EDNA TRINITY HUNT - 3 yo - Bennettsville SC

BENNETTSVILLE, SC --

Homicide by child abuse charges have been filed in the death of a 3-year-old Bennettsville girl Thursday.

"(Marlboro County Coroner Tim) Brown informed ivestigators and Fourth Judicial
Circuit Solicitor Will Rogers about the prelimanary autopsy results of
three year old Edna Trinity Mozzel Hunt which was performed at MUSC,"
according to a release issued by the Bennettsville Police Department Saturday evening.

"Preliminary results have led Investigators to
upgrade the charge against Atelia Hunt (mother) and Alexander Huckabee
(Mike) to Homicide by Child Abuse," according to the release.

"This is a highly suspicious case," Marlboro County Coroner Tim Brown said Saturday afternoon.

Turner said investigators were dispatched to Marlboro Park Hospital on
Thursday night when the girl died. He said her mother brought her to the
emergency room when she went into cardiac arrest because of seizures.

A post-mortem examination of the girl revealed she had been abused for
some time, having suffered “significant bruising about her body and
burns on the vaginal area and buttocks,” Turner said.

Hunt and Huckabee remain in custody at the Marlboro County Detention Center.

A bond hearing will be scheduled during the October term of General
Sessions Court by a Circuit Court Judge, according to Saturday's release.
http://www2.scnow.com/news/pee-dee/2011/oct/08/autopsy-ruling-pending-bennettsville-3-year-olds-d-ar-2527504/

NewsChannel 15 has learned the North Carolina Division of Social Services was investigating a mother on suspicion of child abuse, prior to her child's death.
Bennettsville Police tell NewsChannel 15 the three-year-old and her mother were living in Robeson County, North Carolina three months ago.
Investigators
say authorities with North Carolina DSS got phone calls that the little
girl was being abused. Officers are waiting to learn the findings of
that investigation.
In the meantime, detectives and state police went back to the crime scene on Pershing Street in Bennettsville Monday to gather more evidence. It's the home where police say three-year-old Edna Trinity Hunt was abused.
According
to the incident report, the child had bruises all over her body, as
well as burns to her vaginal area and buttocks. A post mortem
examination showed the child had been abused for some time.
While
officials don't have a final autopsy report to determine what killed
Hunt, they say there is enough evidence to charge her mother and her
boyfriend with homicide by child abuse.[/size]
Fourth Circuit Solicitor Will Rogers says the incident has impacted the entire community.
"Everybody
in Marlboro County, in Bennettsville are upset about the case, and it's
still a pending investigation, so I can't comment on any of the facts
of the case, but anytime you have a child as a victim of the case, it
does really get to you," said Rogers.
Atelia Hunt, 25, and her boyfriend Mike Huckabee, Junior, 29, are being held at the Marlboro County Detention Center without bond.
Child Protective Services has removed two other children from the couple's home, ages 5 and 7.
Bennettsville
police headed to Robeson County to talk with relatives to get
additional background information for the investigation.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services is also involved in the investigation.
http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=672946#.TpOxG3JjN2I

BENNETTSVILLE -- Family and friends will say goodbye to Edna Trinity Hunt, 3, Monday.

The child died following cardiac arrest more than one week ago in Bennettsville.
Her mother and her mother's boyfriend were arrested for her death. Atelia
Hunt, 25, and Mike Huckabee Jr., 29, are charged with homicide by child abuse.
Autopsy results are still pending. The Marlboro County Coroner tells
NewsChannel 15 the autopsy is taking some time because there is a lot
that has to be done to determine just what killed the three-year-old.
Her funeral is set for 3 p.m. Monday at Revels Funeral Home in Pembroke.
Last week, NewsChannel 15 reported that an unknown number of employees
at the Marlboro County Department of Social Services office were suspended
pending the investigation into Hunt's death.
The public information officer for DSS, Marilyn Matheus, says it's not
unusual for staff to be placed on suspension pending the outcome of an
investigation. Matheus would not say how many employees were suspended
or tell us their positions.
Bennettsville police say social workers in North Carolina
were investigating Hunt's mother on suspicion of child abuse while she
was living there. We're waiting to learn if that investigation was
transferred to social workers in South Carolina.
http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=675466#.TpztzXLZeuI

