Drama Queen Flips Out During Sentencing In Child's Death

They beat the little girl for days until her fragile, bruised and swollen body finally gave up -- but the two women showed shock when a judge demanded the rest of their lives in return. Erica Mae Butts and Shanita Latrice Cunningham, both 25, each collapsed upon hearing that they would serve life in prison for killing 3-year-old Serenity Richardson, Butts' goddaughter, two years ago.

The sentencing hearing took nearly two hours and ended with court officials dragging Cunningham from the courtroom on a chair and peeling Butts from the floor as she writhed and screamed hysterically.

Butts' sister threw herself against a bench over and over, shouting, "No!" Her mother refused to leave the courtroom, screaming, "I can't leave my baby like this!"

Eventually, they all left -- with officials escorting out Cunningham's and Butts' supporters first, then leading Richardson's family and friends outside.

The two Summerville women, a couple at the time of their arrest, had made their pleas in August. Butts entered an Alford plea, meaning she maintained her innocence but acknowledged that taking her case to trial would likely result in a conviction. Cunningham pleaded guilty.

The court treats the two pleas the same, and each woman faced 20 years to life in prison on the charge of homicide by child abuse. The sentencing hearing took place Thursday to allow Serenity's family travel time from Michigan.

Serenity's mother, Ieshia Richardson, had been childhood best friends with Butts and had brought her daughter to stay at her godmother's home on Congaree River Drive in Summerville for about two weeks, beginning in late October 2009.
Butts admitted to Summerville police on Nov. 3 that she whipped the girl with a belt for urinating on the floor, and that Serenity had fallen several times in the bathroom.

When the child's breathing became shallow that day, Butts called her own mother in Goose Creek but didn't tell her what happened. Butts' mother called 911.

By the time paramedics reached Serenity, she was already dead but had been placed on ice and exposed to bleach in desperate attempts to revive her. Assistant Solicitor Elizabeth Gordon said the girl's injuries reflected weeks of torture -- a duration that matched the amount of time the child had spent with Butts and Cunningham.

"There was not a plane of her body that was spared, save the soles of her feet," Gordon said.

Circuit Judge Deadra Jefferson said the photos of Serenity's injuries showed a child "systematically beaten to death."

"I've never had anything affect me as profoundly as the pictures I've viewed of this child," Jefferson said. She noted that the women could have stopped, could have saved Serenity.

Jefferson also suggested that perhaps the women frightened the potty-trained child into urinating uncontrollably. The prosecutor noted that one pelvic injury likely caused Serenity to lose bladder control.

Cunningham's attorney, Cassandra Woosley, described her client as less responsible for the girl's death than Butts.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• drama queen
• screaming
• court room
• courtroom
• judge
• defendent
• guilty
• jail
• life in prison
• child murderer
• crime
• cops
• police
• raw video
• criminal
• wild
• crazy

[staywithaces1984]

they freaked right the fuck out

[Oddityworld]

loved it!!! I can't feel sorry for these pieces of trash no matter how much they cry. It makes me smile.

[PotMan3211]

yep shoot em both in the head and bill the family for the bullets



[timshow781]

I like it when black judges sentence black people so it would be harder to appeal the decision based on race.

[Hannible100]

@livewires4christ Casey Anthony, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wanye Gacy . They where all inteligent psycopaths! And none of them behaved like monkeys dude. Wrong yes i agree especialy that cunt John Wanye he was a bad bastard! I have to agree i can,t think of an black serial killer , you got a point. I,ll ask my buddy what he thinks down the bar he,s black I,ll get back to ya dude. just thought those girls was assholes is all .

[livewires4christ]

@Hannible100 Amen brother you right...we need more pure white americans like Casey Anthony, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wanye Gacy oh wait their white. oh Ummmm akwarrrrd!

[Hannible100]

How did i know before i even saw the clip they where black? Am i smart? No,, I know blacks. Shudder left them monkeys in the jungle and paid guys to work wudder been cheaper in the long run fuckin hark at them? Fuckin WORSE than animals fuckin shoot them bastards!

[skycake11]

WAAAAAAHHAAAAAAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAH­HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

...

nvr mind, I found my cookie

[SiSePuedo]

hilarious. sound just like baboons, maybe a little bit of a howler monkey too. You know, like the one on Robinson Crusoe on Mars?

[daven58100]

@tarkusgirl Tasers are better. And funnier.