Editorial: 2-year-old dies after beating

by James Ransom-Wiley { Apr 9th 2008 at 11:30AM }

Late Monday night, 2-year-old Darisabel Baez died from injuries sustained from a brutal beating by her mother's boyfriend on Sunday. The boyfriend, Harve Johnson, reportedly used a video game controller.

We've received numerous tips and followed various developments about this horrific story over the past few days. We've decided to post about it now, in part, to open up a space for shared discussion through which we may experience relief. However base it may seem in light of the real tragedy, many of us are particularly concerned about the opportunity for mainstream media and those ignorant persons who target our industry to sensationalize a trivial fact about Darisabel's death. That Johnson had in his hand a game controller is no evidence that the game controller and, specifically, the games he likely played with the controller were in any way a catalyst for his heinous crime. But that's a message we fear might be spread.

In our struggle to comprehend the merciless death of an innocent 2-year-old we might grasp at understandings that are wrong. The best you can do is to know and uphold that video games did not cause this unimaginable expression of violence. Please feel free to share your own respectful thoughts and feelings in the comments below.

Tags: darisabel-baez, harve-johnson, pa, york

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

Deck @ Apr 9th 2008 11:36AM

My condolences to the family. This is a horrific tragedy.

I do also hope that the media does not spin this out of proportion. The game controller was used as a weapon, not as an influence to this horrible incident.

Bleu @ Apr 9th 2008 11:54AM

Dam people really have some issues to deal with in this world nowadays.

NATO_Duke @ Apr 9th 2008 12:02PM

Just like, bats, irons, pots, pans, and every other object laying around the house have been used in the past.

This is a shame to see a child die like this. Yet the controller being used is a nonissue as far as I can see.

Juice @ Apr 9th 2008 12:34PM

AYFKM? This guy did this to a baby. WTF. Showcase his parents and put them on a spectacle of how they misraised their child. They should all be incarcerated and not allowed to reproduce. He had to hit that poor girl a couple times probably. I mean why? I hate violent people more than anything. I can take loud/annoying/lazy/ugly but violent I can't. This ruined my day. In the future joystiq I don't think you should post stuff like this. I know it's reality and these things exist but not here man. Not here. Lord help us...

jadenguy @ Apr 9th 2008 1:33PM

It's also possible that he was just a terrible terrible person. Usually, the worst parents tend to produce the best offspring because they fight for their whole lives not to end up like their parents...

His parents aren't on trial here. Should your parents be called into the head office of the internet every time you say something without thinking?

sircodesalot @ Apr 9th 2008 1:35PM

"Let him without sin cast the first stone". -- This was not in the case of murder. Remember (Gen 9:6): Anyone shedding man’s blood, by man will his own blood be shed, for in God’s image he made man.

jadenguy @ Apr 9th 2008 1:35PM

Also, added irony that I JUST saw, people were concerned that gaming would be arbitrarily blamed for his poor behavior. Not classical irony, more like Morriset irony.

Brendan T @ Apr 9th 2008 6:33PM

I personally know what it's like to feel irritated when my game playing is interupted but I have no experience with constant interuption to other essential things like sleep that parents miss over babys crying.

Personally, this is something I feel that video games could've had an impact on. While I have no doubt the mentality of the boyfriend was abnormal at least, I'd like to see what effect playing these games has on our patience. This story reminds me a little of the one last year with the couple that neglected their kid to play WoW in that they lose patience to deal with things outside the game.

Destroyer841 @ Apr 9th 2008 8:05PM

Doing some rudimentary research (which is more than I can say for EVERYONE here for the death penalty)I discovered it's neither a decent deterrent to other criminals or a cheap and effective means of disposing of criminals. First off ignorant people tend to think you go quickly and painlessly but through research it's bee suggested that people put through lethal injection do not always have the correct amount of chemical injected. This means they may be unable to move but still feel everything perfectly. Which means the death penalty may be completely inhumane, which I assume gives you uber vigilant conservative nutjobs huge hard on's.

Now, you could easily argue the criminals have no human rights because they forfeit those when the kill someone and that an eye for an eye is the best option( and don't try to fucking sugarcoat your argument because that's all this stupid idea is) but you can also argue that as a society we are better than that. The only other countries on earth that still use a death penalty to such a degree are states with terrible human rights records. Do we really want to be lumped into the same category as North Korea?

Killing someone, ending the life of another human is never a sound plan and any argument for such a childish act should never be taken seriously. Do you really think a government run by petty vengeance is a good idea? All the people arguing for the death penalty seem to be under the impression that watching him die will provide some sick sense of satisfaction that nothing else could provide. Although some people have mentioned that it's just flat out cheaper. Well it's not even cheaper. The amount of time and money it takes to end a human life is pretty large.