Nearly a month after a 3-year-old child died
from what investigators say was abuse, the toddler's mother and her
boyfriend are facing a judge for bond hearings Thursday.
Mike Huckabee Jr. faced a judge at 10 a.m. at
the Marlboro County courthouse and bond was denied. Family members told
WMBF News Reporter Crystal Moyer they were relieved bond was denied,
and said it was a horrible situation.

Atelia Hunt will face a judge at 2 p.m. for her own bond hearing.


On Oct. 6, Bennettsville Police responded to
the Marlboro Park Hospital in reference to the death of a toddler.
Further investigation alleged Hunt and Huckabee abused 3-year-old Edna
Hunt, resulting in her death.

Lt. Larry Turner with the Bennettsville
Police Department said Edna was found with burns to her genital area and
a preliminary examination indicted she had been abused for some time.

Weeks later, Edna's family held a funeral for her in Pembroke.

Moyer will be attending Hunt's bond hearing at 2 p.m. Thursday and will provide further details as they become available.
http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/15950562/mother-boyfriend-charged-in-toddlers-death-face-a-judge

Nearly a month after a 3-year-old child died
from what investigators say was abuse, the toddler's mother and her
boyfriend have been denied bond Thursday.
Mike Huckabee Jr. faced a judge at 10 a.m. at
the Marlboro County courthouse and bond was denied. Family members told
WMBF News Reporter Crystal Moyer they were relieved bond was denied,
and said it was a horrible situation.

James Jacobs, the young girl's grandfather attended both hearings, sitting in the front row.

"It was hard to take, just seeing him and all, knowing the way the child's been abused," said Jacobs.

Jacobs stood in front of the court room and made a couple statements during the hearings. He was happy about the no bond ruling.

During Atelia Hunt's bond hearing shortly
before 3 p.m. Thursday, Judge Nettles asked Hunt why Edna was bald when
she was taken to the hospital, when she was shown to have long hair in
recent family photos.

Hunt's attorney claims Huckabee shaved Edna's head weeks before her death without Hunt's consent.

Assistant Solicitor Kernard Redmond says he
is unsure at what point Edna was shaved but said hospital personnel nor
the coroner shaved the little girl bald. He says she arrived at the
hospital bald.

Redmond also says the couple had multiple run-ins with DSS in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Judge Nettles read through letters from Hunt's family and friends, pleading her innocence.

He then denied her bond as well.

Marlboro County Coroner Tim Brown also
attended the bond hearing, at one point showing the judge photo's taken
of the child when she was brought to the hospital.

During the hearing Brown says that in the 27 years he has been a coroner, this was the worst case he's ever seen.


"Anytime you deal with the death of a child,
it's more traumatic, not just for the family, but for the people
involved, law enforcement as well as myself," said Brown.

Hunt's family members, including her sister were at the hearing. Her sister was shaking her head during the ruling for no bond.

On the other hand, Jacobs was happy with the outcome and says he hopes Hunt and Huckabee get what he believes they deserve.

"They don't deserve to see outside again the way they did this child," said Jacobs.

Huckabee has a son currently living with his
aunt in Florence and Hunt's older daughter is staying with James Jacobs,
their grandfather.

On Oct. 6, Bennettsville Police responded to
the Marlboro Park Hospital in reference to the death of a toddler.
Further investigation alleged Hunt and Huckabee abused 3-year-old Edna
Hunt, resulting in her death.

Lt. Larry Turner with the Bennettsville
Police Department said Edna was found with burns to her genital area and
a preliminary examination indicted she had been abused for some time.

