Mother faces manslaughter charge
Tue, Aug 19, 2003
'Addiction' to computer fantasy game may have led to child's death
By Kirby Sanders
The Morning News/NWAonline.net • ksanders@nwaonline.net
SPRINGDALE -- Three-year-old Brianna Cordell died sweltering in a closed car, while her mother was engrossed in a computer fantasy-game, according to police.
Mary Christina Cordell, 36, was arrested Monday and faces a felony charge of manslaughter, said Brian Simmons, Springdale police spokesman. Cordell, who goes by her middle name, Christina, was being held in the Washington County jail Monday afternoon awaiting a bond hearing.
The charge is a Class C felony, punishable by three to 10 years in prison and a fine up of to $10,000.
Authorities said Cordell and her boyfriend, Eric Long, 21, may have been so fixated with the interactive game EverQuest that she neglected to pay adequate attention to Brianna's whereabouts on Aug. 8, the day the child died.
"The preliminary results of the autopsy indicate death by environmental hyperthermia. This information supports the initial claim as to cause of death," said Jeff Taylor, Springdale police detective.
Brianna was found dead in the front seat of her mother's car at about 3:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the apartment complex at 750 S. 40th St. She lived in an apartment with her mother, 9-year-old brother and Long.
Police said Brianna did not respond to resuscitation efforts at the scene and was declared dead upon arrival at Northwest Medical Center of Washington County in Springdale.
She was buried Friday at the Forest Park Cemetery on Randall Wobbe Lane in Springdale.
"We have cause to believe that there have been recent incidents where the child has been totally unsupervised," Taylor said.
"We also believe that on the day in question, Ms. Cordell was playing an Internet game, EverQuest, for a period of time exceeding two hours, during which she had no knowledge concerning the whereabouts of her daughter. It also appears this is not the first time the child was seen playing inside of a vehicle while unsupervised."
The interactive game, published by Sony Entertainment, is a swords-and-sorcerers fantasy game in which players develop characters who then interact via computer with other players' characters. The players create and navigate their way through a fantasy realm of warriors, magicians, quests and conquests with the characters themselves dictating the flow of the game.
Notes posted under Christina Cordell's name to a computer group called "Spouses Against EverQuest" say her ex-husband's attachment to the game was partly responsible for their divorce and that Cordell felt the game was "addictive."
A message posted on the bulletin board at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spousesagainsteverquest/ dated May 5 under the name of Christina Cordell says, "I feel sorry that people get wrapped up into this and destroy their relationships. I just hope that one day they will wake up before it's too late and realize they are alone with no real friends and their family is gone."
Dr. Robin Ross, forensic psychiatrist at Ozark Guidance, said while there is no recognized "addiction" to fantasy games, according to the American Psychiatric Association, "it's possible for people to become addicted to just about anything -- just the Internet itself. If they are spending an inordinate time doing one thing, that can indicate addictive behavior.
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So the child was witnessed playing, unsupervised, in the car, and yet she was left there playing, unsupervised, in the car by the inferred witnesses (who are probably now tsk'ing about what a bad mother she is).It also appears this is not the first time the child was seen playing inside of a vehicle while unsupervised.
Fucking gold.
Traz Blackwolfe (Retired)
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I could turn you inside out
What I choose not to do
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I could turn you inside out
What I choose not to do
Almost the same kind of situation happened to a man in Montreal a month ago i think, He was late for work and forgot to go drive his kid to the Day-care center and he left her in the car while he went to work.
When he got back, he noticed he left his kid there.. She was already dead and he took her to the hospital where they confirmed her death.
It's unfortunate, that's about all i am willing to say... for both situations
When he got back, he noticed he left his kid there.. She was already dead and he took her to the hospital where they confirmed her death.
It's unfortunate, that's about all i am willing to say... for both situations
65 Deceiver
then she lets her kid fucking roast in a car. sweet irony.A message posted on the bulletin board at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spousesagainsteverquest/ dated May 5 under the name of Christina Cordell says, "I feel sorry that people get wrapped up into this and destroy their relationships. I just hope that one day they will wake up before it's too late and realize they are alone with no real friends and their family is gone."
