DEATH * BY * METH

This is dedicated to Travis Holappa who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered on July 25, 2004 in Northern Minnesota. This was all due to meth. I am Travis' mother and I wish to make this devastation turn into a better thing by educating and exposing the truth about meth, the dangers, and the deadly consequences it brings about to individuals and communities.

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Location: Colorado, United States

I want to do what I can to educate people about what is going on around the world with the meth problem. I want people to know about it BEFORE they even get the idea to want to try it. It is a dangerous drug and will ruin your life as well as all those who love you. I am on a mission on behalf of my only son, Travis.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Baby's parents expected to blame each other for abuse (Tennessee)

Wife admits neglect; more haunting photos expected today when she takes stand

By JAMIE SATTERFIELD, satterfield@knews.com
Three-month-old Lex Arson Tallant had two caretakers.
One of them broke 18 of his ribs, three of them twice, and fractured his arm and his leg in the days before his death.

One of them created an ugly patchwork of bruises, cuts, scrapes and burns on his body.

One of them attacked him on the day he died, breaking five more of his ribs and striking him in the head with such force that his brain swelled.

His mother will take the witness stand today in Knox County Criminal Court to point the finger of blame at the boy's father for a slaying deemed the most horrific instance of child abuse ever investigated in Knoxville.

Her husband will point the finger of blame right back at her.

Sarah Tallant, 30, comes to the witness stand bearing the weight of the state's case against her husband, Blake Delaney Tallant, 33, who is standing trial this week for Lex's slaying. Blake Tallant faces three murder charges and a possible sentence of life without parole if convicted.

Knoxville Police Department Officer Krista Sheppard and KPD Investigator Ken Slagle told jurors Tuesday what they saw when they arrived at the couple's Knott Road house on Aug. 14, 2002. Through the officers' testimony, prosecutors Steve Garrett and Marsha Mitchell tried to paint a portrait of a hysterically worried mother and an unconcerned father.

The pair of prosecutors used testimony from Murray K. Marks, a forensic anthropologist and associate professor at the University of Tennessee, to plant in jurors' minds graphic images of suffering that the baby endured.

Marks testified that 18 of Lex's ribs had been broken as early as two weeks before his death. Three of those ribs showed two prior fractures. Five of the baby's six remaining ribs showed signs of fresh breaks at the time of his death, Marks said.

Prior fractures of bones in the baby's arm and leg went untreated, Marks said.

"The bone was broken," he said. "It was never set."

Darinka Mileusnic, a forensic pathologist in the Knox County Medical Examiner's Office, will serve up today even more haunting snapshots of the broken bones, bruises, brain swelling, cuts, tears, burns and scrapes she documented on Lex's body. She will tell jurors that the baby also had pneumonia, and methamphetamine was found in his bloodstream, Mitchell said.

But none of those witnesses can tell jurors who committed these horrors on this 3-month-old.

Prosecutors are looking to Sarah Tallant to do that.

Knox County Public Defender Mark Stephens on Tuesday scrawled a proverbial bulls-eye on her chest in opening statements, making it clear that Blake Tallant's defense will center in large part on tossing guilty arrows right back at his wife.

Mitchell revealed in opening statements that Knox County District Attorney General Randy Nichols has inked a deal with Sarah Tallant in which she will receive a 20-year prison term. She will be eligible for parole after spending a third of that sentence behind bars.

"She does admit she is guilty of neglect," Mitchell told jurors.

Stephens contended in his opening statements that Sarah Tallant did more than neglect her son. She killed him and is lying about it to save herself, Stephens said.

"She's agreed to testify because the state bought her testimony," Stephens said. "Sarah Tallant has made several statements. Repeatedly, she has told us that a number of things she told the police were not true. Those things that were true she grossly exaggerated."

Stephens characterized Sarah Tallant as a methamphetamine addict and harried mother trying to take care of the couple's 3-year-old son and Lex with no help from her husband, also a methamphetamine user.

"She resented the fact that she had her hands full," he said. "She will tell you she took meth every single day she was pregnant. She will tell you she took it twice on the day Lex died."

Jamie Satterfield may be reached at 865-342-6308.


I am unsure if this child was 3 months old or 3 years old as the author of this article has written both ages. I called her number but have been unable to reach her for clarification. Either way, this story breaks your heart in a million pieces. Kim

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_4596195,00.html

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lex was 3 months old, I know Blake and I also know he did not do this the mother sarah is lying and she is an addict she is an aweful person

Thursday, April 06, 2006 9:18:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The post clarifies this point:

trying to take care of the couple's 3-year-old son and Lex

This suggests that they had two sons, one three years old, and Lex, who was three months old.

Anonymous:

I'm sure that people who know her would say the same thing back.

As far as I'm concerned, the person who let this happen to a child is just as guilty as the one who did it, it's too bad they can't lock them both up until the crows come to pick at their rotten bones.

Friday, April 07, 2006 6:09:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

in case you didnt hear it all blake was gone for a week until 30 min before the 911 call

Saturday, April 08, 2006 9:57:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Does it really matter whose responsible for this childs death? They both deserve the death penalty because he died in her care. What monsters!

I say they both should be put to death and any parent who is using meth needs to have their kids taken away from them permanently!

Who needs these monsters in society anyway?

Sunday, April 09, 2006 12:51:00 AM  

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