Isabella Tennant: Two teens charged in connection with death of 5-year-old NY girl

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

John Freeman (left) and Tyler Best are charged in connection to the death of 5-year-old Isabella Tennant. Authorities said Isabella's body was found dumped in a garbage can after her family reported her missing from her great-grandmother's house in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

/ AP Photo/Niagara Falls Police

(CBS/AP) NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - Two teenage boys are charged in connection with the death of 5-year-old Isabella Tennant, whose body was found in a trash can in a New York alleyway.

Authorities said 16-year-old John Freedman and 18-year-old Tyler Best are scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday morning in Niagara Falls City Court. An autopsy of Isabella's body is also scheduled for Tuesday.

Police said Best came to them Monday morning and led them to a garbage can containing a trash bag holding Isabella's body. He told police he helped Freeman dispose the body after Freeman killed her.

Isabella's family reported her missing Monday morning from her great-grandmother's Niagara Falls home, where Isabella was staying overnight. Her great-grandmother said she last saw her Sunday night with Freeman, a neighbor and family friend.

Police charged Freeman as an adult, and he faces a murder charge. Best is charged with tampering with evidence.

Authorities said it appeared Isabella was killed without any weapons being involved. At a news conference Monday afternoon, Niagara Falls Chief Detective William Thompson said there were signs of injuries but no indication of sexual abuse.

"As far as we know, he was a trusted family friend," Thompson said. "It's a terrible crime. It tears at your heart."

More on Crimesider
Aug. 27, 2012 - Isabella Sarah Tennant, missing NY 5-year-old, found dead in alleyway, report says

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by WowNoWay August 29, 2012 2:59 AM EDT: This is a terrible thing, but are you guys even reading the story.
a) there is no talk of sexual anything so please stop making assumptions about his doing that

b) Best wasn't even there when it happened. YES it was stupid to help his friend, but people do stupid things, but stop talking like "these guys" did it. Only one sick idiot did it the other guy was a moron for helping, but immediately went and told on the guy. While it was bad what he did, at least his guilt lead him to tell on the guy. If he had not been asked to help at all, maybe we would never know what happened.

Yes the first guy should be offed... He is a waste of space, no forgiveness. Let God worry about that after he is toast.

The second... doesn't deserve to be killed for being a "temporary" moron... Not like he waited weeks or even days or had to be questioned.

Common at least lets be reasonable...; Reply to this comment


by Rejco100 August 28, 2012 10:00 PM EDT: How do these killers find someone to help them dispose a child's body immediately?; Reply to this comment


by ToySD August 28, 2012 8:22 PM EDT: May this precious little girl fly with the angels! The evil within those that hurt her will forever burn in their souls. Hold them accountable for the decisions THEY chose to make when inflicting severe harm on Isabella. No matter their age, race, who their parents are, porn, environment, etc., they are RESPONSIBLE PERIOD and I am sure knew right from wrong when hurting Isabella!!! May their pain be greater and forever!!!; Reply to this comment

by djseavy August 28, 2012 8:05 PM EDT

The only ones that should be held responsible are those who 1 - killed the little girl, and 2, the one who helped dispose of her body. It's time to stop finding "reasons" for why monsters do their ugly deeds, and realize that some people are just plain bad. We don't need some shrink to tell us some gobbelty **** - the killer should be dispatched forthwith, and the one who helped toss the girl in the trash should serve some serious prison time. Unfortunately - as is always the case -we'll hear the little girl's name a few times, but everytime one of these animals takes a dump, we'll read about it in the paper or see them on TV.

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by hypnotoad72 August 28, 2012 9:12 PM EDT: There's never a time to stop finding reasons, unless you're a fascist on a mission.

If you want to fix things, you find out what's gone wrong so you can make fewer of them.

Nobody is saying these b******* should be given a free ride, which is what you're effectively alluding to.

