical treatment could have saved the child.
Investigators said Brumfield didn't call for help until about two hours
after the injury.The verdict was handed down May 27. Records show Brumfield is being held in the Orange County Jail as she awaits sentencing.http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-billy-bob-daughter-new-trial-20110610,0,2869586.story

Billy Bob Thorton's Daughter To Be Sentenced In Girl's Death

Posted: 8:39 am EDT August 18, 2011

Updated: 8:53 am EDT August 18, 2011


ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- The estranged daughter of actor Billy Bob Thorton will be sentenced on Thursday in the death of her friend's child.

Attorneys for Amanda Brumfield are expected to present a motion for acquittal.

In May, a jury already found Brumfield guilty of manslaughter in the death of a little girl she was baby-sitting.

Brumfield
was babysitting a friend's child when the child fell, hit her head and
later died. Brumfield allegedly failed to seek immediate medical
attention.

A judge will hear the motion at 9:00 a.m.

Stay with WFTV to find out what the judge decides.

http://www.wftv.com/news/28902552/detail.html

Billy Bob Thorton's Estranged Daughter's Sentencing Delayed


Posted: 8:39 am EDT August 18, 2011Updated: 12:11 pm EDT August 18, 2011
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A
judge is considering whether to grant a new trial for the estranged
daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton who was convicted in the death of a
1-year-old girl.In May, Amanda Brumfield was found guilty of manslaughter after a toddler she was watching died from head injuries back in 2008.Defense
attorneys argued the child fell out of a playpen and hit her head.
Prosecutors say the height of the fall was too short for a fatal injury.
Brumfield was scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, but instead her
attorneys argued for a new trial.A ruling was not made on Thursday and no time frame has been set for a decision."We
all agree this case was a battle of the experts. We all agree that
causation was critical and timing of injury was everything,” said
defense attorney David Barszcz.The judge is now considering whether to grant a new trial.

http://www.wftv.com/news/28902552/detail.html

Billy Bob Thornton's daughter won't be retried in her attempt to escape her May aggravated manslaughter conviction.
A jury three months ago found the Academy Award-nominated actor's
estranged offspring Amanda Brumfield, 32, guilty in the death of
one-year-old Olivia Madison Garcia, her best friend's daughter, while in
Brumfield's care.

The same jury found her not-guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse charges stemming from the child's death.

RadarOnline
reports that Judge Reginald Whitehead wrote Aug. 29 that "Defendant's
motion for a new trial is denied," and Brumfield now faces an Oct. 6
sentencing date where she could receive up to 30 years in prison.

Brumfield, ironically enough, was tried in the same courthouse where
Casey Anthony was acquitted earlier this summer of murder in the death
of her own daughter, Caylee.

Jamie Kane, Brumfield's attorney, told RadarOnline Aug. 18 that "(Brumfield) is anxious to have this verdict set aside and get a new trial because she is innocent."

Kane argued on Brumfield's behalf that the court didn't let the defense
present evidence that Garcia's injuries were already present when she
came into Brumfield's care.

Brumfield had originally told authorities that Garcia struck her head
after a fall while climbing out of a playpen. Orange County (Ca.) State
Attorneys didn't buy the account; they claimed that Garcia didn't fall
from high enough to cause Garcia's three-and-half-inch skull fracture.





Brumfield is one of four children that the acclaimed actor and
part-time blues musician has sired by three different women. Thornton
was also married to Angelina Jolie for three years, but the two never
had children.
http://www.yidio.com/movie/sling+blade/15010/news/no-manslaughter-retrial-billy-bob-thorntons-daughter-3575

Billy Bob Thornton's Estranged Daughter Sentenced to 20 Years for Killing One-Year-Old Child
Published October 06, 2011
| FoxNews.com

The estranged daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 2008 death of a child in her care.
Amanda Brumfield, 32, was convicted of manslaughter earlier this year.
Authorities say Brumfield killed her best friend's daughter during an overnight stay in October 2008.
Brumfield says 1-year-old Olivia Madison Garcia was trying to climb out of a playpen and hit her head. The defense suggested the fall may have aggravated a previous injury, causing her death.
Prosecutors say it's impossible that a fall from that height caused a three-and-a-half inch (9-centimeter) fracture on the back of the girl's skull and the bleeding and swelling found in her brain.
Brumfield's father, Billy Bob Thornton, is best known for the movie "Slingblade" and his marriage to Angelina Jolie.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/10/06/billy-bob-thorntons-estranged-daughter-sentenced-to-20-years-for-killing-one/#ixzz1a1O0b6HJ