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Murder of Michele LeAnn Morgan

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Michele LeAnn Morgan
Born
Michele LeAnn Morgan

(1957-07-20)July 20, 1957
Mascoutah, Illinois
DiedAugust 11, 1961(1961-08-11) (aged 4)
Mascoutah, Illinois
Cause of deathBeating
Resting placeO'Fallon City Cemetery, O'Fallon, Illinois
Known forBeing a victim of child abuse resulting in death
Parent(s)Bill Morgan (father)
Mary "Rae" Morgan (stepmother)

Michele LeAnn Morgan[1][2][3][4] (July 20, 1957 – August 11, 1961) was an American child abuse victim who was murdered by her stepmother at the age of four. Her story was documented on an episode of Cold Case Files.[5][6]

Abuse

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Michele suffered multiple injuries to the chest and back, a broken nose, burns on her skin, and a broken arm before the age of four at the hands of her stepmother, Mary Rae. These led to over 20 visits to a hospital, including one in which she was hospitalized for a month.[7]

Murder

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On August 9, 1961, Mary held Michele under water and stomped her violently, believing that the child had lied about something. These actions were seen by Michele's older brother, George. At dinner, Michele vomited blood clots.[8] The next day she died of her internal injuries. An autopsy was conducted by the pathologist at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, near where the Morgans lived and Michele's father, a USAF airman, was stationed, the cause of death was found to be massive trauma to the chest.

The autopsy report was not completed until 15 years later, when the coroner listed the cause of death as pneumonia. The local prosecutor never pursued the case.

Disclosure

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In 1996, George Morgan (Michele's older brother) was serving time in prison for rape. That year, he decided to research his family genealogy and was surprised when he saw his sister's death certificate. He recalled the circumstances surrounding her death and was certain that it was not caused by pneumonia — and that it had occurred in 1961, not in 1976.[9]

Morgan then corresponded with County Coroner Rick Stone and disclosed to him how Michele's death really occurred. Stone subsequently reopened the case and Michele's body was exhumed. Though the body had been buried for over 30 years, it still showed the marks of brutal child abuse.[10] Investigators discovered the original autopsy report and Michele's hospital record, which showed multiple visits.[11] George Morgan's claims were thus substantiated.

Prosecution

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Mary Morgan was tracked down in West Columbia, Texas, and initially denied the allegations leveled against her. She then attempted to flee the country but was caught and placed under arrest. She eventually pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to five years in prison and was released in 2001.

In the years after Michele's death, Mary raised four children. Hospital records showed that the four of them had collectively visited the hospital over 150 times for medical care before the age of five.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Woman Arrested, Charged In 1961 Death Of Girl, 4". tribunedigital-orlandosentinel. Archived from the original on 2016-04-25. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  2. ^ "A Stepmother Faces Charges In 1961 Death". The New York Times. 1996-12-08. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2016-04-23. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  3. ^ ""Photo of Girl, 4, Could Solve Murder" by Robert Goodrich Of the Post-Dispatch - St Louis Post-Dispatch (MO), September 2, 1996". Archived from the original on 2016-04-24. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  4. ^ "Star-News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Archived from the original on 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  5. ^ "Watch Through The Eyes Of A Child / Killer Next Door Full Episode - Cold Case Files Classic | A&E". A&E. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  6. ^ "Cold Case Files | Season 1, Episode 6 Through Eyes of a Child; The Killer Next Door". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  7. ^ "Step-daughter died in 1961 Scots motheradmits killing child". HeraldScotland. Herald & Times Group. 29 October 1998. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Stepmother Charged In 1961 Death". BELLEVILLE, Ill.: The Seattle Times. Associated Press. 8 December 1996. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  9. ^ "Woman Charged in 1961 Slaying of 4-Year-Old Stepdaughter". www.apnewsarchive.com. BELLEVILLE, ILL: Associated Press. 21 October 1998. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  10. ^ HUNDSDORFER, BETH (12 November 2016). "Rick Stone, St. Clair County coroner since 1984, dies | Belleville News-Democrat". www.bnd.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  11. ^ "After 35 Years, Stepmother Charged In Murder Of Girl, 4". From Tribune News Services. BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS: Chicago Tribune. 8 December 1996. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
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