Three members of a South Carolina family will face several years in prison for the abuse, neglect, and murder of their severely disabled sister and daughter, according to Law & Crime. Heather Baynard, who was 14, died at Spartanburg Medical Center on April 11, 2022. The following day, police searched the Baynard home.
When police arrived, they noticed a strong smell of urine and feces in the house. Heather, who suffered from cerebral palsy was kept in
“deplorable conditions, specifically filled with garbage, infested with roaches, and covered in animal urine and feces, including the crib in which [she] lived,”
deputies wrote. During a four-day trial this week, 7th Circuit Solicitor Barry J. Barnette told jurors that animal waste broke down Heather’s skin and tissues, per Spartanburg’s CBS affiliate WSPA.
In May 2022, Heather’s parents, David Baynard, 55, and Bobbie Jo Baynard, 44, were charged with her murder. Later, her brother, Edward Vincent Baynard, 22, was also charged with murder and other crimes related to the poor conditions in their home. Edward was a registered respite nurse and a certified personal care assistant for his sister. Heather required daily medical care however, her needs had been neglected for more than a year, Fowler told the jurors.
After Heather’s death, over 40 animals were rescued from their home by the South Carolina Enforcement Division.
The jury found Heather’s mother, father, and brother guilty of murder, unlawful conduct towards a child, and causing great bodily injury to a child. The parents were given life sentences for murder, 20 years for causing great bodily injury to a child, and 10 years for neglecting a child. The brother received a 30-year sentence for murder, 20 years for great bodily injury to a child, and 10 years for unlawful neglect of a child.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
