The Misery Machine - The Case of Heather Baynard

Starting point is 00:00:00 It is the absolute worst case of child neglect I've seen in my 15 and a half years as coroner of Cherokee County. In the United States, 70% of disabled people are exposed to violence. This is alarming and shows just how easily their mistreatment can go unnoticed. Now, consider today's story of a girl who had no ability to speak or advocate for herself, while her brother, who was being paid by the state to take care of her, was actively allowing her to die. and her parents, the ones who should have had her best interest in mind, were keeping her from her extended family and treating her like an inconvenience. Heather Leanne Bainard was born on June 6, 2007 to parents David Eugene and Bobby Joe Bainard.

Starting point is 00:00:45 She had a brother named Edward who was about six years older than her. Known fondly by the nicknames Princess, Feather, Wee Ann, or Kudzu girl, she was described by her family as the rainbow peccasus you never saw coming. Heather liked to travel and to be in the middle of the hustle and bustle of things. She loved pretty lights, colors, and watching Disney Jr. She enjoyed music, especially the work of comedian and musical satirist Mikey Mason. Defying the odds since birth, Heather deeply touched the lives of all who came across her path. And defy the odds she did, because when she was born, the doctor's,

Starting point is 00:01:24 told her parents that she likely wasn't going to survive. Heather had suffered a stroke in utero and was born premature at 28 weeks. But she pulled through, however, she had many health complications. She had cerebral palsy, chronic lung disease, and epilepsy, and regularly suffered from seizures because of it. She was on oxygen and used a wheelchair to get around, and she also had a tracheosomy and a feeding tube. According to reports, she had the brain development of a three-month-old. At first, doctors thought that Heather could be blind in death, but they eventually found that this was not the case. A big assumption people make when they see a person in a wheelchair like this is that they

Starting point is 00:02:06 believe they can't see or hear them or understand what is going on, but this is very much not the case. Just because they cannot talk to you doesn't mean they're unable to perceive the world around them. Unfortunately, it's likely that Heather would have been treated this way by those who didn't know her. Because of this, Heather's family said she treasured those who took the time to talk to her and was especially close with her father and brother.

Starting point is 00:02:32 At the time of our story, Heather was 14 years old and living with her family in Gaffney, known as the Peach Capital of South Carolina. In 2018, the Make-A-Wish Foundation sent her and her family to both Disney World in Orlando, Florida, in Disneyland, and Anaheim, California. Heather's brother Edward, who is a registered respite nurse and certified person, care assistant was tasked with taking care of her needs daily. Now, as we mentioned previously, Heather had cerebral palsy, and I think it's important to give a background on the condition for those unfamiliar. There are several different forms of cerebral palsy, and Heather had the most serious kind, which is referred to as spastic quadriplegia.

Starting point is 00:03:11 Spastic quadriplegia is caused by brain damage that occurs before, during, or shortly after birth. There can be multiple factors that could cause brain damage, but some of the most common ones are lack of oxygen. oxygen during labor and delivery and infections during pregnancy. In some cases, the death of a twin in utero can be a cause. For a twin that dies in utero, the surviving twins risk for cerebral palsy is increased considerably. In Heather's case, it was caused by the stroke that she suffered in utero and subsequent premature delivery. Individuals with spastic quadriplegia have difficulty with fine motor skills, gross motor skills,

Starting point is 00:03:48 and overall movement coordination. It impacts all four limbs, making it difficult to be difficult to be able to be able to to move and manipulate objects. This condition often comes with other developmental challenges, such as intellectual disabilities, seizure disorders, and vision or hearing problems, many of which Heather struggled with. We bring all of this up, not only to explain for those who are unfamiliar, but to shine a light on just how much she relied on Edward as her caregiver and the extent of which he was responsible for what we're about to share later. Edward had been employed through Access Home Care and made an excess of $25,000 over the course of 18 months in that role.

Starting point is 00:04:26 This was an entry-level position that one could obtain after 10 hours of training both online and in-person. Except, Edward wasn't doing his job and no one from Access Home Care was checking in on Heather due to the 2020 lockdowns. In fact, in the last years of her life, the Bainard family canceled all of Heather's doctor's appointments. They also stopped letting her extended family see her due to alleged pandemic-related fears for, so they claimed. On April 11, 2022, David and Bobby Joe Bainard brought Heather to the Spartanburg Regional Medical Center in critical condition. 14-year-old Heather was described as listless and unresponsive, and her skin was gray and cold to the touch. According to observers, David was carrying his daughter like a sack.