And what of the people who are on death row but innocent? Since 1973, 128 people have been exonerated from death row because they were wrongly accused. Those were just the cases that were actually brought up. What about the people put to death that may have been innocent but never got the chance to prove it? I wouldn't want to be part of anything that actually kills or almost kills innocent people. You pricks fighting for people to die are no different than murderers yourselves.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Apr 9th 2008 11:36AM

I hope this guy gets the death penalty.

Cyro @ Apr 9th 2008 12:00PM

I am with you man. This guy is animal,he should not be considered a human being, nor be allowed to coexist with humans either.

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Apr 9th 2008 12:15PM

Because executing the man who committed the crime will bring back the child. Or provide some closure for the bereaved...

Chuckles @ Apr 9th 2008 12:22PM

@ Nigeria:

I don't care what you say, if this was my girl and someone killed her I would personally find the bastard that did it and kill him myself. I would feel no remorse and although it would not bring closure, it would help me personally. Eye for an eye my friend.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Apr 9th 2008 12:24PM

No, because a man who repeatedly beats a child of that age, and finally beat her until death is not a reasonable human being that has anything to add to society by being locked up in jail.

He's a monster, and he is unfit to live.

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 9th 2008 12:25PM

But chuckles, the mother knew the child was being abused with a constantly rising level of severity. You are a human being, the mother in this case was not. Because the abuse had been escalating for nearly a year and nothing was said or done to prevent it.

343 Guilty Fart @ Apr 9th 2008 12:53PM

"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."

I don't usually quote Jesus, but seriously people.

ck @ Apr 9th 2008 1:32PM

Yeah, I don't understand the idea of eye for an eye. This guy is more than likely going to spend the rest of his life in a maximum security prison. That's a miserable existence and I think pretty fit for someone who commits a terrible crime like this. Rather than him dying right away, he's going to suffer for the next 50+ years.

upz @ Apr 9th 2008 1:33PM

I haven't beaten any babies, so I'll cast the first stone, guys.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Apr 9th 2008 1:38PM

Thanks, upz! Always willing to take one for the team.

Everyone, you should be team players, just like upz here is.

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 9th 2008 1:59PM

No, I agree with this.

I've never struck a child nor could I ever see myself beating a child to death. It's kind of hard to see things from his point of view considering I'm not some sick fuck who beats children regularly.

Varone @ Apr 9th 2008 2:22PM

@ Chuckles: An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.

This is a sad tale and I hope the media who will no doubt be looking for something to blame, choose the killer and not his weapon.

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Apr 9th 2008 2:27PM

Seeing the tendencies of the thread, I know that I'm going to be seriously downvoted for voicing out my own opinion concerning the death penalty, being "a fair way to exact revenge as justice", but I think that all opinions ought to be voiced. Sure, the death penalty is more reasonably defended by the cost taxpayers are going to have to deal with just to keep inmates alive, but I do not believe that ire should either justify a debate's position or even be allowed to regulate society.

But back to my opinion on the death penalty, I'd like to share a very important quote which has helped us progress beyond the barbarisms of a past time, and which is still applicable today despite the many hardships of modern conflicts:

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind." ~ Mahatma Ghandi

I beg of you to please think about it, in the name of reason.

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Apr 9th 2008 2:29PM

@Varone:

I didn't notice your comment and exact same quote: it wasn't there while I was busy typing mine. Thank you for assuring me that I'm not alone on this side of the debate.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Apr 9th 2008 2:58PM

This isn't about "eye for an eye", or vengeance even. This person has proven that he is not capable of being a contributing member of society, and his very existence past this point would be a detriment to anyone he came into contact with. His is now a worthless existence, and the death penalty is there to permanently remove and possible influence he could have on anyone else.

The death penalty isn't about vengeance, or even about justice. Its about protecting society (even other prisoners) from the horrible influence contact with this person would allow.

Ghandi's quote is great for foreign policy. It doesn't apply to the death penalty.

Korova @ Apr 9th 2008 3:01PM

By calling for the death penalty you respond to the same instincts that drove this monster to kill this child. Neither you as an individual, nor the state should need to stoop to ultimate violence to signal your disapproval and affirm your adherence to social norms. Putting this guy away in prison for the rest of his life will be an act of domination that is both sufficient and satisfactory for all purposes.

