A horrible tragedy

[KevShmev]

There is no other way to describe this.  The mother is apparently best friends with someone I used to work with, and this happened less than 10 minutes from where I grew up.  How someone can do this to their own child, I will never understand.

https://www.kmov.com/news/local/Police-search-for-missing-1-year-old-boy-from-Affton--133904913.html

(KMOV) -- Officials announced in a news conference on Wednesday that the mother of a 1-year-old boy found dead in a wooded area in south St. Louis County on Tuesday was charged with second degree murder.

During the news conference, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch said that the victim, Tyler Dasher, died of blunt force trauma. When asked if it appeared if the mother and suspect, 20-year-old Shelby Dasher, got angry and lashed out at the child, McCulloch said that did appear to be true.

McCulloch also said that the medical examiner reported that there was no immediate evidence of previous child abuse in this case.

Multiple sources have confirmed to News 4 that Shelby Dasher has confessed to the beating death of her son, Tyler Dasher. She reportedly beat the child because she could not get him to stay quiet in his crib. She then dumped his body and returned home to sleep, waiting several hours later to report him missing.

According to McCulloch, Shelby Dasher was out for some period of time during the night and early morning hours before the baby was killed. During that time the grandmother was still asleep. He said that as far as he knew, Dasher carried her son to the wooded area where he was later found dead. However, he says it is not 100 percent clear if she drove or walked the baby to the dumping site.

McCulloch expressed his disappointment in the mother’s method of handling her frustration with the baby. “There are a myriad of ways to handle a child,” he said. “This isn’t one of them.”

Officials said once the child was reported missing, which was just before noon on Tuesday, one of the first investigators on the scene was someone experienced in child abuse. This person recognized that this case was not just one of a missing person. It was clear that there was more to the story than what had been reported at that time.

During the news conference, McCulloch acknowledged a strongly worded Facebook post that Dasher made prior to the murder saying that she needed to get away from Affton. He said that police do take evidence related to social media seriously, and that her last Facebook post will be taken into consideration as evidence. 

Shelby Dasher is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
The investigation is ongoing.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

WTF? What the hell is wrong with people.

[jingle.boy]

Brutal. It's a shame that anyone can be parents. There is nothing that will bring about justice for situations like this.

[MykeHavoc]

Tell your co-worker to get new friends.

[kirksnosehair]

 

[gmillerdrake]

Stories like this are mind boggling to say the least. When I read them I immediately want to brutalize the offending individual in the same manner they did the child. However, I'd like to be honest for a second. I'm a father of 3 boys (5,4 & 1-1/2 yrs. old) If those of you who have children are honest, then you know 'what it takes' to raise kids. It is not easy. I am fortunate that I have a wonderful spouse who I can 'tag out' with when "those" times hit. There have been multiple times where I was driven to the brink of losing my mind/temper/cool by one of my kiddos just crying and being utterly unconsolable....in other words being a typical infant.....keeping me (us) awake and tiring me out both mentally and physically. It really can take a man to the edge. So if I am honest...I can "understand" where this young womans frustration was born and have felt what she felt. I DO NOT CONDONE HER ACTIONS. IT IS HORRENDOUS WHAT HAPPENED!
  What I mean to say and I've said this before in conversation with friends/family is that I can 'understand' how someone who is on Meth or stoned on their narcotic of choice, drunk or how can I say this in a PC way....ummm....born less than mentally up to par....I can see how they lose thier cool and ability to reason and thus commit these horrible acts.
  The difference between them and I is that when reaching that point that all parents have been at I have made the proper choice of telling my wife "It's all you for a bit because I can't handle it" or when/if she isn't there just simply placing my kiddo in the crib and walking away for a bit. Just Let the baby cry and you regain your focus...calm down...whatever. I am blessed to have a wife in whom I can count on to 'tag out' with. And, knowing how blessed I am makes me appreciate and pray for those single parents out there who have to tough it out alone. You folks are a special breed of person yourselves. Parenting is not for cowards.
  I know it is easy to look at this story and just immediately want to string this chic up in the town square and hang her. It is horrific what she did. From some of the accounts of her 'being out' the night before it has her under the influence of Heroin (which KevShmev could probably testify too is becoming a HUGE epidemic in St. Louis) IMO that does not forgive her actions and is not an excuse AT ALL...that's not what I mean....but having your mind and reasoning comprimised by a powerful drug, being a young single mother and having the already inherant stress the situation of an unhappy child brings....those factors sadly added up to this tragic story. 
 