Starting point is 00:05:15 of potatoes, and neither parent showed any bit of urgency to emergency room staff. It was noted that once she was finally in the care of medical professionals, David apparently sat in the waiting room scrolling on his phone, seemingly annoyed, and overall gave off an attitude to bystanders of being massively inconvenienced by having to bring his dying daughter to the hospital. Sadly, there wasn't anything that doctors could do for Heather. Although efforts were made to revive her, it was pretty clear to everyone that she had already been dead for some time. Or into the hospital staff that worked on her, they had never seen anyone in such horrid shape. In fact, some were recorded as saying that it would have been better

Starting point is 00:05:57 if Heather would have been killed swiftly instead of enduring such a terrible, long-lasting suffering. At autopsy, it was reported that Heather's body showed extreme signs of disintegration. Underneath a blood-soaked beanie was just patches of matted hair. Her teeth were rotted and her ears were packed thick with wax. Heather was covered in cuts, bruises, and bite marks from insects and rodents alike. She'd been left stewing in her own waist for so long that she'd developed an extreme form of diaper rash. Her legs were described as looking like raw hamburger or like she had been dipped into a vat of acid. When her lungs were examined, they were full of post-duda pneumonia that had gone untreated for a prolonged period.

Starting point is 00:06:44 of time. It was also so constipated that the contents of our bowels had solidified. 14-year-old Heather Bainard had essentially rotted to death from the inside out due to lack of oxygen, pressure ulcers, rampant infection, and improper hygiene. According to coroner, Dennis Fowler, it was very clear and obvious to me once I began my examination of this handicapped child that there had been severe neglect from the caregivers. He said it was the absolute worst case of child neglect he had ever seen, and that the teenager had been neglected for many, many months. He'd later go on to testify that it was clear that Heather's needs had been neglected for at least a full year. When asked what happened to Heather, Bobby Joe told the hospital staff that she noticed that her daughter's oxygen levels got down to 30%, so she put her in a bathtub in an attempt to stimulate her.

Starting point is 00:07:38 For reference, a normal oxygen level is between 95 to 100%. If you ever had your doctor clip a pulse oxymeter to your finger during an exam, that's what it's measuring. Anything under 90% would be considered hypoxemia or a low level of oxygen. Hypoxemia isn't an illness or a condition. It's simply a problem tied to breathing or blood flow. Heather didn't need to be dunked in cold water because remember, she had a tracheostomy. If any of this was even true, which it probably was. All Bobby Joe needed to do was turn her oxygen up.

Starting point is 00:08:11 Putting her in a bathtub would do absolutely nothing for her. Local authorities obtained a search warrant and swarmed the Bainard home on Camp Ferry Road the following day, looking for any clues as to what might have caused Heather's injuries. What they found was a house of horrors that shocked their minds and senses. Authorities found 40 flea-infested animals living inside the home, and a noxious smell that was enough to make the paint peel off the walls. Donning respirators and safety suits, the responding officers waited their way in through the horde, which was piled high with trash, infested with flies, mackets, cockroaches, and rodents

Starting point is 00:08:51 that were the size of small dogs. There was not a single space that didn't have junk piled up feet high. This included the filthy crib in which Heather was forced to live. According to Cherokee County's share of Steve Mew. In the home, the dogs contributed to the deplorable conditions. A lot of feces in the home, both from the cats and the dogs, urine, which created a huge ammonia-type smell. In May of 2022, 55-year-old David, 44-year-old Bobby Joe, and 21-year-old Edward were arrested in charge with Heather's murder. They were also charged on counts of CA, neglect, and animal abuse. All of the 40

Starting point is 00:09:32 animals recovered from the Bainard home were infested with fleas and worms and were severely malnourished. Two puppies that were discovered in the horde had to be euthanized due their condition, and sadly, one was found already dead inside the home. According to one source, the dead dog was found inside of Heather's crib. In the wake of the arrest, extended family and friends spoke with news for about Heather, telling reporters. The child's aunt, Rebecca, remembers when she got the news of her passing. I just remember being shot. just the state of confusion. I didn't understand. The family has requested that we not show their faces,

Starting point is 00:10:10 but they want people to know about that child, Heather Bernard. Amy, a close family friend says she was a fighter. Heather has been a miracle since the day she was born. Amy says Heather Bernard had a stroke in utero, as well as a premature birth, which led to a lifetime of complications. Which caused severe cerebral pausing, and she did not see well. There was, years that we thought or didn't know if she could hear at all or if she could see it all and then we

