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Florida Couple Found Guilty After Pet Python Strangles Girl

It took the jury less than two hours to find Jaren Hare and her boyfriend Charles Darnel guilty on all charges in the death of Hare's young daughter, who was killed by their pet python.

They were found guilty of third-degree murder, manslaughter and child abuse. Hare's 2-year-old daughter, Shaianna, was killed by the pet Burmese python two years ago, when the snake escaped from its enclosure and strangled the girl in her crib. The snake's tank was only equipped with a quilt for a lid.

The jury rejected the defense's argument that this was simply a terrible accident. The jury foreperson did not want to be identified but offered insight into how the verdict was reached.

"Even under the most remote circumstances, it was possible that the child could be injured. And it was their duty to make sure that there was no possibility that a 2-year-old would be bitten or in any way harmed… We feel extremely upset about having to make this decision, but we believe it was the correct one," the foreperson told the ABC News Tampa Bay affiliate.

After the verdict was read out, Darnell tried to comfort his sobbing girlfriend. The two could face up to 45 years in prison. Darnell will likely face more time than Hare because he has six prior felony convictions. They had been offered a plea deal for 10 years in prison, but turned it down.

Assistant State Attorney Pete Magrino showed the jury two photos of Shaianna, one where she was a smiling, happy child and another showing her lifeless body with bite marks on her face. He pointed at the couple and argued to the jury that "the snake is not at fault in this case. It's a wild animal. The responsibility for the death of that child is those defendants right there."

Hare's mother testified for the state, saying she warned her daughter about the dangers of having the snake and even offered to buy it and keep it at her home and in a locked enclosure.

Hare's defense attorney, Ismael Solis, argued that Gypsy, the 8-foot-6 inch snake, had been a family pet for five years and had always been docile. "If you have children around the house and it's a venomous snake and you don't put a secure lid on a venomous snake and it gets out and bits one of the kids, you should be punished. But Gypsy was a gentle snake," Solis said during the trial.

Darnell's attorney argued, "He is not guilty of manslaughter. He is not guilty of murder. He's not guilty of neglecting that child. He is guilty of making a stupid decision and having a stupid pet.

Rollover Crash Kills Baker City Teen | Oregon Accident Attorneys ...

Names: Kayla Petty, Kasey Knaus, Jeffery Givens, Katirah Huff

A 17-year-old girl was killed and three other Baker High School students were seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash when their car rolled over as they drove back from an overnight camping trip, according to an Oregon State Police press release .

The tragic end to the spring break trip came around 1:20 PM, on Highway 7 near Sumpter, Oregon. Kasey Knaus, 16, attempted to turn, and the car he was driving drifted into the loose gravel on the side of the road. Knaus tried to steer the car back onto the highway, but lost control. The car rolled before it came to rest on the opposite side of the guardrail, ejecting Knaus and two of the three passengers.

Middle rear passenger Kayla Petty, 17, was ejected; she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Left rear passenger Jeffery Givens, 18, was also ejected and suffered serious injuries. He was first taken to a Baker City hospital, then airlifted to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho.

Passenger Katirah Huff, 15, was not ejected, but was seriously injured. She was transported by ambulance to St. Elizabeth Health Services in Baker City.

Knaus, the driver, who was ejected, had non-life-threatening injuries and was also taken to St. Elizabeth.

All four teens are from Baker City.

Comments on OregonLive.com and other sites were full of grief and anguish for Kayla’s young life, along with many prayers for those who were injured: “I am so sorry for the family and friends of Kayla Petty, as well as those who were injured in this crash,” wrote one commenter. Another wrote, “Kayla I love you and I miss you with all my heart. You didn’t deserve this, none of you did.”

We, too, would like to offer our prayers to Kayla’s family and friends. It is so hard to lose a beloved daughter, a caring friend, a dear family member. It is much, much harder when the victim is someone so young, with so much ahead of her. We also want to send special thoughts to Kasey, Jeffery, and Katirah, and we hope their hospital stay is a short one and their recovery complete.

Many people tend to think a single-car accident is always the driver’s fault. However, this is not always the case, and the law looks at many things. An investigation might turn up a number of factors. Perhaps poor road conditions caused the Oregon car crash. For all we know, there may have been a large pothole that has already caused three accidents, or maybe there’s a blind curve and the warning sign is missing. If that is the case, there may be a lawsuit against the city, county, or state . Such a lawsuit would allow the injured person to receive compensation and, we hope, prevent future accidents.

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