9-Year-Old Girl Dies After Forced byFamily to Run for Hours

A 9-year-old Alabama girl died on Monday
after allegedly being forced to run for three
hours as a punishment for lying about
eating a candy bar.
The girl, Savannah Hardin, was reportedly
forced to run on the afternoon of Friday Feb.
17 by her grandmother and stepmother.
According to the Birmingham News, her
stepmother, Jessica Mae Hardin, called 911
at 6:45 p.m. and reported that Savannah
was having a seizure and was unresponsive.
She was taken to Children's Hospital in
Birmingham, Ala., where she died after
being taken off life support on Monday.
A state pathologist ruled the third grader's
death a homicide, and her body has been
sent to Huntsville, Ala., for an autopsy,
reports the Birmingham News. Preliminary
reports indicated that Savannah was
extremely dehydrated and had very low
sodium levels.
According to AP reports, Savannah had a
very common bladder condition and could
not handle the caffeine in a chocolate bar. It
is not believed, however, that the bladder
condition contributed to her death.
Jessica Hardin, 27, her stepmother, and
Joyce Hardin Garrard, 46, her grandmother,
are being charged with murder. Etowah
County District Attorney Jimmie Harp told the
AP that he may pursue capital murder
charges, which could carry the death
sentence.
Cause for Concern
According to local reports, police became
involved when concerned citizens called and
reported that they witnessed Hardin being
forced to run.
Police are still trying to figure out if
Savannah was forced to run by physical
coercion or by verbal commands, according
to AP.
"It's sad when a family is grieving over the
death of a daughter and granddaughter and
so soon to find out that the death could
have been prevented," Sheriff Todd Entrekin
told the Birmingham News. "My thoughts
and prayers are with the family."
Savannah's father, Robert Hardin, who
works for the State Department, had to
return to Alabama – taking eight flights,
according to the AP – to be with his
daughter in the hospital. On Monday, he
made the decision to take her off life
support.
Robert filed for divorce from Jessica in
August 2010, and the AP cites his divorce
complaint which says that Jessica was
bipolar and had alcoholic tendencies. She
denied both claims, and five months later
the two asked the judge to dismiss their
case.
A New Baby
On Wednesday, Jessica was transferred from
Etowah County Detention Center – where
she and Garrard were being held on
$500,000 bond – to the hospital, where she
gave birth, according to the AP.
Jessica also has a 3-year-old son who has
been placed in the custody of a relative, and
Alabama officials are formulating a safety
plan for her newborn. It is believed that the
baby will also be placed in the same
relative's care.