Benjamin Allen Reeve Sargent
August 27, 2007 - February 2007
Born on August 27, 2007, Benjamin Allen Reeve Sargent
would be a child who was not wanted by his mother and not cared about enough
to be taken care of by his father or mother when he needed them the most.
How is it possible that in this day and age where
unwanted children can just be given over to hospitals, there are still
children out there who die at the hands of he people God has trusted
to take care of the most innocent of all people among us? What kind of
evil does it take to allow a child, a five month old baby to sit in a carseat,
in his crib
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for eight days until that child literally
dies
of starvation?
What kind of evil does it take to allow a five month
old child to cry for long periods of time and not tend to his needs?
What kind of evil does it take to feed yourself,
play video games, shower and go about your day and ignore a five month
old baby who needs just the basic things in life to survive? A little bit
of attention to this beautiful little boy was all that was needed. Benjamin
got little to |
nothing from his mother, who never wanted him in the
first place so she never showed any signs of being a mother at all. Benjamin
got nothing from his father either. Both of these people failed to give
Benjamin an chance in life. If a person doesn't want a child, there are
ways to prevent one from being born. Not wanting a child is not an excuse
for abusing or neglecting a child.
On February 4, 2008, in Peoria, Illinoise, Rose
Sargent was taking care of her five month old grandson, Benjamin Sargent.
Rose dropped Benjamin off with his father at about 9:30 pm so that she
could go to work:
"I left at 9:30 p.m. that night. I got him
ready for bed, changed his diaper, put some ointment on his bottom and
gave him a bottle. He wanted to be rocked so I rocked him, gave him some
more bottle and then his dad put him into the crib without the car seat,
and covered him up with a blanket. Then I left because I had to go home
and get to sleep because I work third shift."
Tracey, his "mother", I use that term lightly, was
in Iowa meeting a man she met on the internet. She claimed that she was
not responsible for Benjamin and that his father should have been looking
out for him. Tracey claimed that before she left she had checked on Benjamin
and she found him asleep so she put a bottle between him and the carseat
so he could eat when he woke up.
Eight days later, on February 12, Benjamin would
be found in his crib, still strapped into the carseat, wearing his snow
suit, eyes open, fists clenched, sitting in his own waste in a room that
was 80 degrees. James Sargent, who was 23 at the time and Tracey Hermann,
who was 21 at the time,
were both arrested.
“Benjamin died from starvation due to
neglect from these two defendants, his parents. It’s the worst case of
child neglect we have seen since the turn of this century.”
Kevin Lyons, Peoria County State’s Attorney
James and Tracey are being held on first degree
murder charges, without bond. Why should they be bonded out? Their child
was neglected to death and put through total agony before he died. Benjamin,
who weighed eight pounds at birth, only weighed ten pounds upon his death.
Why didn't his grandmother notice that he was thin, why didn't anyone who
came into contact with his baby boy notice that something was not
right?
Neighbors reacted to the death with shock and horror.
Some said they were aware that things were not right in the household,
they just didn't know it was as bad as it was. If they knew something was
not right, whey didn't they contact anyone? Why is that SO many people
have the ability to help in situations like this and they NEVER do?
"The parents had been acting really strange
for about a few
days before. They were outside and they were
walking up
and down the neighborhood, the woman was
standing
outside with no coat,"
Dorothy Davis - Neighbor
Some say they didn't even know that a baby lived
in the house and some wonder what they grandparents are thinking about
all of this and how they are feeling at the loss of Benjamin:
"I think if one of my kids would be this evil,
because that's
what it is how, would I feel and I wonder
how do those
parents feel."
Mary Moore - Neighbor who didn't know Benjamin
lived there
The grandfather of James Sargent said that he thought
his grandson had truly love his song. When speaking to his grandson, he
says that James was crying and he didn't know if they were tears of remorse
or of self pity. The grandfather says that he is shocked by what has happened.
Rose Sargent was picking up flower arrangements
left over after the funeral service for Benjamin. She said that James and
Tracey had been fighting a lot, but, she thought they were taking care
of the baby. She said that the two had seemed like good parents:
"I saw my son sing to him, play with him.
I've seen her holding him and playing with him."
She also spoke of that last day:
"I took him and I bought him a snowsuit and
I bought him
some food and some formula and some A&D
ointment because he had a little rash. I don't know what happened
when I left. He was in his bed, not his car seat."
Rose spoke of a darkside she felt her adopted son
had:
"He suffered from depression since he was
a
freshman in
high school. They diagnosed him with ADHD
and bi–polar
and he has spent time at Zellar (Mental Health
Center)
when they had it."
Another neighbor said that the couple would allow
trash to pile up outside of their home and they can't believe they would
neglect their child as well:
"Who would do it, who would let their child
just live like that"
The couple also has a three year old daughter, Natalie
Grace, who has been removed from the custody of the family and is currenttly
in foster care.
An old online post from Tracey said that she would
prefer to die stating she would like her death certificate to read, "death
by misadventure." Rose says that unfortunately, that is the fate her grandson
met.
"I'm going to miss the smiles and laughs".
Rose Sargent
February 21, 2008 brought a court date where both
of these people were facing up to 100 years. Kevin Lyons was not sure if
he was going to ask for the death penalty, which would apply in this case.
In Illionois the death penalty can be used as punishment for crimes committed
by those over the age of 17 and crimes comitted against those younger than
the age of 12. Kevin Lyons would have about two months to make this decision.
The hearing lasted about 20 minutes and during that
time, James sat with a blank stare on his face and Tracey said that her
lawyer was in Hawaii and she would like a court appointed lawyer. Judge
Glenn Collier ordered that the two be held without bond. A second court
date was set to allow Kevin Lyons to present further evidence that these
two people should not be let out on bond, before trial.
These two people had the nerve to plead not guilty
to the charges against them. They will be in court on May 5, 2009.
For information about preventing child abuse in the
state of Illinois, click the links below. If they can't help you, ask for
someone who can. NEVER give up looking for help for an abused child!
Prevent
Child Abuse Illinois
Illinois
Department Of Children And Family Services
 ..........
Call this number to report
child abuse ANY WHERE in the United States!
1-800-4-A-Child
1-800-422-4453
  
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