As a five week old
infant,
Amanda was beaten by her father, Anthony Shannon
Lee. Anthony was
arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison.
Stephanie Pinson,
Amanda's mother, was arrested and charged with
accessory after the fact
of child abuse and she was sentenced to two years in
prison.
Anthony was out after serving his time, however, a
second child, Ryan,
was also beaten by this man upon his release and he
was again convicted
and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Ryan and Amanda
both survived
their initial attacks by this man and being half
siblings, they would
meet later in life.
At the age of three months old after being beaten
severely by her
father, Amanda was accepted into the home of a woman
named Nancy
Woodall-Holmes, who
took over the care of Amanda:
"She
could only do less
than a new born baby. She couldn't suck or
swallow. She was blind and
non-verbal,
fed
through a tube in her stomach. The only movement
she had was
seizures. She
couldn't
sit
up, crawl, roll over, scratch or hold a toy. She
stayed in the same
bed for 22 years"
Nancy had cared for special needs children for 32
years and eventually
adopted Amanda who had Cerebral Palsy as well as
Diabetes which called
for four injections every day. Nancy had help taking
care of Amanda,
her children, Michelle, Hannah and Matthew all
helped over the years.
Amanda was said to be a pure joy to those who knew
her, always smiling,
waking up and falling asleep each day with a smile
on her face,
laughing a lot and just a happy person. Nancy said
that Amanda recognized her voice and would respond
to her:
"Her
life was such a
gift to me. Everybody who crossed her path
walked away a different
person"
At one point, Nancy was asked if she would be
willing to allow her pool
to be used for other special needs children. Of
course Nancy readily
agreed and that lead to Amanda meeting her half
brother, Ryan, who had
also been beaten by their father and was now
disabled and in a
wheelchair:
"She
and Ryan had their
wheelchairs next to each other and their hands
touched. It was like they
made
a
connection with each other"
The very day she had therapy in the pool with her
half brother Ryan,
Amanda was taken to the hospital where she died with
her family around
her:
"I
want Amanda's death
to mean something. I want her life to mean
something. I know it will be
a
controversial
issue.
Amanda had a life sentence. Her brother Ryan had
a life
sentence. Her death
ended
in
a death sentence. I don't think we should accept
anything less for
him"
Nancy
Nancy was referring to Anthony Shannon Lane, who was
charged with first
degree murder 22 years after he beat his five week
old daughter causing
her to live the next 22 years with the problems she
suffered as a
result of that beating. An autopsy was done and it
listed Amanda's
cause of death as homicide caused by complications
of blunt force head
injury. Cold Case Detective Sgt. Dan Goodwin and
Detective Steve Kohler
interviewed doctors and other witnesses and then
presented the case to
the District Attorney's Office before Detective
Kohler charged Anthony,
in July of 2014.
Nancy says that she believes Amanda's death will
make an impact on what
happens to child abusers in the state of Tennessee,
possibly helping to
ensure longer sentences:
"But
when the victim
dies, then real justice will happen. It may take
23 years but justice
will be served.
That's
the
message I want to get out there. I want Amanda's
life and death to
speak volumes for the
victims
in
Tennessee and for the abusers who get a slap on
the wrist"
OBITUARY:
Amanda
Lane
Woodall, age 22 of LaVergne died
Friday August 30, 2013. She
was born in Nashville and is survived by her
mother, Nancy Woodall of
LaVergne; siblings, Michelle Durham of Smyrna,
Hannah Woodall of
Florida, Matthew Adam Woodall of Murfreesboro.
Ms. Woodall is also
survived by a host of loving Aunts Uncles and
Cousins; as well as
countless number of step and foster siblings.
She was preceded in death
by her father, Berley Holmes and step-father,
Gary Grooms;
grandparents, Leo and Jewel Butler.
Celebration of Mrs. Woodall’s life will be
3:00PM Monday at Woodfin
Chapel, Smyrna. Brother Milton Hick will
officiate. Visitation will be
after 12 Noon on Monday at Woodfin Chapel,
Smyrna 615-459-3254
www.woodfinchapel.com
1-800-422-4453