Grandpa from Cruise ship tragedy charged

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think everyone involved sounds like an idiot. Why would you leave the window open in a playroom/childcare facility, especially one that's 11 stories up? But also, why would you put a child on a windowsill because she loves banging on windows. Wtaf? Even if the window was shut, that's an accident waiting to happen!

Earlier threads on this here with lots of info about where the windows were etc. for those who still think she crawled out of an open window along the floor in a children’s play area. That is false.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/815213.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/817597.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^maybe there are theories that he intentionally killed her. But it doesn’t matter in this case because that’s not what he’s charged with.

I haven’t heard anyone say he intentionally killed. I have heard many say he intentionally chose THAT window BECAUSE it was open and not tinted like the closed windows all around them. Then he later changed his tune to give a reason to sue RCI. I can buy that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m glad he was charged because of the lawsuit the family filed.

And likely that’s why they had to file charges. Had they not sued the cruise ship company LE likely wouldn’t have resorted to charging him to prove he was responsible.

Yep. They brought this on themselves by suing the cruise company and refusing to take any ownership over what happened.

+1 The went from being a sympathetic family, to unsympathetic in a blink of an eye once they started blaming the cruise ship.

This. I said from the beginning they should have followed the lead of the Disney alligator family. They didn’t give any negative press, and took a quiet settlement from Disney so they could move on and not relive it over and over in court, the press, etc.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know why you guys think filing suit is related to whether the prosecutor moves forward. They are not connected. Different entities, different calculations, different goals...they may be related in the eyes of the public but that is all.

[Anonymous]

I think the video shows something that moved it from an accident to reckless. Like he wasn’t drinking but taking a medication. Or acting very odd. People do get high on cruise ships. He has acted belligerent from the start. I don’t think he’s suffering as much as people are saying here. In the short moments he was on the ship HE DROPPED A CHILD OUT IF AN 11 story window!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know why you guys think filing suit is related to whether the prosecutor moves forward. They are not connected. Different entities, different calculations, different goals...they may be related in the eyes of the public but that is all.

I hear what you are saying. But there is prosecutorial discretion. PR could have declined to prosecute even if they believed they could charge him. His attitude toward the incident could have played a part. Or not.

[Anonymous]

Not surprising, but all of the articles online have different statements of what is going on. For example, some are continuing to report that they were in a children’s play area when that was a lie brought up by the family’s lawyer. Multiple videos have proven it was not a children’s play area.

This article states charges were brought after prosecutors submitted evidence: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2019/10/28/grandfather-toddler-who-died-fall-cruise-ship-window-charged-negligent-homicide/2491232001/

Another article mentioned prosecutors saying that he sat her on the ledge and then let her go whereas he now claims the hockey story. Trying to find that article.

Grandpa changed his story over time as to what happen. Grandpa shouldn’t have changed his story as to what happened and then made up the hockey lie to cover his mistake. That, combined with what others have said about the police really went looking for the real reason here because of the family being so righteous in the press and their lawsuit.

He’s being held in jail until his next court appearance on 11/20.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not surprising, but all of the articles online have different statements of what is going on. For example, some are continuing to report that they were in a children’s play area when that was a lie brought up by the family’s lawyer. Multiple videos have proven it was not a children’s play area.

This article states charges were brought after prosecutors submitted evidence: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2019/10/28/grandfather-toddler-who-died-fall-cruise-ship-window-charged-negligent-homicide/2491232001/

Another article mentioned prosecutors saying that he sat her on the ledge and then let her go whereas he now claims the hockey story. Trying to find that article.

Grandpa changed his story over time as to what happen. Grandpa shouldn’t have changed his story as to what happened and then made up the hockey lie to cover his mistake. That, combined with what others have said about the police really went looking for the real reason here because of the family being so righteous in the press and their lawsuit.

He’s being held in jail until his next court appearance on 11/20.

