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February 23, 2012 10:00 AM

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Grandmother, stepmother charged in death of Ala. girl forced to run as punishment

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

Savannah Hardin

/ AP Photo/Etowah County Sheriffs Office

(CBS/AP) ATTALLA, Ala. - Authorities in northeastern Alabama say a 9-year-old girl died after she was forced to run for three hours as punishment for having lied to her grandmother about eating candy bars. Savannah Hardin reportedly became severely dehydrated, had a seizure and died days later.

The girl's grandmother and stepmother, who police say meted out the punishment, were taken to jail Wednesday and now face murder charges.

Witnesses told deputies that the 9-year-old was told to run and not allowed to stop for three hours on Friday, an Etowah County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said. Savannah's stepmother, 27-year-old Jessica Mae Hardin, called police at 6:45 p.m., telling them Savannah was having a seizure and was unresponsive.

One witness, Roger Simpson, told police he saw a little girl running at around 4 p.m., but didn't see anybody chasing or coercing her.

Authorities are still trying to determine whether Savannah was forced to run by physical coercion or by verbal commands. Deputies were told the girl was made to run after lying to her grandmother, 46-year-old Joyce Hardin Garrard, about having eaten candy, sheriff's office spokeswoman Natalie Barton said.

The sheriff's release said an autopsy report showed the girl was extremely dehydrated and had a very low sodium level. A state pathologist ruled it a homicide.

Garrard and Jessica Mae Hardin are being held in the Etowah County Detention Center, each on a $500,000 cash bond.

Court records show that the girl's father, Robert Hardin, filed for divorce in August of 2010. In his complaint, he asserted his wife had bipolar disorder and alcoholic tendencies. He previously accused her of having run off with the couple's own child. In her response, Jessica denied all of Robert's allegations.

Five months after filing for divorce, the two asked a judge to dismiss their case.

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by vissionquest February 23, 2012 9:23 PM EST: The sad fact is these two stupid women did not have enough intelligence to know how bad their decission was. I have little doubt that the result was not thier intention, but we as a society need to be protected from stupididy as much as from criminality. A long jail term is needed.; Reply to this comment


by smittyc February 23, 2012 6:51 PM EST: The government hands out $1500 for each kid if someone other than a biological parent has control of the child. This has become a business for some and includes food stamps, housing assistance et cetera. I have seen many bringing in foreign children to get on this gravy train, as many as ten. The article highlights why this practice needs to be stopped. The love and affection a child needs can never be bought. Hope these two rot. May the poor child rest in peace.; Reply to this comment

by lonlyman2532 February 23, 2012 6:48 PM EST

Too sad. They killed a white rose, full of life. Both should be charged with murder. they should be executed to death

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by ProgressNow February 23, 2012 8:21 PM EST: "executed to death"...that's an oxymoron.


by andyk2012 February 24, 2012 3:32 AM EST: ProgressNow,

Before you throw around words you don't understand, you should look them up in a dictionary. "Executed to death" is a redundancy, not an oxymoron, you moron.


by kisahi April 4, 2012 5:34 PM EDT: andyk2012,

Oxymoron: conjoining contradictory terms (as in `deafening silence')

Redundancy: The use of words or data that could be omitted without loss of meaning or function; repetition or superfluity of information

Based on those two definitions, it would seem that the two could get mixed up. ProgressNow wouldn't be a moron. I would understand that s/he could have defined "execution" as something related to death, so they read it as "killed to death," or something similar.

I agree that it was not necessary for lonlyman2532 to say "executed to death.

Now, lonlyman2532, while I agree that this was a terrible tragedy, I don't think that they should be executed. I believe that having to live with the greatness of their crime is sufficient. I know that I personally would rather be put to death for a crime like that than have to live the rest of my life knowing that I essentially murdered my 9-year-old step/grand daughter.


by savleo426 February 23, 2012 3:58 PM EST: Stepmother was 27... Where was the real mother and father? I'm assuming the "grandmother" was the 27 year old's mother...?? Another example of two mean, ignorant pieces of trash.; Reply to this comment


by amazons14 February 23, 2012 3:10 PM EST: i am grandmother and my granddaughter is the life of my life. couldnt even think of treating her bad. this was a child who didnt deserve to be treated this way. what a shame. death penalty please. RIP lil savannah, MAY YOU FIND PEACE IN HEAVEN THAT YOU DIDNT ON THIS EARTH.; Reply to this comment

by KnowerseekerReturns February 23, 2012 1:26 PM EST

If our justice system routinely repaid and eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth, I bet our crime rate would cut in half if not more.

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by LibbyB1963 February 23, 2012 1:38 PM EST: I am in 100% agreement with that. An eye for an eye would certainly make people have a second thought about their actions. Run those nasty witches for three hours in the heat with no water, food etc. Or, just take their ability to walk or run away. I kinda like that idea better.

If not an eye for an eye, the whole stoning to death thing in instances like this would work for me too.


by ahendryx819 February 23, 2012 4:34 PM EST: amen!!!!! I've been saying that for years.


by angelofurnightmare February 23, 2012 8:58 PM EST: I have to agree that we have few and "easy" punishments for these horrible crimes...if we had harsh punishments that fit the crime I'm sure people would stop and think before they did these things...sure they didn't intend to kill this kid but ignorance is not an excuse...i'd bet her fat ass step mom and grandmother were pissed she ate their candy


by Forty-Four February 23, 2012 1:20 PM EST: Sure, I can see running as a punishment...but there is a limit. Her being dehydrated and running for 3 hours was way past that limit; Reply to this comment


by KnowerseekerReturns February 23, 2012 1:19 PM EST: I bet the girl's father is regretting giving the step-mom another chance now.; Reply to this comment

by sickofbull February 23, 2012 11:55 AM EST

Why are our children becoming disposable? What the hell is happening to our society that kids like this are treated like throw-aways?

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by ahendryx819 February 23, 2012 4:35 PM EST: Because Casey Anthony got away with it. Can't everyone?


by wes2011 February 23, 2012 11:33 AM EST: Those fairy tales about evil step mothers turn out to be statistically true. Poor kid with control freak overseers. What a waste.; Reply to this comment

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