HAILEY BYRNE - 2 yo/ Convicted: Robert Glen Abbott - Roy UT

Police said they believe a 2-year-old died in Roy when her stepfather suffocated her with a pillow to stop her crying.

  Roy police Sgt. Shawn O’Malley said
investigators believe Robert Glen Abbott, 31, had "grown impatient" with
the girl’s crying and placed a pillow over her face to get her to stop.
Investigators believe that caused her death, he said.

 "According to him, his intent wasn’t to kill
her, it was to get the child to stop crying," O’Malley said. "Of course,
there’s no way for us to ever know for sure."

 Abbott was booked Saturday into the Weber County Jail on suspicion of child abuse homicide, he said.

 O’Malley said police were called to a Roy
apartment in the area of 4700 South and 1950 West about 8 a.m. Saturday
after the toddler’s mother went to check on her and found her unresponsive.

 He said he didn’t know exactly when the girl,
whose name was not immediately released, died. O’Malley said her mother
put her to bed around 7:30 or 8 p.m. Friday.

 "As far as we know at this point in the
investigation, mom was unaware that the child had been injured until
this morning when she went in to check on her," O’Malley said Saturday.
"She was pretty shaken up from what I understand."

 He said further investigation by police revealed the girl had been suffocated by Abbott, he said.
"Very sad deal," he said.

 The girl had three other siblings in the home, O’Malley said, but they were uninjured.

 He said police had responded to the apartment once before but it was not for a child-abuse allegation.

 He said investigators believe Abbott had used the technique to punish or discipline before.

 "This time it obviously went too far," he said.

 An autopsy will be conducted by the state medical examiner.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52559902-78/malley-police-believe-girl.html.csp

ROY -- A two-year-old
girl is dead and her stepfather is facing child abuse homicide charges
after police say he suffocated her to keep her quiet so the rest of the
family could sleep.

Dispatchers first got a call of a medical problem last Friday where a
two year old girl was not breathing, but first responders quickly
determined the girl was dead.

But, the victim's six year-old sister told investigators she saw something shocking.

Sgt. Danny Hammon: "She had seen her stepfather, Robert Abbott, push
the two year-old child's face into a pillow.
Roy Police Investigation Sergeant Danny Hammon says Abbott admitted he
did this several times to Hailey Byrne to keep her quiet, but Abbott
reportedly told investigators he didn't mean to kill her.

Sgt. Danny Hammon: "Robert indicated he did this approximately ten times in a two to three minute period."
He also admitted to doing it three times in the past.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=17219328

ROY — A man charged with first-degree felony child abuse in
connection with the death of his 2-year-old stepdaughter turned himself
in at the Weber County jail Sunday rather than pay an increased bail of
$200,000 to remain out of custody.
Prosecutors had argued that the increased bail was
appropriate for Robert Glen Abbott, 31, given the circumstances of the
case involving the death of a young child. His defense team
unsuccessfully objected.
Abbott was arrested Sept. 9 after Roy police officers were called to
1962 W. 4700 South, No. 2, for an unknown problem. When they arrived,
they found Hailey Byrne dead. During the investigation, the victim's
sister told officers she saw her stepfather push the little girl's face
into a pillow, said Anna Bond, a spokeswoman for Roy police.
Abbott told officers he had pushed and held the
girl's face into a pillow nine to 10 times over the course of two to
three minutes to keep her from crying, Bond said.
He was booked into jail at that time with bail set at $20,000. He posted that amount and was released.
A subsequent bail hearing held in 2nd District Court
resulted in Judge Ernie Jones bumping the bail to $200,000. He gave
Abbott until Sunday to pay the amount or turn himself in.
In the meantime, Abbott's public defenders have
requested a continuance of the preliminary hearing for several weeks to
compile information.
Another court appearance is set for Oct. 26 at 2 p.m
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705392655/Roy-man-back-in-custody-on-child-homicide-charge.html?s_cid=rss-30

Defense challenging Abbott confessionBy Tim Gurrister
Standard-Examiner staff
Fri, 11/18/2011 - 11:10pm


OGDEN — The defense has filed motions seeking funds for experts and an investigator, in part to challenge Robert Abbott’s alleged confession to killing his stepdaughter.

Abbott, 31, is charged with first-degree felony child abuse homicide in the Sept. 9 death of 2-year-old Hailey Byrne at their home in Roy.

Police were called to the home in the 1900 block of 4700 South that morning when the girl’s mother called authorities to say that Hailey was unresponsive. Emergency medical responders found the girl dead from apparent suffocation.

The case is Weber County’s only homicide charged this year to date.

According to charging documents, Abbott made incriminating statements that led to his Sept. 9 arrest, admitting to pressing the child’s face into a pillow to stop her crying.

But defense attorney Bernie Allen, hired last month by Abbott’s parents, said his so-called confession is a police extrapolation of his admissions, which doesn’t add up to confession.

