The mother of a 3-year-old girl allegedly raped and murdered at the hands of a 14-year-old boy says she regrets the day she turned over custody of her children to the boy’s mother.
“I had gotten involved in some things I shouldn’t have, and I couldn’t take care of my kids,” said Marie Trentham, the mother of the little girl. “This just should have never happened.”
Hamilton County sheriff’s deputies arrested the boy and charged him with felony murder by aggravated rape of a child and aggravated rape of a child.
During her problems, Ms. Trentham, who lives in Cleveland, Tenn., signed over primary custody of her two children — and a boy and a girl — to Constance Lavoie-Hammer, a friend of hers.
The suspect is the son of Ms. Lavoie-Hammer, who lived in the Georgetown community home with Ms. Trentham’s two children, Ms. Trentham said.
Ms. Lavoie-Hammer said she could not answer questions when contacted Tuesday by the Times Free Press.
Ms. Trentham would not detail the problems that led to her signing over custody of her children.
Neither the 14-year-old boy or the victim are named here in accordance with Times Free Press policy.
The suspect’s profile on the social networking Web site MySpace.com has a photo of him and the victim. He last logged in April 22, a day before the little girl died. His profile read “What now just dont (SIC) know any more.” He listed his residence as “a crack house near u” and used an explicative to describe his mood.
Hamilton County District Attorney General Bill Cox said he could not answer questions about the case since it’s a pending matter, but one criminal defense attorney said the law allows teens charged with such crimes to be dealt with as adults.
Under the law, murder, rape of a child and other crimes allow juvenile court judges to transfer cases into criminal court, where sentences are longer and continue past the 18th birthday of anyone convicted, Chattanooga attorney Lee Davis said.
Sheriff Jim Hammond said his investigators will continue to work the case no matter the decision on where to try it.
“We think we have a strong case,” he said. “We feel very confident that the crime was committed and that it was a heinous crime.”
Ms. Trentham said she just wants justice.
“I just want something done,” she said. “My kids were in her care. I thought they were safe there. I want something done to her, too, not just her son.”
Details from law enforcement about how the little girl died are scarce. Medical examiner’s reports were unavailable Tuesday.
Officials have said, however, that on Thursday the girl was taken to T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital, where she later died. Initial examination of the girl by the Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s Office showed it was clear she had been raped and slain, officials said.
Adam Crisp covers education issues for the Times Free Press. He joined the paper's staff in 2007 and initially covered crime, public safety, courts and general assignment topics. Prior to Chattanooga, Crisp was a crime reporter at the Savannah Morning News and has been a reporter and editor at community newspapers in southeast Georgia. In college, he led his student paper to a first-place general excellence award from the Georgia College Press Association. He earned ...
mr crisp.... why would you even interview the biological mother like she cares!!!!! stop trying to make a story and put yourself in this possision. the family needs prayers right now not yall going and interviewing people that barely even know the child or family in which she lived!!!!
Yea why would you even care your kids were in her custody and Connie is a very loving person.I live in Ct were Connie has helped me and my children numerous times.She would never hurt or let anyone hurt a child.You on the other hand turned your children over to her because you were not a good parent.Miss I let someone abuse my kids.So dont play good mommy now.....
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