Abuse Angels
Commited to the end of child abuse. . .
Julian Hurley
Julian’s mother Rhonda Hurley was in La Porte County Jail for probation violation while the abuse that killed Julian was occurring. She was charged with welfare fraud in 2008, but violated the terms of her probation in 2009 when she was charged with two counts of theft. She was arrested on the revocation charge in September and had been in jail since then. Jimmy Isbell cared for Rhonda Hurley’s three children during this time.
On January 14, 2011 paramedics were dispatched on a report of a child that was sick and vomiting. In the basement paramedics found Isbell and three boys. Isbell told the paramedics that one of the boys four year old Julian had been throwing up. Isbell showed the paramedics a white garbage bag containing vomit mixed with blood. The paramedics noticed that Julian did not appear to be breathing. They took Julian to the ambulance and observed bruises all over his body. Julian was transported to the hospital. He died shortly after. Julian had a bloody and collapsed lung. An autopsy revealed bruises covering much of Julian’s body he died from multiple blunt force trauma injuries.
On three separate occasions, Isbell waived his right to remain silent and gave interviews to a detective at the police station.
During the first interview, Isbell stated that Julian’s injuries were the result of bumping into furniture and being hit by another child. Isbell denied hitting Julian but admitted that he disciplined Julian by having him do chores or forcing him to stand in a corner. Isbell said he never took Julian to the hospital because he did not want people to think that he beat Julian.
During a second interview, Isbell changed his statement and said that he had hit Julian with a belt five to six times and punched him in the chest because Julian would not eat. Isbell stated that he grabbed Julian when he appeared to be vomiting. Isbell stated that when he grabbed Julian’s arm, Julian pulled his arm back and fell, hitting his head on a chair and the floor. Julian laid on the floor for about ten minutes and appeared to be having “a seizure.”Isbell attempted to put Julian in bed and feed him, but Julian vomited again. Isbell stated that the morning Julian died, he attempted to feed Julian again, but Julian seemed that he would vomit again. Isbell stated that he hit Julian five or six times on the buttocks and told him not to vomit again. Isbell then told Julian to stand in a corner. Isbell than heard a bump and found Julian lying “in a trance.” He said that he waited for Julian to get better, but finally decided to call an ambulance when he did not “come out of it.”
In the third interview, Isbell attempted to tell the detective that all of Julian’s injuries were from a fall down the stairs and that he had lied during his previous interviews. However, when police officers questioned Julian’s brother, the brother stated that Isbell had hit Julian “one too many times.”
Isbell was charged with two felony counts of neglect of a dependent. No murder charge was filed because “there was no proof Isbell set out to kill Julian.” Isbell was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Unknown - Jan. 14, 2011