God Bless little baby Tyler and those who loved him!

[DebraKadabra]

Wow.  That's pretty fucked up.

[KevShmev]

Oh, is heroin the choice now for junkies instead of cocaine?  I had no idea.  I do know that St. Louis City (like where all of the streets with state names are, as far as south is concerned) is usually considered one of the most dangerous cities in the entire country now.  I remember when I went to UMSL, I always prayed I never had car trouble on the way to and from school, as the area right around the college is awful (UMSL is literally right off the highway, for those unaware), and once you get past downtown and are going north on 70, that is not where you want to have to get off of the highway. 

[gmillerdrake]

Oh, is heroin the choice now for junkies instead of cocaine? 

Yeah. There was a recent study and supporting program on Fox 2 and the same group of people went on an afternoon radio show (The Dave Glover Show...ever listened to that, pretty entertaining...anyway)talking about the huge increase in heroin use among teens in St. Louyis County. My wife teaches for the St. Louis Special School district and she has been placed at Affton High School the last 3 years and they had to go through a training course on how to spot heroin use specifically. Which she said was a waste of time because most of the signs (dramatic behavior changes, sleepiness, tardiness, poor hygene..etc.) are pretty much the signs of being a teenager in high school.
  But a point that one of the lead detectives made on the radio is that a lot of these kids that start off snorting the heroin never believe they will ever graduate to injecting it into thier veins. And sure enough as any of us who have dealt with any addiction issues know, soon the method that you began to get your 'high' from no longer satisfies. Have to step it up. He went on to give the stats (which I forgot) about how much heroin has taken hold in St. Louis county. I know it was some outrageous number though.
  I live in Jefferson County where Meth is all the rage...but apparently heroin is making its move to be the dominant drug of choice. Again, for me....drug/alcohol use is not an excuse at all to commit these types of crimes. She should be punished to the fullest extent allowed. Which a lawyer on the radio yesterday said that if you're convicted on 2nd degree manslaughter charges that usually brings the minimum of 25 years, of which she would most likely spend 85% of that time behind bars. So she's looking at 20-21 years in jail for beating her 1 year old kid to death and then dumping his body in some bushes so she could get back to sleep.

[kirksnosehair]

One of the reasons heroin is making a comeback over meth is because it's become more and more difficult to obtain the chemicals used in making a typical batch of meth.  One of the more common ingredients is pseudoephedrine, which is commonly found in OTC antihistamines.  Many if not all drugstores are now requiring a photo ID to purchase it and limiting individual purchases to one or two packages per week. 

So, heroin, which is not manufactured domestically, but is instead smuggled in (mostly through Mexico and Canada) has made a big comeback.  And it's become ridiculously cheap as well.

Here in my area (Boston) prescription pills are the rage right now.  Oxycontin is referred to as "hillbilly heroin" and kids are really getting in big trouble with it.

I work one night a week at a detox downtown and the shit I see is just really depressing. 

[gmillerdrake]

One of the reasons heroin is making a comeback over meth is because it's become more and more difficult to obtain the chemicals used in making a typical batch of meth.  One of the more common ingredients is pseudoephedrine, which is commonly found in OTC antihistamines.  Many if not all drugstores are now requiring a photo ID to purchase it and limiting individual purchases to one or two packages per week. 

So, heroin, which is not manufactured domestically, but is instead smuggled in (mostly through Mexico and Canada) has made a big comeback.  And it's become ridiculously cheap as well.

Here in my area (Boston) prescription pills are the rage right now.  Oxycontin is referred to as "hillbilly heroin" and kids are really getting in big trouble with it.

I work one night a week at a detox downtown and the shit I see is just really depressing. 

Good Point about the Meth Barry. I know in our County alone there have been multiple laws passed to limit the purchase of those common ingrediants. In fact, there is one either being passed or being voted on that would make you need a Dr's perscription for 'common' cold medicines. It's getting crazy the lengths needed to be taken to stop the Meth. But as you pointed out and is obvious, the second you curb one sect of drug use....another just fills the gap.