Halle Smith: 8-Year-Old Starved to Death Weighing 15 Pounds, Mother Could Face Life in Prison

By: Carlin DeGuerin Miller
Topics: Daily Blotter

(Harris County Sheriff)

(KHOU)

HOUSTON (CBS) 8-year-old Halle Smith weighed just 15 pounds and was unresponsive when her mother brought her to a Houston area emergency room in January, 2009 claiming that Halle was fine just the day before.

Photo: Almita Nicole Lockhart.

A coroner's report out this week classified Halle's death as a homicide, saying the girl died of severe malnutrition and dehydration, something that doesn't happen overnight.

The mother, 34-year-old Almita Nicole Lockhart, was arrested Tuesday and charged with felony 1st-degree injury to a child, which carries a possible sentence ranging from 5 years to life in prison.

Photo: The Houston area apartment where Halle Smith was allegedly held by her mother and starved to death.

Donna Hawkins with the Harris County District Attorney said it took nearly a year to bring charges because Halle was a special needs child who required a feeding tube and round-the-clock care.

"The officers had to get an autopsy report, complete sets of medical records, and then conduct a thorough investigation to determine if this was, in fact, a deliberate injury," Hawkins told CBS affiliate KHOU.

Photo: The Houston area apartment where Halle Smith was allegedly held by her mother and starved to death.

Court documents show Halle was provided with 24-hour nursing care when she was 20 months old, but Halle's father -- who is not charged -- said he and Lockhart discontinued it because they tired of medical personnel coming in and out.

Investigators discovered that Lockhart had isolated Halle in an empty filthy apartment in North Houston, but aren't sure how long she was kept there.

Estella Olguin, spokeswoman for Child Protective Services said the apartment was unfurnished and dirty with piles of clothes on the ground and a few bottles of formula, apparently intended for Halle.

CPS records show that they visited Lockhart in 2006, after she was arrested and served time for a drug charge, but said that the living conditions appeared healthy and normal.

But something went terribly wrong in the past two and a half years.

Olguin said that Lockhart had nine other children, ranging in age from 2 to 18, and that none of them lived with her. CPS has taken custody of the children and is in the process of terminating her parental rights.

VIDEO COURTESY OF KHOU

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by Wildwood1966 April 7, 2010 3:40 PM EDT: somehow I lost something because are the first two comments from the dad? What are the numbers? My heart goes out to this poor child - another mother whose child is obviously better in heaven with God then with a woman that shared abody with her, gave her life for nine mos. Put her under the jail and make sure she can no longer bring children into this world - God be with the other ones.; Reply to this comment


by ddog88 February 6, 2010 11:03 AM EST: Well thank heavens she didn't have an abortion.; Reply to this comment


by GOOD_DAD February 6, 2010 10:49 AM EST: It required my lawyer?s written threat of a Writ of Habeas Corpus for the mother to surrender our daughter to me.
I paid the jury fee, & for 3 years, pleaded in vain for a trial or in some way to present a case.
Judge Suzanne Stovall punished me with over 20% plus $100, monthly child support.
CISD records, depositions, sworn statements, & other Certified/Certifiable evidence revealed a home with an AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT FELON, wrist CUTTING, daily VIOLENCE, 15y/o runaway, destruction, criminals, drug abuse (METH, COCAINE, XANAX, OXYCOTIN, etc), many police visits & a SEARCH WARRANT confiscated drug paraphernalia, probation violations, multiple sex partners, suspensions for drugs & violence, burglary, vandalism, shootings, disease, fighting, screaming, profanity, pornography (incl BEASTIALITY)

