Vegan couple sentenced to life over baby's death

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

ATLANTA - A vegan couple were sentenced Wednesday to life in prison for the death of their malnourished 6-week-old baby boy, who was fed a diet largely consisting of soy milk and apple juice.

Superior Court Judge L.A. McConnell imposed the mandatory sentences on Jade Sanders, 27, and Lamont Thomas, 31. Their son, Crown Shakur, weighed just 3 1/2 pounds when he died of starvation on April 25, 2004.

The couple were found guilty May 2 of malice murder, felony murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children. A jury deliberated about seven hours before returning the guilty verdicts.

Defense lawyers said the first-time parents did the best they could while adhering to the lifestyle of vegans, who typically use no animal products. They said Sanders and Thomas did not realize the baby, who was born at home, was in danger until minutes before he died.

But prosecutors said the couple intentionally neglected their child and refused to take him to the doctor even as the baby’s body wasted away.

“No matter how many times they want to say, ‘We’re vegans, we’re vegetarians,’ that’s not the issue in this case,” said prosecutor Chuck Boring. “The child died because he was not fed. Period.”

Although the life sentences were automatic, Sanders and Thomas begged for leniency before sentencing. Sanders urged the judge to look past his “perception” of the couple.

“I loved my son — and I did not starve him,” she said.

When the judge told the defendants they could ask for a new trial, Thomas hung his head low.

“I’m dying every day in there,” he said, “and that could take three years.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18574603/?GT1=9951

[LuzyC 0]

Wrong login again!!

Edited May 10, 2007 by LuzyC

[GaryC 7]

Biologically speaking, we were meant to be omnivores. If someone chooses to eliminate animal products from his or hers diet it is very hard to get good nutrition. It is different when it comes to a newborn. If it isn't fed mothers milk (do they consider that to be against their vegen lifestyle?) then they should be especially careful when it comes to the babies diet. This was either gross stupidity or deliberate mistreatment. No one can look at a 3 1/2 lb, 6 week old baby and not see something was wrong. Either way they do not deserve to be parents.

[pedroh 21]

why didnt they breasfed the baby?

is breast milk considered animal milk?

Edited May 10, 2007 by pedroh

[Portlander 0]

Wow. thats insane. Thats WAAAYYYY worse that the woman who swung her baby like a baseball bat in a fight with her boyfriend. They deserve what they got. I don't care if they weren't able to produce breast milk. Thats Drink the Kool Aid territory.

[Dan J 277]

Poor the baby. He didn't even know what vegan was, but he was forced to live like that by his own parents.

[MaydayDas 1]

Oh God! What about to leave the parents with no food in prison??? Just to feel how it is your body to shut down when you do not have food.

[Mags 112]

It was their ignorance that killed that baby, not malice. But, ignorance isn't an excuse by any means...

[Lizzy 0]

God thinking about it my daughter was 7 pounds at birth by about 6 weeks she was about 14 pounds.

That baby must of been staving hungry

[Oath 0]

Fragging disgrace.

I am all for an 'eye for an eye' system, the punishment should fit the crime. How do you not notice that your newborn child is wasting away, I can only imagine the kid would have been screaming for food, I have to ask what the hell is wrong with the world today, we have people who are more interested in the rights of animals than they are of humans.

The world is too much of a comfortable place these days, to allow people like this to exist, while I respect the choices they made, they effectively forced it upon their child, it may or may not have contributed to the starvation (though as its stated they simply didnt feed the kid) as a parent your only goal for the first year of your childs life is to keep him alive and care for him (sleeping is nice when you can get it ), I just do not understand how you can accidentaly starve your child, perhaps the soy blocked him up, made his stomach swell and in turn made him less hungry, I don't know, but what we have here is a case of idiocy, ultimately the parents should be locked away and starved until they die, so they know the suffering they bestowed on another human being.

Edited May 10, 2007 by Oath

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

why didnt they breasfed the baby?

is breast milk considered animal milk?

That's probably it.... so sad.

[Caladan 19]

why didnt they breasfed the baby?

is breast milk considered animal milk?

That's probably it.... so sad.

No, that's probably not it. A couple of my friends are vegan and breastfeeding would be okay because it's natural and clearly *meant* for human consumption. Maybe she couldn't breastfeed.

The couple just sounds so ignorant; a little baby wouldn't do well on cow's milk, either, so it's not just a vegan thing. Poor baby.

[Sinergy 3]

Starve the parents and make them stare at photos of their son while they wilt away from malnutrition.

sorry i get carried away, this kinda stuff pisses me off

[chri'stina 190]

why didnt they breasfed the baby?

is breast milk considered animal milk?

That's probably it.... so sad.

No, that's probably not it. A couple of my friends are vegan and breastfeeding would be okay because it's natural and clearly *meant* for human consumption. Maybe she couldn't breastfeed.

The couple just sounds so ignorant; a little baby wouldn't do well on cow's milk, either, so it's not just a vegan thing. Poor baby.

I agree.

Many babies who aren't breastfed get soy formula these days, so a baby does not need any animal related products to be healthy and gain weight. It's an issue of parents not paying attention to the baby's needs. It's sad. I don't think they starved the baby on purpose though.

Edited May 10, 2007 by stina&suj

[gabby4ever 1]

they should be starved to death