How I am reading the article and perhaps i am wrong is that the child was left unsupervised to the point the child was able to leave the house unnoticed and was playing in the car.. not that they were just left to play in the car..Ennia wrote:what I don't understand is why would anyone leave a 3 year old in the car playing? Playing with what?
Wouldn't she be better off running around the livingroom? Or any smaller room with stuff moved out of the way so she can't cause any harm to herself?
um we talking about a 3 year old
look here
either way it's sad for that little tot
I hope I'll never become so lethargic and stupid as to not know what my kid is doing and where.
look here
I can't imagine a 3 year old getting out of the building, opening a car in the parking lot, climbing in, closing door etc.Brianna was found dead in the front seat of her mother's car at about 3:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the apartment complex
either way it's sad for that little tot
I hope I'll never become so lethargic and stupid as to not know what my kid is doing and where.
Typical excuse for parents not to accept responsibilities. It is your fucking child, it is your damn job to raise it. Not the school's, teacher's, neighbor's or whoever's job. It is the parents'.So the child was witnessed playing, unsupervised, in the car, and yet she was left there playing, unsupervised, in the car by the inferred witnesses (who are probably now tsk'ing about what a bad mother she is).
I seem to have misstated my intent.
No doubt the mother was careless and should be called to judgement for her negligence. I never intended to debate that point, and I guess it's my bad for not stating that in the first place; I figured it went without saying.. Should I ever have children myself I expect that I will be one of those overprotective stifling parents that I had growing up...
"Sure sweetheart, you can go out on a date with your boyfriend...when you're 40. Also, I'll need to break his legs in advance, just in case he were to think of trying anything."
Anyhow, the point I was making the neighbor/witness/whatever will probably condemn the mother without a thought of "I could have done something, but didn't".
It may not be the responsibility of the village to raise the children anymore, but if I see my neighbor's kids doing something dangerous I sure as hell don't just go about my business and leave a potentially harmful situation to happen.
But hey, to each his own, right?
No doubt the mother was careless and should be called to judgement for her negligence. I never intended to debate that point, and I guess it's my bad for not stating that in the first place; I figured it went without saying.. Should I ever have children myself I expect that I will be one of those overprotective stifling parents that I had growing up...
"Sure sweetheart, you can go out on a date with your boyfriend...when you're 40. Also, I'll need to break his legs in advance, just in case he were to think of trying anything."
Anyhow, the point I was making the neighbor/witness/whatever will probably condemn the mother without a thought of "I could have done something, but didn't".
It may not be the responsibility of the village to raise the children anymore, but if I see my neighbor's kids doing something dangerous I sure as hell don't just go about my business and leave a potentially harmful situation to happen.
But hey, to each his own, right?
Traz Blackwolfe (Retired)
--------------------
I could turn you inside out
What I choose not to do
--------------------
I could turn you inside out
What I choose not to do
Stupid bitch, letting her daughter die for that important 1%? experience gained. Hope the l33t group she had was worth losing her daughter over.
Wait, no I don't hope anything for her, she now deserves to suffer knowing her own lack of self restraint caused her daughter to bake slowly to death.
I feel bad for the kid, really, dying from heat exhaustion or whatever it may be would be so shitty, especially if you were 3 and didn't understand a goddamn thing.
If only retards weren't allowed to play EQ and were forced in some way to suck upon their own ignorant cocks (or some other ignorant bastards for that matter) until the end of time.
Wait, no I don't hope anything for her, she now deserves to suffer knowing her own lack of self restraint caused her daughter to bake slowly to death.
I feel bad for the kid, really, dying from heat exhaustion or whatever it may be would be so shitty, especially if you were 3 and didn't understand a goddamn thing.
If only retards weren't allowed to play EQ and were forced in some way to suck upon their own ignorant cocks (or some other ignorant bastards for that matter) until the end of time.
