Bubbaworld

According to Tulsa Police, on November 9, 2009 Shemirah Mache Benson was sleeping on a couch with her 7-month-old son Dan Benson when her husband discovered the infant unconscious between his mother and the back of the couch. The boy’s father called 911, however the child had already died of suffocation.

On January 6, 2010, prosecutors filed a charge of second-degree manslaughter against Benson. On February 4th, Benson was arrested and jailed in lieu of bond totaling $500,000. At her initial court hearing, bond was reduced to $100,000 and conditioned upon Benson not being unattended around any child under the age of one-year-old. Benson did not make bail and remained jailed.

On March 29, 2010, Shemirah Mache Benson appeared in Tulsa County District Court for arraignment. At her arraignment Benson waived her right to trial and pleaded guilty to the second degree manslaughter charge in the death of her son Dan Benson.

Following her guilty plea, District Judge William C. Kellough set sentencing for May 10th and, without out objection from the prosecution, released Benson from jail on her own recognizance with ankle monitor pending sentencing.

Benson faces a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison.

At first glance, one might feel pity for Benson and believe that probation would be a fair and just sentence. And there is merit in that view.

Until…

One realizes that 7-month-old Dan Benson is the second child Shemirah Benson has killed under similar, if not identical circumstances.

According to police, in May 2006, 3-month-old Daniyah Benson, another of Benson’s children, died in a similar sleeping arrangement. At that time, Benson was reportedly warned of the dangers of co-sleeping, however no charges were filed in Daniyah Benson’s death.

Regardless of whether Shemirah Benson does or does not receive jail time as part of her sentence, it would seem not only logical but necessary that she also receive long-term probation conditioned upon her never being permitted to be alone with a small child ever again.

Shemirah Benson didn’t learn from the tragic death of one child and it is unlikely she has learned from the death of the second.

Hopefully the court will insure there is no third tragic death owing to the negligence of Shemirah Benson.