The Injustice of Baby Grace

by Stacy Dittrich

If, after you read this post, you don’t have at least one tear in your eye, become angry, or get a chill and a lump in your throat, please don’t refer to yourself as a human being. In the hype, speculation, and focus of the Caylee Anthony case, little to no attention has been paid to Baby Grace. You remember her, right? The two year old, later identified as Riley Ann Sawyers (pictured left), was found stuffed into a plastic container and dumped into Galveston Bay. When the remains were located in October 2007, the investigators could only refer to her as “Baby Grace.” By the time she was identified, it didn’t take long for the vile details of her death to surface after her mother and her boyfriend were arrested for Riley’s murder. The capital murder trial for Riley’s mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor (20), began last week in Galveston, Texas.

During the trial, Kimberly calmly testified before sobbing jurors exactly what happened on the day of Riley’s death. Prepare Yourself.

Kimberly’s boyfriend, Royce Clyde Zeigler II (25), decided that little Riley needed more discipline. On July 25, 2007, Royce stayed home from work for the sole purpose of instilling "respect" into the toddler. Beginning in the morning, Kimberly and Royce (pictured right with Riley) beat Riley with a leather belt—so hard that Royce’s shoulder hurt—before shoving her face into a pillow. Then, they repeatedly dunked her head into a tub filled with cold water. When Riley couldn't stand up—her legs black and blue from the beatings—Royce began to violently throw her across the room after dragging her by the hair. According to Kimberly’s own testimony, she was able to hear the back of Riley’s skull crack when it hit the tile floor. This torture and abuse lasted all day long. What, according to Kimberly, did Riley repeatedly say to her during the abuse and ultimately became her last words? “I love you, Mommy.”

Feel free to grab a Kleenex.

You're quite a man, Royce Zeigler. . . . I truly hope you get what's coming to you in prison. That will be justice. The suffering and pain this innocent baby endured during the last several hours of her life is indescribable. Any prudent person would believe that a crime as horrific as this that occurred in Texas would be a no-brainer for the death penalty. However, the death penalty is off the table. Why? Because the prosecution didn’t believe that the murderous couple would be a future threat.

Feel free to scratch your head or yell out an obscenity.

These types of injustices are difficult to understand. I wonder, who is the voice for little Riley? It doesn’t seem that there is one. We still don’t know, and may never know, what happened to Caylee Anthony. Did she suffer like Riley? If so, the prosecutors in Florida have a duty to be the voice of Caylee, and send a message to those out there that torture, pain, and death to innocent children is NOT okay. The death penalty would make this voice heard loud and clear.

No future threat? In June 2008, while awaiting trial, Kimberly Trenor gave birth to a baby boy. Royce Zeigler refuses to relinquish his parental rights. Imagine if he were to be released due to a technicality during his trial, which begins soon. Would he not be a threat to an infant that cried in the middle of the night?

Oh, but they didn't mean to hurt Riley! This from Kimberly's defense attorney who claimed she never intended to hurt Riley, but "things spun out of control." Spun out of control? That's how they view it?

It’s truly mind-numbing. Riley Ann Sawyer’s voice was lost. With the upcoming trial of Casey Anthony, we can only hope Caylee’s voice will be heard.

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