As for the state's exercise of its monopoly on violence to kill an individual that can be controlled as effectively and cheaper by incarceration, I think it is morally wrong to direct the state's immense power to kill against a single individual who does not pose a threat to the state as a whole, no matter how much ceremony is involved in exercising that power.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Apr 9th 2008 3:04PM

"By calling for the death penalty you respond to the same instincts that drove this monster to kill this child."

Um. No. Instincts have nothing to do with it. Read my post above, if you were in the middle of writing when I posted it. Or if you've already read it, read it again, because you obviously don't get "it".

LaughingTarget @ Apr 9th 2008 3:51PM

To have human rights you must first be human.

I'm no fan of the death penalty myself. Way too kind. A quick, painless (sterilized, figure that one out) needle, they fall asleep and pass. I'm a fan of permanent sensory deprivation. Drop them in solitary, provide just enough to eat to not die, a vacuum toilet like in airlines so they can't drown themselves to escape the sentence, a concrete slab for a bed, toss them in nude and don't open the door again until natural causes take them. Best punishment ever.

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Apr 9th 2008 4:55PM

@Crono

You raise another debate: who are we to judge that a person is unfit for society in general (after all, the world isn't only America) but most importantly of all, who are we to declare that the death sentence is the ultimate solution, in the name of our global society?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Death_Penalty_World_Map.png

That map represents the rest of the world, distinguishing countries who do and countries who don't accept the death penalty. Where you might agree that an individual would need to be sentenced to death, or "removed from society through capital punishment", many still disagree with that solution, and they're intrinsically part of our society too. What allows us to decide on their behalf, but much worse, what grants us the right to sentence another man to death, and what makes it anymore different than barbarism?

You can still remove a man from society through being condemned to isolation, without having effects on the other "more innocent" prisoners.

One last thing: what do you do when you condemn an innocent guy to death? It happens, except that you can't reinstate that guy into society anymore. You can't compensate him for mistrial. Why? Because he's already dead, and there's no undo button on that decision.

PS: How is Ghandi's quote irrelevant to humanity? It's still about the senselessness of violence used in social conflicts.

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Apr 9th 2008 4:57PM

@Laughing Target

Sounds pricey, plus Human Rights laws would sort of interfere.

My favorite is exporting a dude's ass to an Asian prison.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Apr 9th 2008 5:17PM

Well, being members of society, it is the jury that decides if a person is fit to live in that society. What gives us that right? The fact that we make our laws and build our societies, that's what. I really couldn't care less what the rest of the world thinks about the death penalty, because it isn't relevant to the case at hand, or to the society in question.

And I never said that Ghandi's quote was irrelevant to humanity? I said it was irrelevant to the death penalty, because its not senseless violence, nor is the death penalty about revenge.

Innocent people on death row? The appeals process takes like 10 years. If in 10 years time there isn't evidence found to overturn the death penalty (not even guilt, just the punishment), I think we can be reasonably sure we have the right guy. The US judicial system is designed to let the bad guy go if there is a reasonable doubt. The death penalty, even more so.

But in this case, we know who the perp is without a shadow of a doubt. We know the crime. We know, based on his actions, he's not fit to rejoin society ever. The crime is heinous enough for the death penalty, and I think he deserves it.

LaughingTarget @ Apr 9th 2008 6:44PM

Thorned - Look up ADX Florence in Colorado. They do exactly what I suggest. They tend to be cheaper since they don't offer amenities that other prisons do, like exercise equipment (prisoners get to run around an empty room for an hour, alone, before going back to 23 hour solitary), cable television or food that has a remotely stomachable flavor.

It is between ADX Florence and the prison in Arizona that makes prisoners wear pink uniforms, can't watch anything but PBS and eat low end pet food that costs $0.30 per serving as the model all prisons should follow.

LaughingTarget @ Apr 9th 2008 6:56PM

Anyone who choses to violate the rights of an innocent forfeit all of their own. I find it laughable to think that there are people in this world that will actively protect "rights" of a criminal when the victim was afforded no such consideration.

As said above, the child can never come back. Repentence can only come when all damage is undone, returned to a state of being prior to the action. Only when the child is resurrected (not as a zombie either), by this individual can we argue his rights. Goes for every crime. The thief can't turn back time and return the lost days to the victim trying to sort out the theft, so returning the property will never suffice. The author of libel can't repent with a simple recantment. Such individuals are beyond help and should be permanently removed from society as they forfeit their rights in the course of comitting the crime. The method is the only debate.

Parole is a violation of the victim's rights. Less than life sentences are a violation of the victim's life. The criminal ruined the life of the victim, no matter how petty the crime, so it isonly fair and equitable to respond in kind.