“It’s not clear at all that they are confessions,” he said of the statements. “It’s very weak ... I don’t think he did it, I really don’t.”

Allen’s firm has filed several motions seeking money from the county to pay for the defense investigation, including an investigator and experts, both forensic and psychological. The family has covered Abbott’s attorney fees, but not the extra cost, Allen said, and their funds are exhausted.

The motions include having a judge appointed to review the funding requests separate from the judge who would hear the case at trial. Thursday a new motion was filed seeking a court order for the Weber County Jail to provide prescription medications Abbott needs, or release him so he can obtain his medications.

Abbott is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Dec. 9 where those issues will likely be discussed, as well as a defense bid to lower Abbott’s $200,000 bail.

At a Sept. 28 hearing before 2nd District Judge Ernie Jones where prosecutors were successful in raising Abbott’s $20,000 bail to $200,000, the Weber County Attorney’s Office argued Abbott was a threat to himself and others, citing his several days spent in the psychiatric ward at McKay-Dee Hospital after his arrest.

Allen would not comment on Abbott’s mental health except to say he doesn’t think Abbott needs a competency evaluation.

The defense motions for the additional money for expert help in the case are sealed, he said, because the prosecution is not entitled to see the information that would develop unless it’s used at trial.

The sealing of the requests is necessary given the “odd situation” of a defense attorney needing the permission of the prosecution’s office, the opposition, for additional money to bolster the defense’s case, Allen said.

“We’ve always been a little nervous about that,” he said.

The county’s motion in opposition to the defense funding request seeks investigation of the possibility Abbott has access to assets that could cover the needs.

The deceased girl’s mother is married to Abbott, and they have a 1-year-old child together, according to Roy police. Two other children in the home, a 7-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy, are not related to Abbott. A no-contact order against Abbott for all the other children has been in effect since Sept. 13.

http://www.standard.net/stories/2011/11/18/defense-challenging-abbott-confession

Abbott defense waiting for report in child abuse homicide case

By Michael McFall, Standard-Examiner staff
Thu, 04/19/2012 - 10:06am

OGDEN -- Robert Glen Abbott's court proceedings have been pushed back to allow more time for investigations.

Abbott is charged with child abuse homicide in 2nd District Court in connection with the death of his 2-year-old stepdaughter.

At a hearing Wednesday, Randy Richards, one of his private defense attorneys, asked to meet again June 6. The defense hired an investigator to look at the girl's cause of death, and they would like more time to complete that report.

Judge Ernie Jones allowed for that, as the prosecution had no problem with the delay.

Abbott was arrested Sept. 9 after Hailey Byrne was found dead in the family home. Police say Hailey's sister told investigators she saw Abbott push the girl's face into a pillow.

http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/04/18/abbott-defense-waiting-report-child-abuse-homicide-case

Utah man sent to prison for smothering step-child

By jessica miller, The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published Mar 19 2014 01:26 pm
• Last Updated Mar 19 2014 08:33 pm

Ogden - If only Robert Abbott had read his 2-year-old step-daughter a book to stop her crying that September night in 2011.

But instead of trying to calm the child by reading a story, or some other method, Willoughby said Abbott held a pillow over Hailey May Byrne’s face. The girl suffocated and died on Sept. 8, 2011.

"This was a thing in the child’s life," Willoughby told 2nd District Judge Ernie Jones. "This [smothering] was not a one time occurrence."

An emotional Abbott stood before the judge and was sentenced to spend one to 15 years in prison.

The 33-year-old man was originally charged with first-degree felony child-abuse homicide, but in January he pleaded guilty to a lesser second-degree felony count of child-abuse homicide.

"I feel horrible about the situation," Abbott told the judge before his sentence was handed down. "I lost my wife and my kids."

Defense attorney Bernard Allen argued that Abbott should received only jail time.

"This is a terrible situation and it’s one that I can honestly tell you is as tragic for Robert … as it is for anybody else," Allen told the judge.

Allen also argued that the medical examiner’s report did not prove without a doubt that the girl’s death was due to Abbott holding a pillow over the girl’s face.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home3/57702132-200/child-abbott-smothered-2011.html.csp

She would be 5 years old now, Deputy Weber County Attorney Benjamin Willoughby told a judge on Wednesday. She would be getting ready to go to preschool.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home3/57702132-200/child-abbott-smothered-2011.html.csp

Quoted from the newspaper article: "I feel horrible about the situation," Abbott told the judge before his sentence was handed down. "I lost my wife and my kids."

What a worthless piece of dirt. He doesn't care about the baby he murdered. He only cares about himself. He even plead guilty so why is the attorney still disputing if he smothered the baby. I sure hope he gets the full 15 years although that is not enough time. He should be in prison for life. Hailey is dead forever.