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Florida Mother Arrested For Daughter's Python Death
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by Rory Cripps | August 29, 2009 at 10:01 am
883 views | 28 Recommendations | 8 comments
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A Florida mother was recently arrested for the death of her two year old daughter. The little girl's death was the result of the family pet, an albino Burmese python, crawling into her crib and wrapping itself around the girl. The mother was charged with third degree murder and child abuse.
Snakes are becoming increasingly popular as pets throughout America. This week, a Florida man was busted for having eight pythons without proper documentation. And in spite of increased calls to ban private citizens from having pythons, there is concern that if a ban were put into effect, thousands of pythons would be let loose into the wilds causing further problems.
OXFORD — This is how 2-year-old Shaiunna Hare died: The little girl was slowly crushed to death by an 8 ½-foot albino Burmese python that crept into her crib, coiled around the child and bit her again and again as it squeezed the life out of her.
This is who authorities now blame for Shaiunna's death: her own mother.
Jaren Hare and her live-in boyfriend, Charles Darnell, were arrested Monday on charges of third-degree murder, manslaughter and child abuse.
The morning Shaiunna died, the boyfriend awoke to find the pet snake missing from its enclosure.
It was not the first time. Just hours before, Darnell had found the snake loose in the living room, he later told investigators.
He said he put the snake in a sack, covered the terrarium with a quilt and tied it down with string.
When Darnell awoke again, the python was again missing.
This time, authorities said, he found it in Shaiunna's room, wrapped around the child.
Darnell stabbed the snake with a knife and meat cleaver. It let go of Shaiunna and slithered away.
"The baby's dead," a sobbing Darnell told a 911 operator. "Our stupid snake got out in the middle of the night and strangled the baby."
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Rory Cripps
New Port Richey, Florida, United States
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Recommendations (28)
Amy Judd
Vancouver, Canada
Rhonda J Mangus
North Tonawanda, New York, United States
Susan Marie Kovalinsky
Ledgewood, New Jersey, United States
Barry ORegan
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (8)
at 10:06 on August 29th, 2009
Wow this is a terrible story, how tragic. I can't even imagine the pain that poor girl must have been in. I can't understand that if someone feels they desperately need to own a wild animal for a pet, that they don't take all the precautions necessary to contain it, but personally I don't think exotic animals should ever be pets.
at 10:26 on August 29th, 2009
Amy: Thanks! Many of these people down here in Florida that have snakes as pets are bad news. They are often on all combination of drugs and alcohol and have had run-ins with the law before. Charges ranging from drug dealing to domestic violence and child abuse. There seems to be a snake culture developing in America. I've noticed it throughout the past decade and it gives me the creeps. If anyone in Florida is interested in snakes, all that they have to do is take a walk in the swamps or out in the woods. I can walk into my own backyard and spot a snake or two at any time. I try to keep them out of my house.
at 15:00 on August 29th, 2009
What are people thinking having a python in the house with a baby, the twits!
at 15:25 on August 29th, 2009
Barry: That's the problem! They don't think!
at 16:27 on August 29th, 2009
This is a tragic story. I think the parents are guilty of negligence and foolishnes, but I would not call it murder. They made an effort to secure the snake. I simply think it is absurd to keep a pet like that in the house ( they belong out in the wilds, or in a backyard enclosure). And with an infant in the house, it is ludicrous. But I still think it is tragic, all the way around. The snake was only following instinct. No one should keep such a pet. Thanks for posting. Too, too sad, though. :(
at 14:42 on September 22nd, 2009
Seems nobody reads the dictionary. Snakes can not be pets by Webster. I quote " An animal that is tamed or domesticated and kept as a companion or treated with fondness." You can not tame primitive and even some higher animals. I find it hard to believe any one could have a snake as a companion or treat it with reciprocating fondness!
at 15:18 on September 22nd, 2009
CorkyMoo: I'm with you 100%! I can't figure it out either and I know a number of people with "pet" snakes!
at 23:08 on November 20th, 2009
It's honestly rediculous that a mother is charger with murder over this. Snakes only account for a small fractions of deaths of children due to so called "companion" animals. I'm more worried of my dogs killing someone than my 10ft burmese python. People really are afraid of the unknown.