, boys/men sleeping over, my daughter sleeping at men?s homes, being taught obscene language & gestures, & so much more.
Aggravated perjury, forged letters, falsified evidence, unsupported/inconsistent/unchallenged false accusations, by the mother, CPS, et al., outweighed exhaustive undisputed facts, certified evidence, sworn statements, & objective/testable/verifiable documentation, disproving the accusations, & proving neglect/ abuse by the mother.
With the knowledge &/or support of Dr Edward G Silverman, Lynn T Coleman, Theresa Burbank, & Elaine Baggerley, the mother has so thwarted my daughter?s education that, in Kindergarten, at 6½ y/o, she is below District Guidelines.
At 4 y/o my daughter could count to 29 & to 100 by tens, write her name, recognize most letters, tie her shoes, play checkers, had her own computer w/ games, play card games, front and back flip off a spring board, jump off a 5m platform, swim 100+ ft, & much more.
At 6½ y/o, she only counts to 12, & she requires special attention, & is a behavioral problem.
Well known to Edward G Silverman, Lynn Coleman, & Theresa Burbank, the mother provided & reared her young children on GRAPHICALLY SEXUALLY VIOLENT entertainment & since infancy has repeatedly exposed my daughter to the same.
Well known to several Montgomery Co Courts & Probation, Edward G Silverman, Theresa Burbank, Lynn Coleman, & CPS, the mother?s teens became violent, drug abusing criminals, who attended alternative high schools.
On their first meeting, Elaine Baggerley of CPS began diagnosing my daughter as ADHD, & more.
20 months of Theresa Burbank?s therapy & the mother?s sole parenting have resulted in my daughter being referred to a psychiatrist.
http://local.yahoo.com/info-19096883-teresa-burbank-pc-conroe
The mother?s family & friends have threatened me at my home & away, & my property has been vandalized.
I have received harassing, obscene, & middle of the night phone calls.
The well paid, well insured mother has lived rent & utilities free for 3½ years, but claims to be deep in debt from undisclosed medical expenses.
The mother has committed tax, CHIPs, Medicaid, & insurance fraud at least since 2003.
Threats, violence, drugs, promiscuity, crime, lying, etc is normal in the mother?s family & normalized to my daughter.
There is no history or evidence that I have ever been indecent, violent, destructive, abusive, hostile, drug use, etc.
My increasing debt exceeds twice my gross annual income.
Fees & expenses have exceeded 4 times my gross annual income.
I have recorded nearly every contact with the mother, CPS, ad litem, & many others.
I will be presenting this case to the Texas: Bar, Commission on Judicial Conduct, Attorneys General, Appellate Courts, Supreme Court, Board of Examiners of Psychologists, TDFPS, malpractice attorneys, etc. & will include:
medical & doctors records of years of mistreatment
CPS reports of violence, drugs, medical mistreatment, etc
psychological evaluations include lying, abuse, etc
depositions of lying, violence, drug abuse, sex, etc
CISD records of violence, drugs, sex, etc
police reports of violence, drugs, shootings, etc
myspace of violence, drug abuse, sex, pornography, etc
emails to/from the: ad litem, psychologist, therapist
I have always loved & wanted my daughter & always will, & I will never, ever, ever give up trying to rescue her.
Judge Suzanne Stovall: Please right your injustice & return my daughter; Reply to this comment


by GOOD_DAD February 6, 2010 10:47 AM EST: The following is true and accurate.
January 30, 2010 was the deadline for Judge Stovall to modify my visitation/custody.
Will she 1) retaliate and terminate my parental rights 2) return my daughter to me 3) delay again 4) do nothing 5)