But you prefer treating the symptom as the problem - that does nobody any good in the end.


by FEDUPWITHCRIME August 28, 2012 9:45 PM EDT: YOU ARE SO RIGHT DJEAVY! THERE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A "REASON" OR SOMETHING MENTALLY WRONG WITH A PARASIDIC BASTARD WHO KILLS FOR THE JOY OR EXPERIENCE OF IT! SATAN THE DEVIL IS AS EVIL AS THEY COME AND THAT BASTARD IS FULLY IN HIS RIGHT MIND! EVIL IS OUT THERE! A PERSON DOES NOT HAVE TO BE MENTALLY ILL TO COMMIT A CRIME! HYPNOTOAD72, YOU ARE LIVING ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PLANET AND NEED TO REALIZE THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT WILL FIX THIS EVIL **** EXCEPT THE RETURN OF CHRIST! NOTHING CAN FIX EVIL! WAKE THE HELL UP ALERADY!


by kcripps001 August 28, 2012 7:02 PM EDT: The boy or boys that killed this little girl deserve to die as well. It is sickening that we have this going on in our world. How can you take the life of a 5-year old girl? She was adorable. Adorable or not though, she did not deserve to die. I truly hope the person that did this gets what they deserve, and I believe they will! My heart goes out to that family, so sorry for your loss and y'all are in my prayers!; Reply to this comment

by technocoffee August 28, 2012 6:23 PM EDT

Shoot both SOB'S in the head & make our country better and safer for humans....

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by hypnotoad72 August 28, 2012 9:13 PM EDT: Yes, they deserve the death penalty.

"make our country better and safer for humans...." doesn't necessarily follow as a result of their just due deaths...

by deuelpete August 28, 2012 4:01 PM EDT

With all the garbage out there like porn and dirty hollywood films and child porn to turn them on we will keep on having little girls kill like this. I keep calling out to my Lord to come back and stop the devil and I believe it won't be long before He does this.

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by chyenna1 August 28, 2012 4:31 PM EDT: I agree Deuelpete.
My prayers go out to the family. I am so sry this happened to their little girl. God be with them and strengthen them with ur love.


by calsfdude August 28, 2012 5:18 PM EDT: I'm glad you know what happened. You should call the cops and tell them ASAP what you know.
He could have killed her by accident or because she saw something bad.. heck no!! It's all about porn!!!


by honestabe8 August 28, 2012 5:24 PM EDT: Perhaps your lord doesn't care


by xraeddie August 28, 2012 8:39 PM EDT: Andrea Yates' kids probably called out for anyone to help them.I'm sure Susan Smiths' kids did too.Do you keep calling for that lord that split the sea to save people thousands of years ago? Give it up please.There never was an all powerful being to save anyone.The longer you all keep waiting for something that will never come the longer we'll just sit around and do nothing to help ourselves.Don't act right for fear of an afterlife.This is all we have folks so we need to make the best of it.


by hypnotoad72 August 28, 2012 9:13 PM EDT: Our Lord isn't listening. There's a reason more and more people turn "agnostic"...

by FormerUSMCSergeant August 28, 2012 3:58 PM EDT

Killed and stuffed in a trash can like garbage....

Whatever violence is inflicted on this scumbag the rest of his life will be more than deserved...and hopefully, it will be continuous and considerable.

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by hypnotoad72 August 28, 2012 9:15 PM EDT: I blame the liberal media... See, they show stuff like this all the time... and anybody who tries to say real life isn't as permissible is a fascist...

Each of the three sentences is exaggerated, but too many around here are wound up more over this issue than having the capacity to think in the first place... especially when people with the capacity to change the system for the better aren't...

by Bondest77 August 28, 2012 2:57 PM EDT

Ask him how he did and do unto him as he did unto her we need to be tougher as a scoiety on crime

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by hypnotoad72 August 28, 2012 9:16 PM EDT: Anybody who can't pass a 3rd grade English spelling test deserves the death penalty because such people are sick monsters.

Now, tie that in with a response to someone I made above and try connecting the dots... those who make the laws can make anybody a sick person, noting I just implicated you with your inability to take the time to type out "society" properly...

by EmpireGeorge______-- August 28, 2012 2:36 PM EDT

by MojitoMamma August 28, 2012 1:04 PM EDT

But I'm wondering if we should also hold "parents" responsible for creating such monsters.
______________

stop wondering, please....you'll hurt yourself.......the men, were 16 and 18 years old, why would their parents be responsible ?

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by jbriggs81 August 28, 2012 3:06 PM EDT: Because children are not born killers/rapists etc. its a product of environmental gene interaction. Parent's SHOULD be held responsible.


by wjss75606 August 28, 2012 4:40 PM EDT: Transferring blame? It's someone else's fault? Hold the parent's responsible. Why does someone always want to find someone or something else to blame for these type actions. They are the same one's who will sit in a jury box and let them off saying it's societies fault. I just don't understand them.