Starting point is 00:10:40 found out she could. Amy says the doctors did not think Heather would make it, but she defied all the odds against her after countless surgeries as the years went on. Seeing her stimulation from things like lots and sounds from around her. So that's how we just always communicated with her, was, you know, enjoying those moments of when she actually responded to things. Another aunt, Jessica, says a few years ago she had emergency custody of of Heather for a while and following that she seemed healthy but within the last few years they were told by the bernards they weren't allowed to see Heather due to her quote being high risk for COVID they would bring her to the birthday parties and for our other nieces and nephews

Starting point is 00:11:20 and while you're saying happy birthday she just grim and look around Jessica says in a way Heather provided inspiration and motivation to fight during her own battles in life But knowing that my niece was a fighter and that she fought through it all, it gives you your own reason to go. Because if she can't, why can't you? In August of 2023, Heather's aunts, Rebecca and Jessica Melton, filed a lawsuit against the three state-run agencies for not doing their part to prevent their niece's death. A new lawsuit says the state of South Carolina could and should have taken action to save Heather Bainard. Filed by Heather's two aunts, it says three state-run departments failed their niece. The Department of Social Services, the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Starting point is 00:12:13 According to the lawsuit, DSS took Heather into emergency protective custody twice before her death. Once when she was a baby, and again in 2016, when the family home was infested with roaches. The lawsuit says DSS was supposed to do weekly visits for the next three years. But during that time, Heather was hospitalized for pneumonia and sepsis. In 2020, DDSN and HHS got involved offering Heather Medicaid services. The aunts say they dropped the ball too. Their service providers were supposed to conduct in-person visits at least once every six months. But they failed to.

Starting point is 00:12:53 Meanwhile, conditions at the Baynard home got worse. To the point that investigators had to wear special protective gear that our cameras captured at the scene back in 2022. Waking up and being in that environment every single morning, to me, it's unfathable. In this photo, Heather sits in a high chair. In this one, that same high chair is seen encased in filth. The lawsuit says as a result of being exposed to such horrible conditions, Heather suffered and her condition progressively deteriorated. to the point that she became completely unresponsive on April 11th, 2022.

Starting point is 00:13:32 The four-day trial began on October 28th, 20204 and was presided over by circuit court judge R. Keith Kelly. All three of the Bainards were prosecuted by Seventh Circuit Solicitor Barry J. Barnett and assistant solicitor Jennifer Jordan. Solicitor Barnett told the court that nobody in this world, especially a child with special needs, should have to go through anything like this. It was horrible. Heather was left to rot to death. He continued gesturing to the Bainard family, the suffering that she went through, not for a minute, not for an hour, not for a day, but for weeks. Ladies and gentlemen, if that's not malice, I don't know what is.

Starting point is 00:14:11 And to have that little girl in that situation where she can escape, she's totally dependent on them. On October 31st, 2024, David and Bobby Joe Bainard were found guilty on all counts. They were sentenced to life in prison for murder, 20 years for infliction of great bodily injury to a child, and 10 years for unlawful child neglect, all of which were to be served consecutively. Edward Bainard, who was supposed to be caring for his sister, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder, as well as the aforementioned sentences that both his parents received on the lesser charges. Edward's sentences were to be run concurrently. The Bainard family has managed to keep busy while in prison and have seemingly kept their noses clean. David is currently serving his sentence at the McCormick Correctional Institution, where he's held the positions of wardkeeper and commissary operations helper. Bobby Joe is serving her sentence at the Leith Correctional Institution in Greenwood County, where she's a wardkeeper's assistant.

Starting point is 00:15:07 Edward is serving his sentence at the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopsville, where much like his parents, he's a wardkeeper assistant. Heather's story reminds us of another case that we discussed back in May of 2022, and that was the case of Lacey Ellen Fletcher. We'll be sure to link our coverage of her case in the PINCOM and description for you and we'll provide you with a quick recap in case you're unfamiliar with her story. Lacey was a 36-year-old autistic woman from Slaughter, Louisiana, who was living with her parents, Clay and Sheila Fletcher. Born on November 25, 1985, Lacey was bullied in school and was subsequently withdrawn and homeschooled. The Fletchers were known to complain about their daughter,

Starting point is 00:15:49 stating that they had not wanted to become caregivers when they became parents. On January 3, 2022, Clay and Sheila called 911 to report that they had found their daughter Lacey dead on their couch, and that was the understatement of the year. According to reports, Lacey's cognitive health began to decline, which led to her not being able to leave the house by the time she was 24 years old. But instead of seeking medical care for their adult daughter, Clay and Sheila left Lacey on brown leather couch, and that is where she remained for the next 12 years. The Fletcher household was very neat and well-capped, all aside from the couch that would become

Starting point is 00:16:30 Lacey's prison. Instead of taking her to the bathroom, Clay and Sheila would just have Lacey's soil herself. Afterwards, they would attempt to clean her with towels. It was all very strange as a small gray commode and wipes would later be located next to the couch. As Lacey couldn't eat properly, her body began to waste away. Her muscles atrophied and her filthy clothing hung from her body. When Clay and Sheila wanted to go on vacation, they would simply leave Lacey alone on the couch for days at a time with nobody to look after her.

