Jury convicts grandmother of cruelty to children in death of 13-year-old grandson
Published 11:00 am Friday, October 21, 2016
- Sharon Carrell answers a question from District Attorney Bert Poston during the trial.
CHATSWORTH, Ga. — Michael Darnell said Thursday’s guilty verdict for Sharon Carrell for cruelty to children in the death of his 13-month-old son Patrick is “a start to closure.”
“I wish they would’ve charged more than this one charge,” he said. “I’m happy that she is finally in jail and justice is getting served for my son.”
Trending
A Murray County jury of seven men and five women found Carrell, Patrick’s grandmother, guilty of one count of second-degree cruelty to children in Superior Court. The jury found her not guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree cruelty to children.
Patrick was found badly burned from water in a bathtub at Carrell’s home on Dec. 16, 2015, while she was outside. He had been left in the bathroom with his 2-year-old sister. He died five days later at an Atlanta hospital. During the trial, Carrell said she did not turn the water on.
Kayla Darnell, Patrick’s mother, and Marcus Carrell, Patrick’s uncle, declined to comment about the verdicts.
Kaitlin McKee, the forewoman of the jury, said the jury members held hands and prayed each time they deliberated. The jury began deliberations Wednesday afternoon in the trial that started on Oct. 11. They did not reach a verdict on Wednesday by 6:30 p.m. and opted to go home and start again on Thursday. On Thursday they began at 9 a.m. and went until noon, breaking for an hour and a half lunch. At about 2:15 p.m. they informed Judge Jim Wilbanks they’d reached their verdicts.
McKee said the decisions were hard.
“I truly believe she (Carrell) loved those kids and didn’t mean any harm,” McKee said.
Trending
District Attorney Bert Poston said the state wanted to see a guilty verdict on a murder count.
“We appreciate the jury’s time and attention and respect the verdict,” he said. “The importance of the verdict is that a jury of the defendant’s peers has held her accountable for the harm that her negligence caused.”
Poston said he will continue to support Patrick’s father and his family as he prepares for the sentencing hearing next month.
“We hope that the conviction and sentencing will bring some closure to the family,” Poston said.
There will be a pre-sentence investigation, with sentencing set for Nov. 23. The possible sentence is from one to 10 years in prison.
Robert G. McCurry, Carrell’s attorney, said he is “pleased that the jury found Mrs. Carrell innocent of murder.”
“I want to thank the jurors of Murray County and the Murray County professionals for taking an extended amount of time out of their lives to assist in our judicial system which helps us enjoy freedom,” he said. “It is my hope that Mrs. Carrell soon will return to her loving family and continue with her productive life.”
McCurry requested that Carrell remain out of jail on her previous bond until sentencing, contending that she’s not a flight risk. Poston objected and requested that she be taken into custody immediately. Wilbanks agreed with Poston, saying because of the seriousness of what Carrell had been found guilty of she must remain in jail until sentencing.
Kristen Silvers, Patrick’s paternal aunt, said even though it “feels like a victory for us,” it’s not.
“No matter what, it won’t bring Patrick back, he’s still gone,” she said.