Melodia Dunn (Shelby County Sheriff's Department)
Dunn has been charged with two counts of reckless homicide and two counts of child neglect in the death of LaDareon Dunn, 3, and his brother Catereon, 2. Both were both trapped inside after fire broke out in their Effie Road duplex on October 19th.
[Previously, at WEJB/NSU:
“South Memphis Auntie Marilyn Wilson: Her Little Nephew, Ladareon Dunn, 3, Perished in Blaze, with His Brother, Cartareon, 2, in Critical Condition, Because She and Their Mother Left Them Home Alone, but She Has No Regrets—Except That She’d Left Her Purse with Her EBT Card in the Apartment!”; and
“Toddler Killed in South Memphis Fire Laid to Rest.”]
Grand Jury indicts mother who left children alone in fire
Posted: Nov 10, 2009 8:45 P.M. ESTUpdated: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 6:36 PM EST
By Nick Kenney - bio | email | Twitter | Facebook
MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - The mother of two children who died after they were left alone in a house that caught fire was indicted Tuesday night.
Melodia Dunn was charged with two counts of reckless homicide and two counts of child neglect in the death of LaDareon Dunn, 3, and his brother Catereon, 2. Both boys were trapped inside after fire broke out in their Effie Road duplex on October 19th.
The first two counts of the indictment allege Dunn "did unlawfully and knowingly, other than by accidental means, neglect or endanger" Ladereon Dunn and Cartareon Dunn. The third and fourth counts say Dunn "did unlawfully and recklessly kill" her two children.
Authorities arrived to rescue the two small children after the fire broke out, but it was too late. LaDareon died moments after arriving at the hospital, while Catereon lost his life several days later in the intensive care unit.
"We're going to do what we can to hold her accountable under our state laws," District Attorney Bill Gibbons said Wednesday. "The person who had an obligation to be responsible for the children was the mother."
The case will likely revolve around two questions: What was Dunn thinking when she left her children in the house, and was she in her right mind?
"That may be something that her lawyers will raise," Gibbons said. "We'll just have to see."
Dunn's attorney, Mike Working, said his client remains devastated by the death of two of her children.
"Obviously she is extremely upset and extremely emotional, as any mother would be," he said.
Dunn is being held in the Shelby County Jail on $250,000 bond. An arraignment date has not been set.
Previous Stories
One child dead, another critically injured in house fire
Oct 20, 2009 12:26 PM EDT
A three-year-old boy died and a two-year-old boy was critically injured after a house fire Monday afternoon in the 1200 block of Effie. The boys' aunt said she and their mother left them alone while they went shopping.
2-year-old dies one week after fire that claimed his brother
Updated: Oct 27, 2009 10:38 AM EDT
A 2-year-old boy critically burned in a South Memphis house fire died Monday, exactly one week after police say his mother left the boy and his brother home alone. According to Memphis police, Catereon Dunn, 2, passed away Monday after fighting for his life for more than a week.
Toddler killed in South Memphis fire laid to rest
Sunday, October 25 2009 10:34 A.M. EDT
A 3-year-old boy who died in a South Memphis apartment fire after he and his younger brother were left home alone was laid to rest Saturday.
UPDATE: Family of children trapped in fire speaks up for mother; D.A. releases statement
Updated: Wednesday, October 21 2009 11:28 AM EDT
Stuffed animals decorated the exterior of 23-year-old Melanie Dunn's South Memphis apartment Tuesday, a day after fire claimed the life of her three-year-old and left her two-year-old son critically injured. At first, Dunn's family was clearly not interested in talking with Action News 5. But an aunt and a cousin later called in order to make one thing clear.
Neighbors struggle with child's death in fire; mother not facing charges
Updated: Tuesday, October 20 2009 9:50 PM EDT
One day after a South Memphis fire that killed a three-year-old boy and critically injured his two-year-old brother, neighbors struggled to understand how the two children could have been left home alone.
2 comments:
Many decades ago in St. Louis.
Welfare mother age 27 with 13 kids had 11 burn to death in one fire. Children playing with candles while the mother was "out".
The woman got one year probation as she was said to have suffered enough.
It was reported the latest boy friend drove up in a car, saw the fire, drove away and was never seen again.
Nothing pisses me off more than this. The father of those children should be held accountable too! Men! If your baby momma is unfit to care for your children, fight for them! The father of those children obviously doesn't care, he's probably put there making more babies with unstable women... Please women don't entertain mother fkkkkkrs like him and men raise your mfkn standards!!!!
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