How Could You? Hall of Shame-Tammy Andrews

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Gila County, Arizona, adoptive mother Tammy Andrews, 40, was sentenced to a slightly aggravated term of 8.5 years in prison. “Andrews previously pleaded guilty to an amended charge of attempted kidnapping – a class-3 felony and dangerous crime against children; child abuse – a class-3 felony that involved the risk of death or serious injury; child abuse – a class-4 felony; and child abuse – a class-5 felony.

She must serve at least 85 percent of her sentence before she is eligible for parole.”

“Andrews was booked into the Graham County Jail on Feb. 24, 2010, after her adopted son accused her of repeated abuse.

The 10-year-old child accused Andrews of numerous abuses, including tying him up with string and/or chains, refusing to feed him if he defecated or urinated while tied up, and repeated physical abuse, including being hit with a baseball bat and a hammer, stabbed with a knife and shot with a BB gun.

Chief Deputy County Attorney L. Scott Bennett requested the judge sentence Andrews to the maximum term of 10 years and noted the defendant showed a lack of remorse.”

“In his rationale for the plea agreement, Bennett stated the only reason the state offered the plea was to spare the victim the horrors of testifying in front of his attacker.”

“Judge Duber said it was clear that the victim suffered long-time abuses at the hand of Andrews. He said the abuse was chronic and over a lengthy period of time. He said an additional aggravator was the fact Andrews removed the child from the supervision of others, such as public schooling, because it showed how she planned to conceal her abuse.

According to a pre-sentence report made by a probation department, Andrews’ “primary concern was not what was done to this child” but the embarrassment she received as a result of her actions.

Bennett also pointed out that in a letter on her behalf from her pastor, the pastor said Andrews looked him in the eye and denied all the allegations against her.

He added that the case was more than “he said, she said” because the police found the hidden bat and hammer with the child’s blood on it, along with the chains the victim said would be there.

“If there is anyone here who doubts the child’s account of being struck with a bat, being struck with a hammer and being chained, they simply refuse to acknowledge reality,” Judge Duber said.

The judge said the facts in the case assured him that there was no question Andrews committed the atrocities.

“Anyone here who walks out and says they still believe you are innocent still believes Osama bin Laden is alive,” Duber said. ”

More about this case can be found at Pound Pup Legacy Tammy Andrews Files.

Tammy Andrews sentenced to 8.5 years
[Eastern Arizona Courier 5/11/11 by Jon Johnson]

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