Weeks later, Edna's family held a funeral for her in Pembroke.

http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/15950562/mother-boyfriend-charged-in-toddlers-death-face-a-judge

Man indicted on sex charge in connection with death of 3-year-old

by Tonya Brown
Posted: 03.06.2012 at 5:10 PM
Updated: 03.15.2012 at 5:25 PM

Fourth Circuit Solicitor Will Rogers says a Marlboro County grand jury has indicted Michael Huckabee for criminal sexual conduct first degree against Edna Trinity Hunt, 3. On Thursday, March 15th, Huckabee waived his right to an arraignment and bond hearing, that was originally scheduled for Friday morning, so the judge served him with a copy of his indictment.

Hunt died on October 6, 2011.

Marlboro County Coroner Tim Brown said autopsy results revealed Hunt died from unusual complications of a urinary tract infection, which was left untreated, and multiple inflicted traumas.

Rogers says his deputy solicitors recently talked with medical officials who performed that autopsy, and that led to the latest charge against Huckabee. Rogers says after reviewing the child's injuries in greater detail, they felt it was appropriate to charge Huckabee with criminal sexual conduct.

Rogers won't go into specifics about the reason for the sex charge, but he did say they felt the evidence was strong enough against Huckabee to go straight to a grand jury for indictment before securing a warrant first. More details could come out next week when Huckabee is arraigned on the indictment.

Huckabee and Hunt's mother, Atelia Hunt, are charged with homicide by child abuse and inflicting great bodily injury on a child.

They were arrested back in October following the child's death.

They're being held in jail without bond until the case goes to trial.

No date has been set for the trial.

http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?list=~\news\lists\recent&id=727396#.T8uQ8NX5DO8

Marlboro County jury convicts man in abuse death of 3-year-old girl; judge gives life sentence

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS  June 21, 2013 - 4:56 pm EDT

BENNETTSVILLE, South Carolina — A Bennettsville man was sentenced to life in prison on Friday after he was found guilty of raping his girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter and abusing her so badly the injuries eventually caused her death.

A Marlboro County jury deliberated about 45 minutes before convicting Michael Huckabee of homicide by child abuse and first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor. He was sentenced immediately after the verdict.

Huckabee beat Edna Hunt, burned her with his cigarettes, pulled out her two front teeth and sexually abused her for several months before she died in October 2011, prosecutors said. An untreated urinary tract infection killed the girl, but the abuse made the condition worse, according to testimony reported in the Morning News of Florence.

"There was obvious burn marks, bruises all over the body. The top of her head had bruises, the bottom of her feet had bruises. There were cigarette burns on her private areas, on her buttocks. I've never seen anything like it and I hope I never do again," said emergency room nurse Linda Covington Hooper, who took care of the girl when she was brought to the hospital after she stopped breathing.

Huckabee took the stand in his own defense and denied causing the abuse, implying the girl's mother hurt her. Atelia Hunt pleaded guilty to homicide by child abuse in March and testified against Huckabee. She is spending 20 years in prison.

Huckabee said he wished he had brought the girl to the hospital sooner when she started showing signs of being sick.

"I should have done something," Huckabee said.

Atelia Hunt left her husband and moved in with Huckabee after the two met online. The pediatrician who treated the girl before she moved said she was healthy and showed no signs of abuse back then.

The girl visited her grandparents about two months before her death, and they reported the abuse to North Carolina authorities. But an investigation wasn't completed before Huckabee told Hunt to get the girl back from her parents. Hunt's daughter was distraught she had to go back to South Carolina, Hunt testified.

"It's like she didn't want to go. She did not want to leave. I had to force her in the car to bring her back," Hunt said.
Several members of the girl's family asked the judge to sentence Huckabee to life, saying they did not want to fail her a second time.

"She lived her short days with you in fear, torture and hate. Edna did not belong to you. Edna belongs to God," said the girl's aunt, Regina Mishoe. "You have made us all losers here today. You have not only taken one life. You have taken multiple lives — the father, the sister, the grandparents, the uncles, the aunts."

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/f7a8eb9d267a473c80be77b0249a63b7/SC--Toddler-Dies-Abuse