Korova @ Apr 9th 2008 10:46PM

Crono

I would not want to live in a society that lives by your thought. You throw people away as worthless on the basis of an internet post.

Killing is terrible and frightening. I want this guy away from me, my children and all normal people. But I am not willing to throw him away. He may still contribute something to society and we are wealthy enough to afford him the chance to do so.

If our society would be succumbing as a whole, I would be more sympathetic to your hysteria, but we are the richest country in the world. And the most powerful. I think it is beneath us to throw people away.

I am pretty adamant about this as you can see. I have thought about this quite a bit and only grow firmer in my conviction that killing is only appropriate in the face of mortal danger. Calling for death penalty is just your fear talking.

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Apr 10th 2008 1:13AM

@Laughing Target: I'll check into it.

@Korova: I wasn't going to reply anymore because Crono's logic started to really scare me with his little consideration for human life, where extermination was the basis of society's progress. It's a vision of the world where the individual wasn't considered as a dynamic being capable of experiencing transcending change. A world in which we'd rather eliminate the "wrong people" instead of helping them rise above their condition.

Thank you for not letting me down in this fight.

PS: I still think that Ghandi's quote stands because the death penalty for me really is a senseless form of punishment because it has no reason to be for any type of civilization with aspirations leading towards a more humane society based on the ascension of the individual's state.

Ghandi's quote is a quote for humanity, and the death penalty stands in its way.

gamerpsp360 @ Apr 9th 2008 11:36AM

This is terrible! It's sad that the girl died even if it didn't involve a video game controller. But, since it did, Jack Thompson will say that the man was possessed by the controller and decided to kill someone because of GTA or something retarded like that. But my prayers go out to the girl's family.

Jim @ Apr 9th 2008 11:40AM

Thoughts and prayers go out to the rest of the family. A tragedy in any light, this situation had better not be cheapened by sensationalist attempts at politicization.

Caleb @ Apr 9th 2008 11:39AM

This is terrible. Get ready for Jack Thompson.

A person @ Apr 9th 2008 11:40AM

This is just a county over from me. Poor girl. It was on the local news last night.

Playace @ Apr 9th 2008 11:43AM

I find it hard to even bother thinking about the implications of video games being involved when I hear that there are people that sick out there. How could I care what happens to the games industry over what happens to guys like this in the real world?

vidGuy @ Apr 9th 2008 11:43AM

This is horrible and I am saddened by the news.

But remember this when the spin comes out: when somebody beats another person to death with a baseball bat, baseball isn't blamed. People have been abused with belts and Hotwheels tracks, but no one is outlawing those things.

Anyone that diverts attention to video games because of this is simply trying to confuse the real issue; what can we do to prevent the abuse of children?

Ignatius @ Apr 9th 2008 12:10PM

It's still going to happen because it's still going to make headlines.

And to every news network that tries to run this off as a video-game violence rather than an out-of-control lunatic with a weapon... I hope your company dies a horrible, slow death.

Draken Stark @ Apr 9th 2008 1:45PM

F*@# that! I hope the companies die out swiftly, that way there wouldn't be time to continue to spew out more sh*t like that.

mandarin14 @ Apr 9th 2008 11:44AM

Aww poor little girl.

Jerk Face @ Apr 9th 2008 12:03PM

I know.. and she's so fucking cute too. I have a 2-year old at home.. I could not even imagine being in a place where I would feel I need to beat her for ANYTHING, no matter how much of a pain kids can be. Truly horrific.

Jesse @ Apr 9th 2008 11:44AM

You're a bunch of fuckups if you're seriously worried about the affect this will have on video games.

There will always be people with an agenda that will put whatever spin they want a story to have on a story. That's how the world works. The worst possible thing that game supporters could do is worry about this becoming about video games, because it would show how shallow they are and how nothing outside of their pathetic little world of gaming matters.

This isn't going to affect your precious video games. So you can go back to ignoring stuff like this.

vidGuy @ Apr 9th 2008 11:57AM

These tragedies happen by the thousands every day. If a discussion of the possible causes includes video games then I think it is warranted. But it's also natural to be worried that our ass-backwards culture will put the blame in the wrong place. Our governments have been spending millions to block this medium from reaching minors; maybe that money could go into more adult training and support programs, but the sad fact is these tragedies will continue to occur by the thousands every day.

To sit around and say sorry doesn't get us anywhere. We need an ample discussion on what may cause such outrage and abuse. I agree that we shouldn't focus on protecting the video games, but they may be included in the discussion along with any number of other social factors. To ignore a medium that reaches hundreds of millions is pretty ignorant.