- Just a microwave? It’s more than what meets the eye.
What shocking reports would make the news this June? Typical murder cases? I’m afraid not.
On March 17, Mirabelle Thao-Lo, a healthy 6-week-old daughter was found dead in the family home. Ka Yang, the mother of Mirabelle, was arrested three months later and held without bail in Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of murder and assault resulting in the death of a child.
Cause of death: burned in a microwave.
Sacramento police discovered the “extensive thermal injuries” found in the bruises of Mirabelle that resulted from microwave burns. “Officer Laura Peck said the arrest took so long because investigators had to pinpoint what they believe is the cause of death by looking for other cases involving similar injuries.”
3 similar cases of children who were burned in a microwave were found in the U.S, in Dayton, Ohio; Galveston, Texas; and New Kent County, Va.
“This is rare. The injuries were obviously very unique,” Peck said. “There have been only three other documented cases in the entire country where the injuries were consistent with this case….Those children were also burned and placed in the microwave.”
What would be the driving force for such unethical behaviour? Misusing home appliances to abuse their own children with such ruthless methods? The report stated that the motive of such acts were still in the midst of investigation. Peck stated that “the bottom line is no one knows what happened in that house but her and the little baby.” Since then, Yang’s three other children, all under the 7 years of age, have been placed under the supervision of her relatives.
More similar cases show that there’s more than meets the eye.
“Last month, China Arnold, of Dayton, Ohio, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2005 microwave murder of her 28-day-old daughter, Paris Talley.”
“In 2008, Joshua Mauldin, of Galveston, Texas, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for severely burning his 2-month-old daughter in a microwave oven. The girl survived, but suffered second- and third-degree burns to her left ear, cheek, hand and shoulder. Part of her left ear had to be amputated, and she required several skin grafts.”
“In 2000, a Virginia woman was sentenced to five years in prison for killing her month-old son in a microwave oven. Elizabeth Renee Otte claimed she had no memory of putting her son in the microwave in 1999. Experts testified that Otte suffered from epilepsy and that her seizures were followed by blackouts.”
Let’s think about it, could television and the media have influenced such violent behaviours? Or could it be just plain, simple act of aggressive behaviour due to pressures from the society? If so, why would there be so many similar cases of such acts of abuse.
Although television can be a powerful entertainment and education tool with right programming, the media in general can instil negative influences. These influences might have triggered undesired behaviours of abuse and violence as seen in such cases. Based on the cultivation theory by George Gerbner (1976), it is seen that the media cultivates a false impression of the supposed reality of life that subtly becomes part of our lifestyle. Such influences are gradual and cumulative and those greatly affected would be heavy viewers or TV addicts.
Links:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/calif-mom-arrested-baby-dies-microwave-013335665.html
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/21/calif-mom-arrested-after-baby-dies-in-microwave/
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