Murder of Michele LeAnn Morgan
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Michelle Morgan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michelle LeAnn Morgan July 20, 1957 |
| Died | August 11, 1961 (aged 4) |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
Michelle LeAnn Morgan (July 20, 1957 – August 11, 1961) was a 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.[1]
Events
Early child abuse
Michelle 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 the hospital, including one in which she was hospitalized for a month.[1]
Murder
On August 9, 1961, Mary held Michelle under water and stomped her violently believing she had lied about something. These actions were seen by Michelle's brother, George. At dinner Michelle threw up blood clots; the next day she succumbed to her internal injuries. An autopsy was conducted by the pathologist at the army base where the Morgans lived, and the cause of the death was found to be massive trauma to the chest.[1] Due to a technical error, the report was not completed until some time later when an inexperienced coroner marked the cause of death as pneumonia, and that it had occurred in 1976. The local prosecutor never pursued the case.[1]
Revelations
By 1996, George Morgan had been serving time in prison for rape. That year he decided to research his family genealogy and was surprised when he viewed his sister's death certificate. He recalled the circumstances surrounding her death and was sure it was not due to pneumonia and that it occurred 15 years before 1976.[1]
Morgan then corresponded with Deputy Coroner Bob Shay and revealed to him how Michelle's death really occurred. Shay subsequently got the case reopened. Investigators discovered the original autopsy report and Michelle's hospital record that showed multiple visits. To get further evidence, Michelle's remains were exhumed. Though the body had been buried for over 30 years, it still showed the marks of brutal child abuse. George Morgan's claims were thus substantiated.[1]
Prosecution
Mary Morgan was tracked down in West Columbia, Texas and initially denied the allegations leveled at 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.[1]
In the years after Michelle's death, Mary had raised four children. Hospital records showed that all four had collectively visited the hospital over 150 times for medical care before the age of five.[1]