A Tennessee couple reportedly made their 5-year-old child to consume an extreme amount of grape soda Jan. 1, 2012, which subsequently lead to her death The Kingsport Times News reported Thursday.
Randall Lee Vaughn, and Mary Lavonne Vaughn of Surgoinsville, Tenn. were charged with first degree murder, two counts of aggravated child neglect, and aggravated child abuse for their roles in the case Monday according to sealed indictments from the Hawkins County Grand Jury The Times News reported.
Randall Lee, the child's biological father and Mary Lavonne Vaughn, the child's stepmother reportedly made the child consume up to 4.5 12-ounce bottles containing grape soda, and lots of water, the specific quantity unbeknownst.
The couple then reportedly brought an unresponsive Alexa Linboom to Hawkins County Memorial Hospital's emergency room in Rogersville, Tenn The Times News reported. Linboom was then brought to Niswonger Children's Hospital in Johnson City, Tenn until she perished Jan. 3. 2012 The Times News reported.
"They also failed to take care of the child once she was injured," Berkeley Bell, a district attorney general for Hawkins County told The Times News. "Our position is it was a matter of several hours after the child started exhibiting serious symptoms, after the child was screaming out in pain, went into a paralyzed state, and became unconscious," Berkley Bell told The Times News.
Autopsy results the Department of Forensic Pathology in Johnson City, Tenn showed Linboom died from acute fluid and water intoxication following a two-year investigation The Times News reported. This can lead to hyponatremic encephalopathy or when there is an insufficient amount of sodium in the body, and extra liquid goes into the brain's cells creating swelling The Times News reported.
"Allegedly the child, as a form of punishment, was forced to drink grape drinks, as well as a great deal of water, to the point that her body became water intoxicated," Bell told The Times News. "That led to her brain swelling and all of her systems shutting down, and to her eventual brain death. The punishment was allegedly for stealing a grape drink. I don't know exactly how much liquid she drank , but there was 4.5 12 ounce drinks plus water in-between," Bell told The Times News.
Both were kept in jail on $500,000. Their next court appearance in Hawkins County Criminal Court in Rogersville, Tenn. is Friday at 9 a.m. The Times News reported.
The circumstance follows the guidelines of the Scotty Trexler Law, which calls an abuse murder if a child perishes The Times News reported.
"They treated this child so cruelly that it caused the child to die. I don't know if their intent was to kill the child, but their intent certainly was to harm the child," Bell told The Times News.
The couple reportedly punished their other children in other ways including being outside in their underwear in bad weather, and having to be outside for lengthy periods The Times News reported. One child also had an extremely uncomfortable haircut The Times News reported.
The biological mother reportedly does not live in Tennessee, and the other children have reportedly been taken to foster care The Times News reported.