Starting point is 00:17:02 Soon the area would become infested with vermin such as mice, rats, flies, and maggots. There were signs that Lacey had attempted to lift herself from the couch to avoid the pain she was suffering, but her body just couldn't handle it. There were also signs that she had attempted to consterns, her own bodily waste. When first responders arrived at Clay and Sheila's home, they didn't just find Lacey dead on the couch. Lacey had become fused to the couch and had essentially melted through

Starting point is 00:17:29 it. Coroner Dr. Ewell Bickham was called to the scene after a horrified sheriff's deputy reported back with their findings. The scene within the living room was so gruesome that even Dr. Bickham, a seasoned coroner, was severely affected by the state that he found Lacey in. He's been quoted as saying that he couldn't eat and had crying fits for a full week straight. According to the coroner, Lacey was found partially clothed in an ill-fitting blue checkered top. She was sitting cross-legged the way most folks do when they want to get comfortable. Her top lip was curled upward, exposing her teeth. She was infested with insects, covered with insect bites, and her hair had become knotted and matted.

Starting point is 00:18:13 Lacey was completely covered from head to toe in her ear. own filth. While paramedics declared that Lacey died at the scene, Dr. Bickham determined she had died 24 to 48 hours earlier due to the state of decomposition. However, due the condition of her body, it was difficult to tell. Her backside was so black and deformed that you could barely discern what it was. Autopsy reports indicated that Lacey's cause of death stemmed from severe medical neglect. This led to chronic malnutrition, acute starvation, immobility, acute ulcer formation, osteomyelitis, which is a bone infection, and finally resulted in sepsis. She was also reportedly suffering from bacterial infections and tested positive for a virus. She weighed 96 pounds at her time of death, and evidence led investigators to believe that Lacey had been on the couch for at least 12 years.

Starting point is 00:19:12 Lacey's death was officially ruled as a homicide due to severe neglect. Citizens of slaughter were shocked when word got out about what had happened in their small town and who had committed the crime. After all, Clay and Sheila Fletcher didn't seem like the type of folks that had it in them to put their daughter through such a hellish existence. Sheila was a court clerk in the nearby city of Baker and more recently an assistant to the city prosecutor and Zachary. She was also on Slaughter's board of aldermen and directly served the mayor. Clay Fletcher was an officer of a nonprofit called Baton Rouge Civil War Roundtable. But the biggest shocker of all was the fact that most of the residents of Slaughter had no idea that Clay and Sheila even had a daughter. On May 2nd, 22, hundreds of graphic images of Lacey and the scene of her death were shown to a grand jury in nearby Clinton, Louisiana, during a closed-door hearing that press were not allowed to,

Starting point is 00:20:08 attend. The violent photos convinced the 12-member committee to charge Sheila and Clay Fletcher with second-degree homicide, which carried a possible sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Two were arrested and released after 36 hours on $300,000 bond each. In February of 2024, Clay and Sheila Fletcher entered a no-contest plea for the lesser charge of manslaughter. They were sentenced on March 20th of the same year to 40 years each in prison, with 20 years suspended in five years supervised probation. We bring Lacey's case up not only to provide an update, but to highlight that it's not just small children

Starting point is 00:20:45 that manage to fall through the cracks. Disabled people have a 50% increased risk of violence compared to those without disabilities because of their need for continuous support, inability to defend themselves, and reduce communication abilities. According to a national survey in the United States, 70% of disabled people have been exposed to violence

Starting point is 00:21:05 and 90% have been mistreated on multiple occasions. Lacey's funeral was held on January 11th, 2022, at Baker Funeral Home in Baker, Louisiana. She was laid to rest beneath a simple headstone at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, also in Baker. Heather's funeral was held on April 24th, 2022, at the Harris-Neddo mortuary in Chapel in Chesney, South Carolina. In lieu of flowers,

Starting point is 00:21:35 mourners were asked to make donations in Heather's name to the Make a Wish Foundation, either that, or to plan a flower garden, or to simply go on an adventure down an unknown road.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Heather Baynard

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