In the 221st State District Court of Montgomery Co, TX, Judge Suzanne Stovall massacred me in a 3¼ year custody case for my, now, 6½ y/o daughter.
Convicted child molesters have more access to their children than I do.
Calls, letters, & gifts are intercepted, & I have no visitation.
The mother secreted her 2mo & 14mo babies, 1200 miles from their father, & for 15½ years, her family prevented all contact.
The mother?s 18 year history/pattern of hostility, alienation, & medical mistreatment was well documented to evaluating psychologist Dr Edward G Silverman, therapist Theresa Burbank, ad litem Lynn T Coleman, the attorneys, et.al.
Despite months of exams & x-rays by pediatricians & specialists, for a real & progressing condition, & prescribing increasingly invasive treatment, the mother, Edward G Silverman, Theresa Burbank, Lynn Coleman, Elaine Baggerley of CPS, & Judge Suzanne Stovall, refused to believe the diagnosis of the medical professionals & necessity for treatment.
Even after receiving the medical records & speaking with the medical professionals, they persisted in their false beliefs despite the invalidating evidence, continuing to Aid & Abet Injury to a Child.
A specialist repeatedly requested the mother & Lynn Coleman, attend the appointments, but they refused.
Even with the mother?s sworn statements of medically abusing/neglecting our daughter & with the doctors corroborating records of her mistreatment, Judge Suzanne Stovall took my daughter from me & placed her into the mother?s sole custody.
Symptoms persisted, but her condition is withheld.
Since infancy, the mother has secreted our daughter to doctors, & medically mistreated her.
From 2006 to 2008, the mother yo-yoed our daughter on steroids.
She has neglected her dental care.
The mother has a history & pattern of medically mistreating her other children with steroids, psychiatric drugs, numerous prescription & OTC medicines, & they have had significant dental issues due to her neglect.
http://www.courthouseforum.com
Judge Suzanne Stovall signed a Final Decree to remove me from my daughter, without a trial, without my signature, without my lawyer's signature, & without compelling the mother?s (plaintiff) discovery.
Despite 3 years of Hearings, Rule 11?s, hundreds of emails/letters/conversations, Judge Suzanne Stovall refused to compel the mother?s discovery, yet granted years of continuances because her discovery was incomplete; including continuing a preferentially set trial.
All knew how devastating her discovery would be & Judge Suzanne Stovall refused to compel.
Judge Suzanne Stovall inconsistently ruled on motions, laws, or rules to favor the mother.
My lawyers complained that she favored the mother.
Judge Suzanne Stovall ignored the overwhelming certified/certifiable evidence of violence/hostility/aggression/abuse by the mother, her family, & her friends.
Judge Suzanne Stovall disregarded 3+ years & 300+ exhibited provable charges of Contempt against the mother, including failure to pay child support, interfering with child custody, & worse.
It required my lawyer?s written threat of a Writ of Habeas Corpus for the mother to surrender our daughter to me.
I paid the jury fee, & for 3 years, pleaded in vain for a trial or in some way to present a case.
Judge Suzanne Stovall punished me with over 20% plus $100, monthly child support.
CISD records, depositions, sworn statements, & other Certified/Certifiable evidence revealed a home with an AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT FELON, wrist CUTTING, daily VIOLENCE, 15y/o runaway, destruction, criminals, drug abuse (METH, COCAINE, XANAX, OXYCOTIN, etc), many police visits & a SEARCH WARRANT confiscated drug paraphernalia, probation violations, multiple sex partners, suspensions for drugs & violence, burglary, vandalism, shootings, disease, fighting, screaming, profanity, pornography (incl BEASTIALITY); Reply to this comment


by andimaggie February 6, 2010 8:35 AM EST: Unfortunately, I have never been able to have children so I get extremely upset and angry when mothers abuse their kids. Many times I have questioned why these monsters are able to continuously conceive but many well deserving and trustworthy women cannot. I just do not understand why these women give birth time after time after time while their past history surely indicates that they just aren't capable enough to adequately care for these babies. This woman is an absolute abomination and should be buried under the jail for her heinous actions. I also question where was this father. Obviously he was around when this child was receiving 24 hour care so why was he not current about his little girl's situation both medically and socially. There seems to be many people responsible for Halle's death and I sincerely hope further investigation goes forward. Is there not a system available that allows monitoring a child's situation particularly since CPS has previously investigated? I presume that others were aware of Halle because her earlier 24 hour care was most likely paid for by the state. While understanding the difficulties that occur when handling such big case loads there is no disputing the fact that this precious little girl was in the system. So why did everybody drop the ball? Finally, I would be willing to bet that the mother eventually takes a plea agreement with much lesser charges. The only hope is that because of the national coverage it would be very difficult for the prosecutor to seek anything less than the maximum sentence allowed. This poor excuse of a human being much less a mother deserves absolutely no leniency. If not committed to prison for life she will continue to perpetuate the vicious cycle of having more children that will be lost, one way or another.; Reply to this comment