I read those early articles you are mentioned. He definitely admitted that he dropped her/she slipped out until he changed to the hockey story. That was after they got the ambulance chaser lawyer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And it wasn't a mistake. It was willful negligence

Up to the judge to decide. Willful means deliberate. Did he deliberately place her on ledge knowing the window was open or did he not realize the window was open? I believe he claimed the latter. Either way, open or closed, he overestimated her safety as an older grandpa who kept her safe prior to this horrific (insert whatever you'd like to call it).

He did not willfully intend to kill his granddaughter. He is already serving a life sentence, imo. The judge should order therapy or this man will harm himself.

Does no one actually read or pay any attention to the tv shows you watch?

willful
Deliberate
Knowingly
Intent
Intent to kill

These are all legal terms with actual meaning. You have to look at what the actual charge is and what’s required to prove that charge. The actual criminal code. No one, not a single person suggested that he intended to kill the child (that would have brought a murder 1 charge; again, depends on the words of the relevant criminal code).
According to the article, Grandpa was charged with negligent homicide. You’d have to read the code but it may be that all the prosecution must prove at trial is that he negligently hoisted the child to the danger, didn’t secure her, and she fell to her death. If judge or jury agree it’s proven, grandpa’s guilty as charged.

Negligent homicide is often a big catch all. The facts will support a guilty verdict.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not surprising, but all of the articles online have different statements of what is going on. For example, some are continuing to report that they were in a children’s play area when that was a lie brought up by the family’s lawyer. Multiple videos have proven it was not a children’s play area.

This article states charges were brought after prosecutors submitted evidence: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2019/10/28/grandfather-toddler-who-died-fall-cruise-ship-window-charged-negligent-homicide/2491232001/

Another article mentioned prosecutors saying that he sat her on the ledge and then let her go whereas he now claims the hockey story. Trying to find that article.

Grandpa changed his story over time as to what happen. Grandpa shouldn’t have changed his story as to what happened and then made up the hockey lie to cover his mistake. That, combined with what others have said about the police really went looking for the real reason here because of the family being so righteous in the press and their lawsuit.

He’s being held in jail until his next court appearance on 11/20.

I read those early articles you are mentioned. He definitely admitted that he dropped her/she slipped out until he changed to the hockey story. That was after they got the ambulance chaser lawyer.

Yup. And I bet the evidence (video or eye witness statements) supports him sitting her on the open window sill and dropping her. His change in story to claiming he didn’t know it was open and the hockey story led the police to investigate. It’s hard to not follow the law and charge him when the police find evidence contradicting his lie...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the video shows something that moved it from an accident to reckless. Like he wasn’t drinking but taking a medication. Or acting very odd. People do get high on cruise ships. He has acted belligerent from the start. I don’t think he’s suffering as much as people are saying here. In the short moments he was on the ship HE DROPPED A CHILD OUT IF AN 11 story window!

Maybe even something as simple as he stuck his head out the window to look at the view and he wanted to show her the same view.

[Anonymous]

This also is not a children’s play area like the family claimed it was. They only did that To make the cruiseship look bad. It was just a regular general cruise ship area. You can search up the YouTube video to see for yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the video shows something that moved it from an accident to reckless. Like he wasn’t drinking but taking a medication. Or acting very odd. People do get high on cruise ships. He has acted belligerent from the start. I don’t think he’s suffering as much as people are saying here. In the short moments he was on the ship HE DROPPED A CHILD OUT IF AN 11 story window!

Maybe even something as simple as he stuck his head out the window to look at the view and he wanted to show her the same view.

It was definitely a better view - the closed windows were all tinted! That’s why it’s hard to believe he didn’t choose that window because it was open.

[Anonymous]

If he purposely set that baby in an open window like that...he absolutely is negligent and should be charged.

[Anonymous]

Do I think he meant to? No. I think there was some reason he wanted to hold her at the open window and he lost his grip. It must be terrible to know you killed your granddaughter and I'm sure the family is falling apart. I also think the family is absolutely disgusting by how they handled it and part of me gets sick satisfaction out of the fact that the blame is finally being placed where it's deserved